Movies like Rakugo Story (2011)
The best movies like Rakugo Story (2011) are Scabbard Samurai (2011), Bakuman (2015) and Wood Job! (2014). If Rakugo Story hooked you with its comedy and drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedLook Back (2024)8.2/10 from 715 votes
- NewestRedwood Diaries (2026)Released 2026
- In JapaneseScabbard Samurai (2011)Also in Japanese
Scabbard Samurai (2011)
Kanjuro Nomi is an aging samurai who only has a scabbard. Deserting his lord to wander the land with his daughter Tae, Kanjuro is captured and sentenced to an unusual punishment: he has 30 days to bring a smile to the sad prince who has lost his mother — or else he must die.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBakuman (2015)
Moritaka Mashiro doesn't want to follow in the path of his uncle who worked as a manga artist, but ultimately died because of exhaustion. Moritaka Mashiro figures he will graduate from school and work at an office. Things change though when falls in love with a girl at school. The girl, who hopes to become a voice actress, tells Moritaka they can marry, but only after they both achieve their dreams. Moritaka then teams up with fellow classmate Akito Takagi to publish their first manga.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWood Job! (2014)
After failing his university entrance exam, Yuki Hirano sets his eyes on the role of a forestry trainee. Setting off for training he doubts his decision many times, but eventually after passing the training course, he is sent to Kamusari Village for a year of work experience - where he becomes assimilated with the beauty of nature and the warm-hearted people of the village.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisChloe and Theo (2015)
A young woman, Chloe, living by her wits on the streets of New York City, has a chance meeting with a wise Inuit Eskimo, Theo, who was sent to New York by his elders to provide a message to the people of the world – We either change our destructive was or be destroyed by them. Chloe, who has been searching for something to believe in, becomes inspired by Theo and , with the help of a kind lawyer, Monica, the three of them present Theo’s story to the United Nations in hopes of creating a better future for all of us.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisMadea Goes to Jail - The Play (2006)
Madea returns in another hilarious story in which she gets sent to the big house. But regardless of the circumstances, she gives her trademark advice and wisdom to her friends and family as they learn the importance of letting go, moving on, and forgiveness.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEquinox Flower (1958)
Wataru's outwardly liberal views on marriage are severely tested when his daughter declares her love for a coworker and is adamant to live her own way, instead of agreeing to an arranged marriage. Outwitted by his female relatives, Hirayama stubbornly refuses to admit defeat.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDon't Think Twice (2016)
An improv group deals with several crises, including the loss of their lease and one member hitting the big time.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBest Man Down (2012)
A newlywed couple cancels their honeymoon and returns to the snowy Midwest to make the funeral arrangements for their best man, who died unexpectedly after their ceremony.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKikujiro (1999)
Brash, loudmouthed and opportunistic, Kikujiro is the unlikely companion for Masao who is determined to see the mother he has never met. The two begin a series of adventures which soon turns out to be a whimsical journey of laughter and tears with a wide array of surprises and unique characters along the way.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMai Mai Miracle (2009)
Inspired by her grandfather's stories, young Shinko embarks on wild flights of fancy about the history of the little town she lives in. But dreams can't fend off the realities of growing up.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Sword of Doom (1966)
Ryunosuke, a gifted swordsman plying his trade during the turbulent final days of Shogunate rule, has no moral code and kills without remorse. It’s a way of life that leads to madness.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like this100 METERS (2025)
A gifted runner trains a determined but unskilled classmate, unaware he's creating a rival who will challenge him on the track for years to come.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFrom Up on Poppy Hill (2011)
Yokohama, 1963. Japan is picking itself up from the devastation of World War II and preparing to host the 1964 Olympics—and the mood is one of both optimism and conflict as the young generation struggles to throw off the shackles of a troubled past. Against this backdrop of hope and change, a friendship begins to blossom between high school students Umi and Shun—but a buried secret from their past emerges to cast a shadow on the future and pull them apart.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLook Back (2024)
Popular, outgoing Fujino is celebrated by her classmates for her funny comics in the class newspaper. One day, her teacher asks her to share the space with Kyomoto, a truant recluse whose beautiful artwork sparks a competitive fervor in Fujino. What starts as jealousy transforms when Fujino realizes their shared passion for drawing.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisA Sun-Tribe Myth from the Bakumatsu Era (1957)
Saheji, a man-about-town, gets stuck at a high-class brothel when he can’t pay the bill. He makes the best of his situation by performing various tasks amidst the tumult of the end of the shogunate—but always by making sure to get a “commission” for his troubles.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCrows Explode (2014)
A month after Genji Takiya graduates, a new battle for supremacy at Suzuran All-Boys High School begins. Transfer student Kaburagi Kazeo combats Kagami Ryohei for the coveted top spot, amidst a brewing inter-school conflict with Kurosaki Industrial High.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDream 9 Toriko x One Piece x Dragon Ball Z Super Collaboration Special!! (2013)
A two-part crossover special featuring characters from Dragon Ball Z, One Piece and Toriko.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRyuzo and the Seven Henchmen (2015)
Ryuzo and his 7 former henchmen are all retired yakuza, but they now live as regular old men. One day, Ryuzo becomes the victim of a phishing fraud. He calls his 7 men together to reform their society.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe End of Summer (1961)
The family of an older man who runs a small sake brewery become concerned with his finances and his health after they discover him visiting an old mistress from his youth.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisYojimbo (1961)
A nameless ronin, or samurai with no master, enters a small village in feudal Japan where two rival businessmen are struggling for control of the local gambling trade. Taking the name Sanjuro Kuwabatake, the ronin convinces both silk merchant Tazaemon and sake merchant Tokuemon to hire him as a personal bodyguard, then artfully sets in motion a full-scale gang war between the two ambitious and unscrupulous men.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisRedwood Diaries (2026)
When strange entries begin appearing in her diary written in handwriting that isn't hers, new student Evie Quinn is pulled into a chilling mystery as the messages reveal secrets, predict impossible events, and point toward a truth someone has desperately tried to bury.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & comedy
Dirty Dancing (1987)
Expecting the usual tedium that accompanies a summer in the Catskills with her family, 17-year-old Frances 'Baby' Houseman is surprised to find herself stepping into the shoes of a professional hoofer—and unexpectedly falling in love.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSmall Faces (1996)
Three teenage brothers—gang-member Bobby, troubled mama's boy Alan and self-assured prankster Lex—reside in a downtrodden section of 1968 Glasgow. But as Bobby and Alan begin to experience the power of raging hormones, Lex begins a downward spiral after he accidentally shoots the leader of Bobby's gang, and his youthful cockiness and immaturity unfortunately prevent him from understanding the effect his subsequent crimes will have on not only himself, but also those around him.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Brownsville Bred (2025)
Set against the vibrant yet challenging backdrop of her urban neighborhood, the complexities of adolescence are explored as Elaine faces an unexpected upheaval in her life due to her father, Manny, an aspiring salsa musician whose struggles lead him away from his family.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Beautiful Thing (2013)
This 20th anniversary production of Jonathan Harvey's play about two working class teenage boys falling in love on a south east London council estate was captured by Digital Theatre live at the Arts Theatre in London's Leicester Square.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Invincible (2024)
Inspired by a true story, Invincible recounts the last 48 hours in the life of Marc-Antoine Bernier, a 14-year-old boy on a desperate quest for freedom.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Farador (2023)
Charles, Louis, and Guillaume are three friends who live together as roommates in the same house, where they spend all of their free time still playing the same Farador campaign they began as teenagers; their other friend Paul has recently moved out of the house and abandoned the game to live with his girlfriend. When Charles's sister Kim, who has recently broken up with her longtime Belgian boyfriend Tom after realizing that she might be a lesbian, moves into Paul's vacated room, her presence, and her determination to push her brother to finally take the plunge on his unrealized ambition to write and publish an erotic fantasy novel, upset the group dynamics and force them to make one last push to finally reach the Castle of Farador and end the game.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
We (2018)
During a scorching summer in a Belgian-Dutch border village, eight teenagers play games of discovery to break the listless monotony. They challenge each other and themselves and pretty soon, their sexual curiosity starts to blur the lines between right and wrong. As innocence is crushed in depraved games and sexual exploitation, the teenagers soon turn into ruthless predators.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisThree Wishes (2023)
Three teenagers, wandering the streets of Belfast at night, ask themselves what they would do if they had three magic wishes.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
The Girls We Want (2025)
Marseille, the holidays. Omar, 20, oversees the children summer camp with his longtime friends. The adolescents are full of dreams, principles, and prejudices. When Carmen returns after years being away, the group dynamic is put to the test. In a group where reputation is everything, the electric and free spirit Carmen triggers everyone to question his own belief, desire, and sexuality.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Rakugo Story?
The closest matches to Rakugo Story are Scabbard Samurai (2011), Bakuman (2015) and Wood Job! (2014). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Rakugo Story?
Start with Scabbard Samurai (2011), the closest match to Rakugo Story.
What is the highest-rated movie like Rakugo Story?
Look Back (2024), rated 8.2/10 by 715 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Rakugo Story?
Redwood Diaries (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like Rakugo Story?
Yes: Scabbard Samurai (2011), Bakuman (2015) and Wood Job! (2014).
How are movies similar to Rakugo Story chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Rakugo Story, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.