Anime From My Childhood

Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, One Piece, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Hunter x Hunter are just a few big titles that most people could probably say they grew up watching and for good reason. Shounen anime are often filled with strong underdog characters who embark on long heroic journeys, and these types of series often inspire the children who grow up watching them. The effect is certainly not lost on adults as well. While I’ve enjoyed a few shounen anime in my time, my elementary and middle school years were filled with shows that may have looked a little different and not necessarily on par with popular shounen. There’s certainly a level of…diversity happening in this list. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed each anime listed. Without further ado, let’s dive right in.

5. Hanamaru Kindergarten

The fondest memories I have of Hanamaru Kindergarten are usually linked to the three main characters who attend the eponymous school: Anzu, Koume, and Hiiragi. The twelve-episode long show follows the adventures of the three kiddos mentioned earlier, and Anzu’s innocent crush on their schoolteacher, Tsuchida, while he vies for the affection of fellow teacher, Yamamoto. This series was one of the earliest encounters I’ve had with the slice-of-life genre, which basically depicts the everyday events that occur within a character’s life without any significant development. While I’m not necessarily the biggest fan of children, there’s something refreshing about watching anime that shows just how much fun and friendship kids have the capacity for. 

4. High School of the Dead

This show is most definitely NOT something I would personally recommend to children. But considering that I grew up on the Internet and developed a love for anime early on in my life, I was bound to happen upon High School of the Dead. If you really know me, then you’ll know that I love zombies. Combine the undead and anime, and I’ll be a happy girl. However, it’s not just standard zombie gore that probably makes this unsuitable for kids’ eyes, but also the show’s tendency to run on the ecchi side. To put it simply, ecchi anime consists of playfully erotic themes and imagery. Look, I promise I was really only in it for the zombies, and I probably shouldn’t have been watching this kind of stuff as a kid. Either way, I recommend this anime for its gory, yet somehow simultaneously light-hearted fun…to adults! Kids, close your eyes.

3. Kaichou Wa Maid-Sama

Maid cafes have always intrigued me in that the employees literally perform to the nth degree, what with their services ranging from greeting each customer as “master” to blowing on food that’s too hot for a customer’s liking.  But working in a maid cafe is Misaki Ayuzawa’s biggest secret in Kaichou Wa Maid-Sama, which would certainly be detrimental to her reputation as a stern, yet undoubtedly hardworking and talented class president. In a formerly all-male school that had only just recently opened its doors to female students, Ayuzawa strives to make the institution a better place for girls. She does her job well and serves as an inspiration to many of her female peers, much to the chagrin of most of her male classmates. But the most popular boy in her class, Takumi Usui, is encaptivated by her. Although I’m not necessarily a fan of the tendency for strong female leads to be depicted as tsundere (outwardly coldhearted but has a kind, caring side to them as well) and generally unlikable, Kaichou Wa Maid-Sama is the exception. It’s 27 episodes long, but it’s definitely a show you can burn through in no time.

2. Elfen Lied

If I had to describe this show in three words, it’d be gore, bloodshed, and pain. While I did say I don’t recommend High School of the Dead to children, the anime looks like Spongebob Squarepants compared to Elfen Lied. I DEFINITELY don’t advise kids to be anywhere near this one. The show follows Lucy, a “Diclonius” girl who escapes from a torturous laboratory and washes ashore far away with no memory of her identity. The “Diclonii” species are near-identical to humans, save for the fact that they bear horn-like protrusions from their head and possess the ability to use “invisible arms” called vectors. These vectors imbue the Diclonii with immense power, which is not necessarily good in Lucy’s case for various reasons, such as, well, death. Again, I’m an Internet baby, so finding this anime was inevitable. However, many people I know have told me that they’ve never even heard of it. It’s also an anime that I rarely see discussed online in general unless I actively look for it. Maybe it was fate for me to see the series, albeit at a formative age that probably posed some consequences to my subconscious. Regardless, I’ve loved horror even before I discovered anime, so Elfen Lied was relatively easy for me to digest. I strongly recommend this one to—ahem—ADULTS who can stomach a little blood.

1. Ouran High School Host Club

 

I don’t have to explain too much about this one. Many people have heard of this anime, and I’d say that this is probably one of the most popular shoujo (anime geared towards a young female audience that focuses on themes of romance and emotional connections) anime out there. Ouran High School Host Club hones in on the adventures of Haruhi Fujioka and the ridiculously charming members of Ouran Academy’s host club. While This series was actually my first formal foray into the world of anime. I had seen clips of other anime here and there on late-night TV, but Ouran High School Host Club was the first series that I actually took the initiative of viewing in whole. It’s true that characters can make or break a show, and the cast of Ouran High School Host Club certainly doesn’t disappoint. Although Haruhi is extremely smart and can come off as slightly aloof, her gentle awkwardness and kindness reminds viewers how relatable and down-to-earth she actually is. All in all, not only was this the first anime I’d ever watched on my own, but I think I can say it’s one of my favorite anime shows of all time. Hopefully, you feel the same after watching it on Netflix. 

While the anime on this list was what I watched while I was a child, all of these shows can definitely be enjoyed by adults. Of course, some titles are obviously meant for adults more so than others wink wink.

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