My Top 5 Practical Anime Of All Time

Hey fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

I think it’s a safe bet to say that for a massive horde of you (Myself included), anime is a form of entertainment that let’s us relax and turn our brains off for a little bit. For a small amount of time, we can enjoy some peace & quiet in some of our favorite animated worlds, and not have to worry about the drudgery that is the real world. However, there are always a few shows out there that bring something a little more intellectual to the table. Though they still have an entertainment factor to them, they also have something for the brain as well. Something that’ll give you some.....real world information and knowledge? As silly as this sounds, I know of 5 shows that embody this mix of entertaining & educating, and they’re series you should seek out! So with that out of the way, here are what I consider to be the top 5 practical anime of all time. Let’s begin.

5) Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma (Opening)

If this manga didn’t go on as long as it did, and if maybe they aired the show a little more closely, I may have put this up a tiny bit higher on the list. Even with that said, this is one of the most surprising anime on here! Though there are plenty of typical Shonen tropes here, and there have been other shows with cooking elements, Shokugeki no Soma is the first show I’ve watched where it incorporates real world cooking techniques and dishes. Sure, the cooking is over the top in many points in an episode, but they all come back to something we’ve possibly eaten. The cooking on the show is popular enough that there’s actually a cookbook for it out there, but as far as I know it’s never been released in the west. Still, I find it fascinating that A Shonen show can simultaneously teach you how to cook, while at the same time keep a viewer entertained and smiling. That’s always a good thing in my book!

4) Laid-Back Camp (Opening)

And here we come to a rather bizarre anime. On the surface, it plays along like a typical Moe anime. The cast is composed of cute schoolgirls who do things together, all the while being happy & bubbly. However, that would be doing the show something of a disservice, as there’s actually a little more going on with Laid-Back Camp. This show is one of two things: it teaches you about camping & the proper usage of camping equipment, and it’s a show that’s genuinely relaxing. It doesn’t go too deep into the various aspects of camping, but you learn little tidbits here and there. The real strength of Laid-Back Camp is in how easy it is to watch, and how it subtly tells you to take it easy once in a while. Not only that, but there’s a real charm with the setting & characters that’s incredibly endearing, and because of that I highly suggest you watch this show!

3) Oshiete! Galko-Chan (Opening)

Another show that comes across as odd, only this time it’s a bit more female-centric. Running from January to March of 2016, this 12-episode series (Along with an OVA) asks some of life’s most interesting questions. Things like “Is it true that people with big boobs have big areolas, as well?” and “Is it true that virgins use pads and non-virgins use tampons?”. Again, the premise is female-centric, but every once in a while something concerning guys crops up. However, the biggest thing about Oshiete! Galko-Chan is just how much it defies expectations & stereotypes. Galko for example looks like just about every other Gyaru schoolgirl, but actually get embarrassed by sexual things, dresses up in Gyaru clothes & dyes her hair/tans her skin in tribute to her sister, and her biggest dream is to actually be a mom. The whole entire main cast defies expectation & stereotypes, and that’s what makes this show so good! It has you throw aside stereotypes constantly, and it makes you think about how you interact with others. I’d say Monster Musume does something similar, but it’s focused on nowhere near as much as what goes on here. Regardless, Oshiete! Galko-Chan is a wonderful time! It may be more for girls/women, but it can be enjoyed by anybody. Speaking of enjoyed by everybody.....

2) My Hero Academia (Opening)

Confession time: I’ve only ever watched season 1, and even then only the first 8 episodes. Still, I had to put this ode to superheroes on the list, and for good reasons. First, this game remarkably teaches the viewer Japanese.....through the use of Puns! I’m not kidding, as many of the names that the various characters have are all based around puns. For example, Bakugo’s family name translated from it’s kanji means “Big Explosion”, while Deku’s (A name that’s also a pun, as it sounds like the Japanese word for “You Can Do It!”) given name is “To come out a long time”. That’s pretty neat, but it’s the moral implications that makes this show so neat.

Make no mistake: My Hero Academia, regardless of the season you’re watching, is typical Shonen. Just about every trope you can think of about the genre is here, and it’s not shy about showing them. Yet.....I believe that’s a good thing. There’s the standard trope of taking risks to advance one’s self & receive a greater reward, but there’s also displays of inequality, moral ambiguity/greyness (Which is done really well most of the time throughout the series), and there also emphasis on community without the neglect of the individual. Not only that, but My Hero Academia may very well be one of the most optomisitc anime out there. In a bizarre way, the show reminds me a lot of Overwatch: it knows when to be dark, grim, and serious, yet a far amount of the time is bright, cheery, and genuinely happy. With the world going to hell as badly as it is, maybe a bright Shonen show like My Hero Academia can give us hope in these bleak times. Maybe.....it can keep us safe. In any case, I highly suggest you seek this show out, and give it a watch.

Now, I was considering putting My Hero Academia right at no. 1 spot on this list. It’s mix of emotions, not to mention the atmosphere & spin on superheroes and supervillains, really tugged at my heartstrings somehow. However, there was one show that managed to barely squeak past this behemoth.....and it came out just a few months ago. 

1) How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift? (Opening)

Another confession: I’m not finished watching this show....but, I am near the end of it. However, that won’t stop me from talking about the most practical anime ever made. First things first: I love every....single....character! The main cast is delightful, the secondary cast is great, and even the background characters have a charm to them. The “Bad Guys” are really just two bumbling dorks trying to get away with some new scheme, but they try so hard it’s kind of endearing. This love of the character’s lasts pretty much throughout the entire anime & manga, and that’s incredible if you ask me!

The next thing that makes this show so practical is that it teaches you real-world exercising techniques, and ways to take care of yourself! Every time there’s a food item on screen, you see it’s calorie count appear right next to it. It’s a clever way to show how healthy/unhealthy the things we eat are, and it doesn’t shove it into your face. Not only that, but all of the various exercises (With or without equipment) show off which muscles are worked on, and there’s even a few do’s and don’ts related to exercise & health. On top of that, but everything is explained clearly to anybody who may not know about this kind of self-help, and it never feels like you’re being talked down to. Really cool if you ask me, and a great show to boot!

And those were my top 5 practical anime of all time. Simultaneously entertaining & informative, these shows should help you learn something new if you let them. Well, with that out of the way Halloween is soon closing upon us, and I’ve got one last look at King Diamond in the works. So see you all on Halloween Day, when we’ll examine his output.....in the 2000s.


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If you’re curious about where I got the MHA info from, check these videos out:

My Hero Academia Teaches Japanese With PUNS! - Gaijin Goombah

My Hero Academia's Greatest Lesson! (feat. Joey the Anime Man)