Anime, with its emotionally charged, dramatic, and captivating storytelling, evokes strong emotions that frequently leave a lasting impression on viewers. While most anime are universally loved or hated,some polarize the audienceby exploring controversial themes, challenging unorthodox storytelling, or emotive characters that push boundaries.
In this list, we look at shows whose narratives, character choices, and/or themes have led to heated discussions and debates in the anime community. Although these series may be polarizing, they still deserve more attention than they get.
5School Days
An Intriguing Twist On Teenage Romance
Makoto Itou is a high schooler who gets infatuated by Kotonoha Katsura’s beauty ever since he first crossed paths with her. However, because of his timid nature, he struggles to approach her, and instead sets Kotonoha’s photo, which he took in secret, as his phone’s wallpaper. One day, his classmate, Sekai Saionji, notices the picture and decides to help him connect with Katsura instead of getting him into trouble.School Daysfocuses on the lives of this trioas they deal with the joys and tribulations of their teenage years.
Although this romance series seems like a conventional teenage love story at first, it eventually escalates into manipulation and cheating.School Dayshas polarized fans because of its poor character development and unlikeable protagonist. Only viewers who are looking for an anime that subverts genre expectations and dares to experiment would find the anime enjoyable, but it does experiment with some otherwise-underused themes.
Hiroyuki’sGirlfriend, Girlfriend(also known asKanojo mo Kanojo) is a harem rom-com based on the eponymous Japanese manga series. It revolves around a high schooler named Naoya Mukai, who, shortly after getting into a relationship with his childhood friend Saki Saki, finds himself in an unexpected situation, as another girl proposes to him after months of preparation. Instead of rejecting her, Naoya decides to date the two girls together, with their permission.
Girlfriend, Girlfriendis a hilarious series that focuses on the drama that unfolds as Naoya tries to balance his school and love life, all the while unexpectedly drawing the attention of more girls. The show has been deemed “cringe-inducing” because of the outlandish and unrealistic nature of the premise. However, it’s still a great anime for fans who wish to watch a funny series that light-heartedly explores unorthodox relationship dynamics.
3Love And Lies
An Intriguing Twist On Conventional Love Stories
As future Japanese society struggles with increasingly low birth rates, the government has come up with The Red Threads of Science system, aimed at encouraging successful marriages. According to the scheme, partners are picked by the government for people as young as 16, with a threat of harsh repercussions if someone were to violate the agreement. An average teenager named Yukari Nejima feels that the system makes sense for someone like him until he confesses his love to Misaki Takasaki, and the two develop a relationship.
When Nejima turns 16, Ririna Sanada is assigned as his future partner, which forces him to engage in an ugly game of lies and manipulation to save his illicit romance.Love and Liesexplores the drama that unfolds as thelove triangle spirals into a complicated web of liesand deceit that leans toward polarizing issues like personal freedom and tyranny, individual choice versus societal control, and the moral implications of state-imposed marriages. The state’s interference in romantic relationships is a largely-unexplored and fascinating subject.Love and Liesoffers viewers a refreshing and thought-provoking premise that deserves more attention.
Inspired by Mengo Yokoyari’s eponymous Japanese manga,Scum’s Wishis an honest exploration of unrequited love, human vulnerability, and the sinister side of desire. The anime recounts the story of two hopeless teenagers in love with people who don’t love them back, and to deal with this painful reality, they resort to forming a codependent physical relationship.
The show’s stark portrayal of lust, and the harsh reality of unrequited love and manipulation, has polarized fans for years. The raw and honest depiction of human corruption and the subsequent spiral into emotional hollowness has been too bleak or uncomfortable for some viewers to watch. However, the series is ideal for anime fans who prefermature and dark romance storiesthat deal with the messier side of attachment and love.
Reiji Miyajima’sRent-a-Girlfriend(also known asKanojo, Okarishimasu) isa harem romance animethat focuses on themes like love triangles, emotional dependency, insecurity, and self-worth. The show follows a cowardly20-year-old college student, Kazuya Kinoshita, who is driven by heartbreak and loneliness to hire a rental girlfriend. Once he meets his temporary partner, Chizuru Mizuhara, she becomes the subject of his one-sided infatuation, and things get further complicated by the accidental involvement of their families.
Rent-a-Girlfriendhas been polarizing for fans primarily because of the indecisive protagonist and repetitive plotlines that ruin the resolution of romantic tensions and prevent any meaningful character development. Furthermore, the concept of renting a girlfriend is seen as morally questionable in many cultures, so some viewers tend to struggle with it. However, this romance series is still an interesting watch for anime fans seeking a light-hearted show that explores modern dating dynamics influenced by Japanese culture.
