Best Adulting Anime Series Every Adult Otaku Must Watch

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Many of us join the weeb bandwagon during the teenage years. But as we grow older, the usual fan service and nakama power get boring. So here's a list of anime that adult fans should watch.

Just to be clear, when I say adult anime, I don't mean the hentai, echi, or gory stuff. I mean an adult-centric anime with a focus on dealing with the adult lifestyle, like getting a job, the office life, being unsure of if you've been wasting your life and need to rethink it, that kinda stuff. So most of the shows on this list will be slice of life and seinen shows though you can find other genres as well. 

If I miss your favorite shows, it's because it didn't match the list's theme or I just didn't watch it. I'm also excluding movies from the list, might make a separate one for that. I'll keep this list as free of spoilers as possible.

ReLife

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This series is a must-watch for every adult who feels like a failure. Although it follows adult MCs who are given a second chance at life as high schoolers as part of a social experiment, their path to rediscovering their ideals and motivations is inspiring. 

Barakamon

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Imagine being told that you're basic at something you've been working hard to perfect. Some old man tells this to the MC at a calligraphy function and gets punched. The MC is exiled to an island to cool off. He fumes at first but he learns to reinvent his style as he interacts with the villagers, especially one annoying little brat.

Usagi Drop

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This one focuses a lot on what it means to be a parent while giving the viewers all sorts of fluffy feelings on the inside. It follows an unusually tall Japanese man whose main focus in life is his career. That changes when he decides to raise his late grandfather's illegitimate child.

Kakushsigoto

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Many of us aren't proud of the job we do. Many go so far as to hide their job from their children so that they don't feel ashamed. If you're one such person, then you might relate to this series. Even if you're not, the gags and tears in this series are still worth the watch.

Black Lagoon

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I was honestly conflicted about whether to add this to the list or not since its main focus is the crime world rather than normal adulting. But decided to add it because crime is part of many people's lives. And it gives us a glimpse into the darkness many have to live in while showing some badass gunfights.

 

Cowboy Bebop

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This is a classic that shows up in one must-watch list or another. It's a space sci-fi with lots of genres mixed in. But what makes fans relate to it more than anything is the characters' attachment to the past. Most of the crew have a ghost of the past hanging over their shoulders that they need to either let go or be consumed by.

Netjuu no Susume

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The MC pulls a move most of us wish could by resigning from her job at the age of 30 and dedicating the rest of her life to gaming. She plays as an online game as a male character and befriends a female character who's actually a man.

Clannad: After Story

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This one's a sequel to the high school love story called Clannad. I'd recommend watching the first part before this because it's a masterpiece and so that you don't miss some references. The story centers around the MC who just started a family with his high school sweetheart only to lose her in childbirth. He now has to pick himself up and learn to be a father.

Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii

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This follows an MC trying to hide that she's an otaku from the people at her new workplace, only to run into three more weebs. You might relate to this if you've been involved in an office romance. You might relate to it even more if you're one of the few in your office who still watch anime.

Quanzhi Gaoshou

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This one follows an e-sportsman who is forced by his sponsors to retire because he's older than average (around 25 or so). The MC retires from the team but decides to make his mark through a new gaming account and remind the e-sports world why he's the boss.

Fune wo Amu

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This one's last on the list because it's kinda slow but it suits the show's theme. It follows a dictionary publishing team and their slow, careful and intricate process to create a dictionary for the modern era. The growth of each character with the passage of time is worth following.

And that's my list for now. Again, don't hate me if I missed your favorite show. It just means that I didn't watch the show or it doesn't match my mental criteria. However, feel free to give your suggestions on what anime an adult weeb should watch.