Spy x Family is incredibly popular lately, and it's thanks to the series' thrilling spy action and wonderfully cute family comedy. The Forger family has captured the hearts of anime fans everywhere. It's a tried and true formula that anime is an amazing medium for an action comedy.
Well before Spy x Family, there have been hundreds of hilarious series that toe the line between action and comedy. The hyperactive blend lends itself to some of anime's most iconic stories. These anime walked and did a slapstick fall, so Spy x Family could run.
Lupin The Third
Lupin The Third is a classic action-adventure comedy that focuses on the direct descendant of the legendary thief Arsène Lupin, also named Lupin. Along with his foes turned friends Daisuke Jigen, Goemon Ishikawa, and Fujiko Mine to pull off zany heists.
The series is similar to Spy x Family through espionage. The cast is all seasoned veterans and yet they still fall into hilarious slapstick mishaps. Despite that, they can get serious when the plot demands so, perfectly balancing the tone.
The Devil Is A Part-Timer
After a great war between demons and humans finally ends with the Devil King trapped in his castle, he escapes through a magic portal with his trusted general to escape the Hero. On the other side, they find themselves in modern-day Japan, bereft of their powers.
Without powers, the two find themselves comically impoverished and forced to work at "MgRonald's" to make ends meet. The series combines fantasy action with mundane Slice-of-life shenanigans, parodying the fast-food worker experience endearingly.
Baccano!
In the Prohibition Era, thieves, mafiosos, terrorists, and spies abound. In this thread of conspiracy and deadly intrigue, three stories, of a rising mafioso, a crazed cult, and a woman searching for her brother intersect in altogether unexpected ways.
The series bears similarities to Spy x Family in its slice-of-life plus spies aesthetic, as well as the early 20th century aesthetic. The "heroes" here are morally gray, but have nobler goals than the enemies they are up against. Nevertheless, the villains of Baccano are surprisingly hilarious.
Hinamatsuri
Hinamatsuri is a coming-of-age story about surprisingly silly yakuza and oddball girls with psychic powers. After a metal cocoon drops into a yakuza tough's apartment, it opens up revealing a little girl named Hina. Against his will, the yakuza is now the adoptive father of the lazy Hina, though she soon reveals herself to have absurdly strong telekinetic powers.
Much like Spy x Family, a lot of the comedy in Hinamatsuri comes from contrasts. It's funny to see yakuza toughs acting doting over their daughters. It's funny to see powerful psychics be barely capable of basic math. As more weirdos show up in the story, so too does the plot take bizarrely apocalyptic turns.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood follows the arc of the Elric brothers, Alphonse and Edward. After a ritual to bring back their mother goes wrong, they join the government's State Alchemist program to gain information on the legendary "Philosopher's Stone" to gain back what was taken from them.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood has one huge similarity to Spy x Family. Both focus on a conflict between neighboring countries, and the main characters are key to ensuring peace between them. In addition, both feature a lot of comedy at the expense of their short main protagonists.
Katekyo Hitman Reborn
Katekyo Hitman Reborn follows a young boy scorned by his peers. Considered a "loser in all regards", he buckles under the stress of high school. However, it's revealed to him one day that he is the heir to a mafia family by a talking baby (long story), and he has to start his training ASAP.
Much like Spy x Family, this series has the perfect blend of action and comedy. In between high-octane hitman missions, there's the slice of life aspect that humanizes the characters. The contrast between their cool side and dorky side is what makes action-comedy characters so endearing.
Assassination Classroom
After the moon mysteriously gets a large chunk of it exploded, the monster who did so gives one demand. He wants to teach a graduating class of children how to kill him. If they do not succeed, then he will end the world in March of next year.
The similarities to Spy x Family start with, of course, the assassins. The criminal underworld and government agencies provide plenty of colorful antagonists. Much like Spy x Family, Assassination Classroom's characters are wonderfully weird and loveable, despite their deadly abilities.
The Disastrous Life Of Saiki K
The Disastrous Life of Saiki tells the story of a perfectly ordinary high-school boy. Well, at least that's what Saiki wants you to think. In truth, he is an incredibly powerful psychic, and if he felt like it, could end all of humanity in mere days.
Fortunately, he's too busy wanting to live a normal life and eat pudding. Like Anya Forger, Saiki does his best to hide his powers from the people around him. Unlike Anya though, his family knows exactly what he's capable of. That doesn't change how they treat him, however, which is refreshing for these types of stories.
Mob Psycho 100
Mob Psycho 100 focuses on Mob, a seemingly average and timid boy, who nevertheless holds incredibly psychic power. He wants nothing more than to lead an ordinary life, but his mentor, Reigen, pulls him along on exorcism missions. Through various adventures, Mob struggles to keep his emotions from boiling over.
Mob Psycho 100 features ONE's iconic brand of oddball comedy. Characters other than Mob are all loud and over-the-top, making Mob's imminent defeat of them that much more satisfying. With the third season coming soon, fans are excited for a return to the series' perfect blend of action-comedy.
Gintama
Gintama is the premier action-comedy for the last generation of anime fans. Set in an alternate version of Edo, where space aliens were the ones who visited Japan, instead of the American tariffs. Thus begins the anachronistic tale of Gintoki, a former rebel who'd rather just be left alone.
Gintama is similar to Spy x Family by every action-comedy anime is similar to Gintama. It ran for so long and threw so many jokes that similarities were going to be inevitable. Still, the series manages to pull serious drama out without feeling forced. This cements its status as one of the most iconic shounen series of the 21st century.