After losing his temper on a critic, renowned calligraphy artist Sieshuu Handa is exiled to the Goto Islands by his father for a period of self-reflection. There he seeks to find new inspiration for his art, but finds that his neighbors and some neighborhood kids keep getting in his way.
Soothing and unexpectedly hilarious, Barakamon teaches watchers to treasure the smaller moments in life. If you are looking for anime recommendations like Barakamon, then head on down below.
Anime Like Barakamon
For Fans of Adults Surrounded By Children (in a Not Creepy Way)
Usagi Drop
Daikichi Kawachi is a 30-year-old bachelor with a decent job, but no purpose in his life. When he returns to his family home for his grandfather’s funeral, he finds out that the old man had an illegitimate daughter. With his other relatives not wanting to take in such a child, Daikichi steps up and takes her home. From that day onwards, his hard new life as a parent begins.
While Usagi Drop has a more parental focus, both it and Barakamon are about men unexpectedly besieged by a young child. Both have good comedy and tender moments, just in different respects. Obviously, you don’t get those same parental feels in Barakamon.
Hinamatsuri
One night, an object falls through space and time into the living room of dignified yakuza member Nitta. The object turns out to be a strange girl with psychic powers, but Nitta is reluctant to both take her in and to accept her offer to make use of those powers. Respecting his decision to not use her as a tool, this girl, named Hina, decides to help him anyway as they begin their life together.
Both Barakamon and Hinamatsuri are about a guy with a new child companion in their life due to happenstance. While both have awesome comedy, Hinamatsuri distinctly forgoes all those feelgood vibes that are abound in Barakamon. That just leaves top-tier comedy, which is all the reason you need to watch.
Sweetness and Lightning
After the death of his wife, high school math teacher Kouhei Inuzuka is left to care for his young daughter, Tsumugi. He does his best, but his busy schedule and poor culinary skills limit them to eating convenience store food separately. One day, his daughter expresses an interest to eat together after talking to one of his students in the park, Kotori, who deeply enjoys food. He rushes over to the restaurant owned by the student’s mother, but she is not there. While Kotori tries her best to cook for them, her skills are lacking. However, together, Inuzuka-sensei, Tsumugi, and Kotori learn to expand their cooking skills.
Although he is not a father in Barakamon, both series focus on men that are troubled, but often revitalized by the children in their life. Instead of being super creepy, both end up with some really nice moments. However, Sweetness and Lightning does have a much bigger focus on food.
For Fans of Soothing Regeneration
ReLife
Arata Kaizaki is an unemployed 27-year-old that has thus far been living with the financial support of his parents and part-time jobs. After leaving his first job after only three months, he has not been able to find proper work. However, after a night of drinking with his friends, he meets a mysterious man that offers a drunk Arata a pill that will turn him 17 again so that he can redo a year of his youth, all expenses paid. Will Arata find what he needs to live a happy life after one year in high school again?
While different in their plots, both Barakamon and ReLife are about a young person with some sort of social problem that is undergoing rehabilitation. Both end up as soothing slice of life or school life series with some really effective comedy to them.
My Roommate is a Cat
Subaru is a novelist, and not very good with people. He’s been alone since his parent’s death, but one day while praying at their grave, a cat comes and eats his offering. Deciding to take it home, he now is shouldered with a cat, and this stray is shouldered with caring for a human who can barely care for himself.
Both series are just the kind of anime that lifts your heart. However, while Barakamon is a pretty good comedy, My Roommate is a Cat is less funny and more relaxing. Regardless, both series follow an overall arc in which a new person in the life of a talented, but troubled young man changes them for the better. It is just in Barakamon, it is some kids, while in my Roommate is a Cat, it is a cat.
Nodame Cantabile
Shinichi Chiaki is a first-rate musician that has dreams of playing among Europe’s elite. However, due to his fear of flying, he has remained firmly grounded in Japan. In his fourth year at Japan’s top music university, he meets Megumi Noda, or Nodame, as she prefers to be called. At first she seems unkempt and without direction, but when he hears her play, everything he thought he knew about her was wrong.
Both series follow serious and talented young men that have some sort of dysfunction to them. After meeting a more light-hearted individual, their perspectives are slowly changed. However, Nodame Cantabile is a romance instead of just straight comedy like Barakamon.
For Fans of Rural Comedies
Non Non Biyori
Asahigaoka is rural village in the middle of nowhere, and for the five students who go to school there, their days are all about keeping the boredom at bay. All of different ages, their ways to entertain themselves never border on normal.
Unlike Barakamon that follows an adult and children of varying ages, Non Non Biyori only follows a group of school children roughly the same age. Outside of that, it is an abundance of small gags for comedy. Non Non Biyori does lack in an overall plot, though.
The Flying Witch
The young Makoto Kowata is a witch, but her skills in magic leave something to be desired. To further train her craft, she moves to rural Aomori to live with her cousins. This area, rich in nature, is the perfect place to commune with natural forces and hone her craft.
While The Flying Witch obviously has that whole supernatural witch thing to it, the series honestly doesn’t feel that different much of the time. The witchcraft is strongly based in nature and Barakamon takes plenty of time to relish in the natural setting. The Flying Witch is, however, more soothing and less gag comedy focused.
Dagashi Kashi
Kokonotsu Shikada has aspirations of becoming a manga artist, but his father wants him to take over their prestigious rural sweets shop that has been in the family for nine generations. Kokonotsu continually refuses until one day the eccentric Hotaru Shidare breezes into town and wants to make his father work for her family’s sweets corporation. Kokonotsu’s father agrees, but only if Hotaru can convince Kokonotsu to take over the shop. So begins Kokonotsu’s days of listening to Hotaru laud the history and value of beloved Japanese treats.
Both series follow a rather serious young man that is surrounded by rather odd villagers in a rural Japanese town. However, instead of a calligraphy focus as in Barakamon, Dagashi Kashi is all about candy. However, both integrate a lot of strong comedy, but both also have rather slow pacing.
Do you have any more anime recommendations like Barakamon? Let fans know in the comments section below.
