Looking to relax after a busy week? Just sit back and watch any of these anime from our top list of wholesome anime. These anime have a simple storyline so you can easily catch on to what is going on. You will surely laugh and feel happier while watching these anime.
Life can be busy and stressful sometimes and you feel like escaping. There is no better way to feel light-hearted and escape from tensions than watching a good wholesome anime. These anime are sure to make you smile and feel better than before. They are also a great place to start from if you are new to watching anime.
Also, if you love cute black-haired anime girls then read our list of black hair anime girls and find out if your favorite one is there. Are you in the mood for some heartwarming romance? Then read our list of best romance anime to find out good recommendations.
Let’s get started on our top 20 picks of wholesome anime that are worth watching.
1. Tamako Market
If the word “cute” was an anime then this would be it. Tamako Market is an anime that is way too cute. It is a love story similar to Romeo and Juliet except that the lovers are divided between the rivalry of “Mochi”. It is animated by Kyoto Animation so it is obvious that its animation is wonderful.
The anime’s main character is Tamako Kitashirakawa who lives in a shopping district full of businesses. She belongs to a family of mochi bakers, and their bakery is called Tama-ya. One day, an adorable bird encounters Tamako and tells her it’s from a far land where they are searching for a bride for their prince and he chooses her. However, the bird is fed so many mochis it becomes too fat to fly back.
On the other hand, Tamako’s friend, Mochizou Ooji who’s the son of Tamako’s business rival is in love with Tamako and is trying everything to win her heart. Tamako Market is full of fun, laughter, enjoyment, and the competition of who gets to win Tamako.
2. A Place Further Than the Universe
The list starts with an anime that is 100% recommended because of being very wholesome. It is full of adventure and good vibes. The anime focuses on four girls who have a dream of seeing something extraordinary in the world. One day, the mom of one of these girls goes missing and so they all decide to go to Antarctica to look for her.
The anime takes the audience on a journey along with these girls. Each episode is filled with adventure, excitement, and makes you want to watch more of it. The animation is very beautiful as it is done by Studio Madhosue. Each episode has such beautiful scenery that it is hard to accept that it is all animation and not real.
3. Your Name
Does anything need to be said about this anime? I guess not. Kimi no Na wa is a movie that made everyone go crazy after its launch. It is one of the best-animated movies ever made and it is simply too good to be true. The characters, the storyline, the animation, the music, everything about this anime is literal perfection.
The series focuses on two characters, Mitsuha Miyamizu, a girl from the countryside with a dream of living in Tokyo, and a boy Taki Tachibana, a high school student who lives in Tokyo and has a dream of becoming an architect. A strange phenomenon happens and Mitsuha wakes up in the body of Taki one day and Taki in the body of Mitsuha. They begin to search for each other to find out the cause behind it. They are tied together by fate and the mystery behind this isn’t easy to unfold.
4. Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid
Those who have already watched this series will know that this anime deserves this spot. Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid is an anime full of wholesomeness, fantasy, comedy, and lots of adorable characters. It is a short series of only 13 episodes for season 1 and 12 episodes of season 2, animated by Kyoto Animation.
The anime follows the story of a coder named Kobayashi who wakes the next day and finds a Dragon Maid at her door. She realizes that last night in a drunken state she had allowed the mythical creature to stay at her home. The dragon called Tooru becomes a cute maid and starts working as a maid for her. Although her methods of housekeeping are unusual, it causes more trouble than help.
However, Kobayashi decides to keep Tooru staying with her. Tooru’s presence attracts more mythical creatures to Kobayashi’s home so eccentric characters keep showing up at her place. Kobayashi’s life significantly changes to something which she could have never imagined.
5. Barakamon
Barakamon is such a wholesome anime that it would make your heart melt. It is full of very hilarious moments. It is a short 12 episode series in which each episode is interesting and the story has the ideal pace. It follows the story of a young calligrapher whose talented but arrogant. Due to certain circumstances, he decides to shift to the “Goto island” to improve himself and rethink his past actions.
Many new characters are introduced in the anime such as old men, a lot of children, and middle schoolers who keep coming to his house. He is not used to being around so many people, but they create a family environment around him. It’s difficult for him at first but soon he begins to realize a lot of things about life that he couldn’t have before.
6. Himouto! Umaru-chan
Looks can be deceptive and this anime’s main character, Umaru Chan is the perfect example of it. Himouto! Umaru-chan is an anime full of cute characters and lots of comedy. People of any age can enjoy this anime. This anime has a simple storyline but something new and entertaining is happening in each episode. It is a wholesome anime that is worth watching every minute of it.
It follows the story of Umaru Doma whose a perfect high school student. She’s beautiful, social, smart, and sporty. However, when she comes back home she turns into a lazy person who sits on the couch all day, eats junk food, and plays video games. Her brother Taihei is a hardworking man whom Umaru annoys a lot and always makes him do all the work. Umaru is a spoiled sister who throws huge tantrums if she doesn’t get what she wants.
7. Tsuki ga Kirei
Tsuki ga Kirei is a simple high school drama anime. No characters with superpowers or mental disorders. All in normal, cool, wholesome, and fun. It is a lighthearted comedy that one can watch anytime to cheer up their mood. The characters are written very well. Every scene and conversation makes sense and is connected which is what makes this anime so loved by fans.
The anime follows the story of Kotarou Azumi and Akane Mizuno who are in the same classroom of junior high. They have a few encounters with each other and instantly fall in love. Although they feel comfortable in each other’s presence, they also feel anxious and nervous at the same time as it is their first love. The two are unable to recognize their feelings and confusion takes place. If you’re into a simple high school story, you will definitely enjoy this anime.
8. Ore Monogatari!!
This is one of the most popular wholesome love stories produced by the one and only, Studio Madhouse. It follows the story of Takeo Gouda whose a huge, wonderful, and kind person trying to live his life and its best and find love.
Takeo’s kindness, courage, and chivalry have made him receive appreciation from the boys as well. His heart seems inhuman because of how pure it is. However, he suffers in finding love because his looks scare away the girls. One day, Takeo Gouda’s life changes when he saves Rinko Yamato from harassment. He falls in love with her but his quest to find out about her true feelings begins.
9. Sweetness & Lightning
If you’re into food and you know how emotionally important it can be, then this is the anime for you. Sweetness & Lightning follows the story of a widowed father who tries his best to give his young daughter the best treatment. However, he is not very familiar with cooking, and he is busy with his teaching job, so he gives her pre-cooked meals.
However, one of his pupils agree to cook food for her and so all three of them start to cook and eat warm, homemade meals together. This is an anime with a unique and simple storyline that would make you realize the importance of family and how blessed one is to have home-cooked meals together.
10. My Neighbor Totoro
This list would not have been complete without a Studio Ghibli film. It can’t be helped, Studio Ghibli films and way too wholesome to not be on this list and so the first one here is My Neighbor Totoro. This is one of the most popular animated films ever and it never gets old. It is way too wholesome and a fan favorite. The characters, Nekobasu, Totoro, of them are so adorable seeing them makes your heart melt.
The anime follows the story of a father and his two young daughters, Satsuki and Mei, who move to the countryside because his wife is admitted to a nearby hospital. The younger daughter, Mei encounters a cute small rabbit and when she follows him she sees a new hidden land where there is a giant called “Totoro” who is the forest’s spirit. Soon, her sister Satsuki meets him too. The movie follows the adventures of the two girls as they discover magical creatures in this land.
11. K-On!
You know the anime is going to be wholesome when it focuses on a group of cute girls doing cute, simple things. K-On! Is an exceptionally wholesome anime because it has very lovely characters alongside animation which is so good that the anime has won an award for it. You will specifically love this anime if you are into music.
K-on focuses on the Light Music Club where these five girls have some fun in the club, play different kinds of music, instruments, sing-along, and anything related to music. They make the most out of their time while keeping the audience very entertained. Not only the main girls but also the side girls are extremely adorable.
12. Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-Kun
It is time for this anime to shine which has a great plot and is wholesome at the same time. Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-Kun is a rom-com that shows the struggles of a girl trying to confess her feelings to her classmate who’s a famous manga writer. Love can be so complicated and funny at times.
High school student Chiyo Sakura has a huge crush on Nozaki. However, things never turn out well when she tries to confess to him. When she confesses her love to him, he confuses her as his fan and gives her his autograph. Sakura’s chase for confessing her love begins as the two always end up in a funny, unpredictable situation where her confession fails. The misunderstandings lead to Sakura becoming Nozaki’s assistant and helping him out with his manga.
This is an anime that would keep you laughing throughout. It has a simple yet interesting plot which makes it even better to watch.
13. Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions!
This is another beautifully animated wholesome anime by Kyoto Animation. A rather funny, childish, and adorable love story. This anime follows the story of Yuuta Togashi who as a kid believed to have superpowers. This belief is a disease known as “Chunibyo”. In his middle school, he called himself the “Dark Flame Master”. However, when he grew up he became so embarrassed of his childhood days that he went to a high school far away to leave behind his Chunibyo dreams.
Unfortunately, Rikka Takanashi, his new classmate suffers from this disease and thinks of herself as the “wicked eye”. She calls Togashi the Dark Flame Master and pretends as if they have superpowers. Togashi is always annoyed by her and trying to save his past from being revealed by her.
Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions! is a hilarious anime that would keep you laughing throughout and feeling sorry for Togashi for the struggles he is going through.
14. March Comes in Like a Lion
Although this show is a little more serious than the others, it remains its wholesomeness. There are absolutely adorable characters in this which makes it much more enjoyable. This anime will allow you to think from another perspective and show ways in which such issues can be dealt with.
The anime follows the story of Rei, a professional Shogi player who is under a lot of pressure from the community. However, Rei moves to Tokyo where he meets the cutest trio of sisters living with his grandfather. Rei doesn’t particularly take care of himself, but the eldest sister is determined to take care of him. This anime is a slice-of-life and has a lot of comedy in it but through fun and laughter, it teaches us the important aspects of life such as family and looking after one another.
15. Cells at Work!
Do you ever wonder what goes around your body? How does each cell do its job and how does the immune system protect against bacteria? No need to pick up any books. All you have to do is watch Cells at Work!. This anime is so fun to watch. It gives you a little biology knowledge but apart from that, the characters in it are so darn cute. This anime makes biology more fun than ever.
In this anime, the daily lives and routines of cells are shown. Such as how blood is taken from one place to another and the daily fights and struggles of the white blood cells to protect the body from enemies, which are bacteria and different diseases. Watching this anime is much more fun than it sounds. What makes this anime is so special is how adorable each character is.
16. Interviews With Monster Girls
There are many monster girl anime series but none of them is similar to this one. Interviews With Monster Girls is an anime wholesome anime filled with cute characters and humor. It also focuses on giving an important message which is accepting others the way they are.
This anime is set in a world where the race of “Demi” which are half-human and half-monster has increased and it is normal to have monster girls in your schools or offices. The anime revolves around Tetsuo Takahashi, a high school biology teacher who is interested in learning about the Demis. To know more about them, Tatsuo starts to interview three monster girls, Kyouko Machi, Hikari Takanashi, and Yuki Kusakabe. He learns more about their physical abilities, daily interaction with humans, etc. the anime shows his life with these girls and shows his character development as he begins to understand that these Demis are actually very normal.
17. Tanaka-Kun is Always Listless
One can tell from the title what the anime is about. It’s about a high school boy named Tanaka-Kun who just wants to laze around and relax in his life. If you are an introvert who loves spending your time doing nothing and being a couch potato, then you will surely enjoy this anime.
Tanaka-Kun is like that usual kid in the class who couldn’t be any less bothered by everything. All of his classmates’ struggle in convincing him to do an activity he would like. But he avoids them all because nothing gives him more joy than doing nothing. Watching his daily life in the anime is so funny and entertaining that you wouldn’t stop smiling.
18. Gakuen Babysitters
No matter how old or young you are, this is one extremely wholesome anime that would instantly make you get a baby fever. It is filled with little, cute babies which are the most adorable anime characters ever. Whether you love babies or not, you will surely love the babies in this anime because they are irresistibly cute.
The anime is about Ryuuichi and his little brother kotarou. They lose their parents in a plane crash and are taken care of by an elite school’s chairman over the condition that Ryuuichi will babysit all the babies of the school. It sounds like a sad story but all of it is turned into cuteness and joy when the babies are shown. They are so adorable that there wouldn’t be a minute where you wouldn’t be saying “aww”. Watching the babies being taken care of by the young boy Ryuuichi is also what makes it look cuter.
19. Isekai Quartet
Here’s a twist in this list, addition of anime which is an Isekai. Perfect for those who are looking for a wholesome Isekai anime. The story is simple, four main characters from Isekai anime are taken and put into this chibi, cartoonish, cute world.
Tanya Degurechaff, Satou Kazuma, Ainz Ooal Gown, and Rem and Ram are shown a red button in front of them suddenly. Out of curiosity, they press the button and are instantly sent into this new world. They have no way to escape, and their only choice is to get along with each other and live their lives as normal school students. What makes this anime is entertaining is that it’s a classroom full of favorite eccentric characters. All of these characters are from dark anime so seeing them in a light, wholesome anime feels so nice and they look much cuter here than in their original anime.
20. I Can’t Understand What My Husband Is Saying
One can read the title and get an idea of what this anime is about. This s one short anime but is a true gem because it keeps you entertained and laughing throughout. That is the beauty of romcoms.
This anime follows the story of a recently married couple who are facing some difficulties. Hajime Tsunashi is a proper otaku and that brings in a lot of comedy to the anime. Meanwhile, his wife, Kaoru, works in an office. Although these two have very different personalities, they are in love with each other. They find out ways to spend time together that would be enjoyed by both and that brings in a lot of hilarious events.
This is a simple anime, but it gives the message that you can love someone and make things work out even if you two are completely different. You can especially relate to this anime if you are facing a similar issue in life.
We hope you loved reading this list and further hope that you enjoy watching these recommendations. If you love anime cats then read this list of best cats in anime to find out yours is listed here.
