Creativity comes in all shapes and forms and is not exclusive to the practice of putting pencil to paper for visual effect. Anime simply would not exist without art, and many shows have dedicated their storylines to celebrating the creative process in one way or the other. From music to painting, photography, fashion design, and more, these inspirational Anime are guaranteed to spark some creative flair from their audiences.
There is a general misconception that one needs to be born with a natural talent before they can earn the right to pursue a creative dream, but the following motivational stories prove that, with hard work and dedication, anyone with enough passion and commitment can make their dreams come true.
10 Vampire In The Garden: The Forbidden Art Of Expression
In Momo's world, all things creative are strictly prohibited, as elements of music and art are left for only the vampires to appreciate and cultivate. Like all artistic souls, Momo feels drawn toward any stimulating artifact that may hold exquisite artistic secrets, and end up aligning herself with the feared and forbidden supernatural creatures in Vampire In The Garden.
The vampire queen, Lady Fine, takes a liking to the young girl and decides to take Momo along on her journey to discover Eden: a realm where humans and vampires can live in sync while embracing all things aesthetic. During their travels, Lady Fine introduces Momo to songs, dancing, and various art forms, for which the human appears to have a natural talent. Together, they fight for freedom of expression to be reestablished in the corrupt society that imprisons self-expression with radical laws.
9 The Garden Of Words: Shoemaking, Stanzas, And Solitude
Not only is The Garden Of Words visually stimulating in its own right, but the content also assaults the senses with Takao's passion for anything related to shoemaking. When he is not consumed by the task of actual footwear production, Takao can be found in isolation, quietly sketching his surroundings and drawing inspiration for new potential designs.
The young boy forms an unlikely bond with a woman who seems to enjoy solitude just as much as him, and the two have numerous unplanned rendevous in the Shinjuku Gyo-en gardens, particularly on rainy days. Poetry becomes their language of love, as Takao and Yukino work through the intricacies of their unconventional friendship, while simultaneously tackling society's rejection due to their unusual habits.
8 Ascendance Of A Bookworm: Constructively Creative Printmaking
When Myne tragically dies in an unfortunate accident, it is far from the worst thing to happen to the young lady in Ascendance Of A Bookworm. The book-enthusiast finds herself reincarnated into another universe and is now without access to any reading material, which is reserved for the rich and noble. This Gekokujo gal refuses to accept defeat and uses her modern-world experience to renovate the historical timeline by reinventing the printing, binding, and paper-making processes.
Printmaking and Artists' Books are respected in Fine Art institutions as acceptable creative mediums, and many of the techniques that Myne experiments with are taught in several art-orientated schools. As a former librarian, Myne has a thorough understanding of the different methods used in crafting books and plans to make reading accessible to everyone regardless of their financial status, and her passion is absolutely contagious!
7 Forest Of Piano: Cultivating Classical Music
What makes a musician exemplary: natural-born talent, or years of dedication, practice, and commitment? This is the question plaguing young Shuhei Amamiya in Forest of Piano, as he finds himself attending the same music school as a seemingly undignified savage, who just happens to have impeccable classical piano skills.
Kai Ichinose comes from a troubled home and distracts himself by fiddling around with a mystical piano in the depths of the forest, subsequently teaching himself how to play in the process. However, when Shuhei attempts to join his new friend in a woodland concert, the piano makes no sound. The two contend for the top spot in the Chopin competition and walk the fine line between friend and foe, with a beautiful musical score to accompany the ears along the way.
6 Shirobako: An Anime About Anime
Five young girls attending Kaminoyama High School have come together to form an Anime club, but not with the typical otaku bells and whistles, as these ladies wish to get involved in the production side of things. Each character is intrigued by a different aspect of anime creation, including drawing, production management, animation, singing, and voice acting, which all come with their own set of rewards and difficulties.
Shirobako gives the audience a unique view of what goes on behind the scenes of Anime production, which is not as glamourous as the girls (and most viewers) anticipated. Skipping two years into the future, fans get another glimpse of how Aoi Miyamori, Ema Yasuhara, Midori Imai, Shizuka Sakaki, and Misa Toudou's introduction to the anime industry is going so far, and what unexpected troubles they are struggling with at a professional level.
5 My Dress-Up Darling: The Titillating Triple-Threat
My Dress-Up Darling hits viewers with a trifecta of creative stimulation, as Gojo and Marin inspire painting, sewing, and cosplay from the audience. When fans first meet Gojo, he is obsessed with becoming a respectable kashirashi, and painstakingly spends all his spare time painting Hina Doll faces, hoping to perfect the art one day. Marin, on the other hand, wants nothing more than to express herself through cosplay, which requires its own level of creativity and photographic skills. She emplores Gojo to utilize his impressive sewing skills to assemble her otaku ensembles, and the young man discovers a hidden talent for fashion design in the process.
Budding cosplay enthusiasts, Juju and Shinju Inui help their new friends refine their photographic skills by sharing their knowledge on background settings, lighting, and using digital photo manipulation software (like Photoshop.) This truly inspirational content combined with humorous and seductive elements makes My Dress-Up Darling a unique anime viewing experience!
4 Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop: Neurodivergent Forms Of Expression
For the more poetic audience members, Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop is a perfect choice, as haiku is the major theme running throughout the storyline. Yui Sakura, better known as Cherry, has a communication disorder and prefers to express himself in the traditional Japanese written form of poetry. A serendipitous encounter with the socialite, Smile, exposes him to the art of content creation, as Yuki is a rather successful influencer.
Stemming from opposite ends of the social spectrum, Cherry and Smile find commonality through Mr. Fujiyama, whom they met while both working at the local senior center. Music subsequently also becomes a crucial component of the story, as the youngsters go out of their way to track down Mr. Fujiyama's long-lost vinyl, holding one of the last known recordings of his wife's stunning voice. Love, life, and everything in-between, this is a heartwarming option for those who enjoy a play on words.
3 Carole And Tuesday: Musical Motivation
Carol and Tuesday is a contemporary approach to breaking into the music industry as an up-and-coming pop star, and all the unforeseen hardships that come with it. Two girls from opposite sides of the tracks happen to stumble across one another upon a bridge and they instantly connect over their mutual passion for music. Both young, aspiring singer/songwriters, Carol and Tuesday combine their individual musical styles to create a unique sound, which subsequently takes the world (well, Mars) by storm when a clip of them performing goes viral.
Deciding to use their newfound fame as momentum, Carol and Tuesday work around the clock to create enough original content to triumph in the prestigious " Mars' Brightest" talent competition. The girls have to navigate through the politics of the music industry, appreciating each artist's creative contributions as they tweak their own music style, rising through the ranks in the process.
2 Whisper Of The Heart: Daring To Dream
One quote from Senji Amasawa that sums up Whisper of the Heart perfectly is "I won't know if I have talent until I try." This classic Ghibli Studio tale tells the story of Shizuku Tsukishima, whose obsession with reading has inspired her to become a writer at all costs, despite her family's apparent disapproval. She meets Senji and is drawn to his passionate aura, as he too wishes to defy all odds and follow his dreams of becoming a violin maker.
This inspirational storyline emphasizes that exploring one's talents is not an easy task, and perfecting a skill takes dedication, patience, and a relentless drive to perform to the best of one's abilities. Like an unpolished stone, a person's natural born talents still need to be refined in order to fulfill one's true potential, which is an attainable goal if approached in the right manner. It is a hard lesson to learn but thankfully delivered in the typical feel-good style that comes with anything Ghibli-related.
1 Blue Period: A Masterpiece In The Making
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Not much combines art and anime better than Blue Period, a slice-of-life drama that closely follows Yatora Yaguchi through his journey of self-discovery as he fights to gain recognition for his work. Although he finds little challenge in excelling at school, Yaguchi is not phased by his educational success and is rather blase about life in general. That is, until the fateful day when landscape painting transports him into another realm of creative insight, as the art world suddenly reveals its alluring mysteries to the unsuspecting boy.
With only a few months left before university, Yaguchi throws everything he has into practicing his newfound art skills, absorbing as much information from the Art Club and cram school as physically possible. He struggles with the concept that plague all creative minds, trying to determine the definition of what "good art" is while trying to encompass various techniques, subject matter, and emotions in his paintings. Blue Period displays a relatable narrative of the art school experience, jam-packed with aesthetic attributes and artistically accurate lessons.