Low Fantasy Anime
Descriptions
Fantasy is one of the biggest genres in anime, so it has many sub-genres. There's a big difference when it comes between high fantasy and low fantasy, especially in terms of magic systems and world-building. High fantasy anime are titles like Yona of the Dawn and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, and Kiki's Delivery Service represents low fantasy titles.
High fantasy anime don't have to have magic, but they tend to have complex magic systems and many kinds of supernatural creatures. Low fantasy tends to be a bit more understated and cozy. It may take place in the real world, or a slightly fictionalized version of the real world. And if there is magic or supernatural creatures at all, they're far more subtle and blend in well with everyday life.
10 Flying Witch
Flying Witch is a very quiet series about Makoto, a witch in training. She doesn't train in a castle, or a prestigious academy in the middle of an enchanted wood. Rather, part of her duty as a witch is to move to a new town and develop her magic as she participates in everyday life.
The stakes aren't very high in Flying Witch, but they are very human. Even though it's about a witch, it has a quiet, contemplative tone. It focuses more on Makoto observing the people in the town and developing relationships over her crafting fell curses and explosions in a cauldron.
9 Mushishi
The main supernatural beings in Mushishi are inspired by mushrooms and the spirits of everyday creatures. Most people don't even see the beings, but just live alongside them. The animation is beautiful, but the setting isn't grand or alien.
The series presents Mushi like a strange but ever-present part of the world. Though they are subtle creatures, the series is still very exciting, as the audience also sees what most cannot. Though Mushi are strange, near-ineffable creatures, the drama of the series is rooted in the human experience.
8 Kiki's Delivery Service
Kiki's Delivery Service takes place in a speculative version of Europe where World War I and II never occurred. The world is so true to life and encapsulated, though, that many viewers miss that fact. Kiki moves to and opens a small business in a seaside town inspired by Stockholm, Lisbon, and Paris.
Even though Kiki is a witch protagonist, she practices a very everyday sort of magic. She learns the most from normal people like artists and bakers. There are no grand displays of elemental or battle magic. The story just focuses on Kiki and her humble witches' broom which she uses like the whimsical version of a delivery bicycle.
7 Mashle: Magic And Muscles
Mashle: Magic and Muscles is inspired by the Harry Potter series, which some are surprised to find is indeed considered low fantasy. It may not be as low-fantasy as some, but it fits the sub-genre because there's both a magic school, and depictions of the real world. It doesn't take place in an entirely made-up place.
The protagonist Mash is also very human. He's not just an underdog in magic school, he's not a proper wizard. Mash doesn't use magical powers, either. He thrives in the wizard world with just his human creativity, and his physical strength.
6 The Secret World Of Arrietty
The Clock family of The Secret World of Arrietty aren't the average fantasy creatures. They're Borrowers, which are just teeny tiny humans. They live in very real places – behind the mantles of old houses, in attics.
The Secret World of Arrietty is special because with just one little change to human anatomy (their height), the entire human world becomes something strange and magical. A sewing needle is a swashbuckler's sword to them, and a cat is akin to a fire-breathing dragon. The Clocks may look like humans, but they operate by different rules and use human objects in different ways.
5 Gekijoban Dobutsu No Mori
Gekijoban Dobutsu no Mori is an anime based off the role-playing game franchise, Animal Crossing. It is incredibly whimsical, but there are no fantasy creatures, or magic systems, just more anthropomorphic creatures. The main character is a human girl, and she needs to craft tools and grow crops and trim trees.
Ai works by delivering items for Tom Nook and makes friends with her neighbors. There are no Lord of the Rings-level stakes. The plot revolves around Ai making connections with her neighbors and participating in community events. The whole concept behind Animal Crossing was inspired by the creator's wish that he could keep in touch with his family in his hometown while he lived in the city, so the setting is meant to feel exactly like home to the audience.
4 Polar Bear Cafe
Anthropomorphic animals are a huge hallmark of fantasy, but in the slice-of-life Polar Bear Café, anthropomorphic animals work and live like everyday humans. Polar Bear Café isn't about great quests or dangerous battles. It's just a collection of sweet, self-contained stories about friendships and usual work life.
The animals and the humans blend together, especially in Polar Bear's café. If there weren't so many talking animals, the series would feel almost like magical realism. The fantasy elements are sewn snuggly into everyday life and behavior extremely well. The conflict tends to revolve around the normal kinds of issues that would arise with trying to run a quality, small business.
3 Berserk
Most fantasy anime are whimsical and have a soft and cozy tone, but that's not the case for all. Berserk takes place in a fictionalized version of medieval Europe and is thoroughly grounded in historical warfare, politics, and armor. There are some fantasy elements, but it's considered by many fans to be low, dark fantasy.
Berserk begins its first episode by hinting at the supernatural in the last scene, but the supernatural doesn't make itself obvious for several episodes. When Guts and Griffith meet their first Apostle in the 1997 anime it's incredibly frightening, and the main characters are blindsided by the idea of living in a world where demons can hide away in dungeons. It foreshadows how the band of normal humans are totally confused and terrified by what they see and experience in the finale.
2 Attack On Titan
Even the most accomplished warriors in Attack On Titan use mechanical, human-made and augmented weaponry. The only real supernatural creatures in the series are the Titans. But they are thoroughly explained in a more scientific light than a supernatural light.
Attack on Titan blends low fantasy with dark themes and sci-fi nuances. It is anything but a high fantasy, and the blend of genres helps make the series feel even more morose and melancholic. Some fans even identify it as a take on steampunk that's still low on the whimsicality scale.
1 Natsuyuki Rendezvous
Natsuyuki Rendezvous is a romantic comedy that takes place mainly in a flower shop. The fantasy element comes into play with the love interest Rokka's former husband. Shimao loves his wife so much that not even death can keep him from watching out for her.
Things get a bit tricky when Rokka finds love again. A dash of wholesome ghost story makes this otherwise lowkey and cozy romance far more complex and bittersweet. Shimao genuinely loves his wife and it's understandable that it's hard for him to let go, but he takes on an almost poltergiest-like persona to Rokka's new paramour, Hazuki.
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