Yesterday Wo Utatte is a lesser-known 2020 anime that deserves more attention. It tells the story of Rikuo, a young man lacking passion who works at a mini-mart after college. He feels left behind compared to his friends.
One day, Rikuo reconnects with Shinako, a woman he liked in college. He also meets Haru, an eccentric girl with a pet crow. This anime has a complex teenage romance drama that sets it apart. On MyAnimeList, Yesterday wo Utatte has a strong 7.82 rating.
If you enjoy the themes of this anime, here are some similar anime to check out:
Anime Like Yesterday wo Utatte
7. Tada-kun wa Koi wo Shinai
One of the romantic comedy animes, Tada-kun wa Koi wo Shinai, tells the story of a young man named Tada Mitsuyoshi who has never fallen in love. One day while taking photos of cherry blossoms in bloom, he meets a transfer student from Luxembourg named Teresa Wagner.
At that time, Teresa was separated from her friends, and this time, she came to Japan. Out of pity, Mitsuyoshi helped him and took him to his grandfather’s cafe.
Like Yesterday wo Utatte, the anime Tada-kun wa Koi wo studio Doga Kobo also produces Shinai. Both anime also discuss teenage love issues.
6. Just Because!
Anime Just Because tells the story of four final-semester 3rd-year high school students who are waiting for the day they will graduate. One day, their school suddenly had a transfer student who turned out to be their friend from middle school. The arrival of the transfer student brought a change in their lives.
Both anime have the same atmosphere and tell about the relationship of two teenagers who have not seen each other for a long time and try not to fall in love with each other.
5. ReLIFE
The ReLIFE anime tells the story of a 27-year-old boy named Kaizaki Arata who became unemployed because he consistently failed to be accepted at various companies. Now, he is forced to work as a minimarket keeper to make a living.
One day, he meets a young man named Yoake Ryou, who claims to be a member of the ReLife Research Institute. Ryou offers Arata to be the test object of the ReLIFE pill.
The purpose of the trial object is to help Arata improve his life. After Arata took the pill, the next day, Arata became young again, and he became 17 years old. The ReLife Research Institute contracted him for 1 year with a mission to return to high school life.
The resemblance of ReLife to Yesterday wo Utatte lies in the main character, where Rikuo and Arata are both unemployed and forced to work as minimarket guards.
Both anime also feature various romance dramas, although Yesterday wo Utatte is more in the story’s plot in some ways.
4. NHK is Youkoso!
The anime NHK ni Youkoso tells the story of a high-level Hikikomori (Nolep) and also a NEET (unemployed) named Satou Tatsuhiro (22 years old). Because of his absence, he thought that the cause of his being like this was a conspiracy by the Japanese government to establish an organization called NHK (Nihon Hikikomori Kyokai), which aimed to make all Japanese residents become Hikikomori.
However, Satou’s life changes when he meets a beautiful girl named Nakahara Misaki, who promises to eliminate her nolep disease.
The similarity between NHK ni Youkoso and Yesterday wo Utatte is that both face serious life problems regarding teenagers who are just growing up and their struggles to find identity, love, and career choices.
3. Koi wa Ameagari no You ni
Koi wa Ameagari no You ni tells the story of a 17-year-old girl named Tachibana Akira who falls in love with Kondou Masami, the manager where she works. Kondou is 45 years old, divorced, and has 1 child.
Even though they are far apart in age, Akira wholeheartedly likes Kondou. One day when it was raining, Akira dared to confess his feelings to Kondou.
Both anime are romantic manga meant for adults. Both have the same story plot, where an adult romanticizes with a younger girl.
2. True Tears
An anime about a love triangle, True Tears, tells the story of a high school student named Shinichirou Nakagami who has dreams like other students but lacks confidence in his goals. A girl named Hiromi, who is very popular at her school, has lived in his house since one year ago.
Hiromi is good at sports and always smiles at everyone. But Shinichirou knows that behind a beautiful smile, Hiromi is sad.
Like Yesterday wo Utatte, True Tears also features a strange girl who has feelings for the main character, who still seems to have a crush on her childhood friend.
1. Tsuki ga Kirei
Tsuki ga Kirei tells the story of Kotaro, a boy who dreams of becoming a novelist, and Akane, a girl who loves to run. They were both in the same class for the first time.
Since the school will be holding a sports festival soon, they are on the committee and are in charge of the festival equipment. The two became very close when exchanging LINE IDs.
On the other hand, Kotaro’s friend Takumi has been in love with Akane since the first year, and Akane’s friend Chinatsu also has feelings for Kotaro. How do they overcome the problem of love?
Tsuki ga Kirei also features a story plot about a love facet, and the main character must be able to handle the problem.
