As entertaining asanimecan be, its deeper, more influential messages should not be glossed over. Some anime exist simply to amuse with hilarious jokes and thrill with tense battle sequences, which is a valuable purpose in its own right, but others are brimming with thought-provoking commentary on life, love, morality, and everything in between.
These ten animes will transform your perception of the world through their wise life lessons,heartbreaking moments, and introspective characters. Don’t listen to anyone who claims fictional stories cannot change your life for the better; these anime series have proven that claim wrong.
Blue Periodis a fantastic watch for anyone, but will particularly grip art lovers' attention. The main character, Yatora Yaguchi, is refreshingly relatable, as he is a high school student facing uncertainty about his future and a lack of clarity about what he wants to pursue once he graduates and becomes an adult.
Yatora finds an unexpected passion in art, and the more he hones this new skill, the more he learns about himself and what brings him fulfillment and joy in life. Through Yatora’s life,Blue Periodinspiringly reminds watchers that their interests are worth pursuing, and even when their path gets difficult, perseverance will bring them closer to their goals.
Assassination Classroom’splot is pretty outlandish on paper: a group of children must figure out how to work together to outsmart and kill their exceptionally clever teacher, who will destroy the world if he is not stopped. Despite his malicious intentions, Koro-sensei fulfills his role as an educator and builds relationships with his students, making their task more difficult.
Common middle school problems like bullying, self-confidence challenges, and even more serious subjects like trauma are present inAssassination Classroom,and Koro-sensei guides his class through these issues with wisdom, despite his evil past. The learning moments and moral intricacy of the series make it one fans won’t soon forget.
Erasedis a time-loop mystery, in which Satoru Fujinuma, the main character, is transported back to his childhood to catch a serial killer and thus, prevent a future string of murders from occurring. Most of the series takes place in elementary school, as he cautiously searches for the criminal, while simultaneously protecting Yano Hinazuki, one of the victims.
The killer’s identity comes as a surprise to the characters and viewers alike, since he does not align with the typical picture of a nefarious serial killer and has a charismatic personality. This surprising reveal is a reminder to be cautious and realize that anyone can be good or bad, and first impressions are not always reliable.
The series ventures into some pretty dark topics, including guilt and mistreatment of children, but at the same time, characters like Satoru fight relentlessly for justice, genuine friendship, and the protection of innocent lives, revealing light in an otherwise dark, cruel world.
Death Paradeintroduces a tricky question: if you died and had to compete in games that would decide the course of your future, how far would you go to win? The anime takes place in Quindecim, a bar that people enter after death to have their fate decided, based on their choices during games hosted by a mysterious bartender, Decim.
Death is an uncomfortable topic that many people do not like to think about, but it is the entire focus ofDeath Parade,which will consequently get viewers thinking about their own opinions about death. If nothing else,Death Paradeaffirms the value of life and making the most of it, making it one of thebest death game anime.
On the one hand,Fruits Basketis an adorable love triangle romancebetween Tohru Honda and two new friends, Yuki Sohma and Kyo Sohma.Fruits Basketis not only romance-focused though, the anime unpacks multiple characters' stories of abuse, grief, and guilt, exploring the unfair and dangerous power dynamics within the Sohma family.
Fruits Basketis filled with advice from characters who are wise beyond their years. No one inFruits Basketis perfect, and the anime does not obscure anyone’s flaws. What is so powerful aboutFruits Basketis the fact that, for the most part, its characters work to be better and happier every day, something everyone should strive towards.
At a bare-bones level,Mob Psycho 100follows an immensely powerful psychic, Shigeo Kagayama, otherwise known as Mob, as he struggles to prevent his abilities from going haywire and causing unintentional harm. Mob’s mentor and self-proclaimed “GreatestPsychic of the 21st Century”, Reigen Arataka, guides him through life, although he does not actually have the psychic powers he claims to.
Mob Psycho 100overflows with humor, action, and heart. No matter how mighty he is, Mob is a middle school kid like any other, trying to find his place in the world, and he learns valuable lessons that resonate even into adulthood. As questionable as Reigen’s career may be, many of his teachings to his young protégé are genuinely inspiring.
From Reigen’s reminder that “you are the protagonist of your own life,” to Mob’s commitment to always using his skills for good and not evil, theMob Psycho 100animecontains life advice that can change watchers' lives if they listen to it.
Set within a society at war,Neon Genesis Evangelionis known for its moral ambiguity. When Angels attack humanity, humans retaliate usingmassive robots called EVA units, which require a human pilot to maneuver them. Many of the pilots, like Shinji Ikari, Asuka Langley Soryu, and Rei Ayanami, are quite young, and understandably struggle with the difficult task.
Every pilot has their own reason for joining the clash, and watchers will probably not agree with every choice each character makes. Ethical and moral problems often arise, andNeon Genesis Evangelionis considered one of the deepest animes because it does not shy away from these complicated questions with no clear-cut answer.
Violet Evergardenis a beautiful story about the importance of connecting with others and expressing feelings with those you love, because sharing will inevitably bring people much closer. After fighting in a war, Violet discovers a much different purpose as an Auto Memory Doll, who transcribes cherished memories for those she encounters.
Hearing others' most treasured moments softens Violet’s heart, and teaches her about the joy of love in all its forms. She also discovers even more painful emotions, like grief and sorrow. Through others, Violet experiences the full range of human emotions, and the stories she listens to will impact the anime’s viewers as much as they did her.
Your Lie in Aprilis so devastating that its crushing ending is guaranteed to stick with viewers long after they watch it. It is a story of music, illness, loss, grief, and greater than all these other themes: lasting love that transcends everything else. Kousei Arima and Kaori Miyazono are two musicians who bond over their shared passion.
Kousei is struggling to cope with the loss of his mother, while Kaori faces health challenges that weaken her body. The pair find solace in music and in one another, using these outlets to work through life’s toughest battles.Your Lie in Aprilis an unforgettable musical masterpiece, and its insights on life will touch even the most hardened hearts.
A Silent Voiceis one of the most persuasive anti-bullying filmsever made, following Shoya Ishida, a reformed past bully, and Shoko Nishimiya, the girl he used to bully, who also happens to be deaf. During their youth, Shoya treated Shoko in unacceptably cruel ways, but in the film, he changes and starts to build a genuine friendship with her.
Although the discussion around mental health is more prevalent nowadays than in past years, it is still not always given adequate attention, makinganimeslikeA Silent Voiceeven more necessary. Shoya and Shoko do become friends, but the negative consequences of Shoya’s bullying behavior are not ever diminished or ignored.
The way Shoya treated Shoko caused irreversible damage, worsened by the fact that he even targeted her hearing disability. He only realized the negative impact he had on her once he himself started feeling the same pain and loneliness when his friends left him behind.
Although he cannot erase his past misbehavior, he commits himself to acting better in the future and seeking forgiveness.A Silent Voicedoes not minimize bullying’s effects, but also provides a better way forward, marked by forgiveness and accountability.
