My first anime was Dragon Ball Z. And that taught me a lot about life and things in general. Like how important work ethic is, and thinking outside the box to achieve big results.
Or how approaching life with a carefree attitude makes the difference in performance, and “how” you feel.
But I won’t talk about the obvious types of anime shows (or
Most of which aren’t too popular or famous.
With only a few being well-known but still worth mentioning.
Educational Anime Shows:
1. The Royal Tutor
The Royal Tutor is an
Heine Wittgenstein is the main character (and tutor).
He’s such a witty, logical guy it’s kinda hard not to learn something from him, which is why this anime is
By the end of the series, each prince is educated formally, and they go through tons of personal development to overcome their individual flaws. And that turns into life lessons along the way that you learn from.
Like learning how to communicate with people, without being intimidating (especially if you’re tall).
Or learning how to tame your ego so you can become more confident as a person.
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2. Jormungand
Jormungand is an “educational” dive into the world of arms dealing. Which is even uglier than it sounds.
Arms dealers sell weapons to drug lords, kingpins, politicians, warlords and anyone living a similar lifestyle.
And Jormungand is a dark, but realistic depiction of that truth (that happens under the surface in our society).
By the time you’ve finished watching, you’ll have a realistic worldview of what actually happens in the underworld, and how it all works across dozens of countries.
While it’s pretty grim, it’s still educational and you learn something from it.
3. Cells At Work
This anime is self-explanatory.
It’s a preview into how the cells in your body “get to work”, protect you, and run on a biological level.
This is shown early when you get to see white blood cells fighting off germs and viruses. Not to mention “red” blood cells (responsible for oxygen in the body) running from danger…
The thing about Cells At Work: it’s
And for that reason – it’s one of the most fun educational anime you’ll run into.
Just don’t expect to get an A* in Science by watching it, it’s entertainment after all.
4. Death Note
There are some fu*** up people in this world. The kinds of rotten scum bags that will do anything for power, control, manipulation, corruption and the list goes on.
All to satisfy their greed and insecurity.
That’s the type of theme you see play out in Death Note.
It’s not an
This is only an anime, obviously, but it’s no less
It’s just a different kind. And you get “educated” on deeper topics.
5. Golden Kamuy
Golden Kamuy is littered with historical references to the Japanese race, called Ainu.
All 4 seasons of this series are sprinkled with facts, trivia and almost everything about the way Ainu lived, hunted, and the kinds of beliefs they had as people.
Not to mention their habits and chants used for each “good” meal (like “Hinna Hinna”).
To top it off – you get ta taste of entertainment while still learning. Getting them “both” right is not an easy task to pull off.
So if there’s one anime you choose from this list – Golden Kamuy is a must!
6. A Silent Voice
A Silent Voice is a story about bullying. The victim being bullied is a girl with a hearing disability (she’s deaf).
Bullying is a huge issue in our society. 100’s of thousands of kids avoid going to school because of bullying, every day.
But what A Silent Voice does is take that concept, highlight it as much as possible, and portray the dark side of how it affects people later in life.
A Silent Voice is a lesson in personal issues, regret, and desperately wanting to change.
And you can learn something by reading in between the lines.
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7. Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple
Kenichi is the main character who’s bullied by most people in his school.
He’s weak, fragile, and scared to face his fears head-on. That’s why his bullies give him the nickname: “weak knees Kenichi”.
But after coming across a dojo, thanks to a blonde girl from Kenichi’s school, martial arts “saves his life” in more ways than one. And he becomes strong enough to stand up to his bullies, and be a leading example.
- Martial Arts.
- Moi Thai Boxing.
- Karate.
Kenichi learns how to use these fighting skills to defend and protect others, not just himself. Building self-confidence, self-esteem and courage in the process.
If there’s anything you learn from this anime, it’s about facing your fears and becoming a better person.
Not to mention how to deal with and put a stop to bullying, once and for all.
8. Bamboo Blade
Bamboo Blade is strictly about Kendo. And nothing else. You can think of it as the “broader” version of Kenichi: Mightiest Disciple.
The main character is shy, and introverted, with a surprising amount of confidence when it comes to “doing the right thing” and helping others in need.
And once all 5 characters join the kendo team, that’s when the
Watch all 26 episodes, and there’s no way you won’t learn something new about Kendo. You might even wanna get into the sport yourself because it’s that inspirational in itself.
9. Takunomi
Takunomi is a simple series. In the
The main character: Michiru Amatsuki moves to Tokyo in a shared flat with other women.
And that’s where the education begins in this relaxed, chilled TV series.
If you’re a fan of beer or alcohol by any chance, you’ll learn a lot from this series. And not just ordinary beer, but drinks made in Japan.
You could argue it’s nothing but an “advertisement”, which I’d agree with, but that doesn’t change the meaning behind the message. And the fact it teaches you something new.
10. Kantai Collection
Kantai Collection is a simple
And that’s where the anime’s
It’s not the most comprehensive or detailed series for learning about battleships, but it’s the most prominent among any you could watch in the industry.
And similar to Cells At Work: you get to learn something new without it being boring or uninteresting.
It’s the perfect blend of entertainment and a little education to go with it.
11. Girls Und Panzer
Girls Und Panzer is another
The main goal is to save Oorai
Besides the obvious
- Strategy.
- Tactics.
- Leadership.
- Creative thinking.
And of course – fun to make the anime entertaining enough to carry you through to the end.
12. New Game
New Game is about Eagle Jump, a company that makes
She slowly fits into the culture and tends to be a person who wants to be on people’s good side. Never upsetting them and doing her best to get the job done the right way.
The anime teaches you a lot about work culture, more so from a gaming experience (even if not 100% realistic). And it’s all from the perspective of female colleagues in particular.
13. Lucky Star
A
It’s
One way is the anime’s Otaku culture, the characters travel to Akihabara, which is an Otaku haven, and how crazy it tends to be at the events held there.
Cosplay, gaming, the whole lot. It’s an insight into Japan’s Otaku culture in a colourful, comedic setting.
14. Dagashi Kashi
An anime that teaches you about sweets, making sweets, types of sweets called Dagashi, and more from the perspective of Hotaru Shidare. A girl who’s had the biggest Dagashi company passed down to her.
The other main character is Kokonotsu, a name you don’t see often in anime at all. He runs a small shop with his family selling Dagashi sweets, which are sweets that are cheap in so many words.
In between the
15. Ascendance Of A Bookworm
Ascendance Of A Bookworm is about Myne, a girl who is crushed by a ton of
She’s a bookworm. A book lover. It’s her number one passion in life and she literally died because of it.
Through Myne’s eyes, you learn about economics to small degrees, creativity, creative expression, the process of making products and distributing them, and other business-related knowledge.
There’s more to it than that though.
16. Happy Sugar Life
The anime is a
She becomes a Yandere after meeting a kid who’s homeless, and deciding to take her in, after which she becomes obsessed and infatuated with protecting her.
This anime peels back the banana when talking about a person’s mental state, how the environment influences it, how it leads to other dangerous behaviours, how it connects, and more.
It’s a lesson in mental health across the board.
17. Chainsaw Man
On the surface
What you really realize is Denji, that same protagonist, is a damaged kid who was forced to work like a dog after his father commits suicide, leaving Denji with debt to pay to “the local gangsters” so to speak.
He sells his own organs, even a kidney, and all to make money to pay off a debt he can’t escape from without being murdered.
Later on by a miracle he scapes that life and is then taken in by devil hunters, only to realize they’re only keeping him around because he can be useful, and if he tries running away he’ll be slaughtered.
Denji is taught by his life experiences to do what he’s told to survive, that people don’t care about him and that his only worth is to depend on other people to get by. And this is part of the many life lessons this anime teaches.
It’s deeper than it looks.
18. Bocchi The Rock
Introversion and extroversion are often exaggerated, and you see a small element of this in Bocchi The Rock. But Hitori, the MC of the series shows us a realistic depiction of the life of an introvert with social anxiety.
She’s better at expressing her feelings creatively and struggles in big social settings. This is part of the
You learn more though about the ticket business, meaning the selling of tickets at venues and everything related. It might not be a masterclass but it’s relevant information and it’s not the only part that teaches you something new.
19. How Heavy Are The Dumbbells You Lift?
Fitness, health, working out in the gym, it all takes a certain amount of knowledge to do well if better health is the goal. Most don’t know about half the equipment in a gym or especially about calories and the inner workings of it.
How Heavy Are The Dumbbells You Lift goes into all of this and more, and it’s presented in the silliest, most comical way possible when it’s not serious.
The information and knowledge are spot on as well, meaning it’s legit. You just get to have a good laugh while learning something new at the same time.
20. Hanayamata
In Japan, there’s a type of dance called Yosakoi. A freestyle type of dance Japan has made its own. And this anime teaches you about it.
There are 5 main characters, one of them starts her own Yosakoi group which eventually Naru Sekiya joins, and then other friends and associates.
Hana Fountainstand is the main star of the show who starts the group, and the anime is mostly about all of the training their Yosakoi skills so they can put on a show and have fun together.
It’s lighthearted,
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21. Aria The Animation
Venice In Italy is a city full of water. Aria The Animation depicts this in its own unique way. In the anime, the planet is called “Aqua”, which is a reference to the water.
Planet Aqua looks like Venice but in a sort of semi-futuristic style as far as the unique clothing the main characters wear. These characters are also called “Undine” which is another reference to water.
Each Undine works under a company that serves the public, taking them on trips on the Gondola (small canoe boats), and teaching them about the history and whatever else they want on the trips they take.
Sometimes it’s just a form of taking a taxi, similar to Venice in real life.
22. Spice And Wolf
And then we have Spice And Wolf, one of the ultimate anime shows when it comes to teaching you something at all. Never mind something new.
Kraft Lawrence, a travelling merchant finds a deity lying in the hay, and they eventually start travelling together.
She helps him with her wisdom and insight, and he uses his business skills and they both make a lot more money together than without. They form a relationship as well.
This anime’s biggest lessons are about economics, stocks, money, and finance. But there’s more to it than that if you look closer.
Honorable Mentions:
- Sakura Quest.
- Re:Zero.
- Hanayamata.
- Little Busters.
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