Not all anime takes place in fantasy worlds or dystopian futures. Some of the most memorable stories are rooted right here, in cities we walk through, schools we attend, and societies we live in. Ranging from slice-of-life dramas to thrillers grounded in realism orsubtle sci-fi wrapped in present-day aesthetics, these anime hit harder because they feelreal.
They focus oneveryday challenges, emotional journeys, and locations so accurately depicted that fans make pilgrimages to visit them. These stories tend to blur the line between fiction and reality, making their characters and conflicts lingerlong after the credits roll.
10 Most Rewatchable Anime
Here are 10 anime that you can rewatch countless times and never get tired of.
9Barakamon
Rural Life and Artistic Redemption
Barakamon follows young calligrapher Seishuu Handa who, after punching a critic, is exiled to a remote island to reflect on his art and life. There, hisrigid worldview softensthrough interactions with the island’s quirky residents, particularly an energetic young girl named Naru.
The real-world setting of Fukue Island in Nagasaki Prefecture becomes almost a character itself, influencingHanda’s artistic evolutionand personal growth as he learns to find inspiration in unexpected places.
Barakamon uses its authentic setting to explore the tension between urban and rural values, tradition versus innovation, and the search for authentic self-expression in avery real-world context.
8March Comes in Like a Lion
Tokyo’s Shifting Seasons and Inner Battles
Meet Rei Kiriyama, a professional shogi player going through depression who found a family in contemporary Tokyo. Orphaned and battling inner demons, Rei finds warmth and healing through his relationship with the three Kawamoto sisters who bring light to his somberhigh school existence.
The anime renders real locations in Shinkawa and surrounding neighborhoods, with the Sumida River serving as a recurring motif reflecting Rei’s emotional state. Thedetailed portrayal of Tokyo’s changing seasonsmirrors the protagonist’s psychological state, with winter’s isolation giving way to spring’s renewal.
The artists use ordinary urban settings (apartments, shogi halls, school classrooms) to frame emotional depth, depicting how everyday environments contain the entirespectrum of human experience.
7A Place Further Than the Universe
Antarctica and the Journey to Get There
The plot is simple: four high school girls (for personal and sometimes random reasons) decide to go on an expedition to Antarctica while sightseeing in real-world locations from Japan to Singapore to the frozen continent itself.
Mari Tamaki, yearning to make the most of her youth, joins Shirase Kobuchizawa, who is determined toreach Antarctica,where her mother disappeared. Along with two other girls, they overcome numerous obstacles to fulfill their ambitious dream.
This anime has an insane commitment to geographical accuracy and logistical realism. The challenges of securing passage on research vessels, managing international travel, andpreparing for extreme conditionsall receive thoughtful attention.
While Antarctica represents the literal destination, the series uses authentic settings to explore how physical voyages throughreal spaces facilitate inner transformation, making the actual locations integral to the emotional narrative rather than mere backdrops.
6Kids on the Slope
Jazz in 1960s Kyushu
Set in 1966 Kyushu, this period piece directed by Shinichiro Watanabe recreatespost-war Japanduring a time of cultural transformation. Classical pianist Kaoru Nishimi moves to a small town and forms a friendship bond with thedelinquent Sentaro Kawabuchithrough their shared passion for jazz.
Their jam sessions in a basement record shop become isolated moments of connection across social divides. The detailed rendering of Sasebo, with its hillside neighborhoods reflecting American influence from the nearby naval base, creates anauthentic historical contextfor the story.
Record shops, jazz clubs, and school rooms are drawn with period-specific details that ground the emotional narrative in aparticular time and place.
5Laid-Back Camp
The Serene Outdoors of Mount Fuji
High school girls discover the joys of camping around theMount Fuji region and Yamanashi Prefecture. Introverted Rin Shima prefers solo camping until she meets an extremely energetic fellow named Nadeshiko Kagamihara, leading to a friendship that celebrates both solitude and togetherness in nature.
The anime has exceptionally accurate depictions of real camping locations, local landmarks, and seasonal conditions,inspiring many viewersto visit these sites themselves.
What makes Laid-Back Camp so watchable is how it captures the therapeutic quality of natural environments, using realistic settings to explore solitude versus companionship,urban versus naturalspaces, and the mindful appreciation of simple experiences.
4Run with the Wind
Marathon Training Through Tokyo’s Streets
This sports drama follows a diverse group of university students training for Japan’s most prestigious relay marathon, theHakone Ekiden. Former elite runner Haiji Kiyose recruits nine other residents of his dormitory including Kakeru Kurahara, a talented but disillusioned runner – to form a team, despite most having no running experience.
The series depictsreal-world running routes through Tokyoand surrounding areas with remarkable accuracy, from university tracks to mountainous training grounds.
This anime uses actual geography to illustrate character development. The literal uphill battles on training runs reflect personal struggles, while the varied landscapes mirror thediverse backgroundsof the team members.
3Shirobako
Behind the Scenes of Anime Production
This meta-series offers awindow into theactual anime industryin Tokyo, following five friends working in different roles in animation production. Aoi Miyamori serves as a production assistant at Musashino Animation while herfour friends pursue various creative positionsthey dreamed about since their high school animation club days.
Shirobako shas a detailed, insider portrayal of real-world studio operations, production challenges, and industry practices. Office spaces,recording studios, and Tokyo neighborhoodsare rendered with attention to professional accuracy, creating an authentic context for the characters' career struggles.
Through demystifying the creative process behind anime itself, the series uses its real-world setting to exploreartistic collaboration,and finding purpose through work.
Mystery in Everyday School Life
Set in the fictional but realistic town of Kamiyama (modeled after Takayama in Gifu Prefecture), Hyouka follows thedaily life of the Classics Clubat a Japanese high school.
Energy-conserving Hotaro Oreki reluctantly joins the club at his sister’s request, where he meets the curious Eru Chitanda, whose boundlessinterest in mundane mysteries draws him into using his deductive talents.
The series transforms ordinary school spaces like clubrooms, libraries, festival grounds, into settings for intellectual puzzles and personal growth. What distinguishes Hyouka is its detailedattention to realistic school environmentsand small-town Japanese life, showing how even commonplace locations contain rich histories and stories waiting to be uncovered.
10 Best Mystery Anime, Ranked
Mystery anime like Death Note, Paranoia Agent, and Erased keep audiences on edge, weaving intricate puzzles and dark revelations.
The animation lavishes attention on everyday details such as light filtering through windows, or seasonal changes in the landscape, elevating seemingly ordinary settings intovisually stunning environmentsfor adolescent discovery.
1Violet Evergarden
Post-War European-inspired Landscapes
Though set in a fictional country, Violet Evergarden draws heavily frompost-World War I European architecture and society, creating aworld that feels historically authenticrather than a pure fantasy.
The story follows Violet, a former child soldier who becomes an “Auto Memory Doll”, a letter writer who helps peopleexpress their emotions, as she searches for the meaning of her commander’s final words to her: “I love you.”
The series renders town squares, postal offices, and countryside villas withperiod-specific detailsthat ground the emotional narrative in a recognizable past.
What makes this setting exceptional is how it uses the aftermath of conflict as both literal and metaphorical, the rebuilt cities and healing countryside reflect the protagonist’s own recovery from war trauma, whilecommunication technology (like the typewriter)becomes central to both the plot and thematic exploration of human connection.
