6.7 / 10 (based on 793 reviews)
Two children who got swapped at birth grow up to become engaged to each other. It’s an arrangement neither of them like, at first.
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Romance
Main Cast: Kaito Ishikawa, Akari Kitô, Nao Tôyama
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1 season, 24 episodes
Shows Most Like A Couple of Cuckoos (2022)
Engage Kiss (2022)
6.4 / 10 (based on 525 reviews)
Bayron City is a mega-float type of city in the Pacific Ocean, which doesn’t belong to any particular nation. As the mine for Orgonium, a new energy resource, this city is the most noticed in the world right now, and here special cases caused by demons called “D Hazards” has been occurring frequently. Only a handful of people know about the existence of D Hazards. They are handled by Private Military Companies. Shu is a young man living in Bayron City who runs such a company, but his company is tiny. His life, both publicly and privately, is being supported by the beautiful high school girl Kisara who attends a school in Bayron City. At the root of Kisara’s strong attachment to Shu is a contract signed between them. Her true identity is a demon. Kisara supports Shu’s lifestyle, and even assists his demon extermination based on their contract. The price is a dangerously sweet kiss. Their uncertain bond teeters between love and contract.
Genre: Animation, Action, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi
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1 season, 13 episodes, 24.0-minute runtime
Kawaii dake ja nai Shikimori-san (2022)
6.6 / 10 (based on 1959 reviews)
Shikimori seems like the perfect girlfriend. But she has a cool dark side that comes out under the right circumstances. And her boyfriend Izumi loves to be around when that happens.
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Drama, Romance
Main Cast: Shuichiro Umeda, Saori Oonishi, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Rina Hidaka
Creators: Keigo Maki
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1 season, 12 episodes, 23.0-minute runtime
My Stepmom’s Daughter Is My Ex (2022)
6.4 / 10 (based on 747 reviews)
Mizuto and Yume are a former couple who enjoyed a relationship in junior high school, but became more and more irritated at each other, and used their graduation as an opportunity to break up. But on the day before entering high school, the two reunite in the most unlikely way: with their parents announcing a marriage, with Mizuto and Yume now becoming step-siblings. Wanting to prioritize their parents’ relationship, the two promise to not fool around with each other, establishing a rule where “the first one to get aroused” loses.
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Romance
Main Cast: Hiro Shimono, Rina Hidaka, Ikumi Hasegawa, Nobuhiko Okamoto
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1 season, 12 episodes, 23.0-minute runtime
Otomege Sekai wa Mob ni Kibishii Sekai Desu (2022)
7.2 / 10 (based on 1018 reviews)
A young man is transported into a video game world dominated by females.
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi
Main Cast: Takeo Otsuka, Fairouz Ai, Kana Ichinose, Ayane Sakura
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1 season, 12 episodes
À quoi tu joues Ayumu?! (2022)
6.6 / 10 (based on 273 reviews)
On a whim, first-year Ayumu Tanaka quits the Kendo Club to join the illegitimate Shogi Club. Urushi Yaotome, the president of the club and a master of shogi, is thrilled to finally have a playing partner. As Ayumu’s upperclassman, Urushi endeavors to be his shogi mentor and student role model. Too often, however, she finds herself blushing with embarrassment. Stone-faced and honest, Ayumu sees no issue with calling Urushi “cute.” Although Ayumu likes her, he refrains from confessing and promises himself to first beat her in a game of shogi. Through school life and shogi games, the two students have many hilarious and heart-warming adventures. Ayumu enjoys every second with Urushi, but he is still a long way from beating her in shogi. With the commitment he made to himself, will Ayumu ever get the chance to confess his feelings to Urushi?
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Romance
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1 season, 12 episodes
Isekai Yakkyoku (2022)
7 / 10 (based on 614 reviews)
A pharmacist is reborn into a magical world and uses his knowledge of medicine from his previous and current lives to become a great medical expert.
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Main Cast: Aki Toyosaki
Creators: Takayama Liz
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1 season, 12 episodes
Call of the Night (2022)
7.5 / 10 (based on 1947 reviews)
Kou Yamori is an average middle school student who struggles with grasping the complex concept of love. Because he sees little sense in surrendering to the norm, he soon stops going to school. Plagued with insomnia due to his idleness, Kou begins roaming the lonesome streets at night. One night, Kou encounters a bizarre girl named Nazuna Nanakusa who believes that people stay awake during the night because they are dissatisfied with how they spent their day and cannot rest until they release their inhibitions. Nazuna offers to help Kou with his sleep issues and invites him over to her place, where she convinces him to share a futon with her. Feeling uncomfortable, Kou only pretends to doze off-which is when Nazuna suddenly bites his neck and reveals herself to be a vampire. While Kou thinks the bite will turn him into a vampire, the specifics of transforming are not that simple. In order to change, he must be bitten by someone he truly loves. Ready to let go of his dreary mortal life, Kou decides on a new goal: he will fall in love with Nazuna and become a vampire.
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
Main Cast: Sora Amamiya, Gen Satô
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1 season, 13 episodes, 23.0-minute runtime
Koi wa Sekai Seifuku no Ato de (2022)
7.1 / 10 (based on 615 reviews)
In the public eye, the leaders of the heroic Gelato 5 and the villainous organization Gecko are sworn enemies. In reality? They’re pursuing a forbidden romance.
Genre: Animation, Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi
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1 season, 12 episodes, 23.0-minute runtime
Kinsô no Vermeil ~Gakeppuchi majutsushi wa saikyô no yakusai to mahô sekai wo tsukisusumu~ (2022)
6.5 / 10 (based on 1014 reviews)
Alto Goldfield, a student at a magical academy inscribes a magic circle, ends up summoning a powerful demon named Vermeil, makes her his familiar.
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
Main Cast: Maaya Uchida, Yuya Hirose, Wakana Kuramochi
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1 season, 12 episodes, 24.0-minute runtime
Aharen-san wa hakarenai (2022)
7 / 10 (based on 931 reviews)
Follows small and cute Reina Aharen, as she starts an odd friendship with her classmate Raidou Matsuboshi.
Genre: Animation, Comedy
Main Cast: Kana Hanazawa, Inori Minase, Mao Ichimichi, Takuma Terashima
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1 season, 12 episodes
The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody (2022)
6.2 / 10 (based on 932 reviews)
As the most powerful entity of all time, the Demon Lord Varvatos thinks life is a big fat snore. When he takes matters into his own hands and decides to reincarnate, he calibrates his magical strength to be perfectly average. But there is no way he could have predicted that everyone in the modern world would be weak as hell, which means he is totally overpowered once again! Reborn under the name Ard, he has ladies fawning over him, the royal family begging him to become the next king, and an ex-minion insisting on killing him?! But Ard has a one-track mind, and he won’t stop at anything to achieve his ultimate goal!
Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Romance
Main Cast: Rie Takahashi, Toshinari Fukamachi, Hina Yomiya, Ayaka Ohashi
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1 season, 12 episodes
Saikin Yatotta Maid ga Ayashii (2022)
6.4 / 10 (based on 261 reviews)
The beautiful maid Lilith has recently been hired to care for the whims of her employer’s son, Yuuri. However, Yuuri’s overzealous skepticism of her every action keeps him on edge as he suspects devious mischief being plotted behind his back. Despite his paranoia, Lilith grows fond of Yuuri and often teases him as a way to further their bonding. The series revolves around the relationship between the cautious Yuuri and his wonderfully charming maid in this day-to-day oddball romantic comedy.
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Mystery, Romance
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1 season, 11 episodes
In the world of anime, where high school romance and mix-ups are as common as cherry blossoms in spring, “A Couple of Cuckoos” emerges as a refreshing take on the genre. The series, which started airing in 2022, weaves a tale that’s both familiar and unique, capturing the attention of anime fans worldwide. Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of what makes this show stand out, without any unnecessary fluff.
The Premise: Swapped at Birth
At its core, “A Couple of Cuckoos” revolves around two teenagers, Nagi Umino and Erika Amano, who discover they were switched at birth. This revelation comes at a pivotal moment in their lives, leading to an unexpected proposition: to get engaged for the sake of their families. This setup is a playground for both comedic and heartfelt moments, as the characters navigate their newfound relationship and the complexities of their family dynamics.
Characters: More Than Meets the Eye
Nagi Umino
Nagi is a second-year high school student and the epitome of an overachiever. Despite his academic success, he grapples with the discovery of his true parentage and the absurdity of an arranged engagement. What sets Nagi apart is his pragmatic approach to the bizarre situation he finds himself in, providing a grounded perspective amidst the chaos.
Erika Amano
Erika, a social media star with a penchant for freedom, initially seems to be Nagi’s polar opposite. Her vibrant personality and spontaneous decisions often lead to humorous situations. However, as the series progresses, viewers get to see layers to her character, revealing vulnerabilities and a depth that goes beyond her online persona.
The Supporting Cast
The show also introduces a colorful array of supporting characters, from Sachi Umino, Nagi’s sister by upbringing, to Hiro Segawa, a classmate with her own secrets. Each character adds a different flavor to the story, creating a rich tapestry of interactions and relationships that keep the narrative engaging.
Themes: Family, Identity, and Love
“A Couple of Cuckoos” doesn’t shy away from exploring deeper themes beneath its comedic surface. The issue of identity is central to the story, as both Nagi and Erika wrestle with the implications of their swapped identities and what family truly means. Their journey is a testament to the idea that family isn’t just about blood relations; it’s about the bonds you choose to nurture and maintain.
The series also delves into the concept of love in its many forms. From romantic love to familial affection, it examines how these feelings evolve and intersect in the lives of its characters. It’s a reminder that love can be complicated and messy, but also incredibly rewarding.
The Art and Animation
Visually, “A Couple of Cuckoos” is a feast for the eyes. The animation is fluid and vibrant, capturing the essence of each character and their emotions beautifully. The character designs are distinctive, allowing for an immediate connection with the audience. Moreover, the use of color and lighting adds depth to the scenes, enhancing the overall viewing experience.
The Soundtrack: Setting the Tone
The soundtrack of “A Couple of Cuckoos” deserves a special mention. It skillfully complements the mood of the series, from the upbeat opening theme to the more reflective background scores. Music plays a crucial role in storytelling, and this show utilizes it to great effect, amplifying the emotional impact of key moments.
Reception and Impact
Since its debut, “A Couple of Cuckoos” has garnered a positive reception from both critics and fans. Its blend of humor, heart, and a dash of drama has struck a chord with viewers, making it a standout show in a crowded genre. The series has sparked discussions on social media, forums, and beyond, highlighting its impact on the anime community.
Final Thoughts
“A Couple of Cuckoos” is more than just another entry in the high school romance category. It’s a cleverly crafted story that balances comedy with genuine emotion, wrapped in a visually stunning package. The series challenges viewers to think about the nature of family and love, all while providing a thoroughly entertaining experience.
Whether you’re an anime aficionado or a newcomer to the genre, “A Couple of Cuckoos” is a show that deserves a spot on your watchlist. It’s a testament to the power of storytelling and the endless possibilities within the world of anime. So, if you’re looking for a series that combines laughter, tears, and everything in between, give “A Couple of Cuckoos” a chance. It might just surprise you with its depth and charm.