10 best anime about everyday struggles

Sometimes, life can be difficult. We all face struggles, from minor disappointments to significant hurdles. However, observing characters persevere in anime can inspire us in our own lives. Anime possesses a unique power to make us reflect on life's everyday struggles.

Unlike live-action films constrained by realism, anime can amplify emotions and depict internal states through visual metaphor. Many anime that explore everyday struggles also embody Japanese values of self-improvement, embracing imperfection, and finding joy in daily dedication.

This list highlights 10 top anime that address the theme of overcoming daily struggles. The anime about everyday struggles below showcase characters dealing with issues such as loneliness, discovering meaning and purpose, pursuing ambitions, understanding themselves, and connecting with others.

Fruits Basket, Barakamon, and 8 other must-watch anime about everyday struggles

1. March Comes in Like a Lion

March Comes in Like a Lion (Image via Shaft)

March Comes in Like a Lion follows Rei, a highly skilled shogi player struggling with loneliness and a lack of purpose after a family tragedy. We witness Rei emerge from his shell as he forms connections with the warm Kawamoto sisters.

Rei faces various everyday challenges, including self-care, maintaining healthy routines, managing self-critical thoughts, and embracing vulnerability to connect with others. Observing Rei take small steps toward addressing his needs inspires us in our daily lives.

March Comes in Like a Lion affirms that we all have inherent psychological needs for safety, belonging, and self-esteem. The series exemplifies self-compassion, as the Kawamoto sisters support Rei, guiding him to be less self-punishing. We learn not to be deterred in building support networks that can uplift us during difficult times.

2. Barakamon

After losing his temper, calligrapher Seishu Handa is sent to a remote island as punishment for punching a critic who insulted his work. City slicker Handa must adjust to the laid-back rural lifestyle among quirky villagers. His awkward attempts to fit in on the island result in plenty of cultural misunderstandings played for comic effect.

However, beyond the fish-out-of-water humor, this anime about everyday struggles makes insightful points about going with the flow when things don't match expectations. Seishu learns patience while adapting to local customs, overcoming frustrations brought on by the slower pace of country life.

By embracing new environments, we unlock hidden potential. Seishu's bonds with island children inspire us to build community and find our grounding. Barakamon is a cozy anime for those seeking friendship and discovering opportunities in the unexpected places life takes us.

3. ReLIFE

In ReLIFE, Arata gets a second chance to reboot his life by taking a pill that makes him look 17 years old while retaining his adult memories. However, changing his physical appearance proves easier than altering his ingrained thought patterns.

We observe Arata honing better communication skills, curbing impulsive behavior, developing empathy, and gaining the courage to fulfill his wishes instead of pursuing superficial goals. ReLIFE taps into the universal fantasy of remaking our younger selves with the wisdom that experience brings.

It's reassuring to see Arata stumble, try again, and progress a little further in fulfilling his potential. We're reminded that it's never too late to develop the emotional intelligence required for meaningful relationships and work. This anime about everyday struggles inspires us to make the most of today.

4. Shirobako

For anyone struggling with demanding workloads, creative blocks, and chasing hard-to-attain dreams, Shirobako offers catharsis. It follows five friends working grind jobs in the competitive anime industry. We witness Aoi struggling as a production assistant, Ema being discouraged as a 3D animator, and Shizuka questioning her acting skills after a setback.

Shirobako suggests that staying grounded in friendships can help weather the storms of self-doubt when projects (or life) don't go as planned. We observe characters picking themselves up after mistakes to try again. Shirobako celebrates quietly heroic individuals who keep the animation machine running through cooperation, tenacity, and passion. The series inspires young professionals to hold onto their ambitions, even when breakthroughs seem out of reach.

5. Fruits Basket

Fruits Basket (Image via TMS Entertainment)

The new rendition of the classic shojo series Fruits Basket portrays the Soma family as suffering from multi-generational domestic dysfunction. However, gentle Tohru's empathy begins to heal the Somas, who are afflicted by a hereditary curse that causes them to transform into zodiac animals when hugged by someone of the opposite sex. We learn that healthy communication isn't possible without first creating an emotionally safe space.

Fruits Basket illustrates how to tune into others' verbal and nonverbal cues with compassion. Observing the Soma family reconcile teaches us that even people raised without proper nurturing can unlearn maladaptive behaviors. The show gives hope that broken structures can be rebuilt through acceptance.

6. A Silent Voice

A Silent Voice (Image via Kyoto Animation)

This anime about everyday struggles explores complex themes of bullying, social anxiety, and forgiveness with incredible emotional depth. Shoya terrorizes his deaf classmate Shoko in his youth but later faces complete social isolation himself.

Starting with no connections, he gradually forms new friendships, including with Tomohiro Nagatsuka, as he seeks redemption. He battles inner demons and attempts to make amends with Shoko. The film unpacks the aftermath of trauma on both victims and aggressors.

A Silent Voice suggests that overcoming communication barriers can help heal individuals on all sides of cruelty. It offers a thoughtful blueprint for combating exclusion in communities. The protagonists inspire efforts to understand different lived experiences.

7. Welcome to the NHK

When overwhelmed by adult responsibilities, it's tempting to withdraw and isolate. However, avoiding problems rarely makes them disappear. Welcome to the NHK confronts the modern epidemic of young adults becoming reclusive shut-ins, too anxious to leave their apartments.

Spiraling into media-fueled paranoia, Tatsuhiro meets Misaki, a troubled girl who offers to help through a special "project." As Misaki offers Tatsuhiro with a program to reintegrate into society, we learn the importance of small wins in overcoming inertia caused by depression or obsessive thoughts.

We're reminded that perceived flaws seem less shameful and more surmountable when someone reaches out, even if the relationship is imperfect. Welcome to the NHK carries an empowering message that we can recalibrate unhealthy thought patterns through micro-actions supported by our support systems.

8. Silver Spoon

Silver Spoon follows Yuugo, a student who studied obsessively to escape family problems, as he transfers from a regular city school to an agricultural boarding school. We chuckle as city-slicker Yuugo experiences amusing culture shock while adjusting to hands-on farming life surrounded by down-to-earth country folk.

However, as Yuugo overcomes difficulties tending to livestock, the series offers thoughtful insights about respecting the value of manual labor. Yuugo learns that solutions achieved through practical effort are more professionally fulfilling than empty credentials alone.

We come to understand that brains and prestige aren't everything without the willingness to get our hands dirty when necessary. Silver Spoon delivers heartwarming messages about having humility, embracing stress, and celebrating the small daily victories essential for growth.

9. Sing "Yesterday" for Me

Sing "Yesterday" for Me (Image via Doga Kobo)

Sing "Yesterday" for Me follows young adults who are struggling to find their footing in life. Rikuo is stuck in a dead-end job and lacks ambition. His retreat from pain leads him to neglect his relationships. Meanwhile, his new love interest, Haru, battles anxiety and self-image issues as she navigates her uncertain future.

Watching the characters make gradual progress toward finding their agency keeps us engaged. Rikuo begins to reevaluate his aimless existence when he connects with supportive allies. We see Haru steadily overcoming emotional challenges through salutary experiences that open her heart to hope.

Sing "Yesterday" for Me realistically portrays the quarter-life crisis malaise afflicting Millennials without clear direction. It's inspirational viewing for anyone trying to upgrade destructive patterns that hinder self-actualization. The characters provide companionship for viewers who are also navigating the struggles of early adulthood.

10. Natsume's Book of Friends

Natsume's Book of Friends (Image via Brain's Base / Shuka)

Natsume's Book of Friends anime illustrates battles against intergenerational loneliness. After his grandmother's death, Takashi Natsume inherits the Book of Friends, a ledger containing the names of spirits his grandmother, Reiko, obtained by challenging and defeating yokai in various contests.

Natsume's gentle nature helps return these names, granting the spirits their freedom. The show emphasizes the importance of confronting unresolved connections between the past and present. We find catharsis in watching Natsume assist relieved spirits in moving to healthier places while also building his own sense of belonging.

This anime about everyday struggles suggests that much loneliness and misbehavior stems from misunderstandings between generations and the unseen world. Healing communities requires revisiting history's shadows with radical empathy. It inspires us to support restoration wherever groups become fragmented.

Conclusion

The anime mentioned above explores protagonists who are tested by everyday struggles and strengthened through resilience. We realize overcoming self-imposed limitations requires gradual effort but brings hope, purpose, and connection.

Watching characters verbally express frustrations that we might repress teaches us healthier coping mechanisms. We feel less alone in our suffering as fictional characters bond while improving themselves against inner demons and external challenges.

Let these inspiring series about mundane struggles motivate your personal growth. Find fellowship with fictional characters who master life's common obstacles through self-honesty and interdependence. Internalize the wise advice these ordinary heroes have to offer.

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Edited by Shreya Das