15 Valuable Life Lessons You Will Learn From Anime

A lot of the world still sees anime as childish cartoons. Many others just see it as something nerdy and will pick on people for liking it. But for the fans, anime is a lot more than just an entertaining show, it changes our lives!

Anime refers to all Japanese animated styles, so you should never assume that it is for kids. There are many animes that feature murder, crime, and adult-content. It is simply a form of storytelling.

In animes, there is usually a goal or mission. Throughout the length of the anime, we will see how this character goes about achieving or completing their goals. They are usually quite far from their goals, and some don’t even want to do it, so they face a lot of challenges on the way. Some may have more casual stories, like in ‘slice of life’ genres, but there is still some kind of story progression, and conflicts lead to character growth.

And even if the character was born or given supernatural powers, they are still human in nature. They still have to learn how to utilize these powers, and they’ll face emotions like fear, pain, and frustration. They are not perfect, and they’re still learning and growing. Even if we don’t like a character initially, hearing their backstory can make use understand them more.

So let me share some of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from anime and still hold close to my heart.

If you’re newer to anime or haven’t watched a whole lot yet, check out my Starter Anime List (60 episodes or less) and my Motivational Anime List! If you’re a Christian, definitely check out my parallel article, 12 Anime Tropes That Made Me A Better Christian.

And if you’re interested in learning more vocabulary and kanji so you can watch anime and dramas, read manga, sing J-pop at karaoke, or play raw Japanese video games, check out my 250+ Kanji for Japanese Media (+Sentences) article and my Japanese Study Guide!

1. You Have To Chase Your Dreams

A majority of animes follow a protagonist with a dream or a mission. To start a band, to find their dad, to be the best, to save the world, etc.

Whether their dream or goal is big or small, they are driven and dedicated. Some may be a little reluctant at first, especially if they were sucked into this situation, but who wouldn’t be? Eventually, they accept their fate, get on board, and give it their all.

The path is never easy. They will face enemies, they will get hurt, others will bully them and put them down, no one seems to believe in the, and there are times they want to give up…but they also know that isn’t an option. They’ve worked hard for this. This is what they really want or need to do. Their don’t want to live with regrets and wonder what if. It’s all or nothing.

While I haven’t watched the series, I know enough to say Naruto is the perfect example of this. From young, he wanted to be Hokage, which is like King of the village. As a kid though, he was bullied and left out due to his scary power, yet he was still really weak and clumbsy. Yes, being Hokage would have him acknowledged, but he also wanted to continue his mothers dream.

The series is over 900 episodes long, so clearly, this dream of his isn’t easy. I’m sure there were many life or death situations he was in, and lots of other issues he had to work through, but his hard work, his time and energy, and all the connections he made along the way made the dream come true.

Time is limited and we really don’t know what tomorrow or next year will hold. If you have a dream, go for it! If you fail, dust yourself off and try again. If you truly want it, go for it with all your heart. You will reach it one day if you’re serious and you continuously work towards it. That’s just how life works.

2. Anything Truly Is Possible (If You Believe It Is)

The world can be so negative at times. A lot of kids share their dreams with bright eyes full of belief, and adults are quick to tear them down, saying ‘it’s unrealistic’, ‘it’s impossible’, ‘you should aim for something more stable, something with more jobs’ etc. Eventually, many people grow up to believe the same thing and quit before they even start when it comes to their dreams.

But know this, anyone who has done great things is a normal person like you. People like you made it to the olympics. People like you made it to space. People like you became mayor or the president. People like you created a best-selling book. People like you have done amazing things that not many people have done. And it’s NOT because other people can’t do it or that they aren’t special, It’s because the majority don’t try, or they give up too early.

A perfect example of this would be Deku, the main protagonist of My Hero Academia. Deku is a kind hearted caring boy who wanted to be like his hero, the #1 hero in the world, All Might.

At the age of 4, most kids will show signs of their powers or quirks…if they have a quirk. 80% of the world does, but Deku was one of the unlucky ones. Naturally, being a real hero in his world would be impossible without a quirk.

Yet, despite his curse, he still aimed and dreamt of being a hero. He would study and make notes of all other heroes and help others. When he would share his dream, other’s would mock him, or his mother would discourage him.

At the beginning of the series, his classmate, someone who relentlessly bullied him for years, was in great danger. Other heroes tried to help but were unsuccessful. Other’s stood by and watched, as they couldn’t get close enough due to the situation.

Deku himself stood by shaking, knowing he didn’t have the power to help…yet he still ran in to try. He couldn’t just stand there and watch. This pushed other heroes to move and they were able to defeat the enemy.

Deku’s actions got him recognized by the #1 hero himself, and he finally heard the words he wished his mom would say, “you too can become a hero”. The hero decides that Deku will be the successor of his powers, and his story as a hero truly begins.

Deku has a long way to go when it comes to learning and mastering such a powerful quirk, one that could rip his body to shreds if he isn’t careful. But what matters is that what was once an impossible dream became possible because he kept pursuing it. He had a hero’s heart and was gifted the opportunity to become a real hero due to that.

3. True Friends Are Worth Fighting For

When you become an adult, you quickly realize how hard it is to find, make, and maintain friends. Even if you think you have friends, they may not be true or real friends. Some people strive to find good friends but fail, while others have friends but don’t treat value them or treat them well. But honestly, many realize there is nothing worth more than a true friend in this world.

I don’t think I’ve seen an anime where friendships were not featured in some kind of way. Even the most independent of characters will have a friend or two they can rely on. In many cases though, the main character is the one who reaches out to others and will protect or comfort others anytime. They will even fight on their behalf or sacrifice themselves for them. Even if the other person doesn’t see them as a friend, the main character does, and treats them as such first.

While there are a lot of extreme examples of friendships in anime, a more realistic example would be Tohru from Fruits Basket. She’s quite naïve and ditzy, thus she was excluded and picked on when growing up in school. Yet, her warmth and accepting nature got her two best friends. One was feared as a gangster girl/delinquent, and another was a excluded and bullied for being a gothic-looking ‘witch’. These two will fight and protect Tohru no matter what.

Tohru’s mother wasn’t always around, so she was quite lonely at home. When her mother died, she really had no one. Due to circumstances, she was allowed to live with the Sohmas, a family with a secret curse. They would transform into Chinese zodiac animals if hugged by the opposite sex or stressed.

As for the Sohma household, not everyone takes a liking to her. Some don’t want her around due to their curse and fears of it getting out. Other’s have been hurt and rejected in the past, so even if they want to be her friend, they fear she will reject them or leave eventually. They all have pain and trauma they’re dealing with, and some take it out on her.

Tohru, however, loves everyone in the family, in their human and animal form. Even when they physically hurt her and reject her, and purposely try to make her hate them, Tohru is compassionate and aims to get closer to them.

One girl really despises her as she sees Tohru as a threat, someone who will steal everyone from her. But by the end of the show, Tohru’s efforts pays off, and everyone comes to love her and is her friend. Even the coldest of hearts couldn’t stay mad at a kind hearted and persistent angel like her.

There’s so much to unpack in this show, so if you want something that centers around family, friendship, and romance, Fruits Basket is a great series to check out. You’ll laugh a lot, but tears will fall for sure.

4. Fighting With Friends Can Deepen Your Bond

Friendships can be tricky. Some people consider everyone their friend, even if they don’t really know each other. Some have big groups, but there’s a lot of drama and fakeness within that group. Some only have a small circle, so betrayal hurts even more.

For me growing up, many people saw me as their friend as I was kind and would reach out to those who were lonely or excluded, but I was super picky about who I considered my friend. If any of my friends hurt me though, I would give them the silent treatment and cut them out. I didn’t value friendships then, and the need to be right was more important.

However, anime taught me a lot about the power of friendships, as mentioned above. It also taught me that having fights or disagreements is normal. It shows that the person cares enough about the friendship to speak up and share their feelings in hopes that it can be resolved. In the end, if they can get through that hurdle together, it will only strengthen the friendship.

Friends should be able to be open about their feelings without being gaslighted for it. They should be able to apologize when they realized they wronged the other without the other person holding it over their heads. Sometimes, you have a serious fight, and you may need some time apart, but if you really love each other, you will want to work things out because you value their place in your life.

A great series that talks about friendship and it’s complexities is Kokoro Connect. In this series, a group of 5 friends are challenged in ways unimaginable. For example, in one episode, they can read each other’s minds, and in another, they actually switch bodies.

Naturally, a lot of things ends up in the open due to this. Some characters get hurt in the process. Embarrassing family secrets get out. And of course, knowing your friend is crushing on you can make things a little awkward. Fights and arguments were bound to happen, and sometimes they have to confront each other. Regardless, they have to face this strange situation as a team.

By the end of their show, due to the hurdles they have faced, their friendship and bonds only got stronger. They were able to work out any negative feelings and they all come to understand each other more. Such a great show! I highly recommend it, along with Orange if you get the chance.

5. There Is More Power As A Team

Independent individuals like me may hate this, but in life, not everything could be done alone. We cannot survive alone. We are social creatures.

It may be easy to feel independent in this day and age, but let’s not forget the farmers, the bus drivers, the workers that make it possible for you to get clean water and electricity, those that plow driveways and sidewalks, your dentist, your doctor, your teachers, your family and friends…where would you really be without other human beings?

In quite a few animes, there is often the cool and independent character who prefers to be on his own and hates being around people. Yeah, they’re definitely strong and capable, but there will always be an obstacle that requires more people to succeed, or a situation where they are in danger and need help.

A great example of this is Bungo Stray Dogs. You got a group of different characters who have various different powers. Some are quite strong and capable on their own; however, they work as a team and everyone has a role and a purpose. There are times even the strongest or most experienced members of the group rely on the weaker and newer ones due to the powers they possess.

Sure, the healer can’t really fight, but who’s going to be there when the members get hurt? One of the best detectives in the team doesn’t actually have powers like the rest of them, but everyone knows they need him as his deductive skills are a class on it’s own. And of course, if someone is in trouble or gets abducted, the other members will notice and do everything they can to get them back.

A lot of animes will have a team or a group of main characters instead of a lone wolf. I think part of that is rooted in Japanese culture as they are a collective and community based society. They recognize that they all have roles to play and that they can move forward together. Even if you are independent and capable, having other people in your circle would always have its benefits. They may be able to cover your weaknesses too.

6. Honesty Is The Best Policy

For older kids and teens, its quite natural to hide things or lie if they think they will get in trouble. Sadly, some people grow up and continue to lie or pass the blame. There are individuals who love to lie, manipulate, and cheat, like catfish and narcissists.

In anime, however, a lot of main characters are honest and straightforward, and this is what makes them so loveable by fans and other characters. These characters mean what they say, so you can count on them. In a world where it can be hard to find people you can trust, these character are people you’d want to be close to.

One great example is Gon from Hunter X Hunter. He is a young boy, yet he is as honest as he comes. When it comes to his goals and inspirations, he says it loudly and proudly, as he’s not wary of others or malicious intent. Everyone who’s met him has a great impression of him and wants to cheer him on in his pursuit.

At one point in the series, a teacher (sensei) was willing to take him on as a new student and taught him the basics of an important technique that everyone beyond this point uses. Not knowing how to utilize it could mean death if against an opponent who has mastered it. Gon didn’t have much time to practice it before he had to go into battle, thus he was badly injured.

The sensei instructed him not to practice or learn about this technique for 2 months while he healed. While Gon was eager to train, he heeded the sensei’s advice and promised. The sensei gave him a ‘promise thread’ to remind him and motivate him. Keep in mind Gon didn’t know this sensei for long, so to trust and remain loyal to a stranger isn’t easy for many to do, especially if it gets in the way of their personal plans.

Gon healed earlier than expected, and was enthusiastic about getting back into training, but his teacher said he still must wait the time frame, so he obliged. Even when a battle where his rival was fighting was going on and he was eager to watch and study, the teacher said “no” as he would be learning about the technique, so he obliged. Even though there was no way his sensei would know, Gon listened and kept his word as promised. Very few 12 year old boys would do the same.

At the end, the teacher expressed how proud he was that he kept his promise. The students asked how he knew he kept it, and that’s when we find out that the promise thread would have broken if he didn’t. Imagine how proud his sensei was, and how much more he would be willing to teach this new student, now that he knows he can be trusted with such strong powers.

7. Apologize And Ask For Forgiveness

When was the last time you gave a genuine apology? For some people, it may be never. Pride is a dangerous thing, and the inability to recognize one’s mistakes or how they may have hurt others, is a sign of immaturity.

Of course, one may recognize they were wrong, but they will not go out of their way to apologize. Apologies won’t always make things right, but it allows you to let go of some guilt, and it may allow the other person to heal and move on.

Thus, I really love that in anime (and in Japanese culture), apologizing isn’t a rare thing. Taking accountability is a great trait, and relationships can be repaired if one is open to it. Even if it’s not 100% your fault, sometimes it’s just easier to notice your role in what happened and take responsibility, instead of making excuses or passing off the blame.

While I could think of many examples, one apology that really stands out is from Attack on Titan, and if you haven’t watched it, you need to. I’ve watched anime forever, but it’s definitely in a class of it’s own when it comes to human nature and the ‘whos right?’ debate.

Anyways, without giving too much of the main plot away, in this one scene, we have Kenny. He has trained from young to fight and kill, because he is an Ackermann. Ackermanns were treated horribly in their city and they were prosecuted because they were different.

We then have the new king, Uri, who has received the “founding titan”. This power gives him the ability to transform into an incredibly strong figure with other capabilities, making him a god to all other titans and those of their race.

Kenny was mad that the previous kings never made an effort to get rid of the huge titans that threaten the rest of humanity, and he’s also mad at what happened to his bloodline. So once he found out Uri, the new king, was gifted the power, he sought out to find him and kill him.

The two had a short battle where Kenny fought and Uri defended himself. Kenny realized just how powerful he really was. Even when he stabbed him, there was no way to really stop Uri. But to Kenny’s surprise, Uri actually went on the ground and apologized to him.

He could have just killed Kenny. He could have blamed his ancestors too, he’s not fully or personally responsible after all. However, Uri recognized the wrongdoings of his family and took responsibility, hoping for peace.

Kenny was stunned! Why would someone so strong bow to him? He changed his opinions about Uri, and this leads to a lasting friendship where Kenny becomes Uri’s bodyguard and right-hand man. People can fight all they want, but where does it end? We get to see that reflected in other aspects of the series.

Instead of always aiming to be right or seek revenge, we should try to understand others, and apologize if we have hurt them intentionally or unintentionally.

8. You Don’t Need To Be The Best Or The Strongest To Win

There is an obsession with being ‘the best’ in this world. Everyone who competes wants to be #1. Nominations are nice, but people only remember you and congratulate you if you win. This can lead to a lot of insecure people feeling they have to keep working to be better than everyone else, instead of just striving to be better than who they were yesterday.

But what does it mean to be #1? Someone may win this year, but lose next year. Someone can always beat the last record. And depending on the kind of game you’re playing, sometimes it comes down to luck, meaning anyone has the opportunity to win.

In Pokemon having a higher leveled Pokemon is definitely an indicator of strength, but depending on their type, every Pokemon still has a weakness. For example, in a battle against a level 15 water type and a level 20 fire type, the water type could still win as it can deal more damage, and fire attacks won’t hurt it as much.

Thus, one needs to not only have strong Pokémon, but a balanced team, the right tools and potions, and of course, experience, technique, and strategy, to be successful. You would think a gym leader will be strong, and they definitely are, but every trainer still has an opportunity to beat them and win a badge.

The odds may be stacked against someone, and their enemy may have never lost a battle, but that still doesn’t mean it’s impossible to win and take their title. Sometimes strategy, teamwork, or a unique trick can give you that edge like we see in HunterxHunter.

9. You Can Always Improve

Even if a character had a lot of potential at the very start of the show, there is always space to learn, grow, and improve. This could be a new technique or trick, some insight into an opponent, or strenghtening their weaknesses.

In real life, many people take a defeat to heart, and they start thinking “Why try? I’ll never be great.” Whereas characters in these shows will take this as a learning opportunity. “Wow, I got some way to go. What did I do wrong? And how can I do better next time?” They’ll even ask their opponent about their technique and make notes. It’s all about having a growth mindset.

In many stories where the main character receives a kind of power, they are usually starting at 0. Even if the power is amazing, they are too weak and unskilled to fully utilize it. Thus, they must practice, train, fight, and learn to really unlock it’s full potential. You’ll see this a lot in magical girl shows like Sailormoon, Tokyo Mew Mew, and Shugo Chara.

But it’s not always about developing powers. In Mob Psycho, we have a plain weak kid on the surface, but he actually has some of the strongest psychic abilities around. Those who know about it may find this cool and envy him, but Mob doesn’t care that much about it. Having psychic powers doesn’t mean you’ll have a good life, and girls aren’t impressed by it. If anything, it makes him a weirdo and he’s aware of that.

Not to mention, he is shy and awkward, and he tends to miss a lot of social cues. Due to his soft, weak, and naïve nature, he gets picked on and pushed around by classmates, and manipulated by his boss.

He is aware of his faults though, and he wants to grow and change this. Not only does he push himself to be more social and understand others, but he even joins the body improvement club hoping to be strong and more physically attractive. There’s a lot in his life he wants to improve on, and he’s taking those baby steps to do so.

10. Facing Your Fears Makes You Stronger

We all have fears, and it sucks having fears. While it may be harder getting over fears like spiders, snakes, or heights, there are other fears which can actually get in the way of you living your best life. Maybe it’s a fear of planes, or a bully/abuser, or the dark. You can avoid these, but you may have to face them sooner or later, especially for your own sake and life.

Some fears may be rooted in past trauma, like being betrayed by your best friend who not only gossiped about you, but slept with your boyfriend. Maybe you were online dating and fell for a romance scammer, losing $20,000 in the process. Or maybe you almost drowned as a kid, so you stay away from pools and the ocean. Staying away from these things may be a way of protecting yourself, but you’re also missing out on valuable friendships, relationships, and experiences.

One series where we get to see young people constantly facing their fears and trauma is Digimon. I’ve learned so much from this show and it has been my favourite for 15 years now.

The kids are very relatable. They got realistic back stories (divorced parents, adoption, mom wanting her tomboy daughter to be more girly, being in your older siblings shadow, being the weird one at school, etc) so we can see how they learn and grow through their circumstances.

As for the main story, though, these regular kids who lived an average life gets sucked into the Digital World. Unlike other shows where characters are excited to explore and battle, these kids act like any other kids would. They cry for their mommies and they want to go home and sleep in their warm beds.

Sure, having a dedicated Digimon friend is cool and all, but they would rather go to school and be with their human friends. They don’t want to face these scary monsters and fight. Heck, even their Digimon partners get scared at times!

But on top of the scary scenerios they are forced to face, they also have their own personal battles to confront and deal with.

In Digimon Adventure, Tai and Matt both have younger siblings that they are super protective about. For Matt, his parents seperated and his younger brother ended up with their mom. Now that they are together in this world, he does baby him as a way of protecting him. TK wants to prove he’s strong and a valuable member of the team, but Matt is against him fighting as he doesn’t want him to get hurt, nor does he want to lose his family.

Tai is protective, but for different reasons. Kari, his little sister, was always more fragile and prone to sickness. When they were younger, Kari had a cold, but Tai still pushed her to play soccer with him. She ended up fainting and ended up in hospital. Their parents were mad (rightfully so), and Tai realized how serious it was when she barely made it back home. However, Kari was never mad at him for it.

Tai knows that Kari has a caring heart and will sacrifice herself for the sake of others, so he feels an intense need to protect her at all costs. Now that they are both in this dangerous situation battling Digimon and saving their world, Tai is not only scared of Kari getting hurt, but her getting sick triggers his intense fear of losing her and being responsible for it. (The clip where he reveals all this it can make anyone tear up). These kids aren’t just scared of monsters, they have a lot of internal fears from their past that makes their situations a lot harder on them.

Joe was the biggest scardy cat of the group, often expressing his fears and doubts out loud and wanting to run away from everything, but he felt the need to be braver and be more reliable since he is the eldest, and thus responsible. There’s also Mimi, the girly girl princess of the group who obviously doesn’t want to be dirty or deal with ugly monsters, but by the end, she grabbing poop attacks and throwing them back.

Another scene that is so impactful is when Sora activates her crest of love. Her Digimon was hurt, but her Digimon was eager to fight as she was the only one left who could protect them. Sora was against it because she feared she could die if she did. However, Biyomon was stubborn and went against her wishes.

Sora then remembered a similar moment when her mom didn’t want her to play in her soccer game due to a leg injury, but she felt a responsibility for her team and went anyways. She thought her mom was just against her playing a boyish sport, but she was then able to see how much her mother cared for her and her health. She finally understood her mom and saw her differently, helping repair that relationship.

If there’s any show that is so relatable and touching that it could open your eyes and make you want to live your life differently, Digimon is amazing for that. I’ve learned a lot through it growing up and that’s why it holds such a big place in my heart.

11. Always Stand Up For Others

In this world, too many people are bystanders. It’s so easy to stand aside and just observe when someone is being mistreated or talked about negatively. For many, they would rather not get involved. That’s okay if your own safety is at risk, not everyone can be a hero, but most of the time, it’s just words and teasing where just stepping in and saying ‘that’s not cool’ one time could be the end of it. Regardless, most would rather watch from a distance and/or ignore it.

For the person who is being targeted, it could have long lasting emotional and mental effects. The pain from the torment is one thing, but feeling alone and like no one cares about them is another. All it takes is one person standing up for them to feel they are a human being worth something, and that can give them hope for the future.

In real life Japan, fitting in is important due to their community culture. Sticking out and being weird can make you a target. Not to mention, there’s a lot of pressure on students, so bullying is a way for students to get out their frustration. If you didn’t know, Japan has a very high suicide rate amongst young people, and bullying is a big part of that.

Sometimes, we get to see badass characters who did their best to stay calm and be nice, but eventually had their limits like Kano from Ikusei Keikaku. Her mother slept around and had many boyfriends live with them. Students found out and would judge and mock her for it. The last boyfriend was actually a creep to her, so imagine all she had to deal with through her life because of her home situation.

Thankfully though, in other animes, we get to see amazing beloved characters actually stepping up and speaking out against bullying, and befriending the targetted individual. Often, it becomes the start of a beautiful friendship.

As for a non-bullying related anime, I really like Ore Monogatari! We got three main characters. The main character, Takeo, is quite huge, and in his world, he isn’t attractive. Many look at him as a gorilla of sorts. Despite the names and judgement…and people even running away from him, Takeo is a sweet guy who loves to help others.

His best friend, Suna, is a pretty boy. Every girl (and mother) fawns over him. While Takeo speaks highly of Suna, he definitely feels insecure when his crushes end up confessing to Suna. However, Suna has rejected every girl who has asked him out. Takeo doesn’t get it, and he wants him to find someone and be happy, but Suna just isn’t interested.

Eventually, we find out the reason. It’s not that Suna is asexual or gay (as some theorized). It’s because Suna overheard these girls making fun of Takeo, and he would never be interested or want to date someone who gossips and laughs at others like that. Privately, he is standing up for him and making a statement that making fun of other’s isn’t right.

As for Takeo, on a train ride to school, he sees a girl getting harassed, and he immediately steps in to stop the perpetrator, standing up for what is right. The girl fell in love since then. When the two become a couple, she is happy and proud that he is her boyfriend.

When she proudly introduces him to her friends, a few were laughing and mocking them in the halls, saying they would hate to be seen with him, and don’t see what she sees in him. The couple overhears this, and she immediately stands up for him.

A situation happens soon after where Takeo ends up saving these same friends, and they quickly change their opinion of him. While Takeo is clearly strong enough to take down anyone, he is very soft and kind natured.

In this world, if you’re weird, quiet, or too kind, you become easy targets for others. Let’s do our best to protect each other by standing up for them, instead of standing by or joining in. They will truly appreciate it.

12. Let Your Haters Motivate You

When one faces haters and bullies, there’s only two ways to take it. You listen and believe them, or you deny their claims and prove them wrong. What many people don’t know is that people who spread negativity are usually dealing with insecurities themselves, and taking it out on you makes them feel better.

While characters in these shows may have a moment of doubt when others talk down to them or mock their goals, they are focused on their dreams. Instead of just talking back, they aim to shut them up once and for all by achieving their goal.

In the anime, Food Wars, the main character, Souma, has been helping out at his family’s restaurant forever. While he can cook, he has lost to his father countless times in cooking contests. One day, his dad packs up to leave and tells his son to apply for a prestigious cooking school. He needs to graduate if he were ever to surpass his dad and take over the family restaurant.

From the very beginning, Souma had a target on his back. When he was talking to other students who were taking the entrance exam, they rejected Souma because of his background, working at a Diner. They all considered him lower class and looked down on him just for that.

Erina is a student herself, but she has what the people call “god’s tongue”. She has immense talent for tasting and judging, so she was asked to taste and judge the dishes of students who want to transfer. When the other applicants realize she’s in charge, they all flee. Literally. Souma doesn’t know about her so he isn’t intimidated and he continues to audition.

Erina already looks down on him and doesn’t even want to try his ‘low-class’ dish. She does out of curiosity, and internally she loves it; however, she doesn’t want to admit this. So, out of spite, she claims she hated it and fails him. She doesn’t like how smug he is or where he comes from, and she refuses to see him differently.

To Souma’s surprise, he got an acceptance letter….the ONLY acceptance letter. When he made his entrance speech, he announces to all his classmates that he plans to take the #1 position and will not lose to people who have never served customers. This causes most students to hate him and become hostile.

In this scene that follows, Erina is surprised to see him and it is clear she did not want him there, nor does she accept him, but he is only driven further to prove someone of his background could be the best.

While Souma definitely has a lot of talent and creativity, along with experience working under pressure in the restaurant, he still has a lot to learn. He has advantages in certain aspects, but disadvantages in others compared to his classmates. Some students even go out of their way to sabotage him, but he does not seek revenge. He comes up with a new plan and works around it. Most of the time, he still ends up presenting the best dish of his peers.

Others may brag about all they have at their disposal, or coming from a family of chefs, but he doesn’t let that discourage him. Heck, despite being insulted and disrespected over and over again, he’s a really cool and friendly dude who still helps others, and would never want to be the cause of a partner’s expulsion (you can get expelled for bad dishes or failing exams here).

13. Perseverance Is Key (Try & Try Again)

One very big lesson in anime is perseverance…and this is why some animes may take 500+ episodes to tell the story. In most cases, the goal or dream of the main character was far out of reach, and they have a lot to learn for it to even be a possibility. Normal people would give up and say it’s impossible, but these characters persevere, even when the end is no where in sight.

A great motivational anime I would recommend is Haikyuu. The main character, Hinata, saw a volleyball match by chance one day and loved how they jumped, or rather ‘flew’ to spike the ball. He immediately wanted to play and win, but two things were against him…

For one, he’s really short, which is a huge disadvantage in this sport due to the height of the net. And two, he doesn’t have a real team to practice with, which is a bigger disadvantage as this is a team sport.

He was able to convince his friends and other classmates to join him, but they aren’t really motivated compared to him. He works hard to get them a spot in a competition, and he is super excited to play and win, but they got destroyed in their only match ever. Still Hinata perseveres and keeps focused on his dream.

When he gets to the high school of his dreams, he is finally able to join a real team with a coach and talented teammates. They haven’t won a championship in a few years, but Daichi, the captain, sees the new talent and thinks it could be possible this year. The team works hard to develop tricks, and it does get them far, but there will always be stronger, taller, and more skilled teams.

Sometimes, they find a way to just barely win the game, which gets them through the first few matches easily. But then, they face the real competition and losses become more common. The enemy may seem like a solid wall that they can’t break past, but they continue to fight and learn, because they want to win.

After making it past regionals, they were invited to participate in another area’s training camp. They played matches all day long, facing the same teams many many times, but they kept losing. Every loss meant penalty drills, so trust me, they don’t want to lose. Yet, even when they give every match their all against the same opponents, they still lose. Imagine how defeated anyone would feel! Some would stop trying but they still fight as hard as they can.

When they go back to their own region, all those matches and drills paid off. Not to mention, they are super fired up as they crave that sweet sweet taste of victory. The series isn’t done yet, but man, am I excited!

14. The Ultimate Gift Is Self-Sacrifice

For you people pleasers out there, don’t take this the wrong way. Being too nice that people take advantage of you is another story. Self-sacrifice is when you chose to give up something for the sake of others. You can say “no” but you choose to help.

Self-sacrifice can come in many forms. Of course, sacrificing your life to protect someone is admirable, and we see it in quite a few animes (not going to spoil any here), but it can also be sacrificing your time to help others, or going out of your way when it’s not expected of you.

In stories, like Erased, the main character, Satoru, has a chance to go back in time to when he was a kid. He wasn’t really sure why, but when he remembered his classmate who was abducted and killed, and how he could have prevented it from happening, he makes that his goal.

Kayo, the future victim, doesn’t have friends and is very quiet, so no one knows about her or what she’s dealing with at home. Satoru reaches out to be her friend, but it’s not an easy feat due to her cold exterior. However, he doesn’t give up and aims to be around her as much as possible to protect her from what he knows will happen in the near future.

If you did watch this series, you know the ending wasn’t exactly…’fair’. He loses a lot in the process, but the girl is alive and happy, all thanks to him. While dying is honorable, continuing to live after giving up a big portion of your life for someone else when you didn’t have to is truly an act of self-sacrifice.

15. Believe In Yourself

In almost every anime I’ve ever watched, this was a constant message. Having faith, confidence, and trust in yourself is what will bring you to success. If you don’t believe in yourself, why would you try? If you don’t believe in yourself, who else would?

One must know themselves well to know what they are capable of. If they have a dream, even if they are weak now, they know they can grow and build the strength needed to reach it. The more they practice, train and fight, the more confidence they build.

Oh man, there are so many characters I could refer to, but I think Imma have to give this one to Mikasa from Attack on Titan. She is strong, really strong! She’s not superhuman strong, as in she doesn’t have powers nor can do the impossible, yet she is mentally and physically strong.

Unlike other anime antagonists that have years and many defeats under their belt and thus have a reason to feel cocky, Mikasa is young and has only had to fight for her life once before joining the army. She doesn’t know about her bloodline to base her confidence on that either. She is human.

Yet, she has high confidence and belief in herself and her strenght. She doesn’t back away from a battle and will do anything to protect her family and friends.

She’s also not a blockhead like many other protagonists who overestimate their skills and take on enemies who are clearly to big for them, often leaving others to step in to protect them. No. Mikasa believes she can take them on and she can. She was #1 in her class and worth a thousand other soldiers. She is not to be messed with.

The scene above is one of my favourites. All the new recruits got sucked up into a bad situation where they felt death was inevitable, so they just accepted their fate. She announces that she is going to go and fight, and if they want to sit there and twiddle their thumbs, fine. She can do this by herself, she’d actually prefer that. They say she’s crazy and how it’s impossible, but she believes in herself. Call it reverse psychology, but she motivates her comrades to all fight too.

Conclusion

Anime is more than just an entertaining show, it’s a great way to learn valuable lessons that one can apply to their own lives.

You can do great things if you improve, work hard, and believe in yourself. You can be a great friend and bring light to those around you. And you can become a person with great value and morals, someone who people love and trust.

If you’re newer to anime, definitely check out my Starter Anime List. If you’re interested in other motivational animes, check out this article. And if you’d like some motivational music (mostly English, with some Jpop and Kpop songs) for your playlist, check out this article!

And if you’re interested in learning more vocabulary and kanji so you can watch anime and dramas, read manga, sing J-pop at karaoke, or play raw Japanese video games, check out my 250+ Kanji for Japanese Media (+Sentences) article and my Japanese Study Guide!

But on that note, what’s something you learned from anime that is not on this list?
Please share your comments and anime recommendations below!