Many movies, like Spirited Away, have a similar theme: self-discovery with a focus on friendship and love. So why not get a list of the 10 best anime like Spirited Away?

If you’ve loved it, you will love the following anime.

Spirited Away: What is IT?

Stubborn, spoiled, and naïve, 10-year-old Chihiro Ogino is less than pleased when she and her parents discover an abandoned amusement park on the way to their new house. Cautiously venturing inside, she realizes that there is more to this place than meets the eye, as strange things begin to happen once dusk falls. Ghostly apparitions and food that turns her parents into pigs are just the start—Chihiro has unwittingly crossed over into the spirit world. Now trapped, she must summon the courage to live and work amongst spirits, with the help of the enigmatic Haku and the cast of unique characters she meets along the way.

Vivid and intriguing, Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi tells the story of Chihiro’s journey through an unfamiliar world as she strives to save her parents and return home.

May Also Like : Spirited Away Ending Explained : Everything You Need To Know

Top 15 Anime Like Spirited Away

15. Ancient Magus’ Bride Is Full Of Supernatural Beings

Chise Hatori has given up on life and opts to sell herself into slavery. However, a mysterious mage recognizes Chise’s gifts and purchases her, hoping to make her his apprentice. Ancient Magus’ Bride is full of supernatural creatures and mystical beings Chise must learn about if she’s to stay safe and harness her true potential.

Ancient Magus’ Bride is perfect for those who were enchanted by the spirits in Spirited Away. Both projects heavily featured a human’s interaction with otherworldly beings, while emphasizing the preservation of nature. Although Ancient Magus’ Bride delved more into the magic side of things, it was still a great watch for fans of mystical elements.

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Author : Kore Yamazaki

Seasons : 1

Episodes : 24

14. Mirai Emphasizes The Importance Of Family

Mirai is the story of a little boy named Kun who becomes an older brother to a baby girl named Mirai. Although he’s initially excited about her arrival, Kun quickly becomes jealous of the attention his new sister garners. When he begins to wish she didn’t exist, he meets a Mirai from the future who seems interesting after all.

Mirai is a study in time travel as Kun and Mirai skip through time to better understand their family dynamic. Kun comes to realize having a little sister isn’t the end of the world and being a part of a family isn’t the burden he believes it to be. Just as Chihiro learns to appreciate her parents, Kun and Mirai understand the importance of being a family.

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Author : Mamoru Hosoda

Type : Anime Film

Episodes : 12

13. Mushishi

“Mushi”: the most basic forms of life in the world. They exist without any goals or purposes aside from simply “being.” They are beyond the shackles of the words “good” and “evil.” Mushi can exist in countless forms and are capable of mimicking things from the natural world such as plants, diseases, and even phenomena like rainbows.

This is, however, just a vague definition of these entities that inhabit the vibrant world of Mushishi, as to even call them a form of life would be an oversimplification. Detailed information on Mushi is scarce because the majority of humans are unaware of their existence.

So what are Mushi and why do they exist? This is the question that a “Mushi-shi,” Ginko, ponders constantly. Mushi-shi are those who research Mushi in hopes of understanding their place in the world’s hierarchy of life.

Ginko chases rumors of occurrences that could be tied to Mushi, all for the sake of finding an answer.

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Author : Yuzuru Tachikawa

Seasons : 2

Episodes : 46

12. Princess Mononoke Brings Humans And Spirits Together

Princess Mononoke follows the last Emishi prince, Ashitaka. Having been cursed by a demon, he must find a cure before it kills him. To find the cure, Ashitaka travels toward the western lands and encounters a wolf pack led by the wolf goddess, Moro. Riding along with the wolf pack is a human girl, San, who’s been raised by the wolf goddess.

Ashitaka soon joins the fight to save the forest gods from the rapid industrialization that’s destroying nature. Similar to Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke deals with supernatural elements and the blossoming friendship between humans and magical creatures. It also includes a courageous female character who sticks to her convictions even when faced with insurmountable odds.

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Author : Hayao Miyazaki

Seasons : 1

Episodes : 12

11. Natsume Yuujinchou

While most fifteen-year-old boys, in one way or another, harbor secrets that are related to girls, Takashi Natsume has a peculiar and terrifying secret involving youkai: for as long as he can remember, he has been constantly chased by these spirits. Natsume soon discovers that his deceased grandmother Reiko had passed on to him the Yuujinchou, or “Book of Friends,” which contains the names of the spirits whom she brought under her control. Now in Natsume’s possession, the book gives Reiko’s grandson this power as well, which is why these enraged beings now haunt him in hopes of somehow attaining their freedom.

Without parents and a loving home, and constantly being hunted by hostile, merciless youkai, Natsume is looking for solace—a place where he belongs. However, his only companion is a self-proclaimed bodyguard named Madara. Fondly referred to as Nyanko-sensei, Madara is a mysterious, pint-sized feline spirit who has his own reasons for sticking with the boy.

Based on the critically acclaimed manga by Yuki Midorikawa, Natsume Yuujinchou is an unconventional and supernatural slice-of-life series that follows Natsume as he, with his infamous protector Madara, endeavors to free the spirits bound by his grandmother’s contract.

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Author : Yuki Midorikawa

Seasons : 6

Episodes : 74

10. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time Cautions Against Frivolous Time Travel

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time tells the story of 17-year-old Makoto Konno, who gains the ability to time travel after nearly getting into an accident. Initially, Makoto frivolously uses her powers to fix small personal problems, but she slowly realizes the dangerous outcomes of her decisions.

By the end of the movie, Makoto is wiser and more mature due to the events that unfold. Like Spirited Away, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time has a female protagonist who gets entangled with supernatural elements. For those who love Spirited Away, this movie is a must-watch.

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Author : Yasutaka Tsutsui

Type : Anime Film

Episodes : 1

9. Bakemono no Ko

Bakemono no Ko is the tale of a boy and a beast: both lonely, both stubborn, and both strong. For nine-year-old Ren, things could hardly be worse. His mother has passed away in a traffic accident, his father is nowhere to be found, and his extended family is cold and distant. Desperate, Ren runs away to the mean streets of Shibuya to try and survive on his own.

In the beast realm of Shibuten, the fierce warrior Kumatetsu is certainly feared, but not especially liked or respected. When the Lord decides to retire and become a God, Kumatetsu would be a natural candidate to replace him; he and the noble Lord Iouzan are the two strongest in the land. But Kumatetsu is so anti-social he’s never even managed to hold on to a disciple. And until he proves he can, he’ll never be a serious contender.

When Ren gets lost in a maze of alleyways and finds himself in the strange land of Shibuten, fate brings these two stubborn and fierce-willed souls together, and Kumatestu re-names the boy “Kyuuta.” Each of them has much they can teach the other, but where these two are concerned, nothing is going to be easy. As Kyuuta adjusts to his new home he finds himself torn between two worlds—two worlds that are far less separate than either the Boy or the Beast realizes.

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Author : Mamoru Hosoda

Type : Anime Film

Episodes : 1

8. Da Yu Hai Tang

This is a mythic land where no outsider has ever set foot. The spirit-like dwellers there, however, know us mortals well. They are responsible for human emotions and desires, for seasons, weather, the elapsing of time…

Our protagonist, a spirit girl named Chun, has just turned sixteen and goes in the form of a dolphin to explore the earthly part of the sea, to see what the human world is like. While cruising at sea, Chun gets caught in a storm and finds herself enmeshed in a fishing net. A human boy spots her and comes to her rescue, trying to free Chun from the entanglement. By accident, the boy drowns leaving Chun wretched and heartbroken.

Da Hai tells an absorbing and bittersweet story of sacrifice and redemption when Chun is determined to bring back to life the boy’s soul, now in the form of a little white fish. Da Hai is about an adolescent coming to terms with her limitations, and a spirit, coming into possession of her powers dealing with the difficult issues of death, love and maturing emotions with empathy and nuance.

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Author : Liang Xuan

Type : Anime Film

Episodes : 1

7. Erased Has A Child As The Hero

The anime Erased tells the story of Satoru Fujinuma, a manga artist who can travel a few minutes back in time before an accident occurs. With his ability called Revival, Satoru saves many lives. However, after his mother is murdered, Satoru’s Revival throws him back eighteen years into the past. Now, as an elementary school kid, Satoru is given the opportunity to save his three friends from being kidnapped and murdered, which may save his mother from dying in the future as well.

Like Spirited Away, Erased is a story told from a child’s perspective. Satoru re-evaluates his life once he becomes a kid, and laments about all the things he could’ve done. Since he’s back to being a 10-year-old, Satoru makes sure he doesn’t miss any opportunities to create a hopeful and bright future for himself.

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Author : Kei Sanbe

Seasons : 1

Episodes : 12

6. Majo no Takkyuubin

Kiki, a 13-year-old witch-in-training, must spend a year living on her own in a distant town in order to become a full-fledged witch. Leaving her family and friends, Kiki undertakes this tradition when she flies out into the open world atop her broomstick with her black cat Jiji.

As she settles down in the coastal town of Koriko, Kiki struggles to adapt and ends up wandering the streets with no place to stay—until she encounters Osono, who offers Kiki boarding in exchange for making deliveries for her small bakery. Before long, Kiki decides to open her own courier service by broomstick, beginning her journey to independence. In attempting to find her place among the townsfolk, Kiki brings with her exciting new experiences and comes to understand the true meaning of responsibility.

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Author : Eiko Kadono

Type : Anime Film

Episodes : 1

5. Howl’s Moving Castle

That jumbled piece of architecture, that cacophony of hissing steam and creaking joints, with smoke billowing from it as it moves on its own… That castle is home to the magnificent wizard Howl, infamous for both his magical prowess and for being a womanizer—or so the rumor goes in Sophie Hatter’s small town. Sophie, as the plain daughter of a hatmaker, does not expect much from her future and is content with working hard in the shop.

However, Sophie’s simple life takes a turn for the exciting when she is ensnared in a disturbing situation, and the mysterious wizard appears to rescue her. Unfortunately, this encounter, brief as it may be, spurs the vain and vengeful Witch of the Waste—in a fit of jealousy caused by a past discord with Howl—to put a curse on the maiden, turning her into an old woman.

In an endeavor to return to normal, Sophie must accompany Howl and a myriad of eccentric companions—ranging from a powerful fire demon to a hopping scarecrow—in his living castle, on a dangerous adventure as a raging war tears their kingdom apart.

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Author : Diana Wynne Jones

Type : Anime Film

Episodes : 1

4. A Letter To Momo Deals With Change

In A Letter To Momo, 11-year-old Momo is unhappy with how her life is going. Having recently lost her father, Momo has a strained relationship with her mother after she’s forced to move to a remote island. With an incomplete last letter from her father in hand, Momo struggles to adjust to the island and wishes to go back home.

However, Momo’s life changes when she meets three demons, or yokai, who change her perspective on life. Momo and Chihiro have a lot in common. Both protagonists are unhappy with their current situation and wish to go back home. Like Spirited Away, A Letter To Momo has supernatural elements because of the three yokai who later help Momo save her mother. All of these factors make this movie a good family watch just like Spirited Away.

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Author : Hiroyuki Okiura

Type: Anime Film

Episodes : 1

3. Children Who Chase Lost Voices

Strange sounds in the darkness… Unearthly music from an old crystal radio… These are all the warning Asuna Watase has before a simple walk to her clubhouse catapults her into a nightmarish adventure that will take her beneath the Earth to a lost land beyond the realm of legend! Attacked by a strange monstrous creature, rescued by a mysterious stranger and pursued by a relentless enemy, Asuna finds herself enmeshed in a centuries old mystery that will bind her to a strange young defender and lead her inevitably, towards a secret that may hold the key to life itself!

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Author : Makoto Shinkai

Type : Anime Film

Episodes : 1

2. Violet Evergarden Is A Tale of Self Discovery

Violet Evergarden is the story of a young girl who’s haunted by the last words of her caretaker: “I love you.” Even though she understands little of the world’s ways, Violet sets out to learn what love is and takes a job writing letters for a post office.

Like Spirited Away, this show focuses on what it means to live in a changing and uncertain world. As Violet writes, she learns about all types of love, just as Chihiro discovers her bond with her parents and learns that they’re her home. Violet and Chihiro both find their place in unfamiliar worlds, but learn to grow from their experiences.

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Author : Kana Akatsuki

Seasons : 1

Episodes : 13

1. Your Name

Your Name is an anime movie from 2016 about two teenagers who keep accidentally switching bodies. When Taki Tachibana discovers knowledge of a cataclysmic event, he struggles to find a way to save Mizuha Miyamizu and the rest of her town from the disaster.

Fans of Spirited Away will enjoy this movie for its supernatural aspects and enduring message of what it means to live. Both shows focus on making connections and being thankful for what nature and life have to offer. Your Name’s heavy emphasis on fate will have audiences rooting for Taki and Mizuha to find happiness.

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Author : Makoto Shinkai

Type : Anime Film

Episodes : 1

Top 5 Anime Like Spirited Away From YouTube

Here is another opinion about the best anime like Spirited Away from YouTube. Let’s open our minds.