6 Solid Anime about Depression and Mental Health

Looking for an Anime about depression and mental health? Awesome, we have listed 6 Anime that revolves around certain areas of mental illness that you might like watching. Not a lot of Animes out there focus on sensitive topics like Mental Health but sometimes we do get such Anime films that will display these themes in their stories relating to the human problems that we may face mentally throughout life which were created by certain circumstances.

Anime about depression and mental health is quite common in all kinds of storytelling in Anime, but only some Anime can be so specific and detailed to the nature of it in which we can relate to, and sometimes an Anime can teach us things and give us awareness about the agonizing mental troubles we all try and tend to fix, making Anime the perfect media to showcase these kinds of reality to its audience.

Koe no katachi (A Silent Voice)

Koe no Katachi could be a very frustratingly sad anime, and it’s something that brings a real life problem in it’s story, which mainly centers around bullying that brings forth the perspectives of different parties involved. Koe no Katchi tells a tale about a deaf girl that consistently got bullied in her elementary days in which the main character, the bully, who suffers with depression later in life because of it and he tries to make up for it due to the amount of guilt caused by the consequences and drama bullying has caused for the people around him.

Koe no Katachi brings a series of events that can be often frustrating and sad to the viewer, and there are a lot of triggering scenes that might cause you to be upset, annoyed or just outright mad, and you should be. Koe no Katachi delves into the problems for both of the parties involved that try to make up for it in the end, and you just have to watch this sorrowing tale of problems hoping to lead into a positive light.

Back then, if we could have heard each other’s voices, everything would have been so much better.”

Shouya Ishida

NHK ni Youkoso! (Welcome to the N.H.K.)

NHK ni Youkoso! could be one of the first proper Anime that delves into the troubling life of a hikikomori — by definition, an extreme loner, social outcast, and other correlating terms. It’s a popular Anime ever since it’s release in 2006 due to its great pacing of the show and how it goes into detail of the life problems of a social outcast which can get really sad.

There a lot of things to relate about in NHK ni Youkoso, if someone who more or less may be going through the same problem that the main character faces which it just gets really real being an Anime about depression and the effects of being alone. NHK gives you that sad realization with tons of moments and quote worthy dialogue.

People who neglect to make efforts or who don’t take any actions at all are always the ones who dream that someday they will suddenly become wildly successful.

Nakahara Misaki

Wonder Egg Priority

Wonder Egg Priority is a recent Anime released in 2021, and brings forth a new encounter to the Mental Health problems presented in Anime and how it tells its story in a symbolic philosophical format. Wonder Egg Priority is quite the Philosophical tale which has a lot of hidden meaning that doesn’t outright tell you and you have to identify the symbolism that the scenes and dialogue tend to show.

Wonder Egg Priority goes deep into the problematic dilemmas of the many sufferers that have fell victim from the so-called “temptation of death”, and it gets quite real and dramatic. It’s an Anime that brought forth a sensitive and niche topic in the Anime world this year and it was everyone’s Favorite.

Since the writing of this Article, Wonder Egg Priority has an upcoming Special Episode, counted as Episode 13 airing this June 30, 2021 due to the Anime TV series not ending properly because of studio constraints.

“You don’t like who you are now, so you go. Even if you’re scared, you want to change the self you hate.”

Neiru Aonuma

March Comes in Like a Lion

March Comes in Like a Lion is a coming-of-age type of Anime where the Main character, Rei Kiriyama suffers from Mental illness. Rei is a professional Shogi player who has a pretty sad past and a bad thought process due to the influence of his adoptive family where his father belittles him for his Shogi-skills, and where his adoptive siblings verbally abuses him.

March Comes in Like a Lion showcases Rei Kiriyama suffering from Clinical depression, where everything about Rei’s depressed personality is a textbook mental illness. Locking himself in a room, avoiding contact, and goes on a hunger-strike, this vibes well with the atmosphere of the story, and sometimes you just feel sad, this has an effect on the audience due to how some people could and probably relate to the main characters behavior and thoughts. March Comes in Like a Lion has wonderful Animations and Music complimenting an awesome storyline which you should give it a shot.

“Gaining” and “losing” things are an unavoidable part of life for everyone. You feel joy, you feel disappointment, and it repeats. And that’s how you learn to handle your feelings. Disappointment and loneliness are necessary emotions. Because of loneliness people master courage and reach out to a new world.”

Eisaku Noguchi

Kokoro ga Sakebitagatterunda (The Anthem of the Heart)

Kokoro ga Sakebitagatterunda is about a girl who can’t talk due to a traumatic experience she was blamed for that pretty much left her mentally devastated to render her mute, unable to talk about anything. Kokoro ga Sakebitagatterunda has a different take on the psychological problem for a more physical element of the character which is the characters Voice.

There is a real life disorder called the Selective Mutism an anxiety related disorder that the Main character actually suffers with, and it’s quite a compelling story where the Anime develops the character to fix this mental problem, which makes it an awesome choice if you’re looking for an Anime about depression and mental health.

Words can hurt people.

Naruse Jun

ReLIFE

Ever wondered and wish you wanted to restart your life, or specifically relive your glorious youth? If yes, then ReLIFE is an anime about a Main character named Arata Kaizaki who wanted to relive his high school days because he has failed or hates his adolescent life. Arata Kaizaki is working as a typical stressful office worker regretting his life decisions causing him to do a program called the ReLIFE program which he starts his new profound Youthful days of high school.

ReLIFE tackles the mental state of a person who couldn’t make enough friends, or didn’t make any at all and the regret of our pasts, and ReLIFE is something worth watching just for it’s concept and message it wants to get out to the audience.

Even though everything is going to disappear, it isn’t suppose to be meaningless. It’s exactly because you know you’re going to part ways, that now and only now is your only chance.

An Onoya

Yesterday wo Utatte

Yesterday wo Utatte revolves around Uozumi Rikuo, a guy who graduated college and didn’t know what to do next, this mindset lead to him living a regular dull life of having a part-time job at a convenience store. Yesterday wo Utatte has received negative attention based on its progression of its slow-paced story and rushed ending.

I do think it deserves a spot to be mentioned due its close-to-life storytelling where it advocates the coming-of-age event that a minor goes through when transitioning to adulthood. The problems of finding a meaning or an ambition all the while dealing with past love is something that most people would and can experience in their life and this Anime depicts that personal predicament. Despite its bad pacing, I enjoyed it in my spare time watching the animation and characters.

It doesn’t matter who you like. Sure, I would like it if you fell in love with me someday.

Haru Nonaka

Like any of these Anime about depression and mental health? Comment down below.

IYANN

Writing about Anime is pretty fun.