The weather is growing colder and the leaves are falling; we all know what that means. The season to stay inside and binge a good anime has arrived. In the flurry of shows coming out this fall, we are particularly excited about these five cute and cozy anime, ranging from historical mystery to slice of life. All of them will be airing on Crunchyroll. 

The Apothecary Diaries

Our protagonist, Maomao, lives a quiet life with her father until she is forced into service at a nearby emperor’s palace. However, she doesn’t stay a lowly unnoticed servant for long—her skill as an apothecary, learned from helping her father at his work, allows her to save the young imperial heirs. Soon, she is enlisted to solve all sorts of medical mysteries around the palace, embroiling her in all the most juicy imperial drama. 

I personally love a strong and skilled female main character in my anime, and the mystery element along with the atmosphere of a lush palace gives this show marks in both cozy and spooky categories. The animation of the trailer looks gorgeous, and I can’t wait to see how Maomao interacts with the various other characters around the palace. The first episode will be released October 22, 2023.

The Family Circumstances of the Irregular Witch

It can’t be fall without witches! This series follows Alyssa and her adopted daughter Viola, both of whom are witches. They live in the forest surrounded by various other fun characters who get up to all sorts of comedic hijinks. This seems to be one of those series that is no plot, just vibes, so if that’s your thing, this might be the show for you.

Shows with magical elements feel especially cozy in the fall, and the found family elements of this show just add to that impression. It just seems very cute, and if the comedy lands, I expect it to be a fun and easy series to watch. They live in a giant tree with a tiny little door and windows! What is not to love about that? The first episode was released on October 1, 2023, and the show is currently airing.

My New Boss is Goofy

We’re doing a sudden about-face from these various fantastical settings to a boring old office building, where our main character, Momose, recently transferred after being harassed by his previous boss. Understandably, he has some anxiety about his new boss doing the same, but he soon finds that his new boss is just a silly, goofy boy. The series just follows his new office life and the various characters he meets along the way, while of course focusing mainly on his cute and harmless boss.

For those of us also working boring old office jobs, it can be comforting to romanticize our 9-5 existence by watching a show about someone going through the same anxieties, but ultimately having them relieved. I expect that there will be at least a little romantic undertone between Momose and his boss for those who enjoy that, and it’s always nice to watch characters actually having fun at their office jobs. The first episode was released on October 7, 2023, and the show is currently airing.

Stardust Telepath

Another slice-of-life, this show follows schoolgirl Umika Konohoshi, who has a lot of trouble communicating with and relating to her classmates. She sometimes feels that she is an alien sent down to Earth, so when a girl named Yuu Akeuchi arrives in her life, claiming to actually be an alien, it seems that she might finally be able to talk to someone who understands how she feels.

I love heartwarming stories of female friendship, and the found family trope seems strong here, both of which ratchet the coziness of this series up to a new level. I’m looking forward to seeing Umika’s journey from ultimate shy girl to realizing that other people aren’t so scary after all, and I’m sure many will find her feelings relatable. The first episode was released on October 9, 2023, and the series is currently airing.

The Yuzuki Family’s Four Sons

This series is less found family and more just straight-up family. It follows four young brothers who lost their parents two years ago and now must fend for themselves. Though the subject matter sounds a little intense, the series focuses less on the tragic parts of the boys’ lives and more on the way that they support each other through the challenges that life circumstances bring.

The concept in general seems quite wholesome, and each of the four brothers has a very well-defined character, which should make them fun to follow. The story structure also seems interesting, following each brother’s daily life but ultimately coming back to the four of them as a unit. The first episode was aired October 5, 2023, and the show is currently airing.