At Kaimei High School, there is a club dedicated to helping others. They call themselves the SKET Brigade, dedicated to Support, Kindness, Encouragement, and Troubleshooting. This club’s cast of quirky members takes the requests of others and tries to live by SKET, though often being unintentionally hilarious in their efforts.
While generic in summary, there is a lot of comedy to love within SKET Dance, especially for fans of certain comedies like Gintama.
Anime Like SKET Dance
For Fans of Good Deed Clubs
Medaka Box
As the perfect girl, it is only natural that Medaka Kurokami would win the election for school president by a landslide. Her first order of business is to install a “Medaka Box” in which the students could request her help. Medaka fulfills these requests with top speed, adding a flower to the student council room with each student helped. However, during her trials, she discovered a malicious plot on the academy and herself.
Both shows are purely about shenanigans of a club – or person – dedicated to helping others. Obviously, these ventures often go awry, but while Medaka Box is almost all comedy, SKET Dance does have some really nice moments within.
My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU
Hachiman Hikigaya firmly believes that a joyful youth is something that people make up just to lie to themselves. After writing an essay criticizing relationships, he is forced to join the Volunteer Service Club that is aimed at helping others solve their problems. With the only other member being the icy Yukino Yukinoshita, they use their wits and cold views on society to help others.
Both are shows about a club that helps people. The real difference here actually lies in the characters. In SKET Dance, they are all very distinctly quirky, but in SNAFU, they each have personality traits that seem converse to helping people. Surprisingly, they both have a good balance of funny and serious moments.
Okami-San and Her Seven Companions
Tomboyish Okami and her best friend Ringo are part of the Otogi Bank, a club that assists students with problems in return for assistance later on. Admiring Okami from afar is Ryoushi, a boy who can’t stand being looked at. After failing to confess to Okami, Ryoushi ends up inadvertently joining Otogi Bank. While Ryoushi hopes to win over Okami’s affections, she wants someone who will have her back in a fight, and Ryoushi can’t even stand being looked at, much less fight.
These series have the same set up. However, Okami-san works on more of a loan system while SKET Dance doesn’t really expect it to be paid back. Of course, what really draws these two together is how unexpectedly hilarious they are. Of course, Okami-san has a touch more romance.
For Fans of Comedy and Deeper Emotion
Gintama
After aliens invade Japan, they put a prohibition on swords. However, Gintoki Sakata still possesses the heart of a samurai. Taking on odd jobs alongside of his friends, Gintama follows Gintoki during his chaotic life as an errand boy.
These two often go hand in hand. The author of SKET Dance was an assistant to the author of Gintama, and as such, gleaned a bit from their master. The stories are different, but a lot of the same soul is there. Both are about characters helping people and being oddballs. Both do tend to parody. Both also have a nice way of balancing out comedy with unexpected serious moments. However, SKET Dance doesn’t quite have as solid of a plot as Gintama does.
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Kyon had long given up on his belief in the supernatural until he meets Haruhi Suzumiya. Haruhi, a strange girl in her own right, is interested in all things supernatural, but laments the lack of intriguing clubs on campus. Kyon, however, inspires her to create her own club, and thus, the SOS Brigade is born. Unfortunately for Kyon, he is also roped into joining this new club dedicated to all things supernatural.
It is often best to go into both series to expect the unexpected because that is what you will get. Haruhi is prone to more serious moments, but it can be just as random as SKET Dance when it angles towards comedy. However, if you enjoyed the quirky characters in SKET Dance, then Haruhi is a natural choice.
Ouran High School Host Club
In Ouran High School, the typical student is a member of the wealthy elite, but not Haruhi Fujioka. Accepted on a scholarship, Haruhi wants to avoid all the glitz and glamour in order to study hard and become a lawyer. While looking for a rare quiet place to do so, Haruhi stumbles upon a host club. Frantic to get away from these weird boys, Haruhi breaks a valuable vase. In order to pay back the debt, the club demands that Haruhi becomes a host. There is only one problem, contrary to what the boys believe, Haruhi is actually a girl.
Ouran High School Host Club is a master at weaving its occasionally meta comedy in with emotional moments and a pretty nice love story. SKET Dance occasionally falters when it tries to do other aspects aside from comedy. However, if you are looking to laugh, they both can make you do so very well.
For Fans of Parody Comedy
Good Luck Girl
Wealthy, beautiful, and athletic, Ichiko Sakura was born with all the luck in the world. Not only is she lucky, but those around her work hard to make sure her perfect life is never disturbed. Opposite Sakura is Momiji, the god of poverty. She has been sent to humble Sakura and restore balance to the world. However, things will not be as easy as she believes.
Both shows take advantage of hilarity through chaos. Furthermore, when chaos does arrive, it often comes through unexpected parody. You will also note that while they both attempt at a plot, it isn’t as serious as you’d expect. It is more a vehicle towards more laughs.
D-Frag!
Kazama thinks he has what it takes to take over his high school with his gang, even if it is just his two friends in it. However, when his gang has a run in with the four unique girls of the Game Development Club, he is shanghaied in as a member himself.
While SKET Dance has quite a bit of parody, D-Frag is more references than parody. As a show about gamers, it often makes a lot of game references towards the audience. However, both are considered some of the best pure comedy series.
Daily Lives of High School Boys
This is the tale of three boys that roam the halls of the all-boys school of Sanada North. Their lives are filled with nothing but giant robot drama and true love stories, at least in their imaginations. In reality, these three boys are nothing special, but they try their best to pass the time.
While SKET Dance is a little more chaotic, both series find their comedy not through any other circumstance but those found in daily life. Both centered around school with normal people, comedy comes often from the weird things we do to entertain ourselves and how gloriously unpredictable people can be.
Do you have more anime recommendations like SKET Dance? Let fans know in the comments section below.
