After being forced out of her idol group due to a stalker fostering her discomfort with men, Ai Narata seeks to use her talents at the prestigious Kouka School of Musical and Theatrical Arts. This school has gained renown for producing the best actresses, and Ai fits their criteria even if her demeanor alienates her from her classmates. Upon entering school, Ai meets the tall and eccentric Sasara Watanabe who causes friction of her own with her classmates. Together, these girls find that they will need more than just talent to succeed at the school and earn their prestige.
A mature shoujo series that explores the struggles of young performers in an all-girls’ school? In this day and age when everything needs to have some sort of unique hook? Glorious madness! If you are looking for more anime recommendations like Opera Girl, head on down below.
Anime Like Opera Girl
For Fans of Performing
Glass Mask
Maya seemed destined to toil in her family restaurant with her bitter and unstable mother. Ayumi has always had success guaranteed to her by her famous parents’ connections, but yearns to prove her own talent. Their paths collide when they decide to vie for the same part in a play. For one to succeed, the other must fall.
Both series follow two female performers as they aim for the top. However, while Opera Girl focuses on friendship, Glass Mask has more emphasis on that air of competition. Both series are the shoujo series you want to watch. They engross you with complicated characters that have dreams in which they struggle to achieve. If you want more like Opera Girl, this specific series really is your best bet.
La Corda d’Oro: Primo Passo
In Kahoko’s school, it is split between the normal students and the musical students. Kahoko is a normal student with no musical knowledge, but one day she meets a fairy that grants her a magical violin that anyone can play if they believe they can.
Ignoring the distinctly supernatural element of getting a violin from a magical fairy, La Corda, although focused on music, also showcases a competitive school. Both series show off performers who want to be the best, but occasionally let their desire to be so cloud them from the true joy of performing.
Revue Starlight
Seisho Music Academy was established to foster the next generation of theatrical talents. The girls within all study singing, dancing, and acting in hopes of having a future in performance art. Karen Aijou is one such student who has dreamed of performing since she was a child. However, upon happening across a secret elevator, she finds an arena where girls participate in duels to determine who will play the lead roles in the upcoming Starlight performance at their school festival.
Revue Starlight has that more silly aspect of competition to it, but it actually remains very similar to Opera Girl. Both series have girls that are training and competing to be the stars in the big events at their very prestigious performing arts school. However, while Opera Girl is grounded, Revue Starlight is less so.
For Fans of Opposite Main Duos
Sound Euphonium
Swearing off music after a certain incident, euphonist Kumiko enter high school looking for a fresh start. However, it turns out she is surrounded by people with a passion for instruments that end up dragging her into a band aiming for nationals, and not a very good band at that.
While Sound Euphonium differs from Opera Girl by being a series about musical instruments, both series end up being about passionate people performing. Furthermore, they focus on somewhat outcasted female characters that, while opposite in attitude, become united in their goals.
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.
If you enjoyed Opera Girl because it was a more a grounded drama about people pursuing an artistic passion, Kids on the Slope will provide that same vibe with a nice jazzy spin to it. Although the main characters in Kids on the Slope are male, they are similar types of opposite characters that bring out the best in each other.
Nana
This is the story of two girls, both of which are named Nana. Nana Komatsu is a naive girl addicted to love who is moving to Tokyo to chase after her boyfriend going to school there. Nana Osaki is a proud punk rocker that is moving to Tokyo to become a rock star. By chance, they meet on the train. By even bigger chance, they end up wanting to rent the same apartment only to decide to rent it together.
Nana is a bit of a different story as it focuses on two girls outside of school. However, like in Opera Girl, both girls are pretty opposite in attitude, but do end up good friends. Furthermore, if you enjoyed the general life drama that Opera Girl had, Nana heaps on extra helpings.
For Fans of Character Drama
Dear Brother
16-year old Nanoko Misonoo has recently entered the prestigious all-girls Seiren Academy. However, in this school where she once only saw her bright future, she finds cruelty and deceit among the hierarchy. To make matters more complicated for her, she has been accepted into an elite Sorority that draws the ire of her classmates. To cope with her increasingly difficult school life, Nanako starts writing letters to a former teacher, whom she affectionately refers to as her brother.
There is much about Opera Girl that feels like Dear Brother, but with shiny new animation. The big difference is that Opera Girl never reaches the level of viciousness that Dear Brother does with its bullying and general drama.
Wonder Egg Priority
After the death of her best and only friend, Ai Ohto became a shut in. One night while on a walk, she is convinced by a mysterious entity to buy an egg. In a world that only materializes in her dreams, she breaks the egg. This summons a person haunted by fears, regrets, or otherwise some trauma. There Ai is tasked with saving them, and by saving them from their trauma, she can perhaps save her friend, too.
While widely different in setting and general theme, both series approach realistic life drama in easily grasped, relatable ways instead of just making it a bit over-dramatic.
Stars Align
Out-performed by the girls’ club and facing disbandment, team captain of the soft tennis club Toma Shinjou is desperate to recruit members. He immediately targets new transfer student Maki Katsuragi for his solid reflexes. After a few rejections, Maki joins and quickly shines. This causes complicated feelings among the rest of the team who feel outperformed, but also propelled forward by Maki.
As a sports anime, Stars Align seems pretty unrelated, but what is sports if not a competitive environment? Regardless, what these series most have in common is how they portray the myriad of issues that plague their characters. They do so in a grounded way that doesn’t give into the melodrama that often plagues anime.
Do you have more anime recommendations like Opera Girl? Let fans know in the comments section below.
