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High school anime reflects a pivotal time in many people's lives, brimming with new experiences, friendships, drama, and coming-of-age moments. For anime enthusiasts, there are countless incredible series that encapsulate this unique period of adolescence with humor, romance, and sentimentality. Spanning a diverse array of genres, from sports to supernatural stories, high school anime offers something for every viewer.
If you love the nostalgic high school setting and are looking for great anime recommendations in this category, here are 10 of the best high school anime that are definitely worth watching. They provide insight into Japanese high school life while delivering powerful stories that will resonate with viewers of all ages.
Disclaimer: This article reflects the writer's opinion and is not ranked in any particular order.
From romance to comedy: Top 10 high school anime you can't miss
1. ReLife
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ReLife follows Arata Kaizaki, an unemployed 27-year-old who gets a second chance to reboot his life. He becomes a test subject in the ReLife program, taking an experimental drug that makes him physically 10 years younger again, so he can attend high school and hopefully come of age properly this time.
Intelligent, cynical Arata must now navigate high school friendships and relationships all over again in this insightful anime that makes viewers reconsider their youth.
With themes of adulthood disillusionment and learning to take charge of one's future, ReLife provides a thought-provoking take on the high school experience. The genuine bonds Arata forms are heartwarming to watch, even amidst the project's questionable ethics. For a moving high school anime, don't miss out on ReLife.
2. Hyouka
For an unassuming but visually stunning high school anime, look no further than Hyouka. The show revolves around Oreki Houtarou, an unmotivated high school boy who prefers gray, mundane days but gets dragged into solving small mysteries by the energetic Chitanda. Along with friends Satoshi and Ibara, Oreki finds himself growing more curious and engaged with the world around him.
Hyouka captures the bittersweet, transient days of high school in a sleepy rural town. With a gorgeous animation style and a leisurely pace befitting its ordinary setting, Hyouka leverages subtle character development and small mysteries to deliver a deeply compelling coming-of-age story.
3. My Hero Academia
For a high school anime with lots of action and superpowers, My Hero Academia is a hugely popular shounen series worth watching. Set in a world where 80% of people have special abilities called "Quirks", anxious protagonist Midoriya Izuku is one of the minorities born without any powers.
But his fate changes when his idol, legendary hero All Might, bestows his abilities on Midoriya so the boy can enroll in the prestigious Yuuei superhero academy and finally achieve his dream.
As Midoriya goes through rigorous high school training to control his newfound strength, he faces all sorts of villains and contemporary issues a future generation of superheroes must address. Full of explosive battles alongside thoughtful commentary on societal problems, My Hero Academia puts a creative spin on high school stories.
4. Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun
For a lighter high school romantic comedy, Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun is full of meta humor and deadpan jabs at shoujo tropes. Cheerful high schooler Sakura has a crush on her tall, stoic classmate Nozaki-kun. When she finally confesses, she discovers Nozaki is secretly a famous shoujo manga artist.
Hilarity ensues as Sakura gets roped into helping a clueless Nozaki, who bases his work entirely on observation of (and ridiculous assumptions about) the people around him. As Sakura tries to push her dense crush to see her as more than an assistant, the show pokes fun at various tropes from anime and manga in between the school-day laughs.
Heartfelt even in its parody, Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun delivers a highly entertaining twist on high school stories with a memorable romance.
5. Haikyuu!!
For sports fans, Haikyuu!! deserves its top rank as a stellar volleyball anime set in high school. Short, hot-tempered Hinata forms an unwilling partnership with genius setter Kageyama so they can achieve their shared dream of becoming the top volleyball team at nationals. Their competition against rival schools as the scrappy outcasts of the Karasuno boys' volleyball team drives this exhilarating underdog story.
The electric matches, Hinata's incredible jumps, and the team's tangible growth into a cohesive unit make Haikyuu!! easy to binge. Beyond the great volleyball action and tactics analyses, the characters' camaraderie and passion for the game give this series so much heart.
6. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
An iconic supernatural high school anime, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is a must-watch despite its age. The show follows the unwilling members of the SOS Brigade, an eccentric school club led by the bossy, whimsical Haruhi, who seeks paranormal adventures without realizing she can make them happen with her reality-warping powers.
Kyon, as the only "normal" member, gets dragged into all sorts of strange incidents that may just be Haruhi's actualized daydreams. With a clever heroine, intriguing philosophizing between time travel and supernatural phenomena, and underlying tensions as the group tries to prevent Haruhi from subconsciously remaking the world, this smart comedic anime holds up incredibly well years later.
7. Fruits Basket
Fruits Basket, a touching drama high school anime, features endearing characters and tells a multi-generational story about breaking cycles of trauma. The kind-hearted, orphaned Tohru ends up living in a tent when renovations force her out of her grandfather's house.
When Sohma Yuki and Shigure discover her situation, they invite her to stay in the sprawling Sohma house. But the elite Sohma family hides dark secrets and wounds behind their generosity—ones that gentle Tohru may just help heal.
As Tohru interacts with the various Zodiac spirits possessing the Sohmas, long-buried pain, and abandonment issues float to the surface. Bittersweet yet heartwarming, Fruits Basket explores the restorative powers of unconditional love with fantastical elements to highlight enduring real-world problems.
8. Toradora!
A fan favorite rom-com high school anime, Toradora! follows an unlikely high school pair brought together by their closest friends dating each other. Petite Taiga, the “Palmtop Tiger,” has a fierce temper, hides her insecurities, and needs gentle giant Ryūji, who manages the household while putting up with his widowed dad’s antics.
As Ryūji helps Taiga connect with her crush and Taiga coaches Ryūji on understanding her bubbly friend, the two start appreciating each other’s hidden depths. With equal parts hilarity and heart, Toradora captures awkward high school crushes and self-discovery through Taiga and Ryūji’s slowly budding relationship. Its vibrant character dynamics keep the story feeling fresh even amidst familiar tropes.
9. Nichijou: My Ordinary Life
Bursting with creativity, Nichijou's skit-style high school anime turns ordinary scenes from high school life into over-the-top hilarity. Shy Mai, the eight-year-old professor Hakase, the talking cat Sakamoto, and their classmates find themselves in mundane school situations that are escalated to ridiculous extremes by the laws of comedy animation.
From runaway goats to hijacked cafeterias, reckless experiments, and ballistic battles of wits, each skit shatters slice-of-life conventions with unpredictability.
Surreal, beautiful, and always hilarious, Nichijou: My Ordinary Life embodies the feeling of youth, where small things feel immense and every day overflows with fun potential. For a wildly fun time, dive into Nichijou's explosive sketch comedy and wild imagination.
10. Clannad
A poignant coming-of-age high school anime, Clannad follows the story of Tomoya, a disillusioned high schooler who meets eccentric Furukawa Nagisa. She unexpectedly brightens up his dreary life when he decides to help her reboot the discontinued school drama club.
Through getting to know Nagisa, her playful friends, and the mysterious loner Ibuki Fuuko, Tomoya finds new meaning and motivation in the connections he builds. Emotionally cathartic, despite some heavy trauma explored, Clannad's graceful storytelling in the realm of high school anime packs a powerful punch.
As Tomoya comes to terms with grief and learns to support Nagisa through enduring health issues, its messages of resilience in hardship and the importance of unconditional love resonate beautifully.
Conclusion
Whether you love sports, comedy, romance, or supernatural elements, high school anime has something for all tastes. From the moving life lessons of ReLife to exhilarating volleyball matches in Haikyuu!! to paranormal adventures with Haruhi Suzumiya, these 10 high school anime series showcase the unique stories and insight into Japanese high school life that anime delivers so well.
If you're feeling nostalgic for high school or just want to experience it from the lens of different characters, be sure to check out these incredible high school anime covering a wide range of genres and perspectives.
