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 it’s satisfying when you witness it in an anime series. Assuming the story is written well, and the characters have tons of depth or good character development in general.
Here are 13 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 in mind: work for a gaming company so she can live out her dreams while getting paid to do it.
Aoba ends up working for the company: 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, grueling 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 overcomes 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 give you a little inspiration to follow your own path.
2. ReLife
ReLife is a little different to 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 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
It’s one of my personal favorites, 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
- One character in particular: 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 he’s also the kindest.
- And Bruno is intelligent, but arrogant and too self-important.
Throughout the 12 episodes of this anime your 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
If you want to be entertained while learning along the way, Food Wars is one of the best choices.
- 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
There’s no better comparison for an anime series about achieving your dreams. Because it’s so entertaining and fresher than most
6. Hanayamata
There’s only one word to describe this anime series: sweet.
It’s a slice of life series about a set of
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.
- What you learn from this anime is: 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 a better person.
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 is:
- 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, team work, 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
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,
9. My Hero Academia
You knew this anime was coming, right? As known as it is, I still have to mention it.
The story centers around the young hero: Izuku Midoriya. A teenager who believes he’s worth less than shit in the beginning of the series.
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
- 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 what he does have is intelligence, observation skills, and a pure heart.
This is the aspect of MHA, plus the concept of “achieving your dreams” that’s
Related: The 34 Most Meaningful Anime Quotes From My Hero Academia
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: 9 Of 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, but Fairy Tail is popular for a good reason.
It’s an anime series that’s able to grab your emotions and squeeze it out in a way few anime are able.
And this is in spite of the silly, “filler” episodes that are full of fan-service.
- One of the biggest highlights in
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 to not recommend
13. Barakamon
Barakamon is a different animal all together.
- 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.
Honorable Mentions:
- The Ambition Of Oda Nobuna.
- Naruto Shippuden.
- Akame Ga Kill (in a dark-kind of way).
Recommended: Anime Vs Manga – Which One Is Better And WHY?
