Which anime or manga about loners coming out of their shells and thriving is your favorite

Lucifrost said:
Rozen Maiden is the only good title.

istheworstgirl said:
i was gonna say welcome to the nhk but well you opened with that lol

theres an argument to be made for neon genesis evangelion (original tv/movies). shinji ikari is tbh a prime example of this even if he isnt a hikki, he still has the same pattern of character growth arc ending in catharsis and freedom from his old self by the end of the series.

Blueberry173 said:
re zero easily, subaru got one of the best character developments ever.
people seem to praise welcome to the NHK a lot, its right on my watch list as the next anime, i might like that too.

istheworstgirl said:
i was gonna say welcome to the nhk but well you opened with that lol

theres an argument to be made for neon genesis evangelion (original tv/movies). shinji ikari is tbh a prime example of this even if he isnt a hikki, he still has the same pattern of character growth arc ending in catharsis and freedom from his old self by the end of the series.

Crow_Black said:


you should also consider trying out the original the world ends with you video game as well too.

istheworstgirl said:
q

i feel like people who hate on shinji's character writing really don't have any media literacy and ability to empathize or introspect tbh. the first time i watched NGE i was 12 and i hated shinji. as i rewatched the show over and over as i got older, i realized his character writing is actually amazing and he is incredibly relatable, because i matured and i also learned more about other people as well as my own internal world and psyche. i also gained the ability to analyze media on a higher level, i mean i gained a fully adult brain at least bc i dont wanna sound like i'm being arrogant.



i remember i spent 100s of hours playing TWEWY on DS and it was one of the most impactful games i ever played as a YA. i see you talk about it a lot so just thought i'd add that it also was something i was a huge fan of, but i haven't played it since maybe, idk, 2010? but the main character starts quite introverted and then comes into his own if i remember correctly, right?

i can still hear the music from that game in my head whenever i think of it. calling...

JumbledStars said:
Oregairu kinda sucked imo but one good part was the MC’s development. Went from an asshole loser to a pretty chill guy, and it was subtle/slow enough that I didn’t really notice until halfway through the third season.

tongsamchongs said:
If you think about it, perhaps Naruto also fall into this category...

Naruto was basically a loner before he become the Jesus Christ of Shinobi world...

I love the few first chapters of Naruto where he blatantly tried to break open of his loner shell using his dumb and clumsy way, and he has admirable determination to achieve it.

And also people tend to forget about Naruto and his father-role-teacher, Iruka sensei, relationship. The chapter where Iruka truly said what Naruto means for him is actually tear-jerking and eye-opening that if only someone accept you no matter how his background is, he/she can eventually open up to the world and become a better person.

Crow_Black said:

Ok! i'm so sending you a pact friend request right now! because you're pretty chill and also you really know your stuff on anime,manga and games. And yep! i have the soundtrack playing right now on my computer too!.

istheworstgirl said:


i'm happy to accept (although sometimes im slow to answer PMs jsyk) and i thank you for the compliment. i actually still put the TWEWY soundtracks on my playlist sometimes cause they are just so evocative and nostalgic. i've would like to go back and try playing the game again, but i dont own a DS anymore and i cant rly imagine playing the revamped phone/tablet port version.....plus all my spare time is currently being spent on anime, reading books, and playing other games. that said, TWEWY is not the only classic game worth owning a DS again for...

Crow_Black said:


btw, you may also like the world ends with you as well too since of how similar it was to naruto and hell maybe i'll even add it on the list of recs as well soon too and yeah do play the original the world ends with you on the ds.

Chisatochan1998 said:

Komi Can't Communicate

tongsamchongs said:


I will definitely look into it. Apparently I did watch the first episode of Subarashiki Kono Sekai The Animation, and unfortunately at that time the first episode did not give much impact for me as I fear it will only turn out into pursuing story with giving much battle time rather than a proper character building.

I will try once again in the near future to look deeper into it and give it second chance.

sodahead5362 said:

Komi-san is absolute garbage and you should feel ashamed for even referencing it.

istheworstgirl said:


i havent watched Komi and all i know about it is the basic premise (she's a mute) and tbh i was kinda curious about it bc i struggle with mutism IRL myself.

there's plenty of anime that has a good idea or premise that is absolute garbage tho so tell me why i shouldn't watch it

erikkamirs said:
The 4th Evangelion Rebuild movie is the best example of this. Shinji gets depressed and feels guilty about his war crimes. Asuka beats the shit out of him. And his former classmates teach him to go outside and touch grass. And he does it! A good 30 minutes of the movie is Shinji touching grass! It's so inspirational. I love it!

bucciaratiest said:
Yuki from "Tsuritama" is the first thing that comes to my mind. I always relate to/really like the visual representation of him drowning underwater when he's struck by anxiety, but then that starts to go away once he develops a love for fishing, and by the end of the series water is a natural part of his life and he's surrounded by people who support him and he's gained so much self-confidence. I did a rewatch of the series this summer and I really appreciated his character growth in those regards.

bizor said:
As was said, Evangelion really is the gold standard for the arc of an isolated and traumatized person struggling through the ordeal of breaking out of the comfortable familiar horror of being alone and learning how to be ok with being vulnerable again. It ultimately ends at that final revelation which does leave a wanting.

An anime that I think does well to explore how a young person learns to find new belonging and hope is Tamayura. Fuu is an anxious girl that isn't totally alone but she's been emotionally stuck in the years after her father's death. Her family moves back to the town where he died and she slowly starts rediscovering the world that she grew up in with new friends who support her and help her heal. It is a really beautiful and slow and fun anime about learning to accept pain and rebuilding confidence in the wake of tragedy.

Hitori Bocchi is a much more lighthearted take on this sort of story being a 4koma manga. It's fun and cute and makes a point of being respectful of Bocchi's struggles with anxiety and isolation. It is a comedy series that reads like it comes from a place of deep understanding of what being that kind of person is like. I liked the anime adaptation a lot.

PeppermintHearts said:
Welcome to the NHK was the best, Tatsuhiro is a loner and Misaki is a girl who tries to help him leave his loner lifestyle, but there is something strange about her that you would find out in the end as you watch the whole series.