Anime and science are not the most likely couple. Anime is often filled with light-hearted and silly characters that have supernatural powers in fantastical fictional worlds. Science, on the other hand, is all about rough, hard facts, thorough experimentation, and adherence to the rigid laws of nature. In spite of these apparent contradictions, anime and science go together like yin and yang.
When scientifically minded characters find their way into a central role in anime, surprisingly great things happen. The dramatic storytelling and gorgeous artwork in anime allow scientists to shine and show that they’re not all logic and lab coats. Additionally, a scientific character can provide a realm of realism that connects the fictional anime world to that of reality. When great anime scientists bring their knowledge and wisdom into the fantastical world of anime, the two come together to provide the perfect synthesis of intellectually-driven anime that fans never knew they needed.
10/10 Okabe Thinks He’s A Mad Scientist, And He Might Be Right
Steins;Gate
In Steins;Gate, Okabe genuinely refers to himself as “the mad scientist,” and he isn’t entirely wrong to make that connection – even running a laboratory out of his apartment and talking into a cell phone that’s seemingly turned off. Despite his antics, Okabe is a scientist in every sense of the word, and he takes his craft seriously, making sure to point out the philistines of the scientific community whenever possible.
Stein’s Gate is a narrative-heavy anime with some deep ideas and dark themes. Nevertheless, Okabe’s character provides the occasional comedic relief necessary to break up the more emotional aspects of the show.
9/10 Bulma Isn’t The Stereotypical Scientist Type
Dragon Ball
While Goku is definitely the main protagonist of the Dragon Ball franchise, Bulma was the supporting protagonist of the original Dragon Ball series, despite the fact that she began to play less of a role in Z and Super. Bulma is far from the stereotypical nerdy type. Nonetheless, she is undeniably an incredible scientist and genius in her own right.
Bulma invented the very Dragon Radar that the characters use throughout the series to locate the Dragon Balls, which is arguably the single most useful device in the entire universe. After all, without it, everyone would have to scour the entire globe hopelessly without a clue. In addition to that, she invents a time machine to send future Trunks into the past, as well as a device that allows people to speak to animals.
8/10 Senku Singlehandedly Brought Humanity Out Of The Stone Age
Dr. Stone
Knowledge is power, and Dr. Stone’s main protagonist, Senku, certainly proves it. Dr. Stone sets up a humorous dynamic as primitive tribes come to view Senku as doing some sort of witchcraft in his scientific experiments.
The show is all at once funny, action-packed, and educational, and its characters, including Senku, each have their own interesting personalities. Senku sets out to show that science is a timeless practice that truly makes human life better. Senku’s genius scientific knowledge single-handedly takes humanity out of the second Stone Age, and fans wouldn’t have it any other way.
7/10 Edward Elric Was A Scientist Before Science Was A Thing
Full Metal Alchemist
While fans don’t necessarily think of Ed Eldric as the intellectual type and thus not a scientist, they’d be mistaken. Fans should remember that his prodigal nature as one of the top alchemists, despite his age, has to do with the fact that he was an extremely studious youth prior to the accident, which took his arm and Al’s body.
After his mother’s death, this affinity to study skyrocketed to even greater levels in order to discover a way to bring her back. Additionally, from a historical perspective, alchemy is essentially a forerunner to what is modern-day chemistry, and Ed is, without a doubt, a master of alchemical practice.
6/10 Ayame Tries To Prove Her Love Using The Scientific Method
Science Fell In Love, So I Tried To Prove It
There are some mysteries that science may never be able to answer, and love is just one of those things. Still, Shinya and Ayame, being the scientifically minded individuals that they are, do everything in their power to figure it out in this romantic comedy series.
In Science Fell In Love, So I Tried To Prove It, When Ayame confesses her love to Shinya, they both conclude that the only logical course of action is to leave the matter up to experimentation. The scientifically-backed absurdity that occurs in Science Fell In Love is something that would only be possible for a character as socially awkward as Shinya himself.
5/10 Falma Shows How Scientific Knowledge Can Change The World
Parallel World Pharmacy
Parallel World Pharmacy’s protagonist, Falma, gets reincarnated into a pre-industrial world with the knowledge that he had when he was a pharmacist in his past life. Since the world he lives in has significantly less sophisticated scientific knowledge than the modern one he lived in, he is able to apply his knowledge in a way that appears to those around him as almost supernatural.
Of course, the supernatural isn’t anything special in a world of magic, but Falma’s medicinal knowledge is far beyond that of the world he is reborn into. This, combined with his use of magic in this new world, enables him to create complex medical concoctions using only a spell and his awareness of the molecular structures of the chemicals he needs to create them.
4/10 Misaka Is Way More Science Savy Than The Average Student
A Certain Scientific Railgun
Misaka is one of the most powerful espers in Academy City and uses her special ability, “Railgun,” to control massive amounts of electricity. The term Railgun comes from her masterful use of her powers to fire arcade tokens at enemies at wildly high velocities. All of this requires control and understanding of electrical currents and magnetism that exceeds the average middle school student.
In addition to the more violent aspects of her ability, her railgun has tactical purposes as well. She can use it to hack into otherwise incredibly secure computer systems, take control of robots, and even – if the conditions are right – use it to fly by sending an electrical current through water. Of course, electrical abilities are one thing, but without the proper scientific knowledge, a scientific railgun quickly becomes nothing more than your average, everyday railgun.
3/10 Reiji’s OP Isekai Ability Is Science
Drug Store In Another World – The Slow Life Of A Cheat Pharmacist
Drug Store In Another World presents itself as essentially another generic isekai anime where the character gets reincarnated into another world as an overpowered protagonist. What’s interesting about the series itself is that the main character, Reiji Kirio, is entirely aware of such stories when he gets transported to the forest of a fantasy world with two magical abilities: “Appraise” and “Drug Discovery.”
With abilities such as these, it is only sensible that he uses them to become the World’s ultimate pharmacist, and each episode follows him as he creates a new wonder drug. Though Reiji didn’t have much medical or scientific knowledge in his past life, he puts his new abilities to use in creating the best Drug Store in his new world.
2/10 Paprika Studies The Human Mind From The Inside
Paprika
Paprika is a psychologist who develops a technology that provides her the means of traveling into her patient’s dreams. She uses this ability to seek out the traumas in her patients’ subconscious minds. Paprika encounters wild, surreal dreams and terrifying nightmares as though they’re her reality.
Of course, when experimenting with any new technology, something’s bound to go wrong. After all, that’s the basis of the scientific method of hypothesis, trial, and error. So when the technology that she helped develop is stolen, only Paprika, with her knowledge of dreams, psychology, and the technology itself, can set things right again.
1/10 Homare Applies The Real World Utility Of Scientific Theory
Are You Lost?
Homare is a survival expert. That’s why, when her class trip ends in a plane crash, everyone looks to her for help. Putting her superior knowledge of the natural world to good use in Are You Lost?, Homare identifies edible plants, builds a shelter, and even saves the girls from dehydration, all with the lessons taught to her by her father.
There’s no better way to learn about the laws of nature firsthand than to be trapped on an island without modern technology, and Homare learns that the hard way. Thanks to her encyclopedic knowledge of survival skills and nature handed down through hundreds of years of scientific discovery, Homare is able to give her friends some hope in a terrible situation.