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While most stories feature characters with interesting goals and motivations in relation to the plot, not every story will focus on its characters’ internal struggles and growth. Stories that focus on internal character struggles are what set them apart as character studies rather than a conventional story that treats its characters only as tools to resolve the story’s main goal.
As a story-telling medium, anime also includes many stories that spend a lot of time developing three-dimensional characters that not only have goals and motivations to serve the plot, but also compelling internal struggles that they need to overcome before they can grow.
10 Character Drama Matters More Than Plot In Cowboy Bebop
Cowboy Bebop is an episodic show, meaning it doesn’t have much of an overarching story and instead focuses on various daily events that happen to the characters throughout the series. If there’s any semblance of continuity or an overarching story in Cowboy Bebop, it’s undoubtedly each character’s individual complexities as they struggle to come to terms with their pasts and life circumstances. Spike Spiegel and the other main characters – and even some characters they run into – all receive special attention when examining their motivations, goals, and personalities.
9 Odd Taxi Picks Apart Its Characters In Great Detail
A majority of the drama in Odd Taxi is specifically centered on its main character, Hiroshi Odokawa, but other characters become just as important over time. Rui Nikaido, Eiji Kakihana, and Taichi Kabasawa are all characters who receive compelling character arcs over the course of the series. Overall, Odd Taxi‘s narrative is interested in examining its characters, why they do the things they do, and whether or not they’ve changed by the end of the series. The murder mystery is mostly an intriguing backdrop to examine the characters.
8 Character Struggles Are Integral To Adachi & Shimamura
Adachi and Shimamura is all about its eponymous characters getting to know each other and developing a close friendship. Where most of the character drama occurs is in Sakura Adachi’s budding romantic feelings for Hogetsu Shimamura, whose relatively innocent nature prevents her from noticing Adachi’s feelings.
Although the series ended on an open note, it sets up the opportunity for another season to explore the wholesome potential yuri romance between its characters. Like Bloom Into You, Adachi and Shimamura is interested in fulfilling its character drama.
7 Nana Purposefully Features Two Completely Different People
Although Nana is on an indefinite hiatus, the material that’s already been released paints an interesting picture of two completely different people with the same name coming together and forging a strong bond. The friendship between Nana Oosaki and Nana Komatsu (lovingly nicknamed “Hachi”) is the central theme of this series, and the plot mostly serves to bring them closer together. Nana and Hachi share their individual heartbreaks and dreams with each other, supporting and comforting one other as only two best friends can.
6 Understanding Others Is Key In Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid
Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid sets up character drama as its entire premise, as the series is mostly about the human Kobayashi learning to live alongside the dragons she’s befriended. Cultural differences between Tohru’s and Kobayashi’s respective worlds is central to the series’ events. The show even goes so far as to juxtapose each dragon against a human counterpart and documents their growing pains as they learn to tolerate and, most importantly, understand one another on even terms.
5 Kodocha Deliberately Explores Preteen Angst In Its Narrative
Although the main characters of Kodomo no Omocha are merely 11 years old at the start, the trauma they’ve experienced is enough to give a fully grown adult a run for their money. Akito Hayama’s mother died giving birth to him, a fact that his older sister is bitter and abusive about. Meanwhile, Sana Kurata was abandoned by her birth mother and adopted by a caring bystander. Kodocha pulls no punches when examining its main cast’s shortcomings and growth, making it a detailed and touching coming-of-age story.
4 Inner Character Motivations Take Center Stage In Perfect Blue
Perfect Blue is one of Satoshi Kon’s most famous works and has cemented itself as a cult classic along with the likes of Neon Genesis Evangelion. Perfect Blue‘s main focus is on the psychological state of its main character, Mima Kirigoe, as she undergoes a transformation from being an idol to a full-fledged actress.
On the side, Perfect Blue also examines broader social reception to celebrity life and the stress it causes celebrities, which neatly ties into the antagonists’ motivations for challenging Mima’s career progress.
3 Love Live! Devotes A Lot Of Time To Fleshing Out Its Characters
Series that have overly simplistic plots often need something to keep viewers engaged, and the Love Live! franchise is no stranger to this rule. In fact, since Love Live! is an idol series, its characters’ goals and motivations are pivotal to drawing in fans. To this end, Love Live! spends most of its time building up character drama and the reasons they choose to be school idols. Love Live! Superstar!! is doing exceptionally well so far in fleshing out its main cast, especially considering the latest episode with Ren Hazuki’s backstory.
2 Exploring The Challenges Of Growing Up Is FLCL’s Biggest Point
The original FLCL is an exceptionally short show with thick themes to get through, which is why it spends a good amount of time examining its characters. The characters who get the most growth in the original FLCL are Naota Nandaba and Eri Ninamori, two elementary-aged children with more in common than they’d like to admit. Naota’s growth is focused on accepting himself instead of worrying about becoming something others want him to be, while Ninamori experiences the trials and tribulations of being a famous person’s daughter.
1 Fruits Basket’s Huge Cast Of Characters Receives Individual Treatment
With a large cast consisting of at least fifteen characters, Fruits Basket has a lot of work to do in fleshing out its characters. Instead of focusing on only a subset of the cast, Fruits Basket delves into each of the cursed Sohmas’ circumstances as Tohru Honda searches for a way to break the Zodiac Curse. Part of breaking the curse involves each Sohma finding out what’s most important to them and having the courage to not only set boundaries but also accept each other’s differences. Meanwhile, Tohru herself manages to properly mourn her mother’s death and move on.
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