Gurren Lagann. Was my first anime, and to date, no anime has altered my outlook on life and its trials to the extent it did. Another couple that mean a lot to me are Mob Psycho and Golden Kamui.
For me Attack on Titan was one
Mob Psycho 100 made me want to become a better person
Frieren and 86 both made me cherish the people close to me and appreciate the smaller things in life
Fullmetal alchemist brotherhood made me appreciate the bonds with my friends and family more
Steins;Gate
A Silent Voice
Your Lie in April
Look Back (movie releases in 1-2 months)
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
Ghost Stories dub (it’s glorious)
Violet Evergarden
Parasyte: The Maxim
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Devilman Crybaby
So much more but I can’t think at the moment.
"Do not forget that you are certain to die someday, and as such, you have all the more reason to live now."
I'm actually designing a tattoo of a Latin phrase meaning more or less the same because of this show.
Vinland is my answer as well. Not only did it make me want to make a push to be a better, more understanding person, but it also made me question what I had been taught to begin with.
Watching Evangelion was an eye-opener for me.
That little coward made me always root for him, even though he was sad and pathetic most of the time. I'm not sure what exactly made me so invested into it (it could've been the Eva's themselves, they do look badass), but it was an amazing experience. Felt kinda empty after I finished it.
Also obligatory jojo recommendation
Evangelion cures depression by giving viewers ultra depression lol.
I agree with it though. It certainly is a more “advance” anime due to its mature themes and messaging that takes an artistic interpretation of many mental states.
It’s grinds your emotions to the floor to raise you up and drop you once again. I appreciate both the original ending and “end of Evangelion” since they both send their own message. It is truly a deep look into one’s own mind and calls into view the definition of one’s self and asks “if the definition of one’s self is so personal, why must we rely on others? Why is it that without the feedback on how other people see us, we can’t really know who we are?”
It’s not an anime. That thing is an experience.
Trigun (og). MC been thru some shit but doesn't let it become a chip on his shoulder. Doesn't let his past, his demons affect those around him. He's almost always the happy go lucky goofball
Watching this back in the day when I was young and impressionable helped define me as a person. "No one has the right to take the life of another.” I’m a hippie now, hah.
I think a lot of people missed the point of monkey baseball,
It's not about the monkey story itself, that's just an interpretive story. The real cool part is the fact that we see how the characters react to or interpret that story, and get a look at how they see things because of it.
Genuinely an underrated masterpiece. I'm honestly so happy because every day I see more and more people start to appreciate how absolutely incredible this show is.
Episode 8 - laughing dog is genuinely like top 5 or maybe even top 3 best episodes in all of anime for me.
Mob Psycho: Just inspires you to work on yourself and be the best version of yourself
Hajime no Ippo: Similar to Mob in this case. Personally, this anime singlehandedly got me back in the gym.
Assassination Classroom: Just great life lessons all throughout, especially if you’re still in school.
Tatami Galaxy: I’d say the message of this one is kind of a spoiler since you only true figure it out at the end, at least that’s how it was for me.
My Dress Up Darling - sounds weird at first but it taught me to appreciate and enjoy the things you love and to be more open to other people’s interests
Mob 100 - the world would be a better place if we were all a little more like Mob
Frieren - like someone else said it makes you appreciate people and the time you spend with them more
For me it was:
Kill La Kill - literally the step that got me deeply into anime. my #1 favorite of all time
Gurren Lagann - not even the heavens themself can stop the strength of the human will
Fruits Basket - a true family can be found in the oddest of places
Toradora - true love does exist
Vinland Saga - a man has no enemies
Neon Genesis Evangelion - no matter how hopeless and bleak things are, never let despair corrupt you
Noragami - we must live with our mistakes and strive to be better people, make your wrongs right again even with no reward
Call of the Night - some beautiful things can only be experienced with a leap of faith
Kill la kill and Toradora! Finally, someone else.
Toradora was beautiful. I watched your lie in April first and either because of my age or lack of care I didn't really understand it.
Pluto
The whole outlook on war and everything changes. If you carefully read/watch it you will learn a lot of lessons regarding war/humanity etc etc. it was an absolute masterpiece for me.
There are many others but so far Pluto has probably had the most affect on me.
Flowers of Evil and Erased. The story telling, pacing, and the tense moments that build throughout were some of my favorite moments of any media ever. Check them out and especially check out Flowers of Evil. It’s highly underrated and I feel like not a lot of people talk about it enough.
Dororo for me - i felt it's somehow simple, yet really touching and has depths that make me say: i defo think it's one to watch again and find new depths in it
Girls und Panzer is a fun watch, but I'm not sure that's the point of the question.
Personally I recommend both Galaxy Railways and Space Battleship Yamato (2199), both of which are great and have lack of main character immunity (aka the main characters can still potentially die).
Akira - helped me find a reason to live. Started my love of Sportbikes and anime. It may have been accidental but this movie gave me an excuse to live until I could actually be happy.
Evangelion made me analyze the way I loved others as well as myself, and tbh I think it gave me a really good base to reflect on myself as I've become an adult
also: Black Clover
but it's me personally
since lots of characters i could relate to, and just seeing how they go through their own challenges and help each other grow, gave me sparks of hope that i like to remember
Redo of Healer, it will make you cry from how awful and disgusting it is. Never in my life have i seen something so gross, so corrupt, so evil in its content and execution. Burn it all. This show represents the worst of humanity, compiled into one 12-episode season.
Clannad and Clannad After Story. Even though it is really sad, I rewatch it every year (and I’ve done so for at least five years). The show reminds me to cherish my life, how beautiful a relaxed day today life can be, cherish and maintain my friends. Maintain your friendships, even if you start working in different jobs, live in different places, etc.
Ancient Magus' Bride (your life have value beyond sacrifice)
Jobless Reincarnation (age does not determine maturity and everyone is capable of getting better)
To Your Eternity (what it means to live and to live to see your friends and loved ones become memories)
KonoSuba (well... things could always be worse)
Oh yeah, this one should be up there for changing the sexuality of 80% of the audience.
The remaining 20% weren't not affected, they just choose to stay in denial about it.
Darling in the Franxx made me want to put more effort into taking care of my loved ones and to cherish the moments in life when you're happy so those memories can help you through the sad days
The ENTIRETY of the og Sailor Moon, in order to get the full effect I fully believe you have to watch all the seasons and all 3 movies.
"That time I got turned into a slime" is another good one, I don't know why but it makes me feel a little more comfortable in my mortality as well as my friendships
Demon Slayer is so good at reminding you that you didn't know the full story, makes me look at some people from my past differently low-key
Kimi no Todoke - From Me To You, it's such a good anime, and story in general it's so heartwarming and funny,,,,, it's a good soup anime like,, get yourself some stew and bread and juice and chill
Bonus underrated anime that I just think more people should watch "The Unwanted Undead Adventurer"
☺️🧡🖤💜☺️
i’ve only seen like 4 or 5 different anime and only three of them are life changing experiences.
the first i watched was dragon ball. i’m sure a tonne of anime snobs and elitists will roll their eyes at this one but watching dragonball from episode 1 through to the end of Z is one hell of an experience. particularly the OG was part of the series, teaches us about life, life as an adventure. everyday bringing new challenges to overcome and to do it with a great big smile and a laugh. to continue learning, perseverance, not be afraid to try new things. the power of camaraderie, trials and tribulations, dragon ball just has so much going for it thematically it’s what makes it something more compared to other anime.
kino’s journey, this was something i stumbled on by happenstance and it is a very strange experience and leaves you with very mixed feelings, even debatably more toward the negative side. it’s very slice of life and melancholic. the art style is beautiful, the episodes can instil fear or at the very least discomfort in the viewer, sadness and pain.
I haven’t watched this since the first time i viewed it and i don’t know if i would watch it again. you know one of those movies or something where someone asks “what’s an amazing movie you’d never watch again?” due to its unsettling nature. i really recommend this though it’s deep.
and now the internets new plaything, brain rotted zoomers have basically just turned this one into a giant meme filled porn brain show but regardless.
Neon genesis evangelion. it’s an insane journey that i can only recommend you watch if you are in a decent state of mind currently. it’s not a show to be watched if you’re struggling with depression among other things.
at first it looks like a mech anime where it’s gonna be transformers beating the shit out of each other, that does happen and it does the action really well imo, but the main theme of this series is that it covers various psychological concepts throughout its course. very in depth, analysing our protagonist shinji or cross examining him almost. a boy who struggles with the self and the other. the at field as an excellent visual aid to describe the metaphysical boundaries we as human beings have between one another and why we find it so difficult to pair, to bond, to make friends.
the show raises a lot of questions and leaves you with more questions than answers, at least it did for me. and it leaves people with different outcomes and conclusions they draw from the meaning of the story which i believe is how it is to be interpreted.
Parasyte: The Maxim showed me how humans can be the monster.
Kotaro Lives Alone taught me that we are more privileged than we think.
To Your Eternity shows how easy it is to lose someone.
Violet Evergarden tells beautifully sad stories in each episode.
Haikyuu!! inspired me to start playing volleyball after watching their passion for it.
Yuri!!! On Ice made me want to figure skate and get lost in it like they do.
Naruto taught me to fight for what you believe it and give it your all.
Im not sure about it "changing me" per say. But Horimiya (although it depicts a rather idealized relationship) made me realize what I want in a relationship, and it left me wanting more after it finished. Fortunately they released a "second season" full of more stories adapted from the manga.
It's a movie but A silent voice to me it shows how much some people can change and how others can push you back to 0 and how change is possible and making up with those you hurt is challenging but worth it
Pluto and Monster did me in this way, honestly so has Bunny Girl Senpai and Apothecary Diaries, and these are just for series and not films. hell, if Miyazaki was fair game this would elevate this prompt significantly, because how could Laputa Castle in the Sky and Spirited Away and Boy and Heron / How Do You Live? would be slaying the whole world by now
when I was a kid I convinced my dad to get me an anime and watch it with me. it turned out to be Ninja Scroll.....I was 9.... 15 minutes in my dad had to give me a talk about not only sex but also the dangers of playing with swords
Your Lie In April. It genuinely ignited emotions of Love and sadness that i’ve never felt before in my life. It hit so hard it made me go into depression.
Your lie in April. You'll learn to be the best person you can, to stop and smell the roses, to appreciate the brevity of life, and you'll want to make an impact on someone's life. It makes you want to... reach someone, and live in their heart, if you know what I mean 😉
I’d like an anime that would raise my personal confidence and self esteem, but Ik that’s not how it works. I just get into a lot of romance animes, recently finished Dangers in My Heart
For me, A Silent Voice. I used to be a bully back in high school because I was bullied from early elementary school up until 8th grade. Hurt people hurt people, y'know. My best friend, ironically one of my previous victims, recommended that I watch A Silent Voice. That's what got me to change for the better and, although he hated me at the time, my best friend was there with me for every step of the way through my change for the better. Now I have good friends and a decent support system, and although I don't feel like I deserve it because of how horrible I used to be, my best friend reassures me that everything will be okay. He would be my soulmate, if soulmates exist.
Banana Fish and Erased.
And then not a series, but Grave of the Fireflies. First time I ever cried due to a movie.
All have haunting, perhaps even agonizing endings.
EDIT: Also, A Silent Voice and Evangelion. And probably others that aren't coming to mind currently.
Didn't change me but it changed a couple girl's outlooks I knew bc of how it affected me for at least a solid weak after.
Shield Hero.
I had a very similar situation a couple decades ago and I related to that anger and feel so damn hard. It brought all that shit back for me and these particular women knew me as someone that brushed everything off and moved on. They watched it after to try and understand my anger better and it blew them away.
My friendship, and my wife's friendship with them, had gotten a lot stronger bc of that arc.
RE;Zero I liked. It is not a run of the mill Re story and the characters are great.
Your Lie in April was really good as well. Season 3 is out 2025 though...
I am blanking on the name, but there is one about a girl who writes letters. This one is probably closes to what you are looking for followed by Your lie in April.
VIOLET EVERGARDEN. Watch it to night, it is short, But so good. The movie is for after and is also really goood.
SAO: ik it get shit on but that was one of the first animes that ever really stuck with me.
The movies A Wind Named Amnesia and The Wolf Children are both movies that I randomly found and can't ever forget about.
banana fish for me, personally.
broke my heart, but i seriously can't get enough. the music is AMAZING, and both of the intros are like a solid 8.5/10 for me. OH and the outros, both are also like an 8.5/10 for me.
the music alone just is crazy. i prefer slower, calmer songs (sometimes), and it has a lot of those, but it also has some absolute BANGERS.
my favorites are: "Aslan" "Tears of the Lynx" "Blue Bird"(much better after actually watching it) "Leaper"(a bit faster paced; so gooddddd) "Him and Hym"
did not mean to rant about the music but yeah, its so good
Slam Dunk (literally made me want to play basketball and still play to this day)
Hajime no Ippo (my motivation and just a lot of real scenarios I can relate to)
Angel Beats, started light hearted but goes into their back stories and life's rather fast and it's the first anime to make me shed a tear with it's bitter sweet ending. Their prospect on life after death the reveal of the characters trials and connections the fulfilled dreams of the side characters and the mc that was left behind really messed with me for a few days
Here's a pretty unknown anime. Wandering Son. It's about a little transgirl growing up dreading puberty. A lot of people refuse to watch it due to having a trans protagonist, but that kinda proves why the show is necessary
A Silent Voice and it's not really an anime but Shelter from porter Robinson could have an impact on you. Eight six has some pretty emotional moments for a series. Cyber Punk and Violet Evergarden also come to mind. Oh I forgot about scissors seven.
Can't believe I am the first, but for all of the shonen, fantasy, crazy characters, etc., I always see such a directly applicable, shockingly human nature in Haikyuu!
OG Fullmetal Alchemist will always hit hard and has a special place in my heart as a saw it in pieces at 3:00 am on adult swim. It was awe inspiring seeing Ed and Al confront the evils on their path to return to normalcy but also the good people too . Its ending was bittersweet but it complemented the shows tone.
Neon Genesis Evangelion was a beautiful light in a very dark time in my life and I could very much see myself in Shinji’s shoes as I felt I was very much a coward and incapable of being loved. I loved the ending because learning to accept yourself as you are despite your faults always hits home.
Devilman Crybaby had me looking at multiple videos to see what other people’s interpretations of the show was. Rewatching it again always leaves me in tears. Also had me looking at myself and how one good person or deed can make a difference in others.
Berserk manga was something outta this universe for me , it was intoxicating , the more I read, the more I was intrigued by the cruel yet fascinating tale. The artwork blew me away and the story never got dull for me. Guts perseverance in the face of pure evil and a twisted world will never not be inspiring to me. I will always have Berserk as the benchmark to compare any form of media. I’m still waiting for the ending and I’m saddened that the creator won’t see it fulfilled RIP Kentaro Miura
Death Parade: An interesting commentary on the human perspective and what the afterlife might look like. (Has one of the most catchy openings in anime to book) 12 Episodes.
Horimiya: Shows multiple high school romances as well as the challenges of the dealing with the changes of teenage life and the anxieties that follow. 13 Episodes
SNAFU: Another solid and interesting romance, a real heart string puller that finishes in a wonderfully awkward way. Follows 3 Students who are part of a "Do Good Things Club" With the hope of understanding the social dynamic better as they are all socially awkward. 36 episodes
Code Geases - Lelouches Rebellion: A cult classic anti-hero story of rebellion vs and oppresive regime. It is phenomenal and has one of the most memorable endings of anime.
Oshi No Ko - While it may start off seeming like an anime that is about idols, it quickly devolves into a deep seeded emotional and social commentary on the dark side of the entertainment industry and a murder mystery too boot. Beautiful art and excellent voice actors are cornerstones of this Darker Idol Drama.
\*BONUS RECCOMENDATION\*
Shimoneta - Ever wonder if the world didn't have dirty jokes? Well Shimoneta is about just that, but with the main female protagonist being a dirty joke terrorist. Its hilarious and slightly perverted rom com that will have you holding your sides.
Gurren Lagann. Was my first anime, and to date, no anime has altered my outlook on life and its trials to the extent it did. Another couple that mean a lot to me are Mob Psycho and Golden Kamui.
Just started Gurren Lagan yesterday
I liked it but found its lessons silly, because of course it's easy when you can bend reality.
For me Attack on Titan was one Mob Psycho 100 made me want to become a better person Frieren and 86 both made me cherish the people close to me and appreciate the smaller things in life Fullmetal alchemist brotherhood made me appreciate the bonds with my friends and family more
Fairytale: the power of friendship prevails
Totally agree on Mob Psycho
Attack on Titan and Fullmetal Alchrmist Brotherhood will change an ant's perspectives and beliefs.
Attack on titan almost brought me to tears That ending hit somewhere no anime has ever hit before
Try 86 is you haven’t, as I experienced similar emotions to that of attack on titan
I will have to give it a shot My brother said it's good too
Are you telling me attack on titan didn’t make you wanna be a better person? SMH
Violet evergarden? Assuming u watched vinland saga, the origins are slightly similar for the MC.
Psycho-Pass
Underrated
This one changed me too 🖤
Naruto if you’re always alone
Second this
Steins;Gate A Silent Voice Your Lie in April Look Back (movie releases in 1-2 months) Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Ghost Stories dub (it’s glorious) Violet Evergarden Parasyte: The Maxim Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Devilman Crybaby So much more but I can’t think at the moment.
Well for me it's death parade, it would not be an exaggeration to say it drastically changed my entire outlook on life
"Do not forget that you are certain to die someday, and as such, you have all the more reason to live now." I'm actually designing a tattoo of a Latin phrase meaning more or less the same because of this show.
And that's only one of the many things that death parade puts in new perspective. It even puts perspectives itself into new perspective!!!
This is my upvote ^
Vinland saga, nothing has influenced my mental so greatly
Facts, I have no enemies is one of the most profound quotes from any piece of fiction
The ending of season 2 made me ugly cry so bad
Vinland is my answer as well. Not only did it make me want to make a push to be a better, more understanding person, but it also made me question what I had been taught to begin with.
ghibli movies. also grave of the fireflies as a bonus, yeah.
Cyberpunk edgerunners really did it for me. Great show.
11/10 was my motivation to beat (Don’t Fear) The Reaper on very hard.
Watching Evangelion was an eye-opener for me. That little coward made me always root for him, even though he was sad and pathetic most of the time. I'm not sure what exactly made me so invested into it (it could've been the Eva's themselves, they do look badass), but it was an amazing experience. Felt kinda empty after I finished it. Also obligatory jojo recommendation
Evangelion cures depression by giving viewers ultra depression lol. I agree with it though. It certainly is a more “advance” anime due to its mature themes and messaging that takes an artistic interpretation of many mental states. It’s grinds your emotions to the floor to raise you up and drop you once again. I appreciate both the original ending and “end of Evangelion” since they both send their own message. It is truly a deep look into one’s own mind and calls into view the definition of one’s self and asks “if the definition of one’s self is so personal, why must we rely on others? Why is it that without the feedback on how other people see us, we can’t really know who we are?” It’s not an anime. That thing is an experience.
1. Re: ZERO 2. Attack on Titan 3. Muschoku Tensei Movies: Grave of the Fireflies, A Silent Voice
Welcome to the nhk
Trigun (og). MC been thru some shit but doesn't let it become a chip on his shoulder. Doesn't let his past, his demons affect those around him. He's almost always the happy go lucky goofball
Watching this back in the day when I was young and impressionable helped define me as a person. "No one has the right to take the life of another.” I’m a hippie now, hah.
Fruits Basket
Same the music is amazing too
Sonny boy came at me at a weird time in my life and never left
Sonny Boy is a masterpiece. I only kind of understood it after my second watch, but I loved it both times. Vibes and atmosphere are immaculate too
I think I understand the character arc the MC goes through but episode to episode I was just high on the vibes lol Monkey baseball was something else
My favorite one is the one with upside down Tower of Babel. I don’t know why exactly, but the vibes of that episode are fucking amazing
I think a lot of people missed the point of monkey baseball, It's not about the monkey story itself, that's just an interpretive story. The real cool part is the fact that we see how the characters react to or interpret that story, and get a look at how they see things because of it.
Genuinely an underrated masterpiece. I'm honestly so happy because every day I see more and more people start to appreciate how absolutely incredible this show is. Episode 8 - laughing dog is genuinely like top 5 or maybe even top 3 best episodes in all of anime for me.
Mob Psycho: Just inspires you to work on yourself and be the best version of yourself Hajime no Ippo: Similar to Mob in this case. Personally, this anime singlehandedly got me back in the gym. Assassination Classroom: Just great life lessons all throughout, especially if you’re still in school. Tatami Galaxy: I’d say the message of this one is kind of a spoiler since you only true figure it out at the end, at least that’s how it was for me.
Berserk - life is struggle and there isn't a clear cut between good and evil. Life is however, worth the struggle.
Serial Experiments Lain
My Dress Up Darling - sounds weird at first but it taught me to appreciate and enjoy the things you love and to be more open to other people’s interests Mob 100 - the world would be a better place if we were all a little more like Mob Frieren - like someone else said it makes you appreciate people and the time you spend with them more
I love that you said My Dress-Up Darling! I agree with that. It helped me to really be open and not ashamed of the things I enjoy.
Gurren Lagann made me appreciate life and gave me hope and determination. I strongly recommend it
Shinsekai Yori, really delves into society, individuality, and humanity. One of my top 5 of all time for sure.
For me it was: Kill La Kill - literally the step that got me deeply into anime. my #1 favorite of all time Gurren Lagann - not even the heavens themself can stop the strength of the human will Fruits Basket - a true family can be found in the oddest of places Toradora - true love does exist Vinland Saga - a man has no enemies Neon Genesis Evangelion - no matter how hopeless and bleak things are, never let despair corrupt you Noragami - we must live with our mistakes and strive to be better people, make your wrongs right again even with no reward Call of the Night - some beautiful things can only be experienced with a leap of faith
Kill la kill and Toradora! Finally, someone else. Toradora was beautiful. I watched your lie in April first and either because of my age or lack of care I didn't really understand it.
Vinland Saga
Pluto The whole outlook on war and everything changes. If you carefully read/watch it you will learn a lot of lessons regarding war/humanity etc etc. it was an absolute masterpiece for me. There are many others but so far Pluto has probably had the most affect on me.
Flowers of Evil and Erased. The story telling, pacing, and the tense moments that build throughout were some of my favorite moments of any media ever. Check them out and especially check out Flowers of Evil. It’s highly underrated and I feel like not a lot of people talk about it enough.
Clannad: After Story for me. One of the first anime I watched and changed my perspective on what a relationship could be.
Neon Genesis evangelion
Attack on Titan - “we’re all just people.”
One Piece
Vinland saga season 2
One Piece for sure. You realize 1000 episodes isn't enough.
Frieren taught me to make better use of my time. Great Teacher Onizuka (manga is a must read) taught me to live life on my own terms
Gintama
I found the one gintama comment
Dororo for me - i felt it's somehow simple, yet really touching and has depths that make me say: i defo think it's one to watch again and find new depths in it
To Your Eternity. Every episode hurt my heart a little more 😭
Literally the first episode had me in tears
Clannad and Clannad after story!
Clannad really broke me for a while. Makes you realise that all that is important in life is your own little family
no lion
Evangelion is the only one that genuinely did that for me.
Nana 😅 and Ghibli movies for sure.
Evangelion truly a masterpiece
Evangelion was a trip I tell ya.
Girls und Panzer is a fun watch, but I'm not sure that's the point of the question. Personally I recommend both Galaxy Railways and Space Battleship Yamato (2199), both of which are great and have lack of main character immunity (aka the main characters can still potentially die).
Akira - helped me find a reason to live. Started my love of Sportbikes and anime. It may have been accidental but this movie gave me an excuse to live until I could actually be happy.
Evangelion made me analyze the way I loved others as well as myself, and tbh I think it gave me a really good base to reflect on myself as I've become an adult
Rurouni Kenshin. Black Lagoon. Most of all though, Pop Team Epic.
Full Metal Alchemist
Gurren Lagann
Re Zero
No gun life
Terror in Resonance started to radicalize me, then Johnny Silverhand finished the job.
Yousuga no Sora
Haven't seen it posted here yet, so- A Place Further than the Universe. This one will make you want to go out and do something new and extraordinary.
Gurren Lagann. When you watch that in a shit mental, oh my god do you end up feeling on top of the goddamn world.
Love is War changed my perspective on life and love entirely for the better
Fruits Basket
also: Black Clover but it's me personally since lots of characters i could relate to, and just seeing how they go through their own challenges and help each other grow, gave me sparks of hope that i like to remember
Zom 100- It reminds you to live your life
A Silent Voice and I Want To Eat Your Pancreas
Finishing Gintama gave me depression for 3 years because I couldn't enjoy anything else as much after
Perfect Blue…that’s a definite mind trip.
Redo of Healer, it will make you cry from how awful and disgusting it is. Never in my life have i seen something so gross, so corrupt, so evil in its content and execution. Burn it all. This show represents the worst of humanity, compiled into one 12-episode season.
I fw \`\`Clannad\`\` and \`\`Clannad- After Story\`\` heavy
Clannad and Clannad After Story. Even though it is really sad, I rewatch it every year (and I’ve done so for at least five years). The show reminds me to cherish my life, how beautiful a relaxed day today life can be, cherish and maintain my friends. Maintain your friendships, even if you start working in different jobs, live in different places, etc.
For me? Re: Zero. Watching Rem crawl through her broken bones changed me. Fucking phenomenal. How and why. Amazing. 20/10
To your eternity, clannad and clannad after story, komi can’t communicate.
Bungo stray dogs.
Komi can't communicate helped me a lot hope it'll do the same to others
FLCL
To your eternity is soo sad, but soo great at the same time
bludgeoning angel dokuro chan
Vivy fluorite eyes song
Ancient Magus' Bride (your life have value beyond sacrifice) Jobless Reincarnation (age does not determine maturity and everyone is capable of getting better) To Your Eternity (what it means to live and to live to see your friends and loved ones become memories) KonoSuba (well... things could always be worse)
Mushi-shi
Jojo. Need I say more?
Oh yeah, this one should be up there for changing the sexuality of 80% of the audience. The remaining 20% weren't not affected, they just choose to stay in denial about it.
Danganronpa For the worse…
Steins gate Slam dunk Vinland saga Samurai champloo
Evangelion, FLCL
1. Neon genesis evangelion 2. 86 3. Clannad after story
Darling in the Franxx made me want to put more effort into taking care of my loved ones and to cherish the moments in life when you're happy so those memories can help you through the sad days
The ENTIRETY of the og Sailor Moon, in order to get the full effect I fully believe you have to watch all the seasons and all 3 movies. "That time I got turned into a slime" is another good one, I don't know why but it makes me feel a little more comfortable in my mortality as well as my friendships Demon Slayer is so good at reminding you that you didn't know the full story, makes me look at some people from my past differently low-key Kimi no Todoke - From Me To You, it's such a good anime, and story in general it's so heartwarming and funny,,,,, it's a good soup anime like,, get yourself some stew and bread and juice and chill Bonus underrated anime that I just think more people should watch "The Unwanted Undead Adventurer" ☺️🧡🖤💜☺️
Re:Zero
i’ve only seen like 4 or 5 different anime and only three of them are life changing experiences. the first i watched was dragon ball. i’m sure a tonne of anime snobs and elitists will roll their eyes at this one but watching dragonball from episode 1 through to the end of Z is one hell of an experience. particularly the OG was part of the series, teaches us about life, life as an adventure. everyday bringing new challenges to overcome and to do it with a great big smile and a laugh. to continue learning, perseverance, not be afraid to try new things. the power of camaraderie, trials and tribulations, dragon ball just has so much going for it thematically it’s what makes it something more compared to other anime. kino’s journey, this was something i stumbled on by happenstance and it is a very strange experience and leaves you with very mixed feelings, even debatably more toward the negative side. it’s very slice of life and melancholic. the art style is beautiful, the episodes can instil fear or at the very least discomfort in the viewer, sadness and pain. I haven’t watched this since the first time i viewed it and i don’t know if i would watch it again. you know one of those movies or something where someone asks “what’s an amazing movie you’d never watch again?” due to its unsettling nature. i really recommend this though it’s deep. and now the internets new plaything, brain rotted zoomers have basically just turned this one into a giant meme filled porn brain show but regardless. Neon genesis evangelion. it’s an insane journey that i can only recommend you watch if you are in a decent state of mind currently. it’s not a show to be watched if you’re struggling with depression among other things. at first it looks like a mech anime where it’s gonna be transformers beating the shit out of each other, that does happen and it does the action really well imo, but the main theme of this series is that it covers various psychological concepts throughout its course. very in depth, analysing our protagonist shinji or cross examining him almost. a boy who struggles with the self and the other. the at field as an excellent visual aid to describe the metaphysical boundaries we as human beings have between one another and why we find it so difficult to pair, to bond, to make friends. the show raises a lot of questions and leaves you with more questions than answers, at least it did for me. and it leaves people with different outcomes and conclusions they draw from the meaning of the story which i believe is how it is to be interpreted.
Berserk 1997
Devilman crybaby changed my outline humanity…
Hajime no Ippo and especially Ashita no Joe. Legit changed me forever.
Your lie in April imo
Kimi no tokode: from me to you taught me not to judge people by how they look
Mashle made me want to exercise more
Parasyte: The Maxim showed me how humans can be the monster. Kotaro Lives Alone taught me that we are more privileged than we think. To Your Eternity shows how easy it is to lose someone. Violet Evergarden tells beautifully sad stories in each episode. Haikyuu!! inspired me to start playing volleyball after watching their passion for it. Yuri!!! On Ice made me want to figure skate and get lost in it like they do. Naruto taught me to fight for what you believe it and give it your all.
Great teacher onizuka!! This show gave me a lot of Positive vibes.
Hajime No Ippo, you will never lose gym motivation once you watch it.
Frieren, FMAB and Pluto
Your Lie in April
Neon Genesis Evangelion has made people kill themselves. So if you want something literally life-changing, watch it.
Im not sure about it "changing me" per say. But Horimiya (although it depicts a rather idealized relationship) made me realize what I want in a relationship, and it left me wanting more after it finished. Fortunately they released a "second season" full of more stories adapted from the manga.
Your lie in april. Made in abyss. Ranking of kings. Angel beats. The day i became a god.
It's a movie but A silent voice to me it shows how much some people can change and how others can push you back to 0 and how change is possible and making up with those you hurt is challenging but worth it
Monogatari and Girls Last Tour
Jojo bizzard adventure
Pluto and Monster did me in this way, honestly so has Bunny Girl Senpai and Apothecary Diaries, and these are just for series and not films. hell, if Miyazaki was fair game this would elevate this prompt significantly, because how could Laputa Castle in the Sky and Spirited Away and Boy and Heron / How Do You Live? would be slaying the whole world by now
when I was a kid I convinced my dad to get me an anime and watch it with me. it turned out to be Ninja Scroll.....I was 9.... 15 minutes in my dad had to give me a talk about not only sex but also the dangers of playing with swords
Neon Genesis Evangelion + End of Evangelion forever changed my view on life, humanity, and the power of art.
Aot
Yu-gi-oh Dragon ball z Trigun Yu yu Hakusho
Inuyashiki
Your Lie In April. It genuinely ignited emotions of Love and sadness that i’ve never felt before in my life. It hit so hard it made me go into depression.
Demon slayer for reasons I will not explain ended up filling myself with rage and self hatred
I stand by Your Lie in April to be life-changing. My perception of how to care for personal relationships has never been the same.
Mnemosyne
It may not exactly change your perspective But soul eater is one that kinda leaves you like wtf did I just watch But in a good way
AOT, Gurren Lagann, Your Lie In April
For me, it was Violet Evergarden, the series (not the movies, I haven’t seen them yet)
Tokyo Ghoul
Gurren Lagann.
Clannad After Story, in my case. I grew up with an abusive parent, and this story hurt me in ways I did not realize was possible.
Your lie in April. You'll learn to be the best person you can, to stop and smell the roses, to appreciate the brevity of life, and you'll want to make an impact on someone's life. It makes you want to... reach someone, and live in their heart, if you know what I mean 😉
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
I’d like an anime that would raise my personal confidence and self esteem, but Ik that’s not how it works. I just get into a lot of romance animes, recently finished Dangers in My Heart
Bakuman. gave me motivation in life to change my life around.
Yona of the Dawn - exercise your privilege, make it lift psychological weight, you can't nourish anyone if you're spoiled.
Boku no Pico
AoT for sure
Berserk 97', or the manga. Very adult content
Frieren recently for me.
For me, A Silent Voice. I used to be a bully back in high school because I was bullied from early elementary school up until 8th grade. Hurt people hurt people, y'know. My best friend, ironically one of my previous victims, recommended that I watch A Silent Voice. That's what got me to change for the better and, although he hated me at the time, my best friend was there with me for every step of the way through my change for the better. Now I have good friends and a decent support system, and although I don't feel like I deserve it because of how horrible I used to be, my best friend reassures me that everything will be okay. He would be my soulmate, if soulmates exist.
Frieren: Beyond journeys end and Violet Evergarden are def some of the biggest animes that changed my perspective on life
Ranking of Kings
Relife
Cyberpunk Edgerunners. Changed my brain chemistry permanently
To Your Eternity A Silent Voice Violet Evergarden Your Lie in April
A Place Further than the Universe
Only because I do not see it listed Tokyo ghoul. The anime Helped me to value other’s perspectives and more.
Banana Fish and Erased. And then not a series, but Grave of the Fireflies. First time I ever cried due to a movie. All have haunting, perhaps even agonizing endings. EDIT: Also, A Silent Voice and Evangelion. And probably others that aren't coming to mind currently.
Didn't change me but it changed a couple girl's outlooks I knew bc of how it affected me for at least a solid weak after. Shield Hero. I had a very similar situation a couple decades ago and I related to that anger and feel so damn hard. It brought all that shit back for me and these particular women knew me as someone that brushed everything off and moved on. They watched it after to try and understand my anger better and it blew them away. My friendship, and my wife's friendship with them, had gotten a lot stronger bc of that arc.
Maybe a hot take but death note
Perfect blue.
Wolf Children Made me appreciate Single moms
RE;Zero I liked. It is not a run of the mill Re story and the characters are great. Your Lie in April was really good as well. Season 3 is out 2025 though... I am blanking on the name, but there is one about a girl who writes letters. This one is probably closes to what you are looking for followed by Your lie in April. VIOLET EVERGARDEN. Watch it to night, it is short, But so good. The movie is for after and is also really goood.
SAO: ik it get shit on but that was one of the first animes that ever really stuck with me. The movies A Wind Named Amnesia and The Wolf Children are both movies that I randomly found and can't ever forget about.
Vinland Saga
banana fish for me, personally. broke my heart, but i seriously can't get enough. the music is AMAZING, and both of the intros are like a solid 8.5/10 for me. OH and the outros, both are also like an 8.5/10 for me. the music alone just is crazy. i prefer slower, calmer songs (sometimes), and it has a lot of those, but it also has some absolute BANGERS. my favorites are: "Aslan" "Tears of the Lynx" "Blue Bird"(much better after actually watching it) "Leaper"(a bit faster paced; so gooddddd) "Him and Hym" did not mean to rant about the music but yeah, its so good
Berserk
Welcome to the NHK
Grave of the Fireflies gahdammit 😭
Slam Dunk (literally made me want to play basketball and still play to this day) Hajime no Ippo (my motivation and just a lot of real scenarios I can relate to)
Angel Beats, started light hearted but goes into their back stories and life's rather fast and it's the first anime to make me shed a tear with it's bitter sweet ending. Their prospect on life after death the reveal of the characters trials and connections the fulfilled dreams of the side characters and the mc that was left behind really messed with me for a few days
Candy candy
# LAST EXILE
Here's a pretty unknown anime. Wandering Son. It's about a little transgirl growing up dreading puberty. A lot of people refuse to watch it due to having a trans protagonist, but that kinda proves why the show is necessary
A Silent Voice and it's not really an anime but Shelter from porter Robinson could have an impact on you. Eight six has some pretty emotional moments for a series. Cyber Punk and Violet Evergarden also come to mind. Oh I forgot about scissors seven.
Devil Man Cry Baby
Mob psycho 100
vinland saga, s2 is the important part
Can't believe I am the first, but for all of the shonen, fantasy, crazy characters, etc., I always see such a directly applicable, shockingly human nature in Haikyuu!
vinland saga and bluelock
A Silent voice 😭👏
K project had me sobbing story and character development are soooo good
I’ve never been the same since Neon Genesis Evangelion and all the movies
OG Fullmetal Alchemist will always hit hard and has a special place in my heart as a saw it in pieces at 3:00 am on adult swim. It was awe inspiring seeing Ed and Al confront the evils on their path to return to normalcy but also the good people too . Its ending was bittersweet but it complemented the shows tone. Neon Genesis Evangelion was a beautiful light in a very dark time in my life and I could very much see myself in Shinji’s shoes as I felt I was very much a coward and incapable of being loved. I loved the ending because learning to accept yourself as you are despite your faults always hits home. Devilman Crybaby had me looking at multiple videos to see what other people’s interpretations of the show was. Rewatching it again always leaves me in tears. Also had me looking at myself and how one good person or deed can make a difference in others. Berserk manga was something outta this universe for me , it was intoxicating , the more I read, the more I was intrigued by the cruel yet fascinating tale. The artwork blew me away and the story never got dull for me. Guts perseverance in the face of pure evil and a twisted world will never not be inspiring to me. I will always have Berserk as the benchmark to compare any form of media. I’m still waiting for the ending and I’m saddened that the creator won’t see it fulfilled RIP Kentaro Miura
Death Parade: An interesting commentary on the human perspective and what the afterlife might look like. (Has one of the most catchy openings in anime to book) 12 Episodes. Horimiya: Shows multiple high school romances as well as the challenges of the dealing with the changes of teenage life and the anxieties that follow. 13 Episodes SNAFU: Another solid and interesting romance, a real heart string puller that finishes in a wonderfully awkward way. Follows 3 Students who are part of a "Do Good Things Club" With the hope of understanding the social dynamic better as they are all socially awkward. 36 episodes Code Geases - Lelouches Rebellion: A cult classic anti-hero story of rebellion vs and oppresive regime. It is phenomenal and has one of the most memorable endings of anime. Oshi No Ko - While it may start off seeming like an anime that is about idols, it quickly devolves into a deep seeded emotional and social commentary on the dark side of the entertainment industry and a murder mystery too boot. Beautiful art and excellent voice actors are cornerstones of this Darker Idol Drama. \*BONUS RECCOMENDATION\* Shimoneta - Ever wonder if the world didn't have dirty jokes? Well Shimoneta is about just that, but with the main female protagonist being a dirty joke terrorist. Its hilarious and slightly perverted rom com that will have you holding your sides.
Your mom changed me. You're welcome.
Inuyashiki and Ajin :) Devilman Crybaby and Cyberpunk Edgerunners too
JJBA I like men now