Ya Boy Kongming! started as a relatively unknown show and then quickly became one of the best anime of Spring 2022. The pleasant absurdity of watching a famous war general use military tactics to help a young girl become a music star is just so wild it manages to work.
With just how unique the show's premise is, it might seem like there wouldn't be many other shows out there at all like it. Fortunately, anime provides quite the wide variety of content about music that can help capture some of the magic Ya Boy Kongming manages to offer.
10 Carole & Tuesday
Carole & Tuesday has become one of the most iconic music anime of all time for good reason. When two girls who love music have a chance meeting, the two work to take the world of music by storm, trying to prove that they can create better songs that the AI singers that currently dominate the scene. The soundtrack feature songs so good that they're worth listening to even for those who've never seen the show, and it was even made by the creator of Cowboy Bebop!
9 Sound! Euphonium
It's reasonable to think that an anime with a focus on a euphonium — no that isn't the same thing as a tuba — might be a hard sell. However, Sound! Euphonium has managed to span across multiple seasons and become beloved by many for good reason.
This drama surrounding a young girl's journey with the music club of her school while trying to not repeat the mistakes she made in middle school is gripping, fun, and of course incredibly musical. Plus, it was directed by the same person behind Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid S which speaks volumes about its quality.
8 Given
A series so popular that it got a full-blown movie, Given is an excellent anime that not only focuses on music but on a budding gay relationship. Watching a band form after the chance meeting of two high school boys gives this slice of life romance a lot of action. Plus, who doesn't want to see someone shred on a Gibson guitar in an anime?
Hikaru Yamaguchi made her directorial debut with Given. It has her most recognized work in the anime industry.
7 Searching for the Full Moon
One of the biggest parts of Ya Boy Kongming is how a young lady artist is trying to achieve her dream of becoming a famous musician. Searching for the Full Moon does this as well but with an even harsher twist — the main character has throat cancer and a limited amount of time left to live.
This remarkable piece of shojo anime doesn't pull punches and will leave viewers crying over the emotional scenes presented within. Anyone with a fresh box of tissues will feel their heartstrings tugged to maximum when watching and still find it was worth doing so by the end.
6 ClassicaLoid
A big part of what makes Ya Boy Kongming so special is how it took a historical figure and gave them such a unique personality in a world unlike anything they ever knew. ClassicaLoid does something similar, but instead of using a famous military tactician, it uses well-known composers. Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, and Bach are all among the cast all wielding the amazing power of "Musik." The wacky off-the-wall energy of both shows makes them especially enjoyable to view.
5 D4DJ: First Mix
Anyone wanting to watch a young girl strive to achieve her musical dreams will dig the adventures of Rinku and her friends in D4DJ: First Mix. As implied by the title, the show focuses on DJing and has a lot of pop and dance music woven into its storyline. The anime is also done with heavy CG — which anime fans normally hate — but still manages to look incredibly good.
4 Nana
Nana as an anime has defined the shojo genre for many years. The contrasting stories of two girls named Nana, one who's a singer in a punk band and the other who is a naive girl moving to the city, who's lives intertwine is one that has enraptured audiences since it originally released.
The only sad part about the anime is its ending. The author of Nana fell ill and had a difficult recovery, leaving the manga unfinished now for over ten years. Still, it's worth watching this dramatic story of two women trying to achieve their dreams.
3 Zombieland Saga
What if literal zombies were brought back to life to become the ultimate idol group? This is the basic premise for Zombieland Saga, a series that has become so popular that it will now be getting a movie release. The absurd depiction of music and the world of idols in general has the kind of wackiness that is beloved in Ya Boy Kongming. The show features one of the most prominent trans characters in anime as well, making it awesome for queer viewers to check out.
2 Vivy: Flourite Eye's Song
Vivy was one of the best anime from the Spring 2021 season and it's easy to see why. The story has loads of amazing music, incredibly animated action scenes, and a story that digs deep into what makes sentient AI any different from humans. While many other sci-fi stories try to tackle the premise of AI world domination and tend to be bleak, Vivy manages to tell a more uplifting tale that respects the idea of AI as intelligent people. While it may not be the typical way to tell the tale, the story does feature a girl trying to make her way to the biggest stage of her dreams just like Ya Boy Kongming.
1 K-On!
K-On! is likely the most famous and recognizable band anime of all time. The adventures of the Light Music Club and their many performances is the simple kind of happy fluffy show to watch for anyone that needs to have a huge smile on their face. It's got many similar slice-of-life elements found in Ya Boy Kongming as well as plenty of music.