When most people think about anime they don’t think about the types of shows that are healthy escapism.
They think about it in terms of anime that are “bad” escapism, or the usual escapism that allows a fan to disconnect from life in general.
But there are good anime shows that are:
- Healthy.
- Encouraging.
- Motivating.
And good for the soul in terms of the escapism value they provide.
Let’s dig into that.
1. Cells At Work
Cells At Work is one of the most educational anime there is. It’s an anime that’s also more entertaining than you’d expect it to be.
You have a red blood cell which is a female character, a white blood cell which is a male character, and various “cells” drawn as characters in a Shounne style format.
The shounen style allows you to get lost in it, but you learn and end up smarter and more educated after watching the anime.
2. The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten
Mahiru Shiina is the angel next door, and she returns the favour to the main MC and this is how they end up hanging out more often.
This is the start of a wholesome anime and a wholesome relationship, the kind that screams escapism but is surprisingly healthy, well-paced, and not at all exaggerated.
No funny stuff, no fan service, no falling into women’s boobs – just a healthy sort of escapism that isn’t desperate or cliche in a negative context.
3. Wonder Egg Priority
Ai Ohto is the blue-haired MC of the show, and she’s always seen in her yellow hoodie most of the time.
She goes through depression after losing a friend, and like many other characters introduced in this series, they all are going through their own emotional trauma.
While on the surface it might not seem like a normal escapism anime, it absolutely is. But one where you can learn from it in a healthy fashion.
The bright colours, the emotions, the depth, the story – there are a lot of escapism elements to get lost in. And even though the ending isn’t perfect, the content in general deserves respect.
4. K-On
K-on will always be a classic that will never die. It’s one of the best anime shows to come from Kyoto Animation.
Yui Hirasawa is a clumsy girl who runs to school with bread in her mouth. Tsumugi is the “rich” girl with tea, biscuits, and cakes and an odd optimism.
Then you have the introvert and the loud girl and eventually, another girl who brings a more serious vibe to the show.
No plot, no real story, just girls getting through college with a lot to learn and plenty to get lost in.
5. Ice Guy And The Cool Female Colleague
Wholesome anime series are always a good choice when it comes to healthy escapism in anime.
These anime are positive, and inspiring, have good messages, and don’t have much foolishness to get in the way of that.
Fuyutsuki-San is the main female character, and then there’s Himuro the snowman of sorts. With the anime’s mix of emotions and feelings, you can get lost in it but in a way that’s warm and fuzzy.
Not to mention “feel good”.
6. Spy x Family
Spy x Family is an anime with healthy amounts of escapism for the family aspect, the wholesome aspect, and the positive family messages.
It has Anya Forger, the psychic adopted kid of the family, with funny faces and is the anime’s source of cuteness.
Then there’s Yor Forger, the mother, who’s clumsy and an assassin in silence and also can’t cook but does her best.
Then Loid Forger, the spy in silence, but a family man and one who also does his best in settings he’s not used to. You learn a lot by watching this anime.
7. I’m Giving The Disgraced Noble Lady I Rescued A Crash Course In Naughtiness
Charlotte is accused of something she never did and then escapes from her home only to collapse, and be found by Allen Crawford.
He takes her into his mansion and lets her stay there and the two form a bond, naturally. This anime is diabetes on steroids.
The diabetic aspect of this series means it’s sweet, innocent, sugary, but most of all, a positive and relaxing series you can get absolutely lost in.
8. Naruto
Naruto has and is always considered a positive anime series and one with lots of escapism elements. It’s about Naruto Uzumaki, a kid who suffers unnecessarily.
People identify with his struggle and pain, and they take positive messages from his progress, process, and later success as he makes something of himself despite being doubted and mistreated.
Early violence with Gaara is irrelevant here as the anime as a whole is one you can take positive and meaningful life lessons.
9. Hitoribocchi
Hitoribocchi is about a girl with social anxiety, stress, who is insecure a little, and is introverted. Attending a new school is difficult without her old friends, but she does her best.
The anime walks you through the lens of Hitori and her attempt to make lots of friends despite her shortcomings and failures. And you learn every step of the way.
In fact, there is some personal development in this series and
10. The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses
For the average teenage boy, their emotions are all over the place, especially when it comes to girls. And this anime shows that side of things.
Komura is the guy who’s into the girl who forgets her glasses. She’s called Mie-San. He’s attracted to this girl.
He helps her out, but not in a way that compromises his character or morals. And with the visuals and the wholesomeness, it’s easy to get lost in this form of escapism.
But as the anime shows, it’s healthy, it’s progressive, it’s nice, and it’s pleasant.
11. Tanaka Kun Is Always Listless
Tanaka is a lazy, laid-back, too-chilled kind of guy who likes to conserve his energy too much. His friend is different and is the kind of guy others see as dependable.
Shiraishi, the girl with glasses, is also a fairly mature character. And then you have the blonde Tsundere.
Despite some of these setups and chrematistics, the anime is so laid back that it’s like smoking weed the entire time of watching it.
You can get lost in the relaxation parts of this anime and watch time fly by.
12. Fairy Tail
Fairy Tail has fan service, and many will point it out when talking about this series. But that doesn’t change the fact this anime is a good escapism.
The anime’s focus on friendships is magnetic. It’s emotional enough to get you invested in the characters, their struggles, and everything about them.
The diverse personalities are also another thing about Fairy Tail, not to mention how well fleshed out many of its characters are including the supporting roles.
Like Naruto, there are some deeper and sadder moments, but it’s a positive series when you get down to it.
13. Lucky Star
Konata is a lot like Neptune from HYPERDIMENSION. She’s funny, laid back, easygoing, and sarcastic.
She also plays games just like Neptune.
Living with her dad and not having a mum, Konata enjoys her time with her father who also plays games.
Cosplay events, otaku events, comedy, and a slice of life are what you can expect from this series as a whole. It’s like watching life through a so-called Otaku’s eyes but without the extremes.
14. Quintessential Quintuplets
For a harem series, this is one of those that isn’t geared towards wish fulfilment to the extreme to the point of selling a false sense of reality.
Uesugi Fuutarou is the teacher of 5 twin sisters. Despite the plot, you get to know each girl and each one has their own personality.
It ends up being more wholesome and at times, realistic and relatable than anything else.
It’s a “good” escapism in the harem genre.
15. Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear
Yuna is a girl with her own investment portfolio. But in the anime, she ends up in another world (virtual) and has no way of returning. Hence the Isekai element.
After acquiring a bear suit with immense defence and power, she wears it for most of the show and this is how she becomes known.
She helps the locals in this new world with her power, builds her own house, and while the action is nothing to get excited about, the wholesomeness is.
It’s a positive type of Isekai.
16. Danmachi
Danmachi is about Bel Cranel and his journey to getting stronger similar to DEKU but not the same.
He respects Ais Wallenstein, a swordswoman with long blonde hair, and he lives with Hestia, a Goddess who’s ranked “low” among goddesses.
They work their way up and start to get more respect from the people in town, and there are some positive sides to this series with takeaways.
17. Otaku Elf
Elda is a shut-in Otaku type of elf who is tall, blonde, has long ears and has social anxiety. But this type of social anxiety is deeper than usual.
After living 100s of years and even through the Edo period of Japan, she’s seen people come and go including friends.
Her current “Miko” called Koito is the one serving Elda in the shrine, but she holds Elda accountable and tries to push her to come out of her shell.
Comedy aside, this anime has some good, positive messages, and is one of the most underrated anime shows to have come out of the year 2023.
18. Ascendance Of A Bookworm
Unlike the typical Isekai, this anime is female lead and it doesn’t focus on or use fanservice or other cliches to gain attention.
The main character dies after a boatload of books collapses on her, and after reincarnation, her love of books continues.
She wants to read books in the new world but has to make a lot of money to do it since books in this time period are rare or exclusive to rich nobles as far as access.
Myne uses her skills from her future to create moisturizers, hair clips, and other products to get ahead but other problems arise turning this anime into something else altogether.
It’s like an Isekai version of Spice And Wolf, with healthy escapism and life lessons to be learned from.
19. Spice And Wolf
The 19th recommendation here is Spice And Wolf. This anime might be one of the more realistic romance series there is, and this is in spite of its fantasy elements.
Kraft Lawrence, a businessman, and Holo, a wise wolf, travel together, make money together, live together, and use each other to get what they want out of life.
This morphs into romance but it’s never exaggerated with unnecessary cliches to give it so-called “impact”. It’s all-natural, with a pacing many shows can’t compete with.
Healthy escapism anime at its finest.
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