Best movies & TV Shows like Laughing Under the Clouds

In 1868, after the Bakumatsu war ends, the ex-assassin Kenshin Himura traverses Japan with an inverted sword, to defend the needy without killing.

Kenshin has settled into his new life with Kaoru and his other friends when he is approached with a request from the Meiji government. Makoto Shishio, a former assassin like Kenshin, was betrayed, set on fire and left for dead. He survived, and is now in Kyoto, plotting with his gathered warriors to overthrow the new government. Against Kaoru's wishes, Kenshin reluctantly agrees to go to Kyoto and help keep his country from falling back into civil war.

Shishio sets sail in his ironclad ship to bring down the government. In order to stop him, Kenshin trains with his old master to learn his final technique.

A steel samurai blade that was to be given to the American ambassador by the Emperor of Japan is stolen. American sailors and Japanese samurai are sent to find it.

Yuki's family is nearly wiped out before she is born due to the machinations of a band of criminals. These criminals kidnap and brutalize her mother but leave her alive. Later her mother ends up in prison with only revenge to keep her alive. She creates an instrument for this revenge by purposefully getting pregnant. Yuki never knows the love of a family but only killing and revenge.

Set in Qin Dynasty during the warring states period in ancient China. Shin was a war orphan. He has a dream of becoming a great general Shin has a fateful encounter with young King Eisei. King Eisei aims to unify all of China.

Even though Gennosuke and Oboro are from rival ninja villages, they are secretly in love. At an annual conference with the Lord, it is dictated that a competition--a fight to the death--will take place between the five best shinobi from each village. Gennosuke and Oboro's love is made even more impossible when they each got picked as the leader of the five to represent their respective villages.

Afro Samurai avenged his father and found a life of peace. But the legendary master is forced back into the game by a beautiful and deadly woman from his past. The sparks of violence dropped along Afro’s bloody path now burn out of control – and nowhere are the flames of hatred more intense than in the eyes of Sio.

The era when Samurai and Ninja existed in Japan. Rikka Isurugi was born and raised in a Ninja clan secluded from society. She soon meets Miya, a girl with a mysterious power, who is found lost in the mountains. As Rikka is concerned that someone is pursuing Miya, she also asks the head the of Isurugi Ninja Clan for permission to avenger her father's death. Soon Rikka faces danger with the attack of the Negoro group but…

In the dawn of the Meiji period, the Gokumonjou, an inescapable prison, has been established in the middle of an enormous lake to counter the soaring crime rates the new era has brought. Serving as the ferrymen are the famous Kumou brothers: the eccentric family head, Tenka; the reckless but noble second son, Soramaru; and the guileless youngest, Chuutarou. In spite of their grim work, the three lead relatively peaceful lives in the ever-cloudy town of Oumi, together with their housekeeper, Shirasu Kinjou. But buried in the long history of Oumi is the legend of the terrifying "Orochi," a serpentine beast that awakens every three hundred years in a human vessel. Unbeknownst to Soramaru and Chuutarou, the actual job of the Kumou family is to seal the Orochi away before it fully revives—or the world will be plunged into destruction. Amid the monster's next resurrection, the Kumou family must find the resolve to keep laughing under the clouds.

Based on Noda Satoru's manga, set in late-Meiji in Hokkaido where an ex-army soldier who aims for a huge amount of buried treasure left behind by the Ainu. In early 1900s Hokkaido after the Russo-Japanese war, Saichi Sugimoto tirelessly pans for gold. Nicknamed "Sugimoto the Immortal" for his death-defying acts in battle, the ex-soldier seeks fortune in order to fulfill a promise made to his best friend before he was killed in action: to support his family, especially his widow who needs treatment overseas for her deteriorating eyesight

Near the end of the nineteenth century, as the balance of power shifts from Shogunate towards the Emperor, Japan restlessly awaits the dawning of a new age. But not all are content...The Shinsengumi, a small army of samurai, farmers and peasants, band together to do battle against the tide of history. Their leader, Isami Kondo is a man who rises from farmer to fighter to head the fierce Shinsengumi brigade. Using a stern hand and a heart of gold, he rallies his men in defense of the tottering Shogunate. But bloodshed and treachery lurk around every corner.

Ichinomiya Kantarou grew up with the ability to see demons, but was isolated and bullied by others who did not share the same gift. Instead, he became being friends with the demons, gaining a great attachment to their existence. One day, Kantarou was told about the strongest demon, the one known as the ogre-eating Tengu. Amazed by the news of his strength, Kantarou vowed to find this demon who was far stronger then any other, deciding to call him Haruka when he did so. Since this time, Kantarou searched far and wide for the ogre-eating Tengu with no luck, making his living by becoming a folklore writer and demon-buster. On a particularly job, Kantarou had finally found news of a nearby shrine supposedly the place where the ogre-eating Tengu was sealed.

Takemoto Yuuta, Mayama Takumi, and Morita Shinobu are college students who share the small apartment. Even though they live in poverty, the three of them are able to obtain pleasure through small things in life. The story follows these characters' life stories as poor college students, as well as their love lives when a short but talented 18 year old girl called Hanamoto Hagumi appears.

The story takes place during the Westernization Movement in an alternate world where humans and spirits coexist. To solve the problems that arise between the two, human lieutenants are partnered with half-spirit girls to form the Ministry of Spirit Affairs.

Brave 10 is a manga series by Kairi Shimotsuki, serialized in Media Factory's Comic Flapper from 2007 to 2010. The series was resumed on June 15, 2011 and retitled Brave 10 Spiral, better known as Brave 10 S, serialized in Monthly Comic Gene. An anime adaptation by Studio Sakimakura and TMS Entertainment began airing on January 8, 2012. The original manga series is licensed by Tokyopop, though no volumes have been released as of 2012. The series is based on the legendary Sanada Ten Braves, a group of ninja that assisted warlord Sanada Yukimura during the Sengoku period of Japan. The series had been licensed for streaming on Crunchyroll.

Yukimura Chizuru is the daughter of a doctor who works in Edo; her father leaves Edo to work as a volunteer doctor and moves to Kyoto without his daughter. As time passes by, Chizuru starts worrying about losing contact with her father, so she decides to go to Kyoto in search of him. On the way, Chizuru is attacked by few criminals and witnesses a fight between an oni and the Shinsengumi. Taking her into custody and saving her, the Shinsengumi debate on what to do with Chizuru when they discover that she is the daughter of the doctor they are also looking for. So they decide to become Chizuru's protectors and help her look for her father (the doctor). Lots of events happen while she stays with the Shinsengumi, as they discover mysterious secrets and also fight against the Bakumatsu group.

The legendary swordsmith Kiki Shikizaki created 1,000 swords in his career. The more of the swords a country owns, the higher its chances are at winning a war. When the shogun emerged victorious, he collected 988 swords, but these were merely the “practice pieces”. The last twelve swords were the crowning achievements of Kiki’s career. Each one of them is so powerful that a single man could defeat an army with it. Togame, the shogun’s strategist, gets the order to collect these swords. At first she hired a ninja, but each of the swords’ value is so high that the entire ninja clan went rogue once they got hold of one. She then put her trust in another warrior, but he kept the sword for himself. Her final hope now is Shichika, the seventh and last student of the Kyotoryuu School.

In an era where aliens have invaded and taken over feudal Tokyo, an unemployed samurai finds work however he can.

The Meiji Era was one of great renewal for Japan, where swords and killing were outlawed. However, many survivors from the time of Revolution still live, lurking in the shadows and waiting for a chance to use their killing blades again. Only Kenshin Himura, formerly one of the most brutal of killers, hopes to keep his swordsman's honor and still live in the new era.

In Japan, there exists a government agency known as the Supernatural Disaster Countermeasures Division (SDCD), whose duty is to protect the citizens from creatures unseen. They are able to dispatch these monsters swiftly and without alerting the general public. But currently, they face a different challenge: the betrayal of one of their own.

Shinichi Chiaki is a first class musician whose dream is to play among the elites in Europe. Coming from a distinguished family, he is an infamous perfectionist; not only is he highly critical of himself, but of others as well. The only thing stopping Chiaki from leaving for Europe is his fear of flying. As a result, he's grounded in Japan. During his 4th year at Japan's top music university, Chiaki happens to meet Noda Megumi—or as she refers to herself, Nodame. On the surface, she seems to be an unkempt girl with no direction in life. However, when Chiaki hears Nodame play the piano for the first time, he is in awe at the kind of music she plays. To Chiaki's dismay, Nodame moves into the apartment next to his and finds out that she is head-over-heels in love with him.

It is currently the Taiheimeji era, during the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate. In this era, breasts mean everything. If you have breasts, you are guaranteed wealth and popularity, but if you lack them, you are rarely considered human. Inside the shogunate, there is a group of warriors that support the government—the Manyuu Clan, which helps raise the future big breasts. Written on a secret scroll possessed by the clan, there are said to be various techniques on how to grow big and beautiful breasts. Chifusa is the heir of the clan. However, she takes the secret scroll and runs away with it, hoping to fight against the cruel world that the Manyuu Clan has created…

Hiyori Iki is a normal middle school student until she was involved in a bus accident while trying to protect a stranger. This incident causes her soul to frequently slip out of her body, and she becomes aware of the existence of two parallel worlds. Through her soul, she meets the strange, nameless god without a shrine, Yato. Yato is determined to make a name for himself out there by accepting any wishes for 5 yen, including Hiyori's to fix her body.

The anime centers on a young female ninja named Chidori, whose dream is to help the Warring States-era warlord Oda Nobunaga to achieve his goals.

Strong, intense, and cute! The most laid-back Shinsengumi in history arrives!! An official spinoff series by Hashimoto Eiji (manga) and Umemura Shinya (story) of "Chiruran Shinsengumi Requiem." Here's the laid-back everyday life of the Shinsengumi warriors.

A samurai lord has bartered away his newborn son's organs to forty-eight demons in exchange for dominance on the battlefield. Yet, the abandoned infant survives thanks to a medicine man who equips him with primitive prosthetics—lethal ones with which the wronged son will use to hunt down the multitude of demons to reclaim his body one piece at a time, before confronting his father. On his journeys the young hero encounters an orphan who claims to be the greatest thief in Japan.

Manji is a crass, violent samurai with a special ability: he cannot die. Cursed with immortality by the nun Yobikuni as punishment for his ruthless deeds, he has grown weary of his ageless life. The only way to lift the curse is to slay 1,000 evil men. So Manji wanders Japan, shedding the blood of the wicked on his quest to finally die.

It is the end of the Meiji Era. The genius poet Ishikawa Takuboku, who’s struggling financially, starts a detective business out of his lodging in response to a certain murder case. He calls it the Woodpecker Detective’s Office. “The ghosts of the Twelve-Story Tower in Asakusa,” “the man-eating figure who wanders the streets on snowy nights”… Takuboku involves himself in one bizarre case after another with his hometown acquaintance, Kindaichi Kyosuke, as his assistant. Other literary men such as Nomura Kodo, Yoshii Isamu, Hagiwara Sakutaro, and Wakayama Bokusui are also dragged into Takuboku’s exploits as he races all around Tokyo at the height of Westernization!

A former samurai, a yakuza bodyguard, a devious spy, and a geisha assassin try to find their place in the rapidly evolving Meiji-era while escaping the sins of their pasts.

The year is 1931. Prince Tokugawa Yoshinobu holds absolute control over Japan. Remnants of the Meiji era’s culture can be seen around the city, but scientific technology and Japanese esoteric cosmology Onmyodo are also developing. Yet lurking behind the glitz is Kuchinawa, a dissident group planning the assassination of the prince. Tasked to extinguish these dissidents is Nue, the government’s secret executioner group. Sawa Yukimura, who works for this organization, suffered at the hands of the Kuchinawa boss. Her entire family was murdered and she dedicated her life to avenging their death.

During the Warring States era, the feuding generals were suddenly struck down one after another by the demonic Kishin. In the 150 years since, groups of individuals have continued to resist Kishin control. They are called Bushi bands. When they were young, Musashi and Kojiro would hear tales about the Bushi from Kojiro's father, and the two of them dream to form the strongest Bushi band. One day, as Musashi struggles with his choices, he witnesses humans being torn apart by oni. Forced to face the truth, Musashi rises up against the powerful oni to make his dream with Kojiro come true!

Miyo's abusive family deems her worthless – but together with her powerful husband-to-be, her true self and hidden powers slowly begin to shine.

Ten years have passed since the end of Bakumatsu, an era of war that saw the uprising of citizens against the Tokugawa shogunate. The revolutionaries wanted to create a time of peace, and a thriving country free from oppression. The new age of Meiji has come, but peace has not yet been achieved. Swords are banned but people are still murdered in the streets. Orphans of war veterans are left with nowhere to go, while the government seems content to just line their pockets with money.

Ars Louvent is reincarnated in another world as the young son of a minor noble who owns a small domain. Ars is not particularly strong or intelligent, but he was born with the Appraisal Skill that's able to see others' abilities and statuses. He uses his skill to find the best hidden talents in the world to make their small, weak domain into the best.