Tatsuya Endo’sSpy x Familymanga debuted in 2019 and is still going strong more than five years later. During that period, the shonen story has produced more than 100 chapters and 13 volumes, and there is nothing to suggest this momentum will derail anytime soon. While the manga is popular and worth seeking out, most people might be more familiar with Wit Studio and CloverWorks' adaptation, which is among the funniest anime of the 2020s so far. Throughout 37 episodes and a movie, viewers get to meet and fall in love with Loid, Yor, and Anya Forger, a makeshift family who all carry big secrets that they want to keep to themselves.
Spy x Familyseason 3 is confirmed to be in production, although a release period has yet to be revealed. The sequel might come out in 2025, but it is just speculation at this point. To help pass the time until the Forgers make their grand comeback, fans might wish to check out some of thebest anime likeSpy x Family. While not delivering the exact same meal, quite a few shows have similar ingredients.
Updated July 14, 2025, by Mark Sammut:Spy x Family season 3 is likely to debut in 2025, although Wit Studio and CloverWorks have yet to announce any release schedule. Regardless of which season the studios pick, the Forgers will undoubtedly be one of its highlights. Die-hard fans looking for something similar to watch should check out the following shows, including a new 2024 isekai anime. Galleries for each series have also been added.
Spy x Family’s humor largely rests on the Forger’s secret identities, with Loid, Yor, and Anya all trying to keep a big part of themselves hidden from their family. Due to her ability to read minds, Anya knows everything there is to know about her adoptive parents, but she still needs to play the part of the oblivious child out of fear that revealing her power would result in abandonment.
The Little Lies We All Tell’s premise is very similar toSpy x Family, at least in its core appeal. The former focuses on four female students who all have HUGE secrets that they must keep to themselves.
Although containing slice of life elements,The Little Lies We All Tellis primarily an absurdist sketch comedy that primarily revolves around each character’s desperate attempts to hide their true identities or powers. Compared toSpy x Family, this 2022 anime is considerably more hit-and-miss in the humor department, and it takes a pretty long time to find its feet. Nevertheless,The Little Lies We All Tellis an amusing enough watch for the most part, and it even improves as it goes along.
Asisekai anime tend to be escapist fantasies that often incorporate harem elements, they usually do not saddle the protagonist with children they must take care of.A Journey Through Another Worldopts for a different approach, with its male lead, Takumi, finding himself acting as the parent of twins named Elena and Allen. As neither of the kids likes to talk, their backgrounds are shrouded in mystery; however, they are more than capable of holding their own in battles, occasionally even eclipsing Takumi.
A Journey Through Another Worldis just a relaxing slow-life series. The main characters are rarely challenged in any significant way, and their relationships strengthen naturally as they spend more time together. While not having big personalities, the kids are cute and endearing.
Spy Classroomis mainly for people who wish to try out another show set in a fantasy world where nations are essentially in an espionage war. Although not devoid of humor, this series primarily focuses on action, so it has a different tone thanSpy x Family. Still, fans of the latter might enjoy some elements from this anime, including the main male protagonist: Klaus.
Like Loid, Klaus is a master spy who can accomplish extraordinary feats, and he agrees to craft a team filled with female spy rejects. While not exactly playing the part of a father, Klaus is the girls' mentor, even if they have an adversarial dynamic at times.Spy x Classroomstarts on a fairly bad note, with the first few episodes doing a pretty poor job of introducing the audience to this universe. However, the anime improves as it goes along, and season 2 is pretty good.
A comedy classic,Fumoffuis theFull Metal Panicspin-off that focuses on Sousuke Sagara’s earnest attempts to protect Kaname Chidori while undercover at the latter’s school. Although mecha-themed danger may lurk around every corner in the main seasons, the same cannot be said forFumoffu, although that does not discourage Sousuke from treating every development as a life-or-death situation.
Fumoffuutilizes slapstick humor more thanSpy x Family, but they both revolve around protagonists who are trying to keep up appearances for the greater good. Compared to Loid Forger’s ability to seamlessly blend into his environment, Sousuke sticks out like a sore thumb, and Chidori is usually the one who has to clean up his messes.
ASpring 2024 anime,The Fablecomes with the caveat that it strikes a different tone thanSpy x Familyand targets a more adult audience. While both shows lean heavily on humor, the former is a black comedy that is firmly grounded in reality (specifically, Japan’s criminal underworld). Therefore, taking all of that into account, why is this show still recommended? Well,The Fabledeals with an infamous hitman who is forced to lie low for a year, requiring him to pretend to be an average person while living in Osaka. He is accompanied by his driver, who is also given a false identity as the hitman’s pretend sister.
Yor and Loid are generally more positive and affable thanThe Fable’s Akira and Youko, especially since the latter are under no illusions about their line of work (and neither is the anime). Still, both series feature extraordinary people who take on fake roles as they try to blend in with a specific crowd. In the case ofThe Fable, Akira is mostly just trying to understand what it means to be ordinary; meanwhile, Youko is just happy to drink away her nights and string along a few guys.
Although not among thebest anime of the Spring 2024 season,A Salad Bowl of Eccentricsis a cute reverse isekai story that blends humor, action, and (small) hints of drama quite well. With her life collapsing around her, Princess Sara escapes from her kingdom and makes her way to Earth, literally falling on top of a private investigator named Sousuke while he is on the job.
While initially resistant to the idea, Sousuke eventually agrees to allow Sara to live with him, a turn of events that is mostly inspired by the girl’s rather potent magical abilities. Rough start aside, the two develop a pretty quick bond that is quite wholesome. In the meantime, Sara’s knight, Livia, also makes her way to Earth, although she decides to go the homeless route.
Similar toSpy x Family,A Salad Bowl of Eccentricsbrings together an unorthodox found family centering around a male lead who has a pretty dangerous job and originally had no desire to play the role of a parent.
ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept.is a widely different type of show thanSpy x Family. Set in the fictional kingdom of Dowa,Madhouse’s animerevolves around a public servant, Jean Otus, who is charged with investigating rumors regarding a coup d’etat. In order to quietly gather information, Jean goes to the country’s states to conduct audits.
Tonally, these anime have little in common sinceACCAhas almost no comedy or action; however, both series revolve around characters who work behind the scenes to maintain peace.ACCAandSpy x Family’s societies are also relatively similar.
15Kaguya-sama: Love Is War
Hilarious Mind Games
Even though their settings are nothing alike,Kaguya-samaandSpy x Familycover a lot of the same ground. Both shows revolve around characters who have to keep secrets from each other; in the case of A-1 Pictures' series,Kaguya and Miyukiare secretly in love with each other but cannot admit it. The series leans heavily into comedy while incorporating elements of other genres, be it romance forKaguya-samaor action forSpy x Family.
Even the style of humor is similar as both shows combine mind games, slapstick, and wordplay. More importantly,Kaguya-samaandSpy x Familyhave hilarious characters with pink hair.
Daisuke Kanbe is stupidly rich. In fact, he is so rich that he can effortlessly indulge in his crime-solving pastime without fear of repercussions for collateral damage since he can just pay off the city whenever his escapades destroy a building. When he joins the Modern Crime Prevention unit, Daisuke is assigned to Haru Katou, a straight-laced detective who is not enamored by his new partner. As they solve cases together, they gradually learn that they are both far more complex than they might initially seem.
The Millionaire Detective – Balance: UNLIMITEDblends action and comedy incredibly well, although it leans into the former more thanSpy x Family. While there might not be a kid involved in the main story, Daisuke and Haru’s dynamic is more than gripping enough to carry the series, although the fantastic storytelling does not hurt either.
Season 1 ofSpy x Familysteadily strengthens the bond between Loid, Yor, and Anya. The eponymous spy’s actions are still primarily driven by his mission, but he has started to grow attached to his pretend family; in fact, these brief moments of genuine connection between the characters make up some ofSpy x Family’s most unforgettable scenes.
Bunny Dropis all about the bond that can develop between a father figure and their adoptive daughter. In this touching anime, Daikichi Kawachi decides to take in Rin Kaga, the illegitimate child of his deceased grandfather. Over the course of 11 episodes, Daikichi and Rin’s relationship develops significantly, as the two characters learn to trust and cherish each other. Except for the occasional gag,Bunny Dropis a slice of life anime rather than a comedy, so it does not haveSpy x Family’s blend of humor and action; however, this series has one of the best father-daughter dynamics in anime.
