Television series
The Eccentric Family
- Fantasy
- Strange
A Kyoto-set fantasy where tanuki, tengu, and humans collide in a city that runs on friendship, schemes, and the kind of absurdist logic only anime can pull off. Warm, funny, visually gorgeous, and propelled by genuine affection for its characters. For people who love comedy that surprises you and stories where the emotional core never wavers, no matter how silly things get.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you like shaggy, warm family comedy with a supernatural streak, where the jokes land in the middle of real grief and the Kyoto setting feels lived in.
Skip it if you want a plot that drives hard toward one answer, since this one ambles through episodic detours and gags across twenty-five episodes.
What it asks of you: Expect a leisurely rhythm: short episodes of about twenty-seven minutes, with the mood swinging between slapstick and quieter, sadder moments, so it asks patience more than attention.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Bungou Stray Dogs2016
Eccentric characters with supernatural gifts, set in a city where the impossible is mundane. It shares that tonal balance—laugh-out-loud funny one moment, genuinely moving the next, never letting you feel safe about where it's going.
But Action-heavy in ways The Eccentric Family isn't. If you prefer character comedy to supernatural battles, the middle arcs get exhausting.
Haibane Renmei2002
A small ensemble in a strange world, slowly uncovering the truth about themselves and their reality. It has that same patient, affectionate storytelling where humor and mystery coexist naturally.
But Much quieter and more contemplative. Fewer laugh-out-loud moments; it trades jokes for atmosphere and existential dread.
Natsume's Book of Friends2008
Tender, funny, and genuinely moving. A young man reconnects with the supernatural world his grandmother left behind. Same warmth, same commitment to making you care about a misfit family.
But Heavily episodic. Each story is gentle but slight; there's no overarching mystery or tension to pull you through.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Eccentric Family
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Yasuke2021
Both use supernatural fantasy settings as a framework for exploring loyalty, family, and what people owe each other. Both refuse simple answers. Both make Kyoto/Japan feel like a character.
An anime that ditches the usual playbook—minimalist, formally bold, built on mood and motion rather than plot. A Black samurai navigates a fantastical Japan alongside an enigmatic child. It trusts you to piece things together.
But Deliberately obscure and fragmented. Plot barely exists; if you need clear narrative structure, this will infuriate you. Also only four episodes.
More like this (7)
March comes in like a lion2016
A solitary person finds belonging in an unexpected family. The humor is quieter but just as real, and the character arcs feel earned. Visually stunning in completely different ways.
But Slower pacing. It meanders through slice-of-life moments. If you want plot momentum, this will frustrate you.
Mob Psycho 1002016
Cheerful weirdness, genuine heart, and a protagonist learning to navigate a world that's stranger than he expected. The comedy lands because the characters feel real, not because they're trying.
But The anime style is deliberately crude and exaggerated in ways that can feel jarring. Some viewers find it ugly.
Sora yori mo Tooi Basho A Story that leads to the Antarctica2018
Four girls on a mission, building their own family as they go. Warm, funny, and absolutely committed to showing why these friendships matter. Excellent tonal whiplash between comedy and genuine stakes.
But Very earnest. If sincerity without irony makes you uncomfortable, the emotional beats will feel saccharine.
Carole & Tuesday2019
Two young musicians find each other and build a life on Mars. Fantasy setting, ensemble feel, and a real commitment to showing why these people matter to each other. Pretty to watch and surprisingly touching.
But Uneven middle section. It meanders badly around episode six or seven and never quite finds its footing again.
Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!2020
Three art students building something together from nothing. Joyful, funny, and full of genuine affection for its characters. The animation celebrates creativity the way The Eccentric Family celebrates Kyoto.
But Very inside-baseball about anime production. If you don't care about the craft or the references, it feels self-indulgent.
Night Is Short, Walk On Girl2017
Both love Kyoto obsessively and find magic in its ordinary spaces. Both understand that the real story is about connection—the specific way people choose each other and refuse to let go.
A Masaaki Yuasa film—so visually inventive you can pause almost any frame and hang it on a wall. A young woman and the boy who loves her move through a Kyoto night that bends and warps around them. Dizzyingly joyful.
But Purely a sensory experience. There's almost no plot. If you watch anime for story, this is pointless prettiness masquerading as art.
Liz and the Blue Bird2018
Both understand that family and love aren't always romantic, and that the deepest bonds sometimes involve letting people go. Both trust silence. Both are far more interested in how people *look at each other* than in what they do.
A 90-minute film about two girls in a school band, and how quietly devastating it can be when people grow into different shapes. Animation that feels like watercolor. Heartbreaking and honest about how love can outlast romance.
But Nothing happens. Two girls rehearse, think about each other, and eventually part ways. If you need plot, this is glacial. Also punishingly sad.
People
Cast
Recommended by
Ascendance of a Bookworm: I'll Do Anything to Become a Librarian!, Arakawa Under the Bridge, Tsuritama