10 Anime That Teach Valuable Life Lessons

Like all forms of entertainment, anime is also a medium for passing messages across different audiences mainly because it transcends cultural boundaries. Beyond intriguing storylines and amazing animation, many anime series are also famous for their ability to impart valuable life lessons to viewers, especially among young audiences who are still growing.

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These lessons offer insights into the human experience, from tales of resilience and friendship to morality and self-discovery. The anime series featured below stands out from the rest, passing meaningful messages and imparting lessons that extend far beyond fiction.

10 Barakamon

Journey Of Self-Discovery

Seishu Handa had always wanted to be a calligrapher from a young age, and he managed to achieve his dream relatively early. After being criticized by an expert curator as being unoriginal during an art exhibition, Seishu loses his temper and hits him.

As a result, he was sent to a village on Goto Island, and through his interactions with the villagers, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery and personal growth after which he ends up finding his style

9 My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected

Teaches Social Dynamics

• Studio:
• Genre: Romantic Comedy, Slice-Of-Life
• Number Of Episodes: 38 + 3 OVAs

This romantic comedy follows the antisocial pair of Hachiman Hikigaya and Yukino Yukinoshita as they offer help to people in need as members of their school’s Service Club. It teaches a lot about the various situations high schoolers and teenagers face in their daily lives and also discusses the psychology that drives their decision-making and interactions.

It also delves into the importance of understanding oneself and others, as that plays a huge role when it comes to social dynamics and building relationships with others.

8 March Comes In Like A Lion

Significance Of Human Connection

When Rei Kiriyama’s family members died in an accident, he became antisocial and was eventually taken in by a family friend. He became a professional shogi player in middle school due to the talent he had demonstrated from a very young age and decided to take up shogi full-time after leaving middle school.

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He ends up joining a high school after a gap year and decides to give friendships a chance. The show discusses a lot of topics, like the effects of depression, loneliness, and the significance of human connections.

7 My Hero Academia

Reward For Having A Kind Heart

The story of Midoriya Izuku preaches the importance of perseverance and tenacity. Born without any quirks, Midoriya did not give up on his dreams of becoming the number one hero and following the footsteps of his idol, All Might.

He made his luck happen by constantly displaying his selflessness which made All Might notice him, and gained a powerful quirk as a result. It also shows the importance of having a kind heart, as that is the most important factor when it comes to making good and supportive friends like Midoriya’s.

6 One Punch Man

Not Tying One’s Self Worth To A Goal

After an incident with a monster, Saitama decided to dedicate his life to getting stronger. He made it his sole aim and became bald as a result of his intense training.

After becoming the strongest in the world, able to instantly obliterate any opponent he faces with a punch, Saitama now hungers for a challenger who can make him feel something. This is a lesson to those who tie their self-worth to achieving a goal or aim of some sort, as achieving your dream may not necessarily bring long-term happiness.

5 Haikyuu!

No Man Is An Island

• Studio: Production I.G
• Genre: Sports, Coming-of-age
• Number Of Episodes: 85 + 5 OVAs

When Hinata Shoyo, an incredibly short boy, catches a glimpse of the Little Giant from Karasuno High, he becomes obsessed with volleyball and dreams of being a national champion someday, but due to his team's lack of expertise, he falls short.

After getting into high school, he realizes he has to become teammates with Tobio Kageyama, the incredibly good setter who knocked his team out. As they work together, they realize that they are the only ones who can bring out each other’s true potential, highlighting the fact that no man is an island.

4 Your Lie In April

Importance Of Living Life

Your Lie In April tugs at the heartstrings of viewers, with some of the most heartwrenching moments in anime. It follows the story of young Kosei Arima, a genius pianist who lost the will to continue after the death of his mother, and Kaori Miyazono, a violinist who challenges Kosei and opens his eyes to the beauty of music once more.

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Music lovers will love this show, as it showcases the healing power of music, the acceptance of loss, and the importance of living life to the fullest.

3 Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Importance Of Brotherhood

This series follows Edward and Alphonse Elric as they embark on a journey of redemption after losing body parts during a dangerous human transmutation gone wrong. These siblings are some of the best brothers and tag team duos in anime, always watching each other’s backs.

The fundamental law of alchemy also helps to teach young ones about the value of sacrifice and the need to give up something to achieve something else. It also discusses the consequences of ambition, because the Elric brothers would have lived relatively easy lives if they had not dabbled into alchemy at such young ages.

2 Naruto

The Power Of Perseverance

Naruto enjoyed a lot of success during its run mainly because of the hardships and background Naruto had to endure before achieving his dreams. It taught a lot of young viewers the importance of perseverance and not giving up on your goals.

The value of friendship is also greatly emphasized, as it took years of relentlessness from Naruto to finally cure the trauma that has plagued Sasuke since childhood. It also taught several lessons like the importance of forgiveness and ending the cycle of hatred.

1 One Piece

Freedom and Friendship

One Piece and its protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy, epitomize freedom and the importance of discovering good friends. Luffy aims to be the Pirate King, not because of the money, fame, or power, but because he believes the Pirate King is the freest man in the world, a man who is not bound by any rules other than his conviction.

One Piece is also filled with many situations where Luffy goes to extreme lengths for his comrades, with his crew being one big happy family, as opposed to other captains who rule their fleet with power.

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