Other than exercise and occasional trips to the outside world, anime is a great way to keep your mind engaged when you’re sitting at home – but not just any anime. Many shows take ages to setup the story, or have too little energy to rouse your bored spirit. You’ll lose interest in no time and go back to staring at the ceiling – now with boring anime in the background. To save you the time and trouble of trying show after show until you find one that clicks, let me recommend my favorite shows to ward off boredom.
25. The World God Only Knows
Genre: Harem, Comedy, Romance Length: 36 Eps. Studio: Manglobe If you like smart characters like Death Note’s Light Yagami and Code Geass’ Lelouch but don’t want to watch a “serious” show right now, consider The World God Only Knows. Protagonist Keima Katsuragi is one of those big-brain types, whose surprisingly complex plans never seem to fail. He’s also a hardcore dating sim otaku. Each girl he tries to seduce with his dating sim knowledge is endearing for one reason or another. Keima’s journey is energizing, from a somewhat asocial gamer, to someone who can really connect with others at a personal level.
24. Toradora!
Genre: Romantic Comedy, Slice-of-Life Length: 25 Eps. Studio: J.C. Staff Romance is rarely the fastest way to stop being bored, since traditionally romantic anime takes several episodes to build up each character and make you care about the relationship. Toradora! overcomes this hurdle by injecting copious amounts of exquisite comedy into its narrative. Once it has your attention, it takes its sweet time developing the plot (and romance between the main characters) while continuing to lay down the jokes at every turn. Ryuji and Taiga’s unorthodox romance will also strike an emotional chord with many viewers.
23. Slayers
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Comedy Length: 78 Eps. Studio: E&G Films I’ve never been one to recommend older shows, as the time barrier is often too great for modern viewers. But if you want something that’ll entertain you like Saturday-morning cartoons used to, Slayers is a must-watch. This show is like a real-life Dungeons & Dragons campaign where the Game Master tries to weave a serious story while the adventuring band goes around being absolute goofballs. There’s an overarching plot somewhere around here. But the hilarious misadventures of Lina Inverse and her band of RPG stereotypes are what keep us coming back.
22. Daily Lives of High School Boys
Genre: Comedy, Slice of Life Length: 12 Eps. Studio: Sunrise This gag anime hinges on boys’ shared experiences as they begin to understand themselves and encounter the usual array of experiences that make up adolescence. What makes it so good is how the show weaves these relatable situations into hilarious sketches. The show is pure, unadulterated comedy, with just the slightest tinge of high school nostalgia.
21. Cromartie High School
Genre: Comedy Length: 26 Eps. Studio: Production I.G. Cromartie High School is a pure comedy set in a school full of “yankii” boys – a classic type of Japanese student delinquents that dress like Kujo Jotaro from Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders. Some of the students are such hardcore delinquents, they’re not even human. There are robots, gorillas, and literally Freddie Mercury. This setting is fertile ground for rapid-fire humor that’ll take your mind off of your own problems and banish boredom for good.
20. Cowboy Bebop
Genre: Neo-noir, Space Western, Sci-Fi Length: 26 Eps. Studio: Sunrise An oldie but goody that’ll hit the spot in a boring day is Cowboy Bebop – a jazzy cyberpunk space adventure following the coolest space bounty hunter crew ever animated. Spike, Jet, Faye, and Ed are all deep characters, and the show takes the time to explore each one of them, their issues, and the past that inevitably comes back to bite them. Even after humankind colonizes space, our nature remains the same. The beautiful art direction and fluid animation are also highlights. Really, the sheer quality of this anime has helped it age wonderfully.
19. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Genre: Dark Fantasy, Adventure, Steampunk Length: 64 Eps. Studio: Bones An important part of boredom is the feeling of not caring one bit about anything around you. If you want a show that’ll make you get deeply invested in its narrative and characters, FMA: Brotherhood is the one to watch. The anime’s first few episodes are fantastic at introducing the Elric brothers and making you fall in love with them – but the show never stops adding on to that. What sets FMA: Brotherhood apart from similar anime is the incredibly human characters and their unique motivations that make them come alive for us.
18. Psycho-Pass
Genre: Crime, Cyberpunk, Psychological Thriller Length: 41 Eps. Studio: Production I.G. If you’re one of those people who can’t look away from the screen whenever Criminal Minds or The Ted Bundy Tapes is playing, Psycho-Pass is certain to capture your attention. The show has several arcs dedicated to different deviant criminals with complex backstories and motivations explored at length during Akane Tsunemori’s investigation. They’re wicked, disturbed, and reflect the dark shadows cast by society.
17. Re:Zero – Starting Life in Another World
Genre: Dark Fantasy, Adventure Length: 46 Eps. + OVAs Studio: White Fox The “transported to another world” genre has grown exponentially during the last decade. In a world with so many Isekai anime, it takes something unique to really rise above the competition. Re:Zero aims at grasping that unique spark by being an “Isekai gone wrong”. Where other reborn heroes are blessed with magic powers, Subaru is cursed. You’d think having “checkpoints” in life would be great. But when you’re actually experiencing a horrible and painful death each time, it can become a nightmare.
16. Sword Art Online
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Length: 96 Eps. + OVAs Studio: A-1 Pictures People love to dunk on SAO for making Kirito too overpowered, and not having the best-written story in the world. But those problems aren’t all that noticeable before the second season, and even then, the show remains profoundly entertaining. The show presents us with a world where VR games have reached a realism and immersion level that makes them nigh-indistinguishable from reality. It’s what gamers dream about at night. In the first season, there’s always a new area to explore, a new boss to defeat or a new girl for Kirito to “inadvertently” woo – and as the show progresses into further seasons, new villains, conflicts, and game worlds are introduced non-stop.
15. K-On!
Genre: Comedy, Slice of Life, Musical Length: 39 Eps. + 2 OVAs Studio: Kyoto Animation The first time I heard about K-On!, I wasn’t convinced. An all-girls band having cake and tea? How was that supposed to be entertaining? How wrong I was. K-On! turned out to be a hit. It’s a coming-of-age story about making friends and self-actualization delivered by an endearing cast of adorable anime girls drawn in the most soft-looking, fluffy art-style KyoAni could come up with. K-On! is one of those shows that get better and better with each episode. If you’ve only seen one and it didn’t capture you, give it a couple more.
14. KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World
Genre: Comedy, Adventure, Fantasy Length: 20 Eps. + OVAs Studio: Deen Comedy is the natural enemy of boredom. If you’re looking for something that’ll make you laugh out loud for sure, KonoSuba is worth a try. This parody of isekai anime has fun mocking classic RPG mechanics and fantasy tropes through a colorful cast of hilariously flawed characters. Sure, the animation quality is all over the place. With some scenes looking fantastic while others mimic abstract art. But since it’s a show that doesn’t take itself too seriously, I don’t really mind.
13. Steins;Gate
Genre: Psychological Thriller, Sci-Fi, Comedy Length: 24 Eps. + OVA Studio: White Fox Everyone likes a good time travel plot. And Steins;Gate does a fantastic job of mixing that with delicious drama and off-beat comedy. Much like Re: Zero’s Subaru, Steins; Gate’s Rintaro Okabe learns that fate isn’t easily changed. Even if you could re-do the same day an infinite amount of times, there are some things you couldn’t control. The show explores each of its characters in-depth during character arcs that also advance the story. They’re an endearing and deeply memorable cast you’ll remember years after watching the show.
12. Parasyte -The Maxim-
Genre: Horror Thriller, Body Horror, Sci-Fi Length: 24 Eps. Studio: Madhouse There’s nothing quite like an intense thriller to rescue your mind from the depths of boredom. Lucky for you, it takes less than a minute to fire-up Netflix and play Parasyte -The Maxim-. This fantastic sci-fi story about a parasitic lifeform that turns humans into grotesque killing machines ends up being a surprisingly deep story about what makes someone “human”. You get the cool fights and the deep philosophical themes, all in one convenient package.
11. Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion
Genre: Mecha, Military, Thriller Length: 50 Eps. Studio: Sunrise I’m not an intellectual or anything of the sort. But I tend to get bored when my brain isn’t working up a sweat. If you’re like me, consider watching Code Geass. This show follows a big-brain exiled prince as he rebels against the Brittanian Empire after receiving the Power of Kings – a “Geass” that lets him control others without their knowing. Throughout the series, protagonist Lelouch will use his superior intellect to manipulate and deceive everyone around him – as if playing a game of chess. Watching his plans play out is exhilarating. And trying to figure out what’s going to happen next is an intense mental workout.
10. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
Genre: Dark Fantasy, Adventure Length: 26 Eps. Studio: Ufotable Demon Slayer is one of the anime I’ve seen turn more people into die-hard anime fans. If it can change someone’s entire outlook on anime, I’m sure it can stave off boredom as well. The show features lovable characters with fantastic design and very different personalities. Their fighting styles and what they bring to a fight are also completely different, making every fight against a demon entirely new and exciting. These differences in fighting styles are also reflected by the show’s visual effects, which use a mixture of CGI and historical Japanese painting styles to create an awe-inspiring display whenever a special move is unleashed.
9. Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works
Genre: Fantasy, Battle Shounen Length: 26 Eps. Studio: Ufotable Getting into the famous Fate franchise is a sure-fire way to stave off boredom for at least a couple of weeks. You might end up obsessively tracking down every single shred of animated content, or spending hundreds of dollars in the Grand Order gacha. But before you do any of that, you need to watch Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works. Not only is it a fantastic show with gorgeous animation and exciting battles, but it’ll introduce you to all the basic concepts like the Holy Grail War, heroic spirits, and servant-master relationships in a way that’s fun and easy to follow.
8. My Hero Academia
Genre: Super-hero Fantasy, Adventure Length: 88 Eps. Studio: Bones There’s no need to be bored anymore. Why? Because All-Might has arrived! My Hero Academia is one of the safest bets when it comes to killing boredom. It’s the perfected shounen anime, with a perfect balance between exciting battles, inspiring character-building, and the cutest super-hero gals. It’ll introduce you to an enticing world where everyone has a “Quirk” or super-power, and spend the next few seasons exploring the consequences of such a society through the characters that live in it – whether they’re heroes, or villains.
7. Food Wars!
Genre: Cooking, Comedy, Slice of Life Length: 86 Eps. + OVAs Studio: J.C. Staff Most shounen anime focuses on fighting, and a few change the violence for sports. But would you ever have imagined a battle anime about cooking? Food Wars! was a ball out of the left-field for me. But it’s one that re-ignited my love for competitive shounen anime. Yukihira’s cooking duels are just as riveting as any fight to the death in Baki or One Piece – and the endless stream of anime food porn was almost overwhelming. Be careful, though. This show just won’t let you go until you’ve watched the entire thing – and you may become convinced challenging your friends to food wars is a good idea.
6. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
Genre: Action, Fantasy, Comedy Length: 31 Eps. + OVAs Studio: 8bit Rimuru was reborn into this fantasy world as a slime with an oddly durable body and the ability to absorb other creatures’ powers for himself. He’s kinda like a blue Kirby – and much like the pink blob, Rimuru’s power is in a league of its own. But this show isn’t just about Rimuru’s slow creep toward invincibility. It’s about the colorful cast he surrounds himself with as he carves a place for himself in the world – ripe with cute anime girls and bad-ass warriors converted by his kindness (and near-invincibility). This show is basically Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain if it was a medieval fantasy anime.
5. Kill la Kill
Genre: Action, Comedy, Magical Girl Length: 24 Eps. Studio: Trigger If you’re extremely bored and having trouble focusing on anything, a non-stop barrage of bad-ass fights, visual gags, and gratuitous fan-service might be what you need. Studio Trigger’s fantastic magical girl show features the same brand of off-beat humor and experimental animation we’ve come to expect from this well-loved studio. The exciting action, the moving emotional scenes, and Mako Mankanshoku’s rapid-fire comic relief are delivered at breakneck speeds.
4. Haikyuu!!
Genre: Sports, Coming-of-Age, Comedy Length: 85 Eps. + OVAs Studio: Production I.G. When you’re cooped up at home, bored out of your mind, and wasting away due to your low physical activity, an energetic and vigorous show like Haikyuu!! can help get the blood flowing. It’s an exciting shonen focused on volleyball rather than battles – though these matches feel no less intense than any duel to the death. As you get into the show and build rapport with the Karasuno High volleyball team, every one of their serves or blocks carries the weight of their past experiences. By the end of the show you really feel like everything is on the line.
3. Nichijou
Genre: Surreal Comedy, Slice of Life Length: 26 Eps. Studio: Kyoto Animation Nichijou’s concept is a simple one – cute girls doing funny things. Thanks to KyoAni’s flawless execution and visual creativity, this relatively common concept becomes an extraordinary comedy. The show manages to make the most mundane situations hilarious, epic, or both at the same time. It has a very nice brand of off-beat humor, and some action scenes that rival the best battle or sports shonen anime. Add to that a fantastic & colorful cast, and sprinkle love and friendship on top to create a side-splitting but wholesome show that’ll warm your heart and train work abs at the same time.
2. Attack on Titan
Genre: Action, Dark Fantasy, Mystery Length: 60+ Studio: Wit Studio + MAPPA Attack on Titan has proven to be almost as addictive and widely appealing as Game of Thrones – which is a lot to say when it comes to anime. These shows are close in their willingness to kill off the main cast, along with the general hopelessness of the situation their characters must face. This makes the viewer feel like the stakes are real, as no positive outcome is guaranteed at any point. The mystery element of the show is also a highlight.
1. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
Genre: Fantasy, Supernatural, Adventure Length: 152 Eps. Studio: David Production Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is one of those shows where you can’t look away, or you’ll miss the next great thing. Every character and situation is completely bizarre. But you’ll still be drawn in by the unique personalities and unusual character designs created by manga author Hirohiko Araki. The anime covers the first five parts of the series, which present a new cast and setting every time. If you don’t like one, you can skip to the next – you’re bound to find a Jojo that captures your attention. And you can come back to re-watch it once you’re a fully developed Jojo fan. If you love epic and inspiring combat anime, but can’t handle another generic mainstream series, Jojo is the way to go.
