Highlights

• "Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki" portrays the complexities of bullying, showcasing character growth and a satisfying conclusion.
• "A Little Princess Sara" explores the bullying of a protagonist who becomes helpless when the world no longer sees her value.
• "My Clueless First Friend" offers a hopeful narrative about friendship and overcoming bullying with resilience and logic.

Bullying is one of the most oft-depicted topics in anime, but despite its prominence, it's still an elephant in the room. It's still rather sensitive, and there are plenty of things that can go wrong with its portrayal. Hence, anime that manages to illustrate a progressive and sensible angle on bullying should get the commendations they deserve.

After all, they address some glaring issues among youth that even some adults find difficult to tackle. There aren't many anime that properly portray or address bullying, which makes the handful of series that do precious to the medium as a whole. Beyond that, they also tell some heartfelt and endearing stories.

Updated February 4, 2024, by Mark Sammut: The Winter 2024 anime season is in full swing, and one particular show has just completed an arc focusing on school bullying. How does it compare to the other anime that cover this topic?

Also, while they do not qualify for this article, The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash, 'Tis Time for "Torture," Princess, and even Classroom of the Elite season 3 have moments that are tangibly related to the theme. Technically, even Gushing over Magical Girls is worth a mention, although its interpretation of "bullying" is a bit different from the act's standard definition.

13 Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki

MyAnimeList: 7.18 (2nd Stage)

Debuting in 2021, Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki follows an introverted gamer, the eponymous Tomozaki, who is being "taught" how to break out of his shell by the most popular girl in his class, Aoi. The latter treats real life as a game that can be bested, and while her initial direction helps Tomozaki find confidence and his voice, he eventually starts to go against her philosophy as he searches for his own answers. Season 1 is a fun slice of life/drama centering around two somewhat unlikable but interesting characters, and Tomozaki improves quite a lot as the episodes progress.

Season 2 dedicates most of its opening four episodes to a bullying case happening in Tomozaki and Aoi's class. After noticing that her crush has started dating a girl, the vindictive Erika starts to take out her frustrations on Hanabi, an outspoken girl who struggles to connect with most of her classmates. Despite not taking it lying down, Hanabi's aggressive reactions cause the class to slowly turn against her; consequently, Tomozaki starts to mentor the victim so she can tweak her behavior and hopefully garner support.

Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki handles this sensitive subject reasonably well, and this arc helped flesh out quite a few characters who were previously defined by just one trait. Hanabi transformed from a forgettable background player to one of the show's most likable figures; meanwhile, Tomozaki continued his development, taking Aoi's teachings and mending them to suit his more optimistic outlook on life. That said, this storyline is fairly repetitive, although it builds towards a satisfying conclusion.

12 A Little Princess Sara

MyAnimeList: 7.68

For those willing to set their standards back nearly four decades, A Little Princess Sara has lots of lessons to tell. It's a kid's anime, similar to a morning cartoon, but its themes are heavy and relatable even today. Sara was initially a wealthy, kind, and favored girl whose parents enrolled her in a boarding school. Her life took a turn for the worse as news of Sara's parents' bankruptcy reached the school principal's ears.

Soon enough, all attitudes towards "Princess Sara" changed. She ended up getting bullied not only by her insecure classmates but also by adults. It's a different kind of bullying where the victim is almost helpless after the world doesn't see any utilitarian purpose for her.

11 Peach Girl

MyAnimeList: 7.68

Peach Girl explores another shade of bullying — one that stems from the bully's insecurity. Such is the predicament of Momo Adachi, a tan-skinned protagonist whose crush only likes pale-skinned girls. This compels Momo to reinvent herself and drastically change her appearance to suit her prospect's preferences.

At the same time, Momo's backstabbing friends have ensured that she gets bullied out of rumors of promiscuity. The anime depicts the difficulties of teenage romance when unfair and colonialized beauty standards come into play, along with the toxic power dynamics of high school communities.

10 My Clueless First Friend

MyAnimeList: 7.53

Spring 2023's definitive anime about bullying, My Clueless First Friend is an oddly wholesome show considering it features some uncomfortably grounded depictions of this type of behavior. In her Elementary School, Akane has been labeled the "Grim Reaper," a nickname that most of the students seem to have adopted as they frequently mock and tease the innocent girl. Totally isolated from her peers, Akane feels alone and helpless; however, that changes when Taiyou transfers to the school.

Relentlessly optimistic, direct, and imaginative, Taiyou is drawn to Akane, and they establish a friendship built on mutual respect. The boy thinks the "Grim Reaper" nickname is the coolest thing ever, and while this drives his initial interest in his classmate, he almost instantly makes a genuine connection with Akane. Also, Taiyou constantly uses logic to throw the bullies' comments back at them, and it is incredibly satisfying.

9 Dear Brother

MyAnimeList: 7.84

Dear Brother is like a high school version of A Little Princess Sara. It sets a troublesome premise for Nanako Misonoo who enrolls at Seiran Academy, an all-girls school. More than that, she also joins a sorority but quickly finds herself outclassed and outgunned by wealthy and high-status members.

It doesn't take long for everyone to bully the impoverished and unpopular Nanako just because she doesn't belong in the pack and because her classmates are somehow jealous of her. Dear Brother immediately sets its tone and subject matter — a psychological drama about the struggle of a bullied young girl.

8 Fighting Spirit

MyAnimeList: 8.77

Plenty of sports anime incorporate bullying in some of their side characters' stories, but in Hajime No Ippo, the main character himself is receiving the brunt of that repulsive human behavior. Before enrolling in a boxing gym, Makunouchi Ippo, the protagonist in question, was regularly bullied physically, verbally, and emotionally.

Yet, despite becoming an elite boxer and a champion, he never harbored ill will towards his bullies. He also didn't try to get revenge and instead rose above his own hatred, even setting an example of improvement for his bullies who eventually became his boxing friends. Ippo's display of emotional maturity is something plenty of bullies and bullied people should strive for.

7 Eyeshield 21

MyAnimeList: 7.92

Eyeshield 21's Sena Kobayakawa's situation isn't too far from Makunouchi Ippo's. Being a small and shy kid, he's constantly being bullied and has made it his daily habit to run away from his bullies in order to survive school. Turns out, all that running made him talented in dodging and evasive maneuvers, which are perfect traits for a Running Back in American Football.

Hence, Sena was scouted and quickly became the MVP of his school varsity team. He even inspired his bullies to improve themselves and join the team. The anime deserves praise for how it rewards the resilience of bullied characters, and how it gave them the confidence they needed. It also celebrates the way that the American Football team made room for them, whereas other sports and social groups shunned their odd skills.

6 Flowers Of Evil

MyAnimeList: 7.14

The art style is certainly bizarre even for an anime, but viewers will find that this show's aesthetic meshes well with the story that Flowers of Evil wants to tell. It features a different kind of bullying, which is mostly psychological and blackmailing as the male protagonist, Takao Kasuga, is caught stealing the school heartthrob's underwear.

The girl who catches him, Sawa Nakamura, takes advantage of the opportunity to turn the protagonist into a slave, so he can avoid getting bullied by everyone. As it turns out, Sawa is quite twisted, and the anime shows just how much perceived-power can affect a person's behavior. Sawa ends up controlling every aspect of Takao's life and ruining his chances with the girl he has a crush on.

5 Naruto

MyAnimeList: 7.99

Before Naruto Uzumaki became the most powerful ninja in Konoha, he had a rather rough childhood. Apart from being an orphan, he also houses within him a giant demon capable of destroying his whole country. He has few to no friends, and the whole town basically shuns his existence. Ostracization is a form of bullying and takes its toll on the show's protagonist.

It's easy to forget what Naruto had to endure as a child since he's a shining beacon of strength by the end. At one time, the majority of the people in his country actually wouldn't have minded if he disappeared or died. Still, Naruto's perseverance and emotional intelligence despite the odds and despite his disposition is nothing short of inspiring. It's good to see that he's gotten more than his dues in Boruto.

4 Hell Girl

MyAnimeList: 7.61

Hell Girl not only depicts bullying well but also sets a scary example of the grudge that builds up when someone bullies another. The anime is rather grim and doesn't offer direct positive resolutions or counterbalance to bullying; in fact, it even rewards vengeful behavior from the bullied. Like it or not, though, that's still quite an accurate reaction.

It shows that if the bullied people had some kind of supernatural intervention to help them rid of their bullies, they would wholeheartedly torture the latter. Despite the negative aspects of dealing with bullies, the anime still paints a strong anti-bullying message. It's also pretty clear what awaits bullies if they don't change their ways.

3 A Silent Voice

MyAnimeList: 8.93

A Silent Voice or Koe no Katachi is a school anime in which a boy named Shouya Ishida ends up bullying one of his deaf classmates. As they grow up, the effects of Ishida's bullying reverberate, even though he did stop after a crescendo of transgressions.

A Silent Voice is thus praiseworthy for how it also explores the impact of bullying on the bully, as well as the people involved. Even as a teenager and young man, Shouya Ishida's childhood actions against Shouko Nishimiya (the girl he bullied) were enough to cause immense guilt and self-loathing.

2 March Comes In Like A Lion

MyAnimeList: 8.93 (Season 2)

The first season of March Comes In Like A Lion doesn't actually address bullying that much since it's primarily an anime about shogi, a Japanese board game not unlike chess. Come the second season, though, the anime starts developing one of its characters and looking back at their backstory.

That character would be Hina, whose troubles began when she stood up for her friend who was being bullied. The bullies then turned their attention and efforts toward her in retaliation. The beauty in Hina's reaction is in her conviction. Despite the predicament, she didn't regret anything, as she knew that she stood for what was right.

1 Great Teacher Onizuka

MyAnimeList: 8.69

Great Teacher Onizuka is about a former bad boy Yakuza gangster who reforms and decides to be a teacher. His initial goal is to be closer to young women, but he eventually changes that to something nobler after seeing the state of the youth and how education fails them. Thus, Great Teacher Onizuka's title character Eikichi Onizuka goes from episode to episode fixing his students' social and emotional problems.

A majority of these are bullying cases that the anime handles beautifully and sensibly. Great Teacher Onizuka understands that even the bullies themselves are also victims of poor parenting or other social issues. Eikichi sets out to address the root of the problem, while also giving confidence and protection to his bullied students. It's a captivating look at the human condition through the eyes of a former gangster.