Dhruv Sharma
A feel-good light-hearted storyline, unforgettable romance, pleasant artwork and soundtracks with a dash of the supernatural, that’s all that there is to ‘Kamisama Kiss‘. It makes you laugh and cry with its amazing characters who have personalities that stay true throughout the anime. ‘Kamisama Kiss’ is one of the best shoujo anime out there, that’s set in the beautifully intriguing backdrop of the Japanese Culture.
The anime revolves around a girl named Nanami who somehow gets the status of a Kami (Shinto Goddess). Nanami now has to balance her responsibilities as a human and as a goddess in the magical world. She is accompanied by a fox spirit named Tomoe who protects her and stays around her all the time in his human form. This is where their interspecies love story begins but it’s surely not going to be an easy one. Tomoe’s past and other spirits try to constantly separate them and test their love for each other. But in the end, it’s love that always wins and so it will, in this one too.
Interspecies love stories might seem like a unique premise to someone who is not familiar with anime. But the ones who have been in the world of anime for some time now will know that it’s quite a common theme. With that said, here’s the list of best anime similar to ‘Kamisama Kiss’ that are our recommendations. You can watch several of these anime like ‘Kamisama Kiss’ on Netflix, Crunchyroll or Hulu.
15. Kami-Chu! The Goddess is a Middle School Student (2005)
‘Kami-Chu! The Goddess is a Middle School Student’ is an amazing slice of life anime. Set in the 1980s, it revolves around the life of an ordinary school girl named Yurie Hitotsubashi who lives in the coastal city of Onomichi in Japan. Just like most others of her age, her biggest problems in life are nothing but her school exams and her crush on a guy named Keji who does not even know she exists.
One day, out of the blue, Yurie tells her friend Mitsue that she has now turned into a Goddess. Matsuri hears about this and sees this as an opportunity to promote the Shinto Shrine that his family owns. Matsuri’s big plan is to somehow replace the city’s local god with Yurie so that everyone comes to his Shrine. But Yurie might have just landed herself in some big trouble and must now attend god meetings, hear out the prayers of the “humans” around her, meet extraterrestrial creatures, grant the wishes of those who look up to her and lift up the curses laid on the innocent. And while she’s at this, she must sincerely attend school and somehow grab the attention of her crush Kenji.
14. Natsume’s Book of Friends (2008)
‘Natsume Yuujinchou’ is one touching anime that won’t be forgotten anytime soon. Based on a very popular manga by Yuki Midorikawa that goes by the same name, this anime is about the life and the secrets of a 15-year-old boy named Takashi Natsume. Since the earliest days of his childhood, he is being chased by some spirits that are known as the youkai. When his grandmother passed away, he inherited the Book of Friends which includes the names of all the youkai that have been captured by his grandmom through the years. Now that the Book of Friends is owned by Takashi and the power of controlling the creatures has been bestowed upon him. Unlike other teenagers his age, Takashi indeed has some other problems where school, family and friends are none of his concerns. The only thing he seeks is peace from these spirits that follow him all the time and his only companion is a self-proclaimed bodyguard named Madara who is another tiny non-human creature. You can stream on Crunchyroll.
13. Into the Forest of Fireflies’ Light (2011)
‘Into the Forest of Fireflies’ Light’ is one of the most heart-warming anime you’ll ever come across. The colors, the music, the whole peaceful countryside feels and a touching storyline, all these together give you an anime that’ll stay with you for a very long time even after you’re done watching it. It centers around a 6-year-old girl named Hotaru who gets lost in the forest one day and that’s when she runs into a masked forest spirit named Gin. Gin leads her out of the forest and asks her to never come back. But Hotaru just keeps coming back to meet him and through the years, she grows up to become a beautiful young girl. With time, Gin and Hotaru get really close to each other and even fall in love. But is their love strong enough to break the distance that separates them?
12. Gingitsune: Messenger Fox of the Gods (2013)
‘Gingitsune’ is another popular supernatural Slice of Life anime that revolves around Makoto who inherits the ability to see a spirit fox that has been around Edo Era protecting the Inari Temple. The power to be able to see this agent of god can only be possessed by one family member at a time and right now, Makoto seems to be the chosen one after his mother’s death. Makoto and Gintarou together work towards the welfare of those around them and help the ones in need while they develop a friendship of a lifetime. ‘Gingitsune’ somehow the just diminishes the fine line between fiction and reality, giving you the finest piece of fantasy art that is simple yet very charming. You can watch the anime on Crunchyroll.
11. ABCs of Love (2004)
Inari Fushimi is an introverted and goofy teenage girl who doesn’t really have anything special about her. Even when it comes down to studies, she is just another average student. But one thing that makes her stand out is how considerate she is for everyone around. She is always there to help when someone needs her. ‘ABCs of Love‘ starts off when Inari decides to take a shorter route to her school and while she’s at this, she helps a fox struggling to cross the river. Impressed by Inari’s kindness, the goddess of a nearby shrine grants her a wish. Though the intentions of the goddess are to bless her for her good deeds, this wish just invites more trouble in Inari’s life. To make up for this, the goddess grants her power to become a shapeshifter that allows her to be whoever she wants to be. Inari now sets out an adventure where she must avoid all the unnecessary attention that she gets from other supernatural beings and must also gather the courage to confess her love to her high-school crush.
10. Stray God (2014)
Yato is unlike any other gods you’ll ever know. He is desperate for attention and as of now, has no shrines named after him. In times of need, his phone number appears out of nowhere in red and Yato God will be “to the rescue” if one just calls this number. But even after working so hard with people, only a few know that he exists. He works for a less paying job just like any other human being and soon, his assistant gets tired of his failures. She leaves him all alone in his misery and Yato starts cursing his life as a god. But one day, his fate changes when a girl named Hiyori saves him from a car accident and takes the hit for him instead. She survives but her soul leaves her body. She demands Yato to help her go back to her human body but to do this, Yato must find a new assistant. Together, Yato and Hiyori set out on an adventure to look for a new assistant for this ‘Stray God’ so that they can both have some good in their lives again.
9. Inu X Boku SS (2012)
A spoiled rich and an unusually petite 15-year-old girl named Ririchiyo Shirakiin hates the fact that she is so dependent on her protected royal surroundings. She decides to change that and leaves her luxurious world behind to live in a residence she manages to get through her childhood friends. This place of residence is known as the Maison de Ayakashi and soon, the socially awkward Ririchiyo discovers that it roofs some really bizarre creatures. Every single creature that lives in that residence is only a half human. But these are just half of her problems because things get even more complicated for her when a handsome and quite yet extremely clingy secret agent moves in with her. New school, new town and a whole new bunch of strange creatures; does she have what it takes to survive out of her comfort zone? You can stream the series on Amazon Prime.
8. Fruits Basket (2001)
Torru is a 16-year-old teen whose life is nothing but miserable. She loses her mother in a terrible accident and that’s when she is forced to move in with her grandfather. But soon, she runs out of luck here as well as her grandfather’s house is being renovated. She tells him that she is going to stay with some friends but instead goes and lives in a tent. After returning from school one day, she finds that her tent has been buried under a landslide and her only “Home” is now gone. The Souma brothers from her school find out about her situation and ask her to stay with them for the time being. Running out of options, she agrees to it, but upon arrival, she discovers a strange secret that the brothers have kept hidden from the world. Anyone who hugs a Souma gets transformed into an animal from the Zodiac. She must now learn to live with this and prepare herself for what lies ahead in this whole new magical world she’s in. The anime is accessible for streaming on Funimation.
7. Maid Sama! (2010)
Misaki Ayuzawa is a skilled Aikido practitioner who has been appointed as the first female council president in a school that was a boys school all this while and just recently turned into a coed one. Her methods of maintaining discipline in the school are harsh yet effective and many of her disciplinary victims label her as the “Demon President”. But Misaki’s life is not as perfect as it may seem in school and everyday, she returns home to a poor household. To make ends meet, she even works as a part-time housemaid at a maid cafe. She has somehow managed to keep this a secret from her batch-mates at school but one day, the school’s most popular guy walks inside the cafe and busts her. Now he could either use this to completely destroy her reputation in school or he could use it as an opportunity to get closer to the young beautiful president of his school. The anime is accessible for streaming on Hulu.
6. Zakuro (2010)
In a world that is constantly changing for the worse, a Lieutenant named Kei Agemaki is assigned the task of living and working with the youkai maidens of the Minister of Spirit Affairs. The problem is that this is his biggest nightmare and paranormal creatures scare the living hell out of him. But he and other officers must learn to live with the four maidens — Zakuro, Susukihotaru, Hoozuki, and Bonbori —to successfully solve these otherworldly cases that have been assigned to them. You can stream the series on Crunchyroll.
5. Ouran High School Host Club (2006)
Bones Studios’ Harem anime, ‘Ouran High School Host Club’ centers around the character of Haruhi Fujioka. Harushi is a new student in school and her only priority is to excel at studies. One day, looking for a quiet place to study, she runs into some boys who claim to be the “Ouran High School Host Club” members. This chance meeting turns into deeper friendships between the boys and Haruhi and she soon becomes a part of their club. The anime is accessible for streaming on Netflix.
4. Yona of the Dawn (2014-2015)
Yona has no clue about the darkness that consumes her father’s kingdom and she lives a comfortable life within the confinements of her luxurious surroundings. But one day, the emperor is suddenly killed by outside forces and Yona is thrown out of her comfort zone. With the assistance of a friend and her bodyguard, General Yak, she must now survive the atrocities of war and the toxicity that have drowned her kingdom. But this opens up her eyes to the fact that she now needs to be the princess her people need in these crucial times. You can stream the series on Funimation or Hulu.
3. InuYasha (2000-2004)
‘InuYasha’ has become one of the most popular anime after being featured on Animax for almost 4 years. It’s the fantasy story of a young girl named Kagome who is transported back in time. Here, she comes across InuYasha, who wants to steal the Shikon Jewel. She initially tries to stop him from doing this but later becomes his ally. They soon fall in love but what happens when InuYasha lays his hands on the Jewel? Will he be able to drown his evil side with his newfound love or will his evil overcome everything else he owns? You can stream the anime on Hulu.
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2. Special A (S.A) (2008)
‘Special A’ is a rom-com anime about two main characters named Hikari and Kei, who have been rivals since childhood when it comes to everything from sports to studies. Hikari even joins the same school as Kei just to compete with him and defeat him at least once. But Kei looks at her differently and secretly has a crush on her. The two become the top rank holders in their academy in the haze of their own rivalry and soon become part of a club known as ‘Special A’. This club comprises of all the top students of the school who go through their own personal journeys of friendships, intense competition and love. You can stream the series on Amazon Prime.
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1. Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spirits (2018)
‘Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spirits’ is an anime by Gonzo Studios, who’ve made ‘Afro Samurai’ and ‘Hellsing’. It centers a college student named Aoi, who has the ability to see Ayakashi. One day, a demon suddenly appears and asks her to marry him to compensate for the debt that her grandfather owed him. She refuses the offer and instead decides to work in a different realm to be able to pay off the debt. You can watch the show on Crunchyroll.
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