Seishuu Handa is an up-and-coming calligrapher: young, handsome, talented, and unfortunately, a narcissist to boot. When a veteran labels his award-winning piece as "unoriginal," Seishuu quickly loses his cool with severe repercussions.
As punishment, and also in order to aid him in self-reflection, Seishuu's father exiles him to the Goto Islands, far from the comfortable Tokyo lifestyle the temperamental artist is used to. Now thrown into a rural setting, Seishuu must attempt to find new inspiration and develop his own unique art style—that is, if boisterous children , fujoshi middle schoolers, and energetic old men stop barging into his house! The newest addition to the intimate and quirky Goto community only wants to get some work done, but the islands are far from the peaceful countryside he signed up for. Thanks to his wacky neighbors who are entirely incapable of minding their own business, the arrogant calligrapher learns so much more than he ever hoped to.
Barakamon is finished and has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: ばらかもん, Barakamon
Genres: Present, Earth, Island, Countryside, Japan, Stereotypes, Asia, Comedy, Slice of Life, Friendship
Top 10 Anime Like Barakamon
10. Usagi Drop
Daikichi Kawachi is a 30-year-old bachelor working a respectable job but otherwise wandering aimlessly through life. When his grandfather suddenly passes away, he returns to the family home to pay his respects. Upon arriving at the house, he meets a mysterious young girl named Rin who, to Daikichi’s astonishment, is his grandfather's illegitimate daughter!
The shy and unapproachable girl is deemed an embarrassment to the family, and finds herself ostracized by her father's relatives, all of them refusing to take care of her in the wake of his death. Daikichi, angered by their coldness towards Rin, announces that he will take her in—despite the fact that he is a young, single man with no prior childcare experience.Usagi Drop is the story of Daikichi's journey through fatherhood as he raises Rin with his gentle and affectionate nature, as well as an exploration of the warmth and interdependence that are at the heart of a happy, close-knit family.
Bunny Drop is finished and has 11 Episodes. It is also Known as: うさぎドロップ, Usagi Drop
9. Doukyonin wa Hiza, Tokidoki, Atama no Ue.
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.
My Roommate is a Cat is finished and has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 同居人はひざ、時々、頭のうえ。, Doukyonin wa Hiza, Tokidoki, Atama no Ue.
8. 3-gatsu no Lion
Rei Kiriyama is a 17-year-old boy who recently started living alone, financed by his salary as a professional Shogi player. Despite his independence, however, he's yet to mature emotionally, and his problems continue to haunt him in his daily life. His relationship with his adoptive family is strained, and he has difficulties interacting with his fellow high school students. Meanwhile, his professional career has entered a slump. Burdened with the heavy expectations placed on him as the fifth to become pro in middle school, his wins and losses are fluctuating as his record and progression into the ranks begin to stagnate.
Acquainted with Rei are the three Kawamoto sisters: Akari, Hinata, and Momo. Unlike Rei, they live happily in their modest home, which they warmly welcome Rei into as if he were one of their own. Despite his reservations about becoming too close to the family, he frequently visits, interacting with them and receiving the kind of care and affection he never quite had while under his foster home.
This is the story of Rei's triumphs and failures, relationships new and old, and his growth as a person.
March comes in like a lion is finished and has 22 Episodes. It is also Known as: 3月のライオン, Sangatsu no Lion
7. Bokura wa Minna Kawai-sou
Kazunari Usa is a high school freshman who will start living alone due to his parents now working in a different area. Excited for his new independent life, he hopes to go about his teenage days without the worry of dealing with any strange people, but as he soon discovers, his new boarding house Kawai Complex is far from ordinary.
The various tenants at Kawai Complex are all quite eccentric characters. Shirosaki, Kazunari's roommate, is a pervert and masochist; Mayumi Nishikino, a borderline alcoholic office lady, hates couples because of her unfortunate luck with men; and Sayaka Watanabe, a seemingly innocent college student, enjoys leading men on. Shocked with the lack of decent individuals at his new residence, Kazunari is about to leave when he runs into shy senior student Ritsu Kawai and finds himself slowly falling in love with her.
The Kawai Complex Guide to Manors and Hostel Behavior is finished and has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 僕らはみんな河合荘, Bokura wa Minna Kawai-sou
6. Udon no Kuni no Kiniro Kemari
Souta Tawara is a web designer working in Tokyo. When he visits his family's Udon place in his hometown Kagawa Prefecture, he discovers a young boy. Upon confronting the boy, Souta soon learns his secret and decides to quit his job in order to take care of the boy, Poko. The daily adventures of the two slowly enfold as Poco energetically navigates his way through Kagawa, the "Udon Kingdom," along with Souta.
Poco's Udon World is finished and has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: うどんの国の金色毛鞠, Gaogao-chan to Aoi Sora
5. Kakushigoto (TV)
The story of Kakushigoto follows the father-daughter unit, Kakushi and Hime Goto. Kakushi loves his daughter more than anything, but he doesn't want the 4th grade Hime to know that her father is the author of a somewhat vulgar and disreputable weekly manga series because he fears that Hime would resent him if she found out. With the help of his editors and assistants, Kakushi does his best to keep his profession a secret … with varying results.
Kakushigoto (TV) is finished and has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: かくしごと, Hidden Things
4. Gin no Saji
Hachiken Yuugo enrolled in Oezo Agricultural High School for the reason that he could live in a dorm there. In some ways he chose Oezo in an effort to escape the highly competitive prep schools he had attended previously, but he was faced with an entirely new set of difficulties at Oezo, surrounded by animals and Mother Nature. After growing up in an average family, he began to encounter clubs and training the likes of which he had never seen before.
Silver Spoon is finished and has 11 Episodes. It is also Known as: 銀の匙, Gin no Saji
3. Amaama to Inazuma
Since the death of his wife, Kouhei Inuzuka has been caring for his young daughter Tsumugi to the best of his abilities. However, with his lack of culinary knowledge and his busy job as a teacher, he is left relying on ready-made meals from convenience stores to feed the little girl. Frustrated at his own incapability to provide a fresh, nutritious meal for his daughter, Kouhei takes up an offer from his student, Kotori Iida, to come have dinner at her family's restaurant. But on their very first visit, the father and daughter discover that the restaurant is often closed due to Kotori's mother being away for work and that Kotori often eats alone. After much pleading from his pupil, Kouhei decides to continue to go to the restaurant with Tsumugi to cook and share delicious homemade food with Kotori.Amaama to Inazuma follows the heartwarming story of a caring father trying his hardest to make his adorable little daughter happy, while exploring the meanings and values behind cooking, family, and the warm meals at home that are often taken for granted.
Sweetness & Lightning is finished and has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 甘々と稲妻, Amaama to Inazuma
2. Non Non Biyori
When Hotaru Ichijo transfers from a school in Tokyo to the tiny little Asahigaoka Branch School in the rural countryside, she should be experiencing major culture shock. After all, there are only three other girls in the school, and none of them are even in the same grade as her. But she quickly finds herself adjusting to spending her time with first grader Renge and the Koshigaya sisters, Natsumi and Komari, who are in the seventh and eighth grade, respectively. The Koshigaya’s older brother, the only male student, isn’t so hard to get along with either. Even if it is 20 minutes by bicycle to the only place that sells comics and the video store is ten train stations away, there’s something about the laid-back lifestyle that makes her feel right at home and comfortable. It’s a big change from the big city, but there are still plenty of new adventures to look forward to as Hotaru learns that “home” really is where the heart is in NON NON BIYORI.
Non Non Biyori is finished and has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: のんのんびより, Non Non Biyori
1. Tsuritama
Yuki Sanada is a socially awkward young man who lives with his grandmother. Due to her job, they must move around a lot. This means Yuki has difficulty forming lasting relationships with his peers, or relationships at all, for that matter. His fear of social interaction is so great that when asked to make a greeting or parting speech in his classes, Yuki often freezes. As if drowning, he blacks out from the present, only able to focus on his certain ridicule. However, Yuki's life changes forever when he moves to Enoshima and meets an odd boy named Haru—who claims to be an alien.
Haru wields a questionable water gun and fish bowl, and has a tendency to speak with the beta fish inside it. He immediately latches onto Yuki as a friend, completely disregarding any complaints Yuki might have about this. Haru is like a force of nature, unheeding of other people's resistance to his antics. Together, Haru and Yuki also snowball a fellow classmate and fisherman named Natsuki Usami into Haru’s schemes. What out-of-this-world adventures lie ahead for this unique bunch? Find out in Tsuritama!
Tsuritama is finished and has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: つり球, Fishing Ball
