10 best anime to watch if you like Nichijou

Nichijou is a popular slice-of-life comedy anime that has garnered a huge fan following over the years. With its unique formula of combining moe art style with surreal humor and supernatural elements, the series perfectly captures the extraordinary adventures hidden within ordinary daily lives.

The show follows the daily adventures of three childhood friends: the robot Nano, her 8-year-old creator, Professor, and a talking cat named Sakamoto. Other characters include the principal and teachers at the girls' high school, as well as Nano's classmates.

If you have enjoyed Nichijou’s perfect blend of innocence and eccentricity, here are 10 anime recommendations that fans should add to their watchlist.

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

10 best anime for fans of Nichijou

1. Lucky Star

Lucky Star follows the endearing story of Konata Izumi, an eccentric and sarcastic high school girl who would rather talk about video games, manga, and anime than study for exams.

With a vibrant cast of characters and tons of pop culture references and otaku humor, Lucky Star perfectly captures the spirited high school life in a comedic style reminiscent of Nichijou.

Fans of Nichijou will surely enjoy Lucky Star’s offbeat sense of humor and the similarities between many of the characters’ personalities as the shows explore the entertaining tribulations of high school life.

2. Azumanga Daioh

This classic slice-of-life comedy revolves around the daily adventures of six schoolgirls and their teachers at a high school in Tokyo. Much like Nichijou, Azumanga Daioh thrives on random and absurd humor, with plenty of delightful characters and hysterical scenes to carry the show.

From wild imaginations to unexpected mishaps in the everyday lives of Japanese high school girls, there is never a dull moment.

With a similar relaxed nature and several shared themes of friendship and school life, Azumanga Daioh makes for a perfect choice if you want more wacky stories from anime in the same genre.

3. Hinamatsuri

Hinamatsuri tells the odd story about a mysterious young girl with psychic powers who suddenly appears out of nowhere and turns an unsuspecting member of the yakuza’s life upside down. The show blends comedy and hints of the supernatural together for loads of laughs.

Much like Nichijou, a lot of the show’s humor revolves around the strange and unlikely father-daughter dynamic between the two protagonists. Their deadpan conversations, combined with the interactions of other eccentric characters, result in scene after scene of hilarity.

With both shows refusing to shy away from exaggerated jokes involving the supernatural, Hinamatsuri should definitely be on your watchlist.

4. Daily Lives of High School Boys

Daily Lives of High School Boys (Image via Sunrise)

As the name suggests, Daily Lives of High School Boys captures the random conversations and hilarious adventures of three high school friends as they enjoy their youth. This highly entertaining show uses extreme exaggeration to situate comedy in the most ordinary scenarios.

Like Nichijou, viewers can expect completely childish skits, tons of energy, and segments that make fun of many tropes found in anime, making them a perfect pair for fans wanting to die of laughter by watching the daily lives and antics of students being creatively depicted in anime.

5. Pop Team Epic

Pop Team Epic (Image via Kamikaze Douga, Space Neko Company)

This outrageously absurd series builds whole episodes around parodying various aspects of anime, manga, and pop culture with no rhyme or reason, making Pop Team Epic feel like the surreal, comical sketches of Nichijou brought up to another level.

The show’s random humor constantly subverts expectations, with fast-paced gags covering all types of tropes seen in genres like slice of life, action, romance, and more, ensuring viewers never know what’s coming next.

So if you loved Nichijou primarily for its energetic style of visual comedy and unfiltered jokes, Pop Team Epic delivers a similar experience with possibly more irreverence.

6. Squid Girl

Squid Girl centers around an anthropomorphic squid character named Squid Girl, who believes herself to be an invader sent from the sea to conquer humanity. Of course, her attempts fail spectacularly, and she only ends up serving as a part-time worker at a seaside restaurant.

The show revels in comedy much like Nichijou with Squid Girl’s eccentric behavior as she interacts with humans and tries to understand aspects of their culture, leading to very silly moments. Both shows are also known for unique art styles that enhance their outlandish gags.

If viewers want an equally whimsical premise with that distinct flavor of comedy, be sure to check out Squid Girl.

7. Sleepy Princess In The Demon Castle

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle (Image via Doga Kobo)

Sleepy Princess In The Demon Castle features a pampered princess named Syalis who suddenly gets kidnapped and thrown into a demon’s castle. However, all she cares about is getting a good night’s sleep, so she goes to extreme lengths to create luxurious sleeping conditions rather than try to escape.

Her segment where she tests all sorts of random mattresses is reminiscent of Nichijou’s bizarre episodic humor that quickly oscillates between various gags and jokes.

And similar to how Nichijou blends cuteness and absurdist comedy when depicting its characters, this show’s premise of a spoiled princess interacting with demons in silly ways also delivers big laughs.

8. Sket Dance

Sket Dance (Image via Tatsunoko Production)

Sket Dance is centered around a high school “Help Club” known as the Living Assistance Club (aka Sket Brigade) that handles trivial tasks for students at their school. It has the same zany humor through the hilarious, weird adventures undertaken by its energetically quirky main trio.

Much like in Nichijou, where anything can happen when the lead girls congregate during or after school, the Sket Brigade always lands themselves in silly misadventures when someone asks them for assistance, no matter how absurd the issue is.

The characterization and appeal of both shows also lie in the natural-feeling conversations between its endearing cast of characters, leading to many cozy, fun times together.

9. The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.

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

Despite his cool appearance, Saiki Kusuo is anything but an average teenager, as he was born with all kinds of psychic abilities. The show revolves around all the outlandish situations he gets pulled into due to his powers, while he just wants to lead a normal life.

With a premise just as wacky as Nichijou’s, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. also thrives on flinging the protagonist into the most unthinkable scenarios for hilarity to ensue.

The series also shares Nichijou's knack for visual comedy, with tons of hilarious facial expressions and reactions from its cast that go completely over-the-top. If you think Saiki's distinctive green glasses resemble Nano's, then you'll certainly fall in love with this show!

10. Gintama

Gintama takes place in an alternate version of Edo-period Japan that has been invaded by aliens. It follows the eccentric silver-haired samurai Gintoki Sakata and his exploits with his equally peculiar friends.

Much like Nichijou, Gintama builds its comedy around absurd situations but adds elements of science fiction and samurai action. It shares the same style of random, slapstick humor built on characters constantly finding themselves in ridiculous circumstances.

With hilarious reactions and endless parody jokes that break the fourth wall, Gintama should definitely provide the same kind of over-the-top comedy found in Nichijou.

Conclusion

While no other anime can fully capture Nichijou’s perfect blend of innocence and eccentricity, shows such as Lucky Star, Azumanga Daioh, Hinamatsuri, and more come remarkably close with their relaxing combination of slice-of-life storytelling and surreal humor.

And if fans desire something even wackier, Pop Team Epic, Squid Girl, Sleepy Princess In The Demon Castle, Sket Dance, and The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. should also deliver a similar flavor of comedy and ensure you have endless laughs.