Best tv shows like Natsume's Book of Friends
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Natsume Takashi has the ability to see spirits, which he has long kept secret. However, once he inherits a strange book that belonged to his deceased grandmother, Reiko, he discovers the reason why spirits surround him.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Animation, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min
Plot tags: anime, captivating, serious, suspenseful, adult animation, deep, crying, iyashikei, shoujo
Best tv shows and movies like Natsume's Book of Friends (2008):
Similar in 78%
Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan (2010)
Plot Summary:
Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, known in Japan as Nurarihyon no Mago, is a manga series written and illustrated by Hiroshi Shiibashi. The series was first published in Shueisha as a oneshot in 2007. The manga has been continuously serialized in the Japanese manga anthology Weekly Shōnen Jump since March 2008 and has been collected into 25 tankōbon volumes as of December 2012. A Drama CD was released in December 2009. An anime adaptation by Studio DEEN began airing in Japan on July 5, 2010, with the first season consisting of 26 episodes. Viz Media acquired the licensing rights for a North American release of the manga and anime adaptations. The anime episodes have been streamed on Viz Media's anime streaming site, Viz Anime, since July 2010, while the first manga volume was released February 2011.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 816
Genere: Animation, Action, Comedy, Horror
Country: Japan
Duration:
Plot tags: anime, exciting, touching, entertaining, visually appealing, manga, disturbing, romantic
Similar in 85%
If It's for My Daughter, I'd Even Defeat a Demon Lord (2019)
Plot Summary:
Dale is a cool, composed, and highly skilled adventurer who's made quite a name for himself despite his youth. One day on a job deep in the forest, he comes across a little devil girl who's almost wasted away. Unable to just leave her there to die, Dale takes her home and becomes her adoptive father. Devil or not, Latina is beyond adorable, and the adventurer soon finds himself head over heels with being a parent. But why was she out in the forest to begin with, and why does she carry the mark of a criminal?.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 762
Genere: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min
Plot tags: anime, captivating, humorous, seinen, suspenseful, serious
Similar in 75%
My Roommate is a Cat (2019)
Plot Summary:
The story of Mikazuki Subaru, a novelist who is shy and struggles in relationships with other people, and a cat who was dumped by humans and lived a tough life on the streets. Through a twist of fate, the two of them end up living together. This heartwarming tale illustrates day-to-day life through the eyes of both man and cat. These moments seem trivial, but as they build upon themselves, the two become family and find happiness in their life together.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 847
Genere: Animation, Comedy, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min
Plot tags: anime, shoujo, funny, light, atmospheric, sweet, iyashikei
Similar in 87%
Cackling Kitarou (2007)
Plot Summary:
Kitarou, a ghost, spends his afterlife helping humans in need of his skills by thwarting the plans of evil spirits who live to torment humanity.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 20
Genere: Animation, Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
Country: Japan
Duration:
Plot tags: funny, humorous, captivating, entertaining, anime
Similar in 81%
Kakuriyo -Bed & Breakfast for Spirits- (2018)
Plot Summary:
After losing her grandfather, Aoi—a girl who can see spirits known as ayakashi—is suddenly approached by an ogre. Demanding she pay her grandfather’s debt, he makes a huge request: her hand in marriage! Refusing this absurd offer, Aoi decides to work at the Tenjin-ya bed and breakfast for the ayakashi to pay back what her family owes.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Animation, Fantasy, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 23 min
Plot tags: anime, feel good, sincere, captivating, light, humorous, romantic comedy
Similar in 85%
Barakamon (2014)
Plot Summary:
After punching a famous curator in the face for criticizing his work as "textbook and lifeless," Handa Seishuu is sent to Gotō Island to calm his nerves and find new inspiration for his calligraphy. Growing up in the city all his life, though, Handa must adapt to country life while meeting an assortment of quirky people during his tenure.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Animation, Comedy, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min
Plot tags: anime, light, humorous, inspirational, sweet, captivating, relaxing, touching, iyashikei
Similar in 90%
Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost (2022)
Plot Summary:
From sunup to sundown, Fushihara-san works ’round the clock. She spends so much time there that even the ghosts worry about her well-being! One night, Fushihara-san was working late as usual when a little ghost girl whispered to her, “Leave now”—an encounter that would change her life forever. Be healed by the heartwarming daily life of the cute little ghost and Fushihara-san!.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 84
Genere: Animation, Comedy, Fantasy
Country: Japan
Duration: 23 min
Plot tags: anime, captivating, entertaining, sincere
Similar in 84%
Negima!? Magister Negi Magi (2006)
Plot Summary:
Wizard Negi Springfield may be a boy, but he has a man-sized job to do! Fresh from the Academy of Magic, Negi continues his training as an instructor at Mahora Academy in Japan. But before he can get his Master’s in magic, the 31 schoolgirls of Class 3-A are gonna keep him up all night cramming for a final exam in will power. Temptation aside, Negi has more on his syllabus than flirting and spells. Darkness is closing in, and Negi is gonna need help from his student bodies to drive the ghouls from their school. These girls want to prove that they’re best in class, and extra credit is available to the cuties that aren’t afraid of after hours phantom fighting – especially if it means more time with their favorite professor.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 282
Genere: Animation, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: anime, captivating, entertaining, semi serious, ecchi, shounen, super sentai
Similar in 76%
Mononoke (2007)
Plot Summary:
Mononoke is a spin-off of the Bakeneko story arc of Ayakashi - Japanese Classic Horror. It follows the Medicine Seller as he deals with various spirits or "Mononoke" in feudal Japan. Just like in the Bakeneko story, he combats with a series of tools and his vast knowledge of the supernatural on his side, but can only slay the Mononoke when he uncovers its form (Katachi), the truth behind its appearance (Makoto) and the reason for its unusual behavior (Kotowari). In other words : Truth, Form and Regret.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Animation, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 25 min
Plot tags: anime, captivating, tense, suspense, adult animation, deep, seinen, manga, bizarre
Similar in 82%
The Ancient Magus' Bride (2017)
Plot Summary:
Chise Hatori, 15 years old. Lost, without hope, and without family, she is bought for money – not by another person, but by a non-human sorcerer named Elias. Though she hesitates, she begins life anew as his apprentice and future wife.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Animation, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 25 min
Plot tags: anime, enigmatic, romantic, captivating, dark fantasy, stylized, manga, shounen, exciting
Similar in 85%
Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales (2006)
Plot Summary:
A collection of three classic Japanese horror stories: "Yotsuya Kaidan," the story of a wife betrayed by her husband who seeks vengeance even in death, "Tenshu Monogatari," the story of forbidden love between a goddess and a human, and "Bakeneko," the story of a mysterious cat monster with a vendetta against a certain family.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 638
Genere: Animation, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 25 min
Plot tags: anime, anthology, psychological, captivating, atmospheric, unusual plot structure
Similar in 80%
Natsume's Book of Friends the Movie: Ephemeral Bond (2018)
Plot Summary:
The movie of Natsume's Book of Friends series. Natsume has been busy, navigating between humans and Yokai when he coincidentally reunites with an old classmate, Yuki. It brings back painful memories of a certain Yokai. Meanwhile, Natsume also became acquainted with Yorie Tsumura, a woman in the memories of a Yokai whose name he had returned. Yorie knew much about Reiko, but now lived a peaceful life with her only son, Mukuo. Being with this family was comforting for Natsume, but apparently a mysterious Yokai has been lurking in their town. On the way back from investigating, a "Yokai seed" that had latched itself to Nyanko Sensei drops into the Fujiwaras' garden and grows overnight into a fruit tree. When Nyanko Sensei eats a fruit that is somehow shaped like himself, he suddenly splits into three!.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 605
Genere: Animation, Drama, Fantasy
Country: Japan
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: anime, shoujo, touching, captivating, sincere, romantic, melancholic, surreal, iyashikei
Similar in 87%
XXXHOLiC (2006)
Plot Summary:
Kimihiro Watanuki, a high-schooler, is troubled by monsters and spirits who are magically attracted to him. However, nobody else can see them but him. One day, Watanuki stumbles into a shop that grants wishes, and encounters Yuko Ichihara, a beautiful, seemingly all-knowing witch. Yuko doesn't waste time, she offers to grant Watanuki's wish to not be able to see those bothersome monsters and spirits any longer, however, there is a price. Yuko soon sees that Watanuki is a hard worker and would be useful for housework and other chores Yuko wishes for him to do until he works off enough to pay for the amount of power that needs to be used to grant his wish.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Animation, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration:
Plot tags: anime, stylized, atmospheric, suspenseful, semi serious, psychological, gothic, manga, seinen, scary
Similar in 84%
Mieruko-chan (2021)
Plot Summary:
She can see dead people…she just chooses to ignore them. That’s Miko’s plan, anyway, with horrifying (and sometimes hilarious) results.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Animation, Comedy, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min
Plot tags: anime, tense, captivating, suspense, disturbing, mystical, manga, shounen, seinen, horror comedy
Similar in 85%
Dusk Maiden of Amnesia (2012)
Plot Summary:
The story revolves around a first-year high school student, Teiichi Niiya who had just enrolled at Seikyou Private Academy. When he gets lost in one of the school's old building, he meets a girl named Yuuko Kanoe who reveals herself as a ghost with no memories. Teiichi then decides to investigate her death by delving deep into the infamous Seven Mysteries of the storied school along with Kirie Kanoe, Yuuko's relative, and the oblivious second year Momoe Okonogi. Throughout the story, Teiichi and Yuuko discover the truth about these ghost stories and help those who are troubled all the while inching closer to the truth behind Yuuko's death.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Animation, Comedy, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min
Plot tags: anime, bleak, serious, suspenseful, stylized, ecchi, humorous, detective, shounen, atmospheric
Similar in 84%
Midnight Occult Civil Servants (2019)
Plot Summary:
Miyako Arata is newly assigned to the Shinjuku Ward Office's Nighttime Regional Relations Department. Each of Tokyo's 23 wards has one such department, established to mitigate paranormal and occult-related events. Arata's special skill is the understanding of non-human speech, and the story begins with him encountering a youkai at Shinjuku Gyoen park who refers to him as the legendary Heian-era exorcist, Abe no Seimei.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 235
Genere: Animation, Fantasy, Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 23 min
Plot tags: anime, enigmatic, tense, captivating, disturbing, shoujo, mystical, urban fantasy
Similar in 89%
Noragami (2014)
Plot Summary:
The world consists of two parts: the near shore and far shore. The near shore is the place where people reside, while the far shore is the place for deities and ayakashi, which are emotional fragments that can posses humans and cause trouble. So it is a deity's responsibility to remove those ayakashi from the near shore with the help of weapons called Shinki, made from the spirits of dead people. Yato is a minor deity of war without shrine. Together with his Shinki, Tomone, he runs a Delivery Wish Granting Service, granting wishes for only 5 yen. After his Shinki leaves him on less than agreeable terms, he decides to run simple errands that do not involve ayakashi-related matters. While on a mission to find a lost kitten, he is nearly hit by a bus, but saved by a girl named Iki Hiyori. Hiyori dies for a moment, but then comes back to life. This, however, causes Hiyori's soul to become unstable, leaving her body frequently. So by offering 5 yen, she asks Yato to fix her body... but Yato cannot help without a Shinki, so Hiyori accompanies him on his journey to find one, in the hopes of becoming normal again. But behind Yato's kind-hearted face lies a twisted past.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 18000
Genere: Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min
Plot tags: anime, exciting, suspense, captivating, humorous, offbeat, tense, semi serious, manga, shoujo
Similar in 83%
Blue Exorcist (2011)
Plot Summary:
Humans live in the world of Assiah, demons in Gehenna. The two dimensions are not meant to interfere with each other, but demons still possess creatures in Assiah in spite of this. The humans who can fight these demons are known as exorcists. Rin Okumura is a boy who bears the curse of being Satan's illegitimate son. His foster father sacrificed himself to save him from demons. To avenge his foster father's death as well as to prove himself, Rin decides to follow the path of an exorcist.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 15000
Genere: Animation, Action, Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Country: Japan
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: anime, exciting, captivating, suspenseful, tense, serious, manga, shounen, stylized, crying
Similar in 78%
Gugure! Kokkuri-san (2014)
Plot Summary:
A little girl named Kohina ends up summoning a Kokkuri-san, a lower-ranking ghost in Japanese folklore. The Kokkuri-san she calls ends up being a white-haired handsome, young man. Although he had intended to merely haunt her at first, he becomes worried about her terrible eating habit of cup ramen for every meal, so he decides to haunt her in order to protect her.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 280
Genere: Animation, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration:
Plot tags: anime, psychological, tense, captivating, suspenseful, contemplative, shounen, super sentai, unusual plot structure
Similar in 86%
Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun (2020)
Plot Summary:
At Kamome Academy, rumors abound about the school's Seven Mysteries, one of which is Hanako-san. Said to occupy the third stall of the third floor girls' bathroom in the old school building, Hanako-san grants any wish when summoned. Nene Yashiro, an occult-loving high school girl who dreams of romance, ventures into this haunted bathroom...but the Hanako-san she meets there is nothing like she imagined! Kamome Academy's Hanako-san...is a boy!.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Animation, Comedy, Fantasy
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min
Plot tags: anime, exciting, humorous, funny, entertaining, fairy tale
Similar in 81%
Heaven's Design Team (2021)
Plot Summary:
I made the light, the water, and the earth below. Now it's time to make the life that dwells upon it. Actually... that sounds like a giant headache, so I'll contract it out! Heaven's Design Team is an agency that creates made-to-order life forms for their client, God. Why does this life form look like that? Why does this life form live this way? Watch the trials and successes of the designers and engineers forced to breathe life into God's absurd requests!.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 231
Genere: Animation, Comedy, Fantasy
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min
Plot tags: anime, entertaining, sincere, captivating, shounen, feel good, humorous, tense
Similar in 76%
Omamori Himari (2010)
Plot Summary:
The slapstick romantic comedy centers around an ordinary 16-year-old high school boy named Yūto Amakawa who is protected by a spirit—specifically, a beautiful, sword-wielding cat girl spirit named Himari. Yūto is descended from a family that has subjugated demons since time immemorial. The charm that once protected him is now impotent, but fortunately, at that same moment, Himari appears before him as his new guardian.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 295
Genere: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 22 min
Plot tags: anime, ecchi, humorous, captivating, entertaining, exciting, light, shounen
Similar in 83%
Fruits Basket (2019)
Plot Summary:
After a family tragedy turns her life upside down, 16-year-old high schooler Tooru Honda takes matters into her own hands and moves out...into a tent! Unfortunately for her, she pitches her new home on private land belonging to the mysterious Souma clan, and it isn't long before the owners discover her secret. But, as Tooru quickly finds out when the family offers to take her in, the Soumas have a secret of their own--when hugged by the opposite sex, they turn into the animals of the Chinese Zodiac!.
IMDB Rating: 8.6
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Animation, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min
Plot tags: shoujo, anime, sentimental, psychological, captivating, romantic comedy, uplifting
Similar in 83%
Kamisama Kiss (2012)
Plot Summary:
Nanami was just a normal high school girl down on her luck until a stranger’s lips marked her as the new Land God and turned her world upside down. Now, she’s figuring out the duties of a deity with the help of Tomoe, a reformed fox demon who reluctantly becomes her familiar in a contract sealed with a kiss. The new responsibilities—and boys—are a lot to handle, like the crow demon masquerading as a gorgeous pop idol and the adorable snake spirit who’s chosen the newly minted god to be his bride. As the headstrong Tomoe tries to whip her into shape, Nanami finds that love just might have cute, pointed fox ears. With romance in the air, will the human deity be able to prove herself worthy of her new title?.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Animation, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 23 min
Plot tags: anime, shoujo, exciting, romantic, humorous, touching, captivating, semi serious
Similar in 80%
To the Forest of Firefly Lights (2011)
Plot Summary:
One hot summer day a little girl gets lost in an enchanted forest of the mountain god where spirits reside. A young boy appears before her, but she cannot touch him for fear of making him disappear. And so a wondrous adventure awaits.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 21000
Genere: Animation, Drama, Fantasy
Country: Japan
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: anime, exciting, touching, captivating, sincere, sad, manga, art house, deep, cute
Similar in 79%
Tactics (2004)
Plot Summary:
Tactics is a Japanese manga series written as a collaboration between Sakura Kinoshita and Kazuko Higashiyama. It was serialized in Comic Blade Masamune. Kinoshita supplied the character "Kantarou," and Higashiyama supplied the character "Haruka." While the manga was previously licensed for released in English in paperback by both ADV Manga and Tokyopop, the manga is now only available in English in digital format on JManga. The animation studio Studio Deen adapted the Tactics manga into a 25-episode anime series, which ran on Japanese television from October 5, 2004 to March 29, 2005. The English dub of the anime was distributed by Manga Entertainment in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 113
Genere: Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, History, Horror, Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration:
Plot tags: anime, exciting, serious, suspenseful, captivating, shounen
Similar in 77%
Mushi-Shi (2005)
Plot Summary:
They are neither plants nor animals. They differ from other forms of life such as the micro-organisms and the fungi. Instead they resemble the primeval body of life and are generally known as "Mushi". Their existence and appearance are unknown to many and only a limited number of humans are aware of them. Ginko is a "Mushi-shi" who travels around to investigate and find out more about the "Mushi". In the process, he also lends a helping hand to people who face problems with supernatural occurances which may be related to the "Mushi".
IMDB Rating: 8.5
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Animation, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 25 min
Plot tags: anime, psychological, manga, atmospheric, serious, philosophical, bleak, inspirational, psychedelic, mysterious
Similar in 75%
Ghost Hunt (2006)
Plot Summary:
Ghost Hunt, originally titled Akuryō Series, is a light novel series written by Fuyumi Ono. It follows the adventures of the Shibuya Psychic Research Center as they investigate mysterious occurrences all over Japan with a team of other spiritualists and clever assistants. Although the last novel was published in 1994, the story was left incomplete. Speculation arose to the continuation of the series when the creator Fuyumi Ono stated in an interview that she was resuming work on a "girls' horror story" that she began long ago, even though Ono's statement has never been officially confirmed to be in reference to Ghost Hunt. The novels were adapted into a radio drama for Akuryō Series in 1997. A manga adaptation written and illustrated by Shiho Inada began serialization in Nakayoshi in the July 7, 1998 issue where it is still on-going. The individual chapters have been collected and published in eleven tankōbon volumes by Kodansha. It is licensed for English-language release, under the name Ghost Hunt in North America by Del Rey Manga and in the United Kingdom by Tanoshimi. An anime adaptation of the manga was created by J.C.Staff and premiered on October 3, 2006 in Japan on TV Tokyo where it ran for twenty-five episodes until its conclusion. The anime is licensed for English release on Region 1 DVD by Funimation Entertainment, which also used the name Ghost Hunt.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Animation, Comedy, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 25 min
Plot tags: anime, suspenseful, captivating, disturbing, mind bending, offbeat, scary, detective, shoujo, serious
Similar in 78%
Muhyo & Roji's Bureau of Supernatural Investigation (2018)
Plot Summary:
Are you a victim of unwanted spirit possession? Is there a ghost you need sent up and away...or down to burn for all eternity? If the answer is yes, then you need Muhyo and Roji, experts in magic law. Serving justice to evil spirits is their specialty.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 102
Genere: Animation, Comedy, Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration:
Plot tags: anime, tense, humorous, captivating, contemplative, shounen, unusual plot structure
Similar in 77%
Dororo (2019)
Plot Summary:
A samurai lord has bartered away his newborn son's organs to forty-eight demons in exchange for dominance on the battlefield. Yet, the abandoned infant survives thanks to a medicine man who equips him with primitive prosthetics—lethal ones with which the wronged son will use to hunt down the multitude of demons to reclaim his body one piece at a time, before confronting his father. On his journeys the young hero encounters an orphan who claims to be the greatest thief in Japan.
IMDB Rating: 8.3
IMDB Votes: 19000
Genere: Animation, Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Horror
Country: Japan
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: anime, exciting, disturbing, captivating, suspense, suspenseful, manga, perverse, jidai geki, adult anime