Dhruv Sharma
Netflix’s new addition to its long catalog of anime shows is ‘Scissor Seven’, a Chinese anime that seems simple in the context of its concept, yet, is very engaging once you start watching it. And take my word on this, no matter what part of the world you live in, the degree of precision in its comedy will have you rolling on the floor in no time.
While the show mostly progresses in the form of stand-alone episodes, its overarching plot revolves around an amnesiac assassin who tries to put bits and pieces of his past back together by taking on new missions. Overall, ‘Scissor Seven’ falls short of being great, but is entertaining nonetheless. With that said, here is a list of shows that are similar to ‘Scissor Seven’ in one way or the other. You can stream most of these shows on Funimation, Crunchyroll or Hulu.
5. Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple (2006-2007)
Produced by TMS Studio (‘Dr. Stone‘, ‘Megalo Box‘, ‘Orange‘), ‘Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple’ has everything that you would expect from a classic shounen. Just like ‘Scissor Seven’, ‘Kenichi’ is quite an underrated show that creates the perfect balance between its “martial arts-centric” action and comedy.
It presents itself as a journey of a weak young boy who slowly rises up in ranks as a martial artist and while he’s at it, he begins to see some major changes in his personal life as well. This catharsis of its main character is more or less reminiscent of the good old ‘Karate Kid‘ movies. Moreover, unlike most other shounen out there, that rely on never-ending battle scenes and unnecessary “power-ups” scenes, ‘Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple’ sticks to the traditional fighting styles and keeps it real.
4. Aishen Qiaokeli-ing… (2015-2016)
If the comedy in Chinese anime shows resonates with you, you might want to check out ‘Aishen Qiaokeli-ing…’ as it is one of the few better know Chinese-origin comedy anime titles out there. It is certainly not as action-packed as ‘Scissor Seven’ and if you expect anything from it, other than typical high school anime tropes or some harem-y goodness, you will be left disappointed.
There sure is nothing groundbreaking about it and it has a pretty basic premise where a high school boy just ends up getting a lot of female attention out of the blue. But the fact that it is a Chinese produced comedy anime just adds more novelty to it and makes it mildly intriguing.
Read More: Anime Like Kengan Ashura
3. Ranma ½ (1989-)
Ranma Saotome, the titular character of the show, is a martial arts prodigy who trains at the Saotome “Anything-Goes” school. When he visits China with his father, they end up falling into a cursed spring. After this incident, every time someone splashes cold water on Ranma, he turns into a girl and is only able to retain his normal state after being splashed with hot water.
Just when he starts believing that his life cannot get any worse, his father forces him to marry one of Soun Tendo’s three daughters to secure the future of his dojo. He soon gets married to Soun’s youngest daughter, Akane, who is quite a skilled martial artist herself and really despises men. What follows is a tale that brims with fight scenes involving every possible form of martial arts you can imagine, and the hilarious romantic adventures of the two main characters.
2. The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. (2016-)
Every once in a while, as fans of anime, we’re treated with one gem of a comedy show. Voiced by the ever-talented Hiroshi Kamiya (‘Angel Beats‘, ‘Blue Exorcist‘), ‘The Disastrous Life of Saiki K‘ revolves around a high school boy, who was born with a wide assortment of supernatural abilities.
He can read minds, teleport from one place to another, and also restore people back to their old state—these are just a few of his abilities. However, despite being so overpowered compared to the rest of the world around him, Saiki despises himself and his abilities. If he wanted to, he could easily destroy the entire world, but all he seeks is a peaceful life. Unfortunately for him, with all the eccentric characters who surround him, it is impossible to get what he wants.
For the most part, ‘Saiki K’ is not an action anime, but just like ‘Scissor Seven’, its comedy is quick-witted, relatable and most of all, universal. Both the shows do not emphasize their animation styles too much, or even the character designs, but it’s their comedy that makes up for all of this.
1. Dragon Ball (1986-1989)
Ah, ‘Dragon Ball‘! It is one of the longest and best-loved anime on both sides of the Pacific. Based on its affiliation with its legendary sequels, some might try to shun this installment by calling it relatively subpar. However, what makes this one so special is the infancy and comedy that flows smoothly throughout its runtime.
‘Dragon Ball’ centers on Goku, a young boy who lives in woods all by himself, until one day, a girl named Bulma crosses paths with him, while she looks for the magical dragon balls. And since Goku happens to possess one of the balls, she is forced to let him tag along on her journey to find the others. With this, the two of them embark on an epic journey where they end up making some lifelong friends and face some very powerful enemies.
Just like ‘Scissor Seven’, ‘Dragon Ball’ creates the perfect balance between its comedy, drama, and action. The protagonists of both the shows are childish in their own unique ways, and their hilarious gimmicks and intense shounen battles make every second of it worthwhile.
Read More: Anime Like Bleach
