Summary

  • Like Fairy Tail, Rave Master features quirky characters and magical adventures in a quest to save their world.
  • Edens Zero, by the creator of Fairy Tail, offers a darker story with humor, space exploration, and loyal friendships.
  • Gintama's eccentric characters blend comedy and action with a transformation from comedy to classic battle shonen.

Fairy Tail is a fairly famous action anime. The series has everything a battle shonen fan could ever want: powerful protagonists who manage to clutch a win, quirky characters with unique abilities, a smidgen of romance, and, of course, the power of friendship.

Split image of Acnologia smirking as he tortures Natsu and Minerva sadistically attacking Lucy in Fairy Tail
Fairy Tail: 10 Most Disturbing Things That Happen in the Anime

Fairy Tail is renowned for its jovial tone, but even this series has its off-putting moments.

Ever since the original show's finale in 2019, though, a Natsu-sized hole has steadily formed in the hearts of many viewers. Luckily, a good deal of anime like Fairy Tail are available on streaming platforms like Crunchyroll, ones that are more than capable of providing laughs and wacky misadventures in abundance.

Updated on July 28, 2024 by Mark Sammut: The Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest has aired a couple of episodes, and it is shaping up to be among Summer 2024's best anime. While waiting for new episodes to be released, fans should check out some anime similar to Fairy Tail.

Rave Master

Hiro Mashima's Pre-Fairy Tail Manga

Rave Master
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Release Date
October 13, 2001

Rave Master is an adventure anime and like Fairy Tail, has many quirky characters. Haru Glory is a sixteen-year-old boy living an ordinary life on Garage Island before accidentally fishing up Plue, a special guardian dog. Fairy Tail f ans may recognize Plue as one of Lucy Heartfillia’s Celestial Spirits, as Rave Master is made by the same creator.

The first Rave Master, Shiba, then appears and tells Haru that he is his successor, and entrusts Plue and the Ten Commandments sword to him. Haru sets off on a quest to defeat the powerful Demon Card organization wreaking havoc on Garage Island and find the missing Rave stones to ensure they don't fall into the wrong hands.

Edens Zero

More Than Just Fairy Tail In Space

Edens Zero
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Release Date
April 11, 2021
Streaming Service(s)

Edens Zero focuses on Rebecca Bluegarden and her robotic cat companion, Happy. Made by Fairy Tail’s creator, anime fans may recognize Happy as Natsu’s cat companion. However, in Edens Zero, he has been reimagined as an alien cat android. Rebecca and Happy come across Shiki Granbell, the sole human on the robot-inhabited planet Granbell. The trio set out to explore the universe in search of Mother, the fabled goddess of the universe. Shiki acquires and pilots the spaceship called Edens Zero, and so begins their interstellar adventure.

While sharing many similarities with Fairy Tail, Edens Zero tells an overall darker story, particularly in season two. The main characters face significant setbacks that test their skills and relationships, more so than is typical in Fairy Tail. Otherwise, the shows are very close in terms of art style, fight sequences, and humor.

Gintama

An Epic Comedy With Great Action

Gintama
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Release Date
April 4, 2006
MyAnimeList Score
8.93 (Season 1)
Studio
Sunrise, Bandai Namco Pictures
Number of Episodes
367
Creator
Hideaki Sorachi
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll, Hulu

Gintama features many eccentric characters and is known for its comedic value. It is set in a world where humanity has been conquered by an alien race called Amantano. The series specifically focuses on the eccentric samurai freelancer Gintoki Sakta, along with his two main companions, Shinpachi and an alien teenage girl named Kagura.

Gintama Running Gags Feature Image
Gintama: 10 Funniest Running Gags, Ranked

The Gintama series is full of hilarious jokes, but these famous running gags are without a doubt the funniest in the show.

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Together, they run a business that takes on all sorts of cases, and chaos naturally ensues. As the story progresses, the hilarious trio band together with friends and enemies alike to stop an even greater foe, the immortal Utsuro, who wants to destroy the Earth. Gintama starts as a full-blown comedy but eventually transforms into a classic battle shonen with occasional gags.

KonoSuba: God's Blessing On This Wonderful World!

A Dysfunctional Party

KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World!
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Comfortably among the funniest isekai anime of all time, KonoSuba is very different from Fairy Tail in many ways, while still delivering an experience that can scratch a similar itch. While prioritizing action, the shonen series loves a bit of banter and humor; consequently, anyone who wants something akin to the latter owes it to themselves to check KonoSuba.

The series follows Kazuma, a guy who is reincarnated into a new world alongside a rather arrogant goddess. After signing up for an adventurer guild, the two "heroes" eventually build a party consisting of lovable troublemakers. All these characters would fit into Fairy Tail, even if they might be slightly too chaotic even for that guild of misfits.

While mostly known as a light novel, KonoSuba has a shonen manga as well.

Magi

Magic & Adventure

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
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Release Date
October 7, 2012
MyAnimeList Score
8.01 (The Labyrinth of Magic)
Studio
A-1 Pictures
Number of Episodes
49
Creator
Shinobu Ohtaka
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll, Funimation

Producing two full seasons, The Labyrinth of Magic and The Kingdom of Magic, and a spin-off, Adventure of Sinbad, Magi was a big deal for most of the 2010s. Nowadays, the anime has faded from the public consciousness, and a sequel does not seem to be on the cards despite there being a lot of manga content left to adapt. Even though the story is incomplete, Magi is nevertheless worth a watch, particularly for people who are yearning for a fantasy show that focuses heavily on magic.

Incorporating literary figures like Aladdin, Sinbad, and Alibaba, Magi blends humor, action, and drama to a satisfying degree. Similar to Fairy Tail, this shonen series emphasizes the bonds between its main characters, and their friendships serve as the story's heart.

Reborn!

Underappreciated Battle Shonen Anime With Fire-Powered Protagonist

Reborn!
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Release Date
October 7, 2006
MyAnimeList Score
8.12
Japanese Title
Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Div
Studio
Artland
Number of Episodes
203
Creator
Akira Amano
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll, Hulu, Pluto TV, Amazon Freevee

Popular for its time but somewhat forgotten in this day and age, Reborn! Delivers 200 episodes of mostly awesome battle shonen goodness. The anime has a notoriously slow start that might put off a lot of people, but the first 20 episodes are not reflective of the rest of the series. Honestly, newcomers should watch the opening episode and then jump forward to the first major arc. A quiet and fragile teenager, Tsuna's life is turned upside down when a hitman (baby) shows up and lets him know that he is the next leader of a mafia family. Also, he has fire-based powers that typically come with a notable personality change.

Reborn! And Fairy Tail share more in common than just fiery protagonists, as both shows center around found families who stick by each other through thick and thin. In Hiro Mashima's manga, this camaraderie comes in the form of guilds; meanwhile, in Reborn!, Tsuna fills the Vongola Family with his friends or even former enemies.

Black Clover

Guilds & Squads

Black Clover
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Release Date
October 3, 2017
MyAnimeList Score
8.14
Studio
Pierrot
Number of Episodes
170
Creator
Yūki Tabata
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix

Black Clover is the perfect anime for comedy fans. The story revolves around two orphans named Asta and Yuno. They both decide they want the title of Wizard King and compete against each other. At 15, Yuno received the rare four-leaf clover grimoire, while Asta received nothing. Despite his lack of magic, Asta eventually gains the five-leaf clover grimoire. Asta and Yuno embark on an adventure to excel in their magical prowess and become the next Wizard King.

Black-Clover-10-Best-Arcs
Black Clover: Every Arc, Ranked

Black Clover has different arcs covering different adventures. These are the best arcs to look out for.

Black Clover has a notoriously rough start due to some poor pacing and overwhelming voice acting; however, the show does eventually find its footing. Similar to Fairy Tail, the anime focuses a lot on emphasizing the camaraderie within a guild-style group, which are known as squads in Black Clover. The action is generally solid, and the characters get quite a bit of development throughout the series.

Blue Exorcist

A Demonic Flame

Blue Exorcist
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Release Date
April 17, 2011
MyAnimeList Score
7.48 (Season 1)
Japanese Title
Ao no Exorcist
Studio
A-1 Pictures, Studio VOLN
Creator
Kazue Kato
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll, Hulu

Blue Exorcist is a strange show. The 2011 season was huge and, generally, very good, but its latter half descended into filler territory as the anime caught up to the ongoing manga. Half a decade later, season 2 debuted and ignored its predecessor's filler material, which was confusing to anime-only viewers. While relatively successful, the sequel was nowhere near as inescapable as the original series. In Winter 2024, the third season hit the scene to a fairly muted reception, despite the actual content being largely on par with its immediate predecessor.

Despite struggling to maintain momentum in the last decade, Blue Exorcist is still a top-tier battle shonen anime with a unique religion-based setting that helps set it apart from many of its contemporaries. While not featuring guilds like Fairy Tail, the story focuses heavily on the budding friendships between the students at True Cross Academy. The protagonist, Rin, happens to be the son of Satan, which also means he uses fire-based attacks.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba

Top-Tier Fight Sequences

Demon Slayer
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Release Date
April 6, 2019
MyAnimeList Score
8.26 (Hashira Training Arc)
Japanese Title
Kimetsu no Yaiba
Studio
ufotable
Number of Episodes
63
Creator
Koyoharu Gotoge
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix

Demon Slayer has taken the world by storm over the last few years, especially since the anime's debut. It has tons of gore and action-packed scenes, as well as a touch of comedy, mixed together to create a recipe for an incredible shonen anime. Demons run Japan at night, devouring anyone unfortunate enough to cross their path. Tanjiro Kamado takes on the demons of the night as he tries to restore his little sister Nezuko’s humanity. With the help of a few fellow Demon Slayers and his Breathing-fighting Techniques, he begins to cleanse the world of the evil roaming in the dark.

By this point, Demon Slayer really needs no introduction as it is among the most popular anime of the last decade. While not quite as interested in crafting a sense of adventure as something like Fairy Tail, Demon Slayer's action is consistently brilliant, courtesy of ufotable's smooth animation.

Hunter x Hunter

Battle Shonen, But Different

Hunter x Hunter
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Release Date
October 16, 1999
Streaming Service(s)

Most shonen anime typically feature a protagonist with dreams that seem almost insurmountable. This is the case with Gon Freecss from Hunter x Hunter. Growing up on a small island, the optimistic kid decides to leave his home in order to become a Hunter, allowing him to walk in his father's footsteps. Once at the exam, Gon makes a few friends and one enemy who will play a huge part in shaping his future.

Alluka, Killua, and Canary in Hunter x Hunter
Hunter x Hunter: Killua's Best Friends, Ranked

Killua's cold and reserved demeanor hasn't stopped him from making a handful of very close friends.

Although starting like a relatively by-the-numbers battle shonen story, Hunter x Hunter eventually morphs into something a bit different. While still technically the protagonist, multiple arcs push Gon to the side, establishing that the boy is far from the strongest or most important person in this world.