If you liked
Gamers!
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...then you might like
Kanojo mo Kanojo
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Gamers! and Kanojo mo Kanojo both agree on the same trick when it comes to telling a story: you can explore a lot of plot and get a lot of laughs by having very, very, foolish characters. Looking for a romantic comedy of fools? Then these two series are just what you're looking for. In both Gamers! and Kanojo mo Kanojo, you'll find a central cast of silly characters that constantly make the wrong move, allowing situations to spiral increasingly out of control until some unexpected savant brilliance brings things to a hilarious close... or maybe that only worked because all the other characters were also just as much of a klutz? Kanojo mo Kanojo is driven mostly by its characters making hilariously awful decisions, while Gamers! is propelled by terrible misunderstandings between its core cast. If you enjoy low-stakes romantic comedy you'll enjoy these shows. Don't take things too seriously, though — the characters always find new ways to make mountains out of molehills! TLDR: This recommendation is based primarily on similarities in atmosphere and setting.
If you liked
Kore wa Zombie desu ka?
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...then you might like
Haiyore! Nyaruko-san
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If you're hoping over from Haiyore, check out Zombie for more eccentric action-packed comedy, but with a more mature sheen, grounded character focus, and space for drama. If you enjoyed Zombie's parodying and comedic aspects, check out Haiyore for an all-out, reference-brimming parody of action/romance. At their hearts, the two series are comedies set against the backdrop of supernatural drama and action (in this case, featuring bloodlusting monsters and aliens/vampires/zombies/people with superpowers) that don't take themselves too seriously, allowing their comedic and parodical vibes to take center stage. The jokes are frequent, recurring, and poke fun at various genres. Running gags and idiosyncrasies rule the day. Our cast of characters (and even the monsters) might frequently be in a bit of a pickle, sure, but they've got the levity to crack punchlines and jokes and maybe even break the fourth wall from time to time for both their own good and for the audience's. If not, then they'll lend themselves to comedic situations. Both Haiyore and Zombie kick off in similar ways. The male protagonists, Ayumu Aikawa and Mahiro Yasaka, desire steady lives but are inadvertently thrust into the strange world of the supernatural and have to cooperate with a bizarre and unusual cast of oddballs (vampires, magical girls, aliens, etc.) to fend off evil monsters. In both series, these strange characters move in with the male protagonists and have various ulterior motives for being there. Haiyore's Nyaruko and Zombie's Haruna, who end up with Mahiro and Ayumu in this effort, are quite similar: they're self-confident, headstrong, flaunting, arrogant, bubbly, childish, and go about their days in carefree ways despite otherwise dire circumstances. They even wield chainsaws at some point. These character types are often polarizing with audiences, and many probably find them super annoying, but if you enjoyed one you might enjoy the other. Nyaruko is Haruna dialed up to an absolute extreme while Haruna is Nyaruko but with a bit less of a motormouth. We get similar progression in the two series, starting out with eccentric fights against monsters with ample amounts of blood splatter. In Haiyore they're battling Lovecraftian creatures and in Zombie they're battling Megalos, and similarly only the MCs and others-in-the-know can really deal with these monsters and experience this strange realm of reality. After kicking off with the rapidfire, monster-fighting action, both series let character interactions take the reigns. Zombie begins dabbling with character issues while Haiyore begins to grind its rom-com gears. Comparatively, Zombie plays out much more seriously (which, if you know Zombie, tells you how ridiculous Haiyore is): there /are/ character struggles, sufferings, and motivations that aren't played for laughs, and a more emotionally mature development of character bonds. It's willing to briefly apply the brakes on the comedy to make this happen. This contrasts with the much more on-the-nose parodying and more sitcom-esque humor in Haiyore, which in all of its endless jokes and references makes a continuous effort to clearly signal that it's a comedy: virtually everything — even if it might not look like it at first — is played for laughs. However, that same comedic and parodying aspect is still strong in Zombie. TLDR: This recommendation is based on similarities in atmosphere, premise, character development, and setting.
If you liked
Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai
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...then you might like
Yamada-kun to 7-nin no Majo
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Rampant Weaponized Kissing. Any series that has that as a driving plot device is bound to be chock-full of laughs and inevitably confused romancing, especially with a bumbling male MC. Welcome to Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai (The World God Only Knows) and Yamada-kun to 7-nin no Majo (Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches), where virtually every episode features at least one targeted kiss. In TWGOK, the male protag, Keima, must kiss the girls to free evil spirits bound to their hearts. In Yamada-kun, the male protag, Yamada, must kiss the girls to unravel the mystery of who the "witches" of Suzuku High are (and in the case of Yamada-kun, the kissing is not only weaponized but tactical, too). With each new girl to kiss, us viewers get to witness what it'll take for that kiss to happen, though the focus is slightly different. TWGOK's Keima is uprooted from his 2D-obsessed, bishojo gaming into real-world romancing missions, so the question in TWGOK is mostly /how/ he'll make that kiss happen. Yamada-kun's Yamada happens to be a headstrong delinquent, so it's less of how the kiss will happen and more of /who/ will be kissed, or rather who the witches are and what their powers will be. Our peculiar MCs will have to improvise. Adapt. Overcome. Their first encounters and forays into this weaponized kissing business give them the valuable experience they need to tackle future encounters, but new obstacles show up to thwart the foolproof plans they envision at each turn. It's worth noting that both series have exceptionally catchy opening themes. But a word of caution: both openings also showcase the MC's targets. That's less of an issue for TWGOK, but it might get pretty spoilery for Yamada-kun since identifying those people is the central mystery of the whole show. So if you want to keep the heroines a surprise for yourself, don't pay too close attention to the opening sequences' characters and promo art for these series. TWGOK spreads its material over three seasons, so it's more gradual in its pacing versus the compacted frenzy of Yamada-kun, but both follow the tried-and-true episodic progression of harem rom-coms: a few episodes for setup, then a girl-by-girl showcase of the MC's "targets", and then the final episodes showing the fallout/payoff. In TWGOK, the fallout is mostly weighted towards later seasons, while Yamada-kun wraps up this general arc in its singular season. Both have a highly varied cast of characters including the vibrant waifu-war-cast that these kinds of series are infamous for, though the "targets" of TWGOK are written as satires/caricatures of female anime archetypes. Season 1 of TWGOK mostly goes step-by-step through the different romantic targets with airheaded-sidekick Elsie guiding the 2D-obsessed Keima to his target [3D] girls, moving from girl to girl in mostly self-contained arcs. Yamada-kun also starts out with Yamada and the studious and reserved Shiraishi (his first inadvertent target) as a central team of detectives, but their efforts as part of the Supernatural Studies Club draw in other interested members and the targets (i.e. witches) over time, so we have a growing crew of recurring characters unlike TWGOK's first season (though many characters reemerge in later seasons of TWGOK). This structural difference makes TWGOK a bit easier to follow, where we can focus on one girl at a time, while Yamada-kun's character persistence allows the development of a web of interpersonal relationships. It's probably accurate to describe the series as comedies first and romantic shows second, but with all the kissing involved, the tactical romancing provides the rom part of the rom-com description. It's a varied take on the usual harem formula: think of anime with fake/forced romances, multiply it with a harem/multiple-girl setup, and you've got the mold of TWGOK and Yamada-kun. TWGOK season 1 contains its romantic aspects within each episode with each featured heroine. On the other hand, Yamada-kun's growing-main-cast direction allows a romantic subtext to build over time across episodes. The romance of TWGOK is foundational to each arc, while in Yamada-kun the central mystery of the Suzuku High witches provides the basis of the plot, complemented by a season-spanning, slow-budding romantic development. TLDR: This recommendation is based primarily on similarities in atmosphere, premise, and plot structure.
If you liked
Tonikaku Kawaii
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...then you might like
Horimiya
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Looking for a fluffy, vanilla romance between lovebirds? If you enjoyed either Tonikaku Kawaii or Horimiya, you ought to check out the other. The main romantic pairings in both series quite quickly evolve past the sowing-the-seeds part of the romance, so they're focused on developing the extant relationship itself, smoothing out rough ends and coming to a mutual understanding of the relationship to bring things to an even keel. The two series generally keep spirits high, and while some drama happens, neither Horimiya nor Tonikaku Kawaii stray very far from a sugary lightheartedness with interspersed comedy. Tonikaku Kawaii dials the "sugary" setting to the max, so it's essentially drama-free. Horimiya runs almost an entirely positive vibe but does give space for some more somber introspection. Horimiya has more characters and a network interpersonal relationships to keep track of, but both it and Tonikaku Kawaii stick to the slice-of-life structure in keeping things mostly straightforward and character-driven. TLDR: This recommendation is based primarily on similarities in atmosphere and premise.
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If you liked
Gamers!
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...then you might like
Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun
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If you enjoyed the "gamer culture"-oriented references/dialogue of either Gamers! or Jaku-Chara, you'll probably enjoy the other. Our gamer MCs are not particularly happy with their station in life: their starting "stats" are, at least in their mind, woefully ineffectual. The MCs use their love of gaming to help contextualize and explain life, though Jaku-Chara's Tomozaki takes the idea to more of an extreme (this lessens a bit after the very on-the-nose dialogue of the first episode). Expect frequent references to gaming culture thanks to these very gaming-oriented MCs, as well as some scenes of straight-up gameplay. However, despite their appearances, both series are ultimately not about gaming, but about insecure and self-conscious individuals who are given a lucky opportunity to become more functional, sociable people when a socialite-by-day-and-gamer-by-night encounters them. The two series are at least partly comedy of errors, though that's more of a core of Gamers! and more of a partial description for Jaku-Chara. People have called Gamers! "Misunderstandings: The Anime" because of how much it is driven by misunderstandings, and I can definitely attest to that. Jaku-Chara's comedy is mostly driven by the awkwardness of the MC—and he really does behave/speak sometimes like he was exposed to sunlight for the first time, at least initially. You'll find a focus on a core of characters that give our struggling MC the necessary interactions to help them more become more personable people, though the focusing lens is a bit different. Gamers! mostly follows a love... polygon? network? Jackson Pollock painting? including the recluse + socialite gamer pair, while Jaku-chara mostly follows the recluse + socialite gamer pair with a somewhat more peripheral surrounding cast as the MC attempts to succeed at the game of life, though a few of these members get some focused arcs. One important distinction is that Gamers! is more slice-of-life, while Jaku-Chara has a more clearer direction, so keep that in mind. Because of that, Gamers! has more of a bouncy and carefree mood compared to Jaku-Chara, where the deeper themes about truthful and deceitful social interactions are evoked more clearly and more seriously. If you liked Jaku-Chara, check out Gamers! for more ditzy, somewhat gaming-oriented comedic exploits. If you liked Gamers!, check out Jaku-Chara for an occasionally comedic, but more importantly, a more focused and serious take on a gamer discovering the joys of life, with complementary deconstructions of social interaction. TLDR: This recommendation is based on similarities in premise and setting.
If you liked
Grisaia no Kajitsu
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...then you might like
Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e
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Both series offer a serious look at how characters with mysterious, unusual, or tragic backstories evolve and interact when brought together in a unique academic setting. How do these influences shape character behavior? The role of the personality facade is a major part of both Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e (Classroom of the Elite) and Grisaia no Kajitsu (The Fruit of Grisaia), with characters deliberately suppressing a side of them in favor of exaggerating other, possibly artificial personality traits. Cutthroat academic competition and cynical worldviews shape behaviors in Classroom of the Elite while complex backstories shape the characters of The Fruit of Grisaia. With that in mind, there will often be a slight but persistent hint of unease in the characters's behaviors. Something feels... off, and it's this tension that eventually uncovers more about what's really in these characters's minds and past. The MCs for both are also one of those complex characters and are highly perceptive, even if they seem rather inscrutable at first. Although they're not the particularly chatty type and have their own, personally-invested reasons for being at school, the oddities of the characters around them piques their interest, and us viewers are along for the ride as they piece together their understanding of their classmates, helping them overcome or finally recognize and come to terms with their challenges. There's not necessarily an overarching plot in either series other than the premise that establishes why the characters are all at the school/setting they're at, though both Classroom of Elite's Class D and Grisaia's Mihama Academy bring in flawed, defective, and/or troubled students. Classroom of the Elite's progression is primarily in the form of event-centered arcs as one would often expect from the competitive school setting while The Fruit of Grisaia's progression is more of a guided tour of the characters as one would often expect from a "harem" anime, only this time more serious and perhaps discomforting at times. The tone and intensity of Classroom of the Elite gets established comparatively early and its themes hold generally steady throughout, while Grisaia sets things up for a bit before the intensity starts cascading like a frenzied avalanche, with each character arc examining new themes. There's no "magic" in either series, but certain setups and events do get pretty outlandish at times. TLDR: This recommendation is based primarily on similarities in atmosphere, character development, and themes.
If you liked
Rokudenashi Majutsu Koushi to Akashic Records
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...then you might like
Maou Gakuin no Futekigousha: Shijou Saikyou no Maou no Shiso, Tensei shite Shison-tachi no Gakkou e Kayou
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Magic-wielding confident guys in magic schools putting enemies and doubters in their place is a big draw for both Rokudenashi Majutsu Koushi to Akashic Records (Rokuaka) and Maou Gakuin no Futekigousha: Shijou Saikyou no Maou no Shiso, Tensei shite Shison-tachi no Gakkou e (that's a mouthful... we'll go with Maou Gakuin). Tonally they're pretty different (just look at the color difference and the dialogue between their first episodes!). I'd say Rokuaka has a comedic atmosphere with a (mostly) lighthearted main cast facing a mix of comedic and serious stakes while Maou Gakuin has a serious atmosphere with a (mostly) serious main cast facing serious stakes, so you'll probably get a much different mood from the onset. But you'll also find plenty of similarities between the two, and they're carried by our main characters kicking butt and bringing their swagger into battle pretty often, which you might find circumstantially humorous. Both fit the mold for a fun watch that doesn't dive a whole lot deeper, though there's a little more to keep track of in Maou Gakuin. They both... - Involve a magic school and feature plenty of spells, exploration of their series' magic systems, and worldbuilding, though the world of Rokuaka is more local in time and space compared to Maou Gakuin's broader world and more robust mythology. Despite the presence of school competitions in both series, those primarily serve to develop the impression the MC has on others; neither series focuses on the psychological scholarly pressures that one might assume from the competetive school setting. - The aesthetics of the settings of the two series are both antiquated, with Maou Gakuin taking on a Gothic styling and Rokudenashi looking more Edwardian. However, this doesn't have much of a material influence on the two stories or interactions between characters so it's more of a strictly aesthetic choice. - Both series structure their plots in similar ways: individual events throughout the series hint at broader, nefarious, and possibly conspiratorial shenanigans that provide occasional plot obstacles. - The MCs have immense capabilities and are often sardonic in their commentary, though the power gap between Rokudenashi's Glenn and Rokudenashi's other characters is smaller than Maou Gakuin's Anos and Maou Gakuin's other characters. However, the two approach their powers oppositely. Glenn plays the fool and would rather not be highly visible while Anos projects maximal conviction is his powers and is open to demonstrating how much of an insignificant tick everyone else is. Glenn is powerful because of his wit and wisdom. Anos is strong because his power levels are astronomical and off-the-charts. Neither are the "plucky overachieving underdog" archetype, and the only ones giving them short odds are their naive doubters. - The MC involves themselves in both school-sanctioned battles/competitions/duels and battles/competitions/duels beyond the school setting. With Glenn, you'll probably be wondering what clever tricks he has up his sleeve. With Anos, you'll probably be wondering what superpower he'll just casually introduce. With both, you might be wondering what sorts of snarky punchlines and smalltalk they'll be dropping in. - Despite the MC's powers, others remain skeptical about their abilities. Because of that, both series feature the MC adapting and experimenting with a school setting that's much smaller than their backstories. At the same time, the MC's also end up attracting their own crew of feverent supporters, so they aren't universally hated. - The MC takes a liking for some of the secondary characters and protects/helps them for reasons that gradually become clearer as the series progress. The MCs are more than willing to pound the living daylights out of their enemies but show a much more tender side to those close to them. - Speaking of those secondary characters, their backstories pose issues that end up roping in the MC. Those backstories also add to the worldbuilding, too. Rokuaka's Sistine has a comparable personality and MC interactions as Maou Gakuin's Sasha. You might also find that one of Rokuaka's secondary characters has in principle a very similar backstory to one of Maou Gakuin's. - I wouldn't say thematic or moral messages are front in center in either of these series, but they do explore ethics. Rokuaka touches upon the ethics of magic, while Maou Gakuin more directly probes the ethics of the society within the series, as well as the animosity between demons and humans. In some ways, the Glenn's arc is about escaping the past, while Anos's arc is about revealing the past. There's also the idea of an elitist class in both, but in Rokudenashi that idea is very limited to shaping a few character interactions while in Maou Gakuin it's an issue that causes conflict (it's a central plot idea, too). - There's a scent of romance in both (more openly portrayed in Rokuaka) but it's not a main idea and isn't really driving or influencing the plot, so don't hang your hat on that being front and center for either series. So I guess you can say there's not really romance but there's a tiny bit of romantic tension that you might find peppering the side characters' interactions with the MC. TLDR: This recommendation is based primarily on similarities in setting and plot structure.
If you liked
Sakura-sou no Pet na Kanojo
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...then you might like
Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata
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This recommendation is reflective of the totality of Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata, including the first and second seasons and movie. Sakura-sou no Pet na Kanojo (Sakurasou) and Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata (Saekano) are very similar in some elements of their plot, the roles the characters play, and the general atmosphere. Each involve the MC attempting to fulfill their game design dreams. Though their passions are strong and indefatigable, their technical skillsets pale in comparison with the friends they meet along the way, who have their own talents and ambitions in life. In both Sakurasou and Saekano, the MC's persistence draws these talented friends into a ragtag circle of game development, and the two series dabble heavily in the game development process. Sakurasou's Mashiro and Saekano's Megumi—the lead female protagonists in their respective series—encounter the MCs Sorata and Tomoya by circumstance in the first episode and fill similar character roles, with Mashiro's demure and aloof attitude pairing well with Megumi's stoicism and seeming mediocrity. Both Mashiro and Megumi are unfamiliar with the world of Sorata and Tomoya. Both series populate their plots with a healthy blend of broader comedic and lighthearted moments and more somber, dramatic happenings. The atmosphere of Saekano and Sakurasou is mostly jovial, but that doesn't stop the two from diving into more emotional arcs (especially later in the series). Sakurasou is comparatively more serious in this respect. Though the MC's influences and characters are similar, the strength of Sakurasou and Saekano is achieved thematically and in similar ways. While the initial premise of the two series—Sakurasou's Sorata having to contend with a socially inept Mashiro and Saekano's Tomoya attempting to use the ordinary Megumi as the central heroine in his game—remains a driving force throughout their entire series, both Sakurasou and Saekano broaden from those premises quite quickly, and ultimately that premise simply becomes a vehicle for deeper character introspection. Saekano tends to stick to its game development plot roots, but elaborates on its premise with problems that arise when individuals have their own unique motivations, while Sakurasou tends to explore subplots not necessarily related to Sorata's caretaking of Mashiro, at least directly. Both series have external pressures that threaten the integrity of the central friend group. There's an obvious, gradual romantic undercurrent that persists in the two series (and often propel comedic misunderstandings), but the bulk of the thematic tension deals with the nature of friend groups (though Saekano wears its romantic harem component more obviously compared to Sakurasou's romance). The MC's quest to develop a game with talented friends provides a launching pad for both series to explore how their core cast of characters balance their own ambitions with the ambitions of others, and to explore how the attitudes of the characters change in reaction to roadblocks both in their own dreams and in the dreams of others. What does it mean to be friends? Character flaws that one may pick up on through mutual interactions early in the two series crescendo and threaten to destroy or reshape close bonds, forcing friends to reevaluate and overcome emotional challenges. With such sharp focus on the central cast of characters, what happens to one character essentially affects all of the other leads in the two series, providing opportunities for those characters to reflect on the meaning of the bonds with their friends in both platonic and romantic ways. - How much am I willing to sacrifice for the success of my friends? - Are my friends' problems also my own? - Am I sabotaging my own dreams to keep my friendships alive? - When does selflessness become ingratiation? - Is my own dignity in part the dignity of my closest friends? These are central questions that are not only explored with regard to the MC, but also with the other central characters too as they work to resolve their both their own unique issues and their friends' issues. While Mashiro is Sakurasou's "Pet na Kanojo" and Megumi is Saekano's "Saenai Heroine" (not spoilers - those are premises made clear in episode 1), there's a treasure trove of exploration for Sakurasou's Nanami, Ryuunosuke, Misaki, and Jin, and Saekano's Utaha and Eriri. These core characters will supply most of their series' serious moments along with the MC/female lead and have their own arcs, with additional supporting characters supplying a bit more levity throughout each series. TLDR: This recommendation is based primarily on similarities in atmosphere, premise, character development, plot structure, and themes.