There’s a nice, warm feeling knowing that there are about 1 billion anime fans in the world!
Why do we love anime so much?
Besides the colourful visual appeal and captivating stories, many anime lovers find the stories of their fave anime hero relatable. We tend to side with those who are most like us. Relatability Theory in psychology shows us that our biases tend to have similar experiences or have traits that we share or desire. As humans, it’s natural to feel the pain of others, even more so those that we relate most with.
Hero’s journey
Some of the most beloved anime heroes have a past that can break the hardest hearts. For some it’s a quest for a better world and others it’s a home-coming journey. Regardless, most character’s must go through the rites of passage, a search within themselves to make choices to be a better version of themselves.
Often the most relatable heroes are those who have deep scars and human flaws, reflecting perhaps our own emotional experiences.
Naofumi Iwatani, The Rising of the Shield Hero, struggled with low self-esteem having been humiliated by his friends and the King for being weakest warrior in the kingdom.
Edward Elric, of Fullmetal Alchemist, held on the guilt of an experiment gone awry which badly harmed his brother.
Zuko, Avatar, The Last Airbender, wrestled with shame as he was chastised in front of his leaders and defaced.
No one is spared from pain and recognizing it is a start to heal in the right way. Click image below to try our Anime in Pain questionnaire to know what are good ways to manage pain points in our lives.
Stress is not all bad!
Stress is a natural physiological reaction to threat. When we are challenged in an unfamiliar ways, our minds will automatically go into fight and flight mode. This keeps us safe from danger.
We also need some level of stress to motivate us towards goal orientation.
What is important is the right mount of stress and how we react to stress.
Anime characters and their stress reactions
Some anime characters react badly to stress
How do you react to stress?
Eren Yaeger of Attack on Titan, always reacts in anger, unlike his bestie Armin who always thinks through a situation to find the right solution.
Maki Zen’in of Jujutsu Kaizen, is driven by compulsion to succeed at all cost when facing stressful relationship challenges.
Some anime characters however, consistently demonstrates healthy ways of managing stress.
Tanjiro Kamado, of Demon Slayer, relies on controlled breathing to calm down and keep focused.
Mao Mao of Apothecary Diaries, always relies on rational thinking to identify unhelpful distorted thinking and reframe situation to find a positive solution.
By looking at a situation from a different angle, it keeps us calm so that we can think rationally and make better decisions.
There’s more!
Join us in our Shadee.Care discord chat groups, to share your thoughts about your fave anime hero. This is a fun space where we play games and chat about our interest. It is also a safe-space for you to unload your stress and get tips from our counsellors to better manage life challenges.
Shadee.Care will be at AFA 2025 Booth C33. Click below to see what we have in store for you!
MAKE MEMORIES FOR KEEPS at AFA@2025
Image credits: Demon Slayer, Koyoharu Gotouge, Ufotable; Frerien:Beyond Journey’s End, Kanehito Yamada/Tsukasa Abe, Studio Madhouse; Jujutsu Kaisen, Gege Akutami, Mappa; Attack on Titan, Hajime Isayama, Kodansha Ltd, Wit Studio; The Apothecary Diaries, Natsu Hyuuga, Toho Animation Studios; Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Hanokage, Houbunsha, Aniplex & Shaft.
Disclaimer
Shadee.Care website is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not
constitute providing professional services nor advise. The information provided should not be used
for diagnosing or treating a mental health problem or disease, and those seeking personal advice
should consult with a licensed therapist.
If you have suicidal thoughts, this is an emergency, please call SOS 1767 immediately. For Singapore
only.
While we hope you will share the information in this website, the content should not be copied and
reproduced in any form without the permission of Shadee.Care. Read more on Terms and
Conditions of use.
