Are you also waiting for the new version of Urusei Yatsura to be premiered? Urusei Yatsura is an anime adaptation of a manga with the same name written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi, which was produced and premiered for the first time in 1981. Due to its unique sci-fi rom-com, along with the heavy influence of Japanese mythology, culture, and puns, the popularity of the anime grew worldwide, and the franchise soared. And now! Urusei Yatsura is getting a second TV adaptation in 2022, which, interestingly enough, is going to be premiered on the same date the original version did. On 14th October.
The series revolves around Ataru Moroboshi, a high school student who is a shirt-chaser and a full-time womanizer. There is nothing noticeable about him except his bad luck and lecherous ways that somehow end up deciding the fate of humanity. When an alien species called Oni invades Earth, Ataru thanks to his bad luck ends up representing humanity in a game of Tag against the Oni Princess Lum. That he somehow ends up winning.
However, his misfortune decides to strike again when his promise to marry his girlfriend Shinoba Miyake is misinterpreted by Lum who thinks he wants to marry her. And now to save himself and the Earth, he has to live with an alien princess and keep her happy; all the while balancing his relationship and his full-time job of flirting with other girls. Sure is a tough life for a teenager who has to endure electric shocks anytime he so much as looks at any other girl.
So, here are 20 Anime similar to Urusei Yatsura
There is still some time left before Urusei Yatsura’s remake premieres. Until then, here is a list of some awesome anime revolving around themes similar to Urusei Yatsura that you can enjoy while waiting.
1. To Love Ru
To Love Ru can be said to be inspired by Urusei Yatsura. It is the author’s own version of Urusei Yatsura. Along with the genre, the story plot is very familiar too. Similar to Urusei Yatsura, To love Ru also involves an alien princess who comes to earth, falls in love with a human boy, and now he has to marry her due to a misunderstanding.
Rito Yuuki is a high schooler whose life suddenly changes when a girl falls off of seemingly nowhere in his bathtub while he’s bathing. Hard to believe, but so are aliens looking like humans with superpowers, but here we are! And now due to some misunderstanding and weird alien culture, he has to marry the said alien girl, Lala Satalin Deviluke, who he finds out is the princess of the galaxy’s biggest power. It would have been an easy choice to marry a beautiful and sweet alien princess, had he not already been in love with Haruna, his years-long crush.
So, if you liked Urusei Yatsura, then you sure will enjoy To Love Ru. Except for a few things, the series is very similar to Urusei Yatsura. This is the first anime you might want to try if you are looking for an anime similar to Urusei Yatsura.
2. Inuyasha
Similar to Urusei Yatsura, the anime Inuyasha is also adapted from a manga written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. Both the anime revolves around a powerful girl who falls for an ill-mannered male who is more often than not shocked (literally) by her because of his behavior. Just instead of being set in a futuristic setting with aliens, the series is set in a fantasy world in the historical Japanese era.
Kagome Higurashi is a high school girl who is pulled into an old well of her family’s shrine by a demon and travels back in time to a world filled with demons and other beings with supernatural powers. There she meets a half-demon Inuyasha who develops an immediate dislike towards her because of her resemblance to Kikyo, a priestess who bound him to the tree. But due to an unexpected change of circumstances, the two now have to work together to find a shattered magical Shikon Jewel.
Inuyasha, similar to Urusei Yatsura has a lot of comedy and heartfelt moments except with a more serious and deeper plot. But if you enjoy the themes in Urusei Yatsura, you will probably like Inuyasha too.
3. Outlanders
Another anime similar to Urusei Yatsura can be said to be inspired by this classic science fiction romance. Similar to Urusei Yatsura it also revolves around a princess of an alien planet who meets a human boy and suddenly decides that he must now be her groom. Just, in Outlanders, the story is about a photojournalist instead of a teenage schoolboy.
Wakatsuki Tetsuya, being a photojournalist, knew about the dangers of the job. But never ever in his wildest imagination, he could have thought that it involved being kidnapped by an alien princess and acting as her groom. But unfortunately, this is what happens. Kham, the crown princess of the Santavasku Empire initially came to Earth to escape the monotonous and boring life of the palace. However, after fighting with Tetsuya, she ends up falling in love with him and decides to save him and his planet from his father’s invasion by establishing a matrimonial relationship with him.
If you enjoyed the themes of Urusei Yatsura, do give this one a try, you might come to like it as much as you liked Urusei Yatsura. Especially if you are looking for an anime similar to Urusei Yatsura but in a shorter version.
4. Ano Natsu De Matteru
Summer is the most fun time for teenagers, especially the summer vacation. No matter how hot the sun may be, it cannot stop us from having fun with our friends. Ano Natsu de Matteru, similar to Urusei Yatsura is an anime revolving around summertime and friendship, that is sure to remind you of your own summer vacation with friends, maybe except for the alien part.
Ichika Takatsuki is an alien whose spaceship broke and landed on earth, injuring Kaito Kirishima, a freshman in high school. After saving him, she decides to transfer to the same school as him as his senior and starts living at his house to make sure Kaito is ok. During the summer vacation, Kaito and his friends decide to make a movie with his new camera and invite Ichika and her friend Remon to the venture as well.
The series is a fabulous mix of the harem, comedy, sci-fi, romance, and slice-of-life genre. Similar to Urusei Yatsura, Ano Natsu de Matteru also revolves around friendly stunning aliens who end up living with their love interest, make new friends on earth, and have a lot of fun. It’s a series you can easily get hooked to.
5. Inukami
Inukami, similar to Urusei Yatsura focuses on a human/non-hum relationship with a similar sense of humor and characters. Inukami also revolves around a womanizer with bad luck who suddenly finds himself being pursued by a stunning girl with superpowers that are usually used against him whenever he is trying to follow his lecherous ways.
Keita Kawahira belongs to the historical Inukami tamer family who abandons him after finding out that he lacks in ability. His life changes when one day a beautiful inukami, Youko approaches him to make a contract with him. Not wanting to lose such an opportunity to make an inukami contract with such graceful and obedient inukami, he immediately agrees. But anything too good can’t be true. Keita soon comes to know that Youka is a troublesome inukami that no one has been able to control. And so this is how Keita loses control not only of Youka but also of his life too.
So, if you enjoyed Urusei Yatsura, you must definitely give Inukami a try. Although similar to Urusei Yatsura it has its own unique elements that will surely keep you entertained while waiting for the new version to be premiered.
6. Final Approach
What’s your opinion on arranged marriage? Do you think it could work out for the couple? Ryo doesn’t think so when he ends up being an unwilling participant in the new government policy to match two strangers to get them married. Ryo might be adamantly opposed to the idea, but his new fiancee sure has a different opinion. Final Approach similar to Urusei Yatsura is also a romantic comedy revolving around an arranged marriage, that maybe not initially but ultimately lead to love.
Since the death of his parents, Ryo has been living with his younger sister Akane. One night Shizuka, a cheerful girl joins their household as Ryo’s wife. Under a new secret government program, the two teenagers who are complete strangers are chosen as a couple for marriage. Now Ryo must live with Shizuka as his fiance in a marriage, he didn’t even agree to. This can only end in disaster, right?
So, it’s another anime similar to Urusei Yatsura with an unwilling groom and over-enthusiastic wife. It’s amazing to see how Shizuka’s excitement and enthusiasm to marry Ryo are similar to Lum’s. If you enjoyed watching Lum’s power of persuasion, then you will love Shizuka as well.
7. Brighter Than The Dawning Blue
As children, we have heard a lot of stories about the moon; how a princess lives on the moon and can grant wishes. In Tatsuya’s World, even though there might not be any wish-granting but a princess sure does live there. Similar to Urusei Yatsura, the princess comes to live down on earth and falls in love with a teenager, who gradually falls in love with her too.
Due to a long-lasting war between the Earth and the Moon Sphere Kingdom, the relationship between the two has been terrible. But the future Queen and the current Princess Feena Fam Earthlight intends to change that and decides to stay with the UN President’s Secretary, to learn more about life on Earth. There she meets Tatsuya, Secretary’s younger brother and the two gradually fall in love. But being the future queen, it becomes a matter of contention, how their relationship is to affect the diplomatic relation between the Earth-Moon.
It is an adorable romantic comedy with a mix of action and fantasy. The story plot is engaging with beautiful world-building. If you are searching for an anime similar to Urusei Yatsura, about an alien princess’ amusing behavior while learning about the life and culture on Earth, then you should try this one.
8. Narue No Sekai
Growing up is not easy, especially if you are an alien with superpowers living among humans. The World of Narue is another hilarious anime similar to Urusei Yatsura that revolves around an alien and her hijinks on Earth. The story is about a humanoid alien girl, Nanae who lives on Earth thanks to her father being part of a galactic exploration team and a boy who never knew about the existence of aliens before meeting her.
Kazuto Izuka is an average 14-years old teenager whose simple life changes after he encounters an abandoned puppy who’s actually an alien and Narue Nanase, a schoolmate of his saves him. But this is just the beginning of his bizarre encounters. He further comes to know that Narue is also an alien and that he might be a little bit in love with her. With the encouragement of his friends, he proposes to her and after much reluctance, Narue agrees. Now his life orbits around a weird but cute girlfriend, meeting with new aliens, and some characters that are shadier than the aliens themselves.
If you enjoyed watching Urusei Yatsura, give Narue no Sekai a try. Similar to Urusei Yatsura it is also a sci-fi romcom that you just fall in love with its simple but charming characters and easy-going but engaging story plot.
9. City Hunter
City Hunter is another classic from the 80s that will get you hooked on it from the very first episode. Similar to Urusei Yatsura it is also a comedy set in an episodic manner with fabulous characters and a good plot. But it doesn’t revolve around any alien princess or a perverted high schooler, rather depicts the story of a lecherous gun-for-hire who can only be tamed by his tom-boy partner.
Ryo Saeba is a notorious gun-for-hire who goes by the name of City Hunter with a call sigh XYZ. Ryo is a full-time ‘sweeper’ who cleans the scum of the and a part-time habitual womanizer who borderlines as a pervert. Or maybe it’s the opposite. His partner Kaori Makimura, might be the only one who can keep him under rein, all the while working her heads off getting new clients. She sure deserves an increment.
If you enjoyed watching Lum electrocuting Arata for all of his perverted actions, then you will love Kaori’s 100 Ton hammer, which lives in her own pocket dimension. Similar to Urusei Yatsura, City Hunter also has more deep and heartfelt moments than it initially appears. So, do give this fast-paced action-romance thriller a try.
10. Kobayashi-San Chi No Maid Dragon
New things can be hard to learn especially if you are encountering them for the first time. But for an alien or a dragon deity’s first time on earth, the struggle is hilariously epic. This is another series with cute aliens and beautiful friendships similar to Urusei Yatsura.
Kobayashi, much to her bewilderment finds a dragon outside her door who ( as if it already weren’t shocking enough) transforms into a human girl. The dragon tells Kobayashi that she is Tooru, a dragon from another world who has come to show her gratitude for freeing her. Finding that Tooru has no place to stay she decides to let her stay in her house and work as a maid. What she didn’t know was it was just the beginning of the beautiful chaos that her life was going to be.
Tooru’s unorthodox housekeeping methods and her obnoxious friends from the other world keep Kobayashi on her toes, and you are attached to the screen. Similar to Urusei Yatsura, it is also an adorable and funny series with a pinch of dark and deep moments that will keep you wondering what’s up next.
11. Beelzebub
Beelzebub is an action comedy with lots of electric moments similar to Urusei Yatsura that will leave you shocked. Similar to Urusei Yatsura Beelzebub also concerns with an alien royalty that comes to Earth to rule the humans but ends up living with an obnoxious human who wants nothing to do with them. But here the heir is actually a cute little baby.
Tatsumi Oga is a lazy delinquent high schooler whose life suddenly changes when he finds a baby on the riverside. Much to his misfortune, the baby is the son of the Demon King who now has a magic connection enabling him to stay away from him. As if it wasn’t enough, Hildegard, Beel’s Caretaker will now be living with them in Oga’s house as well. This is his new life with a supposed wife and his so-called son who is ready to cause trouble every chance he gets.
Another anime series with a unique plot that will not only keep you entertained but also make your heart melt. If you enjoyed the cultural differences and alien shenanigans in Urusei Yatsura, then you will love Beel and his caretaker’s interaction with humanity.
12. Gintama
A lot of things come to mind while thinking about the feudal era of Japan but I’m quite sure aliens are not one of them. But what would it be like if aliens existed during the feudal era? Gintama is an amazing anime that can give you a glimpse of what it could have been like. Gintama similar to Urusei Yatsura also has a unique plot revolving around aliens.
The story is set in the Edo city of Japan, where after the invasion of aliens called Amanto, the government has banned the use of swords, which essentially leaves the samurais jobless and concerned about their future. One such Samurai is Gintoki Sakata, who could never do a mundane-normal-people job and thus starts his own company called Yorozuya, which does odd jobs for money. Assisted by his two employees Shimura and Kagura, and their beloved pet dog Sadaharu, Yorozuya is ready to do any kind of strange and unconventional job. But how do you define conventional when aliens are living in your neighborhood?
Similar to Urusei Yatsura, this is also an action comedy that will have you rolling on the floor in each and every episode.
13. Arakawa Under The Bridge
Although it’s not a sci-fi alien anime similar to Urusei Yatsura it’s still a unique anime with an amazing story plot and fabulous characters. The story revolves around a young man who lives with the motto “Never be indebted to anyone” and tries his utmost best to never own anyone. But some debts can’t be repaid that easily.
Kou Ichinomiya is a young man belonging to an elite businessman family with a mentality of never owning a debt. But one day while passing through the Arakawa Bridge he falls down the river below and is saved by a homeless girl Nino. Following his motto, he intends to pay her back for saving his life, but Nino refuses to accept anything. The only thing she wants is to experience love. And so, Kou’s new life starts as her boyfriend, living with her under the Arakawa Bridge where he meets more of her eclectic friends living there.
Similar to Urusei Yatsura, it’s a romance anime with roll-on-the-floor comedy filled with eccentric characters that will keep you entertained after a busy day. As much as the story is hilarious it sure teaches you not to judge a person on the basis of their connection to materialistic things.
14. Set No Hanayome
It’s another anime similar to Urusei Yatsura revolving around a marriage between a human and a non-human brought on by ridiculous and life-threatening circumstances. Do you love mermaids? If you do then you would enjoy this anime even more. The series is about a mermaid who now has to marry an earthling and live with him to save her life; sounds a lot like the little mermaid but with a more happy and comic touch.
During his summer vacation, Nagasumi Michishio almost drowns while swimming in the ocean but is saved by a mermaid named Sun Seto at the last minute. The same mermaid who he now has to marry because in the mermaid community if the identity of the mermaid is revealed to a human, they are executed. But Sun’s yakuza father can’t have her daughter hurt, he would rather kill Nagasumi, and the only way to save his life is to marry Sun. And this is how Nagasumi’s boring and mundane life changes into one of action-filled fiction comedy.
It is quite similar to Urusei Yatsura with a similar genre and plotline, just with less no. of episodes. So, if you wanna watch an anime similar to Urusei Yatsura but something shorter, then you might give this a try.
15. DearS
What might be your thoughts about living with beautiful and adorable aliens? If you don’t agree with the idea then rest assured you are not the only one who thinks so. After an aircraft crash lands in Tokyo Bay, the Japanese Government decides to naturalize the 150 humanoid female aliens on it and give them special status as DearS. Most people are endeared and fascinated by them, but some believe that it’s all an evil plan to take over humanity.
Takeya Ikuhara, a high school student is one of them. But it changes when one day he encounters a homeless DearS while returning from school. After seeing her miserable condition he decides to feed and shelter her. He nicknames her Ren and Somehow ends up taking care of her and living together. After meeting Ren and witnessing her childish but kind and caring personality, his opinion of the DearS soon changes.
Similar to Urusei Yatsura DearS is also a romantic comedy revolving around aliens with an adult theme. If you are looking for a series similar to Urusei Yatsura that is full of adult comedy, drama, romance, and sci-fi, then you should give this one a try.
16. Kamisama Hajimemashita
It may not always be the case but good deeds are indeed awarded and the bad ones are punished. It’s a cosmic law on which the world works; even if it isn’t always apparent. This is the exact beginning premise of Kamisama Hajimemashita. Similar to Urusei Yatsura, this is also a romantic comedy revolving around two people who somehow end up living together and eventually fall in love.
Nanami Monozono, an average high school girl suddenly loses her home to her father’s gambling. While sitting in a park and contemplating her future, she meets and saves a man who is extremely afraid of dogs. In return, he offers her his place to live. Unknown to her, she hasn’t just acquired a place to live but also becomes a local deity. But how can it be so easy? The house is actually a run-down shrine and Tomoe, the fox familiar with the shrine refuses to acknowledge Nanami, a human, as the replacement sent by the previous God. The two still end up living together and trying to mend the shrine to its previous glory.
The story depicts the bitter-sweet relationship between a human and a fox spirit, who bicker like enemies on the battlefield but still end up falling in love with each other. If you are looking for an otherworldly love and comedy series similar to Urusei Yatsura, you must give this one a try.
17. Haiyore! Nyaruko-San
Similar to Urusei Yatsura, Haiyore also revolves around wacky aliens who come to Earth and cause chaos. The anime is about a boy who never even knew alien existed but suddenly finds himself surrounded by a group of beautiful alien girls who apparently wants to protect him from being kidnapped by other aliens.
Mahiro Yasaka’s life takes a complete 180-degree turn when one day he is attacked by a monster. When he thought it was the last time he saw the light, he is saved by a silver-haired girl named Nyaruke, a Lovecraftian Deity who she explains is sent by Space Defense Agency to Earth. Apparently, the Nightgaunt that attacked him wanted to kidnap and sell him as a slave. Two other outer worldly deities join Nyaruke in her endeavor to protect Mahiro and Earth, all the while making his life. A living hell.
Although the dynamic between the two main characters is different from the one in Urusei Yatsura, there are still several themes that will remind you of Urusei Yatsura. Similar to Urusei Yatsura it is also a classic romantic comedy with alien shenanigans that will have you rolling until the end.
18. Yume Senshi Wingman
Yume Senshi Wingman is another anime similar to Urusei Yatsura revolving around a princess from another world with superpowers. It is another science fiction romantic comedy revolving around a schoolboy who ends up becoming the hero he always envisioned becoming.
Hirono Kenta, a middle schooler dreams to be a hero of Justice who’s called Wingman. This dream of his comes true when he meets a girl named Yume Aoi, who literally falls onto him from the sky and takes her home. Aoi is the princess of the dreamscape called Botoreem, who is running with a relic called Dream Note, from an evil man who wants the dream note and rules over Botoreem. After accidentally drawing Wingman in the Dream Note, his hero character becomes a reality. Now, with Aoi and his childhood friend Miku, Hirono needs to save Botoreem and the Dream Note with his newly acquired powers.
Similar to Urusei Yatsura Wingman is also based on an action, adventure, love triangles, aliens, and mature humor theme. If you enjoyed watching Urusei Yatsura, you will probably like this series too.
19. Asobi Ni Iku Yo!
Have you heard of that conspiracy theory that cats are aliens? What do you think about it? And what if the cats are aliens, why are they even on Earth then? Maybe Asobi no Iku yo! can give some answers. Similar to Urusei Yatsura, it is also a romantic comedy with lots of adorable aliens and their adventures on Earth.
The story circles around Rio, a simple guy living a boring life, but that changes when he meets a beautiful cat-girl, Eris at a memorial service. It seemed like a one-chance meeting but the next thing he was sleeping next to her in his bed, the next morning. He further comes to know that Eris is an alien representative from the planet Catian, who has come to Earth to learn more about its people; and now she would be living with Rio and continuing her study. However, if there are aliens, there would be organizations looking for them as well, and such is the case here too.
Now not only Rio has to look after Eris but also make sure that people from these organizations do find and capture her either. Oh! And there are Eris friends making house visits and some dog aliens trying to catch the cat aliens. Similar to Urusei Yatsura, this series will also get you hooked up to it pretty soon with its good story plot and adorable characters.
20. Tsuritama
Although Tsuritama is not a sci-fi rom-com similar to Urusei Yatsura, it still shares a lot of similarities such as the unlikely friendship among the characters, the weird shenanigans, and the adventures involved in saving a world.
Yuki Sanada is a high school student who has just recently moved to the island of Enoshima with his grandmother. Due to his habit of freezing and making evil poker faces whenever he becomes anxious, he doesn’t expect to make any friends like in his previous schools. But that is not what happened, much to his fortunate surprise and discomfort, Hari, another transfer student who claims to be an alien while walking around carrying a water gun and a fish bowl on his head, knocks on his door and claims Yuki as his friend. He soon starts living with Yuki and recruits Natsumi Usami as their fishing guide.
Later joined by another eccentric character named Akira, the team starts on its mission to save the world from the mysterious threats lurking in the ocean. It’s another fabulous comedy similar to Urusei Yatsura with both heartwarming and heavy moments that will keep you stuck to the screen until the very end.
So, this is the list of anime similar to Urusei Yatsura, based on the same genres and themes that you might enjoy watching. But do let us know by commenting below if you have watched any of the animes on the list before and which one of them you like the most.