Summary
Friendship is a core theme in many anime, and it’s seen so often that it’s even become a meme. Problems are solved through the bonds shared between characters, whether it’sa shōnen battle animeor a simple slice-of-life story. However, that only happens after a decent amount of character growth. There are plenty of protagonists who start their journeys with only a few friends before meeting the core members of the cast.
Social outcasts in anime take that archetype a step further by either rejecting or being rejected by society. These characters are often otakus, NEETs, or hikikomoris, but that’s not always the case. In school settings, targets of bullying are often made into social pariahs. Outcast protagonists often go through tremendous growth as they begin making connections and learning what it means to be a member of a community.
Life isn’t like what’s seen on TV or in video games, and this is a surprise for Tomoko Kuroki, who spends hours playing dating sims and reading visual novels. Despite her virtual experience, she isn’t popular nor is she attracting attention. In fact, she has no friends, and she can barely communicate with another person without panicking.
WataMoteis an anime about social anxiety taken to the extreme. Tomoko’s experiences are incredibly relatable, and almost everyone has felt nervous meeting new people or talking to strangers. It’s just unfortunate that her anxiety manifests in the most embarrassing ways. It’s a funny anime that has some surprising references to pop culture and other media.
For some people, life is like a game, and as long as the rules are followed, victory is assured. For others, it’s the most difficult game in the world. Fumiya Tomozaki is one of those people. Despite being a top player in the game Attack Familia, his real-life status is bottom-tier, so when he meets another high-ranking player, he’s surprised to see that she’s incredibly popular and well-adjusted.
In many anime about social outcasts, the focus is on readjusting to society, and whileBottom-Tier Character Tomozakidoes the same, it also serves as a criticism of a certain community of people. It discusses the root of anti-social personalities by using games as a parallel to real life. It’s actually much more interesting than it first appears.
7The Troubled Life Of Miss Kotoura
The Importance Of Kindness And Acceptance
Psychic abilities are some of the most powerful but also the most alienating. Haruka Kotoura can read people’s minds, and due to this power, she is seen as a monster even by her parents. Having been isolated for so long, she grew accustomed to being treated poorly. That changes when she enters a new school and meets Yoshishisa Manabe, who finds her powers interesting.
Although this story pattern has been seen before,The Troubled Life of Miss Kotourais a great drama about the effects of social ostracization and the power of kindness and friendship. It’s a good, emotional anime, at least in the first half. Unfortunately, the themes of the show were greatly skewed in the second half,where comedy filled each episode. It’s a sudden and glaring contrast to its start.
Recovery of an MMO Junkieis an anime that does a great job blending gaming and slice of life. The story is about Moriko Mirioka, who has just quit her long-term job and spends allher time playing MMOs. However, this isn’t the average gaming experience. She fully immerses herself in her character and practically abandons her real life.
Unlike other anime about gaming addicts, Moriko isn’t afraid of the real world; she just hates it. The focus of the story is on online connections evolving into real-life relationships. The second main character is Yuuta Sakurai, who is in the same mindset despite having a full-time job, and it’s their meeting that begins to change their way of thinking. It’s a great contemporary romance that uses games and the internet in an interesting way.
Hachiman Hikigaya might as well be the face of antisocial and outcast characters, given that his story begins with a criticism of modern social relationships. As a result of his off-topic essay, he’s forced into the Volunteer Service club, which was formed to help students achieve their goals. Unfortunately, the only other member is the aloof Yukino Yukinoshita, and the two must work together to solve problems faced by students.
Despite being aschool romance anime, there’s a big focus on social dynamics and the way they work in high school. Hachiman’s pessimistic view of the world and blunt comments nearly make him the antagonist of the story, which makes things much more interesting. There’s a lot of nuance present that is often lacking in other stories about school life.
4Kids On The Slope
An Incredibly Jazzy School Life Anime
Being the new kid in school is never easy, especially when moving is constant. When Kaoru Nishimi transfers in, he decides to keep to himself to avoid the hassle. Things don’t go to plan when he meets the school delinquent, Sentarou Kawabuchi. Despite their rough introduction, it takes no time for them to bond over a shared love of music, specifically jazz. With this new friendship, Kaoru can enjoy his school life and overcome his anxiety.
Kids on the Slopeis a fantastic coming-of-age story that explores friendship, anxiety, and music. Through some deeply complex characters, the audience is given a look into the 1960s that is still relatable and entertaining. Of course, the music is a major highlight of the show, which is paired perfectly with multiple emotional scenes and interesting moments.
Having special powers can often lead to isolation. Takashi Natsume can see and talk to spirits, and as a result, he’s been an outsider for his entire life. Due to being moved from house to house, he has few friends, but he finds his grandmother’s book of friends, a collection of names belonging to wandering spirits. To appease the spirits who had their names stolen, Natsume begins the long process of returning them.
In the process of doing so, he’s able to learn about the spirit world as well as thelife of his grandmother, who could also see spirits. The series is episodic in nature, featuring a new spirit in each one, but the entire anime is connected through the themes of friendship and connection. Despite how long this show has been around, it remains incredibly touching and memorable.
Anxiety is incredibly common, but it can be much worse for certain people. Tatsuhiro Satou’s anxiety keeps him from leaving his home. He believes that a secret organization is causing an outbreak of Hikikomori culture across Japan, and he’s one of the victims. Luckily, a chance meeting with Misaki Nakahara begins his journey to recovery from the hermit lifestyle.
Welcome to the N.H.K.is a dramatic comedy that covers thepsychological effectsof self-isolation and anxiety. It’s a realistic look at the lives of socially anxious individuals who can’t lead normal lives due to their fear of society. Despite the numerous funny moments, this anime can be just as somber due to its topic and relation to real life.
Kimi Ni Todokeis a romance anime that’s well-known for its innocent and sweet characters and slow-burn relationships. The reason it’s on this list is the main character, Sawako Kuronuma. Due to her natural shyness, she has a hard time talking to others, but it’s made worse by the fact that she resembles Sadako fromThe Ring. Accidentally scaring her classmates doesn’t help with her sociability.
The story focuses on Sawako’s growth and understanding of friendship. As she learns to communicate her feelings, she’s able to recognize her own affection for Shouta Kazehaya, the most popular guy in the class and one of the few people to treat her normally. It’s a fun anime about school life with tons of tender, heartwarming moments and probably one of thebest romances of all time.
