What anime is most like Banana Fish?

NANA (8.74) tops the list as the closest match to Banana Fish on the Anime Codex rubric. Shared strengths in emotional themes and characters — same Shoujo demographic.

How are "anime like Banana Fish" picks chosen?

Each show is scored on six criteria. We rank every other title by how close its six-criterion profile is to Banana Fish, preferring the same demographic — so the matches share what actually made Banana Fish good, not just surface tags.

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Anime like Banana Fish

These 12 shows score most like Banana Fish (Shoujo) across all six Codex criteria — not just same-genre guesses, but the closest matches on the actual rubric. Ranked by how near their criterion profile sits to Banana Fish.

The short answer

If you liked Banana Fish, start with NANA (8.74 out of 10) — the closest match to it on the Anime Codex six-criterion rubric.

Loved Banana Fish? Start here

NANA

Shared strengths in emotional themes and characters — same Shoujo demographic.

8.74

NANA

2006Top: Character 9.3

Shared strengths in emotional themes and characters — same Shoujo demographic.

8.22

Fruits Basket

2019Top: Character 8.7

Shared strengths in characters and emotional themes — same Shoujo demographic.

8.30

Cardcaptor Sakura

1998Top: Cultural 9.5

Shared strengths in characters and cultural impact — same Shoujo demographic.

7.83

Ouran High School Host Club

2006Top: Cultural 9.0

Shared strengths in characters and cultural impact — same Shoujo demographic.

8.43

Toradora!

2008Top: Character 9.0

Shared strengths in characters and emotional themes.

7.78

Kimi ni Todoke (From Me to You)

2009Top: Character 8.5

Shared strengths in characters and emotional themes — same Shoujo demographic.

7.64

Tamon's B-Side

2026Top: Character 8.0

Shared strengths in characters and emotional themes — same Shoujo demographic.

7.68

Lovely Complex

2007Top: Character 8.5

Shared strengths in characters and emotional themes — same Shoujo demographic.

7.81

Akatsuki no Yona (Yona of the Dawn)

2014Top: Character 8.7

Shared strengths in characters and emotional themes — same Shoujo demographic.

8.50

Re:Zero

2016Top: Character 9.0

Shared strengths in characters and storytelling.

7.83

Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou (His and Her Circumstances)

1998Top: Character 8.5

Shared strengths in characters and animation — same Shoujo demographic.

8.51

Gintama

2006Top: Character 9.2

Shared strengths in characters and emotional themes.

Related rankings

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Keep exploring

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FAQ

What anime is most like Banana Fish?: NANA (8.74) tops the list as the closest match to Banana Fish on the Anime Codex rubric. Shared strengths in emotional themes and characters — same Shoujo demographic.
How are "anime like Banana Fish" picks chosen?: Each show is scored on six criteria. We rank every other title by how close its six-criterion profile is to Banana Fish, preferring the same demographic — so the matches share what actually made Banana Fish good, not just surface tags.