Anime like Koukyuu no Karasu

Kusuriya no Hitorigoto

Also known as The Apothecary Diaries.

Studio: Toho , OLM , TOHO animation STUDIO , Nippon Television Network , Imagica Infos , Dentsu , Shogakukan , Square Enix
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery

Maomao lived a peaceful life with her apothecary father. Until one day, she’s sold as a lowly servant to the emperor’s palace. But she wasn’t meant for a compliant life among royalty. So when imperial heirs fall ill, she decides to step in and find a cure! This catches the eye of Jinshi, a handsome palace official who promotes her. Now, she’s making a name for herself solving medical mysteries!



Tags: Female Protagonist , Medicine , Ancient China , Drugs , Historical , Detective , Conspiracy , Politics , Foreign , Royal Affairs , Work , Primarily Adult Cast , Adoption , Heterosexual , Alchemy , Episodic , Maids , Aromantic , Unrequited Love , Seinen , Slavery , Asexual , Makeup , Pregnancy , Food , Chibi , Educational , Go , Nekomimi , Suicide

Kusuriya no Hitorigoto 2nd Season

Also known as The Apothecary Diaries Season 2.

Studio: Toho , TOHO animation STUDIO , OLM , Nippon Television Network , Imagica Infos , OLM , Dentsu , Shogakukan , Square Enix
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery

Using her wit and vast knowledge of medicines and poisons alike, Maomao played a pivotal role in solving a series of mysteries and conspiracies that plagued the imperial court. Having recently come to terms with the secrets of her parents, she returns to fulfill her normal duties on behalf of the emperor's highest-ranking consorts. Maomao also works alongside the eunuch Jinshi to better the consorts' many ladies-in-waiting, including helping them learn to read.

However, with the arrival of a merchant caravan comes a new wave of intrigue. A pattern of strange coincidences involving the visitors and their wares unsettles Maomao, driving her to investigate the puzzling circumstances behind the convoy. As dangers from both outside and within threaten the balance between the imperial concubines, Maomao continues to utilize her cunning and medical expertise to keep the women safe from harm.



Tags: Medicine , Female Protagonist , Royal Affairs , Detective , Politics , Historical , Ancient China , Foreign , Work , Conspiracy , Class Struggle , Primarily Adult Cast , Espionage , Aromantic , Asexual , Educational , Tragedy , Primarily Female Cast , Heterosexual , Seinen , Pregnancy , War , Kuudere , Male Protagonist , Guns , Maids , Chibi , LGBTQ+ Themes , Crossdressing , Animals , Desert , Ghost , Assassins , Yuri

Karasu wa Aruji wo Erabanai

Also known as YATAGARASU: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master.

Studio: NHK , Studio Pierrot , NHK Enterprises , Studio Pierrot
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Fantasy , Supernatural

Welcome to Yamauchi, a world inhabited by the Yatagarasu, a race of three-legged ravens who shapeshift into humans. The land is divided into four regions—North, South, East, and West—each ruled by a noble family. Yukiya, the son of a leader in the North, is shocked by a call to attend to the Imperial Prince. Murder, mysteries, and an invasion from an unexpected enemy await in this epic fantasy.



Tags: Royal Affairs , Conspiracy , Shapeshifting , Politics , Male Protagonist , Primarily Adult Cast , Assassins , Estranged Family , Ojou-sama , Adoption , Philosophy , Swordplay , Ensemble Cast , Gore , Mythology , Anthropomorphism , Augmented Reality

Saiunkoku Monogatari

Also known as The Story of Saiunkoku.

Studio: MADHOUSE , NHK , Sogo Vision
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Comedy , Drama , Fantasy , Romance

Saiunkoku is a world of eight provinces or houses, each named after a different colour. The new Emperor, Shi Ryuuki, has gained a reputation for being uninterested in courtly matters and for flaunting his love for men. Shuurei, although born of the important Kou family, has difficulty making ends meet. She easily accepts an invitation to be the Emperor's concubine in order to turn him into a good ruler. The mysterious Seiran, a young man who was adopted by her father, goes with her as Ryuuki's bodyguard. Entering the imperial palace revives Shuurei's dream of being a court official, and, together with the many companions she meets along the way, continues moving bravely forward while trying to fend off the Emperor's advances.



Tags: Female Protagonist , Politics , Historical , Shoujo , Foreign , Coming of Age , Ensemble Cast , Philosophy , Work , Mythology , Urban , Royal Affairs , Unrequited Love , Ancient China , Kingdom Management , Bisexual , Swordplay , Bullying , Family Life , Assassins , Primarily Adult Cast , Travel , Ghost , Arranged Marriage , Primarily Male Cast , Male Harem , War , Heterosexual , Crime , Dissociative Identities , Found Family , Marriage , Age Gap

Akatsuki no Yona

Also known as Yona of the Dawn.

Studio: Studio Pierrot , TOKYO MX , Docomo Anime Store , Hakusensha , VAP , Marvelous , AT-X , Age Global Networks , TOP-INSIGHT , Delfi Sound
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Drama , Fantasy , Romance

Since Yona is the only princess of a grand kingdom, she has been raised with great care by her doting father and protected by her childhood friend/guard Hak and others. However, her fate changes on her 16th birthday, when her beloved cousin Soo-won murders her father to claim the throne. She flees the castle to Hak's hometown and begins her new life.



Tags: Shoujo , Female Protagonist , Dragons , Royal Affairs , Ensemble Cast , Travel , Fugitive , Primarily Male Cast , Mythology , Coming of Age , Ancient China , Historical , Politics , Revenge , Reincarnation , Tragedy , Found Family , Orphan , Male Harem , Heterosexual , Archery , Primarily Adult Cast , Kingdom Management , Swordplay , Foreign , Gods , Pirates , Crossdressing , Female Harem

Natsume Yuujinchou

Also known as Natsume's Book of Friends Season 1.

Studio: Aniplex , Brain's Base , NAS , NIS America Inc. , TV Tokyo Music , Sony Music Entertainment , Trilogy Future Studio
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Fantasy , Slice of Life , Supernatural

Natsume has always been an outcast because he inherited his grandmother's ability to see yokai. After moving to his grandmother's hometown and accidentally releasing a yokai imprisoned in a Lucky Cat statue, he learns about his grandmother's "Book of Friends," which contains the names of the yokai she defeated, and allows its wielder to command the yokai named within. Since then, yokai now visit him on a daily basis, seeking to either get their names back or take possession of the Book of Friends.



Tags: Youkai , Iyashikei , Episodic , Male Protagonist , Found Family , Rural , Adoption , Shoujo , Urban Fantasy , Estranged Family , Bullying , Primarily Male Cast , Primarily Teen Cast , Coming of Age , Shapeshifting , Outdoor Activities , Exorcism , Tsundere , School

Mushishi

Also known as MUSHI-SHI.

Studio: Artland , Marvelous Entertainment , Funimation , Delfi Sound
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Fantasy , Mystery , Psychological , Slice of Life , Supernatural

Neither good nor evil, they are life in its purest form. Vulgar and strange, they have inspired fear in humans since the dawn of time and have, over the ages, come to be known as "mushi." The stories of the Mushi and the people they affect are all linked together by a traveling Mushi-shi, or "Mushi Master," who seeks rare Mushi sightings and uses his shaman-like knowledge of Mushi to help the affected people.

What are the Mushi and what do they want?



Tags: Environmental , Iyashikei , Youkai , Mythology , Episodic , Philosophy , Travel , Rural , Male Protagonist , Outdoor Activities , Exorcism , Seinen , Tragedy , Eco-Horror , Historical , Animals , Wilderness , Urban Fantasy , Snowscape , Amnesia , Primarily Adult Cast , Coastal , Cult , Monster Girl , Suicide

GOSICK

Also known as Gosick.

Studio: bones , TV Tokyo , Kadokawa Shoten , Bandai Entertainment , KLOCKWORX , Memory-Tech , NTT Docomo
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Romance

Kazuya Kujou is a foreign student at Saint Marguerite Academy, a luxurious boarding school in the Southern European country of Sauville. Originally from Japan, his jet-black hair and dark brown eyes cause his peers to shun him and give him the nickname "Black Reaper," based on a popular urban legend about the traveler who brings death in the spring.

On a day like any other, Kujou visits the school's extravagant library in search of ghost stories. However, his focus soon changes as he becomes curious about a golden strand of hair on the stairs. The steps lead him to a large garden and a beautiful doll-like girl known as Victorique de Blois, whose complex and imaginative foresight allows her to predict their futures, now intertwined.

With more mysteries quickly developing—including the appearance of a ghost ship and an alchemist with the power of transmutation—Victorique and Kujou, bound by fate and their unique skills, have no choice but to rely on each other.



Tags: Detective , Crime , Foreign , Historical , Female Protagonist , Conspiracy , Heterosexual , Male Protagonist , Tragedy , Tsundere , Royal Affairs , Alchemy , War , Bullying , Guns , Kuudere , School , Love Triangle , Tomboy , Trains , Twins , Time Skip , Military

xxxHOLiC

Also known as xxxHOLiC.

Studio: Production I.G , Funimation , BMG Japan , Kids Station , Kodansha
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Horror , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural

Watanuki Kimihiro can see spirits and other assorted supernatural creatures, which is quite a bothersome ability he strongly dislikes. On the way home one day, while plagued by some spirits, he is inexplicably compelled to enter a strange house. There, he encounters Yuuko, a mysterious woman who claims to be able to rid him of the ability to see and attract the troublesome creatures – for a price. She demands for him to work at her "store" that grants wishes to people, and thus begins Watanuki's adventures through weird and wonderful events.

Tags: Mythology , Urban Fantasy , Youkai , Male Protagonist , Football , Curses , Episodic , Philosophy , Seinen , Denpa , Work , Animals , Ghost , Ensemble Cast , Orphan , Unrequited Love , School , Gods , Twins , Heterosexual , Archery , Witch

Oooku

Also known as Ōoku: The Inner Chambers.

Studio: Studio DEEN , Netflix
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance , Slice of Life

In Edo period Japan (1603 to 1868), a strange new disease called the Redface Pox has begun to prey on the country's men. Within eighty years of the first outbreak, the male population has fallen to a quarter of the total female population. Women have taken on all the roles traditionally granted to men, even that of the Shogun. The men, precious providers of life, are carefully protected and the most beautiful of the men are sent to serve in the Shogun's Inner Chambers.



Note: The first episode has a runtime of 1 hour and 18 minutes.

Tags: Matriarchy , Historical , Pandemic , Politics , Tragedy , Royal Affairs , Gender Bending , Samurai , Male Protagonist , Primarily Adult Cast , Shoujo , Crossdressing , Acting , Heterosexual , Female Protagonist , Achronological Order , LGBTQ+ Themes , Swordplay , Parenthood , Suicide , Tsundere , Religion , Matchmaking , Disability