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Shows that feel likexxxHOLiC (2006–2008)

Kimihiro Watanuki is a high school student plagued by ayakashi spirits, both of which are invisible to everyone else but him. The series begins when Watanuki stumbles, seemingly by chance, into a shop that grants wishes. The shop is owned by Yūko Ichihara, a mysterious witch of many names and esoteric renown. For a price, she offers to grant Watanuki's wish to be rid of the spirits. The price, according to Yūko, must be of equal value; so, as payment, he must become Yūko's temporary, part-time cook and housekeeper.

If you loved xxxHOLiC, the closest series we have are Cardcaptor Sakura (1998), Justice League Unlimited (2004) and Overlord (2015). All three share xxxHOLiC's cerebral and dreamlike feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is The 4400 (2004).

8 of 12 streaming nowNetflix · HBO Max · Hulu

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If xxxHOLiC hit the spot, these will too

Cardcaptor Sakura poster
Cardcaptor Sakura
1998–2018 · 4 seasons · NHK BS2
★ 8animation · sci-fi & fantasy · action & adventure

Both are working the same pair: magic, based on manga

The difference: Sits closer to action & adventure than xxxHOLiC does

Sakura Kinomoto, an elementary school student who discovers that she possesses magical powers after accidentally freeing a set of magical cards from the book they had been sealed in for years. She is then tasked with retrieving those cards in order to avoid an unknown catastrophe from befalling the world.

Justice League Unlimited poster
Justice League Unlimited
2004–2006 · 3 seasons · Cartoon Network
★ 8.7animation · action & adventure · sci-fi & fantasyMax

The same mix in both: ideas, then dream logic

The galaxy's most powerful superheroes return to battle the allied villains and criminal plots that endanger the universe.

Overlord poster
Overlord
2015–2022 · 4 seasons · AT-X
★ 7.6animation · sci-fi & fantasy · action & adventureNetflix

The same preoccupation in both: anime

In the year 2138, virtual reality gaming is booming. Yggdrasil, a popular online game is quietly shut down one day. However, one player named Momonga decides to not log out. Momonga is then transformed into the image of a skeleton as "the most powerful wizard." The world continues to change, with non-player characters (NPCs) beginning to feel emotion. Having no parents, friends, or place in society, this ordinary young man Momonga then strives to take over the new world the game has become.

Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid poster
Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid
2017–2021 · 2 seasons · TOKYO MX
★ 7.7animation · comedy · sci-fi & fantasyHulu

Common ground: seinen

Kobayashi lives alone in an apartment, until one day, Tohru appeared and they ended up living together. Tohru looks down on humans as inferior and foolish, but having been saved by Kobayashi-san, she does everything she can to repay the debt and help her with various things, although not everything goes according to plan. A mythical everyday life comedy about a hard working office lady living with a dragon girl.

The Magicians poster
The Magicians
2015–2020 · 5 seasons · Syfy
★ 7.6drama · sci-fi & fantasy

One thread runs through both: magic

Brakebills University is a secret institution specializing in magic. There, amidst an unorthodox education of spellcasting, a group of twenty-something friends soon discover that a magical fantasy world they read about as children is all too real— and poses grave danger to humanity.

The 4400 poster
The 4400
2004–2007 · 4 seasons · USA Network
★ 7.3drama · sci-fi & fantasy

Both lean on ideas more than on sci-fi & fantasy

4400 centers on the return of 4400 people who, previously presumed dead or reported missing, reappear on Earth. Though they have not aged physically, some of them seem to have deeper alterations ranging from superhuman strength to an unexplained healing touch. A government agency is formed to track the 4400 people after one of them commits a murder.

Plunderer poster
Plunderer
2020 · 1 season · TOKYO MX
★ 6.5action & adventure · sci-fi & fantasy · animation

Both are built on the same subject: based on manga

In a post-apocalyptic world dominated by the so-called "Numbers," each human will have their identity branded with their own "Count," which could define any number related to their life. May it be one's walked distance or amount of compliments given to them by others, this Count could lead them to the abyss when it has dropped to zero. In the year 305 of the Alcian calendar, Hina has inherited a mission from her Mother, whose Count has depreciated to zero, to search for the Legendary Red Baron. In her adventure, she meets a half-masked swordsman named Licht who tries to hide his identity, as he is known as a degenerate for having an incredibly low Count.

Fullmetal Alchemist poster
Fullmetal Alchemist
2003–2004 · 1 season · TBS
★ 8.5animation · action & adventure · sci-fi & fantasy

Both keep coming back to the same thing: anime

Two young brothers are raised as alchemists, but when they are severely injured trying to perform a forbidden act, they begin searching for the one thing that can save them; the fabled philosopher's stone.

Record of Ragnarok poster
Record of Ragnarok
2021– · 4 seasons · Netflix
★ 6.6action & adventure · animation · sci-fi & fantasyNetflix

Another one that scratches it

Before eradicating humankind from the world, the gods give them one last chance to prove themselves worthy of survival. Let the Ragnarok battles begin.

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KENGAN ASHURA
2019–2024 · 2 seasons · Netflix
★ 7.9animation · action & adventure · sci-fi & fantasyNetflix

Animation built on dream logic, twice over

Ohma Tokita enters a hidden world where corporate disputes are settled in brutal gladiator bouts. Forget the money, he just wants to fight — and win.

Shadow Hunter poster
Shadow Hunter
2005–2006 · 1 season · Space
★ 7.3sci-fi & fantasy · drama

Sci-fi & fantasy with a pulse of ideas, in both cases

A documentary series about the paranormal, hosted by Darryll Walsh, a ghost hunter, best-selling author and doctor of parapsychology.

Locke & Key poster
Locke & Key
2020–2022 · 3 seasons · Netflix
★ 7.3sci-fi & fantasy · drama · mysteryNetflix

Dreamlike animation, and it commits to that

After their dad's murder, three siblings move with their mom to his ancestral estate, where they discover magical keys that unlock powers — and secrets.

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