Best Anime About Art

Key Takeaways

• Art through animation expresses emotions often hard to convey with words, resonating with artists and viewers alike.
• These anime explore themes of self-discovery, collaborative effort in animation, and the challenges artists face in pursuing their dreams.
• From manga creation to everyday life inspiration, each anime showcases the beauty and depth of art in various forms.

Art is typically a physical object crafted creatively through one’s imagination. It is a means of relaxing, connecting, and expressing emotions, sometimes without the use of words. What better way to express art than through the art of animation itself?

Various anime display the parts of art we do not often see, the constant effort to develop one’s skill, the desire to create art for emotions that can not be easily stated with words, and the accomplishment of dreams through this very medium. While there aren’t many anime that explore this beautiful and soothing theme, there are still a number of anime about art that are worth a watch.

10 Blue Period

A Passionate Journey Of Self-Discovery Through Art

• Japanese Title: N/A
• Number of Episodes: 12
• Studio: Seven Arcs

Blue Period centers around the life of Yatora Yaguchi, an unmotivated high school delinquent with excellent grades. While searching for his passions, he pours out his emotions on a canvas for the first time, and people’s admiration of his work lit a fire in him, prompting him to go to a competitive art school and aim for the top — despite people’s opinions on his inexperience.

From a one-off burst of emotions to the path of excellence, this anime explores the theme of self-discovery through art. It shows the journey of a talented yet directionless mind in the art world and makes artists question what their art means to them, capturing the minds of artists and regular anime fans alike.

9 Honey And Clover

The Emotional Struggles Of Art Students

Set in an art university, Honey and Clover follows the story of five students navigating through the troubles of adulthood, love, and friendship. Each of them struggles with their own challenges as they aim to achieve their dream, from finding meaning in life to expressing their emotions.

This anime displays the struggles that art students and others face with so much depth that fans of the series believe that anyone who sees it should see a piece of themselves in at least one of the main characters. It really resonates with the art community in anime, provoking powerful emotions with bittersweet experiences.

8 Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!

A Celebration Of Animation Through Anime

• Japanese Title: Eizouken ni wa Te wo Dasu na!
• Number of Episodes: 12
• Studio: Science SARU

A mind full of countless ideas and imaginations, Midori Asakusa constantly illustrates her thoughts and drowns in her creativity, an endless sea only her friend, Sayaka Kanamori, can pull her out of. This duo stumbles upon a model, Tsubame Mizusaki, who dreams of becoming an animator, and decides to form an animation club to produce animation.

Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken emphasizes the team effort it takes to produce animations, with each of the three girls having their own aspect to focus on. It celebrates the art of collaborative animation, showing the passion that drives animators to do what they do, turning their imagination into reality.

7 Shirobako

The Realities Of Working In The Anime Industry

• Japanese Title: N/A
• Number of Episodes: 24
• Studio: P.A. Works

This anime series doesn’t focus on traditional art like paintings or drawings; however, the form of collaborative art that is the anime industry is portrayed, making Shirobako the way to go for people who are genuinely curious about the processes involved in anime production. This anime tells the story of five female friends who choose to work in the anime industry after an animation project in high school, along with the challenges that come with attaining their dream job.

Shirobakofocuses on the harsh reality that not everyone gets that lucky break in the industry and on the difficulty in getting that one opportunity. It also displays the intense effort, teamwork, and deadlines that go into anime production, making it easy for the average viewer to grab a few concepts.

6 Arte

A Renaissance Tale Of Art And Perseverance

• Japanese Title: N/A
• Number of Episodes: 12
• Studio: Seven Arcs

In an era where nothing more was expected of a woman than to marry into a good family and be a proper housewife, Arte dreams of being an artist, an occupation unheard of for a woman. However, she does not give up even after the death of her father, pursuing her dream and proving herself qualified.

Arte is a visually stunning anime with strong Renaissance era vibes, showcasing the journey of a woman trying to carve a spot for herself in an occupation that was considered to be predominantly male. It captures her resilience in an unwelcoming space, using art to challenge the stereotype.

5 Bakuman

The Art Of Manga Creation

This anime follows the story of Moritaka Mashiro and Taro Kawaguchi, two high school students with the ambition to become the greatest mangaka the world has ever seen. It details the journey of these two as they struggle to overcome various competitions and crazy deadlines, balancing fans’ demands with their own creativity.

Bakuman is an anime that makes one truly appreciate the art of creating manga and how the very plot of a manga is usually determined by the fans of it themselves. It explores the steps involved in creating a manga and the challenges mangakas go through, making fans of the series appreciate this wonderful art.

4 Barakamon

Finding Inspiration In Everyday Life

After a disappointing failure in a calligraphy contest, professional calligrapher Seishuu Handa is exiled by his father to the Goto Islands to rediscover his passion and redefine his art. However, he realizes life there is not like Tokyo, being a rural area filled with neighbors who can not seem to leave him alone.

Barakamon beautifully blends comedic and emotional themes, making fans laugh one moment and tear up the next. But above this, it emphasizes that art is not about talent alone. It is also about emotional growth and the ability to perceive the beauty of everyday life — and appreciating our environment.

3 Sketchbook: Full Color’s

The Simplicity Of Art

• Japanese Title: Sketchbook: Full Color’s
• Number of Episodes: 13
• Studio: HAL Film Maker

An extremely relaxing slice-of-life anime, Sketchbook: Full Color’s displays the life of Sora Kajiwara, a shy high school student who loves to draw the cute and adorable sights she sees, as she breaks out of her shell through the aid of the members of her school’s art club.

This is an anime that progresses slowly with an emphasis on observation, giving a unique view of how the creative mind works. It is a reminder that not all art has to be extremely grand or complex to be appreciated and that ordinary moments can be the most inspiring for the most beautiful art.

2 Kakushigoto

The Secrets Behind The Art Of Manga

Kakushigoto is about the manga artist and single father, Kakushi Gotou, who tries to raise his daughter to the best of his ability. However, he has a secret: his works are known for containing erotic content, which he tries to hide from his daughter as much as possible, going to extreme lengths to make sure she does not find out.

Despite its comedic theme, Kakushigoto really evokes emotions from the average viewer, delivering a heartfelt message about family and the personal side of being an artist. With a unique animation style and scenes that warm the heart, it is an emotional rollercoaster that packs a powerful punch.

1 Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun

Confessing One’s Feelings Through Shoujo Manga

This comedic masterpiece displays the story of Chiyo Sakura, a high school girl with a crush on her schoolmate, who ends up as a part of the team creating the shoujo manga for the boy that she loves, hoping he will eventually notice her feelings.

Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun is an anime that focuses on the behind-the-scenes of Shoujo manga creation, with a very unique blend of comedy and romance. The anime also expertly portrays the relationship between characters with strong character interactions, making viewers aware that it is as much about the creative process as it is about relationship building.