Mirza Aaqib Beg
Inspired by Tatsuya Endou’s namesake Japanese manga series, ‘Spy x Family’ is a spy comedy anime that centers upon the Westalis master agent codenamed Twilight. After far-right extremists assassinate a renowned Ostanian diplomat to spark a war with Westalis, the protagonist is tasked with investigating Ostanian politician Donovan Desmond to stop situations from escalating further.
Since Desmond rarely makes public appearances, the only way to get close to him is through the social gatherings organized at his son’s school, the renowned Eden Academy. Therefore, Twilight starts a family before he gets to work unbeknownst to the fact that his adopted daughter can actually read people’s minds, while his wife is a secret assassin who pretends to be an absent-minded office worker.
The hilarious misadventures of the eccentric family have garnered a decent fan following, and people are now looking for anime similar to ‘Spy x Family.’ If you are searching for the same, we have got you covered. Most of these shows, like ‘Spy x Family,’ are available for streaming on Netflix, Hulu, Crunchyroll, Funimation, or Amazon Prime.
15. Buddy Daddies (2023)
Four-year-old Miri Unasaka is desperate to meet her father and arrives in Tokyo completely alone looking for him. She eventually ends up at a big hotel where professional assassins Kazuki Kurusu and Rei Suwa have set up a plan to kill a dangerous mafia boss. The situation unfolds in a manner that the duo ends up taking Miri home with them and eventually decides to raise the energetic young girl. However, their professional life and other issues continue to complicate their life as they try their best to keep Unasaka safe. ‘Buddy Daddies’ is a hilarious show that follows two characters who end up adopting and taking care of a young girl just like ‘Spy x Family.’ So if you liked the spy drama series, then you are surely going to enjoy ‘Buddy Daddies’ as well. You can find all the episodes here.
14. A Galaxy Next Door (2023)
‘A Galaxy Next Door’ follows Ichirou Kuga, a young adult who is entrusted with the responsibility of taking care of his siblings are his father dies unexpectedly. Around this time, he is also struggling in his career as a shoujo manga artist and has to rent out rooms in the apartment complex he inherited. As if his situation was not messed up enough, his life takes a strange turn when Shiori Goshiki, a novice artist becomes his assistant and declares them engaged following a supernatural experience. As you may have noticed, just like Loid and Yor in ‘Spy x Family’ strange circumstances push Ichirou and Shiori towards each other. Both the shows also revolve around the theme of childcare. You can watch the anime here.
13. The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting (2022 -)
After working in the underworld for years, Tooru Kirishima is a notorious gangster who is often referred to as The Demon of Sakuragi. Although he has handled difficult and life-threatening assignments all his life, probably the most challenging one comes when he is tasked by his boss to look after his seven-year-old daughter Yaeka Sakuragi. Initially, the duo can barely tolerate each other, but soon Tooru and Yaeka start to form a deep bond realizing the importance of relationships that go beyond those bound by love. ‘Spy x Family’ fans can obviously see the similarities between their favorite show and ‘The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting.’ In case you enjoyed Loid and Anya’s antics in the former then you will also fall in love with Tooru and Yaeka in the latter. The anime is available here for streaming.
12. Kotaro Lives Alone (2022 -)
Netflix’s ‘Kotaro Lives Alone’ revolves around the titular protagonist, a four-year-old boy who lives by himself. So when he introduces himself to the next-door-neighbor manga author Shin Karino, the latter is quite perplexed. On the following day, the rest of the residents in the apartment complex get to know about Kotarou as well and become extremely protective of him while ensuring that they always respect his decisions. Soon it becomes obvious that the reason for Kotarou’s lonely life is far more complex and traumatic than any of his new friends could have imagined. ‘Kotaro Lives Alone’ is without a doubt one of the best shows made on the theme of childcare. In case you wish to watch it, then you can find all the episodes here.
11. Kakushigoto (2020)
Looking for another anime like ‘Spy x Family’ that is hilarious and revolves around a daughter-father relationship? If your answer is yes, then ‘Kakushigoto’ just might be the right show for you. Popular for the inappropriate content in his work, manga artist Kakushi Gotou feels that he could never bring himself to tell his daughter Hime about his profession. Determined to keep his work a secret, the single father goes to extreme lengths. He lives a double life hoping that this would help him protect the secret that he never wants Hime to know. But how long will Kakushi be able to keep running from the reality? Apart from the similarities mentioned earlier, fans of ‘Spy x Family’ can also notice how Loid and Kakushi face a somewhat similar predicament when it comes to their families. You can watch all the episodes here.
10. If It’s for My Daughter, I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord (2019)
‘If It’s for My Daughter, I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord’ or ‘Uchi no Ko no Tame naraba, Ore wa Moshikashitara Maou mo Taoseru kamo Shirenai.’ follows a leading adventurer named Dale Reki, who comes across a mysterious devil girl Latina while hunting for magical beasts. Since Reki feels sorry for her, he decides to adopt her giving her all the attention and time she needs. However, Latina’s origins continue to be mysterious as nothing much is known of her past. In ‘Spy x Family’ too Any’s past is also shrouded in mystery and there is no explanation for her mind-reading powers. Furthermore, she gets adopted by Loid just like Latina gets adopted by Dale. The similarities are overwhelming even though the genres are different. In case you wish to watch ‘If It’s for My Daughter, I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord,’ then you can find all the episodes here.
9. School Babysitters (2018)
When Ryuuichi Kashima loses both of his parents in a plane crash, he immediately realizes that he must now bear the responsibility of his younger brother Kotarou. However since the latter is just a toddler and does not understand the gravity of the situation, Ryuuichi’s situation becomes quite complicated. So when he is approached by Youko Morinomiya, an elite school chairman who offers to take both of them under her wing on the condition that Kashima becomes the school’s babysitter, Ryuuichi immediately agrees. However, he soon finds out that he will now be looking for several other toddlers every working day of the week. Although ‘School Babysitters’ has few similarities with ‘Spy x Family’ people who are looking for an anime that revolves around the theme of childcare will probably enjoy the former as well. The anime is accessible for streaming here.
8. Amaama to Inazuma (2016)
Kouhei Inuzuka wants to give his daughter Tsugumi all the comforts he can afford. Since his wife passed away, he has been struggling to ensure that her needs for a nutritious meal are met. So when his student, Kotori Iida invites him to his family restaurant, he readily accepts the offer. But when he finally goes there, Kouhei learns that the restaurant is usually closed and Iida eats alone. Since Kotori insists, Inuzuka starts regularly going there with Tsugumi. ‘Amaama to Inzauma’ recounts a heartwarming story that revolves around the theme of childcare much like ‘Spy x Family.’ In case you wish to watch it, then you can find all the episodes here.
7. Koroshi Ai (2022 -)
Chateau Dankworth is a novice bounty hunter who is proud of her combat skills to the extent that she feels no one is comparable to her. But that belief is tested when she is tasked to eliminate an expert assassin named Song Ryang-ha. However, Chateau is shocked to realize that he is the same man who has been helping her in her missions for quite some time and appears to have a romantic interest in her. The dramatic mind games of the show keep viewers guessing, just like ‘Spy x Family.’ Therefore, if you love the latter, then we recommend adding ‘Koroshi Ai’ to your watchlist. You can find all the episodes here.
6. Great Pretender (2020 -)
Makoto “Edamame” Edamura’s entire life has revolved around crime, and he has scammed people to make a living wherever he goes. However, when he crosses paths with a fellow con man named Laurent Thierry, Makoto is forced to reconsider whether he is the best at what he does or not. To put himself to the test and prove that he is indeed Japan’s Greatest Swindler, the protagonist challenges Theirry.
His rival and con artist proposes that they target the biggest mafia boss on the West Coast, which marks the beginning of Makoto’s international misadventures as he puts his skills to the test against a worthy opponent. Although ‘Great Pretender’ has few similarities with ‘Spy x Family,’ people who enjoy shows with mysteries and unexpected twists will definitely like the former as well. One can access all the episodes of ‘Great Pretender’ here.
5. Hinamatsuri (2018)
The life of a yakuza member named Yoshifumi Nitta changes in unthinkable ways when a mysterious blue-haired girl named Hina materializes in front of him without any explanation. However, the girl possesses immense powers and soon proves that she can be of help by wiping out Nitta’s rivals, whom he was tasked to attack. Just like Twilight, Nitta also leads an unconventional lifestyle and ends up becoming the caretaker of the girl with superpowers. The parallels between the central premise of both shows are hard to ignore; therefore, we feel that ‘Spy x Family’ fans will definitely find ‘Hinamatsuri’ entertaining as well. All the episodes are accessible for streaming here.
4. The Millionaire Detective – Balance: UNLIMITED (2020 -)
Despite being a millionaire with immense wealth, Daisuke Kanbe works as a detective at the Modern Crime Prevention Headquarters. He is unapologetic about his use of money as a means to find the truth, but his partner Haru Katou often takes issue with Daisuke’s approach.
As they team up to work on complicated cases, the two detectives must keep their differences aside as ingenious criminals may take advantage of their mindless scuffles. Just like ‘Spy x Family,’ ‘The Millionaire Detective – Balance: UNLIMITED’ brings viewers action-packed episodes with cases that challenge them to think in new ways at every turn. You can watch Daisuke in action here.
3. Bungou Stray Dogs (2016 -)
Atsushi Nakajima is kicked out of his orphanage and rendered homeless after he is suspected of incidents that he claims to be caused by a mystical tiger. While sitting near a riverbank, he hears the voice of a drowning man calling for help. Without caring for his own well-being, he rescues an eccentric man named Osamu Dazai, who turns out to be an investigator looking into the case of the same tiger that terrorized Atsushi in the orphanage. Now, along with Dazai’s partner Doppo Kunikida, Atsushi begins his journey as a novice investigator who probes supernatural events.
Although the investigations done by the protagonist of ‘Bungou Stray Dogs’ may differ from the ones done by Twilight in ‘Spy x Family,’ at the end of the day, both of them provide engrossing mysteries to keep viewers engaged. Therefore, fans of the latter should definitely watch the former at least once. One can watch ‘Bungou Stray Dogs’ here.
2. 009-1 (2006)
Set in an alternate world where a cold war has been ongoing for the last 140 years, ‘009-1’ consists of Mylene Hoffman, a cyborg spy codenamed 009-1 who works with her team on secret missions. The tension between the Eastern bloc and the Western bloc often reaches frightening levels where the threat of nuclear confrontation becomes a real possibility. Therefore, Mylene’s work is critical as she belongs to one of the ten most essential spy groups from the Western bloc that often handle critical intel collection and dissemination. Like Twilight from ‘Spy x Family,’ Mylene also finds herself in a world broken by politics where the threat of war looms large.
1. Detective Conan (1996 -)
Shinichi Kudou’s record as a detective is unparalleled, and despite being a high schooler, he often investigates high-profile cases. But when he is caught spying by a few criminals, they use an experimental drug on him, which turns him into a seven-year-old child. Determined to reclaim his identity someday, he takes on the alias of Conan Edogawa and begins solving cases taken up by his father while investigating the organization that created the toxic drug responsible for his current state.
Although Shinichi’s reasoning is unparalleled in ‘Detective Conan,’ his detective skills are quite comparable to Twilight from ‘Spy × Family.’ Therefore, if you have enjoyed the latter, there is a good possibility that you will find ‘Detective Conan’ interesting as well. The anime is accessible for streaming here.
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