6 Anime Like Gugure! Kokkuri-san [Recommendations]

Have you ever met a person who seemed to have a heart of stone? Or maybe you would consider yourself as one of those people? Either way, we all know that even in the coldest and most reserved people there still lies some emotion. But you haven't met Kohina Ichimatsu yet: a little girl who seemingly lives her everyday life without any emotions or feelings whatsoever. It has even come to the point where she calls herself an “emotionless doll”.

This is not your typical supernatural anime, with Kohina having her unusual ability and our second protagonist, Kokkuri-san, following her around and trying to take care of her (because apparently you can't eat instant ramen noodles every day). We also experience their relationship developing as Kokkuri-san becomes not only an everyday caretaker for Kohina but also a father figure, which will be one of the similarities we will find between these characters and the characters from the following anime. We’ll also be featuring anime that share the same lighthearted and family friendly humor as this one. So, if you enjoyed Gugure! Kokkuri-san, fear not, there's more! Here are 6 Anime similar to Gugure! Kokkuri-san:


Similar Anime to Gugure! Kokkuri-san

1. Barakamon

  • Episodes: 12
  • Aired: Jul 2014 – Sep 2014

The story revolves around Seishuu Handa, a young and talented calligrapher who seems to be everything a guy wants and dreams to be. Unfortunately, he tends to show off his handsome face and amazing talent a little too much, which leads him to not being able to accept criticism very well. So, when the director of the calligraphy gallery describes his calligraphy as “plain dull”, he immediately freaks out and loses control of himself with serious consequences.

His father thinks it's best for him to take some time off on the Goto Islands – a place without the convenient and easy lifestyle he's used to living in Tokyo. But it turns out to be even harder than he expected with Naru Kotoishi and the other children from the neighborhood bursting into his home every single day. It turns out the Goto Islands aren't as peaceful as he expected them to be...

You can find similarities in the characters and character development of both anime. For example, Gugure! Kokkuri-san focuses on Kokkuri-san turning into a father figure for Kohina – Barakamon tends to follow the same track, even if it takes a few more episodes until you notice it. The innocent and light-hearted humor is also pretty similar.


2. Kamisama Hajimemashita (Kamisama Kiss)

  • Episodes: 13
  • Aired: Oct 2012 – Dec 2012

Nanami Momozono has had a terrible fate of being kicked out of her own home because her father didn't pay off the high debt he accrued from gambling all day. She's forced to find a way to survive with only the things she's wearing and a small bag, until one day her life seems to change completely. Ever heard the saying “from dishwasher to millionaire”? Well, in this case, we can say “from homeless to Goddess”, because that's exactly what happened. One night, she was left with the gift of being a God to the people who prayed to her.

But being a God sounds cooler than it is. While her shrine gives her a place where she can finally sleep and live, it is also her responsibility to take care of it and listen to all the daily incoming prayers of the people. And on top of that, Tomoe, a fox ghost who is supposed to be the servant of the God, refuses to accept Nanami, a human, as the new God of the shrine. But when Nanami decides to sign a contract with Tomoe under certain circumstances, they now have to force themselves to work together to keep the shrine in shape.

Gugure! Kokkuri-san and Kamisama Kiss have a lot of similarities, with one being the supernatural aspect (both revolve around the “God” theme). Also, both anime follow the relationship between a young girl and an older male fox ghost in a non-romantic way, where the older male develops protective feelings towards the female. There is also comedy involved in both anime.

Kamisama Hajimemashita PV


3. Himouto! Umaru-chan

  • Episodes: 12
  • Aired: Jul 2015 – Sep 2015

We probably all wondered once what the daily life of a popular high school girl is like outside of school, and now we can take a look at Umaru Doma – the definition of a “perfect girl”. But is she really that perfect?

At school, she seems to be the flawless student who only aces her tests. But once we follow her home, the seemingly perfect girl turns into a lazy couch potato who stuffs herself with chips and cola while playing video games until it's bedtime. The only person who's allowed to see this other side of her is her older brother Taihei, who is the complete opposite of Umaru – he is the responsible one at home and the only one who takes care of the household in their little apartment. Umaru doesn't care a bit about the household and lives her second life as a hidden otaku happily, but as soon as new friends and neighbors get involved, her hiding skills are put to the test.

Just like Gugure! Kokkuri-san, Himouto! Umaru-chan follows the life of the older male character becoming the caretaker of his younger female companion, who has an extraordinary personality, which makes the entire story more entertaining.

Himouto! Umaru-chan Trailer



Any Anime Like Gugure! Kokkuri-san ?

4. Hoozuki no Reitetsu (Hozuki's Coolheadedness)

  • Episodes: 13
  • Aired: Jan 2014 – Apr 2014

Have you ever wondered how “Hell” actually works? I mean, it's not like you're just thrown in there and that's is, right? At least that's not the case in Hoozuki no Reitetsu – the anime that shows Hell from a whole other side. We have the King of Hell, Lord Enma, who seems to be overwhelmed with all the work his kingdom gives him. But fortunately, he has Hoozuki, who works as his backstage support. And thanks to him taking care of the management and employees of a huge business like Hell, it's still rolling.

Hoozuki no Reitetsu follows a similar topic as Gugure! Kokkuri-san as far as Japanese tradition and religion go. They also share a similar style of humor, so if you found one of them funny you'll most likely think the same about the other one as well.

Hoozuki's Coolheadedness Trailer


5. Inu x Boku SS (Inu x Boku Secret Service)

  • Episodes: 12
  • Aired: Jan 2012 – Mar 2012

This anime follows Ririchiyo Shirakiin, the daughter of a well-known and prominent family, who has been cared for and protected her entire life. But now she wants to change that – only being 15 years old, she decides to move to an apartment in “Maison de Ayakashi”, a complex with the highest security she could find. This is supposed to be her first step towards becoming independent.

Unfortunately, her family won't let her off that easily and decide to hire a Secret Service Agent without Ririchiyo's knowledge. So, from now on she has an incredibly attractive bodyguard who takes care of her and protects her all day, every day. And on top of that, her social skills don't make it much easier to live on her own – she tends to say the wrong things in certain situations and talks down to most people she interacts with, which makes a conversation with her pretty tiring. Watch her trying to deal with life while being followed by an overly attached Secret Service Agent and dealing with her bizarre neighbors in Maison de Ayakashi..

Much like Gugure! Kokkuri-san, Hoozuki no Reitetsu focuses on a male character supporting and protecting an extraordinary young female character while they have to deal with the most bizarre situations, which also brings some lighthearted comedy on the side.


6. Kuma Miko (Kumamiko: Girl Meets Bear)

  • Episodes: 12
  • Aired: Apr 2016 – Jun 2016

Kuma Miko follows Machi Amayadori, a young girl who has known nothing else but her life on top of the mountains taking care of a shrine with Natsu, her fellow companion and guardian who also happens to be a talking bear (what else would you expect from an anime?). But now that Machi has gotten older, she wants to try out something new – her goal is to step out of her comfort zone and attend high school in a bigger city. And now it's Natsu's job to get her ready for her new life as a city girl. The only question is: is he able to prepare her well enough?

Kuma Miko is about a young girl, who lives alone, and a non-human that is supposed to function as a supporter and a caretaker, much like Gugure! Kokkuri-san. They both also share Japanese cultural and religious backgrounds and focus on the humor in the strange situations the characters experience.


Final Thoughts

Although there are so many anime out there that differ from each other, you will always come across similarities between some of the series. But this doesn't have to be a bad thing; since nobody ever wants their favorite anime to end, we can use the similarities of each show to find something we enjoy almost as much as the one before. So, if you ever feel like something similar to Gugure! Kokkuri-san, make sure to check out these 6 anime first!
Which anime is your favorite from this list? Comment below!

by Daziigirl