Looking for some low fantasy anime

Looking for some good anime in realistic fantasy setting, with quite little magic and supernatural in it and realistic worldbuilding. Does not matter if it is grimdark (like Berserk) or not. Some examples of what I am looking for:
Spice and Wolf
Ascendance of bookworm
Twelve kingdoms
Attack on Titan
Something with more prevalent magic in setting, will work too, as long if it is quite realistic and well explained, like Dungeon meshi for example.
Thanks in adwance!

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ClemFire2026-01-07 21:25

If you somehow haven't watched it yet then I highly recommend Frieren

Slow-Writer30282026-01-07 21:27

Watched it and loved it, but it pretty much falls in the "high fantasy" category

ClemFire2026-01-07 21:29

Fair enough. I would say magic still has quite a few limitations in its setting compared to other fantasy shows, but compared to something like Spice & Wolf yeah there is much more magic.

Prestigious-Air36862026-01-07 21:26

Yeah I can’t find many good examples past those ones.

Slow-Writer30282026-01-07 21:33

Yep, some quick search in reddit and mal did not give me much of what I am looking for

jeunetoujour2026-01-07 21:32

The Faraway Paladin is a great one. Clevatess also.

Slow-Writer30282026-01-07 21:35

Thanks, watched both and Clevatess was pretty good

jeunetoujour2026-01-07 21:38

Another that just started is Sentenced to be a Hero. There a huge list of these types out there

Local_Pickle_47172026-01-07 21:32

Ascendance and Twelve Kingdoms are very much high fantasy, but ngl the definition of "high, low" are more than a bit vague.

Here's a few

Seirei no Moribito

Kemono no Souja Erin

Guin Saga (this one is pretty sword and sorcery)

Claymore

Arslan Senki

Slow-Writer30282026-01-07 21:41

Ooo thanks, couple of those look like what I was searching for, will need to check them out. Of these I watched only Claymore ages ago, and never heard about other ones.

Local_Pickle_47172026-01-07 21:42

I hope you enjoy them

ViolinDo2026-01-07 22:12

I loved Seirei no Moribito

-Work_Account-2026-01-07 22:28

>but ngl the definition of "high, low" are more than a bit vague.

High Fantasy - Generally occur not on Earth.
(Dungeon Meshi, Game of Thrones)

Low Fantasy - Generally takes place on Earth

(The Ancient Magus Bride, Harry Potter)

Local_Pickle_47172026-01-07 22:34

I don't agree with those definitions. IMO it has to do with degrees of magic in an already fantasy world. Less is low, and a lot is high.

-Work_Account-2026-01-07 22:57

Your opinion of the definition doesn’t change the fact that is the definition.

Local_Pickle_47172026-01-07 23:03

It doesn't make yours right either. There are different terms for what you're describing.

LoveMeSomeBerserk2026-01-07 23:12

Why not look up the definition instead of going by your gut? That commenter is correct about high vs low.

Local_Pickle_47172026-01-07 23:42

It's not based on my gut. It's based on many years of reading fantasy novels and the research that went into that.

Slow-Writer30282026-01-07 22:57

Where did you get this definition? Calling Harry Potter low fantasy is quite a stretch imo, with magic so prevalent there. It is pretty much falls into urban fantasy category together with Ancient magus bride, latter one imo also containing elements of magical realism

-Work_Account-2026-01-07 23:16

Literally google “difference between high and low fantasy” there’s like a dozen results that explain it

Slow-Writer30282026-01-07 23:30

And none is definitive, try this article it describes it pretty well. https://www.laterpress.com/blog/high-fantasy-vs-low-fantasy-whats-the-difference
So depending on the critic same story can be high fantasy and low fantasy, based on different criteria. Famous example is Song of ice and fire which is high fantasy according to some critics and low fantasy to others, so which one is it? And yeah it is still new genres by literature standards, so there is high probability that critics writing this definitions you mentioned are arguing not in some literature journals but on some subreddit.

-Work_Account-2026-01-07 23:35

This is something I looked into a long time ago, and no, I did not use reddit as a source. If you notice it's also why I specifically said "generally". I'm aware there are some conflicting thoughts about different parts of the meaning, but when you parse together the overall attitude, in a very reductive definition, you have what I said.

It's why I didn't even bother with the magic side of it, its so convoluted

Throwaway9193192026-01-07 21:35

Secrets of the Silent Witch perhaps? Struggling to think of other shows that haven't already been mentioned, but it had an interesting take on their magic system

Slow-Writer30282026-01-07 21:44

Thanks, I will need to check it, totally missed it last year

BitterClerk64772026-01-07 21:38

Gate , it's a combination of modern world army and fantasy

abandoned_idol2026-01-07 21:39

Let me know if you find any. You listed all the ones that I am familiar with.

Maybe try... "Shadow House"? They have soot-mimic-skinwalkers with fairly limited strength.

CursedEgyptianAmulet2026-01-07 21:52

I would call a lot of these examples standard fantasy, i see "low fantasy" as just a tiny bit of magic in an otherwise normal world. I would say my favorite low-fantasy anime are Mushishi, Baccano!, and the Eccentric Family.

Slow-Writer30282026-01-07 22:05

"Low fantasy" is pretty much about fantasy world, but more down to earth and realistic, like books "The Witcher" and "Game of thrones" are usual examples of low fantasy. Your examples imo are falling more into "urban fantasy" or "magical realism" categories. But what belongs to which genre is neverending discussion.

Eclipsemaster82026-01-07 21:53

{Sacrificial princess and the king of beasts}

{Yatagarasu}

{Yona of the dawn}

{Alderamin in the sky}

{Urara meirocho}

{Ragna crimson}

{Raven of the inner palace}

{Scrapped princess}

Slow-Writer30282026-01-07 22:11

Thanks, will need to check those, some look like what I've been looking for

porpoiseoflife2026-01-07 22:12

How about The Saint's Magic Power Is Omnipotent?

-Work_Account-2026-01-07 22:26

Dahlia in Bloom

cactusjude2026-01-07 22:39

Witch Watch (modern witches)

Apothecary Diaries (fantasy historical china)

Dororo (fantasy Edo Japan)

Heavenly Delusion (post apocalypse with sci-fi/fantasy elements)*

Dark Gathering (modern kid is trapping ghosts from urban legend like Pokémon and making them fight each other to get stronger and fight FOR her, comedy/horror)

Moribito (fantasy history SoL)

Now and Then, Here and There (sci-fi/fantasy)*

*TW: SA 🚨

-Work_Account-2026-01-07 22:55

Whether you agree or not is irrelevant. That’s the definition

ViolinDo2026-01-07 23:07

For realistic worldbuilding,

Nozomanu Fushi no Boukensha
Benriya Saitou-san

are kind of similar to Dungeon meshi. if you are feeling up for reading, the light novel of Nozomanu explains itself in great detail

some others that are maybe less similar are

Ningen Fushin
Boukensha ni Naritai

star-heels19692026-01-08 19:40

Magic Maker

Gullible_Bat_54082026-01-09 01:58

Kemono no Souja Erin
https://myanimelist.net/anime/5420/Kemono_no_Souja_Erin

Fantastic children
https://myanimelist.net/anime/455/Fantastic_Children

Wolf's Rain
https://myanimelist.net/anime/202/Wolfs_Rain

Yuki no Joou TV
https://myanimelist.net/anime/754/Yuki_no_Joou_TV