Anime like Summer Wars

What is Summer Wars about?

Studio: MADHOUSE
Status: Finished

When timid eleventh-grader and math genius Kenji Koiso is asked by older student and secret crush Natsuki to come with her to her family's Nagano home for a summer job, he agrees without hesitation.

Natsuki's family, the Jinnouchi clan, dates back to the Muromachi era (1336 to 1573), and they've all come together to celebrate the 90th birthday of the spunky matriarch of the family, Sakae. That’s when Kenji discovers his "summer job" is to pretend to be Natsuki's fiance and dance with her at the birthday celebration.

As Kenji attempts to keep up with Natsuki's act around her family, he receives a strange math problem on his cell phone which, being a math genius, he can't resist solving. As it turns out, the solution to the mysterious equation causes Oz, the program that controls nearly every aspect of life to be hacked into, it's up to Kenji and his new "family" to stop the hacker before it's too late.

Tags: Family Life , Virtual World , Artificial Intelligence , Ensemble Cast , Software Development , Rural , Male Protagonist , Terrorism , CGI , Coming of Age , Female Protagonist , Card Battle , Heterosexual , Military , Alternate Universe , Robots , Tanned Skin , Fake Relationship , War , Work , Kemonomimi , Space , Estranged Family , Anthropomorphism , Matriarchy , Baseball , Revenge , Gods

Where to watch?

No streaming links available

Ryuu to Sobakasu no Hime

Also known as BELLE.

Studio: Studio Chizu , Cartoon Saloon
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Music , Mystery , Sci-Fi

The protagonist of this story, Suzu, is a 17-year old high school girl living with her father in a rural town of Kochi — their town is a textbook definition of depopulation in the Japanese countryside. Wounded by the loss of her mother at a young age, Suzu one day discovers the massive online world, “U,” and dives into this alternate reality as her avatar, Belle. Before long, all of U’s eyes are fixed on Belle (Suzu), when one day the mysterious and infamous Dragon-like figure appears before her.

Tags: Virtual World , Primarily Teen Cast , Female Protagonist , Artificial Intelligence , Augmented Reality , Coming of Age , Found Family , Rehabilitation , CGI , Tragedy , Fairy Tale , Idol , School , Heterosexual , Anthropomorphism , Dragons , Fugitive , Cyberpunk , Full CGI

Where to watch?

Netflix

Max

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Digimon Adventure: Bokura no War Game!

Also known as Digimon: Our War Game.

Studio: Toei Animation
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Fantasy , Sci-Fi

This movie takes place after the Adventure series ends. It begins when a new Digimon Egg is found on the internet, and manages to penetrate into almost every computer system in Japan. When the egg hatches, it's identified as a new kind of Digimon, a Virus-type. It sustains itself by eating data from various system, and starts wreaking havok in Japan. As it consumes more and more data, it continues to evolve. And Taichi and Koushiro decide it's time to stop it.

They're off, sending Agumon and Tentomon through the internet to fight off this new enemy. But, with the Virus controlling systems like the American military, all too soon, this digital menace may become all too real. Calling in the help of Yamato and Takeru, they hope that they can stop what's already begun, and maybe save this world a second time.

Tags: Artificial Intelligence , Anthropomorphism , Male Protagonist , Proxy Battle , Urban , Urban Fantasy , Virtual World , Primarily Child Cast , Animals , Kaiju , Henshin , Kids , Software Development , Cyberpunk , Rural , Denpa , CGI

Where to watch?

No streaming links available

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Bakemono no Ko

Also known as The Boy and the Beast.

Studio: Studio Chizu , GKIDS
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Drama , Fantasy , Supernatural

When Kyuuta, a young orphan living on the streets of Shibuya, stumbles into a fantastic world of beasts, he’s taken in by Kumatetsu, a gruff, rough-around-the-edges warrior beast who’s been searching for the perfect apprentice.

Despite their constant bickering, Kyuuta and Kumatetsu begin training together and slowly form a bond as surrogate father and son. But when a deep darkness threatens to throw the human and beast worlds into chaos, the strong bond between this unlikely pair will be put to the ultimate test—a final showdown that will only be won if the two can finally work together using all of their combined strength and courage.

Tags: Coming of Age , Male Protagonist , Urban Fantasy , Martial Arts , Found Family , Isekai , Cultivation , Anthropomorphism , Primarily Animal Cast , Time Skip , Tragedy , Orphan , Swordplay , Adoption , Estranged Family , Family Life , Kemonomimi , Gods , Philosophy , Youkai , Reincarnation , Bullying , CGI , Body Horror

Where to watch?

Netflix

Crunchyroll

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Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo

Also known as The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.

Studio: MADHOUSE , Kadokawa Shoten , Bandai , Memory-Tech , Happinet Pictures , Selecta Visión , Funimation
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance , Sci-Fi

The power to travel through time... It can be used for the good of humanity, or just selfishly abused. While many may fantasize about obtaining such a power, it has become nothing less than reality for otherwise-normal schoolgirl Konno Makoto.

After a fated event, her life takes a turn for the extraordinary. Though she initially uses her power to literally "leap" into the past and change little things in order to make her life easier, she soon has to face the fact that changing the past can have drastic consequences.

Tags: Time Manipulation , Coming of Age , Female Protagonist , Heterosexual , School , Primarily Teen Cast , Tomboy , Tragedy , Love Triangle , Baseball

Where to watch?

Crunchyroll

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Mirai no Mirai

Also known as Mirai.

Studio: Studio Chizu
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Comedy , Drama , Fantasy , Slice of Life

One day, Kun’s mother brings home a new family member. For the four-year-old boy, joy quickly turns to disappointment when the little sister replaces her brother as the center of attention. The boy can’t bring himself to accept her as his sister. But things turn magical when, with a mysterious garden as his gateway, the boy encounters his mother as a little girl and his great-grandfather as a young man, and has a series of surprising adventures with his older sister from the future. These experiences change how he sees the world and help him grow into the big brother he was meant to be.

Tags: Family Life , Urban Fantasy , Time Manipulation , Coming of Age , Male Protagonist , Alternate Universe , Trains , CGI , Parenthood , Urban , Animals , Pregnancy

Where to watch?

Netflix

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Chou Kaguya-hime!

Also known as Cosmic Princess Kaguya!.

Studio: Studio Colorido , Studio Chromato , Twin Engine
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Drama , Fantasy , Music , Sci-Fi

A tale of otherworldly beauty and celestial secrets unfolds in this new take on Japan’s oldest folktale.

Inspired by The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, the film reimagines Japan’s oldest folktale with a modern touch by integrating music, fantasy, and contemporary animation.

Set in the virtual realm of Tsukuyomi, the story unfolds as a live performance marrying original music with Yamashita’s signature style of polished visuals, emotive pacing, and dynamic 3D camerawork to boldly transform this classic tale for a new generation.

Tags: Female Protagonist , Virtual World , Fairy Tale , Coming of Age , Idol , Yuri , Aliens , Urban Fantasy , Otaku Culture , VTuber , Video Games , Time Skip , LGBTQ+ Themes , Time Manipulation , Estranged Family , Urban , Artificial Intelligence , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Tragedy , CGI , E-Sports , Vocal Synth , Swordplay , Kemonomimi , Software Development , Robots , Reincarnation , Food , Fugitive , School , Nekomimi , Archery , Spearplay , Surreal Comedy , Mythology , Satire

Where to watch?

Netflix

YouTube

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HELLO WORLD

Studio: Graphinica
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Psychological , Romance , Sci-Fi

In Kyoto in the year 2027, Naomi Katagaki, a male high school student encounters a person who is claiming to be Naomi from 10 years in the future. Together, they must change the future and save a classmate, Ruri, whom the younger Naomi starts to date in three months.

Tags: Time Manipulation , Virtual World , Alternate Universe , Full CGI , Tragedy , Heterosexual , Coming of Age , Augmented Reality , Age Regression , Philosophy , Male Protagonist , Urban , Rehabilitation , School , Kuudere , Female Protagonist , Magic , Seinen

Where to watch?

Netflix

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Ookami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki

Also known as Wolf Children.

Studio: MADHOUSE , VAP , Dentsu , Yomiuri TV , Funimation , Kadokawa Shoten , Toho , Studio Chizu
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Fantasy , Romance , Slice of Life

The theme of the film is the love between parents and children. The story covers 13 years and begins with a 19-year-old college student named Hana who encounters and falls in "fairy tale-like" love with a "wolf man." After marrying the wolf man, Hana gives birth and raises two wolf children—an older sister named Yuki who was born on a snowy day, and a younger brother named Ame who was born on a rainy day. The four quietly lived in a corner of a city to conceal the existence of the "wolf children," but when the wolf man suddenly dies, Hana decides to move to a rural town far removed from the city.

Tags: Parenthood , Family Life , Werewolf , Coming of Age , Shapeshifting , Female Protagonist , Rural , Environmental , Interspecies , Kemonomimi , Animals , Mythology , Tragedy , Snowscape , Urban , Agriculture , Urban Fantasy , School , Heterosexual , Male Protagonist

Where to watch?

Crunchyroll

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Dennou Coil

Also known as Den-noh Coil.

Studio: MADHOUSE , NHK Enterprises , Tokuma Shoten , Bandai Visual , Maiden Japan
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Comedy , Drama , Mystery , Sci-Fi

Imagine if the internet was 'projected' over the living world and you interacted with it using a portable device - glasses and visors which connect you to an augmented reality. In 2026, this technology becomes reality...

Yuuko Okonogi moves with her family to Daikoku, home of an ever expanding tech network which makes up the interactive virtual world. Her grandmother runs an agency to investigate missing children who appear to have vanished from the 'real' world and entered the city's Dennou - literally meaning "electric brain" - a term used to differentiate between the virtual and 'real.'

A hacker culture is emerging amongst the children of the city. Yasako is soon introduced to Isako, whose powers for hunting computer viruses known as 'illegals' belie an agenda that might have sinister motives.

Tags: Augmented Reality , Urban , Primarily Child Cast , Female Protagonist , Tragedy , Amnesia , Denpa , Philosophy , Coming of Age , Software Development , Conspiracy , Revenge , Ghost , School , Bullying , Cosmic Horror , CGI , Dissociative Identities

Where to watch?

Netflix

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Yurei Deco

Also known as YUREI DECO.

Studio: Science SARU , Bandai Namco Filmworks , Crunchyroll , NetEase Games
Status: Finished
Genres: Mystery , Sci-Fi

The story begins when Berry, an average girl from an average home, meets Hack, a girl who looks like a boy. Charmed by Hack, Berry meets up with the team Hack leads, the Ghost Detectives Club. Members of this club are “socially dead,” working invisibly within the digitally controlled society of Tom Sawyer. As she works with the group, Berry learns about Zero, a mysterious figure who lurks within Tom Sawyer’s underground. She and Hack decide to chase down this figure, and in time, the truth behind the city is revealed...

Tags: Female Protagonist , Dystopian , Augmented Reality , Artificial Intelligence , Detective , Satire , Conspiracy , Cyberpunk , Alternate Universe , Found Family

Where to watch?

Crunchyroll

YouTube