Yuugo Hachiken is a hard-working, studious student, but he is tired of trying to live up to the academic expectations that are placed on him. So when it comes time to go to high school, he enrolls in the Ooezo Agricultural High School in Hokkaido. Being so clever, he thinks he will excel in the institution, but soon learns that farming is much harder work, both physically and emotionally, more so than he expected.
There aren’t too terribly many farming anime series out there, but Silver Spoon gives you a surprisingly accurate representation of where your food is coming from. If you liked getting a glimpse at farming culture or just enjoyed the hard-working message Silver Spoon tried to send, give these great anime recommendations a try.
Anime Like Silver Spoon
For Fans of Farming
No-Rin
Kousaku Hata, a student at an agricultural school, loves ones idol in particular – Yuka Kusakabe. On the day she announces her retirement, he is devastated, at least until he finds out that she transferred to his school. Although she has a completely different personality than on stage, she is willing to work hard to learn, with Kousaku right at her side.
You like farming? No-Rin is about farming! It is one of the rare series that is pretty much all about farming, although it does have a lot of perverted situations. However, it doesn’t go as in-depth about the farming process as Silver Spoon.
Moyashimon
Tadayasu is a college freshmen at an Agricultural University with a special power – he can talk to cute, chibified versions of bacteria and other microscopic organisms. While it sounds like fun, his special ability gets him into all kinds of trouble.
While Moyashimon takes place following an agricultural student, unlike in Silver Spoon, it is, for the most part, not so much about farming. It is more so about the germs and microorganisms that help farmers everyday and occasionally hurt people. However, it is not too terribly serious, maintaining the same sort of comedy as Silver Spoon.
Maoyu – Archenemy and Hero
After fifteen years of warfare with the demon world, the Hero is unsatisfied with their advance and rushes forward to the Demon Queens Castle. There he not only finds a beautiful woman that is the queen, but she needs his help. To his surprise, she offers a way to not only help his country, but hers as well. Together, they join forces to make that dream a reality.
You wouldn’t think these two series have much in common, but while Maoyu is in a fantasy setting, it covers a number of agricultural problems, what with the people starving if they stop their war. It follows the spread of staple foods like potatoes and focuses on more medieval economics, like an under hyped Spice and Wolf. (Which is why Spice and Wolf isn’t here. Spice and Wolf would also be a good recommendation.)
For Fans of Specialized Schools
Food Wars!
Ever since he was a child, Yukihira Souma has helped his father cook in his diner. The definition of learn by doing, he thinks that he has mastered his technique, but still can’t beat his father. After his dad decides to travel the world, he enrolls his son in the Tootsuki Culinary Academy, a brutal academy for upcoming chefs where only ten percent are actually able to reach the high standards demanded to graduate.
Although not about farming, most people equate Silver Spoon with Food Wars. Both involve people accommodating to a new school that is for the elite of their category and both schools are self-sufficient. The real difference is in the main characters, one is cocky and the other is a bit of a wimp.
Soul Eater
Death City is home to a famous technical academy and ran by Lord Death himself. At this academy, meisters train with their human weapons in order to evolve them into Death Scythes to be wielded by the Grim Reaper, Lord Death. Only by consuming 99 evils souls and the soul of one witch will a weapon be able to evolve. This is the story of several students of the academy as they try to grow stronger and protect Death City in the process.
Although it is never really touched on what exactly they learn in classes other than matching soul wavelengths, Soul Eater features a specialized school of miesters and their weapons. This is yet another show, like Silver Spoon, that gets a lot of their comedy from a quirky cast. However, unlike Silver Spoon, Soul Eater falls more into the shounen action category rather than slice of life.
Kill la Kill
Ryuuko Matoi is on the hunt for her father’s killer, and her only lead is the missing half of his invention, the Scissor Blade. On her quest, she arrives at the prestigious Honnouji Academy, a school that is ruled over by the super powerful Satsuki Kiryuuin and her Elite Four. Believing Satsuki knows who killed her father, Ryuuko challenges one of the elite, but gets beaten due to their special uniforms. After receiving a special uniform of her own, Ryuuko sets plans into motion to dominate the school and find out what happened to her father.
Unlike the other specialized school, Kill la Kill isn’t specialized towards any particular area, unless you count fighting as an area. Regardless, like Silver Spoon, it features a school that goes over the top with a good bit of comedy in between the epic fights.
For Fans of Hard Work Towards Your Dreams
Working!!
Souta Takanashi has a fondness for cute things, so when the cute and small Popura Taneshima asks him to work at Wagnaria, a family restaurant, he can’t turn her down. Little did he know about all the unique personalities that also call Wagnaria their place of employment.
Working is essentially the step after Silver Spoon. The food gets grown and sent out in Silver Spoon, then formed into meals in Working. Both feature a unique cast of silly characters, each with their own quirks that make both series an absolute pleasure to watch.
Hanasaku Iroha
Ohana Matsumae is an energetic teenager that lives with her mother in Tokyo. However, when her mother decides to run off with a man, she is sent to the country to live with a grandmother she has never met. As it turns out, her grandmother runs a traditional Japanese inn, but due to her frivolous mother, treats Ohana quite coldly. Eager to earn her keep and grandmother’s affection, Ohana begins the hard work that makes sure an inn runs smoothly.
Farming… Running an inn… They are both hard jobs that require a lot of work. Both Silver Spoon and Hanasaku Iroha both feature sheltered teens that aren’t really used to the work and we watch them struggle until they find their place.
Kids on the Slope
After moving around his entire life, classical pianist Kaoru Nishimi has abandoned all hope of fitting in as he arrives in Kyushu for his final year of high school. However, that all changes when he meets the thuggish drummer, Sentaro Kawabuchi, a man with an immeasurable love for jazz. Over the music they bond together and Kaoru learns that music should be something to bring joy to others, not something dictated by hundreds of years of technique.
I know, in terms of plot, one has very little to do with the other. However, in Kids on the Slope, it is not only about music, but it is about a kid trying to find his place in the world, a theme that has also heavily permeated Silver Spoon as well.
Did we miss any good anime recommendations for Silver Spoon? Let us know in the comments section below.
