WandaVision is the first of many highly anticipated Marvel television series to begin streaming, and halfway through, it’s already captured the imaginations of people all over the world. After a whirlwind release of two episodes at once that left everyone scratching their heads and theorising, WandaVision has slowly begun to reward its viewers with little glimpses of the truth as it heads towards its climax.
To say WandaVision is unique is an understatement. When we at Honey’s sat down to try to think of some anime to compare it to, it was a challenge. WandaVision brings its viewers on an emotional roller coaster ride nearly every episode, delivering laughs, tears, and chills. Instead of trying to find an anime that was exactly the same, we focused on finding anime that embody the things that make WandaVision special or have parallels to its plot points.
Be warned that spoilers for the first five episodes of WandaVision are beyond this point.
Similar Anime to WandaVision
1. Hal (2013)
- Episodes: 1
- Aired: Jun. 2013
Kurumi and her boyfriend Hal are in love in Hal - and then tragedy strikes, and Hal dies. Kurumi sinks into a dark depression until help comes in an unexpected way. An android Q01 comes to help her grandfather, and he has Hal’s appearance! At first, Kurumi is reluctant to open herself up to this new Hal, but eventually, he helps to lift her from her depression. But can a relationship between a human and an android ever really work?
Even before WandaVision, Wanda and Vision’s relationship has always been one asking the question of whether a human and an android of sorts can have a relationship, and what struggles they face along the way. Hal has the same central idea, so it's great for people who are interested in that kind of sci-fi romance. Hal is also a lot like WandaVision because the main character cannot deal with the death of her lover, and finds a replacement for them that they will eventually have to face the reality of and deal with the consequences.
2. Brave Story (2006)
- Episodes: 1
- Aired: Jul. 2006
Brave Story follows an 11-year-old boy named Wataru who is dealing with a lot of heartache - his father and mother are separating, which has driven his mother to try to commit suicide. Wataru believes that he has a chance to change his dark fate by travelling to a magical world called Vision, which he discovered by chance. Wataru must travel through Vision collecting five magic gemstones which the Goddess of the land will use to grant him one wish.
Brave Story is about one boy’s journey to try to change his destiny when he feels that life has treated him unfairly - much like WandaVision is Wanda’s journey to do the same thing. In both stories, the main character is helped along the way by friends and chance encounters, and eventually has to come to terms with reality and themselves, too. Both Wanda and Wataru are desperately doing anything they can to change their fate, and both have resorted to a magical world to do it. Will they both have the same outcome, too?
3. Honobono Log (2016)
- Episodes: 10
- Aired: Jun. 2016
Honobono Log is a series of one-shot episodes that follow couples or families through short stories. The episodes are meant to be relatable to real people, using familiar situations and emotions to tell their stories. Honobono Log focuses on the best and worst parts of being in a relationship and having a family, showing all sides of this part of real life in a romanticised way.
If you love how WandaVision makes you feel nostalgic for old family and romance sitcoms from decades past, Honobono Log is the one for you. While it doesn’t play around with decades the way WandaVision does, it sets up familiar scenes from real relationships and families for the viewer to enjoy. The episodes are short, but some will make you laugh, others make you cry, and others still make you nod and think, yes, that’s exactly what it's like to be married or have children!
4. Hoshi wo Ou Kodomo (Children Who Chase Lost Voices) (2004)
- Episodes: 1
- Aired: May 2011
Asuna Watase is a busy student in Children Who Chase Lost Voices. She excels at both her schoolwork and taking care of her household. She seeks solace in listening to an old radio in her mountain hide-out, which keeps her going even when life is tough. Then one day, she tunes into a mysterious, sad-sounding song on the radio unlike anything she has heard before. Shortly thereafter, Asuna meets a strange boy named Shun who saves her from a strange creature, claiming to be from a country called Agartha. The problem is, Agartha is the Land of the Dead. Asuna ends up on a journey to this magical land, and her world will never be the same.
Children Who Chase Lost Voices has great parallels with WandaVision. The story is driven by themes of grief, loss, and longing to return what has been taken away. Asuna ends up in Agartha when her teacher thinks he can bring his dead wife back to life, much like how Wanda creates Westview in hopes of bringing Vision back to her. If these themes are what keep you hooked on WandaVision, Children Who Chase Lost Voices uses the same feelings to tell a beautiful and unforgettable story. Oh, and it also makes use of an old radio as a bridge between the two worlds - just like WandaVision!
Final Thoughts
If you are looking for something to watch every week while you wait for the next episode of WandaVision , we hope these anime help ease the pain a little bit! Like we said, there aren’t any anime exactly like WandaVision, but we feel these anime share similar themes and emotions. Whether it’s the relationship, the humour, the way loss is dealt with, or something else that has you tuning into WandaVision every week, there’s at least one anime out there with something similar. Happy watching!
Are you going to watch any of these anime now? Do you think we missed one that would be a better comparison to WandaVision? Let us know in the comments!
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