Anime series are mostly based around fantasy worlds! Whenever we hear the word anime, we usually think of quirky animated characters, generous touch of magic, adventure, epic fight scenes, and dynamic graphic effects. But hey there, not all anime series are based around fantasy lands. You will be surprised to know that some anime series also revolve around real-life glimpses! The anime world is filled with crazy stories, some are based on imagination while some are also based on historical facts. So what are we waiting for? Let’s not delay any further and quickly jump onto the main discussion of the day.
Top 10 Anime Based On Real Life
Looking for some intriguing anime series? Bored of magic worlds and crazy Demon activities? Are you searching for anime series based on real-life scenarios? Well, hey there, say bye to your boredom period as these anime series will surely charge you up again. No, we are not discussing the reel world, but today our main focus solely sticks to the real world. There are numerous anime series out there that are based on the normal reality of life and we would love to analyze 10 of these. On popular demand, here are the top 10 anime series that truly centers around real-life events.
10. Grave Of The Fireflies
Let’s start the segment with Grave Of The Fireflies! This anime is not exactly based on a real-life story but we can surely say that the human emotions depicted in this film truly moved our hearts. This epic anime film is based on a semi-autobiographical short story penned by Akiyuki Nasaka. This story revolves around two young siblings, named Seita and Setsuko. We will see how this duo becomes each other’s support system. They have recently lost their mother and are still processing their grief for their mother. It all starts with the brutal bombing which happened at the end of World War II.
The story narrates to us what the aftermath of war looks like. After losing their mother, Setsuko becomes a victim of malnutrition. In this critical situation, Seita has to be strong, he must do everything possible to keep her sister alive. The bond between the brother and sister truly touched our hearts. World War II destroyed many lives out there and this film shows us how the war affected the lives of common people. The cruel aftermath of the war, the upside-down lives of the victims, everything has been drafted exceptionally well in this anime film. Grave of the Fireflies will surely make you emotional!
9. Ulysses: Jeanne D’Arc And The Alchemist Knight
Not only this anime series revolved around the greatest historical wars of all time, but the main character of the anime, Jeanne d’Arc was also based upon a real-life historical figure. The popular anime series, Jeanne d’Arc and the Alchemist Knight has got a massive fanbase out there. The story revolves around Montmorency, a young alchemist who is on a mission to find a very special and highly sacred philosopher stone. Luckily he managed to find the stone but the main story starts when he comes across Jeanne d’Arc, that’s when the anime took a 360-degree turn. With the help of the stone, the Alchemist saves Jeanne d’Arc and upon learning about her goals, he promises to protect her life as long as she vows to protect France! This epic anime series truly pulls off some of the drastic events which took place during the Hundred Years’ War. The main character of the anime, Jeanne d’Arc is based on Joan of Arc, who happens to be among the popular historical figures from the Anglo-French Wars. She played a very active role in the Hundred Years War and is still remembered in the age-old history of France.
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8. The Rose of Versailles
A classic anime tale that is based around the French Revolution of 1789, The Rose of Versailles truly impressed us a lot. The way this anime holds up to some of the historical events which took place during one of the greatest revolutions of all time not only surprised us, but we were also highly stunned by the various twists and turns incorporated in the tale. This anime tale revolves around Oscar Francois de Jarjayes, a girl who was brought up as a man. She was never treated as a male, but rather always encouraged to be strong and fearless. Her father is the leader of the Palace Guards and she must be ready to fill up his position. But as we dig deep into this epic tale, we will see how Oscar starts empathizing with the people involved in the French Revolution! She no longer feels joy in her lavish life but rather wants to be a rebel, someone who will do everything possible to change the dynamics of society!
7. The Wind Rises
Coming to another epic anime film of all time, The Wind Rises! As per records, this happens to be the highest-grossing Japanese film of 2013. This film is dedicated to Jiro Horikoshi. Yes, you heard it right, we are about to see how this iconic historical figure played a very crucial role in World War II. You must be thinking about who this iconic man is and how he is related to World War II, well let us give you a bit more details about him. He happens to be an extraordinary aircraft designer who designed the Mitsubishi A5M fighter plane! Not only the original version but the upgraded version of the same was also designed by him. Both of these epic fighter jets were used by Japan in World War II. The anime film, How Jiro Horikoshi designed the plane, how he became part of World War II, how he gained a reputation in Japanese history, everything has been beautifully enumerated in this epic anime film.
6. Tokyo Magnitude 8.0
The epic anime series, Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 aired somewhere in 2009, and the story of this anime series, the whole idea behind the show shocked us a lot. This happens to be the first anime series based on extensive scientific research! The creator of the show predicted that a forthcoming earthquake will soon hit Tokyo and that the country must be ready to face the consequences of the attack. The anime series depicts the tale of two siblings, Mirai and Yuki, and a single mother named Mari!
The show starts with a massive earthquake which left people homeless and devastated! As the story moves forward, we will see how these three will get stuck in a region of Tokyo. They want to go back home, and they want to meet their loved ones but the earthquake has truly shattered apart Tokyo! With this anime, the creator tried to tell the whole of Japan that in the upcoming 30 years, a massive earthquake might happen in Tokyo. He guessed the earthquake might come with a magnitude of 7.0. You won’t believe this but his estimations turned out to be true. After almost 2 years, in 2011, a destructible earthquake occurred in Tokyo which came with a magnitude of 9.0.
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5. Welcome To The NHK
Ever heard of the term, Hikikomori? Well, if you have binged Welcome to the NHK from the beginning, then you already know by now what we are talking about! When a person is called a Hikikomori, it means that he or she likes to live a lonely life, they don’t enjoy others’ company, and spend time alone in depression and anxiety! “Welcome To The NHK” introduces us to Tatsuhiro Sato, just another Hikikomori! He happens to be a university dropout who is mostly captured, lonely and sad. He mostly avoids people but his life was about to change soon.
Little did he know that fortune had planned something else for him. This brings us to Misaki Nakahara, the only person who realized that Sato is ill and that’s when she decided to bring him out of his high-end depressed life! You will be highly surprised to see how Misaki’s friendship brings out the best in Sato! You might be wondering how this story is connected to reality. Well, this anime series is based on a conspiracy theory out there. It all starts with the popular Japanese TV Network, named NHK. Many people claimed that the channel happens to be the main reason behind the sudden increase of Hikikomori individuals! In an exclusive interview, the creator, Tatsuhiko Takimoto revealed that the anime revolves around his personal life. Being a Hikikomori himself, he knows how difficult it might get for some innocent individuals out there!
4. Gintama
Another famous anime of all time happens to be Gintama. You might wonder how Gintama appears in this list, but guess what some of the events which have been portrayed in this epic series were based on historical incidents! The story of Gintama revolves around Gintoki, a freelancer who is accompanied by his subordinates Kagura & Shinpachi! They work mainly to earn money for a decent living but things changed when aliens invaded Japan. To help out the people of Japan, they decided to work along with the police force present in Gintama. The trio joins hands with Shinsengumi. You will be surprised to know that Shinsengumi is inspired by a special police force named Mibu Roshigumi! It seems like the anime series took us back to the Shogunate period in Japan. That’s not all, many members of the police force have gained their names for great historical icons like Konda Isao and Hijikita Toshiro. Even the main protagonist of the series, Sakata Gintoki has been named after the legendary folk hero of Japan, named Sakata Kintoki. Moreover, the series also narrates the story of the famous Ikedaya incident! All in all, Gintama is surely worth binging once.
3. Vinland Saga
Let’s go back to ancient England, the time when the country was under the control of Danish invaders. Yes, you guessed it right, we are talking about the Vikings! Vinland Saga happens to be among the most interesting anime series out there. The historical anime series is based upon 1013 AD England when King Cnut the Great rose to power. From The Saga of Erik the Red to The Saga of the Greenlanders, every little detail of the epic historical events has been fine-tuned in this dynamic anime series. That’s not all, the anime also takes us through the epic tale of Flateyjarbók.
The anime series mainly revolves around a young boy named Thorfinn who sets out on a revenge journey. His father was murdered brutally by Askeladd and he will do everything possible to complete his revenge mission. All the warriors portrayed in the anime series are based on real-life Vikings. The way the anime series narrates some of the historical facts which happened in 11th-century England truly took us by surprise. Vinland Saga was highly acclaimed by the audience out there and surely deserves a place on your binge list.
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2. Yasuke
Next on our list happens to be Yasuke! This anime series tells us the story of Yasuke, who was once a great warrior of Japan. We are traveling back to the 16th century. This epic anime series is now available on Netflix and we suggest you should at least watch it once. Yasuke happens to be the first African Samurai who is still remembered in the history of Japan. One of his biggest achievements was to serve under Japan’s first ‘Great Unifier’ Oda Nobunaga! All the events explained in this anime series occurred during the Sengoku period! The series takes us through the greatest controversy of all time, the samurai conflict.
Yasuke happens to be the greatest Ronin of that time and in this heated situation, he was the one who was pulling his team together. His main goal is to maintain peace among his comrades and the people of the community. But the situation became worse than we imagined, a local village soon turns out to be the deadliest battleground and in this crisis, Yasuke takes up his sword! All hustle done is to save the mysterious kid whose life is in danger. It seems like the kid has come under the hit list of dark forces and ferocious warlords. Can Yasuke save this kid? To know the answer to this question, watch the whole story of Yasuke, exclusively just on Netflix.
1. Steins;Gate
Last but not least is Steins;Gate, an extraordinary sci-fi anime series that not only impressed us with its unique plot but we were also amazed by the complex characters of the series. Who would believe that Rintaro Okabe is based on a real-life character? Yes, this might be a shocking truth for you but the anime stresses upon a man who claimed himself to be a time traveler. This anime series starts with a mad group of scientists who unintentionally discovered a method to connect themselves with ancient times. Guess what, this group found a unique app, through which one can go back in time, or should we say they can message back in time? Yes, the messaging app happens to be the center of attention here!
As you dig deep into this anime tale, you will see how this group will try to connect themselves with Kurisu Makise. It seems like they want to make him alive again. The legendary neuroscientist is long gone but this group of crazy science experts is about to do some drastic modifications to the timeline! As per our studies, the main protagonist of the anime, Rintaro Okabe depicts the story of John Tutor who became highly famous in the year 2000. As per our analysis, this man claimed that he originally belongs to the year 2036. That’s not all, through multiple online platforms, he also reached out to many common individuals out there. Moreover, he also claimed that a terrific World War and a Nuclear fallout might occur shortly and people should be prepared for the drastic days to come.
Top 10 Anime Based On Real Life – FAQs
Both of these anime series hold different types of stories! Both are set around French culture, but as per the IMDb ratings, The Rose Of Versailles has been loved more by the audience out there.
As per our studies, all of the anime series presented above are available online. You can search for these on Crunchyroll, Prime Video, and Netflix.
Yes, most of these anime series can be viewed with English subtitles.
As per our estimates, both of these epic historical anime series have got more or less the same amount of ratings out there. If you are looking for a romantic anime tale, then you should go for The Wind Rises, while if you want to watch epic fight scenes, then Yasuke can be on your binge list.
No, the blockbuster anime series, Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is not adapted from a manga series.
Yes, the anime series, Welcome to the NHK is based on a novel series penned by Tatsuhiko Takimoto.
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