The Definition Of The Term "Anime Motivation"

What does anime motivation mean exactly?

That’s what we’re breaking down today, since some people have different definitions and it can be viewed in various ways.

Let’s get to it.

1. Anime that makes you think

An anime series that makes you think will always be motivational by nature.

Even if the anime makes you think in a way that makes you:

Laugh.
Giggle.
Smile.

Or something more subtle like this, the anime has accomplished its mission in a motivational sense (Food Wars, Gamers, Gintama, etc).

But the best anime shows do more than just this.

They also:

Make you think about life.
Make you think about how you want your life to be.
Make you think about your life and what could be done better.
Makes you think about a certain type of place or country to live in.
Encourages you to think about your goals, aspirations, and current lifestyle.
Has you thinking about your friendships, relationships, and whether they’re positive or not.
Gets you thinking about pursuing your dreams, making something of yourself, and maybe being kinder.

This is just a short list of what anime can do in terms of “making you think”. But if it can do this, that right there is what we call Anime Motivation at its finest.

2. Anime that teaches you something new

Cells At Work is one of the finest examples of an anime series that teaches you something new and different.

The anime’s whole purpose is to teach you about:

Red Blood cells.
Oxygen.
How the body functions.
Diseases in the body.
White blood cells.
The “police force” within your body that regulates, fights off, and defeats viruses.

And it shows you how the body looks when it’s under stress, or when a person smokes and what the inside of their artery walls may look like, etc.

The anime makes the whole learning curve fun, enjoyable, and entertaining beyond belief so much so a real life teacher could learn from its style of education.

These types of anime shows are what we call “Anime Motivation”. You’re not just learning, but you’re being entertained as you learn and you’re better off after the fact.

3. Anime that inspires and motivates

There are always anime shows that will inspire you to take action in your own life. Maybe it’s that business you’ve delayed starting because of fear and anxiety.

Maybe it’s that girl you haven’t approached yet. Maybe it’s the university degree that leads to your dream life.

Maybe it’s travelling the world and doing whatever it is you’ve always wanted to do.

Anime that can inspire you to take action in ways that get you the results you want is inspirational anime in every sense of the word.

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Motivation, often confused with inspiration, is about your reasons. Anime that can give you a reason for doing something, or give you a new meaning in any aspect of life, is one hell of an anime series.

Frieren is a good example of an anime that focuses on motivation and meaning. Frieren lives her life according to her human friends who changed her life and the way she sees it.

Her reasoning comes down to that, no matter how silly or superficial it may look on the surface to other people. That’s why she’s motivated and hardly if ever depressed or sad,

Reasons are what drive us, and anime that can motivate us in this way are a special breed.

4. Anime that changes your views

Following from the last point, an anime series that can change the way you see the world is a special kind of anime.

Frieren had an impact on me personally when it comes to the concept of time. Often times you hear Frieren (the character) talk about “10 years isn’t that long” and things like that.

In a way she’s right, even if she’s looking at it from the perspective of an elf that lives close to an eternity.

We stress about 5 years, 1 year, 3 years, 10 years, and so on, and yet in the grand scheme of things, it’s not a long time at all and debating about what you should do is time wasted.

Time moves forward and it’s not stopping, so you might as well get it over with and maximize it as much as possible while looking at the bigger picture.

You could also make the “change your views” argument for an anime series like let’s say, Naruto in a sense.

Naruto’s kindness, empathy, and willingness to forgive is what makes him and maybe the anime so legendary. There is a comedic aspect to it, but in a reality sense, it’s deep and speaks to something we as humans just haven’t done in mass numbers.

Details aside, Naruto has changed the views of many across the world, and more anime continue to do the same in all sorts of genres, topics, and fields.

5. Anime shows that make you want to work out and stay fit

How Heavy Are The Dumbbells You Lift? might be a good example of this in action.

The anime is about working out, being healthy, eating healthy, slimming down, and reaching an ideal weight.

It’s about eating the right things, adopting a healthy lifestyle, and even having fun while you’re at it.

This could easily encourage many people to stay fit, work out, and do their best in this way.

DBZ has famously done the same thing because of characters like Goku and Vegeta, who constantly work out, stay fit, train themselves, and do what they can to elevate and reach new heights.

One Punch Man is another one, and there are many “Anime Motivation” style anime shows like these.

6. The types of anime that make you feel good in a genuine way

Watching an anime series like let’s say, Tanaka Kun Is Always Listless is bound to make a person feel good.

This anime series is so relaxing, chilled, laid back, and each episode feels longer than it is because of its easygoing personality.

Tanaka, the MC, is laid back, almost lethargic, while his friend is more energetic, Shiori is the nice girl with glasses, while Miyanno is the little girl who’s a ball of energy.

You also have anime shows like Non Non Biyori, which is about kids ranging from 7 or 8 to 14 or 15 years old, with the odd adults here and there who are parents, aunties, etc.

It’s based in the countryside where everything is green, quiet, chilled, lush, and relaxing.

Watching this kind of feel-good anime is bound to do exactly that. This is another form of Anime Motivation.

7. The kind of anime (or manga) that encourages you professionally (start a business, a certain career, etc)

For some people, it could be an anime series like Spice And Wolf. That anime, while romantic and supernatural, does have elements of business, stocks, investing, and economics.

In fact, it can teach you more about economics, finance, and investing than you’d learn in a school or educational institution if you pay attention.

While no anime is specifically about entrepreneurship and business, there are anime shows like Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear, Tamako Market, Ascendance Of A Bookworm, Shirobako, Jormungand, and others where this kind of thing is part of the story.

Speaking of which, Shirobako is the type of Anime Motivation that may encourage you to start a career in the anime industry, or become an animator, assistant, etc.

Whereas an anime like Bakuman may encourage you to become a manga artist, just like Comic Girls may do the same thing in some capacity.

8. Anime scenes or moments that help you stay on track, daily

Going back to One Punch Man, there is the training session where he literally makes himself balled, losing his hair in the process.

There are AMV’S on YouTube about it.

There are moments when Goku is training on the ship to Planet Namek, or Vegeta training on Earth with the help of Bulma’s spaceship and the gravity machine inside of it.

In a different context, there are moments in an anime like Violet Evergarden, a series made by Kyoto Animation, which may help you stay on track or simply encourage you in one way or another.

Then there are those critical moments in an anime like Haikyuu, where the MC wins in the heat of the moment that can give you the inspiration needed to stay focused on a daily in your own life.

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In the end, Anime Motivation comes down to these 8 points when you break it all down.

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