In this world, there is a minute amount of magic left. Hitomi is a descendant of an old witch family, and also lost her emotions and color at a young age. Feeling bad for her granddaughter, the great witch Kohaku sends her into the past where interactions with her young self and Kohaku’s friends will hopefully foster some growth in her granddaughter.

Light and whimsical, Iroduku doesn’t have a lot of flash to stand out, but it was great to unwind with. If you are looking for similar anime recommendations, then you need not look any further.

For Fans of Whimsical Auras

Violet Evergarden

After the Great War and her time in it came to an end, Violet Evergarden is adrift. Her purpose was once only battle, and now she must find a new one. After recovering from the loss of her arms, Violet takes up a job at the CH Postal Services. Here she transcribes people’s thoughts into what should be emotional letters. However, the “emotional” part seems to greatly escape her, but she aims to learn how to move people with words.

Iroduku is very much about color and emotions, and Violet Evergarden often uses it vast color palate to evoke certain kinds of emotions. Furthermore, you will also notice how both series pays extraordinary detail to not just the characters, but the background and foreground details to make a beautifully meticulous show about a girl searching for something.

The Ancient Magus’ Bride

After being abandoned by her family, Chise Hatori is a 16-year-old teenager without hope. In order to not have to worry about herself, she sells herself to slavers, only to be purchased by Magus Elias Ainsworth. There she is told she will become his apprentice and, in the future, his bride. Together they work together to build a relationship and work to control her own magus powers that will eventually result in her early death.

Obviously both shows are about modern settings where magic still exists to some extent. However, Iroduku is less about magic as it is about life. The Ancient Magus’ Bride has some focus on that as well. Regardless, you watch these shows to see how these broken girls repair themselves.

A Lull in the Sea

Long ago, all of humanity lived underwater. However, a portion of them soon left to live on the surface, losing the ability to breath underwater. With this gap between them, the two societies grew apart. A Lull in the Sea tells the story of a group of kids forced to attend school above the water where they come to terms with themselves and the discrimination against them.

As they are made by the same studio, you will see certain similarities between these anime series naturally. They are both about someone magical worlds, but the magic isn’t really the focus – it is the people. You dive right in to a group of friends and the various going-ons therein. Drama, romance, friendship, excellent world building, and beautiful art all go into crafting both of these whimsical series.

For Fans of Light Magic

Tatami Galaxy

At a mysterious back alley ramen stand, a lonely college student in his final year accidentally bumps into a man that calls himself the God of Matrimony. There he pours his soul out to the god about all the regrets he has about his college life that he spent bitterly trying to break up couples. However, soon he finds himself back at the very start of college career. Can he change the past or will he repeat past mistakes?

The obvious similarity here is the time travel element at play in Tatami Galaxy, but it is more than that. It is not just time travelling “just because,” but both shows explain it with magic. Furthermore, they both feature characters going back in time trying to fix something within themselves.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Kyon had long given up on his belief in the supernatural until he meets Haruhi Suzumiya. Haruhi, a strange girl in her own right, is interested in all things supernatural, but laments the lack of intriguing clubs on campus. Kyon, however, inspires her to create her own club, and thus, the SOS Brigade is born. Unfortunately for Kyon, he is also roped into joining this new club dedicated to all things supernatural.

Haruhi is another series tied to Iroduku by time travel and the light use of magic to do it. However, it is more comedy-oriented and not quite as poignant as Iroduku. Of course, Haruhi has some feels moments as well, but the plot doesn’t surround them like it does with Iroduku.

Someday’s Dreamers

Yume has move to Tokyo to apprentice under a professional mage. There she learns not only magic, but helping people and other things are on the route to being a good mage. However, she is also learning that magic alone isn’t enough to make someone truly happy.

As shows about mages, there is some automatic similarities here. However, Iroduku puts less focus on learning magic. They do share a similar theme of exploring how other things in life are more important than what you would expect, such as friends and actually caring about people.

For Fans of Time Travel

Orange

On the first day of a new semester, Naho Takimiya oversleeps. On her way out after being late for school, she finds a letter waiting for her that says it is from herself ten years in the future. The letter ardently states her regrets that she has surrounding a new transfer student Kakeru Naruse. Thinking it is a prank at first, Naho ignores it, but when the events described within begin to come true, Naho decides that she will try to help her future self.

If you enjoyed Iroduku being about a group of friends bonding and sorting out their various drama, then Orange is a natural next choice. It is rife with drama and has a similar time traveling elements. However, it is less about building relationships, and more about erasing regrets.

Island

On the island of Urashima, the three major families once suffered misfortune. Afterwards, the island cut off contact from the mainland and began a decline. The key to fixing this island lies with the three girls of the major families, but they are bound by tradition. However, when a lone man washes up on the island, claiming to be from the future, could their fortunes turn?

Island has a similar sort of whimsy to it like Iroduku, but it has an infinitely more harem vibes as well that tend to put people off. While both shows are about relationship-building, Island also has a certain mystery element to it as well.

Erased

Recently the detached struggling manga artist Satoru Fujinuma finds himself going back in time just minutes before tragedy strikes around him. He has saved many lives with this power of “Revival,” but when he is wrongly accused of murdering someone close to him, Fujinuma finds himself sent back to his childhood. As he discovers the recent death in his life is somehow connected the kidnap-murder of three of his classmates, this time he may be able to use his power to save more than just one life, easing his past regrets in the process.

Where Iroduku is light and whimsical, Erased is tense and rather serious. They even have vastly different color palates. However, both feature a time travel plot where another goes back in time to find something and also, in their different ways, save someone.

Do you have any more anime recommendations like Iroduku? Let fans know in the comments section below.