Hello and welcome to Project Nitsuj. A good education is important in today’s world and it’s sometimes hard to find one in schools. While anime’s primary goal is to entertain the masses, sell products and promote the source material it was based off of, there have been times when an anime comes along and educates their audience. And I’m not talking about moral lessons about sharing and friendship. I’m talking about real life facts and knowledge about the world around us while also keeping us entertained. I’m Nitsuj and these are the Top 11 Educational Anime.
#11. Bartender: Glass of God
We’re starting the list off with some adult education into mixology. If you’re someone who enjoys a good drink after work, then this anime is for you. An overlooked anime from 2024, Bartender dives into various drinks throughout the course of the anime. We learn how they’re made and what makes them so special. What makes this anime really stand out is how they get even the tiniest details and hand movements right. I’m not much of a drinker but I have friends and family members who were bartenders at some point and showed them clips of this anime. Every one of them praised the anime for how detailed it was in its writing, animation, and passion for the subject material they were teaching to the audience. Anybody can pour you a drink, but this anime shows us how a skilled and passionate mixologist can give us the best drinks. Next time you’re out at the bar and have yourself a good drink, think of this anime, and be sure to leave a nice tip.
#10. Golden Kamuy
When it comes to Japanese history, the first thing that everyone thinks of is the Edo period, samurais, and the shogunate. Understandable as there’s a lot to explore in that era of Japan, but there’s so much more to look at. Golden Kamuy’s fictional gold hunt story has been an underrated hit for years, but the anime does a good job talking about the real-world post Russo-Japanese war. A war not a whole lot of people talk about but had important implications not just in Japan but also Russia. The anime shows how Japan was starting to develop as a country, the tensions between them and Russia were still high and led to the death of a Russian emperor. On top of that, the anime explores the Ainu culture which was beginning to die out around this time and their fight to preserve their culture for future generations. The story of Golden Kamuy may be fictional but the cultural changes and political tension was real and worth studying.
#9. Laid-Back Camp
Camping has never really been my thing. Seriously, my idea of camping is spending the night at a Motel 6 and bragging about it the next day. There’s been a number of animes that focus on camping, but the one that everyone praises the most is Laid-Back Camp. If you’re new to camping or want to get into it, this anime does a good job teaching the basics of camping out in the winter, safety measures you need to take, and how great of an experience it can be for you and your friends. The anime just has a good vibe throughout the series. The girls are cute, the locations are beautiful, and it’s just a good watch to learn about camping for anyone looking to do it or who loves doing it. Good luck with that. Come find me in the motel if you need anything.
#8. Silver Spoon
From the author of Fullmetal Alchemist, comes a story about farm life. Based loosely off the real life of Hiromu who grew up on a dairy farm, Silver Spoon focuses on the day-to-day life of farmhands as they work with livestock, crops, and machinery to get the job done. The anime offers a look into the life of farmers and everything they do to make sure people are well fed. While it may not dive into the specific details as much as we would like, it shows a different life from the one you’re used to and shows both the ups and downs of a farm life.
#7. Heaven’s Design Team and Seton Academy
I went back and forth deciding which anime to put on the list. So I decided to just put both. Learning about animals is always fun and Heaven’s Design Team brings that to the forefront in their series. While God is busy creating the world, He has his team of angels come up with animals to inhabit our world. Each episode is funny and does a good job of giving you animal facts you probably didn’t know about. Seton Academy has a different set up but still leans into the comedy while also giving you important facts about animals and how they operate. If you’re an animal lover, definitely check these animes out. You’ll come for the comedy but leave learning something new about the animals of the world.
#6. Spice and Wolf
Who wants to learn about economics *cricket noises*? Who wants to learn about economics with a beautiful wolf deity *crowd cheers*? I thought so. While Spice and Wolf primarily focuses on the journey and relationship of a peddler and wolf deity, the anime gives us a crash course into economics. We learn about supply and demand, trends, stocks, trade, and much more. At a time when technology was low, this anime showed how important economics was and how it worked back then. As someone who was a business major in college, this anime was right up my alley and made me enjoy the anime even more. While the meat of this anime is Holo, the economic 101 teachings were a nice seasoning to go along with it. Not too many animes can make business talk entertaining and easy to follow, but this anime manages to achieve this in spades.
#5. How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift
When I’m not watching anime. working or gaming, I’m at the gym getting my body in shape. Another slice of life comedy, How Heavy Are the Dumbbells does a good job explaining a number of workouts you can do at the gym/home, proper form you should do to avoid injuries, and some good dieting tips for those looking to lose weight and build muscles. This is the perfect anime for those looking to start working out or wanting to try new exercises while also giving you a good laugh and sprinkling in some good fanservice as well.
#4. Cells At Work
Your body is constantly working to keep you alive and battling sickness. Cells at Work uses cute and memorable characters to teach you how your body combats allergies and sicknesses and teaches you about biology without confusing you with all scientific words you’re too lazy to look up, remember, or let alone pronounce. It’s a great series that gives you a new appreciation for what your body does and inspires you to make changes in your life to make your body’s work easier. Their spinoff, Black, is also a good anime which shows us the dangers of what happens when we don’t take care of ourselves and how the body has to work twice as hard to keep you from keeling over. Biology wasn’t my strongest subject in school, but this anime definitely makes it interesting and fun to learn. Speaking of science-
#3. Dr. Stone
Shonen Jump’s manga/anime that makes science fun to learn. When humanity gets turned into stone and wakes up thousands of years in the future, society as they know it is no more, and they have to start from scratch to rebuild it. The anime takes us on a science/technological (scienlogical?) adventure into some of humanities greatest inventions and discoveries as society is slowly rebuilt. Each episode feels like a DIY class where you leave learning something new and wanting to try these experiments at home. The anime does a good job explaining every step the characters take and the challenges they come across to get the end results they’re looking for. It really does make science fun to learn. While science wasn’t my best subject I always did my best to learn it and honestly would have done a lot better if this series was around when I was in school.
#2. Bakuman
From the creators of Death Note and Platinum End comes Bakuman. Two out of three ain’t bad. Being a mangaka is no easy profession and Bakuman shows us the good, the bad, and the hard times they face in the industry. The series pulls the curtain back for people who think this profession is easy and shows them what it takes to be successful in this job and the sacrifices you have to make to stay relevant and keep your series afloat. Watching this series will give you a new found respect for what mangakas do and will serve as a warning for anyone looking to get into the industry what they’ll be facing. While the industry has improved after this series debuted it’s still hard and if you’re hoping to make a quick buck from it you’re out of luck.
And number one. . .
#1. Shirobako
If you’re on this site, there’s a high chance you like anime or have an appreciation for it. Would you like to learn how anime is made? Shirobako follows the story of five young ladies who have entered the anime industry and focuses on different professions. From production to voice acting to animating to being an agent, this anime covers everything that goes into making an anime and shows us the ups and downs of every profession. Nobody ever said making anime was easy and this series reinforces that. Just like Bakuman gave you an appreciation for what mangakas go through to keep you entertained and to achieve their dreams, Shirobako gives you an appreciation for the unsung heroes who provide you with hours of entertainment and what they have to do to stay relevant in an ever expanding industry.
And that’s my list. What did you think? Any educational animes I missed? Let me know in the comments below as I’m sure I’ve missed a number of them. Thanks for watching and I’ll see you next time on Project Nitsuj.