The best anime that explores social anxiety

Key things

• Some anime provide compelling portrayals of social anxiety through memorable stories and relatable characters.
• Featured series like My Roommate is a Cat and Hitori Bocchi explore social anxiety with hope and a touch of comedy.
• Shows like March Comes Like a Lion and A Silent Voice delve deep into anxiety and depression with uncomfortable but beautiful storytelling.

The great thing about anime is that it allows the narrators to talk about any subject and the medium of animation means that there is a clarity and fluidity to it that can make it even more impressive.

Social anxiety is a phenomenon that has been growing in the world recently, and it is a topic that has its fair share of media coverage. Anime is another medium that has delved deep into social anxiety, and viewers have some really great examples to choose from. Here are some of the best anime that explore social anxiety.

10 My Roommate Is A Cat

A struggling author gets some furry help

Subaru is an introverted author who struggles with social anxiety. However, things took a turn for the worse when he lost his loving parents in a car accident, which meant he was not only withdrawn, but also alone with no one to talk to.

He accidentally finds a stray cat named Haru and adopts it. The two slowly begin to understand each other. Because of Haru, Subaru slowly begins to open up to others and they show him kindness in return. The theme of social anxiety is prominent in it My roommate is a catand it is not trivialized in any way. My Roommate Is A Cat they may have a somewhat heavy premise, but they are very sound watches.

9 Hitori Bocchi's OO Lifestyle

Hitori Bocchi wants to be friends with everyone

Social anxiety can be very difficult to overcome and in many cases sufferers continue to suffer without facing their anxiety. Hitori Bocchi it has a much more hopeful tone as it was taken from the 4-koma manga which is usually played for gags. Bocchi has crippling social anxiety, but she also has the goal of becoming friends with everyone in her class at her new school.

There are a lot of gags and her social anxiety gets involved, but the anime never overdoes it. As a character, Bocchi is lovely and the dynamic she begins to create with her new classmates and eventually friends sets a very hopeful tone.

8 Kimi Ni Todoke: From me to you

A little support can go a long way

At its core, social anxiety is a problem with communication. Difficulty not being able to understand people around and vice versa. Here is such a story From me to you it really settles down. The show, which follows the growth of Sawako Kuronuma, is quite popular, having three animated seasons and even a live-action adaptation.

The story shows that if one can just take a step forward, good things can come out of it. Sawako, who is socially awkward but a kind soul, manages to befriend two of her classmates, who begin to support her. Predominantly a romantic anime, Sawako must begin to find ways to overcome the barriers that may cause her communication problems, especially when her hopes of being close to her crush are threatened.

7 A special taxi

A true hidden gem that offers a unique perspective on anxiety

2021 A special taxi was truly an anime gem that few appreciated until later. It represented as Beastarsanthropomorphic animals and followed a mystery involving a missing girl.

Social anxiety in A special taxi it's not necessarily shoved in the viewer's face, and without going into spoilers, some may come to appreciate the social anxiety the characters have to deal with, especially the protagonist Odokawa. The central mystery really pulls the viewer in, and once the viewer is hooked, the story won't let go.

6 WataMote: No matter how I look at it, you guys are to blame, I'm not popular!

Very uncomfortable watch

Watamote not for everyone; it can be quite difficult to follow. Some call it cringe, while others might say it's painfully honest. Watamote is about Tomoko, an unpopular girl who wants to become popular at her new high school, but with her extreme clumsiness, it's never easy for her.

A problem some may have Watamote it's how bad it can be for its protagonist. A shy girl who is perhaps a bit naive when it comes to social interactions is brutally investigated in this show and her lack of self-awareness doesn't help much.

5 March comes like a lion

An uncomfortable look into anxiety and depression

March comes like a lion is a story that focuses on a shogi prodigy, Rei Kiriyama, who lost his entire family in an accident and also had to move out of his foster home because it was an unsuitable environment for someone so young and precocious.

The story allows viewers to see the inner workings of Kiriyama as he struggles with loss, a potential career, and the kindness shown to him by the Kawamoto sisters. With their help, Kiriyama starts to face big problems in his life. Kiriyama's struggle with anxiety and depression is studied without being overwhelming. March comes like a lion it can be uncomfortable, but in that discomfort it shows true beauty.

4 Neon Genesis Evangelion

Documents Shinji's struggle to connect

Neon Genesis Evangelion isn't the first anime that comes to mind when you think of social anxiety. The show's loud noises, goofs, and global calamity can distract from what is actually a very personal story.

Shinji Ikari's match Evangelion is one of the connections. As someone who was more or less abandoned by his father and his mother died, Shinji suffers from a fear of really getting to know people. The show's controversial ending further delves into this idea, and it's no secret that director Hideaki Anno struggled with depression, which had a major impact on this work.

3 Bocchi The Rock!

The sleeper hit of 2022

Bocchi The Rock! When it came out in 2022, it wasn't really in anyone's eyes, but it soon became a worldwide hit as fans fell in love with the great music, relatable characters and most of all, Bocchi herself.

Bocchi's story is similar to most others an anime that tackles social anxiety; it revolves around finding connections, dealing with social anxiety and so on. Bocchi exhibits an almost extreme range of social anxiety. At times, Bocchi's angst can seem like it's being played for laughs, but it never feels mean. Bocchi The Rock! it also has really good music and it's so good that the band from the anime is now performing for real.

2 A quiet voice

Difficulty of redemption

A quiet voice was released in 2016. It is a beautiful film that follows Shouya Ishida, a young high school student who tries to redeem himself from his dark past as a bully. The film questions the idea of ​​redemption, whether it is even possible and whether people can successfully move on from their past and become better people.

As part of this, he also touches on the issue of social anxiety on the part of both Shouya and the girl he bullied, Shouko. Shouko, who is deaf, struggles with her disability and how others around her feel, while Shouya has closed himself off from the world and is afraid to even peer through his metal-walled silo.

1 Welcome to NHK

Satou's struggle with anxiety is all too real

Welcome to NHK was released in 2006 and is about Tatsuhiro Satou, a college dropout who clings to the conspiracy that NHK (Niho Hikikomori Kyokai) is behind his crippling inability to connect with society. However, all that changes when he meets the mysterious Misaki.

Through Saitou's eyes, viewers can understand his anguish. There are those who care for him, but it's hard for Saitou to connect with them. Welcome to NHK he has a very realistic view of things and a lot of optimism that sometimes accompanies such stories, you will not find anywhere here. Saitou struggles and the audience is forced to watch as he struggles to keep his head above water while somehow unable to accept the help offered. Welcome to NHK may seem grim, but it has a fun cast and still holds up pretty well nearly 20 years later.