Once in a while, everyone needs a good laugh, and anime has been tickling funny bones for decades by this point. So far, the current decade has not been an exception, with each season including at least a few shows that do not take themselves seriously and are mostly looking to make viewers giggle.
While hundreds more shows will debut over the coming years, they will need to produce comedy gold if they want to stand alongside thefunniest anime of the 2020s. The genre has been on quite a run over the last few years, delivering both quantity and quality. If someone is looking for a hilarious escape from reality, thebest 2020s comedy animeshould do the trick.
Here are some criteria and notes:
A rare original anime,Akiba Maid Wartells a yakuza-style story filled with corruption, shattered innocence, gang warfare, shaky allegiances, and bloodbaths, all framed through the lens of maid cafés. Yeah, this anime is the dictionary definition of dumb fun, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Embracing purposeful stupidity while not cheapening out on the gunfights, P.A. Works’ 2022 show is a comedic love letter to‘80s action flicksthat frequently and confidently crosses the line into pure parody territory. Just do not take anything that happens seriously, and fun times will follow.
As long as someone does not mind the occasional fanservice, thebest anime of 2024,Dandadan, can be recommended to nearly everyone. Want a romance? Momo and Ken are adorable together (and Aira has her moments). Want action? Science Saru knows how to animate a set piece. Want aliens?Dandadan’s got ‘em. Want ghosts?Dandadan’s got ‘em. Want a talking cat possessed by a powerful yokai granny? Pretty specific, butDandadan’s got her too.
Finally, want to laugh? Then this anime is a must-watch. Echoing the rest of the show’s flexibility,Dandadan’s humor blends slapstick, innuendos, cheeky banter, and absurdity to create something that is, ultimately, original.
Dandadandoes not always prioritize comedy, but most scenes incorporate some humor.
Reviving a classic is risky business, and few properties are held in as high esteem asRanma ½. The manga and its 1989 anime adaptation are rightfully hailed as all-time great comedies, and they are hardly rendered obsolete by the existence of MAPPA’s 2024 reboot. However, the latter considerably lowers the barrier of entry for newcomers, while also proving without any shadow of a doubt that Rumiko Takahashi’s style of humor is effortlessly timeless.
Ranma is cursed to swap genders whenever he gets wet, a situation that is complicated further by his father forcing him to marry one of the Tendo sisters. Thelatter ends up being Akane, a strong-willed girl who instantly has a love-hate dynamic with Ranma. Unfortunately, they both seem to have a natural tendency to attract powerful weirdos, all of whom are hilarious in their own right.
Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid Saired 12 episodes in 2021.
Building on a good but not great opening season,Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid Sis almost the perfect sequel, one that improves upon all of its predecessor’s strengths and, for the most part, reduces its weaknesses. Except for one dynamic that crosses the line and becomes uncomfortable, this comedy anime is primarily driven by wholesome vibes and stress-free silliness.
Kobayashi is still living with Tooru and Kanna, two dragons who are steadily growing accustomed to humanity’s daily grind. Their days are largely spent in blissful whimsy, although their peace is occasionally broken by (surprisingly) incredible battles or weird developments like Kobayashi growing an extra body part.
KonoSuba Season 3aired 11 episodes in 2024.
While it took quite a while to materialize,KonoSuba’s third season was more than worth the wait. Thefunniest isekai animeof all time returned for arguably its strongest batch of episodes yet, ones that involve a body-swap, a crashed wedding, and Kazuma once again heading temporarily to the afterlife.
Although still primarily driven by selfishness, greed, and arrogance, the most dysfunctional party in fantasy has become close enough that they genuinely come across like a family, adding a touch of heart to balance out the many, many ludicrous misadventures they stumble their way through. However, they are still their usual selves and frequently give in to their vices or unapologetic stupidity.
Harem is the most polarizing genre in anime, with the only contender being isekai (which often includes harems). Arguably the most harem anime to ever harem,100 Girlfriendschallenges the notion that there must be a “best girl” by making everyone a winner. Crucially, the male protagonist, Rentarou, has the passion and personality to carry an ever-expanding harem filled with every archetype under the sun.
100 Girlfriendsis an oddly sincere parody that showers the harem genre with love and appreciation rather than disdain and mockery. With each new girl introduced, the story grows more unhinged and unpredictable, dropping any attempts to reflect reality and embracing concepts that would be more at home in the sci-fi genre.
What happens when delusion turns into reality? Glorious isekai nonsense, that’s what. Just to be clear, that is 100% meant to be taken as a positive.The Eminence in Shadowrevolves around Cid, a guy who died before he could achieve his dream of becoming Earth’s master of puppets. Fortunately, he reincarnates in a world with magic and quickly becomes overpowered, setting the stage for the chunibyo to actualize his obsessions. He assembles a mighty assortment of girl soldiers and forms Shadow Garden, all in the hope of fighting off a dangerous cult. The catch? Cid mostly thinks he is playing make-believe, not realizing that everything he utters seems to be real.
The Eminence in Shadowlives and dies on Cid, who is by far the most interesting and funniest character.An OP troll, he poses his way through outlandish fights, political turmoil, vampire-themed mysteries, and alter egos, all the while spouting “cool” one-liners and cryptic words of wisdom that ultimately mean nothing. It is awesome and, more importantly, hilarious.
A spy, an assassin, and a young telepath become a family while simultaneously trying to keep their unique skills a secret from each other. That is, effectively, the premise behindSpy x Family, although it is enhanced by an almost dystopian setting and a fun overarching plot with world-changing stakes. Still, at its core,Spy x Familyis mostly happy to follow the Forgers on their daily misadventures, which pretty much always come with a healthy helping of laughs (and some decent action).
Anya is the star of the show, and the young girl uses her genuine innocence, telepathy-fueled world-weariness, and relatable dislike of studying to steal the hearts of everyone (including the audience). Anya’s facial reactions are enough to cementSpy x Familyas one of thefunniest anime of the 2020s, but she hardly has to carry the laughter quota on her own. Loid plays the straight man perfectly, while Yor excels in physical comedy.
The 2022 anime that took the world by storm,Bocchi the Rocktells the simple story of a shy girl who learns to break out of her shell through the power of music and friendship. Unfortunately, personal growth is a marathon and not a sprint, so Hitori (aka, Bocchi) will have to survive plenty of out-of-body experiences as she tries to handle every social situation thrown her way.
Bocchi the Rocksounds kind of dull on paper, but CloverWorks went above and beyond to ensure this adaptation would be a comedy masterclass. Although never ridiculed for them, Bocchi’s anxiety episodes are impressively over-the-top and absurd, to the point of achieving comedic perfection. They juxtapose well with the anime’s quieter moments, too.
While gradually transitioning into a romance drama with some humor,Kaguya-sama: Love is Wardedicates most of its first two seasons to comedy, and an argument could be made that these episodes represent the anime at its best. As the student council president and vice-president, Miyuki and Kaguya are their school’s idols and spend a lot of time together. They also both have very obvious crushes on each other, but they refuse to confess out of fear that it will be used against them. Consequently, they engage in endless mind games to force the other to come clean first. Despite being very smart, they are pretty dumb when it comes to anything involving romance or relationships.
Divided into skits,Kaguya-samamostly tells simple stories that allow the main characters’ big personalities to shine through, and that goes beyond just Kaguya and Miyuki. Ishigami and Chika are arguably even funnier than the leads, while characters like Hayasaka grow in importance as the story progresses. While repetitive at times, the humor almost always hits the mark.
