Best Anime to Watch When Depressed (Top 9)

Today’s blog post focuses on ‘Best anime to watch when depressed’. We first start with a brief overview of anime as a form of cartoons. After this, we move to understand the link between anime and depression. This will then be followed by the reasons to watch anime when depressed. Lastly, we look at some of the best anime to watch when depressed.

Best Anime to Watch When Depressed

In today’s blog post, we will take into consideration some of the best anime to watch when depressed. Anime, a form of Japanese cartoon, deals with a variety of subjects and sometimes even around the themes of depression and even anxiety.

Some of the best anime to watch when depressed are listed below.

• Great Teacher Onikuza
• The Flying Witch
• Non Non Biyori
• Usagi Drop
• Ghost Stories
• Nichijou
• Silver Spoon
• Inuyasha
• Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru
• NHK Ni Youkoso! (Welcome to NHK)
• Kimi No Na Wa (Your Name)
• Colourful

What is an anime?

Anime is hand drawn cartoons that originated in Japan, that also use computer animations. The word anime originated from the English word animation which refers to any form of animated works in Japanese. The anime has a signature style marked by unique vibrant colours, dramatic panning and characteristic facial expressions. Anime consists of a wide range of genres spanning from drama, action, romance, to historical fiction, horror and comedy. 

There are people who feel very sad after finishing their favorite anime, this is called ”Post anime depression”.

Anime and depression:

One of the main reasons anime is seen to be useful in coping with depression and several other mental health issues is that it has openly dealt with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, psychosis and PTSD. there has always been a raw and realistic portrayal of mental health issues within anime. 

There is a lot of stigma attached to mental health and till today, many believe that mental health issues are unrealistic and invalid concepts, making the lives of people suffering from mental illness more difficult. 

However, when anime, which is popular around the world started a very realistic portrayal of mental health issues and the struggles of people with mental health illnesses, particularly depression, people were able to understand the struggles of a depressed person in a better way as it can get very difficult for a person suffering from depression to verbalise his or her struggles. 

Therefore, anime is no longer restricted to children, but also adults watch it with equal zest and it is famous for its strong portrayal of characters suffering from mental health issues. 

Reasons to watch anime when depressed are as follows:

• Serves as a distraction:

Anime covers different genres, therefore there is always something new for a person to watch. Anime helps provide a distraction to the person from constant worry and ruminating thoughts. It can help a person relax and enjoy.

• Content is relatable:

Anime often deals with complex mental health issues, where the characters and storylines describe the daily struggles of people suffering from mental health problems. This creates a sense of affinity with the character and reduces stigma associated with it.

• Provides new ways to cope:

Once a person finds a character relatable, they are also likely to follow the coping strategies that the character has been following. This gives the person a chance to explore newer ways of dealing with the situation and enhances hope.

• Provides variety:

Watching anime as a way of coping with depression is different from the other ways that have been used so far. Although this may not work for everyone, there may be a few people who may really benefit from watching anime.

Best anime to watch when depressed:

Here, we provide a list of the best anime to watch when depressed. We would cover a few anime characters that struggle from depression, a few series that are based on depression and some series that just give a good feeling to the viewer. 

• Great Teacher Onizuka:

It is a story of an ex-street boy turned teacher who helps kids with their problems. He puts himself through various situations to help the children. It involves a lot of comedy that is sure to make a person laugh. 

• The Flying Witch:

The series follows a story of the day to day life of a young witch doing magical activities, who has moved to a rural community to practice her craft. The series is complete with demigods and witches. 

• Non Non Biyori:

Non Non Biyori is one of the best anime to watch when depressed. It follows a story of four young girls as they go to school and often get into trouble. The situations shown are quite relatable and it also has a hint of comedy to it.

• Usagi Drop:

Another best anime to watch when depressed is Usagi Drop. It is a heartwarming story of a family which comprises a man and a child, who is technically his aunt. The man decides to take in the illegitimate daughter of his grandfather, and the pair together overcomes grief, makes sacrifices and crosses hurdles. 

• Ghost Stories:

It is a story of a bunch of school kids who seal some ghosts who were let loose in the school. However, the show is interesting as it turns into a comedy and not into a horror show, making it one of the best anime to watch when depressed.

• Nichijou:

Nichijou follows the life of three high school girls, it involves a simple slice of life stories that are combined with some unrealistic situations. It’s simple yet unpredictable nature makes it a comfortable watch.

• Silver Spoon:

Silver Spoon stands out as it is an anime about farming, which is a very different genre, but it has several fun elements that make sure that the audience laughs, making it one of the best anime to watch when depressed. It comprises bright and vibrant settings and charming characters. 

• InuYasha:

The series involves characters from feudal and modern Japan and is a story of a modern girl, Kagome, who gets transported to feudal Japan and meets a half-demon Inuyasha. After Kagome accidentally breaks the Jewel of Four Souls, she and Inuyasha travel the world looking for the missing pieces and make new friends on the way. It comprises romance, nostalgia and laughter, making it one of the best anime to watch when depressed.

• Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru:

Also translated as My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU, the anime deals with the issue of depression and takes it away from being an adult only condition and shows how teenagers and children can also suffer from depression. It shows the story of the teenagers as they try to form their identities and build successful bonds with each other whilst dealing with issues of puberty that brings in uncomfortable emotions and mood swings.

• NHK Ni Youkoso! (Welcome to NHK)

No discussion about the best anime to watch when depressed can be complete without NHK Ni Youkoso! It is an anime dealing with depression and the classic series talks about the attempt of a person to overcome his social anxiety and venturing out in the world. It is a story of Satou, who is visited by Misaki Nakahara, who attempts to reintegrate him in the society.  

It is a psychological drama that closely follows Satou’s condition. The series does a great job in showing the different circumstances from which depression can arise from. 

The series provides hope and different ways of coping to people who are depressed as well as anxious.

• Kimi No Na Wa (Your Name):

Kimi No Na Wa depicts a love story between two teenagers from completely different walks of life. The movie has several twists and turns and a storyline that would resonate with the viewers. It revolves around the theme that destiny can be changed, but one will need friends to change one’s destiny.

• Colourful:

Colourful is a supernatural drama that gets away with the masks that people think they need in order to survive. The protagonist, comprising a unique personality and mental states, learns that humans are made up of various colours that are constantly changing. It is suggestive that no matter how bad things may get, there would be someone who will share the same colour as you. The series gives a hope that we are never truly alone. It emphasises that sadness can be overwhelming, but we always find a reason to push ourselves and live life to the fullest. 

Depression is a serious mood disorder that is much more than just feeling down or feeling sad. It comprises different symptoms and the experience of depression may be different for different people. However, as anime, with its interesting storylines, plots, vibrant characters and themes can make coping with depression a little easier by helping the person relax and enjoy being in the present moment. 

Frequently Asked Questions:

 Conclusion:

Today’s blog post focused on ‘Best anime to watch when depressed’. We first started with a brief overview of anime as a form of cartoons. After this we moved to understanding the link between anime and depression. This was then followed by the reasons to watch anime when depressed. Lastly, we looked at some of the best anime to watch when depressed.

I hope this blog post is successful in providing some useful recommendations of the best anime to watch when depressed and make you feel better. Please feel free to drop any comments or queries. 

References:

https://yattatachi.com/anime-mental-health-connection

https://www.myanime2go.com/2018/05/best-anime-to-watch-when-youre-feeling-down-2.html

Top 10 Anime That Can Help With Depression [Best Recommendations]

https://recommendmeanime.com/12-anime-series-cheer-feeling/

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