The world of anime is packed chock-full of teenagers with superpowers, most of whom have heroic or dramatic narrative arcs. Many of them are soldiers, curse breakers, shinigami, or magic users. Some are royalty and dedicate their lives to warfare, rebellion, or grand quests.
But not every teen enjoys such glamorous and exciting circumstances. Even in anime, teenagers have to work hard to survive and support themselves, whether they're human or not.
10 The Otherworldly Demon Lord Works A Part-Time Job At MgRonald's (The Devil Is A Part-Timer!)
There's more than one type of isekai. In The Devil is A Part-Timer!, Satan, the Demon Lord from Ente Isla, is forcibly transported to the human world. Left without most of his powers, he's forced to take a job at MgRonald's to make a living. Hilarity ensues as the former villainous leader struggles with the trivialities of real life in a world where getting promoted at a fast-food restaurant is one of his biggest priorities.
9 Student Council President Misaki Is A Part-Time Maid (Maid Sama!)
Maid Sama! is a shojo anime known for its sweet, slice-of-life plotline. Protagonist Misaki Ayuzawa is anything but sweet, though. At school, she's a complete devil, making use of her authority as Student Council President to terrorize the male students. Her fierceness earns her the nickname of Demon President.
After school, the situation is entirely different. Due to her family's poor financial situation, she's forced to take a part-time job at a maid café. This blows up in her face when one of her fellow students — and future love interest — Takumi Usui discovers her secret.
8 Tohru Works As a Janitor And Is Hired By The Cursed Sohma Family (Fruits Basket)
Fruits Basket is one of the most famous shojo anime of the early 2000s, and the recent remake has brought the story back to life for fans. The main character of the series, Tohru Honda, is an orphan in need. After her mother's death, she wishes to lessen the financial burden she represents for her other relatives and works part-time as a janitor.
She also camps out in a tent, but unbeknownst to her, the property she stumbles into belongs to the cursed Sohma family. Members of the Sohma clan turn into the animals of the Chinese Zodiac when stressed or touched by members of the opposite sex. The head of the family takes Tohru in and hires her to work in their house.
7 Rem And Ram Work As Deadly Maids For Lord Roswaal (Re:Zero)
Even oni have to do menial labor. In the anime Re:Zero, Rem and Ram are twin sisters who work for lord Roswaal L Mathers. Both are maids, though Rem is significantly better at the job than Ram.
Of course, in reality, they have some hidden skills that prove helpful for a lord protecting a candidate for the throne of the Dragon Kingdom of Lugnica. Being oni, both Rem and Ram are very powerful fighters, possessing supernatural abilities such as telepathy, clairvoyance, and healing magic. They're not just maids; they're dangerous soldiers.
6 Soma Yukihira Is A Great Chef At His Father's Restaurant (Food Wars!)
The protagonist of Food Wars!, Soma Yukihira starts out as a cook in his father Joichiro Yukihira's restaurant. He wishes to stay on in that job forever, but he is dissatisfied with his inability to best his father's culinary arts.
Joichiro finally forces him to leave the restaurant and join Totsuki Culinary Academy, where he's able to gain more experience and embrace challenges that make him grow as a chef.
5 Yuri Plisetsky Is A Talented Figure Skater (Yuri!!! On Ice)
Being a teenage athlete is incredibly difficult, and one of the toughest sports of all is ice skating. Requiring flexibility, talent, strength, and determination, it's more than a job — it's a way of life. At only 15 years old, Yuri Plisetsky, one of the main characters in the anime Yuri!!! on Ice, is a competitive figure skater.
A member of the Russian figure skating team nicknamed the Russian Fairy, he pushes himself harder than anyone else, much to the dismay of his trainers. Having already earned several gold medals as a Junior Grand Prix Final Champion, he's one of the most talented skaters in Yuri!!! on Ice. This is one career that takes a lot of time and dedication.
4 Lisbeth Is A Great Blacksmith In Aincrad (Sword Art Online)
Even while trapped in the dangerous world of Aincrad, people have to eat. Not everyone is dedicated to fighting on the front lines like Kirito or Asuna. In Sword Art Online, Lisbeth — otherwise known by her real name, Rika Shinozaki — is a talented blacksmith, and she's the one who creates one of Kirito's best swords, the Dark Repulser. She's also a capable fighter, using a small mace in combat, but her main occupation is that of a blacksmith.
3 Tooru Kouno Becomes A Princess At His High School (Princess Princess)
Sometimes, the strangest jobs can land in a teenager's lap. In the anime Princess Princess, Tooru Kouno arrives at his new school only to be convinced to become a "Princess."
Since Fujimori Academy is an all-male school, Princesses are recruited to make the students feel better by giving them the illusion of having girls around. First years with the right looks and temperament are recruited to wear girls' clothes, dance, and participate in shows and sports competitions. In exchange, they get extra luxuries and free bonuses. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it.
2 Haruhi Becomes A Host To Pay Her Debt (Ouran High School Host Club)
If Tooru dresses as a girl to act like a princess, in Ouran High School Host Club, the situation is completely reversed. A scholarship student at Ouran Academy, Haruhi Fujioka stumbles into the school's Host Club. Surprised, she ends up breaking a valuable vase, and to pay her debt, she joins the club.
While the Host Club members don't originally intend for her to be one of them, they soon realize her potential and change their minds. Of course, at the time, they don't realize she's a girl at all, but that just makes their later epiphany even more hilarious.
1 Reki Works As A Part-Time Mechanic (SK8 The Infinity)
A recent release from Studio BONES, SK8 the Infinity is a sports anime that's a little different. It focuses on skateboarding, with a touch of snowboarding thrown into the mix.
The main character, Reki Kyan, is dedicated to becoming the best skater he can possibly be. To this end, he constantly pushes himself to learn new tricks and skills. At the same time, though, he works part-time at a skateboarding shop. His mechanical skills allow him to adapt a skateboard for his friend Langa when Langa transitions from snowboarding to skateboarding.