10 best anime to watch if you like The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.

The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. is a popular comedy anime that follows the daily life of Kusuo Saiki, a high school student with powerful psychic abilities who just wants to live a normal life. However, his extraordinary powers often land him in hilarious and unexpected situations.

With its quick-witted humor, vibrant animation, and eccentric characters, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. has won over legions of anime fans. If you enjoyed Saiki K’s misadventures and are looking for similar anime to add to your watchlist, here are 10 highly recommended options.

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

Top 10 anime recommendations for fans of The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.

1. Mob Psycho 100

Like Kusuo Saiki, the protagonist Shigeo Kageyama (or “Mob”) in Mob Psycho 100 has impressive psychic powers that tend to complicate his everyday situations. Created by the same mangaka as One Punch Man, this action-comedy focuses on a soft-spoken middle schooler who keeps his emotions bottled up to avoid accidentally hurting others with his powerful psychic energy.

With vibrant visuals, deadpan humor, and plenty of explosive psychic battles, Mob Psycho 100 perfectly captures the comedy and spectacle that make The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. so entertaining. The side characters are also just as quirky and help ground Mob’s extraordinary world.

2. Hinamatsuri

Hinamatsuri tells the odd story of Nitta, a member of the yakuza (Japanese mafia), who suddenly finds himself caring for a mysterious young girl named Hina with telekinetic powers. She turns Nitta’s life upside down as he tries to balance his dangerous career in organized crime with this new role as Hina’s guardian.

Like Kusuo Saiki from The Disastrous Life of Saiki K., Hina's psychic abilities are a regular source of comedy, often creating chaos that Nitta has to deal with. While the premise is quite peculiar, the heartwarming relationships in Hinamatsuri give it an emotional core that elevates the humor to another level.

3. Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto

Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto (Image via Studio Deen)

The cool and confident Sakamoto from Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto gives off similar uncanny vibes as the aloof Kusuo Saiki. Sakamoto seems perfect at everything - he makes difficult tasks look effortless with an air of sophistication. And even when confronted with bizarre scenarios, he always manages to find ingenious solutions while maintaining his composure.

Like The Disastrous Life of Saiki K., the appeal of this show lies more in the exaggerated comedy set-pieces than in the plot. Watching the stylish Sakamoto use his wits and near-supernatural finesse to get out of crazy situations is simply delightful.

4. Daily Lives of High School Boys

Daily Lives of High School Boys (Image via Sunrise)

If everyday school life hijinks are what you enjoyed about The Disastrous Life of Saiki K., then Daily Lives of High School Boys should be right up your alley. This highly relatable comedy follows the mundane adventures of three high school friends, with each episode being a collection of loose shorts centering on the trio’s silly conversations and antics.

With no overarching plot, this anime’s charm stems from nostalgic memories of hanging out with friends and getting into harmless mischief, much like the interactions between Saiki K and his classmates. While it predominantly features male leads, the humor is universal. Daily Lives of High School Boys excellently captures the youthful fun that adds levity to Saiki K’s psychic struggles.

5. Good Luck Girl!

What happens when the unhappy god of misfortune decides to make unlucky 16-year-old Ichiko Sakura his next victim? Non-stop laughs and chaos ensue in Good Luck Girl! as Ichiko’s extreme good fortune attracts the attention of Momiji, the poverty god sent to rebalance Ichiko’s luck. However, Momiji is hopelessly underprepared for someone overflowing with so much good luck.

Like The Disastrous Life of Saiki K., much of the show’s humor springs from Mongo the poverty god’s funny incompetence in handling Ichiko’s power. And while Ichiko appears to have it all with her gifted life, interacting with Momiji gives her perspective on what true happiness means.

6. Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle

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

While it may seem like an unlikely recommendation, this comedy about a kidnapped princess trying to get a good night’s sleep in a demon castle has plenty in common with Saiki K’s lighthearted tone. Princess Syalis comically insists on maintaining her beauty routines while confronting the demons who hold her captive.

The demons, much like Saiki K’s classmates, start catering their evil plots around Syalis’ silly demands to keep her comfortable, leading to plenty of ironic and exaggerated humor. So if you want a cute comedy where the protagonist turns the tables on more powerful beings, definitely check out Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle.

7. Restaurant to Another World

Restaurant to Another World (Image via Silver Link)

Restaurant to Another World offers something a little different from action-based supernatural comedies. This laidback, episodic anime follows a humble restaurant that serves both humans and otherworldly beings on different days of the week as they pass through magical doors to another realm.

Much like the grounded daily life theme in The Disastrous Life of Saiki K., the charm here comes from seeing different fantasy characters interact over good food and learning snippets about their lives. So while not a laugh-out-loud comedy, it evokes the same pleasant and comforting feelings as spending time with Saiki’s lovable classmates.

8. Gintama

As a long-running shounen series, Gintama masterfully balances epic storylines with comedy by utilizing eccentric characters placed in absurd situations. Set in a fictionalized version of feudal Japan where aliens have invaded and brought modern technology, samurai Gintoki Sakata takes on odd jobs with his motley crew that often spiral into parodic misadventures.

Fans of Saiki K’s wacky humor will certainly appreciate Gintama’s gag-filled arcs that never take themselves too seriously while also delivering emotionally impactful story beats. With hundreds of hilarious episodes with plenty of pop culture references, Gintama is guaranteed to please.

9. School Rumble

Delving deeper into the romantic high school comedy genre, School Rumble centers on Tenma Tsukamoto’s humorous quest to share her feelings with her crush, Oji Karasuma, over their second year of high school.

However, Tenma's awkward attempts often go hilariously off the rails, filled with plenty of slapstick humor, as she competes with other lovestruck girls vying for Oji's affection. Like The Disastrous Life of Saiki K., the show shines thanks to the eccentric personalities and relationships among the characters rather than the fairly simple love triangle premise.

So, if you want to laugh at high school students getting into silly shenanigans with some romance mixed in, don’t skip School Rumble.

10. My Hero Academia

At its core, My Hero Academia shares a lot of parallels with The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. Both feature high school protagonists possessing extraordinary superhuman abilities that they didn’t necessarily ask for and would prefer to live without to avoid standing out.

Izuku Midoriya’s journey to becoming a superhero after inheriting the incredible “One For All” Quirk lends itself to plenty of lighthearted and hype-filled school moments that Saiki K fans will quickly latch onto. And seeing other aspiring heroes learn to master their peculiar powers often leads to funny and entertaining situations.

While focusing more on superhero action compared to The Disastrous Life of Saiki K, My Hero Academia still delivers laughs amidst its epic emotional story beats, centered on friends supporting one another to achieve their dreams.

Conclusion

Thanks to its brilliant situational comedy, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K cemented itself as one of the most hilarious anime in recent memory. With Kusuo Saiki’s psychic struggles proving incredibly relatable despite his extraordinary powers, fans continue eagerly awaiting a new season.

In the meantime, the anime listed here can help fill the comedy void left behind. Featuring everything from students with supernatural powers in Mob Psycho 100 and My Hero Academia to gag-centric series like Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle and Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto, and this list promises laughs as big as those from The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.