A romance anime that will make your mouth hurt with laughter, Inu X Boku Secret Service is an anime adaptation that takes a route separate from that of its manga by Cocoa Fujiwara. With a wild and eccentric cast, the anime follows the adventures of a rich and dependent girl, Ririchiyo, trying to make it in life by herself. However, her sharp tongue drives people away from her (typical tsundere). When she meets Soushi, a handsome guy who clings to her, Ririchiyo’s life begins to change. On the surface, it’s your usual rom-com anime, but the manga reveals the more emotional and dramatic side of the story, so make sure to check that out as well. And without any further ado, we’ll be taking a look at the best anime similar to Inu X Boku Secret Service.
10. Kamisama Kiss
- Episodes: 13
- Studios: TMS Entertainment
- Genres: Comedy, Demons, Supernatural, Romance, Fantasy, Shoujo
- Aired: Oct 2, 2012, to Dec 25, 2012
Nanami is having a hard time in life as her father, who rarely stays at home, sinks deeper into debt, and their family is forced to sell away all their belongings. Later on, she finds a man in danger from a dog and helps him. Surprisingly, he offers her a home after listening to her sad story. Happy that she will no longer be homeless, Nanami heads over to the house and finds it out to be a rundown shrine.
Thus begins a new life for the girl. She is soon faced with the realization that she has been made the Goddess of this shrine, and its many mythical creatures are meant to serve her. We watch as an interesting relationship grows between the Goddess and her new familiar, Tomoe.
Like Inu X Boku SS, Kamisama Kiss also deals with the changes that come into the life of a high school girl when she moves to a new house filled with magical creatures called youkai. Both have lots of comedic and romantic aspects and are also interesting to view for the dark and mysterious past of the characters.
9. Zakuro
- Episodes: 13
- Studios: J.C.Staff
- Genres: Demons, Historical, Military, Romance, Seinen, Supernatural
- Aired: Oct 5, 2010, to Dec 28, 2010
Kei, the son of a famous general, works in the army of Japan, in a world that has a westernized version of Japan. All his life, he has hidden the fact that he is petrified of the paranormal. He soon comes to regret this when he is assigned to work in the Ministry of Spirit Affairs. Now he and his fellow officers must work with youkai (Japanese demons) with the help of a fox spirit Kushimatsu.
This unusual team of humans, demons, and a fox spirit will work together to solve many paranormal cases. At the same time, we get a glance into the world of westernized Japan, in an exciting mix of the East and West. If you’re looking for an anime that shows the relationships between youkai, or other demons along with humans, Zakuro is one you should consider. The vibrant characters live together in the same estate, and there’s a lot of romance in the air.
8. Kaichou wa Maid-sama!
- Episodes: 26
- Studios: J.C.Staff
- Genres: Comedy, Romance, School, Shoujo
- Aired: Apr 2, 2010, to Sep 24, 2010
Misaki is the first female student council president of her school. A school that recently made the transition from all-boys to co-ed. She is called the “demon president” because of her strict nature and skills in Aikido. However, this seemingly perfect president has secrets of her own.
Misaki works part-time in a maid cafe to help her family make ends meet. This embarrassing secret is discovered by the most popular guy in her class, Takumi. Now, he plans to use this secret to get closer to Misaki rather than destroying her flawless reputation. And as expected, lots of hilarity ensues when this couple gets together.
Maid Sama! is similar to Inu X Boku SS because of the identical tsundere traits in the female protagonists. If you’re looking for a good mix of comedy, romance, and drama, Kaichou wa Maid Sama! is an excellent anime for you to check out.
7. Black Butler
- Episodes: 24
- Studios: A-1 Pictures
- Genres: Action, Mystery, Comedy, Historical, Demons, Supernatural, Shounen
- Aired: Oct 3, 2008, to Mar 27, 2009
Drowned in sorrow after his parent’s death, a young Ciel forms a pact with the devil. He asks for revenge against the culprits that killed them, giving away his soul in exchange. As a result, the demon named Sebastian stays by Ciel’s side, helping him out as a butler with his quest on Earth, eagerly waiting to feast on the boy’s soul.
Sebastian does everything and more than you’d hope from a butler and makes for the perfect partner in Ciel’s detective work. Soon, the two form a bond that no one can break. Having a similar master-servant dynamic between its characters, Black Butler and Inu X Boku SS deal with the various incidents that they face together. Moreover, the characters are unique because one is a demon and the other is a human from a wealthy family.
6. BLEND-S
- Episodes: 12
- Studios: A-1 Pictures
- Genres: Comedy, Slice of Life
- Aired: Oct 8, 2017, to Dec 24, 2017
When the 16-year-old Maika decides to get a job and save up enough money to go abroad, she hits a peculiar challenge. All of the recruiters reject her because of the menacing look she makes every time she smiles. While her personality is actually cheerful, her smile wards off everyone. However, a glimmer of hope shines in her life when she is recruited at Café Stile.
The manager of the cafe takes a liking towards the girl and decides to recruit her. Here, she must work as a cute waitress. However, the customers that come to Café Stile aren’t your usual customers. They each like their waitress to serve them differently, and some masochistic customers want to be served by a sadistic waitress. Maika fits the bill very well. With her charm and smile, she will wickedly serve the customers of this extraordinary cafe.
If you watch Blend S, you’ll find that it has a very similar atmosphere to that of Inu X Boku SS. This is achieved mainly with the help of the setting and plot but also with the extremely identical characters. The protagonists especially so.
5. Toradora!
- Episodes: 25
- Studios: J.C.Staff
- Genres: Slice of Life, Comedy, Romance, School
- Aired: Oct 2, 2008, to Mar 26, 2009
Ryuuji has the face of a delinquent on a gentle heart. Taiga is a girl with a cute face but the fiery personality of a tsundere. One day, after an embarrassing incident, the two happen to cross paths, and Ryuuji learns that Taiga actually has a cutesy side. She has a crush on the popular Vice President, who is a close friend of Ryuuji’s. To make matters more interesting, Ryuuji reveals that he has a crush on Taiga’s best friend. Their school life is bound to change as the two team up to help each other win the hearts of their respective crushes.
Toradora tells the romantic story of an unlikely couple, as their time in high school brings them closer together. The characters in this show realize the importance of their memories at school and form a unique bond. Like Inu X Boku SS, it has a comedic theme and tsundere female protagonist.
4. Red Data Girl
- Episodes: 12
- Studios: P.A. Works
- Genre: Fantasy
- Aired: Apr 4, 2013, to Jun 20, 2013
Suzuhara is a 15-year-old girl who has grown up to be shy as she has lived most of her life in a mountain shrine. Moreover, she has a peculiar ability to destroy any electronic device upon touching it. Her guardian, a man named Yukimasu, considers and treats her as a Goddess and sends his son, Miyuki, to be her lifelong servant and protector.
However, Suzuhara wishes to overcome all the challenges of her upbringing in an attempt to change her life. She cuts away her bangs, shocking all her classmates and friends. When Miyuki is sent to take care of her, she can’t help but feel displeased, as she has known him since childhood, and he’d often bully her. Miyuki never understood why Suzuhara was treated like a Goddess and hence isn’t excited to be her protector either. Will the two teenagers be able to put their differences aside? And what is the secret behind Suzuhara’s mysterious ability and God-like status?
This anime is similar to Inu X Boku SS because of the mystery surrounding the protagonist’s ancestry, the romantic storyline, and the beautiful addition of the supernatural to the plot. If this is what you’re looking for, make sure to check out Red Data Girl.
3. First Love Monster
- Episodes: 12
- Studios: Studio Deen
- Genres: Comedy, Romance
- Aired: Jul 2, 2016, to Sep 17, 2016
Kaho, a girl from an influential family, has always been surrounded by people who have been kind and helpful to her due to her status. To get away from this, she decides to move to a place where people won’t treat her specially due to her background. She chooses to live in her school’s dormitory for the new academic year. However, when she arrives, she almost gets into danger. She’s saved by a tall and handsome boy who calls her weird. The disregard for her and his harsh words end up making her fall in love with him.
When she meets him again, she finds the courage to ask him out. He would also like to be a couple with her but says that she wouldn’t want to date him if she knew his identity. It turns out that he is actually a fifth grader. Kaho then decides to break up with him, as she cannot date someone so young. However, the more time she spends with him, the more her feelings for him grow. What will these feelings bring into their lives?
2. Fruits Basket
- Episodes: 25 (2019) – 26 (2001)
- Studios: Studio Deen
- Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Slice of Life, Supernatural
- Aired: 2001 (1 season with 26 episodes), and 2019 (three seasons)
Tooru had to shift to her grandfather’s house after her mother’s death. While his house is being renovated, however, she can’t stay with him. Fearing criticism from family and friends, she takes to secretly living alone in a tent in the woods. Unfortunately, when a landslide hits the forest region, her tent is buried under lots of mud. Yuki Souma, a popular and handsome guy from her school, offers her to stay at his house.
However, when she arrives at the Souma house, she discovers an interesting secret. When a Souma is hugged by someone of the opposite gender, they turn into an animal from the zodiac. Moreover, there is a dark and mysterious past to this curse. The longer she stays at this house, the more Tooru learns about the Souma family. But is she prepared for it?
Fruits Basket is similar to Inu X Boku SS because of the romantic and dramatic themes of the shows. Moreover, there’s a lot of fantasy in the story. It also has two adaptations, one of 2001 and the other made in 2019. While both are good, if you want to watch only one, check out the 2019 adaptation with three seasons.
1. Say “I Love You.”
- Episodes: 13
- Studios: Zexcs
- Genres: Drama, Romance, School, Shoujo
- Aired: Oct 7, 2012, to Dec 30, 2012
What do the three words “I love you” mean? Find out with Mei Tachibana, who lives a life away from everyone else, after an incident in grade school where she was wrongfully blamed for the death of a class pet. Now in high school, she begins to see Yamato Kurosawa around herself an awful lot. He finds her attractive and insists on being her friend, while Mei wants nothing to do with him.
As fate would have it, though, to protect herself during a scary stalker experience, Mei ends up kissing Yamato, developing feelings for him. Now that the feelings are mutual, Mei gains a boyfriend and more close friends. However, with the rapid changes in her life, the constant attention her boyfriend commands from many girls, her inability to speak out her feelings, and many misunderstandings, their relationship begins to falter. Will it push them apart or bring them close?
Say “I Love You.” has a female lead who’s very much like Ririchiyo from Inu X Boku SS. Both are shy and introverted at first. They don’t have many friends. However, they encounter a guy who has feelings for them and slowly begin to open up to many other people as well.
Honorable Mentions-
- Dantalian no Shoka
- Gugure! Kokkuri-san
- Acchi Kocchi
- Natsume Yuujinchou
- Katanagatari
- Gosick