Watching anime may not be seen as one of the most educational pursuits, but a surprising amount can be learned from a number of anime. A lot of storylines in anime are based on real-world facts, so it can be a great source for learning about a subject that fans might not have thought was of interest.
There are so many anime available to viewers that can teach them something about the world. It could be a show that inspires fans to learn more about their bodies and how they work. Some anime shows even teach fans how to bake bread, how civilization was formed, or about the medium of anime itself and how it's made.
10 Inspiring Fans To Pick Up An Instrument (Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad)
14-year-old Yukio Tanaka is living an aimless life before he saves a dog named Beck. After meeting the dog's owner, he becomes inspired to learn how to play the guitar. Now that he has a focus, Koyuki (which is what his friends call him) starts coming out of his shell and enjoying life while playing in a rock band.
It's not all smooth sailing, of course. However, seeing someone progress from not knowing a thing about playing guitar to playing in a band can be an inspiration to anyone to pick up an instrument and start playing.
9 Inspiring Fans To Learn More About Their Bodies (Cells At Work)
Cells At Work is an original and creative slice-of-life anime that features anthropomorphized cells and takes place inside a human body. The main characters are white and red blood cells, and Cells At Work follows them as they go about their respective duties in the "city" that is the human body, combating foreign invaders like germs and viruses.
Learning about human biology in such a fun and unique way can encourage fans to learn more about how their bodies work.
8 Reminding Fans To Keep Learning And Following Their Dreams (The Wind Rises)
It's not necessary to be interested in airplanes or engineering to enjoy or be inspired by The Wind Rises. The Studio Ghibli movie centers on Jiro Horikoshi as he tries to fulfill his dream of designing and building a fighter plane.
He originally wanted to be a pilot, but his nearsightedness prevented him from ever becoming one. Jiro's passion for his craft in the face of adversity can inspire any viewer to never stop learning and to keep following their dreams.
7 Learning About Breadmaking (Yakitake Japan!!!)
Bread lovers will really enjoy Yakitake Japan!!!, a shonen anime that's all about baking bread. While it may not sound like the most exciting premise out there, Yakitake Japan!!! does a great job of making the craft of baking bread pertinent and enjoyable to watch.
This is largely due to the comedy segments and colorful cast of characters. Some of the creations the characters produce are sure to inspire fans to get baking, or at least to learn more about the craft.
6 Making Fans Want To Learn About How Anime Is Made (Shirobako)
Many people might watch anime but have no idea how it's made, and there may not be a better way to learn than to watch Shirobako. Shirobako is about 5 young women who are trying to forge careers for themselves in the anime industry.
Along the way, fans watch as the characters try their best in their respective fields, whether it be voice acting, animation, character design, or something else. Watching Shirobako can make fans want to know more about this fantastic medium and how it works.
5 Motivating Fans To Learn How To Be Teachers As Well As Students (The Royal Tutor)
The Royal Tutor is all about teaching and learning. The brilliant and diminutive Heine Wittgenstein is tasked with tutoring four princes to prepare them for succeeding their father, the King of Grannzeich. The Royal Tutor follows Heine as he attempts to tutor the princes, who have pushed away all their previous tutors.
The relationship between Heine and the princes, each with their own quirks, provides an interesting depiction of the teacher-student relationship. The Royal Tutor can motivate fans to learn how to be teachers as well as students.
4 Encouraging Experimentation (Steins;Gate)
Rintaro Okabe's madcap experiments make him an outcast amongst his peers. The mad scientist, or so he calls himself, is fixated on using a microwave to genetically modify bananas. His experiments led him to stumble upon a way to send messages to the past that can change the present, which opens the door for time travel.
Okabe's unique approach to his work can encourage viewers to look for a different angle, think outside the box, and learn new ways of thinking.
3 Igniting An Interest In Ainu Culture (Golden Kamuy)
Golden Kamuy takes place in Hokkaido during the early 1900s. The main character, Saichi Sugimoto, also known as "Sugimoto the Immortal," is on the hunt for a large quantity of gold. The gold was hidden by a man somewhere in Hokkaido after he killed a group of Ainu and stole the gold.
An Ainu character by the name of Asirpa is also seeking the gold, as her father was one of the men killed. Golden Kamuy explores the Ainu language and culture, which may stoke interest in the subject amongst curious viewers.
2 Encouraging Fans To Learn About The Past (Dr. Stone)
Dr. Stone can encourage fans to go way back in human history to learn about how civilization came about. It's a different kind of shonen anime, one that focuses less on fighting and more on friendship and teamwork.
Set in the year 5738, the premise of Dr. Stone is that a mysterious event (which occurred in 2019) turned humans all around the world to stone. Thousands of years later, people start waking up. It is now up to the main characters, Taiju Oki and his genius friend Senku Ishigami, to rebuild human civilization.
1 The True Cost Of War (Barefoot Gen)
Barefoot Gen tells the story of the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. It focuses on Gen Nakaoka, a young boy who tries to help his family in the aftermath of the bombing.
Viewing the horrific event from the perspective of a child can inspire fans to learn more about what happened on that tragic day and the lives of those affected. A sequel was released in 1986, which is set 3 years after the bombing.