Best Motivational Anime About Dreams & Working Hard

One of the many reasons anime fans adore and get addicted to anime is because of the wide range of creative and unique stories that inspire and motivate their viewers to be better people and work on their shortcomings. Some of the most fascinating psychological anime series might have darker themes, but many of them have empowering and positive messages that help fans overcome the hardships they experience in their own lives.

The best motivational anime helps fans find their purpose and be more disciplined to achieve their career and personal goals in life. Despite the deep and meaningful themes, these anime shows couldn't be further from boring or dry. Viewers can get their boost while watching creative stories, epic heroes, and some of the greatest anime villains, who all help fans understand and process difficult emotional blocks and help them achieve their dreams by working bravely towards them.

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Updated February 6, 2025, by Hamza Haq: Anime as a medium has the freedom to tackle much, much bigger spectacles than anything a live-action film could ever hope to achieve. After all, a mangaka doesn’t need to rely on special effects, a big budget, and a professional crew of filmmakers to tell a story set in space; they merely need to draw it. But, despite all of this immense freedom, it has been proven time and again that a story is only ever as good as its characters, their struggles, and how they overcome them. Motivational anime are abundant, but ones that manage to leave an impression require true artistry and storytelling prowess that’s rare to find. Two new motivational anime about dreams and working hard have been added to the list to give readers a wider breadth of options to choose from.

25 Dragon Ball Z

Training To Be Better Is The Theme Of This Show

Dragon Ball started as an adventure manga before Toriyama decided to shift the focus of the series to powerups and battles. That shift helped the series become one of the most popular titles of all time. It never gets tiring watching Goku, Vegeta, and the rest of the gang push their bodies to the very limit to achieve stronger transformations and monstrous strength.

This continues in Dragon Ball Super. Many fans can resonate with the need to train oneself to become stronger and conquer greater challenges. Sure, the stakes in real life may be considerably lower, but many people will see this motivational anime and strive to better themselves, just like their fictional idols.

24 Black Clover

The MC Strives To Become The Strongest

Black Clover

Black Clover has all the tropes of a typical Shonen anime, and it wears them on its sleeve unashamedly. It has received a lot of undue hate over the years thanks to this reality, but for fans who have stuck with it for its entire 170-episodes runtime, it tells a gripping story with excellent pacing, great worldbuilding, and a wide cast of supporting characters that don’t feel tacked on merely for the sake of it.

Asta, the main protagonist, starts off at the bottom of the food chain, with the inability to do magic, which is the main path to power in the series. But after unlocking the Black Clover, an extremely powerful magic grimoire that’s even more OP than the one his rival/best friend has, he sets out on a journey to become the Wizard King. The premise is as basic as it gets, but the underlying themes of dreams and working hard to achieve one’s goals are interwoven with a beautifully realized world in a way that’s hard to describe but easy to recommend.

23 Slam Dunk

Characters Train To Become Better At Basketball

It's a given that most sports anime will feature themes that compel viewers to work hard and perfect the skill they're great at. Slam Dunk is no exception here. The protagonist is a delinquent who joins the basketball team to impress his crush. When he does, his natural talent for the sport lets him shine in a team that is in desperate need of an overhaul.

With numerous other team members who bring their own skills to the table, it's a treat watching the Shohoku basketball team come from nothing to become one of the most well-known high-school basketball teams of all time. This makes it clear why people hail Slam Dunk as one of the best motivational anime that inspires them to reach greater heights and push themselves.

22 Blue Lock

Become the Egoist, Become the Best

Working hard to improve and having a dream to achieve greatness is a common theme present in almost all sports anime, with only a few exceptions (like One Outs), and Blue Lock is no different. What separates it from others, however, is its unique message and underlying theme. Where most sports anime use the concepts of working together to achieve victory with goody-two-shoes protagonists, Blue Lock goes in a completely different direction. The MC, Isagi Yoichi, starts off like a typical Shonen protagonist, humble and always ready to help with a smile on his face. But as time goes on and he secures victories, he gradually becomes more and more ruthless and realizes the benefits of being selfish.

It’s a football (soccer) anime, but instead of sending the message of relying on teammates to secure victory, it tells its viewers that a person can only ever rely on themselves to achieve their goals. Ignore others, focus on personal success above everything else, and do anything to make sure the ball ends up in the goal. Nothing else matters. In addition to its excellent visuals and animation, this unique theme is what has helped Blue Lock stand out from all the dozens of other sports anime out there. It shows that dreams can be selfish and that working hard doesn’t necessarily have to be in service of others.

21 Gurren Lagann

Facing Impossible Odds Without Giving Up

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is one of the most influential anime series of all time, inspiring dozens, if not hundreds, of other anime in one way or another. In Gurren Lagann, the protagonist Simon has lived all of his life underground because the reigning rule of the land, Lordgenome, has forced most of mankind off of the surface and into the Earth's crust, banning them from ever coming up to the surface.

Simon is meek and somewhat cowardly, the typical anime protagonist but Kamina, his best friend and older brother figure, is the exact opposite. Flamboyant and ready to rumble at any given chance. A stroke of luck sees Simon and Kamina reach the surface by finding a way to control mechs, thereby achieving their dream of breaking free from life underground. But that's just the start. Gurren Lagann is a story of struggle in the face of impossible odds, fighting not only to survive but to thrive. It's a modern classic and one of the most inspiring anime out there.

20 Bleach

Ichigo & The Other Shinigami Push Themselves To The Limit

There's no denying that Bleach's writing can be suspect at times. Some people aren't huge fans of Ichigo's unexplained powerups, which help him boss most threats despite not showing as much grit as his opponents. However, a cast of strong side characters carry this experience. And of course, it helps that the many training sequences are as inspiring as they come.

To call Bleach one of the best motivational anime around would be a stretch, but there are many messages that viewers can take from this experience. Transcending one's limits and reaching new heights time and time again is something that will help viewers identify and break the glass ceiling that holds them down too.

19 Prince of Tennis

A Constant Struggle To Improve In The World Of Competitive Tennis

Like most sports anime, Prince of Tennis incorporates themes of hard work and struggling hard to achieve hard-to-reach goals. The main character, Ryoma Echizen, despite being a tennis prodigy, is never allowed to rest on his laurels and is constantly forced to up his game every time because the opponents he faces have just as much talent with much more experience. It's an incredible story of perseverance and grit that keeps viewers engaged from start to finish.

Another strong point in favor of Prince of Tennis is that the supporting cast is not just there to make the protagonist look good. From the genius captain Tezuka, the ever-rational Oishi, the hidden genius Fuji, the calculating Inui, the jolly Kikumaru, the viper Kaido, and many more, the supporting cast in this series is stacked. Not only that but even the antagonists are given plenty of screen time, allowing their characters to be fleshed out and their motivations to be explained. Other than a few exceptions, all characters in Prince of Tennis, whether they are on the side of the Seishun Academy or against it, have dreams they want to achieve and goals they're striving for. It's a story of their struggle to get there and how hard they work at it.

18 Dr. Stone

Using Brains & Intellect To Overcome A Deficiency In Physical Strength

While there is no doubt that most fans' favorite is Senku, viewers can still meet a wide range of fascinating and strong characters in Dr. Stone, who will surely motivate them to work harder for their dreams even when things get tough.

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Dr. Stone is also a visually beautiful anime with a unique story that blends fantasy and sci-fi masterfully. Its story follows Senku, a brilliant young scientist, and his friend Taiju who are trying to use their smarts and science to rebuild civilization. Senku's relentless dedication and Taiju's perseverance will surely motivate viewers of all types to go for their dreams no matter the odds.

17 Run With the Wind

Training For A Marathon Requires Hard Work And Dedication

Run With the Wind is a feel-good slice-of-life anime that can help viewers learn more about college life as well as teamwork. This heartwarming series is simple, but thanks to its well-crafted and relatable characters, fans can get a bit of entertainment and motivation while enjoying a relaxed story.

Its story follows a group of university students who are competing in the prestigious Hakone Ekiden relay marathon. While the stories mainly center around running, they also contain plenty of important and inspirational life lessons for those who aren't runners or competing in any kind of sporting events but want to learn how to overcome personal obstacles more easily and stay focused and motivated.

16 Bocchi The Rock!

Overcoming Social Anxiety To Become A Rock Star

Bocchi the Rock! Is the perfect show for those who are looking for a fun comedy anime series that deals with important issues, including social anxiety, in a feel-good and inspiring way. It's one of the newer anime shows filled with hilarious and strong female characters who are all unique in their own special way.

The anime's story follows Hitori, who dreams about becoming a popular rock musician despite having extreme social anxiety. She soon joins a new band and meets a group of girls who are just as motivated as she is and help her become a more confident and better guitar player.