Something like Kemono no Souja Erin

[Qwey]

I recently started to watch (and caught up to the latest subbed episodes - 31) Kemono no Souja Erin and I really, really like it. Although it seems like a kids anime, I'm particularly interested in characters similar to Erin. How the character/show is similar doesn't matter. For example, I really like the time skips in the show for character development. I like the idea of her being of a group of people that are sort of shunned from society. The idea of raising beasts or animals is also neat.

If anyone can recommend anything like that, it'd be great. I've seen a ton of stuff, but I don't necessarily mind rewatching stuff so I'm fine with anything. Thanks!

(I've seen Seirei no Moribito by the same author so no need to recommend that)

[Proto]

First let's get the easy suggestions out of the way. Dennou Coil and Zettai Shounen are similarly intelligent kid shows that you might like. The are a little more tilted towards sci-fi than fantasy, but still they are nice works that explore themes like self knowledge, understanding of your surroundings and similar topics. Really good series if you ask me.

Now, if you don't mind some 80's and 90's shows ,you might want to watch some of the all time classics kid shows, like Candy Candy, Sandybell, Heidi of the Alps, and my personal favorite, Nobody's boy remi.

[Rawgers]

If you do not mind shows targeted to children, give World Masterpiece Theater shows a chance. Most of WMT shows are simply amazing.

For the more recent, try Les Miserables, Porfy no Nagai Tabi, and Konnichiwa Anne ~Before Green Gables. All three have great main leads who are share similar traits with Erin. Sadly, these three shows are being extremely slowly.

For older shows, I second Proto's recommendation.

[The Omnipotent Lemur]

For the kids factor, previous recommendations are good. However, as far as characters, plots and feeling go, I would recommend either The Twelve Kingdoms or Mushishi. A bit of an eccentric recommendation , but I think that they are the closest in feeling and characters without doubt.

[SeijiSensei]

One show that might fit your request is Nijuu Mensou no Musume ("Daughter of Twenty Faces") about a young heiress who joins up with a master thief. (Warning: Episode 22 was never subbed, but since it portrays events after the main story and is on the whole inferior to the earlier episodes, it's not that big a loss.) I'd also recommend browsing Live-eviL's site as they sub shows that might also match your interests.

Other possibilities might be Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koro: Natsu no Sora and its licensed predecessor, Someday's Dreamers, or maybe even Twelve Kingdoms.

[Qwey]

Thanks for the recommendations so far--I've started watching Dennou Coil and can see why it was suggested. After looking through a few of the animes listed, it seems like Kemono no Souja Erin is just really unique; I've yet to see anything that captivated me in that particular way. That's a really vague statement, but I just can't put into words what exactly is making me enjoy the show so much :/.

Thanks again.

[Cyrus17]

I think there's one thing that every Kemono no Souja Erin fan should watch read: it's Dragonriders of Pern series of novels by Anne McCaffrey. It's like Kemono no Souja expanded version, with little things like flight harness or giant beasts' daily life - eating, washing, resting (and not so common things like mating) described, with heavy focus on human / beast (well, dragon) relationships, with the same setting - giant beasts in real, non-magical world, with plots of the same degree of epicness, spanning tens of years of characters' lives, where at some points characters' decisions can impact the fate of the world (but still characters are mere humans, not some superheros, just like in Kemono no Souja).

Also, I think that Kemono no Souja series of novels borrowed heavily from Dragonriders of Pern series of novels, it was something like "Japanese adaptation" of not well-known in Japan franchise.

Anyway, read these novels:

• Dragonflight (it's the first novel to read anyway, cause it features important events in Pern universe that will be referenced from all other novels; it's also like latest episodes of Kemono no Souja, with Lessa being the adult version of Erin ^^).
• Dragonsong (Menolli = Erin in childhood, she's a harper too ^^).
• The White Dragon (Ruth = Lilan, it's a story of life of a dragon, rather than of a human ^^).

Concerning anime, I agree with Nijuu Mensou no Musume recommendation, there is definite Kemono no Souja feel in this series, and protagonists are very much alike, as well as their stories.

Also, though those shows looks very different at first sight, I recommend Evangelion and Eureka Seven series (well you already watched them probably but still). They too are "epic sagas", they too have "giant beasts" (their "robots" aren't robots, but living creatures), they too have "factions conflict" (and even "a group of people that are sort of shunned from society" ^^), they too have detailed, carefully thought-up non-magical universes, their characters aren't "superheroes" too, they just were placed at some critical point by the development of events.

Another series that resembles Kemono no Souja Erin for me a lot: Uchuu no Stellvia. Same fixation on main heroine (and she has some special abilities too, just like Erin she's a quick learner and she easily outpaces her peers), same giant beast / giant mecha sheme, same "small people influencing course of events in the world by being at the critical point" device. The difference though that Uchuu no Stellvia don't have that acute feeling of realism - it's more traditional anime series comparing to Kemono no Souja.

[ArianaChaz]

I would suggest films by Studio Ghibli, such as Castle in the Sky, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, and My Neighbor Totoro. They aren't very long, so it shouldn't waste too much time if it turns out you don't like them. But I think you may especially like Nausicaa. It has a similar theme of a girl who can tame beasts because of her affinity towards them.

[snakespm]

I have to agree with Cyrus17 about the Pern series of books. The only difference is the dragons and riders have a mental link, so you don't have the episodes of "what is she trying to tell me" which I enjoyed about Erin.

I have to second Mushishi though, even though they are about two completely different subjects, I get the same kinda feeling from both of them.

[Proto]

The difference though that Uchuu no Stellvia don't have that acute feeling of realism - it's more traditional anime series comparing to Kemono no Souja.

If it counts for something, Stellvia is one of those series that got its astrophysics right, and is not spouting pure glibberish.

[Cyrus17]

Originally Posted by Proto

If it counts for something, Stellvia is one of those series that got its astrophysics right, and is not spouting pure glibberish.

Tbh I was more impressed by other thing - the way they showed all the frictions and struggle between different factions of humanity after the passing of the second wave. VERY believable.