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Merlí poster

Shows that feel likeMerlí (2015–2018)

He’s surly, unorthodox, unapologetically blunt, and he’s about to change your life. Meet the new philosophy teacher, Merlí, who will help his students view the world in a whole new light, both in and out of the classroom.

If you loved Merlí, the closest series we have are Merlí. Sapere Aude (2019), Never Have I Ever (2020) and Looking for Alaska (2019). All three share Merlí's contemplative and warm feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Freaks and Geeks (1999).

11 of 12 streaming nowNetflix · Amazon Prime Video · Hulu

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If Merlí hit the spot, these will too

Merlí. Sapere Aude poster
Merlí. Sapere Aude
2019–2021 · 2 seasons · TV3
★ 7.7comedy · dramaNetflix

Héctor Lozano working the same nerve twice

In this drama set at a university, a wayward philosophy student navigate life on campus while seeking guidance from an intriguing new professor.

Never Have I Ever poster
Never Have I Ever
2020–2023 · 4 seasons · Netflix
★ 7.8comedy · dramaNetflix

Two things both keep coming back to: friendship and high school

After a traumatic year, all an Indian-American teen wants is to go from pariah to popular -- but friends, family and feeling won't make it easy on her.

Looking for Alaska poster
Looking for Alaska
2019 · 1 season · Hulu
★ 8drama

One thread runs through both: growing up

The difference: Trades the wit of Merlí for an angle of its own

Miles enrolls in a new boarding school seeking adventure. There, he befriends a group of quirky students led by the captivating and troubled Alaska. As they pull pranks and explore dark secrets, a night of celebration takes a tragic turn, forcing the group to grapple with loss and the complexities of growing up.

Heartstopper poster
Heartstopper
2022–2024 · 3 seasons · Netflix
★ 8.5dramaNetflix

Both keep coming back to the same thing: friendship

Teens Charlie and Nick discover their unlikely friendship might be something more as they navigate school and young love.

Young Royals poster
Young Royals
2021–2024 · 3 seasons · Netflix
★ 8.2dramaNetflix

Common ground: growing up

Prince Wilhelm adjusts to life at his prestigious new boarding school, Hillerska, but following his heart proves more challenging than anticipated.

The Summer I Turned Pretty poster
The Summer I Turned Pretty
2022–2025 · 3 seasons · Prime Video
★ 7.2dramaPrime Video

The same mix in both: stillness, then warmth

Every summer, Belly and her family head to the Fishers’ beach house in Cousins. Every summer is the same ... until Belly turns sixteen. Relationships will be tested, painful truths will be revealed, and Belly will be forever changed. It’s a summer of first love, first heartbreak and growing up — it's the summer she turns pretty.

Love, Victor poster
Love, Victor
2020–2022 · 3 seasons · Hulu
★ 7.9comedy · dramaHuluDisney+

The same preoccupation in both: high school

Victor is a new student at Creekwood High School on his own journey of self-discovery, facing challenges at home, adjusting to a new city, and struggling with his sexual orientation. When it all seems too much, he reaches out to Simon to help him navigate the ups and downs of high school.

Atypical poster
Atypical
2017–2021 · 4 seasons · Netflix
★ 8.2drama · comedyNetflix

Witty where it counts, playful underneath

Sam, an 18-year-old on the autism spectrum, takes a funny, yet painful, journey of self-discovery for love and independence and upends his family.

Freaks and Geeks poster
Freaks and Geeks
1999–2000 · 1 season · NBC
★ 8.7drama · comedyPrime VideoParamount+

Wistful comedy, and it commits to that

High school mathlete Lindsay Weir rebels and begins hanging out with a crowd of burnouts (the "freaks"), while her brother Sam Weir navigates a different part of the social universe with his nerdy friends (the "geeks").

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo poster
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo
2016–2017 · 1 season · MBC
★ 8.3comedy · drama

Drama built on romance, twice over

A competitive swimmer crosses paths with his childhood friend, a rising weight lifting star, and realizes that she has a secret crush on his cousin.

My Dress-Up Darling poster
My Dress-Up Darling
2022–2025 · 1 season · Gunma TV
★ 7.9animation · comedy · dramaNetflix

Comedy with a pulse of wit, in both cases

The difference: Leans harder into animation than Merlí does

High schooler Wakana Gojo wants to become a kashirashi—a master craftsman who makes traditional Japanese Hina dolls. Though he's gung-ho about the craft, he knows nothing about the latest trends, and has a hard time fitting in with his class. The popular kids—especially one girl, Marin Kitagawa—seem like they live in a completely different world. That all changes one day, when she shares an unexpected secret with him, and their completely different worlds collide.

Kamisama Kiss poster
Kamisama Kiss
2012–2015 · 2 seasons · TV Tokyo
★ 8.1animation · comedy · sci-fi & fantasyNetflixHulu

Both lean on play more than on drama

Nanami was just a normal high school girl down on her luck until a stranger’s lips marked her as the new Land God and turned her world upside down. Now, she’s figuring out the duties of a deity with the help of Tomoe, a reformed fox demon who reluctantly becomes her familiar in a contract sealed with a kiss. The new responsibilities—and boys—are a lot to handle, like the crow demon masquerading as a gorgeous pop idol and the adorable snake spirit who’s chosen the newly minted god to be his bride. As the headstrong Tomoe tries to whip her into shape, Nanami finds that love just might have cute, pointed fox ears. With romance in the air, will the human deity be able to prove herself worthy of her new title?

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The best-reviewed series that share Merlí’s defining feeling.