Top Primarily Child Cast Anime Recommendations

NARUTO

Also known as Naruto.

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

Naruto Uzumaki, a hyperactive and knuckle-headed ninja, lives in Konohagakure, the Hidden Leaf village. Moments prior to his birth, a huge demon known as the Kyuubi, the Nine-tailed Fox, attacked Konohagakure and wreaked havoc. In order to put an end to the Kyuubi's rampage, the leader of the village, the 4th Hokage, sacrificed his life and sealed the monstrous beast inside the newborn Naruto.

Shunned because of the presence of the Kyuubi inside him, Naruto struggles to find his place in the village. He strives to become the Hokage of Konohagakure, and he meets many friends and foes along the way.



Tags: Ninja , Shounen , Coming of Age , Male Protagonist , Found Family , Super Power , Cultivation , Revenge , Martial Arts , Orphan , Anachronism , Primarily Child Cast , Heterosexual , Ensemble Cast , Shapeshifting , Bullying , Kaiju , Slapstick , Estranged Family , Demons , Travel , School , Gender Bending , Unrequited Love , Assassins , Love Triangle

Yakusoku no Neverland

Also known as The Promised Neverland.

Studio: CloverWorks
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Fantasy , Horror , Mystery , Psychological , Thriller

Emma, Norman and Ray are the brightest kids at the Grace Field House orphanage. And under the care of the woman they refer to as “Mom,” all the kids have enjoyed a comfortable life. Good food, clean clothes and the perfect environment to learn—what more could an orphan ask for? One day, though, Emma and Norman uncover the dark truth of the outside world they are forbidden from seeing.



Tags: Dystopian , Survival , Primarily Child Cast , Orphan , Tragedy , Found Family , Demons , Coming of Age , Ensemble Cast , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Shounen , Tanned Skin , Gore

Boku dake ga Inai Machi

Also known as ERASED.

Studio: A-1 Pictures
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural , Thriller

Satoru Fujinuma is a 29 year old manga artist struggling to make a name for himself following his debut. But, that was not the only thing in his life that Satoru was feeling frustrated about… He has a unique supernatural ability of being forced to prevent deaths and catastrophes by being sent back in time before the incident occurred, repeating time until the accident is prevented. One day, he gets involved in an accident that has him framed as a murderer. Desperate to save the victim, he sends himself back in time only to find himself as a grade-schooler one month before fellow classmate Kayo Hinazuki went missing. Satoru now embarks on a new quest: to save Kayo and solve the mystery behind her disappearance.

Tags: Age Regression , Time Manipulation , Crime , Tragedy , Time Skip , Primarily Child Cast , Detective , Male Protagonist , Alternate Universe , Super Power , Snowscape , Seinen , School , Fugitive , Ensemble Cast , Revenge , Teacher , Rehabilitation , Amnesia , Heterosexual , Bullying , Kuudere , CGI

Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi

Also known as Spirited Away.

Studio: Studio Ghibli
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Drama , Fantasy , Supernatural

On the way to their new home, 10-year-old Chihiro Ogino's family stumbles upon a deserted theme park. Intrigued, the family investigates the park, though unbeknownst to them, it is secretly inhabited by spirits who sleep by day and appear at night. When Chihiro's mother and father eat food from a restaurant in the street, angry spirits turn them into pigs. Furthermore, a wide sea has appeared between the spirit world and the human one, trapping Chihiro, the sole human, in a land of spirits. Luckily for her though, a mysterious boy named Haku appears, claiming to know her from the past. Under his instructions, Chihiro secures a job in the bathhouse where Haku works. With only her courage and some new found friends to aid her, Chihiro embarks on a journey to turn her parents back to their original forms and return home.

Tags: Coming of Age , Female Protagonist , Youkai , Urban Fantasy , Magic , Shapeshifting , Isekai , Work , Mythology , Gods , Witch , Philosophy , Anthropomorphism , Memory Manipulation , Dragons , Travel , Primarily Child Cast , Twins , Trains

Mob Psycho 100 II

Also known as Mob Psycho 100 II.

Studio: bones
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Drama , Psychological , Slice of Life , Supernatural

The second season of Mob Psycho 100.

Kageyama is an ordinary 8th grader who just wants to live a normal life. Although he can disappear in the crowd in a flash, he was actually the most powerful psychic. The lives of those around Mob and his numerous feelings that softly piles up for the eventual explosion. The mysterious group "Claw" stands before him once again. In the midst of his youthful days, where will his roaring heart take him!?



Tags: Super Power , Coming of Age , Urban Fantasy , Male Protagonist , Philosophy , Shounen , Primarily Teen Cast , Satire , Ghost , Terrorism , Primarily Male Cast , Tragedy , Urban , School , Primarily Child Cast , Body Horror , Surreal Comedy , Slapstick , School Club , Bullying , Athletics , Unrequited Love

Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu

Also known as Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation.

Studio: Studio Bind
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Drama , Ecchi , Fantasy

When a 34-year-old underachiever gets run over by a bus, his story doesn’t end there. Reincarnated in a new world as an infant, Rudeus will seize every opportunity to live the life he’s always wanted. Armed with new friends, some freshly acquired magical abilities, and the courage to do the things he’s always dreamed of, he’s embarking on an epic adventure—with all of his past experience intact!



Note: The anime pre-screened its 1st and 2nd episode starting on the 27th of December on the Nico Nico Live Broadcasting and D Anime Store services

Tags: Isekai , Reincarnation , Magic , Male Protagonist , Rehabilitation , Coming of Age , Travel , Age Regression , Virginity , Family Life , Hikikomori , Heterosexual , Nudity , Teacher , Tsundere , Tragedy , Swordplay , Time Skip , Demons , Anti-Hero , Female Harem , Gods , Ojou-sama , Primarily Child Cast , Language Barrier , Politics , Kemonomimi , Masturbation , Tomboy , Nekomimi , Gore , Witch , Elf , Maids , Kuudere , Polyamorous , Dragons

Made in Abyss

Also known as Made in Abyss.

Studio: Kinema Citrus
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Drama , Fantasy , Horror , Mystery , Sci-Fi

The "Abyss" is the last unexplored place in the world. Strange and wonderful creatures roam within, and it is full of precious relics that present humans can't recreate. Those that dare to explore the depths are known as "Cave Raiders." An orphan girl named Riko lives on the rim. Her dream is to become a Cave Raider like her mother and solve the mysteries of the cave system. One day, Riko starts exploring the caves and discovers a robot who resembles a human boy.



Note: The last episode aired with a runtime of ~48 minutes as opposed to the standard 24 minute long episode.

Tags: Survival , Primarily Child Cast , Environmental , Travel , Chibi , Body Horror , Philosophy , Tragedy , Lost Civilization , Dungeon , Seinen , Female Protagonist , Gore , Amnesia , Cosmic Horror , Robots , Male Protagonist , Steampunk , Outdoor , Anthropomorphism , Femboy , Food , Orphan , Tanned Skin , Agender , Religion , Rehabilitation , Crossdressing , Maids , Dissociative Identities , School , Time Manipulation , Conspiracy

Yakusoku no Neverland 2

Also known as The Promised Neverland Season 2.

Studio: CloverWorks
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Drama , Fantasy , Horror , Psychological , Thriller

The second season of Yakusoku no Neverland.

Fifteen children escape Grace Field House, a false paradise, hoping for a chance at freedom. Instead, they encounter plants and animals they have never before seen, and are chased by demons. The outside world is so beautiful, and yet is almost too cruel to face.

Even so, the children refuse to give up. They are guided in their search for better lives only by a message from Minerva and a pen Norman left behind in order to fulfill their promise to return to the House to save those of their family who are still trapped within.


Note: Episode 1 streamed early on Amazon Prime on Jan 7, 2021. The regular TV broadcast started on Jan 8, 2021.

Tags: Survival , Primarily Child Cast , Dystopian , Demons , Fugitive , Travel , Orphan , Revenge , Female Protagonist , Time Skip , Shounen , Ensemble Cast , Male Protagonist , Body Horror , Gore , Archery , Food , Tanned Skin , Crime

Mahou Shoujo Madoka☆Magica

Also known as Puella Magi Madoka Magica.

Studio: Shaft
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Fantasy , Mahou Shoujo , Psychological , Thriller

One night, 14-year-old Madoka Kaname has a terrible nightmare - against the backdrop of a devastated city, she witnesses a girl fight a losing battle against a dreadful being lingering above, while a cat-like magical creature tells Madoka the only way to change such tragic outcome is for her to make a contract with him and become a magical girl.

The next day, the teen's dream seemingly becomes reality as the girl she saw in her dream - Homura - arrives at Mitakihara Middle School as a transfer student, mysteriously warning Madoka to stay just the way she is; but when later on she and her best friend Sayaka encounter the same cat-like magical creature from her dream - who introduces himself as Kyubey - the pair discovers that magical girls are real, and what's more, they can choose to become one. All they must do is sign a contract with Kyubey and agree to take on the duty to fight abstract beings called 'witches' that spread despair to the human world, and in return, each one of them will be granted any single wish they desire. However, as Homura's omen suggests, there might be far more to becoming a magical girl than Madoka and Sayaka realize...

Notes:
- Due to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, the broadcasts of episodes 11 and 12 were delayed and were later aired as a double feature on April 21, 2011.

Tags: Tragedy , Magic , Female Protagonist , Witch , Primarily Female Cast , Time Manipulation , Urban Fantasy , Philosophy , Alternate Universe , Primarily Teen Cast , Yuri , Time Loop , Coming of Age , Henshin , Kuudere , Survival , Aliens , Urban , Primarily Child Cast , Ensemble Cast , Gods , Anti-Hero , Suicide , Love Triangle , Guns , Spearplay , School , Tomboy , Anthropomorphism , Achronological Order

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 , Female Protagonist , Urban Fantasy , Kids , Gods , Primarily Female Cast

BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS

Also known as Boruto: Naruto Next Generations.

Studio: Studio Pierrot
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Fantasy

Naruto was a young shinobi with an incorrigible knack for mischief. He achieved his dream to become the greatest ninja in the village and his face sits atop the Hokage monument. But this is not his story... A new generation of ninja are ready to take the stage, led by Naruto's own son, Boruto!



Tags: Shounen , Ninja , Super Power , Male Protagonist , Primarily Child Cast , Swordplay , Gods , Martial Arts , Aliens , Anachronism , Adoption , Time Manipulation , Episodic , Dinosaurs , School , Dissociative Identities , Cyborg , Death Game

Eromanga Sensei

Also known as Eromanga Sensei.

Studio: A-1 Pictures
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Ecchi , Romance , Slice of Life

The "new sibling romantic comedy" revolves around Masamune Izumi, a light novel author in high school. Masamune's little sister is Sagiri, a shut-in girl who hasn't left her room for an entire year. She even forces her brother to make and bring her meals when she stomps the floor. Masamune wants his sister to leave her room, because the two of them are each other's only family.

Masamune's novel illustrator, penname “Ero Manga Sensei,” draws extremely perverted drawings, and is very reliable. Masamune had never met his illustrator, and figured he was just a disgusting, perverted otaku. However, the truth is revealed … that his “Ero Manga Sensei” is his own younger sister! To add to the chaos that erupts between the siblings, a beautiful, female, best-selling shoujo manga creator becomes their rival!



Tags: Inseki , Writing , Primarily Child Cast , Drawing , Hikikomori , Tsundere , Otaku Culture , Heterosexual , Female Harem , Assassins , Male Protagonist , Primarily Female Cast , Philosophy , Work , Nudity , Feet , Meta , Parody , Love Triangle , Unrequited Love , Video Games , Crossover , Female Protagonist , Primarily Teen Cast , Airsoft

Hotaru no Haka

Also known as Grave of the Fireflies.

Studio: Studio Ghibli
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama

In the aftermath of a World War II bombing, two orphaned children struggle to survive in the Japanese countryside. To Seita and his four-year-old sister, the helplessness and indifference of their countrymen is even more painful than the enemy raids. Through desperation, hunger and grief, these children's lives are as heartbreakingly fragile as their spirit and love is inspiring.



Tags: Tragedy , Survival , Orphan , War , Family Life , Historical , Primarily Child Cast , Rural , Military , Homeless , Autobiographical , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Educational

Gake no Ue no Ponyo

Also known as Ponyo.

Studio: Studio Ghibli
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Fantasy

A young boy named Sosuke rescues a goldfish named Ponyo, and they embark on a fantastic journey of friendship and discovery before Ponyo's father, a powerful sorcerer, forces her to return to her home in the sea. But Ponyo's desire to be human upsets the delicate balance of nature and triggers a gigantic storm. Only Ponyo's mother, a beautiful sea goddess, can restore nature's balance and make Ponyo's dreams come true.



Tags: Environmental , Primarily Child Cast , Rural , Magic , Coastal , Anthropomorphism , Natural Disaster , Urban Fantasy , Ships , Female Protagonist , Family Life , Kids , Male Protagonist , Gods , Swimming , Mermaid , Chibi

Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san

Also known as Teasing Master Takagi-san.

Studio: Shin-Ei Animation
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance , Slice of Life

Having a friend that knows you inside out should be a good thing, but in Nishikata's case, the opposite is true.

His classmate Takagi loves to tease him on a daily basis, and she uses her extensive knowledge of his behavior to predict exactly how he will react to her teasing, making it nearly impossible for Nishikata to ever make a successful comeback. Despite this, Nishikata vows to someday give Takagi a taste of her own medicine by making her blush out of embarrassment from his teasing.

Tags: Primarily Child Cast , Heterosexual , School , Slapstick , Episodic , Male Protagonist , Female Protagonist , Iyashikei , Ensemble Cast , Rural , Shounen

Little Witch Academia (TV)

Also known as Little Witch Academia (TV).

Studio: Trigger
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Fantasy

In a time when magic is on the decline amid society, Atsuko Kagari is a cheerful girl who enters Luna Nova Academy in order to accomplish her dream of becoming a witch like her idol, Shiny Chariot. Shiny is a famous witch who disappeared from public view many years ago. On her way to school, Kagari meets the kind Lotte Yanson and the mischevious Sucy Manbavaran and the three become friends as they share a bedroom in campus. At the academy, Atsuko soon discovers she is in serious disadvantage compared to the other girls since she doesn`t come from a magical family and is required to learn the magical curriculum from scratch. Having found an item that once belonged to Chariot, Atsuko must discover how to activate and properly use the mysterious Shiny Rod as she hopes it might lead to finding out what has truly happened to her vanished idol.



Tags: Magic , Witch , School , Female Protagonist , Primarily Female Cast , Boarding School , Episodic , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Urban Fantasy , Primarily Teen Cast , Primarily Child Cast , Ojou-sama , Super Robot , Swordplay , Kemonomimi

Tsuki ga Kirei

Also known as Tsukigakirei.

Studio: feel.
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance , Slice of Life

The series focuses on characters Akane Mizuno and Kotarou Azumi, two third-year middle school students who become classmates for the first time. The series will depict each characters' growth and connection to the people around them, such as classmates, club-mates, teachers, and parents. The anime will also center on the youthful adolescent romance of the characters, who are hounded by change and uncertainty as the seasons inevitably pass.



Tags: Coming of Age , School , Heterosexual , Writing , Athletics , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Love Triangle , School Club , Primarily Child Cast , Time Skip , CGI , American Football

Made in Abyss: Fukaki Tamashii no Reimei

Also known as Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul.

Studio: Kinema Citrus
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Drama , Fantasy , Horror , Mystery , Psychological , Sci-Fi

Dawn of the Deep Soul continues the epic adventure of plucky Riko and Reg who are joined by their new friend Nanachi. Together they descend into the Abyss’ treacherous fifth layer, the Sea of Corpses, and encounter the mysterious Bondrewd, a legendary White Whistle whose shadow looms over Nanachi’s troubled past. Bondrewd is ingratiatingly hospitable, but the brave adventurers know things are not always as they seem in the enigmatic Abyss...



Tags: Tragedy , Survival , Primarily Child Cast , Body Swapping , Seinen , Lost Civilization , Gore , Body Horror , Female Protagonist , Robots , Male Protagonist , Monster Girl , Dungeon , Ensemble Cast , Chibi , Dissociative Identities , Nudity , Amnesia , Magic , Family Life , Anti-Hero , Food , Anthropomorphism

Nagi no Asukara

Also known as A Lull in the Sea (Nagi-Asu: Nagi no Asukara).

Studio: P.A. Works
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Fantasy , Romance , Slice of Life

Since long ago, human civilization had lived on the ocean floor. However, there were many humans who wanted to live above the surface and they moved to land creating a fundamental separation between the two. After their school closes down, four 14-year-old middle school students from the sea village, Shioshishio, have to attend Mihama Middle School on the surface. What follows is their struggles to adjust to a new environment and the relationships between the sea and land people, while dealing with their own newfound feelings that have just started appearing with the end of their childhood.



Tags: Love Triangle , Coming of Age , Time Skip , Heterosexual , Coastal , Tragedy , Ensemble Cast , Environmental , Gods , School , Age Gap , Amnesia , Lost Civilization , Swimming , Primarily Child Cast , Fishing , Male Protagonist

Pocket Monsters

Also known as Pokémon.

Studio: OLM
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Fantasy

A young boy named Satoshi embarks on a journey to become a "Pokémon Master" with his first Pokémon, Pikachu. Joining him on his travels are Takeshi, a girl-obsessed Rock Pokemon Trainer, and Kasumi, a tomboyish Water Pokémon Trainer who may have a crush on him. Satoshi and Co. end up traveling through various regions, including Kanto, the Orange Islands, and Johto, and then enter the Pokémon League competitions there. Along the way, they run into many confrontations with Musashi, Kojirou, and Nyarth, a trio of Pokémon thieves who are apart of an evil organization called "Team Rocket". But everytime Team Rocket try to do their evil deeds, they fail thanks to Satoshi and his Pokémon.



Tags: Travel , Animals , Primarily Child Cast , Kids , Episodic , Male Protagonist , Proxy Battle , Slapstick , Female Protagonist , Rural , Environmental , Urban Fantasy , Tsundere , Super Robot , Dragons , Tanned Skin , Crossdressing , Guns , Slavery , Photography