One symbol of youth is school life. In anime, school life encompasses going to class, spending time with friends, and getting close to your seniors and juniors. Several anime series are even set in specialized schools. However, another large factor in anime school life is the school clubs.
Several anime series focus on a school club, gearing in on each character’s ambition, drive, and identity. It is a perfect setting for those to discover themselves before they enter the real world, and is also the scene for many heart-wrenching and butterfly-inducing moments. School clubs are where like-minded friends get together, bond, and relish in their youth before graduation.
10/10 Kono Oto Tomare! Sounds Of Life Is A Symphony Of Friendship
Kono Oto Tomare! Sounds Of Life aired in 2019 and spanned two seasons. The story follows Takezo Kurata, the only member of the Koto Club at Tokise High School. As he tries to find members for the Koto Nationals competition, he is joined by delinquent Chika Kudo and Koto prodigy Satowa Hozuki.
Soon, more members join the club, with each member having their own reasons for joining. It is a touching story, with characters of different backgrounds coming together for a shared goal. Kono Oto Tomare! Sounds Of Life is a heartwarming story that also introduces viewers to traditional Japanese instruments.
9/10 Fastest Finger First Is About The Quest To Become The Quiz King
Fastest Finger First aired in 2017 and spanned one season. The anime centers on Shiki Koshiyama. He joins the Quiz Bowl Circle Club with classmate and quiz prodigy Mari Fukami. There, they partake in Quiz Bowl matches.
This is one of the most unique clubs to exist in anime. Unlike clubs about sports or art, Fastest Finger First has its members racing to answer the questions to be the best at the quiz. It is nerve-wracking and makes the viewer use their brain cells to find the answers.
8/10 Blue Period Looks At Identity And Discovery Through Art
Blue Period is a one-season-long anime that aired in 2021. The story follows Yatora Yaguichi, a popular and smart student who struggles with the feeling of emptiness. However, he starts to find purpose after visiting his high school’s art club.
Blue Period is more than just art. It talks about finding your identity and passion to pursue a new field. It talks about hard work over raw talent. As Yataro Yaguichi continues art, he gets inspired by his art club mates, spurring his desire to attend the Tokyo University of Arts.
7/10 Hearts Connect In Kokoro Connect
Kokoro Connect aired in 2012 and spans one season. The anime follows the five members of the school culture club: Taichi Yaegashi, Iori Nagase, Himeko Inaba, Yui Kiriyama, and Yoshifumi Aoki. Things take a weird turn when Aoki and Yui switch bodies one day without warning.
Soon, this happens to other members, flipping their once-ordinary lives upside down. While it is amusing to see the students cope with the change, their vulnerabilities are also exposed. Kokoro Connect is filled with both touching and funny parts as viewers watch the relationship of the students change throughout the series.
6/10 Kuroko’s Basketball Is About Keeping One’s Head In The Game
Kuroko’s Basketball first started airing in 2012 and spanned three seasons. The story follows Taiga Kagami and Tetsuya Kuroko and shows their ambition to take the Seirin High School basketball team to the top. Though Kagami is a star player, Kuroko has an ace up his sleeve.
Kuroko’s Basketball is great for those who want to watch an anime based on friendship and teamwork. The anime beautifully showcases how the team gets rid of its arrogance and comes together to become the best basketball team it can be.
5/10 Asobi Asobase Is A Pastime Club For Fun Games
Asobi Asobase aired in 2018 and is one season. The story follows three friends: Olivia, a foreign transfer student who can’t speak English; Hanako Honda, a happy-go-lucky airhead; and Kasumi Nomura, a loner teased by her sister for always losing games.
The three girls come together to form a “Pastime Club,” where they are free to dispense their own brand of mischief. They mostly play Japanese traditional games, allowing viewers to learn more about activities that are local to the country. That is the beauty of Asobi Asobase.
4/10 Swimming Freely In The Aptly Named Anime, Free
Free! first started airing in 2013 and spanned three seasons. It centers around Haruka Nananse, a gifted swimmer who gives up swimming. However, in high school, he and his friends decide to set up a swimming club. After reconnecting with his old friend and rival, Rin Matsuoka, fierce competition ensues.
Free! shows the fun of swimming in all its glory. Not only does it educate the viewer on different strokes and the rules in professional swimming, we see the characters grasp with ambition and their friendship.
3/10 Brotherly Love & Adorable Babies In School Babysitters
School Babysitters is a one-season anime that aired in 2018. The anime follows high school freshman Ryuuichi Kashima and his pre-schooler brother Kotaro. Following their parents’ death, they were taken in by the chairwoman of Morinomiya Academy, under the condition that Ryuichi helps with the school’s babysitter club.
School Babysitters is jam-packed with adorable moments! The babies all have unique personalities that make the series shine. Additionally, the brotherly love between Ryuuichi and Kotaro will make hearts melt as they rely on each other for support.
2/10 Flying High With A Team In Haikyuu!!
Haikyuu!! first started airing in 2014 and has since spanned four seasons. The story follows Shoyo Hinata, a boy who dreams of becoming a famous volleyball player despite his short height. As he joins the Karasuno High School volleyball team, he meets his best teammate and rival, Tobio Kageyama.
Haikyuu!! touches on several subjects – from loyalty to determination, to friendship. The anime shows the highs and lows of a sports club, as well as the ambition it takes to succeed. It is inspiring, especially for viewers who dream to be athletes.
1/10 Ouran High School Host Club Is Every Guest’s Paradise
Ouran High School Host Club aired in 2006 under NTV. The show follows Haruhi Fujioka as she joins Ouran Academy’s host club to pay off her eight million yen debt after breaking a vase meant to be auctioned. As she plays her role as a host, she becomes attached to the club and its members.
Hearing a school has a host club is shocking, but Ouran High School Host Club is jam-packed with wholesome interactions between the cast. Seeing the bond between Haruhi, Tamaki Suoh, and the other hosts will warm the viewers’ hearts and have them wishing there was a host club in their school!