When Hitohito Tadano first lays eyes on Komi Shouko, he thought the same thing as most of his fellow classmates. Komi is absolutely stunning with beautiful hair and a stride many girls her age pray to the gods for. However, Hitohito quickly learns that while she might be popular and gorgeous, Komi lacks almost any ability to communicate with others. These two are about to have a special event occur that will lead them headlong into a strange battle to help Komi break out of her anxiety and social issues.

You won’t be hated if Komi Can’t Communicate flew under your radar last fall 2021. While it was airing episodically on Netflix, Komi Can’t Communicate was still passed up for a plethora of other Netflix greats and kind of became a hidden gem. Like Aharen-san wa Hakarenai, Komi Can’t Communicate follows two friends who end up forming a strange union that makes their daily lives quite silly but also semi-relatable for those who suffer anxiety attacks and social ineptitudes. If you’re loving the cuteness and comedy seen in Aharen-san wa Hakarenai, you won’t want to miss Komi Can’t Communicate which is now on its second season as we’re writing this list!

Tanaka…he’s one listless young man. Capable of sleeping virtually in every position and every place, known to seemingly not care about anything, and prone to being super lazy, Tanaka can almost be considered having a superpower thanks to his ways of living. That’s why Tanaka’s biggest issue is with anyone or thing that tries to ruin his listless living style. Alongside his best friend—and personal body guard/carrier—Oota, Tanaka will try to be the best lazy student that ever existed!

Being lazy isn’t a bad thing as many of us can find ourselves just lazing about after a hard school/workday. Yet, Tanaka-kun is Always Listless shows an extreme form of being lazy that is absolutely ridiculous and silly. Tanaka-kun is Always Listless is almost an exact copy of Aharen-san just with a replaced two-man friend combo and you have the same series more or less.

Many wouldn’t be judged for fearing Sawako Kuronuma. Not only does her name sound strangely like the girl from The Ring but she also has her literal image with long black hair that almost entirely covers her face. Sadly, Sawako isn’t a ghost-like being but a normal high school girl who wants to have friends and be loved just like any other girl her age. That’s why when popular boy Shouta Kazehaya approaches her and befriends her she’s a bit taken aback. Is this boy her way to changing her entire life or is she reading too much into this new “friend”?

Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You needs little recommendation as many anime viewers who love romance dramas with slice of life elements usually have it on their “must watch” anime lists. Despite the more romantic focus, We put Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You on our 6 Anime Like Aharen-san wa Hakarenai list as we feel both series complement each other and show that being socially awkward and dealing with social issues can be examined from multiple perspectives in the anime world. Plus, we also really love Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You and think it’s a stellar series!

Dating when you’re working an office job is no easy challenge and what makes matters worse…is when you love anime and want to find an adult romance. Just look at Narumi Momose who is quite the cutie and is a die-hard anime/manga/otome/BL/cosplay fan. Narumi has unfortunately lost boyfriends due to them finding out her secret so when she enters the dating scene, she tries to hide that other side of her. Shockingly, Narumi ends up finding out that her childhood friend Hirotaka Nifuji works at the same office as her and despite being older, still loves video games and doesn’t try to hide it at all…even playing his handheld games at the office at the annoyance of some of his coworkers. Narumi and Hirotaka end up rekindling their friendship and even decide to try to date one another as they don’t have to hide their love! Can these two make a relationship work or will they learn just how hard it is for an otaku to fall in love!?

Being judged for liking anime has always been a challenge for us folks here at Honey’s Anime. While recently a surge of anime fans has begun to blossom worldwide, we still get the strange side glances when we watch an anime during a break at work or discuss a new episode with a fellow fan. That’s why just like how Aharen-san feels relatable to our high school lives, Wotakoi appeals to us as adults who can find love quite a challenge…almost like a side-quest that we keep missing some requirement to complete. If you’re looking for a more adult-themed series like Aharen-san, then we point you to Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku!

In the early 90s, arcades were booming, and getting that high score was more important than acing any school test! That is why sixth-grader Haruo Yaguchi focuses on trying to become a professional gamer despite the far-fetched dream in this day and age. Haruo is considered a great gamer to those who know of his feats locally—especially in games like Street Fighter 2—but a newcomer has entered the ring. Rich girl Akira Oono is able to quickly dispatch Haruo proving she’s not just a cute face. Despite the feelings he should be having for this girl, Haruo just cares about making her a rival and proving he can beat her in any game!

Many of us here at Honey’s Anime are 90s kids and we remember the days of arcades. While arcades still have a big scene in Japan, in the west they are kind of dying out and barely holding on sadly. Watching Hi Score Girl reminds us of when we’d spend quarters trying to beat various arcade games and dealing with the strange looks we’d get spending hours and hours at the local arcade. Hi Score Girl is quite similar to Aharen-san and is an easy series to binge, especially if you need that nostalgic itch fulfilled! Both series feature cute–but a bit odd–female protagonists and both anime examine the comedy that ensues when someone lacks the ability to properly show their emotions/actions.

The time has come! Yuuki Hase has always eyed Kaori Fujimiya with a desire to get closer to her by first becoming her friend. When Yuuki is able to accomplish getting close to Kaori, he finally thought he had a chance with his crush. Unfortunately, after a week passes, Kaori begins to ignore Yuuki despite the bond they were forming. Yuuki then learns that Kaori isn’t pushing him away deliberately but due to a middle school accident, Kaori forgets all of those she gets close to after one week! Despite the overwhelming odds stacked against him, Yuuki wants to be more than a friend with Kaori and enters the battle of becoming one-week friends…

Romantic at times, drama-filled in others, and a truly solid slice of life series, One Week Friends is another anime that echoes some themes from Aharen-san but in a more intensive way. Watching our main MC Yuuki endure being a “one-week friend” is tough but watching his conviction is also quite endearing! We always try to recommend One Week Friends to those who want something not usually talked about by everyone but we really think Aharen-san fans will dig this anime!