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Anime that teach life lessons exists for all ages, as many adults have stated there are life lessons they learned from anime. Some can come from unexpected places like One Piece's found family lessons or Neon Genesis Evangelion's lessons on depression and society.
Occasionally, these won't be glaringly evident, as everyone has an anime that taught them a valuable life lesson. This article will look at 10 anime that teach life lessons to adults from various genres.
Disclaimer: As this list does deal with plenty of anime that are ongoing or otherwise finished, there are plenty of spoilers for this entire list. Any opinions are strictly exclusive to the author.
10 anime that teach life lessons, no matter the age
1) Found family is still family (One Piece)
It's often been said that "blood is thicker than water", referencing how familial ties are heavier than other relationships. There have been disagreements, however, as one interpretation states that "The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb", referencing that sometimes blood ties aren't enough.
One Piece, among other anime that teach life lessons, believes the latter interpretation more than the former. It helps that a lot of the Straw Hat Crew either are orphans (Luffy), abusive households (Sanji), or other chaotic home lives. The point being is that sometimes a family can consist of a family forged through battle or camaraderie, something many adults appreciate.
2) Running and isolation don't work (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
Neon Genesis Evangelion is always at the forefront of discussion regarding anime that teach life lessons and discussions of mental health and trauma. When the Evangelion pilots get into trouble, it's often because Shinji is taking the "teen hero in a giant robot" stereotype to its absurd extreme.
The conclusion is the myriad of mental problems that result from the trauma and stress constantly heaped upon them without therapists or any aid. NGE likewise gives the lesson that isolating yourself and running away isn't going to solve problems, and neither is trying to be the lone hero. Shinji only starts getting better in both the original series and Rebuild once he gets everyone else's help.
3) Real-world connections over online ones (Serial Experiments Lain)
The full life lesson that Serial Experiments Lain teaches is that even if online connections are good to have, they're no substitute for real-world connections and relationships. It's one of the anime that teach that escapism is only helpful in certain situations and can't replace real people.
The story of the anime follows the titular Lain Iwakura, and her investigation into a mystery surrounding a supposedly dead classmate in the cyberspace known as The Wired. It blossoms into a commentary on the future of the Internet and has been cited as scarily accurate come the 2010s when the Internet is a lot more fundamental to life than in 1998.
4) There is more to celebrity than meets the eye (Perfect Blue)
There are many myths about celebrities and celebrity culture, particularly idol culture. One of them is that they have everything, that they're all super rich and totally okay with their lives. Perfect Blue shatters that, considering all the stalking, compounding stress, and near-death experiences Mima Kirigoe goes through.
Likewise, Perfect Blue offers multiple life lessons on the dangers of celebrity culture, the problems of holding people to such high fantastical standards and foreshadowing fannish obsession in the Internet age. This is certainly one anime that teaches a cautionary tale about the dangers of celebrity.
5) Social anxiety requires help from others (Bocchi the Rock!)
Most forms of mental illness aren't taken seriously by the public or society at large. This is especially true for social anxiety, depression, and others. There are anime that teach the life lesson that social anxiety is very real and can be very debilitating if not helped properly, like Bocchi The Rock!
It's not just Hitori's social anxiety in focus, though it does take center stage. Other characters' issues include Nijika and Seika's trauma regarding their dead mother and an absent father. Nijika even explains how Hitori, aka the titular Bocchi, helped the band and their cafe get popular as much as they've helped her with her crippling anxiety issues, considering Niijika couldn't leave her house at one point.
6) Bigotry and radicalization are learned, not inherent (Attack on Titan)
Of all the anime that teach life lessons, especially for adults, Attack on Titan is often cited as a particularly controversial example owing to the symbolism invoked. The basic lesson, among many that this anime teaches, is that bigotry and radicalization are learned behaviors and not innate.
To put it another way, Attack on Titan refutes the idea that the sins of the father should pass to the son and on toward the generations. The nation of Marley continually persecutes the Eldians for the sins of the centuries-old Eldian Empire, and the series shows people like Gabi, Reiner, and the Scouts having to break that brainwashing. None of this is inherent to Marley, but pushed by the government.
7) War affects children most of all (Grave of the Fireflies/Barefoot Gen)
Grave of the Fireflies is not a fun Studio Ghibli movie, and neither is Barefoot Gen. Both anime explore the aftermaths and horrors of WWII, Grave of the Fireflies with the damage done from firebombing and Barefoot Gen with the dropping of the atomic bomb. Both are anime that teach scary life lessons about war being futile.
Barefoot Gen focuses on the more sickly, horrific effects of the atomic bomb like radiation poisoning, radiation burns, and the neglect of the Japanese government toward its vulnerable citizens through the eyes of a child. Grave of the Fireflies, while more intimate, covers how war itself destroys kids' relationships and lives, dooming them to death or worse.
8) Capitalism ruins innovation (Mobile Suit Gundam: Witch from Mercury)
While a boilerplate lesson that could push over into the larger Gundam franchise, including that war is hell, Mobile Suit Gundam: Witch From Mercury is absolutely an anime that teaches that lesson headfirst and doesn't allow the audience to forget it. Examples of this lesson will be displayed in the next paragraph, as there are a lot.
The research facility that had its staff violently slain, except for Prospera and Eri, in the prologue? They were developing medical technology that was weaponized. The Asticassia School of Technology? It's a legit school, but is corporate-dominated. The full scope of this hits Suletta hard when she's put on trial as a "witch", yet the corporation putting her on trial uses the same technology she does.
9) Keep going, even if you fall many times (Dragon Ball franchise)
Pushing oneself past their limits is something much shonen anime have, but Dragon Ball really took off as one of the anime that teach life lessons on never giving up. This is a point that Goku took to heart as a kid and as an adult since he trains so hard his body practically breaks.
The Dragon Ball franchise may push that work ethic of keeping going, but it also emphasizes the idea of taking a break since Goku, Vegeta, and everyone else training that hard helps overtime but not when they can barely stand. The overall determination factor is key, but going until burnout isn't encouraged.
10) Fanservice isn't bad, censorship is (Kill la Kill/Shimoneta)
Anime and censorship are hot topics that collide constantly thanks to anime's massive overseas popularity. Two anime that teach these lessons, given current events surrounding censoring anything vaguely considered obscene or vulgar with the age-old "think of the children" excuse, are Kill la Kill and Shimoneta.
Kill la Kill may be over-the-top, but does show that fighting fascism via deception and censorship of any other opposing views doesn't work. That only led to Satsuki's rebellion being beaten by Ragyo's forces, and a horrible system that Satsuki and the Elite Four had to atone for perpetuating.
Likewise, Shimoneta goes in the same direction by showing the severity of state-sponsored censorship laws destroying anything even tangentially related to obscenity, plus arresting people for even saying the wrong thing. This includes kids likewise, hence the SOX rebellion against it.
These have been 10 anime that teach life lessons. To end this list on a lighter note, there are far more than 10 of these anime as other examples considered for this list included Assassination Classroom, Psycho-Pass, and Spice and Wolf. Lessons in life tend to be unique to the individual, but they can also be glaringly evident in some cases.
As children or teens, sometimes these lessons go over fans' heads. Some fans are able to look back and see something better as adults. If there are any other examples of anime that teach life lessons, readers are highly encouraged to list them in the comments.
