10 Best Parody Anime

Within anime’s often exaggerated portrayal of characters, themes, and plots, lies a genre that takes things to a whole new level. Parodies exist as an introspective look at a genre that both celebrates and makes fun of its common tropes. They are a great way to refresh yourself when you’re in the mood for something familiar yet new.

RELATED: Most Underrated Anime Series You Shouldn’t Miss Watching

Parody anime series have been getting more prolific in recent years now that audiences have familiarized themselves with various anime franchises. Everything from shonen to sports to isekai has been parodied, and many of these shows are some of the best comedies there to be found. Here are a few to get you started.

10 Zombieland Saga

Combining idols and zombies is an idea that sounds like it was destined for failure, but Zombieland Saga turns it into one of the best anime within both genres. It follows a group of zombie girls who are revived in the hopes of creating an idol group, and naturally, what follows is outright hilarious.

Idol and zombie anime have both been considered niche genres that aren’t for everyone, but with Zombieland Saga, you get an anime that is easy for anyone to enjoy. Usually, parodies can only be fully appreciated after you are familiar with their subject, but Zombieland Saga is an exception that also works as a great starting point to get into these genres.

9 Isekai Quartet

If you’ve always wanted to see characters from your favorite shows interact with each other, Isekai Quartet will scratch that itch. It takes the main characters of many popular isekai, drops them in a classroom setting, and lets the characters and their personalities do the rest.

Whether you’re here to see how Kazuma and Subaru get along or how Aqua and Ainz Ooal Gown absolutely don’t, there’s plenty of gags and fun to be had. And with its chibi art style, this isekai cinematic universe’s denizens prove to be quite the charming bunch and infinitely entertaining to hang out with.

8 Carnival Phantasm

A spin-off series that brings characters from the Fate, Tsukihime, and Garden of Sinners franchises, Carnival Phantasm is a light-hearted break from the grim plots. It gives fans a chance to spend a relaxing moment with their favorite characters and enjoy some sketch comedy based on their daily lives and other hilarious situations they’re thrown into.

Even with their stacked roster, Carnival Phantasm stands as one of the most popular series within these franchises. It really demonstrates the power parodies have to connect with an audience and has one of the most viral, catchy openings to go with it.

7 Uncle From Another World

With the overwhelming number of isekai released over the last decade, the genre has become a hotbed for parodies. Uncle From Another World is one such parody in which Takafumi’s uncle wakes up from a 17-year-long coma and reveals he had spent that time trapped in another world.

RELATED: Best Anime That Would Work As Live-Action Adaptations

What makes this anime so hysterical is how his uncle, an old-school Sega nerd, bumbled his way through his adventures by applying the wisdom of his time, like tough-love parenting and tactics from classic games. Coming from a time before isekai became popular, it’s revealed he missed all the dos-and-don’ts of getting “isekaid” as well as its tropes, much to Takafumi’s frustration. All in all, the anime is a fun look at the generational gap and clichés we’re used to.

6 Osomatsu-San

Osomatsu-San is an iconic, long-running anime that even newer fans will be familiar with through the many memes it inspired. Its story follows 6 identical brothers and their less-than-admirable escapades to pick up girls, find a job, and everything in between.

What has really gained Osomatsu-San its popularity, even its notoriety, is its penchant for directly parodying other shows. Certain episodes have even been outright banned from airing, which should give you an idea of its unfiltered sense of humor. It’ll force you to leave your logic behind and prepare for a bizarre world, but if that’s your thing, you should definitely give this anime a watch.

5 Ghost Stories

Ghost Stories is an interesting case because it wasn’t originally made to be a parody. But after bombing its release, it was dubbed with completely fresh dialogues that had no relevance to the original plot line. Instead, it seems the showrunners ran wild with the dub, and the end result is closer to an abridged anime than anything else.

Ghost Stories’ humor and sensibilities might be a little dated, so it’s not a show for everyone. But if you want to witness how a train wreck of an anime was salvaged as a crude, bawdy parody of itself by changing the dialogues, then it’s an interesting watch.

4 Panty And Stocking With Garterbelt

Panty and Stocking exist as both a parody of magical girl anime and American cartoons and their humor. It follows 2 fallen angels, Panty and Stocking, who have to buy their way back into heaven by exterminating ghosts, but would rather spend their time indulging their own interests.

RELATED: Panty & Stocking With Garterbelt Season 2 Revealed By Studio Trigger

As far as viewing experiences go, Panty and Stocking is truly unique, with the art frequently shifting between anime and Western cartoon styles. Its adult humor, innuendos, and morally dubious duo directly contrast with the image of the sweet magical girl, but the culture shock is well worth the entertainment this anime provides.

3 Konosuba

Konosuba is not just one of the best isekai parodies but one of the best isekai anime to exist. Its subversion of the standard overpowered main character, serious plot, and other isekai tropes make it, quite possibly, the best parody of the genre.

Kazuma, Aqua, Darkness, and Megumin’s daily shenanigans turn the show into more of a slice-of-life than an isekai, which proved to be a brilliant move considering the genre’s plot beats were becoming all too predictable. Its quirky art style and hilariously flawed characters never fail to elicit a laugh, making this an easy pick for one of the top spots on this list.

2 Gintama

You can tell Gintama is an anime classic with a number of achievements under its belt. It is an outstanding parody of shonen anime and has long held the spot for one of the top 10 anime on My Anime List. And if that wasn’t reason enough to check it out, it features some of the best comedy and pop-culture references anime has to offer.

Gintoki, Kagura, and Shinpachi’s adventures are a constant source of self-aware gags and dig at common tropes. Characters will often lament how they weren’t featured enough in an episode or introduce themselves as the guest characters for the day. The anime also showcases one of the best uses of a narrator, a trope mostly associated with boring exposition but becomes a key aspect of Gintama’s comedy. As one of anime’s greatest, it earns an indisputable spot on this list.

1 One Punch Man

One Punch Man’s release took the world by storm, breaking all barriers between anime and mainstream media viewers and cementing itself as a pop-culture giant. As superhero films and anime were getting increasingly derivative, it flipped the script with a hero who could beat every villain with a single punch.

Saitama’s daily life and casual tussle with world-ending monsters isn’t just a setting for throwaway gags, it’s a surprisingly deep and introspective look at what superhero culture has evolved into. And with its colorful cast of heroes and villains based on generations of superhero tropes, there’s plenty of fun to unpack. The first season also features some of the best action choreography in anime, making this a must-watch for everyone.

NEXT: Most Unconventional Heroes In Anime