Ten times anime characters are being wise.
We all know how educational anime can be. There are hundreds of incredible stories that can touch or influence you in a lot of ways. While it’s usually the plot of a series or the struggles that characters are experiencing that can have a big impact on you, sometimes all you need is just one quote.
- Tomoya Okazaki — Clannad
“If you feel like crying you should not hold back your tears. You should let it all out while you still can — because when you get bigger sometimes you can’t cry even if you have something to cry about.”
This quote is very inspirational on more than just one level. First of all, it teaches us that we shouldn’t be afraid of showing weakness. Crying is okay, and we all want to do that sometimes.
Moreover, when we grow up and become older, we can’t allow ourselves to express as many emotions as we used to when we were kids. So we have to cherish these moments and not keep everything to ourselves.
- Edward Elric — Fullmetal Alchemist
“How can you move forward when you keep regretting the past?”
Fans say that they can thank Fullmetal Alchemist for a number of things, and wise words are one of these things for sure. The anime makes you feel and think, and it doesn’t matter how old you are: you’ll find something that will resonate with you.
This quote is a wonderful sum-up of the idea that you have to let your past go to have a future. Don’t let your past mistakes hold you back. Learn from them and become stronger instead.
- Askeladd — Vinland Saga
“Everyone is a slave to something.”
Askeladd was always good at saying something pretentious, and this quote is no exception. Eren Yeager wouldn’t like this thought, but in some way we are, indeed, slaves to something that we can’t control.
Thorfinn was a slave to his revenge, some are slaves to their desires. It’s important to realize this and only after that you will be able to do something.
- Saitama — One-Punch Man
"I'll leave tomorrow's problems to tomorrow's me."
While this quote may seem like an ode to procrastination at first, it can also change your life for the best. Imagine you have a very important exam tomorrow, and you’re naturally very anxious about it.
Your anxiety cannot change anything today, you’ll still have to take the exam, and it’s too late to get ready for it. The only thing that it does is make you nervous today. So just try to relax and let tomorrow’s you deal with the exam.
- Eren Yeager — Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin)
“Fight!”
Such a short and simple quote can also impact you a lot. There’s a reason why “Tatakae” has become Eren’s catchphrase and a major meme in the fandom.
But no matter how funny it may look now, it’s important to just keep fighting no matter what. Get up if you’re down and do what Eren does: keep moving forward.
- Sakata Gintoki — Gintama
"Manga endings might always be the same. However... When it comes to life, neither you nor I are mere readers. We are the writers. We can change the ending!"
No one can decide your fate but you. No matter what other people tell you and how hard they try to influence, manipulate or scare you, at the end of the day it’s all up to you.
So don’t let others bring you down and make the choices for you, no one is destined to be miserable.
- Houtarou Oreki — Hyouka
"If I don't have to do it, I won't. If I have to do it, I'll make it quick."
This might sound like a lazy person’s moto, but it’s actually a pretty good thought. There are so many things that we do because we think we have to.
Some of them must be done (like studying or working, for example) but some are completely unnecessary, and they bring nothing but misery to us. So this self-obligation might become exhausting.
Just remember to stay human even while following Oreki’s advice, and don’t refuse everything that comes your way.
- Kakashi Hatake — Naruto
"Sometimes kind words only make things worse."
Although this idea might seem weird at first because how can kindness make things worse? But if you think about it, then it makes a lot of sense.
There are times when even silence is better because other people’s reactions can be different. And there might be times when your friend would appreciate a warm hug more than the words that you consider kind.
- Kamina — Gurren Lagann (Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann)
"Believe in the me that believes in you."
The message is actually quite simple: believe in yourself. But the wording makes it much more than your regular inspirational anime quote.
People with low self-esteem struggle a lot with the perception of themselves and their skills. But it helps when someone else is always there to support you and believe in you. When you try to see the world with their eyes, you might understand that you’re not worthless.
- Lelouch — Code Geass
"If the King doesn't lead, how can he expect his subordinates to follow?"
Lelouch definitely knows a lot about being a good leader. Unlike chess, where the king is the most crucial figure but is often useless on the battlefield, life is different.
And if you want to become a leader, you should remember to show a great example to others, and not just hide behind their back giving orders.