Set in the 1920s, Haikara-san ga Tooru is the story of the high-spirited tomboy Benio and her relationship with a handsome half-German soldier named Shinobu. Benio is a very outgoing and athletic girl with firm ideas about being able to live her life as she wants to. When she first meets Shinobu, she dislikes him intensely, even though he manages to help her out of a series of embarrassing mishaps. She is therefore surprised when she finds out that she has been forced into an arranged marriage and that her husband-to-be is none other than Shinobu! The story then has many twists and turns, as Shinobu has to fight in the war, Benio has to wrangle with the idea of getting married, and getting along with her future in-laws and employer. Meanwhile, the great Kanto earthquake looms in the future...
Smart-san has finished airing and it has 42 Episodes. It is also Known as: はいからさんが通る, Here Comes Ms. Modern, Mademoiselle Anne, Haikara-san Passes, Comes Miss High-Collar, Haikara-san ga Toru
Genres: Romance , Japan , Earth , Asia , Comedy , Love Polygon , Plot Continuity , Historical , Slice of Life
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Top 5 Anime Like Smart-san (Haikara-san ga Tooru) [2026 List]
5. Clannad
Tomoya Okazaki is a delinquent who finds life dull and believes he'll never amount to anything. Along with his friend Sunohara, he skips school and plans to waste his high school days away.
One day while walking to school, Tomoya passes a young girl muttering quietly to herself. Without warning she exclaims "Anpan!" (a popular Japanese food) which catches Tomoya's attention. He soon discovers the girl's name is Nagisa Furukawa and that she exclaims things she likes in order to motivate herself. Nagisa claims they are now friends, but Tomoya walks away passing the encounter off as nothing.
However, Tomoya finds he is noticing Nagisa more and more around school. Eventually he concedes and befriends her. Tomoya learns Nagisa has been held back a year due to a severe illness and that her dream is to revive the school's drama club. Claiming he has nothing better to do, he decides to help her achieve this goal along with the help of four other girls.
As Tomoya spends more time with the girls, he learns more about them and their problems. As he attempts to help each girl overcome her respective obstacle, he begins to realize life isn't as dull as he once thought.
Clannad has finished airing and it has 23 Episodes. It is also Known as: CLANNAD, CLANNAD
4. Hotarubi no Mori e
Intrigued by the tale of a mountain god, six-year-old Hotaru Takegawa loses her way in the ancient forest while visiting her uncle. Exhausted and desperate for help, Hotaru is thrilled to find a masked forest spirit named Gin. She learns the hard way that she should not touch the boy, or he would disappear. In spite of this, Gin leads Hotaru out of the forest and warns her never to return when she promises to come again with a gift.
Paying no heed to his cautionary words, and despite being separated by both distance and planes of existence, Hotaru and Gin become close friends as she visits him every summer. However, their relationship and resolve are put to the test, when romantic feelings conflict with the one and only rule.
Based on Yuki Midorikawa's manga of the same name, Hotarubi no Mori e is a tale of friendship and compromise of two people who should never have crossed paths, as their lives become hopelessly intertwined.
To the Forest of the Firefly Lights has finished airing and it has 1 Episodes. It is also Known as: 蛍火の杜へ, Into the Forest of Fireflies' Light, The Light of a Firefly Forest
3. Seishun Buta Yarou wa Bunny Girl Senpai no Yume wo Minai
"Puberty syndrome – Abnormal experiences rumored on the internet to be caused by sensitivity and instability during adolescence. This year, Sakuta Azusagawa, a second-year student at a high school near Enoshima, meets several girls that are experiencing this “puberty syndrome.” For instance, he meets a wild bunny girl in the library. She turns out to be an actress on hiatus, Mai Sakurajima, who is also his senior at the school. For some reason, no one else can see this enchanting girl. How did she become invisible…?
Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: 青春ブタ野郎はバニーガール先輩の夢を見ない, Seishun Buta Yarou wa Bunny Girl Senpai no Yume wo Minai
2. Clannad: After Story
Clannad: After Story, the sequel to the critically acclaimed slice-of-life series Clannad, begins after Tomoya Okazaki and Nagisa Furukawa graduate from high school. Together, they experience the emotional rollercoaster of growing up. Unable to decide on a course for his future, Tomoya learns the value of a strong work ethic and discovers the strength of Nagisa's support. Through the couple's dedication and unity of purpose, they push forward to confront their personal problems, deepen their old relationships, and create new bonds.
Time also moves on in the Illusionary World. As the plains grow cold with the approach of winter, the Illusionary Girl and the Garbage Doll are presented with a difficult situation that reveals the World's true purpose.
Based on the visual novel by Key and produced by Kyoto Animation, Clannad: After Story is an impactful drama highlighting the importance of family and the struggles of adulthood.
Clannad ~After Story~ has finished airing and it has 24 Episodes. It is also Known as: CLANNAD〜AFTER STORY〜 クラナド アフターストーリー, Clannad: After Story
1. Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai.
Jinta Yadomi is peacefully living as a recluse, spending his days away from school and playing video games at home instead. One hot summer day, his childhood friend, Meiko "Menma" Honma, appears and pesters him to grant a forgotten wish. He pays her no mind, which annoys her, but he doesn't really care. After all, Menma already died years ago.
At first, Jinta thinks that he is merely hallucinating due to the summer heat, but he is later on convinced that what he sees truly is the ghost of Menma. Jinta and his group of childhood friends grew apart after her untimely death, but they are drawn together once more as they try to lay Menma's spirit to rest. Re-living their pain and guilt, will they be able to find the strength to help not only Menma move on—but themselves as well?
anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day has finished airing and it has 11 Episodes. It is also Known as: あの日見た花の名前を僕達はまだ知らない。, AnoHana, We Still Don't Know the Name of the Flower We Saw That Day.
