5 Best Anime to Watch on Mental Health and Depression Issues in 2024!

Currently there are a number of films or series available anime which has a theme of depression that describes the life of a character.

There have been many anime series or films that present the problems of characters experiencing depression and how they deal with feelings of trauma and treat depression.

Therefore, this mental health issue often becomes a topic of conversation and problems that occur in society, so this is adapted for a film version or anime series.

This anime film or series will provide lessons and solutions that need to be taken when they are experiencing poor mental health.

Don't worry because this article will discuss several lists of the best anime in 2024 which present mental health issues and depression as a solution to these problems.

Also read: The Most Popular Anime Genres, Which is Your Favorite?

List of Anime on Mental Health & Depression Issues

The following is a list of the best anime about mental health and depression in 2024 that you can watch when you are confused!

Neon Genesis Evangelion

One of the manga that has been adapted into an anime series with the theme of mental health and depression issues comes from the title Neon Genesis Evangelion by Hediaki Anno and produced by Gainax and Tatsunoko Productions.

This Mecha, Post-Apocalyptic, Psychology, Drama and Science-Fiction (Sci-Fi) genre anime aired on October 4, 1995 – March 27, 1996, consisting of 26 episodes.

Neon Genesis Evangelion tells a post-apocalyptic story set in Tokyo 3 facing a mysterious attack from giant creatures called Angels who attack the earth and humans on earth.

Shinji Ikari as a teenager who was ordered by his father to become an Evangelion Pilot to attack the Angels.

There he formed an organization called NERV to create a giant machine operated by Shinji Ikari.

During their journey, Shinji and the other pilots are experiencing internal problems in fighting the Angels and have difficulty knowing Eva's history and human position.

As the main character, Shinji Ikari suffered from uncertainty, being trapped and having difficulty communicating.

Both of her friends, Rei and Asuka, also experienced mental health problems where they felt emotionally unstable.

Overall, Neon Genesis Evangelion presents a story related to the traumatic impact of war, sadness due to being left behind by loved ones and the inner conflicts that arise within the characters.

Colorful

For recommendations for the best anime with mental health issues including depression, namely films anime Colorful.

This film is adapted from the novel with the same title by Eto Mori and produced by Ascension and Sunrise animation studios.

The genre of this Colorful film is Drama, Slice of Life and Supernatural which was broadcast on August 21 2010 with a duration of 127 minutes in Japan.

This Colorful anime film tells the story of a spirit who is reincarnated after death. This spirit lives in the body of a teenager named Makoto Kobayashi who has just committed suicide.

This spirit needs to study the challenges faced by the teenager so that he knows why he committed suicide.

In terms of mental health and depression, this film has themes that are quite heavy to watch, such as problems of despair, life pressure and social isolation.

This story takes place in Makoto Kobayashi who feels lost and estranged from his family while facing serious problems in his life.

Apart from that, Makoto Kobayashi also carried out a mental recovery process to recover from his very poor mental health.

Also read: 5 Recommended Sad Anime Films 2023, Will Make You Cry Brutally!

Welcome to the NHK

The third anime recommendation about mental health issues and depression comes from the title Welcome to the NHK which is adapted from the novel with the same title by Tatsuhiko Takimoto.

The Welcome to the NHK anime is of the Comedy, Drama, Psychology, Romance and Slice of Life genre, produced by Studio Gonzo, which aired from 9 July – 17 December 2006, totaling 24 episodes.

Welcome to the NHK tells the story of Tatsuhiro Sato, a 22 year old Hikikomori (Anti-Social Person in Japan).

He is also a NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) who isolates himself from the social environment and there is one reason why he lives like that.

At a time like that, he met a strange girl who was quite popular with everyone, namely Misaki Nakahara who took the initiative to help him get out of his comfort zone.

There Misaki Nakahara compiled several healing programs that Tatsuhiro Sato had to follow in order to change him.

In terms of mental health and depression, Welcome to the NHK presents elements of depression, anxiety, social isolation, fear, life difficulties and confusion experienced by Tatsuhiro Sato.

Of course, from this anime we can also see that someone can recover from mental health problems and recover from depression in their life.

March Comes in Like a Lion

As a recommendation for the next anime series regarding mental health issues and depression, it comes from the title March Comes in Like a Lion.

Initially, March Comes in Like a Lion was produced as a manga version by Chica Umino until it was produced as a serial version, totaling 44 episodes with 2 seasons.

March Comes in Like a Lion was produced by Studio Shaft which broadcast it on 8 October 2016 – 31 March 2018 with the genres Drama, Slice of Life and Game.

The story focuses on the life of Rei Kiriyama, a Shogi (Japanese Chess) professional with an introverted personality who wants to develop his Shogi potential and skills.

Even though Rei Kiriyama is very talented at playing Shogi, he still has difficulty interacting with his friends because he still feels traumatized after losing his family in an accident.

He was accompanied by his three siblings, namely Akari, Hinata, and Momo, to help him cure his psychological and emotional problems.

The anime March Comes in Like a Lion presents elements of mental health and depression, as well as healing trauma and difficulties in understanding oneself.

Rei Kiriyama is required to recover from her trauma, have the courage to interact with people and cure her mental illness, accompanied by her friends who are very supportive of her, thus making her enthusiastic again.

Orange

The best recommendation for anime with mental health and depression issues comes from the anime series entitled Orange.

Orange was released on July 2 2016 in Japan by TMS Entertainment with 13 episodes in the genres Drama, Romance, School, Shoujo (Teenage Girls) and Science-Fiction (Sci-Fi).

The story focuses on a high school student named Naho Takamiya. He receives a letter from his future self.

In the letter, instructions and warnings are given to prevent the death of his friend, Kakeru Naruse.

Together with his friends, he tries to change his future based on the rules in the letter.

Of course, this anime presents quite deep elements of depression, which presents feelings of guilt, loss and difficulty expressing feelings.

Kakeru Naruse himself felt depressed after losing someone he loved and he tried to recover from his depression.

From Orange we also learned how social relationships, friendship and love have a big impact on a person's mental health condition and this also needs to find a healing solution in the presence of people with positive energy around us.

Also read: 5 Best Legal Anime Watch Sites and Indo Sub!

So, that's information about the 5 best anime films and series with elements of mental health and depression that you can watch later.

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