10 best anime to watch if you like Crayon Shin-chan

Crayon Shin-chan has been a staple in the anime industry since 1992. The adventures of a mischievous five-year-old named Shinnosuke Nohara, or Shin-chan for short, have captivated viewers for over 30 years with its unique brand of crude humor and witty satire.

Fans of this series who are looking for more titles that capture a similar spirit and comedy style can explore Nintama Rantarou, Chibi Maruko-chan, Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo, and more.

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

10 best anime for fans of Crayon Shin-chan

1) Nintama Rantarou

Nintama Rantarou (Image via Ajia-do Animation Works)

Nintama Rantarou centers around the crude humor and misadventures of its main character, just like Crayon Shin-chan does with Shin-chan. Taking place during Japan's Edo period, it follows Rantaro and his friends as they attend ninja school.

Just like Shin-chan, Rantaro is a clueless troublemaker who often drives his teachers crazy with his lackadaisical attitude and inability to perform well as a student ninja-in-training. The humor from Rantaro and his friends acting up at ninja school will certainly appeal to Crayon Shin-chan fans.

2) Excel Saga

As a raunchy parody anime, Excel Saga shares strong similarities with the satirical comedy and references to pop culture seen in Crayon Shin-chan. The show revolves around Excel, an enthusiastic member of a secret organization led by Lord Ilpalazzo, and her wacky misadventures.

From bizarre humor and visual gags to parodies of other anime and manga, Excel Saga draws its comedy from many directions in an almost sketch show style. Fans of Shin-chan's exaggerated reactions and sheer randomness will enjoy this title.

3) Chibi Maruko-chan

Chibi Maruko-chan (Image via Nippon Animation)

Chibi Maruko-chan is a slice-of-life anime that follows the life of an earnest but mischievous third-grade girl called Momoko Sakura. Set in the 1970s, Momoko gets into all sorts of hijinks with friends and family. She is constantly seen testing her parent's patience, just like Shin-chan.

Crayon Shin-chan fans will enjoy seeing Momoko's scheming and imaginative adventures from a child's point of view. The nostalgic and heartwarming atmosphere of the title also makes it more enjoyable.

4) Azumanga Daioh

While not quite as unfiltered as Shin-chan's humor, Azumanga Daioh's comedy stems from the everyday life of an eccentric, ragtag group of schoolgirls. Their mundane adventures are unpredictable (and very amusing) thanks to each girl’s quirky personality.

As a slice-of-life comedy revolving around an oddball ensemble cast, Azumanga Daioh is a great choice for fans of Crayon Shin-chan. While their brands of humor differ, fans will enjoy the chaotic spirit of the title, which shares similarities with Shin-chan.

5) Gintama

With its anything-goes style of comedy and oddball characters, Gintama embodies the spirit of anarchy familiar to Crayon Shin-chan fans.

Set in historic and futuristic versions of Japan, this long-running series sees silver-haired samurai Gintoki Sakata doing various odd jobs to pay the bills alongside his even stranger allies like the alien Kagura and aspiring samurai Shinpachi Shimura.

From slapstick gags to satirizing pop culture, Gintoki and his friends engage in various shenanigans and drive bystanders mad through their actions. Like Shin-chan, Gintoki and his crew embody chaotic neutral energies and mock everything in their strange world for maximum laughs.

6) Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo

Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo (Image via Toei Animation)

In a post-apocalyptic world where using hair is outlawed, rebels stand up against this tyranny in Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo. The title sees Bo-bobo lead his hair-powered allies like Don Patch and Softon into battles, making for an intriguing plot.

Shin-chan fans will feel right at home among the bizarre characters in this title and their anything-goes style of comedy.

7) Kochikame

This comedy series revolving around Japanese police officer Kankichi Ryotsu has aired over 373 anime episodes and 1,960 manga chapters since 1976. The show follows Ryotsu’s misadventures with his inept colleagues in the police force.

Like Shin-chan, Ryotsu means well but causes all kinds of trouble through reckless decisions and schemes. Their brands of crude, slapstick humor often run parallel. With decades of content, Kochikame offers a deep well of laughs.

8) Sazae-san

As the longest-running animated TV series, Sazae-san has been broadcasting since 1969. This slice-of-life comedy focuses on suburban Japanese housewife Sazae and her everyday misadventures with her friends and family.

While not as chaotic or unfiltered as Crayon Shin-chan, there's a comfortable familiarity in the mundane absurdity of Sazae's life that echoes Shin-chan's. Fans who enjoy satirizing elements of average family dynamics will appreciate Sazae's good-natured humor in contrast to Shin's.

9) Mr. Osomatsu

As a parody series about sextuplets with nothing better to do than cause mischief, Mr. Osomatsu captures the free-spirited anarchy integral to Crayon Shin-chan’s brand of comedy. Much like Shin-chan himself, the Matsuno siblings drive everyone around them crazy with their actions.

With no regard for social norms, these six troublemakers aim to live life to the fullest through chaos, absurdity, and a willingness to mock everyday life. Fans will find the crude humor and lack of tact familiar to that of Crayon Shin-chan.

10) Doraemon

Doraemon is another classic anime centered around the relationship between a misbehaving child protagonist and a robot. Nobita Nobi is an elementary school boy who seems to attract nothing but trouble until the robotic cat, Doraemon, comes along from the 22nd century to help him.

Like Shin-chan, Nobita's penchant for laziness, poor decisions, and general incompetence sets up plenty of chaotic scenarios that Doraemon has to get him out of with futuristic gadgets. The core dynamic feels akin to Shin-chan's relationship with his parents and friends through Nobita's reliance on his robot guardian.

Conclusion

While no anime exactly replicates Crayon Shin-chan’s unique charms and enduring legacy, these 10 picks feature a blend of its formula of crude, satirical comedy. Each entry adds its own distinct spin on the humor and parody that has captivated Crayon Shin-chan viewers for decades.

Those who enjoy Crayon Shin-chan must explore the chaotic worlds and visual gags offered by the titles in this list.