Television series

Sousei no Onmyouji

Name: Sousei no Onmyouji
Genre: Comedy, Action, Anime, Fantasy
Released: 2016
Cast: Megumi Han, Natsuki Hanae, Junichi Suwabe, Ayumu Murase, Yū Serizawa

Fantasy
Light-hearted

Twin Star Exorcists is a battle-shonen anime about rival exorcists forced into partnership and an arranged-marriage destiny neither expected. It swings between genuine action sequences and comedic banter, leaning harder on the latter as it goes. Bright, fast-paced, made for viewers who like their anime with romantic tension, supernatural stakes, and characters who bicker their way toward something real.

TVMaze rating

3.3

If you liked this

Jujutsu Kaisen2020

Similar supernatural action framework with charismatic rivals-to-partners dynamic, but with consistently higher animation quality and narrative discipline. The exorcism-adjacent premise means it feels familiar while being markedly more polished.

But It's darker in tone and takes itself more seriously—less comedic relief, more genuine dread. If you watch Onmyouji for the lightness, this might feel heavy.

Blue Exorcist2011

Same DNA: demon-fighting academy, found family dynamics, and a protagonist discovering his true nature while learning to care about his allies. It nails the balance between action and character comedy without losing sight of either.

But First season adaptation has pacing issues and the anime diverges from source material. Some arcs feel padded, and the tone can whip between silly and overwrought.

Food Wars2010

Identical energy: two rivals at an academy, competitive spirit masking mutual respect, constant banter, and that specific anime joy of watching characters grow together. The setting swaps demons for cooking, but the character dynamics are nearly identical.

But If you're not sold on the cooking-competition premise, the early episodes can feel repetitive. Also very fanservice-heavy in places, which isn't everyone's thing.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Sousei no Onmyouji

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Mob Psycho 1002016

Both feature young protagonists discovering latent supernatural abilities and learning that their power is less important than who they choose to protect and become.

Same year, same era of anime, same supernatural-powers framework, but filtered entirely through the lens of anxiety and self-doubt rather than competitive fire. Where Onmyouji asks 'how strong can you become?', this asks 'why does it matter?' The action is subordinate to character growth.

But Deliberately paced to be contemplative and introspective. If you're watching for exorcism action and romantic tension, you'll find neither—just a deeply lonely teenager learning to connect with people.

Kamisama Kiss2012

Shares the rivals-to-romance chemistry and the fish-out-of-water comedy where a normal person enters a supernatural world unprepared. Benio and Rokuro's dynamic has spiritual roots in this pairing's playful antagonism.

But More romance-focused than action-focused, so if you're watching for exorcism battles, you'll get fewer of those. Also slightly older animation style.

My Hero Academia2016

Same-year release with similar classroom-based hero-training structure, rivals learning to trust each other, and the joy of watching underdogs develop their abilities. The camaraderie between ensemble casts is equally warm.

But Vastly longer commitment if you want the full story. Also more earnest in tone—it rarely lets the comedy undercut the emotional stakes the way Onmyouji does.

Noragami2014

Japanese mythology, supernatural action, and a mismatched trio that bickers and supports each other in equal measure. The comedy-to-action ratio feels closest to Onmyouji's sweet spot, and it's deliberately lighter than most battle anime.

But Second season loses momentum noticeably. The overarching plot gets muddied and the pacing stumbles in places where the first season clicked.

The Seven Deadly Sins2014

Fantasy action with found-family warmth, playful banter between lead characters, and a narrative built on relationships rather than just fighting. The ensemble cast has genuine chemistry and they genuinely like each other, which Onmyouji does beautifully.

But Animation quality is inconsistent, especially in later seasons. Some major plot threads feel rushed or abandoned, and certain character arcs disappoint.

Yu Yu Hakusho: Ghost Files1992

The spiritual ancestor of this whole archetype: rivals who become partners, supernatural investigations, escalating stakes, and a protagonist reluctantly discovering he's special. If you like Onmyouji, this is where it all comes from, and it's aged better than you'd expect.

But 90s animation and pacing will feel slow if you're used to modern anime. Early episodes are clunky, and it takes time to find its rhythm.

Carnival Row2019

Mismatched partners on a supernatural investigation, mystery-box plotting, and that particular flavour of banter where characters genuinely grow attached to each other through proximity and crisis. Quirky and unpredictable.

But Ends on an unresolved cliffhanger and never got a second season. If you need closure, this will frustrate you deeply.

Midnight Occult Civil Servants2019

Both are rooted in Japanese onmyouji folklore and exorcism traditions, but this one treats the mythology as real and tragic rather than as a playground for character romance.

Japanese supernatural fantasy with exorcism-adjacent mechanics and government-agency framework, but played entirely straight and melancholic. Gorgeously animated, genuinely eerie, and built on real Japanese folklore rather than anime conventions. Proof that this genre can be serious.

But Deeply sad and deliberately slow. There's almost no comedy, the action is sparse, and it luxuriates in dread rather than excitement. If you watch Onmyouji for fun, this is the opposite of fun.

Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song2021

Both pair mismatched protagonists through forced partnership into genuine friendship, and both use romantic tension as a secondary engine to the story rather than the primary one.

Doesn't look like it should have anything to do with Onmyouji—it's a time-travel story about an AI songstress saving humanity—but the narrative DNA is identical: two unlikely partners learning to trust each other through escalating crisis, banter masking genuine affection, and that specific anime alchemy where comedy and stakes coexist without cancelling each other out.

But The first few episodes are deliberately confusing and the time-travel logic gets complicated. If you need plot clarity before investing in characters, you'll lose patience.