Looking for animes similar to Spy x Family? Maybe this article will help you! Check out some spy animes or father-child family relationship animes in this article.
Spy x Family is one of the biggest releases of 2022, even dominating the top positions on anime ranking sites like My Anime List.
The anime is unique and mixes hundreds of genres, making it practically impossible to create a good list of animes similar to Spy x Family, as there are no animes with the same vibe.
Spy x Family mixes relationships between parents and children, spies, assassins, slice of life, comedy, romance, action, drama, adventure, a background story while also bringing light episodes without objectives. It is truly a unique anime!
If you haven’t watched Spy x Family yet, you should make it your top priority from now on. The anime tells the story of a spy who forges a marriage with an assassin and adopts a child with paranormal powers, capable of reading minds.
The animes on this list will generally contain some of the following elements:
- Parent-Child Relationships;
- Forged Marriages;
- Cute Children with Powers;
- Spies and Assassins;
Table of Contents
Hinamatsuri
This is one of the coolest animes and closest to Spy x Family, telling the story of a girl with paranormal powers named Hina who suddenly appears at the house of a Yakuza.
It is a very funny anime, with a lot of everyday life and a father-daughter vibe. Other girls with powers also appear throughout the anime, not focusing solely on the character Hina.
The anime presents various scenarios in Japan and makes them quite comical. Besides the Yakuza, the anime addresses child labor, homelessness, deserted island style castaway, and many misunderstandings.
The anime is so good that I’ve watched it about 4 times. If you’re looking for something similar to Spy x Family, this might be the closest you’ll find.
Papa no Iukoto wo Kikinasai!
Yuuta was raised by his sister since their parents died. One day, Yuuta takes care of his sister’s daughters while she goes on a trip abroad with her husband. The couple’s plane disappears, and they are presumed dead; he suddenly finds himself taking care of the three girls permanently so they won’t be separated into an orphanage.
Yuuta’s story shows him slowly becoming a father figure to the three girls as they cope with the loss of their parents, filled with emotions; those who enjoyed the family relationship in Spy x Family will like this anime.
Aishiteruze Baby
Aishiteruze Baby is a series centered on the life of Kihei Katakura, a typical playboy who spends time with girls (for example, he has a girlfriend for each day of the week).
One day, his sister called and told him to rush home. When he got there, he met his five-year-old cousin, Yuzuyu Sakashita. His sister said he had to take care of her because her mother had disappeared from the world.
The author of Spy x Family himself said that Aishiteruze Baby served as inspiration for his works. The anime also deals with adults taking care of kawaii children.
Usagi no Drop
Daikichi, in his 30s, lived an easy single life until the day he received news of his grandfather’s death. During the wake, he meets Rin, a 6-year-old girl, the secret daughter of his grandfather who is now in an orphanage because her family doesn’t want her.
Knowing this, Daikichi reacted to the decision and ended up preferring to adopt the girl. And so, an unorganized man and a kawaii girl begin to live together.
It is a Slice of Life, which has little comedy but is usually quite cute and shows the everyday life of a man and an adopted child, just like Anya.
Kakushigoto
Kakugo Goto has an awkward relationship with his daughter Ji, hiding things as much as possible, just like in Spy x Family. The main difference here is that Kakushi is not a spy; he is just a rather daring mangaka.
He hides this fact from his daughter for fear that she would be disappointed when she finds out. Of course, nothing can be kept a secret forever…
Princess Principal
Princess Principal focuses on espionage, with several elite girls attending Queen Mayfair’s studies in disguise. Ange le Carré, Chise, and Beatrice work together under Dorothy’s leadership.
With their unique skills, they do their best to protect the Commonwealth. The show also has a historical setting similar to Spy x Family.
Fugou Keiji Balance: Unlimited
It may not be a spy thriller, but the comedic adventure of the very wealthy Daisuke Kobe and justice-driven Haru Kato is absolutely hilarious.
The two have absolutely no agreement on the best way to solve the case, but they must work together, using their respective methods to solve the mystery.
Sweetness & Lightning
Sweetness & Lightning is an iyashikei, also known as a healing anime. Just like Spy x Family, we have a father learning to take care of his daughter, but it is definitely cuter and lighter.
The anime follows Inuzuka and his daughter after the death of her mother. As a recent single father, he doesn’t know how to cook and looks for ways to feed his daughter the best way possible.
Animes about Spies
Besides the family relationship between parents and children, one of the themes of the anime is espionage. We have already mentioned some similar animes, but now we will mention others that are further away from the genre of Spy x Family but are related to espionage.
- Ghost in the Shell;
- Golgo 13;
- Higashi no Eden;
- Heavy Object;
- Senkou no Night Raid;
- Darker than Black: Kuro no Keiyaku;
- Joker Game;
- 009-1;
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans;
- Ghost in the Shell;
- Higashi no Eden;
Other Animes Similar to Spy x Family
The animes below are somewhat distant from the premise of Spy x Family but may have some interesting relation to the anime, such as protecting a younger person or fighting for a cause.
Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba
The famous anime of the Oni hunters has some distant similarities with Spy x Family; the first is its great success that captivates the viewer from start to finish.
Another similarity is the protagonist protecting his defenseless younger sister, who is also a kawaii girl. The characters are also part of an organization fighting against another; the anime contains a lot of action, adventure, and comedy.
The Promised Neverland – Yakusoko no Neverland
Just like Spy x Family, the characters in this anime are children living in a supposed orphanage and need to escape to survive. The similarity lies in the kawaii characters like Anya.
The Promised Neverland was one of the most popular anime series a few years ago. Many people enjoyed the narrative, the characters, and the desire to protect their family. Fans of Spy X Family will enjoy this anime as it is also animated by CloverWorks.
Quintessential Quintuplets and Bokuben
Gotoubun no Hanayome tells the story of 5 quintuplet sisters. Just like the protagonist Anya, the characters in this anime need to study to pass their school exams, even though they are not very bright.
Another similar anime where one person helps a group study is Bokuben. Both have their similarities but are quite different with a very different vibe from each other.
Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War
One of the things that caught attention in Spy x Family is its comedy, something quite difficult to get right in anime for Western audiences. Fortunately, another anime that was quite successful in comedy and relationships is Kaguya Sama Love is War.
The anime tells the story of two student council members who are in love with each other but can’t confess, instead trying to make the other confess first.
Mangas similar to Spy x Family
The author of Spy x Family, Tatsuya Endo, created other works and oneshots before Spy x Family; in fact, the successful work that saved the author is a mix of all his previous works. Let’s take a look at some of his earlier works and also other works similar to Spy x Family, but in manga form.
In fact, we recommend reading our article where we talk about the previous works of Tatsuya Endo, nothing is more similar than the works that inspired and originated Spy x Family.
Manga Tista
A serial killer is hunting down the wrongdoers of New York City with a sniper rifle. Her secret identity is Tista, a reclusive college student who was raised in a Catholic orphanage.
The color of Tista’s hair and style closely resembles Anya, but her profession as a killer is very reminiscent of her mother Yor, except for the fact that she doesn’t use a sniper rifle.
Moments that remind of situations in Spy x Family
There are situations that happen in animes that have a lot of similarities with the events in Spy x Family; we decided to list these events below, even if the animes don’t have much relation.
Boku no Hero, Eri Arc – The character Eri is a cute child who also has powers and is defenseless; the group of heroes needs to save her from the Yakuza, one of the best arcs of Boku no Hero.
Fullmetal Alchemist – The relationship between siblings and with Winry creates a very familial atmosphere; we also can’t forget General Hughes and Nina and Alexander.
Honestly, while writing this article, I found many bizarre sources that cited similarities even with the loss of relatives from Shingeki no Kyoujin. Certain comparisons are so absurd that they even led Marco from IntoxiAnime to make a video about it.
Most of these articles present animes that have nothing to do with the intention of taking advantage of the fame of Spy x Family to generate visits to their blogs.
Of course, I am also writing this article with that objective, but I try to be as honest as possible when talking about the comparisons and similarities between Spy x Family, and there really isn’t any anime similar to those in the articles about animes similar to One Piece or animes similar to Naruto.
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