Anime that motivate people to study is a very interesting situation. Usually, most people are drawn to the medium because of the awesome fights or the great animation, but even the most mundane acts inspire a lot of fans. Some of them are even inspired to do better in Math class.
Whether it's focusing on the classes, overcoming personal odds, or simply making an effort, anime can inspire people with their stories. Therefore, here are, in no particular order, ten anime that motivate people to study. It is worth pointing out that these series are not all focused on studying but the message they have can help in that area.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series on this list.
The Royal Tutor and nine other anime that motivate people to study
1) The Royal Tutor (2017)
The Royal Tutor had to be on this list of anime that motivate people to study. There were no two ways about it. If the topic is anime that motivate people to study, this series is the first choice because it is centered around just that. It also offers a very interesting lesson: a person's weakness when it comes to studying.
The plot is very simple: Heine Wittgenstein is an academic with the appearance of a child and has been tasked with being the private tutor of four princes. However, there is a problem, all of them have their flaws and complicated personalities, leading all the previous tutors to quit.
The series focuses a lot on studying. However, it also shows that not everybody can learn the same way, and not everybody has the same issues when it comes to academics. It's a very positive message that can take a lot of pressure off people's shoulders when studying. Apart from all this, it is also a very hilarious series.
2. Slam Dunk (1993)
The most likely comment about Slam Dunk would be what does it have to do with anime that motive people to study? On a superficial level, it has nothing to do with this topic. However once people go deeper into Takehito Inoue's basketball masterpiece, many interesting motivations and messages can be found.
Hanamichi Sakuragi starts the story as a guy with no motivations other than dating Haruko and without any interests, or passions. He is simply wandering life with no clear goal. Once he gets into the basketball team, he starts to develop a passion and interest for something, which motivates him to do his best.
Slam Dunk can be viewed as an anime that motivates people to study because the message is about not doing anything half-hearted. Whether it's Hanamichi's stubbornness, Rukawa's understanding of teamwork, or Akagi's determination, an angle always inspires the audience to do more.
3. Arte (2020)
Arte is, sadly enough, a series that lasted only a short time. It came out in 2020 and only lasted 12 episodes, which is a shame because it has a very interesting message: to pursue one's goal and the work that entails. If someone is looking for an anime that motivates people to study, this is a very interesting choice.
The series is named after its main character, Arte, a young girl from 16th-century Italy. She was going to live a very comfortable life but decided to leave it all behind to pursue her dreams of becoming an artist. Arte eventually finds a man who decides to teach her, which shows how much work her art needs.
This anime shows the value of committing to something and pursuing one's goals. The series only adapted some of Kei Ohkubo's manga (it started in 2013 and is still going with 17 volumes, as of this writing). However, it is a very good starting point for people interested in the story.
4. Golden Boy (1995)
Now, adding the Golden Boy OVAs to this list may seem weird. After all, it has a ton of s*x jokes that a lot of people wouldn't enjoy or even respect, so it wouldn't make sense to add it to a list of anime that motivate people to study. However, behind all the weird, s*xual humor, there is a heart and lesson in this story.
Ignoring the fact that Kintaro is a creep during some parts of the story, viewers have other things they can focus on. Like how he quit law school to travel across Japan and bounce through jobs to LEARN. Even after everything he went through, he never lost his passion for learning, which is key in this discussion.
The Golden Boy OVAs have probably not aged very well, but it still has its merits. When it comes to Kintaro, he has his charm as a protagonist, and his burning passion for learning is something that a lot of people can enjoy. That being said, it's also understandable if viewers don't enjoy the story's style.
5. Cells at Work (2018)
Let's face it: many subjects at school could be more exciting. It's mostly the way they are presented or explained that bore students in the process. Now, let's take biology, for example, Can people imagine an anime where the cells of the human body were the protagonists and worked as a company? That's the plot of Cells at Work.
The story presents the cells as characters working to keep the body healthy, which is both hilarious and very informative. The series is a very good take on anime that motivate people to study, it explains how the human body works in classic (and crazy anime form). It also helps that the protagonist, a red blood cell named AE3808, is hilarious and very fun.
6. My Hero Academia (2016)
This one is more geared toward college students. Picking a career and going through college has many challenges, and people can question whether they made the right choice. People compare their progress to their peers and are scared of work life. All of that can be explored with My Hero Academia.
Sure, everybody and their grandma know about the series at this point, but this is for those who haven't given it a chance. Its protagonist, Izuku Midoriya, joins an academy of heroes in a world where being one is a career choice. There are internships, fieldwork, career paths, and so on.
Therefore, this is an excellent choice for college students with an identity crisis in their careers who want some motivation. The story is fun, the characters are endearing, and many of them hold fascinating messages that are quite relevant today.
7. Ascendance of a Bookwork (2019)
There are a lot of anime that motivate people to study but very few in the isekai genre. Ascendance of a Bookworm is an exceptional case because the main character is the very definition of a book lover. She goes to extreme lengths for them, so much so that her second chance at life is based all around that.
Myne is the main character and a book lover who dies after many of them fall over her. She is reborn in a fantasy setting, in typical isekai fashion, and decides to dedicate her life to making enough money to afford books, which only the high class can afford.
The anime series motivates people to study because of Myne's determination and the value she finds in books. This anime shows the importance and power of books and knowledge's relevance to a person. The series is entertaining and has some hilarious moments in the genre's typical style.
8. Steins Gate (2011)
This one goes for those science students out there. Science is overwhelming, but a series like Steins Gate can make it enjoyable. Sure, it's anime and many of the theories and information mentioned are not real. However, it can help students to reignite their passion for the field, thus making it one of the anime that motivate people to study.
Steins Gate has a lot of plot threads, time travel, existential crisis, lots of character development, and many different themes. It's Back to the Future mixed with Evangelion's type of storytelling. It also has a lot of science elements thrown in for good measure, thus becoming a very compelling watch.
9. Assassination Classroom (2015)
How is it that one of the anime that motivate people to study involves killing their teacher? It's weird, but Assassination Classroom is also a very weird anime. The good news is that is also excellent and with some of the best life lessons in a series of this type.
The plot of the series is very complex, but is the story of an alien creature that has destroyed most of the earth and a class of student assassins discovers that their teacher is involved. Therefore, many people are interested in taking that man's life.
The series is crazy, with lots of twists and turns, but also with a lot of heart. Their teacher not only focuses on growing and improving as assassins but also as people. It's a weird combination of darker themes with much more positive ones, making it a delightful watch.
10. Heaven's Design Team (2021)
Anime that motivate people to study should not only be about inspiring them to do the action itself but also to stimulate through information. Heaven's Design Team is an outstanding series. It explores the origin of animals hilariously and entertainingly, becoming one of the most underrated comfort anime in modern times.
God didn't know what to do to create animals, so he outsourced the project to a team of designers. Now this team has to come up with the entirety of the species everybody knows while also explaining of what they are made of, how they work, and why creatures like unicorns couldn't exist in the real world.
Final thoughts
Anime that motivate people to study come in all shapes and forms but the important part for the audience is to start. These series are always there to inspire others, but it is up to everyone to begin their journey for self-improvement by taking the first step.