Best countryside anime
Your Name. (2016) leads the countryside list, with a community score of 8.3, ahead of Princess Mononoke. The 40 shows span 1986 to 2023, and 2 of them came out in the last five years. 40 of them carry the AniList tag "Rural". Most are also fantasy, adventure, and drama. 26 are series and 12 are movies; the typical series runs 13 episodes. Ranked by how plainly each story is built on countryside, then community score and popularity. Each entry says what it was matched on.
Your Name.
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
Princess Mononoke
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
My Neighbor Totoro
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural; synopsis mentions “countryside”
Wolf Children
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
To the Forest of the Firefly Lights
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
Samurai Champloo
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
Spice and Wolf
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural; synopsis mentions “small town”
Mushi-Shi
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
Dororo
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
Grave of the Fireflies
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural; synopsis mentions “countryside”
Dragon Ball
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
From the New World
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
Barakamon
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural; synopsis mentions “rural”
Summer Wars
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
Natsume's Book of Friends
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
Another
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
When They Cry
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
The Ancient Magus' Bride: Those Awaiting a Star
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
Ponyo
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
Kids on the Slope
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
InuYasha
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
Shiki
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
Laid-Back Camp
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
To Your Eternity
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
Non Non Biyori
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural; synopsis mentions “countryside”, “rural”
Kino's Journey
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
Sword of the Stranger
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
The Secret World of Arrietty
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
Hanasaku Iroha ~Blossoms for Tomorrow~
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural; synopsis mentions “countryside”, “rural”
Sankarea: Undying Love
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
Mushishi Zoku Shou 2nd Season
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
Silver Spoon
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
Haibane Renmei
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
Attack on Titan OVA
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
Heaven's Lost Property
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
When Marnie Was There
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural; synopsis mentions “countryside”, “small town”
Initial D First Stage
Why it fits: AniList tag: Rural
Questions about countryside anime
What is the best countryside anime?
By AniVids' ranking, Your Name. comes first, followed by Princess Mononoke and anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day.
What are the newest and oldest countryside anime on this list?
The newest is Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (2023) and the oldest is Dragon Ball (1986).
How many countryside anime are there?
AniVids has 260 countryside titles that match (counting each season, movie and special), and 187 separate franchises where it is plainly central. This page lists the best 40.