10 More Slice-of-Life Comedies To Check Out!
Hitori Gotou from Bocchi the Rock isn’t the first “Bocchi” to entertain anime fans. Hitoribocchi no Marumaruseikatsu’s Bocchi is just as comical and relatable as the beloved aspiring rockstar. This anime explores its protagonist’s struggle to make friends due to her having severe social anxiety. While it’s a simple premise, Hitoribocchi no Marumaruseikatsu handles its mental health subjects wonderfully, giving viewers a meaningful and entertaining product by the series’s conclusion.
Fear not if you’re having trouble finding anime similar to Hitoribocchi no Marumaruseikatsu! We’ve discovered 10 alternate shows that’ll give you a similar experience as Hitoribocchi no Marumaruseikatsu.
Additionally, for each anime we’ve reviewed, we’ve included a link that allows you to view our full thoughts about the series to see if it’s worth your time.
So without further ado, we present 10 TV shows/anime that should whet your appetite when you’ve finished streaming Hitoribocchi no Marumaruseikatsu!
Bocchi The Rock
Similarities – Characters, Slice of Life, Mental Health Awareness
Bocchi The Rock is a great comedy anime with a lovable cast and a fun storyline. It follows Hitori Gotou, a girl who wants to become an excellent musician. However, her severe social anxiety has prevented Hitori from reaching her goals. One day, she meets a girl named Nijika, who invites her to join her band called Kessoku Band. After a decent performance, Hitori earns the name Bocchi.
She must conquer her inner fears in hopes of helping her bandmates achieve their dreams. Like Hitoribocchi no Marumaruseikatsu, both anime revolves around two girls with identical names and their journey to overcome their personal issues to live fruitful lives. Bocchi will try her hardest to free herself of her social anxiety by getting a job, performing in concerts, and helping her band with marketing ideas.
Bocchi’s friends are just as supportive as the buddies Hitori has in Hitoribocchi no Marumaruseikatsu. They’ll give her great advice and will cheer her on when she’s feeling nervous or unsure about something. The humor is similar in both shows. You’ll witness our characters get into embarrassing situations and display hysterical reactions toward their circumstances. If you’re looking for an anime that gives you a deeper understanding of music and its industry, check out Bocchi The Rock.
You can read our thoughts on Bocchi The Rock in our full-season review here!
Komi Can’t Communicate
Similarities – Slice of Life, Characters, Comedy
Komi Can’t Communicate follows Tadano, a boy who craves a normal, problem-free high school experience. One day, he sits next to his school’s popular girl named Komi. Despite her popularity, Komi suffers from a communication disorder, but no one knows about it. After interacting with Tadano through a blackboard and asking him to help her make many friends, he vows to help Komi.
Like Bocchi, Komi’s a timid person but wants to make as many friends as possible. She’ll wind up in many humorous and embarrassing situations that will make her goal challenging to obtain. Nevertheless, Komi will try her hardest to achieve her goals, motivating viewers who struggle with issues akin to hers. Unlike Hitori though, Komi’s more popular, giving her a slight advantage.
Nevertheless, both anime feature great side characters. They have great personalities, motives, and backgrounds to make them feel as memorable and interesting to examine as our female leads. If you’re after an anime with another girl who struggles to make friends, check out Komi Can’t Communicate.
WataMote
Similarities – Slice of Life, Characters, Comedy
WataMote is a hilarious anime that aired in 2013 that many people still want another season of. Its protagonist Tomoko suffers from social anxiety, low self-esteem, and loneliness. She wants to become popular and make friends like Bocchi from Hitoribocchi no Marumaruseikatsu. Unlike Bocchi, Tomoko’s methods are more extreme, weird, and somewhat embarrassing.
Tomoko also comes across as slightly perverted, especially toward her old middle school friend Yuu. While some may not Tomoko’s approach to obtaining popularity and friendship, others will find her attempts funny and somewhat relatable. Yuu and the other side characters receive minimal development but serve their roles well. If you’re looking for an anime that’s more of a dark comedy in contrast to Hitoribocchi no Marumaruseikatsu’s lighthearted approach, check out WataMote.
Slow Start
Similarities – Slice of Life & Characters
Slow Start is another “cute girls doing cute things” type of anime with an intruiging lead character. Our story centers around Hana, a 17-year-old high school student whose introverted, insecure, and time. She must attend a new school as a “slow start,” meaning she’ll be attending classes with younger students because she missed a year of school.
After her teacher introduces her to the class, Hana meets three girls named Tamate, Kanmuri, and Eiko. Her relationship with these three will kickstart Hana’s journey to a better life. Like Hitoribocchi no Marumaruseikatsu, Slow Start examines Hana’s struggles to fit in with her class and make friends. Hana’s issues are severe to the point that she always leans toward the worst-case scenario.
Yet, through her interactions with her peers, she’ll learn to think more positively and be able to interact with folks on meaningful levels. Slow Start places Hana in significant circumstances that’ll help her conquer her inner demons and fears. Like Bocchi, you’ll be pleased with Hana’s journey to becoming a more optimistic and happier individual. Give this anime a shot if you’re after another “moe” anime with a well-written lead protagonist and excellent portrayal of social fears.
Non Non Biyori
Similarities – Slice of Life
For those who want a pure slice-of-life anime with less comedy, Non Non Biyori’s worth your time. It features a glorious natural environment, enjoyable protagonists, and a heartwarming storyline. Our story is set in Asashigaoka Village and we follow Hotaru, a girl who just moved to the village with her family. She embraces her new lifestyle and makes new friends.
The anime highlights Hotaru and her companion’s adventures around the village. Like Hitoribocchi no Marumaruseikatsu, this anime features a female-dominant cast who participate in many relatable activities. Viewers will grow attached to the cast by watching them explore their surroundings and tightening their bond as friends. Therefore, this anime delivers an excellent portrayal of friendship.
Both anime will also make you appreciate the small things in life. Whether it be Hitori engaging with people outside her social circle or Hotaru participating in outdoor activities with Renge, Komari, and Natsumi, you’ll walk away satisfied with both friend groups. On top of having subtle moments that’ll tug at your heartstrings, Non Non Biyori is a great series to watch if you need to relax.
Aharen-san wa Hakarenai
Similarities – Comedy & Setting
Ahren-san was Hakarenai is a fun romantic comedy that’ll make you laugh hysterically. It revolves around the rocky friendship between high school students Raido and Reina. Reina has issues gauging people’s personal space, making it hard for her to approach people properly. Nevertheless, Raido will try his best to befriend this quirky girl.
As one can tell, Aharen has her own set of issues that makes it difficult for her to be around people like Bocchi. Many people will relate to Aharen’s struggles with making friends since social anxiety is challenging to cope with. Nonetheless, both anime emphasizes why establishing strong connections with people is essential in helping one grow.
Hitori and Aharen will strive to make friends and become more approachable as their series progress. Their efforts will elicit a joyous response from audiences as they’ll be satisfied seeing them break free from their comfortable barriers. Both anime have absurd and over-the-top humor. From wonderful facial expressions to quirky scenarios, you’ll find yourself smiling through both shows.
Do It Yourself!!
Similarities – Slice of Life & Setting
Fall 2022 was a stacked season full of hits and under-the-radar gems. Unfortunately, Do It Yourself! was one of those anime that leans heavily toward the latter’s spectrum. This anime contains charming slice-of-life scenarios, fun characters, and a gorgeous visual style. It follows two friends named Serufu and Purin who get accepted into different schools which drives a wedge into their friendship.
Serufu gets into a bike accident one day and her classmate Rei fixes her bike. Serufu learns their school’s Do-It-Yourself Club is in danger of closing because it lacks members. Serufu joins the club and hopes to rebuild it from the ground up to repair her relationship with Purin. As she recruits new members, Serufu learns how to build something grander than simple knickknacks. Like Hitoribocchi no Marumaruseikatsu, Do It Yourself features down-to-earth and relatable characters who face real problems and struggles.
Serufu will struggle to balance her passion for DIY projects and school tasks. Similarly, Bocchi struggles to overcome her social anxiety and make friends. Furthermore, these shows highlight the significance of having impenetrable support systems. Hitori and Serufu will gain support from the new people they meet along the way, making them feel proud and better about themselves. In addition to having an uplifting tone, Do It Yourself is a slice-of-life anime you should check out.
Akebi’s Sailor Uniform
Similarities – Slice of Life & Setting
Akebi’s Sailor Uniform is a well-animated slice-of-life anime that aired early last year that got some buzz in the anime community. It follows Akebi, a girl who loves wearing her sailor uniform in middle school. We spend most of the anime examining Akebi and her friends’ daily lives. Like Bocchi, Akebi doesn’t start school with many friends and desires to befriend as many people as possible.
The only thing is Akebi’s not as socially anxious as Bocchi. She quickly becomes her school’s idol due to her vivacious energy and positive attitude. Both characters even befriend blond-haired protagonists who have similar personalities. You’ll see Akebi undergo some school-themed struggles as Bocchi does, giving folks reasons to connect with her. If you’re searching for another cozy anime with superb animation and fun characters, give Akebi’s Sailor Uniform a watch.
Comic Girls
Similarities – Slice of Life & Comedy
Comic Girls is a slice-of-life comedy that’d appeal to many aspiring graphic artists and story writers. In it, we follow four aspiring manga artists named Kaoruko, Ruki, Koyume, and Tsubasa. All four girls are interested in different genres and have clashing personalities that help them feel memorable. For instance, Tsubasa loves writing shonen stories while Ruki’s a fan of erotic manga.
Like Hitori, Kaoruko learns how building strong connections with people can lead her toward a happier life. Hitoribocchi no Marumaruseikatsu and Comic Girls also touch upon themes like self-discovery and personal growth. Although her friends know what route they want to take in their artistic endeavors, they’ll all need to work on a specific aspect of themselves to become better artists.
While it all sounds serious, Comic Girls can be just as humorous as Hitoribocchi no Marumaruseikatsu. Comic Girls is filled with many amusing facial expressions, witty jokes, and one-liners that will elicit laughter from the audience. If you’re looking for an anime with a tighter focus on the manga industry though, I’d recommend watching Comic Girls.
Hinamatsuri
Similarities – Tone, Comedy, Characters
Hinamatsuri is another anime known for its humor, heartwarming moments, and relatable characters. This is another series that revolves around a group of characters who form close relationships through their interactions with one another. In Hitoribocchi no Marumaruseikatsu, Bocchi focuses her efforts on befriending her classmates and being sociable.
On the other hand, Hinamatsuri examines the connection between a yakuza member named Nitta and a supernatural female named Hina. Furthermore, both anime places a strong emphasis on comedy and absurd situations. The humor stems from the characters’ unique personalities and the unexpected situations they find themselves in.
Lastly, both anime touch upon concepts like personal growth and self-improvement. Bocchi learns how to overcome her shyness by making new friends, while Nitta learns to be a better person by accepting responsibility for his actions. He’ll do so by developing a pleasant relationship with Hina. By analyzing their journeys, you’ll garner the strength necessary to defeat great challenges.
So there we have it, our 10 anime/TV show alternatives to watch when you’ve caught up with Hitoribocchi no Marumaruseikatsu!
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!