Lighthearted comedy anime?
Asking on behalf a friend. They just got burnt by a harem series that started out silly and fun, but the harem ended up including the protagonist's cousin, another character's mother and then a loli character (who was 18) and her now-loli grandmother. Just too creepy and uncomfortable for them at that point, and those particular tropes can be... kinda all over anime.
So, we're looking for lighthearted comedy series that don't feature incest or romance with loli characters. My friend did say that they're okay with some fan service, and that they'd prefer a cute art style rather than realistic. Doesn't have to be a harem series either, just lighthearted and fun. My tastes lean towards more serious, dark or action-y works (in part because some of these tropes are so dang common), so I can't recommend much to them.
I did recommend The World Only God Knows and they said it seems right up their alley, and they also said they'd check out Kaguya-sama: Love Is War. So that could help as a reference.
Nichijou fits the bill pretty well. It's a slice-of-life comedy that draws humor by contrasting mundanity with the absurd.
The Way of the Househusband is a great comedy manga that finds humor in the juxtaposition of a former Yakuza and the domestic setting he now finds himself in. The anime though gets a lot of mixed reviews, because it's more "animated manga panels" than anime.
I remember liking Sket Dance back in the day, but it took a while, 30+ episodes, for it to get consistent laughs out of me.
Way of the Househusband is great! The art and animation style is meant to be close to manga, so it's not what you may expect. But it really works the humor imo. Also the episodes are really short, so it's easily consumable
Weirdly, I actually liked the live-action version of that last one more than the "animated" one. Having real people go through it managed to make it more ridiculous, which is exactly how I like it.
Tamako Market is a personal favorite. Follows a high school girl that's the daughter of a mochi shop owner. Cute, funny, sweet. Packs a lot in 12 short episodes and a movie.
Spy x Family is another I quite like. A spy, assassin, and psychic end up as a found family unit while they try to hide their secret lives from each other. Ongoing, 26 short episodes so far.
Nichijou is one we're watching right now and I'll second. Absurdist slice of life following a couple high school girls and also a girl scientist and her android. 26 short episodes completed. This one does have some humor that doesn't carry without some cultural context, but a lot was localized pretty well.
I've had the same issue so I've been tracking down similar series, I might come back and update this post with what else is on my server if I remember after work.
I'm kicking myself that I didn't remember that Spy x Family got an anime.
Even after consuming the medium for most of my life, reading Spy x Family was the first time I felt like I was just taking a pure shot of happiness.
Anya is such a great character. Despite being able to read minds, she's heartwarmingly ineffective at so many things. And she's so funny while doing it.
Spy x Family is by far one of the easiest anime for me to recommend.
As someone who normally steers clear of anime, my wife got us to watch Aggretsuko and I loved it. For an American like me, it's fascinating to watch Japanese office politics (and, later, actual politics) be satirized by someone within that culture. I did a lot of Googling to try and hunt down all the references in the show. Great time! It does get somewhat serious and treacly in the middle seasons; also, it took me a while to get past the Flash-style animation.
I love Aggretsuko. The early episodes of the Devil is a part timer
I know it's not something that one would probably be quick to identify as anime, but the second series was co-produced by OLM so I'm counting it here. Watch Bee and Puppycat.
It's one of the lightest, most relaxing shows you'll ever see, and it's got a beautiful pastel aesthetic. It's funny, but more than anything it's vibes. You can't walk away from watching it without feeling good, even with the occasional sad episodes.
If you do choose to watch it, watch the first run on YouTube first and then skip the first three episodes of the Netflix version since they're just a recap of what happened in the original series.
Other than that, there are probably more light comedy anime than there are stars, so it's really hard to recommend one without knowing what kind of humor they like and how much they know of Japanese culture. Most popular shonen series probably apply, like One Piece and My Hero Academia. Kaguya-sama is something I feel appeals to just about anyone, but one of my favorite comedy anime, Saiki K., is something I would only recommend to the most hardcore of weebs.
Dumbbell Nan Kilo Moteru? or How Heavy are the Dumbbells You Lift? Is one of my favourites. I dont watch much anime but this was awesome. Great and funny characters, teaches you basic exercises, and in general just a good show on how to use exercise as a confidence builder rather than an appearance thing. My partner and i would constantly repeat lines from this show, especially Machio's.
Shokugeki No Souma: San No Sara or Food Wars is a fun show we enjoyed watching for how silly and lighthearted it is. Also, the lady getting... bound by the... peanut butter squid right at the start of the show should be a good indication of what youre in for.
I also usually like darker anime with some action, gore, etc. But lately my mood has driven me to explore more lighthearted anime.
I really liked Tomo-chan Is A Girl!. It's cute and funny with some romance, but it's sweet and doesn't venture into ecchi territory.
Being an older anime fan, I also liked Bartender. It's a nice ode to bars and bar culture, but might be a bit more melancholy than you're looking for. I particularly enjoy the softer scoring and music. Its rather relaxing and reminds me of being in a dark piano bar.
The food shows are always a winner for me. I've really enjoyed Today's Menu for the Emiya Family and Isekai Izakaya.
I'd recommend Miss Kobayashis Dragon Maid; its very cute and cozy. I wouldn't say it has a ton of comedy in it, but there is some.
If they know the Isekai genre reasonably well, The Eminence in Shadow is the funniest anime currently releasing in my opinion. It's very much making fun of the genre, but not in a way that is super tongue in cheek.
While's its not a comedy, I need to recommend Sound of the Sky, because I love it. Its a slice of life anime set in a post-apocalyptic world.
I saw the title and was maliciously going to recommend something soul-wrenching and tear-inducing, but then I read the full post and had an attack of don't-be-a-dick.
If you want the highest concentration of comedy, I would recommend an abridged anime. They are fan works taking an anime and... doing... things to it. To make it better!
Example: Hellsing Ultimate Abridged.
Hellsing Abridged is indisputably the highest quality fandub of any show. When I first saw someone watching it, it took until the end credits for me to realize that it wasn't the real show.
Yu-Gi-Oh abridged was my first abridged series, and remains my favorite. I still quote it on a regular basis
I've watched some of Yu-Gi-Oh Abridged as well, and liked it a lot.
So many serious lines followed by "in a children's card game".
While there are popular mentions, I’d want to add some that may not be mentioned:
Hinamatsuri is a good one. The story follows a girl from another planet that ends up living with a member of the Japanese mafia (yakuza) and their new, chaotic lifestyle. It’s purely good comedy with a few feels good moments. No clichés nor any tropes that ruin the good story.
If they prefer or you know they like a family theme, there’s kakushigoto. This story is about a manga artist who works his hardest to provide for his daughter all the while keeping his job a secret from her.
Both of these are relaxing and focus more on slice of life.
Campfire Cooking In Another World
https://www.crunchyroll.com/series/GG5H5X3EE/campfire-cooking-in-another-world-with-my-absurd-skill
He gets reincarnated in a fantasy world. His only power is being able to magically buy stuff from modern Japanese convenience stores. He's a great cook so this power is put to good use! He just travels around the land, befriending people and creatures with his food. Food is depicted in glorious detail.
Sunred
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLq0yfGA8HjSA6YORbxXSDpJht2S_aSQdv&si=KT-reJVB_boaAvks
The everyday life of a sentai superhero (basically like a Power Ranger), Sunred, who's gotten so lazy that he doesn't even suit up anymore except for his superhero helmet 😂 so he's often just in a shirt and shorts with slippers, but always with his helmet. He smokes, gambles, and has a temper. In contrast, the monster "villains" are super polite and upstanding law-abiding citizens. They have day jobs and they're actually genuinely nice folk! They are beloved community members whose only actual "villainous" activity is constantly trying to engage Sunred in battle. But they're super polite about it to the point of calling in advance to schedule with him. At one point they even end up apologizing because the monster scheduled to fight Sunred had a visa paperwork issue and couldn't make it 😂 this anime is an oldie but it's so weird and funny, I often rewatch it.
Oda Cinnamon Nobunaga
https://myanimelist.net/anime/40136/Oda_Cinnamon_Nobunaga
Legendary historical warlord Oda Nobunaga is reincarnated as a pet shiba inu dog in modern-day Japan. He frequents the dog park, along with other neighborhood dogs... who are also reincarnated historical warlords.
Saint Young Men (OVA and movie)
https://myanimelist.net/anime/15775/Saint%E2%98%86Oniisan
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt2431934/plotsummary/
Jesus and Buddha are roommates while on a long vacation in modern-day Japan. Jesus likes blogging, Buddha likes reading manga. Nobody recognizes them 😂 aside from animals, who all love Buddha and are constantly drawn to him.
The Vampire Dies In No Time
https://myanimelist.net/anime/41833/Kyuuketsuki_Sugu_Shinu
The vampire lord Draluc is so weak that he instantly dissolves into a pile of sand at the slightest touch. He and his pet armadillo, John, end up living with hotheaded vampire hunter Ronaldo. Together they take on the various vampire villains attacking the city. The vampire villains have ridiculous powers, like, there's one vampire whose power is to just make people blurt out "lewd talk", and another vampire whose power is to transform people's outfits into micro-bikinis 😂 this show just cracks me up.
There is more to it than comedy, but I really enjoyed the comedic aspects of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime.
I don't really watch anime myself but the one (comedy) manga I recommend is Grand Blue, which is about diving. It has an anime adaptation so your friend could give that a go?
K-On! is a good, wholesome, light-hearted comedy/slice-of-life anime. Maybe too wholesome, depending on what your friend is looking for.
I've probably watched the whole series 3 or 4 times now, both subbed and dubbed, and still love it every time. Probably going to watch it again now that I'm thinking about it.
The old classic Love Hina series - lots of comedy, yes a harem but one of the better original ones (has great music too imho). The MC only really has eyes for the one girl too :D
Komi can't communicate is my go-to suggestion in this case.
Light-hearted slice of life anime that follows the life of a beautiful girl that has trouble communicating and making friends, because many consider her distant and snobbish when she is only very VERY shy.
It has a lot of over the top, very funny character and is really a pleasure to watch.
Older stuff but that aged well - Azumanga Daiou is technically about an advanced 10 year-old girl who's in high school, but it's an excuse for a lightly unhinged sketch show. Daily Lives of High School Boys doesn't make any excuses, it's a bunch of vaguely connected sketches about three dudes in high school together and the people they hang out with. I'm not generally a fan of a lot of Japanese comedy, but the timing, characters, and writing of these two shows are fantastic.
If you REALLY think you're a bad enough dude for the lightest of lighthearted, you better buckle the fuckle up for Hidamari Sketch.
Your friend might like Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear
Highly recommend kaguya-sama: love is war. It is about the president and vice president of a high school student council who have a crush on each other but they both go to extreme lengths to hide that I formation from the other person.
Another more down to earth and older recommendation is Nodame Cantabile.