The year is almost over and we had been lucky enough to witness an exciting and inspiring anime from the 2021 lineup. There’s plenty of reason to be thankful, and one of them is having the chance to watch quality anime content even though we are still in the middle of a global pandemic where millions of people have already lost their lives. To many fans, having an inspiring anime to watch and follow in these trying times is sufficient enough as a stress-reliever and finding some reasons to be positive and enthusiastic.
A year-end tribute as well as an opportunity, I would like to highlight 10 of the most inspiring anime from 2021 that I think everyone should check or watch. These series have plenty of stories to tell, have deep and relevant messages to deliver, and sometimes, it doesn’t need to be thought-provoking, but it can be a simple reminder to bring us back to our feet whenever we felt confused and unsure, to guide us to walk the path that we think we had forgotten, and face any challenges head-on with so much faith and being reflective.
Inspiring Anime from 2021 Recommendations
The Aquatope on White Sand
Shiroi Suna no Aquatope | It’s pretty hard to find an amazing anime with a challenging plot where sometimes, it feels hard to agree with the characters but we can’t help it because we definitely need to praise their development, and The Aquatope on White Sand is one of them.
It’s a vibrant summer anime with so many feels, a coming-of-age story that feels grounded, making many viewers relate to the story and the internal struggles that the characters went through. The struggle with finding purpose in life and where we truly belong to are among the recurring themes of the story that many of us can ponder upon and reflect upon.
Blue Period
Here’s probably my personal favorite in this list because it truly resonates with what I really felt inside. Blue Period is one of the must-watch and inspiring anime from the Fall 2021 anime lineup. It’s a story of chasing your dream, your passion, and finding purpose through the use of “Art” as a medium of storytelling and theme where the story can revolve.
It inspires us to follow our dreams and what we truly desire despite the hardship, despite the uncertainties, despite our weaknesses. Just work hard, persevere, and above everything, put your heart into it.
Related Post: 10 Anime Similar to Blue Period To Get Yourself Inspired
Cells at Work! Code Black
Hataraku Saibō! Burakku? | This is the spin-off of the hilarious and refreshing anime series Cells at Work! It follows the journey of rookie Red Blood Cell as he works in the system of an unhealthy human body.
There, he witnessed the hardship, toxicity, and everything that can go wrong in a workplace, either its internal or external struggle within yourself and the environment around you. I think this is truly relevant in our society, nowadays, that many of us are suffering from burnouts and the toxicity of work culture, it reminds us that there’s always some light even in the darkest hour. We just need to move forward, and never give up. However, if you also want to check the main series, Cells at Work! is now showing on TrueID, you’ll surely have fun and get inspired by its different take on the same story.
Fruits Basket: The Final Season
Now, here’s the final season of Fruits Basket, one of the best drama anime in recent years, a story filled with so much relevance and emotions. First thing, first! It brought the toxic parental culture to the surface.
Many fans had been disgusted by how the parents of the characters are pretty irresponsible, albeit, this is also a reflection of our modern society. Let’s admit it, somewhere in this world, many children had grown up being subjected to different types of abuse, and what’s worse, the abuser can be the parents themselves.
In the end, Fruits Basket: The Final Season is just like the fairytale that we wish that it could be. It delivers a powerful and emotional ride while leaving such a great impression and message to the viewers about different themes. It truly is a basket filled with different fruits, with different flavors and stories to tell.
Life Lessons with Uramichi-Oniisan
Uramichi Oniisan | This is a rather realistic one, it tells the story in a hilarious approach, with many antics and humor but there’s a deep reflection in casual dialogues about life as we know it. Beneath the humor and funny antics, lies a true reflection of what many of us had been struggling and dealing with in modern society, our devils and uncertainties, our fears, and the miseries that comes with the true reality of adult life.
Ranking of Kings
Ousama Ranking | This is another inspiring anime from the Fall 2021 lineup like Blue Period. Ranking of Kings gives us the main character with disability yet, albeit his insufficiencies, he continues to remain good, he continues to inspire us to be positive and always find the goodness in people no matter how dire the situation is. I think that’s what this world needs, a little bit of tolerance, kindness, and trust in people.
Related Post: Anime with Similar Story to Ranking of Kings
Opera Girl!
Kageki Shoujo! | Another personal favorite of mine, Opera Girl! is rather bizarre or unique despite how generic its story was. The feels that it exudes are just so pure and motivating. It inspires the viewers to chase our dreams no matter how hard or difficult it is, no matter how big or insurmountable are the challenges that hinder us. Just like Blue Period, it also tackles the effort of people, the gifted and the hard worker, those with innate skills, and those who persevere.
Remake Our Life
If you’ll be given another shot at life and start anew, what will you do? Remake Our Life is simple yet it hits all our senses that need to be awakened. It feels like a reality slap that will remind us, are truly living in the moment? Are we taking all the chances life is giving to us? There’s no going back, so we better grab at every opportunity. This anime had shown us so many what-ifs, and I think if we are sensitive enough to the theme presented, we can learn important life lessons from it.
Super Cub
There’s freedom in loneliness, this is what we can easily tell about Super Cub. I think it simply wants to deliver that sometimes, you don’t need a lively and noisy crowd to enjoy, you can find peace and satisfaction within yourself and the small encounters you’ll have with the people that truly matter. It tells us that life is a continuous journey of learning and expanding our horizons while keeping our inner peace.
Those Snow White Notes
Mashiro no Oto | Oh, can you hear the sound beyond what we call inspiration? Those Snow White Notes is not just a drama anime, but there’s more to it than what meets the eye. Nonetheless, it will inspire anyone who feels the same way as our main characters, anyone who feels their struggle and excitement, anyone who shares their dreams and passions.
Alright, so these are our top recommended inspiring anime from 2021 that fans should definitely give a watch. There’s more to it than what we can see on the surface and if you’re somehow struggling deep within, you might want to check some of these titles and see some reasons to move forward, to start once again, or simply rediscover your passion and purpose. Moreover, if you have some more anime that aired this 2021 that inspired you, please let us know and drop it in the comment section below.
Last Updated on November 8, 2022 by Yu Alexius
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