Anime Recommendations for Contemplative Grown-Ups

Do you enjoy thoughtfully and beautifully crafted content and want to try Japanese anime, but don’t know where to begin? Or have you already discovered anime and are now looking for more contemplative titles to try for yourself or to suggest to others? If so, the following recommendations are for you.

Most of the following anime can be watched either with subtitles or dubbed, whichever you prefer. And many of these anime are available to watch in the U.S. on major streaming services. Others can be found in the U.S. on the anime-focused streaming service Crunchyroll. Plus, regardless of where they are streaming, it may be possible for you to rent or purchase these shows from sites like Amazon or Apple, or to check them out from your local library.

Anime (Japanese animated movies and television series) are often based on manga (Japanese graphic novels). Some of the anime recommended in this post are based on manga that have easy-to-find English language translations available. Links to the Goodreads’ reviews of those manga are provided.

Your Name

This gorgeous, romantic fantasy movie in which two young people swap bodies, is one you are likely to want to re-watch after you learn how the plot’s cleverly planned puzzle pieces fit together at the end. It is currently streaming in the U.S. on Crunchyroll.

Violet Evergarden

This beautiful, romantic, tear-jerker of a series (and its related following movie) are about a former female child-soldier who wants to learn about love. It has an epistolary focus, and a slightly steampunkish feel to it. And it is currently streaming on Netflix in the U.S.

Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku

If you enjoy romantic sitcoms about nerdy characters like The Big Bang Theory, you may also enjoy this Japanese series about four otaku (nerdy) friends who work together and become romantically involved with each other. It is a fun introduction to Japanese nerd-culture. And it is currently streaming in the U.S. on Amazon Prime. If you enjoy it, you can read the manga series by Fujita to follow the characters’ continuing adventures with love.

In This Corner of the World

This beautiful, historical fiction anime is about a young, artistic Japanese woman living through World War II. In the U.S., it is currently streaming on Peacock, and may be available for you to borrow from your library via the Hoopla app. It is based on a manga series by Fumiyo Kouno.

A Silent Voice

This movie is thought-provoking, beautiful, and romantic. It is about a young man who used to bully a deaf girl, coming to terms with his past behavior and trying to change. This movie isn’t currently streaming on a major service in the U.S., but can be rented or purchased. It is based on a manga series by Yoshitoki Oima.

Yuri!!! on ICE

If you enjoy underdog sports stories, figure skating, gay romances, and/or extremely well-done animation; you may find this series to be a treat. Japanese figure skater Yuri is floundering until his Russian figure skating role model decides to coach him. This series is heart-warming and fun. The Boy Love (BL) romantic story takes a back seat to the captivating, underdog sports story. It is currently streaming on Crunchyroll in the U.S.

Spy x Family

This clever anime series has something in it for everyone in the family. There is a spy, an assassin, a telepath, and a dog. There is action, comedy, and romance. And the soundtrack is fun. It is currently streaming in the U.S. on both Hulu and Crunchyroll. And it is based on a manga series by Tatsuya Endo.

Odd Taxi

If you like dark mysteries with a cool vibe, this series (in which all of the characters are depicted as animals), might be of interest. It is currently streaming in the U.S. on Crunchyroll.

Ouran High School Host Club

Although this classic anime series has the appearance of being an old-school, after-school-type cartoon; the humor can be quite grown-up (by U.S. standards). This LGBTQ-friendly, gender-bending, campy, romantic comedy is a lot of silly fun. It is currently streaming on both Hulu and Crunchyroll in the U.S. It is based on a manga series by Bisco Hatori. If you don’t already know what Japanese hostess and host clubs are, you may want to read up on them a little bit before you watch this series to help you better understand some of the grown-up level humor in this comedy about a female student at an elite private high school who takes on the role of a male host at a club run by a clique of her bored, rich, male classmates.

My Roommate is a Cat

In this heartwarming series, a writer who is depressed and has social anxiety takes in a stray cat, and as a result his life significantly changes for the better. Each episode is told partly from the writer’s perspective and partly from the cat’s. It is currently streaming in the U.S. on Crunchyroll.

A Studio Ghibli Movie

Studio Ghibli movies tend to be incredible visual feasts. However, the plots and character development aren’t always as strong. If you enjoy horror, you may want to start with Spirited Away. Otherwise, you may want to try My Neighbor Totoro or Kiki’s Delivery Service first instead. In the U.S., Studio Ghibli movies are currently streaming on Max. Kiki’s Delivery Service is based upon the book of the same name by Eiko Kadono.

Prepare to listen too

Many Japanese anime have great soundtracks. When you watch anime, you may end up getting ideas for Japanese songs you will want to keep on your favorite music playlists.

For example, the following song is from Odd Taxi.

And this Gen Hoshino song is from Spy x Family.

Share your experiences

Do you have other Japanese anime recommendations that you think would fit well on this list? You can share them in the comment section. And you can also share your thoughts about the anime and music recommended above.