Anime covers an incredibly broad range of topics and genres. Many are set in other worlds to showcase fantasies and distract viewers to an extent, while others are set in high schools to partially provide a familiar space for viewers. Some are even set in workplaces to appeal to adult fans and either distract, or provide a sense of validation to the working adult. Let’s get to work looking at five comedy anime set in workplaces.
Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku - Hobby Experts, Clueless in Romance
Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku shows how one can be a functioning, respectable adult and still be a huge fan of what they love. This anime follows four friends through their daily lives in and out of a corporate office through the lens of their relationships and love for their individual hobbies. Wotakoi sets being a fan into the adult world with comedic playfulness. There are moments of hiding their hobbies, or going 100% almost professional fan mode at conventions. While the individuals are experts of their hobby, they are clueless when it comes to romance. Wotakoi is a comforting slice of life anime.
Cells at Work!: The Workplace Inside the Human Body
Cells at Work! looks within the human body to explore all the moving cells, organs, bacteria, and everything in between, with a red blood cell taking the audience on a tour. While a science class-esque show may sound boring, the anime does well to anamorphose many beings within the body and showcases the drama that can happen from any small or big occurrence. Cells at Work! is a comedic and violent anime that showcases life-threatening stakes and the inner workings of the body with enough pleasant moments to balance it out.
Heaven’s Design Team: Designing Animals for Their Client, God
In Heaven’s Design Team, the creator of the world got lazy or tired after creating the landscape and outsourced the design of the animals to a design team. The anime hilariously showcases the frustrations and problems that design teams generally encounter in real life -- except here, the client happens to be God. It brings many "what if" questions to the screen and shows instead of telling viewers. While the creation and mindsets behind the designs of these animals are comedic, the show also educates viewers on the real-life animal counterparts.
Yakitate!! Japan: Combining Elements of Food Wars! and Gintama
Yakitate!! Japan is a wildly hilarious anime that follows Azuma Kazuma on his personal journey to create the national bread of Japan - one that can be distinguished next to other national breads and truly represents Japan and its people. It’s set in the workplace of a prestigious bakery and can be compared to its more current counterpart Food Wars! in terms of food and eater reactions. However, Yakitate!! Japan pushes everything a step further to a level of ridiculousness that can even be compared to Gintama at times. The anime is educational, unorthodox, action-packed, comedic, and mouthwatering.
The Devil Is a Part Timer!: Satan Gets a Job Serving Fast Food
Working at a fast food restaurant may be looked down upon in some societies, but Sadao Maou (formerly known as Satan Jacob in another world) takes the job incredibly seriously in The Devil is a Part Timer! There are grand plans to take over the world through the climb of the corporate ladder, and his work is well-regarded. The concept of these plans for world domination carries its own hilarity, but the anime is presented as a comedy and a number of dynamic characters make it worthwhile. While Satan and other characters may have been at high places and accolades in their original world, here they've hilariously conformed to being trapped by capitalism and the other systems in society.