four main points: ambitious goals; growth mindset; persevering through failure; education and inspiration.

Ambitious goals:
One thing I appreciate about anime is the experience of watching a character set ambitious goals. Most of my favorite shows feature protagonists who stand out from because of their drive to achieve and improve. Take, for example, Luffy from “One Piece,” who openly declares his ambition to become the king of pirates. Sometimes he gets into fights purely because of his goal, but other times he inspires supporters for life. These types of interactions and exploration of ambition are often neglected in other mainstream media, but it’s one of the main things that keeps me watching.

Growth mindset:
I also appreciate the growth mindset that I see in many of my favorite anime. Witnessing characters face failures and setbacks in front of others, all to risk growing and succeeding, gives me courage to do that in my own experiences. I’ll always remember my first experience watching the Dragon Ball Z arc with the first use of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, which allows those who enter it to experience a year’s worth of training in just one day. Seeing the characters grow so much in that intense period inspired me to more seriously think about training. It also reminded me of my experiences with gymnastics, a sport where most competitive teams undergo extremely intense and painful training. Especially because looking back, I always appreciated the strength and mobility I gained from my training early on.

Persevering through failure:
Closely related to a growth mindset, another aspect of anime that I appreciate is witnessing characters persevere through failure. Growing up, my environment taught me that failure was something terrible to be avoided at all costs. For the longest time, I believed that even if it was my first attempt at something, I should feel awful if I failed. One of the shows that early on exposed me to the benefits of failure was Naruto. I still frequently reflect on the arc where he learns the Rasengan. Naruto was consistently portrayed as not the smartest character, so when he had to learn this incredibly complex technique, he encountered numerous obstacles. The combination of the training arc lasting 10-15 grueling episodes with the visible frustration seen in Naruto as he trained left a lasting impression in my mind of what it truly means to surpass your limits. Sure, the payoff of successfully executing the Rasengan was significant, but to me, the more valuable lesson was the journey it took to learn it.

Education and Inspiration:
I recently learned that people are drawn to consumption generally for three main reasons: education entertainment and inspiration. Growing up, I noticed that many TV shows and movies that I watched focused primarily on entertainment, offering little in terms of education or inspiration. This is also why I like anime, because many of my favorite shows generally a better balance of the 3. A prime example is “Haikyuu!!,” a show centered around volleyball, a sport I previously had no interest in. However, as I followed the characters’ journey, I discovered a newfound appreciation for the sport. The show not only educates viewers about volleyball but also showcases relatable character their own ambitions and weaknesses. Haikyuu is a major reason I realized I wanted more educational and inspirational content instead of mostly entertainment.