The Greatest Comedy Anime Of All Time (November 2023)

Humor is an underrated component of storytelling in anime, often overshadowed by action-packed fight scenes and colorful romances. Still, almost every anime has at least a few comic moments, even when the show itself revolves around a serious subject.

Comedy anime are wide-ranging in terms of style and story. Some are satires of overused anime clichés, while others blend wittiness with action-adventure. No two comedic anime are exactly alike and each show brings something unique to the table. It only takes a few episodes to fall in love with the best comedy anime.

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34 Kill La Kill

MyAnimeList: 8.03

Kill la Kill is notable for its genre-blending action-comedy, over-the-top silliness, and ridiculous fight scenes. The show revolves around Ryuko Matoi, a rebellious schoolgirl on a quest for vengeance in a world where clothes give superpowers to the wearer.

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Somewhat of a social commentary on school life and social status, the show is a wild ride from start to finish and makes stellar use of the character’s quick wit for some of the best comedy of any action anime series ever.

33 KamiKatsu: Working For God In A Godless World

MyAnimeList: 6.75

Like every season of the last few years, Spring 2023 had its share of isekai tales. While perhaps not the theme’s “best” offering, KamiKatsu is certainly among the most unhinged and hilarious isekai of all time. The son of a cult leader, Yukito is sacrificed by his father and, in his dying moment, wishes to awaken in a world that does not believe in gods. Surprisingly, Yukito gets his wish, and he finds himself in a society with no religion, deities, or fear of death. Long story short, the protagonist ends up summoning a god (Mitama), and they set out to revitalize the latter’s power by acquiring followers.

KamiKatsu‘s premise might not scream “comedy,” but it is all in the execution. The writing has an irreverent and dark sense of humor that pays no mind to common decency. Naturally, this style of comedy is an acquired taste, but KamiKatsu goes for broke and deserves praise for embracing its ridiculousness. Studio Palette also incorporates many visual gags that presumably reflect the anime’s limited budget.

32 The Devil Is A Part-Timer!

MyAnimeList: 7.74 (Season 1)

One of the best zany premises ever conjured up, The Devil is a Part-Timer! is the story of Satan, who after getting stuck in the mortal realm, must take up a job at a local fast-food restaurant.

As expected, the resulting madness yields hilarious outcomes for Satan and his hungry customers. The anime originally ended a 13-episode run in 2013, but sequels started to air in 2022. The first season is consistently hilarious as it forces extraordinary characters to adapt to the most mundane of situations. Unfortunately, the sequels really struggle to replicate the original’s magic. Not only do they have underwhelming storytelling and animation, but they are also not that funny.

31 Hozuki’s Coolheadedness

MyAnimeList: 7.77 (Season 1)

Hell does not run itself. That’s Hozuki’s Coolheadedness‘ entire premise, as the anime turns the afterlife into a workplace comedy. Although second in the totem pole, the eponymous demon effectively keeps hell ticking, a job that is not only very important but also rather difficult. Calm, collected, and armed with a massive club, Hozuki takes himself very seriously, and he expects the same from his subordinates. If they do not meet his expectations, the demon will not hesitate to set them straight, and their education will be painful.

Although not packed with laugh-out-loud moments, Hozuki’s Coolheadedness combines a likable roster of characters with a fresh setting to craft an easy-to-watch series. Along with producing its share of laughs, the anime provides an accessible and charming look into Japanese mythology.

30 Shimoneta: A Boring World Where The Concept Of Dirty Jokes Doesn’t Exist

MyAnimeList: 7.23

After the dystopian government outlaws lewd content and language, society seems to move away from immoral behaviors. That is, until a mysterious foul-mouthed terrorist begins disturbing pornographic material around the city.

In this wacky take on the high school sex comedy genre, Shimoneta balances the social commentary with laughs for a hilariously good time in what could be one of the most memorable comedy anime in recent memory. This show is perfect for anime fans who love a good dirty joke.

29 One-Punch Man

MyAnimeList: 8.50 (Season 1)

The perfect blend of awesome superhero action and gut-busting comedy series, One-Punch Man is one of the coolest anime shows ever. Saitama is the titular hero of the show, an unlikely hero with the ability to destroy any opponent with a single punch.

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The comedic moments round out the show’s intense fighting sequences nicely, especially when supervillains and superheroes gawk at the improbable power of the unsuspecting Saitama. A clever parody of superhero culture and over-the-top action anime, One-Punch Man continues to be ranked among the best anime series of all time.

28 From Today, It’s My Turn!!

MyAnimeList: 8.05

An obscure OVA series from the ’90s, From Today, It’s My Turn!! is a pain to find in this day and age, but the anime is good enough to warrant the effort. Takashi and Shinji are two high schoolers who want to get a fresh start, so they decide to revamp their looks and embrace the delinquent lifestyle. Unsurprisingly, they initially butt heads over their similar goals, especially since Shinji’s straight-laced and stoic demeanor clashes with Takashi’s Looney Tunes-style energy. However, after they realize they cannot seem to escape each other, they reluctantly become allies.

From Today, It’s My Turn!! is an absolute blast. Even if laughs are not always its primary drive, each (long) episode is stuffed with humor, and most of the jokes land. The final episode is particularly hilarious since it introduces the two wannabe tough guys to the Yakuza, a clash of legitimacy that most delinquent anime try to avoid.

27 Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto

MyAnimeList: 7.55

The “perfect” character trope can be tedious at times, as they often start to border on annoying after a certain point. But that’s not the case with Sakamoto: he literally is perfect.

The show follows the titular character, the coolest kid in school who is liked by everyone, and for good reason: everything he does, no matter how mundane, is awesome. The characters are a lot of fun, as are the subplots. While short, this funny anime is very rewatchable.

26 YuruYuri

MyAnimeList: 7.57 (Season 1)

As its name suggests, YuruYuri is almost exclusively about yuri love, although that does not mean romance is in the air. Doga Kobo’s anime revolves around a Middle School Amusement Club, which is just an excuse for a few friends to spend some time together. Akari, Kyoko, Yui, and Chinatsu serve as the show’s heart, but they are accompanied and occasionally eclipsed by a slew of fantastic secondary characters.

YuruYuri plays out like a conventional slice of life comedy, albeit one filled with characters who all seem to have crushes on their schoolmates. On the surface, this might sound repetitive, but the show does a great job of differentiating the girls’ relationships, infatuations, and personalities.

25 Silver Spoon

MyAnimeList: 8.09 (Season 1)

Following years of pressure to live up to his family’s expectations, the exhausted Yugo Hachiken decides to enroll at an agricultural school. As a city kid with no experience working on a farm nor much interest in the field, he is entirely ill-prepared for the challenge and quickly finds himself struggling to complete even the most basic of tasks. Fortunately, he is surrounded by generally helpful teachers and classmates.

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Silver Spoon‘s premise might be unusual, but the anime takes a fairly grounded approach to its characters and situations. Rather than an idiot who cannot do anything right, Hachiken is simply out of his depth, and the laughs come from watching him earnestly try to adapt to his new circumstances. The rest of the characters are awesome too. While often hilarious, Silver Spoon gets very real at times, and the show handles these dramatic moments well.

24 Hinamatsuri

MyAnimeList: 8.13

Hinamatsuri tells the timeless tale of a Yakuza member who suddenly finds himself as the guardian of a powerful esper from another dimension. Whether he likes it or not, Nitta’s life is turned upside down thanks to the arrival of Hina, a girl who ran away from her realm where she was used as a weapon. While the two do not always get along, Nitt and Hina eventually develop an adorable and wholesome father-daughter dynamic.

Packed to the brim with great characters, Hinamatsuri takes viewers on an incredible roller-coaster ride. The show can go from a painfully hilarious skit fueled by Hina’s stoic demeanor or Hitomi’s odd maturity to a surprisingly emotional storyline that deals with homelessness.

23 Ghost Stories (English Dub)

MyAnimeList: 7.74

Ghost Stories is an anomaly in the world of anime series. The original Japanese show follows a group of kids trying to protect their town from a group of malicious ghosts. The English dub, however, changes things juristically. The team in charge of the dub had very few rules and used that to their advantage, completely changing the dialogue and story to their liking and making it a knee-slapping comedy instead of a serious ghost-hunting show.

The dubbed dialogue is downright hilarious, featuring dark humor, pop culture references, and brilliant inside jokes. By no means a typical comedy anime series, Ghost Stories is a wicked fun ride for anyone looking for a “different” kind of animated humor.

22 Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun

MyAnimeList: 7.83

Chiyo Sakura is head over heels for her schoolmate, the likable but dense Nozaki. One day, she finally gets the courage to ask out her crush; unfortunately, Nozaki misconstrues Sakura’s affection as admiration for his shojo manga. Before she knows it, the girl has earned a job as a mangaka’s assistant, which naturally leads to many more misunderstandings.

Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun is a charming romantic comedy that leans heavily into the latter side of things. Nozaki and Sakura are not only endearing characters in isolation, but they also bounce off each other beautifully. The leads do not have the carry the show on their backs either, as Doga Kobo’s anime has a plethora of great secondary characters.

21 Daily Lives Of High School Boys

MyAnimeList: 8.23

If someone’s imagination is free enough, even the mundane can be hilarious. Daily Lives of High School Boys is a gag comedy about a trio of perfectly ordinary boys doing perfectly ordinary things that just happen to often devolve into cringe territory.

Divided into skits, Sunrise’s anime is expertly paced to ensure nearly none of the jokes overstay their welcome. More importantly, the series knows when to revisit a storyline or situation to produce a couple more laughs.

20 Spy X Family

MyAnimeList: 8.58 (Season 1, Part 1)

Spy x Family was among 2022’s shining beacons, airing two fun cours during Spring and Fall. The anime has already confirmed that a sequel is on the horizon, so the Forgers’ time in the sun is far from done. Set in a world defined by a fragile peace between two powerful states, Twilight is a superspy tasked with infiltrating an academy to get close to a politician. To accomplish this task, he becomes Loid Forger and adopts Anya, a charming girl who can secretly read minds. Loid also marries Yor, a quiet woman who moonlights as an assassin.

Spy x Family has exceptional characters who all inject a unique brand of comedy into the story. Anya tends to steal the spotlight due to her weird mix of innocence and insightfulness; while she can read the minds of adults, she does not always understand what she hears. Loid works well as Anya’s straight man, while Yor is a surprisingly great source for slapstick humor.

19 FLCL

MyAnimeList: 8.03 (Season 1)

One of the most absurd comedy anime ever made, FLCL is a hilariously offbeat anime that fans can watch over and over again. The original series is a mere six episodes, but the animators and writers pack a lot into these rapid-pace vignettes. Equal parts anime parody and surreal madness, FLCL is sort of a loose cannon, barely following a coherent plot, yet still acting as a cohesive comedy sitcom that ranks among the best anime series ever.

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The story involves a young boy and his misadventures in his small town after a chaotic alien girl arrives and robots begin popping out of his head. The jokes are so quick that viewers may need to watch it a second time just to catch every kernel of comedy gold. The visuals are amazing too.

18 Ouran High School Host Club

MyAnimeList: 8.16

A parody of other popular anime, Ouran High School Host Club is a silly high school comedy series at heart. The central character, Haruhi Fujioka, ends up in debt to a posh club of boys who “host” female clients.

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While that sounds suspicious, the show is actually laid back and funny in more than one way. Plot twists are this show’s bread and butter, and it does them better than most other anime series.

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16 Space Dandy

MyAnimeList: 7.78 (Season 1)

Space Dandy does a lot of things well, humor perhaps being the best one. Shinichirō Watanabe might be more known for anime series that balances comedy with other genres, but Space Dandy is much more comfortable making low-brow jokes and going for the silliest route possible.

There is still plenty of high-flying space action to soak in, but the comedic moments are the real showcase. Comedy fans should get their fill on all the absurd jokes the series throws their way.

15 Azumanga Daioh: The Animation

MyAnimeList: 8

Azumanga Daioh‘s influence and importance cannot be understated. Both the manga and its anime adaptation helped set the standard for “cute girls doing cute things” type stories, paving the way for releases like Lucky Star and School Rumble. Those two series are pretty funny in their own right, but they fall short of the standard set by Azumanga Daioh.

The most amazing thing about this anime is that the humor flows naturally from characters who are fully grounded in reality. The comedy very rarely takes on surreal or outlandish elements, instead opting to focus on the cast’s charming and hilarious banter. Despite being more than two decades old, Azumanga Daioh is still as awesome as ever.