19+ Anime About Achieving Your Dreams And Becoming A Better Person

Achieving your dreams is a cliche, but it’s a cliche that we love.

Who doesn’t enjoy seeing someone rise from the ashes and improve themselves in the process?

Everyone has something they want to achieve. Seeing others do it gives us inspiration.

That’s why witnessing it in an anime series is satisfying. Assuming the story is written well, the characters have tons of depth or good character development.

Here are 19+ anime shows Id recommend about achieving your dreams and taking your life to the next level!

Anime About Achieving Your Dreams:

1. New Game!

New Game starts off with the well-mannered, respectful character: Aoba Suzukaze.

She has one goal: to work for a gaming company to live out her dreams while getting paid to do it.

Aoba ends up working for Eagle Jump, where her journey (and hardships) begin.

Aside from the comedy, New Game does a couple of things well:

It shows you that doing what you love comes with its own difficulties and challenges.
The long, gruelling hours of putting in the work that most people overlook.
The insecurities some characters deal with along the way.
And the challenges characters like Aoba Suzukaze overcome to succeed.

If your goal is to become a part of the gaming industry, you’ll love the fresh aspect of New Game’s story.

But even if gaming isn’t your thing, you’ll still find something valuable from the series that will inspire you to follow your own path.

2. ReLife

ReLife differs slightly from the usual “follow your dreams” anime series.

Instead, it shows the dark side of life and what happens when you give up (initially).

As the anime starts to progress, the main focus is on self-improvement. Highlighting the power of changing yourself from the inside out to become a better person.

Here’s what ReLife does best:

It takes you on a journey with the main character: Kaizaki Arata, and his character development along the way.
You get to see Kaizaki go from a NEET with low confidence to someone with more self-worth.
You also get to see the journeys of other characters, their flaws, insecurities, and how they overcome it.
Not to mention the struggles each character faces.
And the “ugly” side of success.

ReLife is in a league of its own, and you won’t find anything like it.

3. Bamboo Blade

Bamboo Blade is one of the few “Kendo” anime that takes a different approach without any stupid fan service to ruin it.

It’s 100% clean, and each character has their own unique role that makes them stand out.

Here are some of the highlights:

The main characters form a Kendo group and work hard to compete on a national level.
The anime teaches you about teamwork and why you need to believe in yourself to get what you want.
You also get to see what it feels like for the MC to “lose” for the first time. And how she deals with it.

Bamboo Blade is a forgotten anime in 2018 with so many life lessons and inspirational themes.

It’s one of my personal favourites, and you should watch it.

4. The Royal Tutor

The Royal Tutor is like a “classier” version of Assassination Classroom, without the violence and craziness.

The MC: Heine Wittgenstein is hired to tutor 4 young princes. So that one day they’ll be worthy enough to become king.

Besides the beautiful animation, The Royal Tutor is an inspirational series overflowing with life lessons and powerful messages.

One character, Kai, is an introvert who’s awful at socializing.
Licht is another character who’s too easily distracted but has a lot of potential.
Leonhard is the most insecure of the 4 brothers but also the kindest.
And Bruno is intelligent but arrogant and too self-important.

Throughout the 12 episodes of this anime, you’re taken on a journey of self-improvement between these 4 main characters.

And by the end of the show, they’re better, sharper, and wiser people.

There’s so much to learn from it.

5. Food Wars

Food Wars is one of the best choices if you want to be entertained while learning along the way.

The comedy is ridiculous.
The “ecchi” scenes are out of this world (used to exaggerate how GOOD the food tastes).
The main character, Soma, is so driven and ambitious it’s hard not to be inspired by it.
And plenty of other characters have a lot to learn from too.

Think of Food Wars like DBZ or Naruto, except it’s focused on food battles, working under the pressure, overcoming personal struggles and more.

There’s no better comparison for an anime series about achieving your dreams because it’s so entertaining and fresher than most Shounen anime.

6. Hanayamata

There’s only one word to describe this anime series: sweet.

It’s a slice of life series about a set of girls who fall in love with Yasakoi, a form of Japanese freestyle dancing.

So if you want to learn about Yasakoi, this is the best anime for it.

Besides that, here are some of Hanayamata’s takeaways:

The main character: Hana Fountainstand, is determined to achieve her dreams.
She encourages the quiet MC: Naru Sekiya to join her.
You learn from this anime that if you want something bad enough, not even rejection will stop you from achieving it.
And why it’s so important to stay focused on what you want, regardless of how difficult it is.

Hanayamata is the sweetest anime series about achieving your dreams and becoming better.

And even though it’s subtle compared to similar shows, it’s meaningful. And that’s why I recommend it.

7. Haikyuu!

Haikyu is one of those anime series that gets bigger every single year.

The story is about a set of teenagers committed to becoming nationally recognized in the sport of volleyball.

That’s their dream.

A couple of things you’ll love about Haikyu are:

The relationship between the two main characters.
Their personalities are completely different, similar to Goku and Vegeta from DBZ.
- But that’s what makes it so entertaining through character development.
The balance between talent, hard work, teamwork, and self-confidence.
And how everyone works together to become a stronger unit.

8. Love Live School Idol Project

Love Live School Idol Project is something I’d recommend everybody watch. Forget about gender.

It’s basically about a set of 15-17+ year old girls who strive to become idols while still in school.

In a way, the main character is similar to Hana Fountainstand from Hanayamata.

Some highlights:

The importance of teamwork and working together to succeed.
Creating a support system and why it’s crucial on your journey.
Believing in something bigger than yourself and going for it without making excuses like “I’m not ready”.
And having fun along the way. If it’s not fun, why do it?

These are a couple of points you can take from Love Live. Besides the comedy, slice of life and semi-emotional episodes.

9. My Hero Academia

You knew this anime was coming, right? As known as it is, I still have to mention it.

The story centres around the young hero: Izuku Midoriya. At the beginning of the series, he is a teenager who believes he’s worth less than shit.

You can’t blame him because almost everyone doubts, criticizes, and bullies him about his dreams of becoming a hero.

This is what makes MHA so inspirational.

My Hero Academia is relatable.
The main character has a real story and goal.
Izuku Midoriya’s filled with insecurities and challenges.
He’s not overpowered (like in many Shounen series).
And he’s not extroverted or charismatic in the slightest.

But he has intelligence, observation skills, and a pure heart.

This is the aspect of MHA, plus the concept of “achieving your dreams”, that’s inspirational in more ways than I can count.

10. Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple

“Weak-knees Kenichi” is the name his bullies call him. Because when he’s afraid, he shakes harder than a leaf.

Kenichi’s story shares similarities with Izuku Midoriya, except Kenichi trains in the martial arts to become a better, more confident and stronger person.

Kenichi’s goal is to protect others because he knows how it feels to be weak and have nobody who’s willing to fight for your safety.
And by the end of the show, Kenichi pretty much achieves that. And completely transforms as a person.

Fan service aside, Kenichi The Mightiest Disciple is a rare, forgotten series you NEED to watch.

Read: The Greatest Motivational Anime Shows

11. Little Witch Academia

Atsuko Kagari is an impulsive, cheerful, but rebellious and risk-taking character.

Like myself, she doesn’t care much for rules.

Her goal is to become the type of witch who can inspire others and make them smile.

Like all the shows on this list, none of the stories are mind-blowing. But how each anime tells these stories is what makes each series worth recommending.

In LWA, you learn about failure through the characters’ experiences.
You also learn about why losing is impossible to avoid along the way at some point.
And how to respond to difficult situations. Not to mention the impact a “mentor” can have.

12. Fairy Tail

Hate it or love it, Fairy Tail is popular for a good reason.

It’s an anime series that’s able to grab your emotions and squeeze them out in a way few anime are able.

And this is despite the silly, “filler” episodes full of fan service.

One of the biggest highlights of Fairy Tail is friendship. And how that impacts your life.
Like Love Live, “working together” is also a big theme here. As well as having a support network.
And let’s not forget: doing what you believe in, so you can live without regrets.

If you want an anime about achieving your dreams… I’d be a fool not to recommend Fairy Tail.

13. Barakamon

Barakamon is a different animal altogether.

In a subtle way, it’s about achieving your dreams, but beyond the surface, it’s more about self-improvement.
The main character: Seishu Handa, is a calligrapher who’s too arrogant and narcissistic for his own good.
After being sent off to an isolated island, he’s forced to change his ways and grow as a person.

And that’s exactly what you see through Seishu’s character development.

For a 12-episode series, it’s surprisingly fresh and meaningful.

It’s nothing like anything I’d recommended on this list, so watch a few episodes and see what you think.

14. A Galaxy Next Door

A recent anime that aired in the spring of 2023.

This anime series is more:

wholesome
romantic
and relaxing than anything else.

But it does offer insight into achieving your goals and dreams.

The main character, Kuga, is left to raise his younger sister and brother by himself.

His father died, and Kuga lives off royalties for his work as a mangaka. He actively makes manga and gets residuals (rental income) thanks to others who use rooms in the house he inherited.

He’s balancing all of these things as a young man with his siblings still being children, and the inclusion of Shiori Goshiki, a girl who comes to work for him as an assistant, becomes his eventual girlfriend.

She also dreams of working in the industry, and they work together amid all their family problems, struggles, and other elements that make this anime realistic for the most part.

15. Naruto

Naruto is a classic when it comes to going out there, putting in the work, bearing the brunt of life’s difficulties, but still doing whatever it takes to come out on top and achieve your life’s goals.

In the beginning, Naruto even makes a declaration and ends up achieving it (becoming Hokage).

Naruto appeals because:

It’s for all ages.
It has motivational lessons.
It inspires teenagers and has done since the beginning.
There are life lessons sprinkled out from start to finish.
And you can apply these lessons to your life.

16. The Ambition Of Oda Nobuna

The Ambition Of Oda Nobuna is about:

A recreated version of Nobunaga who goes about achieving his dreams of uniting Japan.
Oda Nobuna’s army, her ambitions, and how she goes about achieving this goal.
Yoshiharu (MC) is a random guy who’s transported into this point in time (Isekai).
And how he helps Nouna achieve these ambitions.

The anime’s DNA is about achieving something big and doing it by any means necessary. In this way, it’s a snapshot of real Japanese history but the point of applying yourself to achieve your goals is still relevant.

Relevant: Why Anime Has 12+ Episodes Per Season

17. Nodame Cantabile

Nodame Cantabile is an anime series about music, drama, and romance. All of the three mix together in various ways along the journey.

Shinichi Chiaki is a male Tsundere, and his love interest Nodame is an expert at playing the piano but is clumsy at a lot of everything else (including life chores).

Both characters and many others are in college pursuing their dreams and goals of being in the music business, honing their talents, and strengthening their passions.

With adult characters, a more mature approach to storytelling, and realistic visuals as far as the “East Asian” look, you’re bound to get something different from Nodame Cantabile for a lot of reasons.

18. Skip Beat

Kyoko Mogami didn’t start out with a dream or even achieve any sort of goal. She just people pleased her way through life, including her parents and ex-boyfriend, and was overly subservient.

Revenge motivates her to change drastically, finally deciding to be her true self without hesitation or worrying about what others think. And this leads her down the road of wanting to achieve goals in show biz.

This anime motivates you to achieve your goals and dreams but in an indirect, unconventional style.

19. Akame Ga Kill

Akame Ga Kill is a MUCH darker version of the “achieve your dreams” type of anime. But it still counts because the characters are fighting for a better day, future, and an ideal life where everyone can be happy without the government’s corruption.

Tatsumi has dreams of being an imperial officer in the capital, and after being trained in the way of swordsmanship, he heads out to the capital with his friends to make a lot of money to help his village.

It turns out the capital is more brutal, savage, and disturbed than he first realized, and they’re also responsible for his village being poor and suffering.

He ends up joining the group nightraid, who assassinate high-ranking officials and politicians to kill the main government figure Prime Minister Honest and create a revolution in the process.

Nightraid is also backed by the people in the shadows and the “revolutionary army” who strives for a better future for everyone.