There are a variety of Japanese anime that have gained popularity overseas.
If you plan to study Japanese, watching Japanese anime is one of the best ways not only to learn the language but also to get to know about the real life of people in Japan.
In this article, we will recommend you anime that give you the taste of “Seishun“.
“Seishun” is described as “youth”, “youthful energy”, or “springtime of youth”.
You might remember your school days with memories of sitting in the classroom longing for the bell to ring so you could run to the cafeteria, hanging out at a local shopping mall with friends, and just enjoying the moment to the fullest without worrying about the future.
Of course, there must have been times when you got in trouble or got hurt, but youth is the time when every day seems shining brightly (at least we hoped so).
We will introduce “Seishun” anime examples that attract those who love Japanese anime, those who are studying Japanese, or those who just want to feel nostalgic.
Contents
2 Best Anime About Friendship
“Friendship” is one of the iconic terms that brings back old school memories for sure. Spending invaluable time together with friends after school itself is often used as a scene to depict “Seishun”.
Here are two of the best anime featuring teenagers growing up through successes and failures with friends.
“Chihayafuru” – Filled with Love, Friendship, and Competition
Chihaya Ayase is an ordinary girl who does not have her own dream. Her encounter with Wataya Arata at elementary school awakens her fascination with Hyakunin Isshu competitive karuta card game. Inspired by Arata’s talent and passion with karuta, Chihaya begins to find her own passion that she wants to devote herself to. When she becomes a high school student, Chihaya is reunited with her old friend, Taichi Majima, and decides to launch a karuta club.
Together with her teammates, Chihaya goes all out to become the world’s top karuta player and be with Arata again, who has been away from her for a long time.
1st season: 2011-2012, 25 episodes
2nd season: 2013, 25 episodes
3r season: 2019-2020, 24 episodes
“Your Lie in April” – A Tender and Beautiful Lie That Touches Your Heart
Kimio Arima loses the sound of his piano after the death of his mother. Kimio has given up on his dream of becoming a world-famous pianist and leads a gloomy, sad school life.
His monochrome days change when he meets an innocent and free-spirited violinist, Kaori Miyazono. Kaori asks Kimio to accompany her in a competition so that he can face the piano again. As Kimio spends more time with Kaori, he begins to bring colors back into his daily life. But Kaori’s time is running out. What is her gentle lie and why does she have to tell him that?
2014-2015, 22 episodes
2 Inspiring Sports Anime
If anything made you passionate in your youth, playing sports might be at the top of the list. Especially in Japan, where most junior high and high school students are supposed to belong to a school club, more than half of the students have played at least one sport. Typical stories of sports anime feature main characters with a single-minded effort toward a goal, trust between friends, and finally accomplishment.
“Hikyu” – Strength to Never Give Up and Belief in Friends
Shoyo Hinata starts playing volleyball because of his admiration for a star player known as “Little Giant”. At the volleyball club he meets the genius setter Tobio Kageyama and his unique teammates. Although Shoyo is smaller than most players, his performance against strong competitors is outstanding. Shoyo and his teammates work together to win the national tournament, aiming for the “view from the top” that they can only see as the strongest team.
1st season: 2014, 25 episodes
2nd season: 2015-2016, 25 episodes
3rd season: 2016, 10 episodes
4th season: 2020, total 25 episodes
“Yowamushi Pedal” – Courage to Challenge Yourself
Sakamichi Onoda loves anime and Akiba so much that he commutes 90 kilometers from Chiba to Akihabara and back by bicycle.
He meets Miki Kansaki and Shunsuke Imaizumi at high school and joins the cycling club. A timid otaku boy, Sakamichi becomes obsessed with road bicycle racing, and gradually his dormant talent as a road racer begins to awaken. Sakamichi aims to win the Inter-High School Championship with his friends.
1st season: 2013-2014, 38 episodes
2nd season: 2014-2015, 24 episodes
3rd season: 2017, 25 episodes
4th season: 2018, 25 episodes
2 Time Travel Anime of All Time
“Seishun” stories does not always just focus on real life. In some “Seishun” anime, teenagers try to change their destiny across time. As they struggle to regain their lives or their loved ones, the stories go beyond both time and your imagination.
“Kiminonawa” – Teenagers Traveling Through Time to Change Their Fate
As Comet Tiamat approaches for the first time in 1,200 years, Mitsuha Miyamizu, a high school girl living in the countryside, meets Taki Tachibana, living in Tokyo in her dream.
The two, who have never met in real life, realize that their bodies have switched in the dream. Miho and Taki are bewildered but becomes drawn to each other. When the swap is interrupted, Taki, as if drawn by a mysterious force, searches for Miyo.
He realizes that the reason for their meeting is to change the fate of Miyo and the future of her city. The story connects the past with the present.
2016, directed by Makoto Shinkai
“When Marnie was there ” – Emotional Struggles of Adolescence
12-year-old Anna is closed-minded and lonely. She meets Marnie in Hokkaido in the summer when she visits the island to recuperate from her asthma. As she spends time with Marnie, who lives in a Western-style house with blue windows, Anna relives Marnie’s memories beyond time and space to eventually learn the truth about her family.
2014, Studio Ghibli film (Based on Joan G. Robinson’s 1967 novel of the same title)
Summary
“Seishun” anime brings back memories of youth through the careful depiction of the characters’ emotions, gestures, and other details. By watching the scenes of boys and girls living their young lives, you can also learn about real Japanese culture.