Top Iyashikei Anime Recommendations

Sousou no Frieren

Also known as Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End.

Studio: MADHOUSE
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Drama , Fantasy

The adventure is over but life goes on for an elf mage just beginning to learn what living is all about. Elf mage Frieren and her courageous fellow adventurers have defeated the Demon King and brought peace to the land. But Frieren will long outlive the rest of her former party. How will she come to understand what life means to the people around her? Decades after their victory, the funeral of one her friends confronts Frieren with her own near immortality. Frieren sets out to fulfill the last wishes of her comrades and finds herself beginning a new adventure…



Tags: Travel , Magic , Elf , Philosophy , Female Protagonist , Time Skip , Medieval , Found Family , Kuudere , Iyashikei , Demons , Foreign , Shounen , Adoption , Rural , Aromantic , Spearplay , Heterosexual , Episodic , Dungeon , Feet , Religion , Rotoscoping , Snowscape , Food , Dragons , Horticulture , CGI

Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru

Also known as My Dress-Up Darling.

Studio: CloverWorks
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Ecchi , Romance , Slice of Life

High schooler Wakana Gojou cares about one thing: making Hina dolls. With nobody to share his obsession, he has trouble finding friends—or even holding conversation. But after the school’s most popular girl, Marin Kitagawa, reveals a secret of her own, he discovers a new purpose for his sewing skills. Together, they’ll make her cosplay dreams come true!



Tags: Cosplay , Otaku Culture , Fashion , Male Protagonist , Heterosexual , Primarily Teen Cast , Female Protagonist , Gyaru , Seinen , Photography , Slapstick , Coming of Age , Urban , School , Makeup , Unrequited Love , Tsundere , Nudity , Modeling , Iyashikei

Hyouka

Also known as Hyouka.

Studio: Kyoto Animation
Status: Finished
Genres: Mystery , Romance , Slice of Life

Energy-conservative high school student Houtarou Oreki ends up with more than he bargained for when he signs up for the Classic Literature Club at his sister's behest—especially when he realizes how deep-rooted the club's history really is. Begrudgingly, Oreki is dragged into an investigation concerning the 45-year-old mystery that surrounds the club room.

Accompanied by his fellow club members, the knowledgeable Satoshi Fukube, the stern but benign Mayaka Ibara, and the ever-curious Eru Chitanda, Oreki must combat deadlines and lack of information with resourcefulness and hidden talent, in order to not only find the truth buried beneath the dust of works created years before them, but of other side cases as well.

Based on the award-winning Koten-bu light novel series, and directed by Yasuhiro Takemoto of Suzumiya Haruhi no Shoushitsu, Hyouka shows that normal life can be full of small mysteries, be it family history, a student film, or even the withered flowers that make up a ghost story.



Tags: School Club , Detective , School , Primarily Teen Cast , Male Protagonist , Bowling , Coming of Age , Episodic , Classic Literature , Heterosexual , Rural , Iyashikei , Filmmaking , Otaku Culture , Politics , Tsundere , Cosplay , Shrine Maiden , Bullying

Kobayashi-san Chi no Maidragon

Also known as Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid.

Studio: Kyoto Animation
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Fantasy , Slice of Life

What happens when a drunken promise leads to living with a dragon? That’s Miss Kobayashi’s new reality when Tohru appears in her life. With a maid-slash-dragon in her home, she’s experiencing a whole new level of domestic bliss! But the dragons don’t stop there. On a mission to find Tohru appears Kanna, a little dragon with a big attitude. Before she knows it, Kobayashi’s got a house full of dragons—one serving tail and the other serving serious moe! Together, they live side by side with only the occasional disaster…well, maybe. But nothing beats coming home to the warm welcome of a dragon maid!



Tags: Found Family , Dragons , Monster Girl , Family Life , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Female Protagonist , Primarily Female Cast , Maids , Magic , Episodic , Anthropomorphism , Reverse Isekai , Urban , Yuri , Urban Fantasy , Seinen , Large Breasts , LGBTQ+ Themes , Office Lady , Primarily Adult Cast , Otaku Culture , Surreal Comedy , Cohabitation , Kuudere , Software Development , Bisexual , Nudity , Iyashikei

Fruits Basket: 1st Season

Also known as Fruits Basket (2019).

Studio: TMS Entertainment
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Romance , Slice of Life , Supernatural

Tohru Honda thought her life was headed for misfortune when a family tragedy left her living in a tent. When her small home is discovered by the mysterious Soma clan, she suddenly finds herself living with Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure Soma. But she quickly learns their family has a bizarre secret of their own: when hugged by the opposite sex, they turn into the animals of the Zodiac!



Tags: Found Family , Female Protagonist , Urban Fantasy , Family Life , Shoujo , Mythology , Coming of Age , Primarily Teen Cast , Ensemble Cast , Fairy Tale , Shapeshifting , Orphan , Rehabilitation , Curses , Animals , Delinquents , Yandere , Unrequited Love , Episodic , School Club , Homeless , Primarily Male Cast , Kuudere , Heterosexual , Cohabitation , Slapstick , School , Male Harem , Bullying , Tsundere , Memory Manipulation , Suicide , Philosophy , Femboy , Agriculture , Gender Bending , Crossdressing , Gangs , Denpa , Amnesia , LGBTQ+ Themes , Nudity , Body Horror , Nekomimi , Kemonomimi , Iyashikei , Chibi , Card Battle , Table Tennis

Tonari no Totoro

Also known as My Neighbor Totoro.

Studio: Studio Ghibli
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Fantasy , Slice of Life , Supernatural

Follow the adventures of Satsuki and her four-year-old sister Mei when they move into a new home in the countryside. To their delight they discover that their new neighbor is a mysterious forest spirit called Totoro who can be seen only through the eyes of a child. Totoro introduces them to extraordinary characters, including a cat that doubles as a bus, takes them on a journey through the wonders of nature.



Tags: Family Life , Primarily Child Cast , Rural , Youkai , Wilderness , Female Protagonist , Urban Fantasy , Kids , Gods , Primarily Female Cast , Iyashikei , Environmental , Horticulture

K-ON!

Also known as K-ON!.

Studio: Kyoto Animation
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Music , Slice of Life

Hirasawa Yui, a young, carefree girl entering high school, has her imagination instantly captured when she sees a poster advertising the ‘Light Music Club’. Being the carefree girl that she is, she quickly signs up. However, Yui has a problem, she is unable to play an instrument.

When Yui goes to the clubroom to explain, she's greeted by the other members: Ritsu, Mio and Tsumugi. Although disheartened at Yui’s lack of musical know-how, they still try to convince her to stay to prevent the club’s disbandment. After playing Yui a short piece which re-ignites her imagination, they succeed in keeping their new member and guitarist.

Along with the tasks of school and homework, Yui begins to learn the guitar with the help of the other band members, experiencing many mishaps along the way. However, with the school-festival drawing near and Yui getting stuck with her practice, will the Light Music Club be ready in time for their debut?



Tags: Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , School Club , Band , Primarily Female Cast , Female Protagonist , School , Primarily Teen Cast , Rock Music , Episodic , Iyashikei , Seinen , Coming of Age , Ensemble Cast , Slapstick , Food , Tomboy , Tsundere , Yuri

Tonikaku Kawaii

Also known as TONIKAWA: Over The Moon For You.

Studio: Seven Arcs
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance , Slice of Life

The story follows a protagonist whose name is written with the characters for "Hoshizora" ("Starry Sky" in Japanese), but whose name is pronounced as "Nasa". On the day of his high school entrance exams, Nasa encounters a beautiful girl named Tsukasa. For Nasa, it feels like destiny is finally calling out to him that he will have a girlfriend, but things take a turn for the worse when Nasa is hit by a car and unable to attend his entrance exams.

After Tsukasa helps the injured Nasa, he confesses his feelings to her, and she agrees to go out with him, but only if Nasa agrees to marry her first. A year later Nasa aces the entrance exams, but he decides to work a part time job and live by himself instead of going to school. After Nasa turns 18, Tsukasa re-appears, and their happy, romantic, and mysterious married life together begins.



Tags: Marriage , Family Life , Heterosexual , Iyashikei , Coming of Age , Shounen , Primarily Adult Cast , Meta , Male Protagonist , Kuudere , Maids , Cohabitation , Love Triangle

3-gatsu no Lion

Also known as March comes in like a lion.

Studio: Shaft
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Slice of Life

Rei Kiriyama is a 17 year old boy who recently started living alone, financed by his salary as a professional Shogi player. Despite his independence, however, he's yet to mature emotionally, and his problems continue to haunt him in his daily life. His relationship with his adoptive family is strained, and he has difficulties interacting with his fellow high school students.

Meanwhile, his professional career in Shogi has entered a slump. Burdened with the heavy expectations placed upon him, his wins and losses are fluctuating as his record and progression into the ranks begin to stagnate.

Acquainted with Rei are the three Kawamoto sisters: Akari, Hinata, and Momo. Unlike Rei, they live happily in their modest home, which they warmly welcome Rei into as if he were one of their own. He frequently visits the family, interacting with them and receiving the kind of care and affection he never quite had while under his foster home.
This is the story of Rei's triumphs and failures, relationships new and old, and his growth as a person.



Tags: Estranged Family , Coming of Age , Rehabilitation , Board Game , Shogi , Seinen , Found Family , Family Life , Adoption , Urban , Male Protagonist , Philosophy , Tragedy , Primarily Adult Cast , Food , Unrequited Love , Iyashikei , School , School Club , Baseball

Hotarubi no Mori e

Also known as Into the Forest of Fireflies' Light.

Studio: Brain's Base
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Fantasy , Romance , Supernatural

The story of Hotarubi no Mori e centers around Hotaru, a little girl who gets lost in an enchanted forest where apparitions reside. A young boy, Gin, appears before Hotaru, but she cannot touch him for fear of making him disappear.

Tags: Coming of Age , Youkai , Ghost , Tragedy , Rural , Urban Fantasy , Male Protagonist , Shoujo , Female Protagonist , Time Skip , Age Gap , Heterosexual , Iyashikei , Wilderness

Mushishi

Also known as MUSHI-SHI.

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

Fruits Basket: 2nd Season

Also known as Fruits Basket Season 2.

Studio: TMS Entertainment
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Psychological , Romance , Slice of Life , Supernatural

A year has passed since Tohru Honda began living in the Souma residence, and she has since created stronger relationships with its inhabitants Shigure, Kyou, and Yuki. She has also grown closer to the rest of the Souma family and has become familiar with their ancestral secret, having helped them with many of their personal issues. The closer Tohru gets, however, the more she begins to realize that their secret holds a darker truth than she first presumed.
Summer is approaching and Tohru is invited to spend her days with the Soumas, mainly Kyou and Yuki. Tohru wishes for an easy-going vacation, but her close relationships with the two boys and the rest of the Soumas may prove to cause trouble. As they grow more intimate, their carefree time together is hindered by older hardships and feelings from the past that begin to resurface. The Eternal Banquet also dawns on the members of the zodiac, and they must tend to their duties alongside the unnerving head of the family, Akito Souma.
With the banquet approaching and a plethora of feelings to be solved, will Tohru's life with the Soumas remain peaceful, or will she find herself in a situation from which she cannot escape?

Tags: Family Life , Female Protagonist , Shoujo , Coming of Age , Mythology , Found Family , Tragedy , Ensemble Cast , Urban Fantasy , Animals , Rehabilitation , Primarily Teen Cast , Philosophy , Heterosexual , Bullying , Curses , School , Primarily Male Cast , Love Triangle , Orphan , School Club , Shapeshifting , Yandere , Cohabitation , Femboy , Memory Manipulation , Tsundere , Kuudere , Gender Bending , Body Horror , Age Gap , Unrequited Love , Iyashikei , Crossdressing , Bisexual , Nekomimi , Kemonomimi , Suicide , Work

Majo no Takkyuubin

Also known as Kiki's Delivery Service.

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

Kiki is an enterprising young girl who must follow tradition to become a full-fledged witch. Venturing out with only her chatty black cat, Jiji, Kiki flies off for the adventure of a lifetime. Landing in a far-off city, she sets up a high-flying delivery service and begins a wonderful experience of independence and responsibility as she finds her place in the world.



Tags: Coming of Age , Witch , Urban Fantasy , Female Protagonist , Magic , Primarily Female Cast , Work , Coastal , Kids , Urban , Primarily Adult Cast , Aviation , Animals , Travel , Drawing , Iyashikei , Motorcycles , Pregnancy

Yuru Camp△

Also known as Laid-Back Camp.

Studio: C-Station
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Slice of Life

Rin likes to go camping by herself along the lakes that provide a scenic view of Mt. Fuji. Nadeshiko loves to take cycling trips by herself to places where she can see Mt. Fuji. After they meet, Rin and Nadeshiko take camping trips, eat cup ramen together, and enjoy the scenery.



Tags: Outdoor Activities , Camping , Iyashikei , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Primarily Female Cast , Female Protagonist , Rural , Food , Primarily Teen Cast , Educational , Travel , School Club , Seinen , Kuudere , Episodic , Mopeds , School , Animals , Cycling

Kobayashi-san Chi no Maidragon S

Also known as Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid S.

Studio: Kyoto Animation
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Fantasy , Slice of Life

A strange turn of events leads the Dragon, Tohru, to work as Miss Kobayashi's maid. She occasionally (that's a lie, she often) causes trouble for her beloved Miss Kobayashi while blending into human society and splendidly (that's a lie, only mediocrely) carrying out her maid duties. Her fellow dragons, Kanna, Lucoa, Fafnir, and Elma all find their own places to fit in as well and enjoy interspecies interactions with the humans. Yet while they're all enjoying that laid-back and occasionally turbulent left, the threat of a new Dragon swoops down upon Miss Kobayashi.



Tags: Dragons , Female Protagonist , Monster Girl , Family Life , Found Family , Primarily Female Cast , Maids , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Magic , Anthropomorphism , Reverse Isekai , Large Breasts , Urban Fantasy , Seinen , Yuri , Work , LGBTQ+ Themes , Cohabitation , Otaku Culture , Office Lady , Philosophy , Nudity , Parody , Kemonomimi , Outdoor Activities , Foreign , Iyashikei

Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku

Also known as The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity.

Studio: CloverWorks
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Romance

Chidori High is a boys’ school that takes in the dregs of society with the lowest grades. Next door stands Kikyo Girls’ High, where the wealthy, high-class families send their precious daughters. Chidori second-year Rintarou, who has a fierce face but a gentle heart, is helping at his family’s patisserie when he meets a girl named Kaoruko. The two hit it off right away…but this blissful peace is quickly disturbed when Rintarou discovers that Kaoruko is actually a student at Kikyo. Worse, she doesn’t seem to realize what a huge problem this really is! Will these two be able to forge a path for themselves, and sidestep the traps (metaphorical and literal) laid by their classmates?



Tags: Heterosexual , Primarily Teen Cast , Male Protagonist , School , Iyashikei , Female Protagonist , Shounen , Urban , Food , Ensemble Cast , Class Struggle , Delinquents , Philosophy

Barakamon

Also known as Barakamon.

Studio: Kinema Citrus
Status: Finished
Genres: Slice of Life

Seishuu Handa is an up-and-coming calligrapher: young, handsome, talented, and unfortunately, a narcissist to boot. When a veteran labels his award-winning piece as "unoriginal," Seishuu quickly loses his cool with severe repercussions.

As punishment, and also in order to aid him in self-reflection, Seishuu's father exiles him to the Goto Islands, far from the comfortable Tokyo lifestyle the temperamental artist is used to. Now thrown into a rural setting, Seishuu must attempt to find new inspiration and develop his own unique art style—that is, if boisterous children (headed by the frisky Naru Kotoishi), fujoshi middle schoolers, and energetic old men stop barging into his house! The newest addition to the intimate and quirky Goto community only wants to get some work done, but the islands are far from the peaceful countryside he signed up for. Thanks to his wacky neighbors who are entirely incapable of minding their own business, the arrogant calligrapher learns so much more than he ever hoped to.



Tags: Rural , Calligraphy , Found Family , Iyashikei , Episodic , Rehabilitation , Male Protagonist , Slapstick , Coastal , Family Life , Philosophy , Coming of Age , Seinen , Teacher , Tsundere , Fishing

Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru Season 2

Also known as My Dress-Up Darling Season 2.

Studio: CloverWorks
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Ecchi , Romance , Slice of Life

The second season of Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru.

When Marin Kitagawa and Wakana Gojo met, they grew close over their love for cosplay. Through interacting with classmates and making new cosplay friends, Marin and Wakana’s world keeps growing. New developments arise as Marin’s love for Wakana continues to be filled with endless excitement. In their ever-expanding world, Marin and Wakana’s story of cosplay and thrills continues!



Tags: Cosplay , Otaku Culture , Gyaru , Fashion , Iyashikei , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Makeup , Heterosexual , Crossdressing , Unrequited Love , Photography , Body Image , Educational , Slapstick , Gender Bending , Mixed Media , School , Seinen , Nudity , Femboy , Chibi , Urban , Modeling , CGI

Sousou no Frieren 2nd Season

Also known as Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Season 2.

Studio: MADHOUSE
Status: Releasing
Genres: Adventure , Drama , Fantasy

The second season of Sousou no Frieren.

Tags: Travel , Elf , Magic , Iyashikei , Female Protagonist , Found Family , Philosophy , Medieval , Time Skip , Heterosexual , Shounen , Episodic , Dragons , Swordplay , Aromantic , Fishing , Asexual

Horimiya: piece

Also known as Horimiya: The Missing Pieces.

Studio: CloverWorks
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance , Slice of Life

A new anime project adapting popular side stories that were left out from the previous adaptation.

As the graduation ceremony at Katagiri High School comes to an end, Kyouko Hori, her boyfriend Izumi Miyamura, and their friends begin to look back on their time as students. The moments they shared together may be fleeting, but each one is a colorful piece of their precious memories.



Tags: Heterosexual , Slapstick , Achronological Order , School , Ensemble Cast , Episodic , Chibi , Shounen , Primarily Teen Cast , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Family Life , Iyashikei , LGBTQ+ Themes