sakuna of rice and ruin anime

Anime Like Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin

Sakuna is the daughter of a warrior god and the harvest goddess. With her parents gone, she has taken up her mother’s role as harvest goddess, but lives a spoiled life of luxury in the lofty realm of the gods.

Banished from her opulent home for her indolence by a higher goddess, Sakuna is forced to travel to the dangerous island where her parents disappeared to investigate the demons that have overrun it.

She is accompanied by a group of humans who wandered into the lofty realm while fleeing from war and famine. Together, they learn to cultivate rice as Sakuna’s mother once did and fight against mysterious demonic forces.

If you played the game, this series was everything you hoped it could be. I do hope it piqued some new interest in the game, even if it did spoil the story. If you are looking for more anime recommendations like Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin, head on down below.

Anime Like Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin

For Fans of Gods Doing Human Things

kamisama kazoku anime

Kamisama Kazoku

Samatarou is not just an average high school boy, he is the son of the god. He lives together with his sisters who have been living in the human world in order to better understand the human customs and habits of the beings they protect so they can become better gods.

Together with the angel Tenko who was sent to protect him, they live a normal teen life. However, when Samatarou meets the new transfer student Kumiko, he feels something that he has never felt before – love!

Similarities Between Sakuna and Kamisama Kazoku

  • Children of gods live among humans
  • The deity children learn a series of very human lessons from the humans around them
  • Their godly powers are still manifesting themselves
  • The gods live a pampered life, but come to appreciate and know strife
  • Both series tell rather youthful stories with coming of age elements.

Differences Between Sakuna and Kamisama Kazoku

  • Sakuna is an action adventure series with agricultural roots, Kamisama Kazoku is a romance with a dash of comedy and drama.
  • Kamisama Kazoku is about the children of gods, still manifesting their powers, living in our modern world to better understand humans. So they were not forcibly banished like Sakuna.
  • There are some dark moments in Sakuna’s story, but Kamisama Kazoku is rather light.
spice and wolf anime

Spice and Wolf

For generations, Holo was a revered wolf deity that helped the local wheat harvest in exchange for tribute. However, as the villagers become more self-sufficient, they no longer need or even believe in her anymore.

During her annual festival, she sneaks into the cart of Kraft, a visiting merchant, hoping he will let her hitch a ride home.

Similarities Between Sakuna and Spice and Wolf

  • Goddess starts spending more time with humans
  • Haughty deities are humbled by experiences, but still quite proud
  • Surprisingly educational about niche subjects (growing rice, medieval economics)

Differences Between Sakuna and Spice and Wolf

  • Spice and Wolf is about a long journey that visits many different places. Sakuna is stationary and compact in setting.
  • Spice and Wolf is building a slow-burning romance between deity and human merchant
  • Holo in Spice and Wolf gets far less humbled and remains far more proud.
  • Spice and Wolf does tell a more mature-feeling story with less mysticism than Sakuna.
Yukine, Yato, and Hiyori falling while looking at a smartphone in the Noragami anime

Noragami

There will be times where you may happen across an odd phone number written in red. If you call it, you will get in touch with a young man who introduces himself as the Yato God.

This Yato God is a minor deity and the self-proclaimed God of Delivery. He dreams of having millions of worshipers, but there isn’t a single shrine dedicated to his name. He spends his time doing odd jobs for spare yen until the day his weapon partner deserts him.

Just as things are looking down, he happens across a young school girl that saves him from a car accident by taking the hit for him. She survives, but her soul becomes loose. Together they set out to find a way to tighten her soul back up.

Similarities Between Sakuna and Noragami

  • Deities leave the godly realm and live among humans
  • They become increasingly fond of their human friends
  • The deities fight evil entities that threaten the peace

Differences Between Sakuna and Noragami

  • Noragami is definitely more of an shounen action-type story in that there is always another problem to handle.
  • Noragami’s main character left the inner circle of the gods by choice and is currently hiding from his dark, violent past.
  • Sakuna is a story of character growth forced upon her by a higher ranking deity, Noragami is about a god trying to re-brand.
The Hero looking on as the Demon Queen bows from the Maoyu anime

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 Queen’s 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.

Similarities Between Sakuna and Maoyu

  • A powerful being is living among humans
  • Small and educational agricultural focus, but ultimately a larger plot beyond that
  • Demon Queens/Deities have complex emotions they are working through

Differences Between Sakuna and Maoyu

  • Maoyu is about a human hero and demon queen teaming up to stop the war between their two nations – which they do through not just stopping conflicts but making economic and agricultural improvements.
  • Maoyu does have a romance between the main characters
  • Sakuna is undergoing personal growth, Maoyu more about stopping the war.

For Fans of Youthful Fantasy Action and Adventure

little witch academia anime

Little Witch Academia

Although Atsuko is an ordinary girl, she became enamored by witches and magic by a magic show she saw as a kid hosted by a witch named Shiny Chariot.

Now, she has aspires to be a witch, taking the first step by joining a renowned academy for witches called Luna Nova Academy.

Although she faces hardship as a first generation witch and fan of Shiny Chariot, whom many consider a fraud, she and her two friends do their best each new day.

Similarities Between Sakuna and Little Witch Academia

  • Young female main character with still a lot to learn about the world
  • She arrives at a new place and makes new friends
  • Both series balance action and slice of life similarly
  • A deeper intrigue about their new home is discovered where only they can save the day
  • Often positive and optimistic, but also a little dark in the actual events that are happening.

Differences Between Sakuna and Little Witch Academia

  • Little Witch Academia is about a human girl who attends a school for witches.
  • Little Witch Academia has a predominantly female cast
  • Sakuna is inspired by Japanese mythology, Little Witch Academia is inspired by European mythology – both add in their own unique aspects that don’t align with any mythologies completely, however.
ranking of kings anime

Ranking of Kings

In this world, kings are ranked based on their power, skill, and how they treat their subjects.

Bojji is the first son and heir of powerful 7th ranking king, Bosse. However, while Bojji is good-natured, he is often mocked as a fool because he is cannot speak and they believe him to be deaf.

While not physically strong either, Bojji has a strength of heart that earns the affection and loyalty of many he crosses paths with, including his most recent friend, a jaded shadow creature who swears to always have Bojji’s back as he tries to become the best future king he can be.

Similarities Between Sakuna and Ranking of Kings

  • The main character is the privileged child of powerful parents
  • They are forced to leave everything they know in order to prove their right to their parents’ titles with their own strength.
  • The main characters find support through new friends that help them grow as people as well as in power.
  • They use this new power and friendships to foil intrigue that has been brewing
  • Both series craft original worlds that still have clear inspirations from other things (Japanese mythology, fairy tale stories)
  • Full of action, but most beloved for how wholesome and inspiring the story message is
  • Both Sakuna and Ranking of Kings look quite childish in their art styles, but have some pretty dark moments.

Differences Between Sakuna and Ranking of Kings

  • The main character in Ranking of Kings is mute, so he isn’t as proud or as verbose as Sakuna. People also made fun of him for it.
  • Ranking of Kings is far more European-inspired in its world building, and far richer in the details it crafts into the world.
  • Ranking of Kings is far more emotionally evocative

For Fans of Powerful Beings Being Humbled

the great jahy will not be defeated anime

The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated!

Feared and respected by her subjects, Jahy was second-in-command of the demon realm. However, one day, a magical girl attacks and destroys the mystic gem, and with it, the demon realm.

Flung into the human world, Jahy finds her powers greatly diminished, forcing her into a child’s form. While she can briefly return to her old form with a shard of the mystic gem, she now has to deal with real problems like paying rent and affording food all while trying to find the rest of the pieces of the shattered gem.

Similarities Between Sakuna and The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated

  • Small powerful deity-like figure with lots of pride gets banished
  • They start living with humans and become humbled

Differences Between Sakuna and The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated

  • Jahy is a demon general, so she gets a dollop of evil on top of her otherwise Sakuna-like pride.
  • The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated is very much a comedy about humans bullying (and also sometimes being nice to) a demon who is without her powers and who lives in poverty.
  • There is no significant action or adventure in The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated, and it is also less wholesome.
the devil is a part timer anime

The Devil is a Part-Timer

Right on the verge of taking over the world, evil Demon Lord Satan was foiled by the hero Emilia and was forced to retreat through a dimensional portal.

He ends up in our modern world where he is without powers and without money. In order to pay his way, he gets a part-timer job slinging fast food.

Similarities Between Sakuna and The Devil is a Part-Timer

  • Powerful being full of pride is sent to another world
  • They live among humans and, in turn, become more human in their personality.
  • Wholesome found family elements

Differences Between Sakuna and The Devil is a Part-Timer

  • While The Devil is a Part-Timer has some action, it is far more a comedic slice of life series.
  • The main character in The Devil is a Part-Timer is significantly less proud than Sakuna and doesn’t need much humbling.
  • As it goes on, The Devil is a Part-Timer develops more romantic comedy elements.
dropkick on my devil anime

Drop Kick on My Devil

The demon Jashin was summoned to Earth by an occult dabbler named Yurine. However, although Yurine successfully summoned her, she doesn’t know how to send her back.

Now, Jashin ends up living with Yurine as her familiar. She knows the only way to go back now is to kill Yurine, but Jashin, incompetent as she is, can’t seem have any schemes go right.

Similarities Between Sakuna and Drop Kick on My Devil

  • Powerful entity goes to a new place
  • Full of pride, they are quickly humbled by their circumstances
  • They live among humans and form various relationships with them

Differences Between Sakuna and Drop Kick on My Devil

  • Dropkick on My Devil is a comedy where the joke is that the characters are scumbags and use ultra-violent slapstick.
  • The main character’s pride never really gets humbled in Dropkick on My Devil. She just bounces back and tries again.
  • There is no wholesomeness, character growth, or heroic action in Dropkick on My Devil.

For Fans of Agriculture

silver-spoon-anime

Silver Spoon

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.

Similarities Between Sakuna and Silver Spoon

  • Spoiled main character is sent to go farm
  • They learn farming is actually difficult, but also rewarding
  • They make a series of friends that help teach and support them
  • Fairly educational on agriculture

Differences Between Sakuna and Silver Spoon

  • Silver Spoon is set in our modern world, and has no fantasy or action elements.
  • Silver Spoons is educational on many agricultural aspects from industrial farming and farming as a business to rearing livestock. Sakuna just sticks to rice farming.
  • Silver Spoon is more slice of life with a touch of romance and drama.
the main characters of the I've Somehow Gotten Stronger When I Improved My Farm-Related Skills anime sitting on produce

I’ve Somehow Gotten Stronger When I Improved My Farm-Related Skills

Al Wayne is a passionate farmer who spends his days tending his fields and occasionally helping his friends. However, in doing so, he ended up maxing out his level and integrating his farming skills into that, he becomes stronger than even legendary heroes.

Unfortunately, his immense power has caught the eye of the nation’s princess who gives him a large swathe of land in return for becoming an adventurer to help the nation.

Similarities Between Sakuna and I’ve Somehow Gotten Stronger When I Improved My Farm-Related Skills

  • Farmers fighting with farm tools and being super strong
  • The main characters often get pulled into adventures that they really don’t want to do
  • Farming makes people stronger.

Differences Between Sakuna and I’ve Somehow Gotten Stronger When I Improved My Farm-Related Skills

  • I’ve Somehow Gotten Stronger When I Improved My Farm-Related Skills is more of a standard boilerplate fantasy world while Sakuna has some mystical flavor to it.
  • Sakuna is forced to farm and slowly has to learn it, the main character in I’ve Somehow Gotten Stronger When I Improved My Farm-Related Skills is passionate about farming and often taken away from it for adventure.
  • I’ve Somehow Gotten Stronger When I Improved My Farm-Related Skills has harem elements.
  • When it is not being an action series, I’ve Somehow Gotten Stronger When I Improved My Farm-Related Skills is very comedy-focused. Not much dark or emotional storytelling like Sakuna occasionally has.

Do you have more anime recommendations like Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin? Let fans know in the comments section below.

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