Those who don't consume anime or manga often question why people love it so much. People tend to dismiss anime because of its common tropes, but the reason people love anime is because of the amazing stories and characters. While it's true that many anime fail to create a world that pulls people in, some are exceptionally good at it.
Animation and world-building play a huge role in how immersive an anime can be, but what really makes fans feel like they are a part of an anime's world is how well the characters are written and how good the story is. There are some anime that take this to the next level and feel more real because of it.
10 One Piece Has The Best World-Building
One Piece may be long, but fans of the series have stuck by it for a reason. The characters have unique personalities and their friendships with each other feel dynamic and real. Not to mention, the world is vast with many interesting cultures and perspectives.
No two islands are exactly the same, which makes One Piece's world feel bigger and more real. Most importantly, the friendships the Straw Hats have aren't surface level in the slightest. Fans can tell the characters actually care about each other, which is why they are so attached to the series.
9 Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood's Science Feels Real
The science may be fictional in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, but it's certainly designed well enough to feel real. The idea of equivalent exchange makes sense and the scientific approach to the series gives the impression that it's something that could exist in the real world. Most importantly, the characters are well-developed.
While the heroes try their best to do well, they certainly aren't perfect. Characters like Mustang and Hawkeye have dark pasts that show how morally gray a person can be. The relationship between Winry and Ed is also incredibly well done, which is why it's one of the best romances in anime.
8 Jujutsu Kaisen's Animation Takes Its World To The Next Level
One of the best parts of Jujutsu Kaisen is its animation. From the moment the series begins, it entices fans into its world with its quick and detailed art style. The story is easy to understand from the beginning, and although it's a series about demons and spirits, it certainly feels like the characters could be real.
The characters, especially the female characters, have interesting goals and beliefs that make them feel like real people. Nobara isn't just a girl but a person who enjoys shopping and being a sorcerer. The character development is some of the best in anime, which is why fans fell in love with this series almost instantly.
7 My Hero Academia's All Might Is A Hero In The Real World, Too
My Hero Academia feels like a generic fighting anime to some, but its world is much more dynamic than that. A world where heroes care about fame and fortune more than saving lives is very believable, especially with today's celebrity culture. Even Quirks feel real because they aren't just random superpowers but genetic abilities that often align with a person's personality.
Most importantly, the story is well-written with tons of characters for fans to fall in love with. All Might has especially become an icon. Fans of the anime felt the same emotions as the characters did during All Might's fight With All For One, which shows how important the character has become.
6 Neon Genesis Evangelion's Characters Act Their Age
Neon Genesis Evangelion may technically be an action anime, but it certainly has a much slower pace than other series. Its focus on characters and the world around them makes everything feel more realistic. The characters may be fighting monsters in giant mechs, but the way the story approaches the mech fights is far more realistic than other anime of its kind.
Shinji actually acts like a teenager dealing with terrible things and although some fans hate him for it, it makes way more sense for a teenager to be unprepared for the situation he's in. The characters suffer like real people, which makes the story way more immersive than others.
5 Attack On Titan Isn't Just A World Full Of Monsters
Attack on Titan may have started out as a dystopian series about soldiers fighting human-eating monsters, but by season 3, it's more of a war story than a fantasy. The series does an excellent job at showing how morally gray war can be. None of the characters are purely good or purely evil, and even the Titans are more than just monsters.
Not only are the characters incredibly well-written but each of them has to come to terms with the choices they've made. The Scouts may be willing to risk their lives for others, but the fear and doubt everyone else experiences are incredibly realistic. The world-building is also well done enough to the point that fans feel like the walls could actually exist in real life.
4 Haikyuu!!'s Fans Are A Part Of The Team
As a slice-of-life sports anime, it makes sense that Haikyuu!! would be more grounded in reality, but just because it's possible for a series to take place in the real world that doesn't mean it actually feels real. What this series does better than any other is creating relatable characters for fans to root for.
They don't always succeed, but when they do, it's an achievement for both the fans and the characters. Haikyuu!! does an excellent job at showing how hard the characters work to achieve their dreams, which is why fans often feel like they are a part of the team just as much as the characters are.
3 Death Note Is Like A Real-Life Crime Drama
It's hard to believe that something like the titular Death Note could exist in real life, but with how this series handles that plot device, it definitely feels more like reality than fantasy. Light's character development from a good student to a monster with a god complex is gradual and doesn't feel forced in the slightest.
The police investigation is also incredibly well done, enough to the point that the series feels more like a crime drama than a fantasy. Light may be a villain, but the rest of the characters are incredibly sympathetic and interesting. Fans want them to succeed just like they'd want any real person to succeed in their endeavors.
2 Demon Slayer Is More Of A Historical Drama Than A Fantasy
Not many aspects of Demon Slayer fall into the realm of reality. The art style is beautiful but stylistic, and it's pretty hard to buy the existence of demons in real life. Even so, the world-building for this series is top-notch, and it helps that it takes place during a real historical time period rather than a fantasy world.
The characters aren't one-note either. Each of them is layered with interesting personalities and motivations. Tanjiro's character is especially well done since he acts like a big brother to almost everyone he meets, which is very in line with his personality and his past.
1 Fruits Basket Is A Series About Family & Trauma
Fruits Basket may have some fantasy elements, but it's also an anime that is incredibly grounded in reality. The characters go to school and have jobs just like any real person would — they just also just happen to have a zodiac curse. What really makes this series feel realistic is the characters themselves.
Each of them handles the zodiac curse in their own way. The amount of generational trauma each of the characters experiences is relatable and even Akito is sympathetic with a layered personality. It would have been easy to make Akito a villain, but this series isn't about good and evil; it's about the relationships between people.