Anime Like Once Upon a Time
If you loved Once Upon a Time's Drama and Sci-Fi & Fantasy storytelling, these anime deliver a similar experience — selected for art style, narrative depth, and emotional impact. Each includes where to stream it now.
★ Top Picks

The Fairly OddParents
The zany, fast-paced adventures of a 10-year-old boy and his fairy godparents, who inadvertently create havoc as they grant wishes for their pint-sized charge.

The Fairly OddParents: A New Wish
Ten-year-old Hazel Wells has just moved to the big city of Dimmadelphia because of her dad’s new job. On top of being in an unfamiliar environment, it’s the first time she’s been without her brother, Antony, who’s just left for college, leaving her lonely and unsure of herself. All that changes when the pink-and-green-haired neighbors next door reveal that they are no ordinary neighbors…they’re Cosmo and Wanda, fairy godparents! And they’re coming out of retirement to make all of Hazel’s wishes come true.

The Ghost and Molly McGee
When a curse from Scratch backfires, he finds himself forever bound to Molly. Despite that, Scratch and Molly form an unlikely friendship that guides each of them through the ups and downs of their respective worlds!

Over the Garden Wall
Two brothers, Wirt and Greg, find themselves lost in the Unknown; a strange forest adrift in time. With the help of a wise old Woodsman and a foul-tempered bluebird named Beatrice, Wirt and Greg must travel across this strange land, in hope of finding their way home. Join them as they encounter surprises and obstacles on their journey through the wood.

Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai
Set in 1920s Shanghai, ten-year-old Sam and 12-year-old Elle return the Mogwai Gizmo back home to the lush and perilous Valley of Jade.

The Hollow
Three teens join forces to find a way home after waking up in a strange realm filled with magic portals, perplexing puzzles and vicious beasts.

Disenchantment
Set in a ruined medieval city called Dreamland, Disenchantment follows the grubby adventures of a hard-drinking princess, her feisty elf companion and her personal demon.
Why These Anime Are Similar
These recommendations share core qualities with Once Upon a Time (2011): Drama and Sci-Fi & Fantasy themes, comparable animation style, and similar narrative pacing. NoBadPicks uses TMDB collaborative filtering, genre matching, and AI analysis to surface anime most likely to resonate with fans of Once Upon a Time.
See full details for Once Upon a Time (2011)