15 Best Comedy Anime With Great Storylines
15. Africa Salaryman
Africa no Salaryman is a slapstick workplace comedy that follows the adventures of kind Lion, jaded Lizard, and perverted Toucan, as they trudge through office life while also becoming caught up in antics no regular office worker should.
Of course, most of these are the fault of Toucan, whose selfish actions and lack of filter still haven't gotten him fired. It's up to Lizard and Lion to keep themselves out of trouble and hang on to their jobs at the office. But the trouble is never too far away from these savannah-treading folk.
I enjoyed Africa Salaryman quite a bit. I thought it was funny, goofy, and I’m a sucker for workplace humor. I love the designs of the characters, and I think it’s a very creative concept for a story. And it’s got some great adult humor as well if you’re looking for something more along those lines. Overall, a great comedic anime.
What We Love About Africa Salaryman
- If you’re looking for a more adult flavored anime, Africa Salaryman is the way to go. It’s relatable and funny in a rather unconventional and indie way and really imitates workplace life.
- It’s a fresh perspective on comedy, something unconventional to come out of the anime world. It’s slice of life and interesting characterization is funny and incredibly unique.
- The character design and almost lack of expressions on their personality's faces make it even funnier to watch, and the dialogue is spot on when it comes to funny and comedic moments.
14. My Ordinary Life
Nichijou primarily focuses on the daily antics of a trio of childhood friends—high school girls Mio Naganohara, Yuuko Aioi, and Mai Minakami—whose stories soon intertwine with the young genius Hakase Shinonome, her robot caretaker Nano, and their talking cat Sakamoto. With every passing day, the lives of these six, as well as of the many people around them, experience both the calms of normal life and the insanity of the absurd. Walking to school, being bitten by a talking crow, spending time with friends, and watching the principal suplex a deer: they are all in a day's work in the extraordinary everyday lives of those in Nichijou.
This anime was always extremely cute to me, and I’ve always loved it. I love the animation, the story is endearing and funny, and the characters make me smile. I love slice of life anime, and this one is no exception to my taste. If you also enjoy slice of life and cute cats, I recommend My Ordinary Life.
What We Love About My Ordinary Life
- The animation style is cute and colorful, the character designs appealing to the eye, and the story of comedy. The characters themselves are well written and fun to watch.
- The slice of aspect mixed with some of the crazy events that take place make for a great story and a good laugh. The entire show is incredibly entertaining.
- Sakamoto, the talking cat, absolutely makes the show. He is absolutely hilarious, adorable, and easily has some of the best lines of dialogue out of any character, including the humans.
13. Grand Blue
Iori Kitahara moves to the coastal town of Izu for his freshman year at its university, taking residence above Grand Blue, his uncle's scuba diving shop. Iori has high hopes and dreams about having the ideal college experience, but when he enters the shop he is sucked into the alcoholic activities of the carefree members of the Diving Club who frequent the place. Persuaded by upperclassmen Shinji Tokita and Ryuujirou Kotobuki, Iori reluctantly joins their bizarre party. His cousin Chisa Kotegawa later walks in and catches him in the act, earning Iori her utter disdain.
Based on Kenji Inoue and Kimitake Yoshioka's popular comedy manga, Grand Blue follows Iori's misadventures with his eccentric new friends as he strives to realize his ideal college dream, while also learning how to scuba dive.
I enjoy Grand Blue because of the way it portrays college. A lot of it is painfully accurate, in a funny way, and as a college student, I appreciate that. I like the designs, the plot, and the character personalities overall. I love all of the interactions, as well as the witty dialogue, so I definitely recommend Grand Blue.
What We Love About Grand Blue
- The animation style is beautifully executed and detailed, even though it is a funny anime. The character designs are gorgeous and bright and emphasizing the anime quality.
- The timeline is really random, but funny and comedic, which is what we’re looking for here. There is never a dull moment and is incredibly hilarious no matter what the moment or particular instance may be.
- The character interactions are great, and while their relationships aren’t necessarily the best, it makes for tons of fun overall. They make the story interesting and extremely comedic.
12. Monthly Girls Nozaki Kun
Chiyo Sakura is a cheerful high school girl who has fallen head over heels for the oblivious Umetarou Nozaki. Much to Chiyo's confusion, when she confesses to her beloved Nozaki, he hands her an unfamiliar autograph. As it turns out, the stoic teenage boy is actually a respected shoujo mangaka, publishing under the pen name Sakiko Yumeno! A series of misunderstandings leads to Chiyo becoming one of Nozaki's manga assistants.
Throughout the hilarious events that ensue, she befriends many of her quirky schoolmates, including her seemingly shameless fellow assistant, Mikoto Mikoshiba, and the "Prince of the School," Yuu Kashima. Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-Kun follows Chiyo as she strives to help Nozaki with his manga and hopes that he will eventually notice her feelings.
In my opinion, this show is completely underrated and deserves more attention. I think the story is great, the style of the world is hilarious, and I love all of the characters, together and apart. It’s incredibly funny and makes for some great one-liners and quotes. I really would recommend Monthly Girls Nozaki Kun.
What We Love About Monthly Girls Nozaki Kun
- It’s funny, the character designs are adorable, and the story is completely underrated. It’s cute, fun, and incredibly entertaining overall.
- Nozaki is a great character and has an interesting story to tell in terms of what he writes and terms of his own story. It’s fun to watch and see in terms of comedy overall.
- In general, the art style is cute and works well with the story it’s trying to tell. Overall, the high school concept doesn’t feel overused either, instead it being something that feels new and refreshing.
11. KonoSuba
It is not strange that the Demon Lord's forces fear the Crimson Demons, the clan from which Megumin and Yunyun originate. Even if the Demon Lord's generals attack their village, the Crimson Demons can just easily brush them off with their supreme mastery of advanced and overpowered magic.
When Yunyun receives a seemingly serious letter regarding a potential disaster coming to her hometown, she immediately informs Kazuma Satou and the rest of his party. After a series of wacky misunderstandings, it turns out to be a mere prank by her fellow demon who wants to be an author. Even so, Megumin becomes worried about her family and sets out toward the Crimson Demons' village with the gang.
There, Kazuma and the others decide to sightsee the wonders of Megumin's birthplace. However, they soon come to realize that the nonsense threat they received might have been more than just a joke.
I love how fantasy and humor come together in this anime. Never was I not laughing, and never did I dislike a character. The jokes and funny moments are genuinely funny, and I love the characters overall. They make a great story, and the fantastic world-building really helps out. Definitely check out KonoSuba today.
What We Love About KonoSuba
- This is the first pure fantasy world comedy on the list and the most original so far. The story is genuinely funny and serious, and that makes the show itself incredibly entertaining overall.
- The character arcs are well written and executed. They all connect well to the world and the story and still manage to be seriously written while funny. They all work well together, as well.
- The humor is genuinely funny. Nothing feels forced or awkward, and there isn’t any ridiculous gross-out humor either. It all feels real and unique.
10. Gintama
The Amanto, aliens from outer space, have invaded Earth and taken over feudal Japan. As a result, a prohibition on swords has been established, and the samurai of Japan are treated with disregard as a consequence.
However one man, Gintoki Sakata, still possesses the heart of the samurai, although, from his love of sweets and work as a yorozuya, one might not expect it. Accompanying him in his jack-of-all-trades line of work are Shinpachi Shimura, a boy with glasses and a strong heart, Kagura with her umbrella and seemingly bottomless stomach, as well as Sadaharu, their oversized pet dog. Of course, these odd jobs are not always simple, as they frequently have run-ins with the police, ragtag rebels, and assassins, oftentimes leading to humorous but unfortunate consequences.
Who said life as an errand boy was easy?
I think what makes this show is the cast of characters. They all bounce extremely well off of each other, and the way they talk leaves room for plenty of jokes and laughs. I never stopped smiling during this show, and even when things got serious, I found myself still able to get behind the characters and love them. What a great anime.
What We Love About Gintama
- The humor is very slice of life and very authentic. For example, there’s a scene where the characters are playing baseball together and manage to destroy two backyards in the process, and it still manages to be genuinely funny.
- The character designs are very unique, not a single one being the same as the other. Even the side characters and background characters have unique designs, meaning they look like real people instead of animated blurbs.
- There also still manages to be a fair amount of action that works well with the humor, something that makes this show incredibly unique and well written overall. One has to appreciate the work and dedication behind the story.
9. Barakamon
Seishuu Handa is an up-and-coming calligrapher: young, handsome, talented, and unfortunately, a narcissist to boot. When a veteran labels his award-winning piece as "unoriginal," Seishuu quickly loses his cool with severe repercussions.
As punishment, and also in order to aid him in self-reflection, Seishuu's father exiles him to the Goto Islands, far from the comfortable Tokyo lifestyle the temperamental artist is used to. Now thrown into a rural setting, Seishuu must attempt to find new inspiration and develop his own unique art style—that is, if boisterous children (headed by the frisky Naru Kotoishi), fujoshi middle schoolers, and energetic old men stop barging into his house! The newest addition to the intimate and quirky Goto community only wants to get some work done, but the islands are far from the peaceful countryside he signed up for. Thanks to his wacky neighbors who are entirely incapable of minding their own business, the arrogant calligrapher learns so much more than he ever hoped to.
A fun and entertaining story, this show never gets old. I love the story and the animation style that goes with it. It’s fun, creative, and absolutely hilarious. I adore the characters, especially Handa, and I appreciate the story and issues he goes through. It’s a great anime with a great story, and I definitely recommend it.
What We Love About Barakamon
- It’s an incredibly eccentric and entertaining show, with a fun plot and decent humor. Barakamon is very well written, and it’s characters bounce well off of each other.
- The cast itself is very unique and authentic in terms of personalities, voices, and overall design. They were clearly well thought out and considered with care by the writers.
- No part of the humor feels forced or crude. Everything feels authentic, funny, and you can’t help but want to come back for more in terms of a great story.
8. Cells At Work
Inside the human body, roughly 37.2 trillion cells work energetically 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. Fresh out of training, the cheerful and somewhat airheaded Red Blood Cell AE3803 is ready to take on the ever-so-important task of transporting oxygen. As usual, White Blood Cell U-1146 is hard at work patrolling and eliminating foreign bacteria seeking to make the body their new lair. Elsewhere, little platelets are lining up for a new construction project.
Dealing with wounds and allergies, getting lost on the way to the lungs, and bickering with similar cell types, the daily lives of cells are always hectic as they work together to keep the body healthy!
Cells At Work is such a fun show to experience. The world and the creative explanations behind scientific processes is one of the most inventive concepts to date. I love Red Blood Cell and her determined personality, and even more, I love her relationship with White Blood Cell. The animation is also really well done, so I have to commend it for that.
What We Love About Cells At Work
- It’s an interesting and groundbreaking concept, with realistic parts of the body explained in visually appealing ways. Everything makes sense, and the plot even has an adventurous feel to it.
- Red Blood Cell and White Blood Cell are both great characters that have wonderfully written personalities. They work well with each other in terms of the story, and Red Blood Cell’s comic relief makes this show an absolute gem.
- The humor is amazing, and while it’s not gut-busting in terms of laughter, it remains funny and endearing in terms of the moments it does have. These said moments are also really well balanced with every serious issue that comes up, so it’s gentleness in terms of humor works.
7. Aggretsuko
Retsuko is a 25-year old and single anthropomorphic red panda, working in the accounting department of a Japanese trading firm, trying her best to navigate through the typical problems encountered by young adults in 21st century Japan. Facing constant frustration every day from pushy superiors and co-workers, Retsuko lets out her emotions by going to a karaoke bar every night and singing death metal. After five years of working the daily grind, Retsuko's misery causes her to undergo a series of events that put her job in jeopardy, forcing her to shift her relationships with her co-workers and end up changing her life in unexpected ways. After this, she continues to come up with ways to find happiness and eventually comes to the conclusion that she would one day like to get married and raise a family. Unfortunately, her social anxiety combined with her naïveté causes her to get into far more trouble than she expects, sometimes in life-threatening ways.
I was introduced to Aggretsuko by a friend and I don’t regret watching. It’s lovable, funny, and cute. You can’t help but fall in love with the designs and personalities of the main characters, and unlike Africa Salaryman, the humor is a little less crude. It’s a very fun anime to watch with tons of cultural Easter eggs, so I definitely recommend Aggretsuko.
What We Love About Aggretsuko
- This show is like Africa Salaryman, but cuter. And with better characters overall. Every character in Aggretsuko feels well developed, and their personalities are endearing and very entertaining. Especially Aggretsuko herself.
- The design of the show and overall character designs are adorable. The colors are bright and pop with intensity, so much so that you couldn’t take your eyes off the screen even if you wanted to.
- The stories are pretty par for the course, but very funny. The office romances, social anxiety, and workplace antics all make Aggretsuko a very fun and very adorable show to watch.
6. Food Wars
The series is set mainly at Totsuki Saryo Culinary Institute, an elite culinary school located in Tokyo, Japan, which only a handful of students graduate each year.[a] Its students mostly come from Totsuki's junior high school, but transfers are taken provided they pass the entrance exam. The campus is a wide-ranging resort with many research societies (clubs), cooking classrooms, and large arenas used for competitions. Housing varies, but the most affordable is the Polaris Dormitory, where characters have to impress the dorm matron with a dish in order to secure residence. Totsuki also runs a chain of resort hotels, with the biggest being the Totsuki resort run by Gin Dojima, which is visited during Soma's first year at Totsuki.
The top student chefs occupy seats on the Council of Ten Masters, the highest governing body in the school aside from the school director. Students can initiate a shokugeki (anime: food war), a cooking fight with stipulations on the line, with any other student or alumnus. Battles fought in this way could be for cooking utensils, research society facilities, council membership, or even expulsion from the school.
I liked Food Wars a lot. The story was fun and hilariously well written, and I loved watching the competitions overall. The animation was beautiful and the characters were fluid and bright. The scenery is well detailed and fun to look at every time, always showcasing something new. Overall, a great anime.
What We Love About Food Wars
- Who knew cooking could be so funny and entertaining? Food Wars manages to make something completely normal and turn it into a hilarious comedy with a great story, and plenty of well-written characters.
- The humor is great and meshes well with the serious tone Food Wars sometimes chooses to portray. The jokes don’t feel dirty or overused, and the material feels original and fresh with the start of each episode.
- The set design is gorgeous, as well as the characters too. Everything looks so original, bright, and so well thought out that you can’t look away. Food Wars is a very eye-catching and appealing show.
5. Ouran High School Host Club
Haruhi Fujioka is a bright scholarship candidate with no rank or title to speak of—a rare species at Ouran Academy, an elite school for students of high pedigree. When she opens the door to Music Room #3 hoping to find a quiet place to study, Haruhi unexpectedly stumbles upon the Host Club. Led by the princely Tamaki Suou, the club—whose other members include the "Shadow King" Kyouya Ootori; the mischievous Hitachiin twins, Kaoru and Hikaru; the childlike Mitsukuni Haninozuka, also known as "Honey"; and his strong protector Takashi "Mori" Morinozuka—is where handsome boys with too much time on their hands entertain the girls in the academy.
In a frantic attempt to remove herself from the hosts, Haruhi ends up breaking a vase worth eight million yen and is forced into becoming the eccentric group's general errand boy to repay her enormous debt. However, thanks to her convincingly masculine appearance, her naturally genial disposition toward girls, and fascinating commoner status, she is soon promoted to full-time male host. And before long, Haruhi is plunged into a glitzy whirlwind of elaborate cosplays, rich food, and exciting shenanigans that only the immensely wealthy Host Club can pull off.
Host Club will always remain one of my favorite high school anime’s. It’s cute, fun, dramatic, and obviously funny. The characters are entertaining, endearing, and especially romantic. They all interact well with each other and make the show a wonderful story to watch as an anime. I genuinely loved it.
What We Love About Ouran Highschool Host Club
- The boys. Everyone loves the boys. Their personalities and overall dynamics make them incredibly likable, and if you don’t like them, you can at least appreciate their stories. That’s how well they’re written.
- The story itself is very complex and very entertaining. It seems like a typical high school anime, but it’s more than that. The plot is actually good, and while overdramatized at some points, still holds up against other shows like it.
- Ouran Highschool Host Club is a great example of a well-balanced romantic comedy, and it checks all of the boxes very successfully. So if you’re looking for an endearing and funny romantic comedy anime, this one is definitely for you.
4. Galaxy Angel
The Angel Brigade, an elite branch of the Transbaal Empire military, is assigned to search for The Lost Technology, mysterious items from the past that hold unknown powers. Led by the soon to retire Colonel Volcott O' Huey, the Angel Brigade travel to different planets using their specially designed Emblem Frame ships to search for Lost Technology. Unfortunately, they usually mess up somehow and end up getting into all kinds of weird and troublesome situations.
This anime made me laugh the minute I heard the characters speak. The story is witty, the world original, and the character designs are wonderfully eccentric to the point where you can’t look away. The Angel Brigade is meant to be elite, but they often come off as incredibly silly in a fun way. Overall, a great show.
What We Love About Galaxy Angel
- Galaxy Angel is extremely fast-paced, as their line of work doesn’t allow for many breaks, and I think that’s what helps to make the show even funnier. When they get into a comedic situation, it’s usually on the job, and usually very crazy and funny indeed.
- It isn’t just the plot that’s funny, but the characters as well. Volcott and the team are hilarious as characters and have wild personalities that only serve to enhance the story rather than pull it apart or drag it down. It’s incredibly well written overall.
- For an older anime, the character designs and overall world building still feel fresh, clean, and new. Everything feels bright and professionally done, something to appreciate about Galaxy Angel.
3. Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid
As Kobayashi sets off for another day at work, she opens her apartment door only to be met by an unusually frightening sight—the head of a dragon, staring at her from across the balcony. The dragon immediately transforms into a cute, busty, and energetic young girl dressed in a maid outfit, introducing herself as Tohru.
It turns out that the stoic programmer had come across the dragon the previous night on a drunken excursion to the mountains, and since the mythical beast had nowhere else to go, she had offered the creature a place to stay in her home. Thus, Tohru had arrived to cash in on the offer, ready to repay her savior's kindness by working as her personal maidservant. Though deeply regretful of her words and hesitant to follow through on her promise, a mix of guilt and Tohru’s incredible dragon abilities convinces Kobayashi to take the girl in.
Despite being extremely efficient at her job, the maid's unorthodox methods of housekeeping often end up horrifying Kobayashi and at times bring more trouble than help. Furthermore, the circumstances behind the dragon's arrival on Earth seem to be much more complicated than at first glance, as Tohru bears some heavy emotions and painful memories. To top it all off, Tohru’s presence ends up attracting several other mythical beings to her new home, bringing in a host of eccentric personalities. Although Kobayashi makes her best effort to handle the crazy situation that she has found herself in, nothing has prepared her for this new life with a dragon maid.
I’ve seen Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid in full three times now and have always loved it. It’s sweet, kind, and I enjoyed the small touch of romance it had at the end. The animation was beautiful and colorful, and the story itself is charming and funny. I loved every second of it.
What We Love About Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid
- Tohru makes this show. Watching her get used to the human realm while still maintaining her goofy and carefree personality is great for the plot and very endearing. Her interactions with other characters really shape the entirety of the show, and without her, this show would definitely fall flat.
- The familial and romantic aspects of this show put it a step above most comedies. It’s endearing, sweet, kind, and loving; something that can’t always be said about anime comedies. There’s definitely a good balance there between the three.
- The fact that the dragon world wasn’t totally forgotten in favor of Tohru totally assimilating without much thought is a nice touch. Her origins have a lot to do with her place in the human world, and I think it’s well written that that part of her wasn’t forgotten.
2. The Devil Is A Part-Timer!
Striking fear into the hearts of mortals, the Demon Lord Satan begins to conquer the land of Ente Isla with his vast demon armies. However, while embarking on this brutal quest to take over the continent, his efforts are foiled by the hero Emilia, forcing Satan to make his swift retreat through a dimensional portal only to land in the human world. Along with his loyal general Alsiel, the demon finds himself stranded in modern-day Tokyo and vows to return and complete his subjugation of Ente Isla—that is if they can find a way back!
Powerless in a world without magic, Satan assumes the guise of a human named Sadao Maou and begins working at MgRonald's—a local fast-food restaurant—to make ends meet. He soon realizes that his goal of conquering Ente Isla is just not enough as he grows determined to climb the corporate ladder and become the ruler of Earth, one satisfied customer at a time!
Whether it's part-time work, household chores, or simply trying to pay the rent on time, Hataraku Maou-Sama! presents a hilarious view of the most mundane aspects of everyday life, all through the eyes of a hapless demon lord.
I laughed out loud several times at this series, and I love the animation of the characters' eyes. I love the animation style in general, and the storyline is spot on in terms of creativity. I enjoyed every bit of the story, and the characters are entertaining and witty. But despite Satan being the main character, Alciel will always be my favorite.
What We Love About The Devil Is A Part-Timer!
- Not only is this a creative concept, but whoever thought the Devil could be a likable human character? No one. But he is likable, and so is his number two Alciel. Their dynamic as humans and as demons struggling to get by is a huge comedic plus for this show.
- The fantasy lore is really well written and balanced with the human lord. Nothing feels basic, forced, predictable, or anything but authentic. It doesn’t feel like two separate shows, instead of being just one.
- The humor is done extremely well, and it’s incredibly hard not to laugh at all-powerful beings being stuck when it comes to fast food and the human world. Not to mention everyone’s design is neat, clean, and completely spot on.
Top Comedy Anime: Hetalia: Axis Powers
What if nations were people? What traits would they have? What would this mean for historical events?
Hetalia Axis Powers takes these questions and runs with them, personifying countries into characters. The show takes a comedic and light approach to politics and historical events while educating the viewer.
Taking place primarily during the events of World War I and World War II, the story focuses on the Axis Powers and occasionally throws the spotlight onto the tumultuous relationship between the Allied Forces. The Axis Powers feature the titular character North Italy, who is clumsy, carefree, and loves pasta; Germany, who is very serious but easily flustered; and Japan, who is stoic but has bizarre interests.
Based on Hidekaz Himaruya's widely popular webcomic turned print manga, Hetalia Axis Powers is a historical comedy that pokes lightly at culture, examines the relationships between nations and breathes fun into history.
I love Hetalia because I love history. It’s such a fascinating portrayal of history in the eyes of anime and is overall a very creative and wonderful concept. All of the countries are portrayed hilariously and their stereotypes are wonderful. The animation itself is priceless and comedic, and it was very easy to laugh.
What We Love About Hetalia: Axis Powers
- The concept. What an interesting way to learn about history and completely laugh at it. It’s a very creative and unique idea, and totally worth all of the laughs that it brings to the table. History is made very comedic here.
- The character designs match perfectly with their specified country, and it’s absolutely hilarious. The stereotypes played into Hetalia are funny, not offensive, and that was a tricky thing to do. But it was pulled off and pulled off very well in fact.
- Despite having a history to go off of, everything about the world-building still feels very unique and original in terms of set up. Hetalia doesn’t feel redone or rehashed and instead feels like an interesting comedy in a world where things have started to feel a little too similar. Hetalia definitely stands out from the crowd.
