Television series

Working!!

Name: Working!!
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Anime
Released: 2010
Cast: Saki Fujita, Ryou Hirohashi, Shizuka Itou, Momoko Saitou, Ryoko Shiraishi

Comedy
Light-hearted

Working!! is a charming workplace comedy about the chaos and camaraderie at a family restaurant in Tokyo. It balances absurdist humour—characters with ridiculous phobias and quirks—with genuine warmth and slow-burn romantic tension. Perfect for anyone who loves ensemble comedy that sneaks in real heart between the jokes.

TVMaze rating

3.6

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you want a workplace comedy built on a cast of eccentric coworkers, where the kitchen-and-counter chaos and slow-building crushes matter as much as the gags.

Skip it if you need a plot that moves forward, since this is episodic sketch-style comedy where each episode mostly resets, and the running jokes can feel repetitive over fifty-odd episodes.

What it asks of you: Mostly an easy half-hour a night, with no need for sustained attention; it runs in a steady, bright rhythm and stays light even when the romances tug at it.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Toradora!2008

Same director, same gift for blending comedy with authentic character growth. A high school romance that earns its emotional beats through comedy rather than melodrama, with an ensemble you genuinely care about.

But The central premise—two students fake-dating—has been done to death. If you're tired of that trope, this won't convert you.

Мажор2014

Rural school life instead of a restaurant, but identical DNA: quirky characters, workplace comedy, romance simmering underneath. Both find humour in the mundane and beauty in ordinary friendships.

But Slower pacing and more introspective. If you want Working!!'s quick-fire jokes every scene, this is more contemplative.

Barakamon2014

Island life replaces restaurant life, but the formula holds: eccentric characters, slice-of-life comedy, genuine emotional depth. Discovers pathos without ever losing its lightness of touch.

But More sentimental, less romantic subplot. The found-family angle dominates over shipping.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Working!!

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Midnight Occult Civil Servants2019

Both are ensemble workplace stories where character chemistry matters more than plot, and where humour and heart emerge from how people treat each other under pressure.

Four bureaucrats investigate supernatural incidents. Same slow-burn ensemble chemistry, same gift for finding comedy and humanity in regular people doing odd work. Completely different tone—darker, weirder—but identical structural soul.

But Genuinely unsettling horror elements. Trades Working!!'s lightness for genuine dread. Not a comfort watch.

Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!2012

Same warmth and character detail. A high schooler and a girl with chuunibyou (delusion syndrome) build a relationship that's funny, touching, and never feels forced. Nails the mix Working!! perfects.

But Heavier on romance, lighter on workplace comedy. If you loved Working!! for its restaurant setting specifically, the school setting won't scratch that itch.

Hataraku Maou-sama!2013

A demon king working fast food instead of a family restaurant. Same energy: workplace chaos, supernatural characters trying normal jobs, chemistry between a fractious cast. Hilarious and surprisingly touching.

But More fantastical premise means less grounded humour. The setting is less central to the story than it is in Working!!.

Servant x Service2013

Bureaucratic office instead of restaurant, but the same love of ensemble comedy and romance building through proximity. Workplace comedy that actually gets procedural details funny.

But Less eccentric characters, more sitcom-like structure. If you loved Working!!'s weirder cast members, this feels more conventional.

Kamichu2005

Slice-of-life school comedy where a girl becomes a god. Supremely gentle, weird in the best ways, stuffed with small character moments that add up to something warm and real.

But No romance subplot at all. Purely found-family comedy. If romance matters to you, this has none.

Hanasaku Iroha2011

A girl works at a hot spring inn with a sprawling cast of eccentrics. Beautifully animated slice-of-life that balances comedy with genuine coming-of-age weight, and romance that actually lands.

But More dramatic and painterly. Longer episodes and a more serious overall tone than Working!!'s lighter touch.

Natsume's Book of Friends2008

Both use ensemble casts and episodic structure to explore loneliness and belonging. Both believe small kindnesses matter more than grand gestures.

A boy can see spirits and helps them. Episodic, gentle, and devastatingly kind. Each episode is a small character study that finds profound emotion in quiet moments. Completely different genre, identical emotional frequency.

But Melancholic and introspective where Working!! is comedic. Long stretches with no jokes. Requires patience and emotional openness.

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu2016

Both are ensemble pieces where character detail and human connection are the entire point. Both treat work—restaurant service, rakugo—as a vehicle for exploring who people really are.

A retired rakugo storyteller mentors a young man. Character-driven, gorgeously written, and funny without being a comedy. About tradition, craft, and the people you meet through work. Masterful.

But Slow, literary, and deeply melancholic. Almost no plot. If you want entertainment momentum, this is sedative rather than stimulant.