What is this genre all about? Drama is a form of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone.
We present you the list of Drama anime you should watch right now.
Try our anime quiz: Anime Characters Guessing Quiz/Game
Top 20 Drama anime you should watch right now. [2024 List]
- 20. Attack on Titan
- 19. Death Note
- 18. Hunter x Hunter (2011)
- 17. Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu 3
- 16. Koe no Katachi
- 15. Attack on Titan Season 2
- 14. Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu
- 13. Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso
- 12. Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu
- 11. Cowboy Bebop
- 10. Nana
- 9. Vinland Saga
- 8. Violet Evergarden
- 7. Ao no Exorcist
- 6. Made in Abyss
- 5. Monster
- 4. Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e
- 3. Watashi no Shiawase na Kekkon
- 2. Fate/Zero
- 1. Kimetsu no Yaiba: Hashira Geiko-hen
20. Attack on Titan
Centuries ago, mankind was slaughtered to near extinction by monstrous humanoid creatures called titans, forcing humans to hide in fear behind enormous concentric walls. What makes these giants truly terrifying is that their taste for human flesh is not born out of hunger but what appears to be out of pleasure. To ensure their survival, the remnants of humanity began living within defensive barriers, resulting in one hundred years without a single titan encounter. However, that fragile calm is soon shattered when a colossal titan manages to breach the supposedly impregnable outer wall, reigniting the fight for survival against the man-eating abominations.
After witnessing a horrific personal loss at the hands of the invading creatures, Eren Yeager dedicates his life to their eradication by enlisting into the Survey Corps, an elite military unit that combats the merciless humanoids outside the protection of the walls. Based on Hajime Isayama's award-winning manga, Shingeki no Kyojin follows Eren, along with his adopted sister Mikasa Ackerman and his childhood friend Armin Arlert, as they join the brutal war against the titans and race to discover a way of defeating them before the last walls are breached.
Attack on Titan has finished airing and it has 25 Episodes. It is also Known as: Shingeki no Kyojin, 進撃の巨人, AoT
19. Death Note
A shinigami, as a god of death, can kill any person—provided they see their victim's face and write their victim's name in a notebook called a Death Note. One day, Ryuk, bored by the shinigami lifestyle and interested in seeing how a human would use a Death Note, drops one into the human realm.
High school student and prodigy Light Yagami stumbles upon the Death Note and—since he deplores the state of the world—tests the deadly notebook by writing a criminal's name in it. When the criminal dies immediately following his experiment with the Death Note, Light is greatly surprised and quickly recognizes how devastating the power that has fallen into his hands could be.
With this divine capability, Light decides to extinguish all criminals in order to build a new world where crime does not exist and people worship him as a god. Police, however, quickly discover that a serial killer is targeting criminals and, consequently, try to apprehend the culprit. To do this, the Japanese investigators count on the assistance of the best detective in the world: a young and eccentric man known only by the name of L.
Death Note has finished airing and it has 37 Episodes. It is also Known as: デスノート, DN
18. Hunter x Hunter (2011)
Hunter x Hunter is set in a world where Hunters exist to perform all manner of dangerous tasks like capturing criminals and bravely searching for lost treasures in uncharted territories. Twelve-year-old Gon Freecss is determined to become the best Hunter possible in hopes of finding his father, who was a Hunter himself and had long ago abandoned his young son. However, Gon soon realizes the path to achieving his goals is far more challenging than he could have ever imagined.
Along the way to becoming an official Hunter, Gon befriends the lively doctor-in-training Leorio, vengeful Kurapika, and rebellious ex-assassin Killua. To attain their own goals and desires, together the four of them take the Hunter Exam, notorious for its low success rate and high probability of death. Throughout their journey, Gon and his friends embark on an adventure that puts them through many hardships and struggles. They will meet a plethora of monsters, creatures, and characters—all while learning what being a Hunter truly means.
Hunter x Hunter (2011) has finished airing and it has 148 Episodes. It is also Known as: HUNTER×HUNTER ハンターハンター, HUNTER×HUNTER ハンターハンター, HxH (2011), Hantā Hantā (2011)
17. Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu 3
The third season of Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu.
A year has passed since Subaru’s victory at the Sanctuary. He savors a life of fulfillment while Emilia’s camp stands united for the royal selection—until a fateful letter arrives. Anastasia, a royal selection candidate, has invited Emilia to the Watergate City of Priestella. But as the party begins its journey, crisis stirs beneath the surface and Subaru meets a cruel fate once again.
Notes:
The first episode has an extended runtime of ~90 minutes, and received an early premiere at Anime Expo on July 5, 2024.
Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 3 is currently airing and will have 16 Episodes. It is also Known as: Re:ゼロから始める異世界生活 3, Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu 3
16. Koe no Katachi
Shoya is a bully. When Shoko, a girl who can't hear, enters his elementary school class, she becomes their favorite target, and Shoya and his friends goad each other into devising new tortures for her. But the children's cruelty goes too far. Shoko is forced to leave the school, and Shoya ends up shouldering all the blame. Six years later, the two meet again. Can Shoya make up for his past mistakes, or is it too late?
A Silent Voice has finished airing and it has 1 Episodes. It is also Known as: 聲の形, The Shape of Voice, A Silent Voice: The Movie
15. Attack on Titan Season 2
Eren Jaeger swore to wipe out every last Titan, but in a battle for his life he wound up becoming the thing he hates most. With his new powers, he fights for humanity's freedom facing the monsters that threaten his home. After a bittersweet victory against the Female Titan, Eren finds no time to rest—a horde of Titans is approaching Wall Rose and the battle for humanity continues!
Attack on Titan Season 2 has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: Shingeki no Kyojin Season 2, 進撃の巨人 Season 2, Attack on Titan Season 2
14. Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu
When Subaru Natsuki leaves the convenience store, the last thing he expects is to be wrenched from his everyday life and dropped into a fantasy world. Things aren't looking good for the bewildered teenager; however, not long after his arrival, he is attacked by some thugs. Armed with only a bag of groceries and a now useless cell phone, he is quickly beaten to a pulp. Fortunately, a mysterious beauty named Satella, in hot pursuit after the one who stole her insignia, happens upon Subaru and saves him. In order to thank the honest and kindhearted girl, Subaru offers to help in her search, and later that night, he even finds the whereabouts of that which she seeks. But unbeknownst to them, a much darker force stalks the pair from the shadows, and just minutes after locating the insignia, Subaru and Satella are brutally murdered.
However, Subaru immediately reawakens to a familiar scene—confronted by the same group of thugs, meeting Satella all over again—the enigma deepens as history inexplicably repeats itself.
Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- has finished airing and it has 25 Episodes. It is also Known as: Re：ゼロから始める異世界生活, Re: Life in a different world from zero, ReZero
13. Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso
Music accompanies the path of the human metronome, the prodigious pianist Kousei Arima. But after the passing of his mother, Saki Arima, Kousei falls into a downward spiral, rendering him unable to hear the sound of his own piano.
Two years later, Kousei still avoids the piano, leaving behind his admirers and rivals, and lives a colorless life alongside his friends Tsubaki Sawabe and Ryouta Watari. However, everything changes when he meets a beautiful violinist, Kaori Miyazono, who stirs up his world and sets him on a journey to face music again.
Based on the manga series of the same name, Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso approaches the story of Kousei's recovery as he discovers that music is more than playing each note perfectly, and a single melody can bring in the fresh spring air of April.
Your Lie in April has finished airing and it has 22 Episodes. It is also Known as: 四月は君の嘘, Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso
12. Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu
All of a sudden, they arrived: parasitic aliens that descended upon Earth and quickly infiltrated humanity by burrowing into the brains of vulnerable targets. These insatiable beings acquire full control of their host and are able to morph into a variety of forms in order to feed on unsuspecting prey.
Sixteen-year-old high school student Shinichi Izumi falls victim to one of these parasites, but it fails to take over his brain, ending up in his right hand instead. Unable to relocate, the parasite, now named Migi, has no choice but to rely on Shinichi in order to stay alive. Thus, the pair is forced into an uneasy coexistence and must defend themselves from hostile parasites that hope to eradicate this new threat to their species.
Parasyte -the maxim- has finished airing and it has 24 Episodes. It is also Known as: 寄生獣 セイの格率, Parasite, Parasitic Beasts, Parasyte
11. Cowboy Bebop
In the year 2071, humanity has colonized several of the planets and moons of the solar system leaving the now uninhabitable surface of planet Earth behind. The Inter Solar System Police attempts to keep peace in the galaxy, aided in part by outlaw bounty hunters, referred to as "Cowboys". The ragtag team aboard the spaceship Bebop are two such individuals.
Mellow and carefree Spike Spiegel is balanced by his boisterous, pragmatic partner Jet Black as the pair makes a living chasing bounties and collecting rewards. Thrown off course by the addition of new members that they meet in their travels—Ein, a genetically engineered, highly intelligent Welsh Corgi; femme fatale Faye Valentine, an enigmatic trickster with memory loss; and the strange computer whiz kid Edward Wong—the crew embarks on thrilling adventures that unravel each member's dark and mysterious past little by little.
Well-balanced with high density action and light-hearted comedy, Cowboy Bebop is a space Western classic and an homage to the smooth and improvised music it is named after.
Cowboy Bebop has finished airing and it has 26 Episodes. It is also Known as: カウボーイビバップ, COWBOY BEBOP
10. Nana
Nana Komatsu is a helpless, naïve 20-year-old who easily falls in love and becomes dependent and clingy to those around her. Even though she nurses ambitious dreams of removing herself from her provincial roots and finding her true calling, she ends up traveling to Tokyo with the humble reason of chasing her current boyfriend Shouji Endo.
Nana Osaki, on the other hand, is a proud, enigmatic punk rock vocalist from a similarly rural background, who nurtures the desire to become a professional singer. Putting her career with a fairly popular band (and her passionate romance with one of its former members) firmly behind her, she boards the same train to Tokyo as Nana Komatsu.
Through a fateful encounter in their journey toward the metropolis, the young women with the same given name are brought together, sparking a chain of events which eventually result in them sharing an apartment. As their friendship deepens, the two attempt to support each other through thick and thin, their deeply intertwined lives filled with romance, music, challenges, and heartbreaks that will ultimately test their seemingly unbreakable bond.
Nana has finished airing and it has 47 Episodes. It is also Known as: NANA [ナナ], Nana
9. Vinland Saga
As a child, Thorfinn sat at the feet of the great Leif Ericson and thrilled to wild tales of a land far to the west. But his youthful fantasies were shattered by a mercenary raid. Raised by the Vikings who murdered his family, Thorfinn became a terrifying warrior, forever seeking to kill the band's leader, Askeladd, and avenge his father. Sustaining Throfinn through his ordeal are his pride in his family and his dreams of a fertile westward land, a land without war or slavery … the land Leif called Vinland.
Vinland Saga has finished airing and it has 24 Episodes. It is also Known as: ヴィンランド・サガ, Vinland Saga
8. Violet Evergarden
There are words Violet heard on the battlefield, which she cannot forget. These words were given to her by someone she holds dear, more than anyone else. She does not yet know their meaning.
A certain point in time, in the continent of Telesis. The great war which divided the continent into North and South has ended after four years, and the people are welcoming a new generation.
Violet Evergarden, a young girl formerly known as “the weapon”, has left the battlefield to start a new life at CH Postal Service. There, she is deeply moved by the work of “Auto Memories Dolls”, who carry people's thoughts and convert them into words.
Violet begins her journey as an Auto Memories Doll, and comes face to face with various people's emotions and differing shapes of love. All the while searching for the meaning of those words.
Violet Evergarden has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: ヴァイオレット・エヴァーガーデン, Violet Evergarden
7. Ao no Exorcist
Humans and demons are two sides of the same coin, as are Assiah and Gehenna, their respective worlds. The only way to travel between the realms is by the means of possession, like in ghost stories. However, Satan, the ruler of Gehenna, cannot find a suitable host to possess and therefore, remains imprisoned in his world. In a desperate attempt to conquer Assiah, he sends his son instead, intending for him to eventually grow into a vessel capable of possession by the demon king.Ao no Exorcist follows Rin Okumura who appears to be an ordinary, somewhat troublesome teenager—that is until one day he is ambushed by demons. His world turns upside down when he discovers that he is in fact the very son of Satan and that his demon father wishes for him to return so they can conquer Assiah together. Not wanting to join the king of Gehenna, Rin decides to begin training to become an exorcist so that he can fight to defend Assiah alongside his brother Yukio.
Blue Exorcist has finished airing and it has 25 Episodes. It is also Known as: 青の祓魔師(エクソシスト), Ao no Futsumashi
6. Made in Abyss
The enormous cave system, known as the Abyss, is the only unexplored place in the world. Nobody knows how deep down goes this titanic pit, inhabited by strange and wondrous creatures and full of mysterious ancient relics which purpose in unknown to modern man. Generations of bold adventurers have been drawn by the cryptic depths of the Abyss. In course of time those bold enough to explore the dangerous pit came to be known as "Cave Raiders."
In Oosu, the town at the edge of the Abyss, there lives a little orphan named Rico, who dreams of becoming as great a cave raider as her mother was and solving the great mystery of the pit. One day exploring the murky depths she stumbles upon a little boy, who turns out to be a robot...
Made in Abyss has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: メイドインアビス, Made in Abyss
5. Monster
Dr. Kenzou Tenma is a renowned brain surgeon of Japanese descent working in Europe. Highly lauded by his peers as one of the great young minds that will revolutionize the field, he is blessed with a beautiful fiancée and is on the cusp of a big promotion in the hospital he works at. But all of that is about to change with a grave dilemma that Kenzou faces one night—whether to save the life of a small boy or that of the town's mayor. Despite being pressured by his superiors to perform surgery on the mayor, his morals force him to perform the surgery on the other critical patient, saving his life and forfeiting the mayor's. A doctor is taught to believe that all life is equal; however, when a series of murders occur in the surgeon's vicinity, all of the evidence pointing to the boy he saved, Kenzou's beliefs are shaken. Along his journey to unravel the true identity of his little patient, Kenzou discovers that the fate of the world may be intertwined with the mysterious child.
Monster has finished airing and it has 74 Episodes. It is also Known as: モンスター, Monster
4. Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e
Kiyotaka Ayanokoji has just enrolled at Tokyo Koudo Ikusei Senior High School, where it's said that 100% of students go on to college or find employment. But he ends up in Class 1-D, which is full of all the school's problem children.
What's more, every month, the school awards students points with a cash value of 100,000 yen, and the classes employ a laissez-faire policy in which talking, sleeping, and even sabotage are permitted during class.
One month later, Ayanokoji, Horikita, and the students of Class D learn the truth of the system in place within their school...
Classroom of the Elite has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: ようこそ実力至上主義の教室へ, Welcome to the Classroom of the Elite
3. Watashi no Shiawase na Kekkon
Despite being born into a noble family, Miyo lost her birth mother at a young age and grew up being abused by her stepmother, stepsister, and father.
When she finally receives news that she's to be married off, she finds out that her husband-to-be is Kiyoka, a soldier with a reputation for being cruel and heartless. In fact, he's had numerous previous fiancées who have all fled his household; none lasting even a mere three days.
Resigned to the fact that her family had abandoned her, Miyo knocks on the gate of the Kudou household to find herself greeted by a beautiful man with pale skin. Despite the poor treatment she receives from her husband-to-be during their first meeting, Miyo is unable to return to her old home and spends her time cooking and doing chores. However, as the days pass, Miyo and Kiyoka being to slowly open their hearts to each other...
My Happy Marriage has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: わたしの幸せな結婚, Watashi no Shiawase na Kekkon
2. Fate/Zero
With the promise of granting any wish, the omnipotent Holy Grail triggered three wars in the past, each too cruel and fierce to leave a victor. In spite of that, the wealthy Einzbern family is confident that the Fourth Holy Grail War will be different; namely, with a vessel of the Holy Grail now in their grasp. Solely for this reason, the much hated "Magus Killer" Kiritsugu Emiya is hired by the Einzberns, with marriage to their only daughter Irisviel as binding contract.
Kiritsugu now stands at the center of a cutthroat game of survival, facing off against six other participants, each armed with an ancient familiar, and fueled by unique desires and ideals. Accompanied by his own familiar, Saber, the notorious mercenary soon finds his greatest opponent in Kirei Kotomine, a priest who seeks salvation from the emptiness within himself in pursuit of Kiritsugu.
Based on the light novel written by Gen Urobuchi, Fate/Zero depicts the events of the Fourth Holy Grail War—10 years prior to Fate/stay night. Witness a battle royale in which no one is guaranteed to survive.
Fate/Zero has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: フェイト/ゼロ, Fate/Zero
1. Kimetsu no Yaiba: Hashira Geiko-hen
The members of the Demon Slayer Corps and their highest-ranking swordsmen, the Hashira.
In preparation for the forthcoming final battle against Muzan Kibutsuji, the Hashira Training commences. While each carries faith and determination within their hearts, Tanjiro and the Hashira enter a new story.
Notes:
• The first episode has a runtime of ~1 hour and received an early premiere in cinemas as part of a special screening alongside the final episode of Kimetsu no Yaiba: Katanakaji no Sato-hen.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Hashira Training Arc has finished airing and it has 8 Episodes. It is also Known as: 鬼滅の刃 柱稽古編, KnY 4, Demon Slayer Season 4
