10 Best Anime to Watch If You Like The Fable

Since its release, The Fable has quickly become one of the most popular action/comedy anime to come out. It follows a legendary hitman, "Fable" who is ordered by his boss to live an ordinary life in Osaka for one year without killing anyone or revealing his true identity.

Fable struggles to balance his natural assassin instincts and maintain his cover as he encounters various characters and gets caught up in comedic and dangerous situations. The Fable has won over audiences with its unique premise, a blend of over-the-top action, laugh-out-loud comedy, and surprising heart.

For fans of The Fable who are looking for more anime like it, this list will cover 10 of the best options to watch next. They all contain similar elements of action, comedy, interesting characters, and creative stories that The Fable fans will enjoy.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the writer's opinion and is not ranked in any particular order.

10 must-watch anime for fans of The Fable

1) Gintama

Gintama is a long-running anime series well-known for its outrageous comedy wrapped in a samurai/sci-fi setting. The story follows Gintoki Sakata, a samurai living in an alternate feudal Japan where aliens have invaded and taken over.

He undertakes various odd jobs to make ends meet, often getting tangled up in humorous misadventures with his eccentric friends. Like The Fable, Gintama excels at combining action-packed sword fights with slapstick humor and witty dialogue.

Gintoki is a nonchalant, deadpan character similar to Fable who always gets dragged into crazy situations despite wanting to live a quiet life. The series parodies various popular anime/manga with meta-humor to go along with its sci-fi elements and martial arts battles.

2) Mob Psycho 100

Mob Psycho 100 tells the story of an extremely powerful young psychic named Shigeo "Mob" Kageyama. While he wants to live a normal life, he often gets dragged into using his powers. With amazing psychic action scenes and wholesome life lessons, it has the same vibe as The Fable.

Similar to Fable trying to suppress his assassin skills but finding himself in humorous circumstances, Mob attempts to control his emotions to limit his psychic abilities from harming others.

However, the people and spirits around him frequently require Mob to step up and unleash his hidden power. The series blends impressive fight choreography with the struggles of a shy boy finding his place in the world.

3) The Disastrous Life of Saiki K

The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. (Image via J.C.Staff, Egg Firm)

For another anime about an overpowered character seeking an ordinary life, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K is one fans will like. The titular protagonist, Kusuo Saiki, is a high school student who happens to have every psychic power imaginable.

He strives to live as a typical teenager but is constantly pulled into weird scenarios with his quirky classmates. Fans of The Fable will appreciate the wacky humor that comes from Saiki K trying to hide his true abilities from those around him.

Despite his aloof nature, Saiki K ultimately helps and cares for his friends in subtle ways, similar to how Fable looks out for others. The series never skimps on the vibrant animation of Saiki K’s psychic feats.

4) My Hero Academia

My Hero Academia takes place in a superhero society where most people have special Quirks or abilities. The kindhearted protagonist, Izuku Midoriya, dreams of becoming a hero despite having no powers.

When he inherits the incredible strength Quirk “One for All”, he gains amazing abilities but struggles to control them without harming others. Midoriya’s journey to master One for All draws parallels to Fable’s efforts to balance his assassin skills with living normally.

Both characters have OP skills they keep hidden as they attend school and build friendships. My Hero Academia delivers thrilling superhero action blended with school-life drama for a very satisfying shonen anime.

5) Blood Lad

In the supernatural comedy series Blood Lad, the vampire Staz Charlie Blood is obsessed with Japanese culture while ruling the East Demon World. When a Japanese girl named Fuyumi Yanagi wanders into his territory and is transformed into a ghost, Staz vows to help bring her back to life.

Like The Fable, Blood Lad features an eccentric demon protagonist living in the human world and getting into crazy adventures. Staz makes frequent references to anime, manga, and otaku culture to comedic effect as Fuyumi accompanies him in hopes of reviving her physical body.

Their relationship develops while navigating dangerous enemies and obstacles, similar to Fable’s friendships.

6) Hinamatsuri

Hinamatsuri tells the odd couple tale of a member of the yakuza underworld who ends up with an extraordinarily powerful young girl with telekinetic abilities as a surrogate daughter. Nitta's life becomes filled with hilarious ups and downs as the mature Hina turns his world upside down.

One of The Fable’s biggest strengths is the heartfelt relationship between Fable and teenage runaway Asahi Karasu. Similarly, Hinamatsuri portrays the growing bond between Nitta and Hina in humorous yet touching ways.

It also blends yakuza action with slice-of-life comedy driven by the interaction between a serious adult and a naive but powerful girl.

7) Durarara!!

Durarara!! (Image via Brain's Base, Shuka)

Set in the Tokyo district of Ikebukuro, Durarara!! depicts the hectic lives of an ensemble cast including humans, gangsters, supernatural beings, and more.

The story has intertwining plotlines surrounding urban legends like the mysterious headless "Black Rider" biker and a hidden assassin instigating gang wars. Like The Fable, Durarara!! seamlessly mixes an urban underworld setting with intriguing characters from all walks of life.

It keeps things unpredictable by weaving together multiple story threads filled with gang battles, urban fantasy elements, comedic moments, mysteries, and complex character arcs. The ensemble cast and mix of action, supernatural, and slice-of-life make it a must-see for Fable fans.

8) Golden Kamuy

This historical action series follows Saichi Sugimoto, a veteran survivor of the Russo-Japanese war now on a quest for gold to provide for a fallen comrade’s wife. He soon crosses paths with an Ainu girl who can help find the hidden treasure that the dangerous prisoners of war and militias are also seeking.

Golden Kamuy matches The Fable’s blend of deadly combat skills and survival adventure with bits of goofy comedy. Saichi has impressive fighting abilities like Fable but often gets caught up in silly antics.

The Ainu culture parallels Fable’s time living with Asahi’s indigenous community. Viewers get a thrill ride full of captivating characters, clever escapades, and brutal action scenes as Saichi searches for the gold.

9) Spy x Family

Spy x Family (Image via Wit Studio, CloverWorks)

For another action comedy about a character hiding their true identity, check out Spy x Family. It follows super spy Twilight who must build a fake family to infiltrate a prestigious school. He unknowingly adopts a girl who is a telepath and takes a wife who is an assassin hiding her skills.

Spy x Family matches the dynamic character relationships and a blend of action, comedy, and intrigue that The Fable fans will appreciate. Twilight must balance his spy missions with playing family man while hiding his skills and profession, similar to Fable’s plight.

The anime packs hilariously unpredictable situations as Twilight interacts with his newfound wife and adopted daughter. It also delivers thrilling espionage action befitting Twilight’s undercover spy role.

10) Great Pretender

For a globe-trotting adventure full of scams and heists, look no further than Great Pretender. It centers on Makoto Edamura, a small-time crook in Japan who is swindled by famous French scammer Laurent Thierry. Edamura then joins Laurent's group of con artists for dangerous yet lucrative heists around the world.

Like The Fable, Great Pretender features charismatic criminals undertaking risky jobs in exotic locales. Edamura also tries to walk the line between his life of crime and reforming into an honest person, similar to Fable's inner conflict.

Each arc provides clever scams with plot twists to marvel at as the artful heist crew travels from Los Angeles to Singapore and more while avoiding deadly crimelords.

Conclusion

With its fresh take on the daily life of a legendary assassin, The Fable has captured the imagination of action comedy fans. The anime’s mix of crime underworld danger, powerful fight scenes, and lighthearted humor make for an engaging experience.

The 10 anime covered in this list all offer similar ingredients that Fable enthusiasts will appreciate. From psychic antics to supernatural misadventures to superhero schools, these series provide outrageous comedy, compelling characters, and adrenaline-fueled animation.

Any fan eager to find more anime like The Fable would do well to give these recommendations a watch next. They offer more of the winning formula of immersive worlds, unlikely friendships, and creatively choreographed action that makes The Fable so memorable.

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