Gamers love anime because they can have the joy of gaming without actually having to get up and play. It’s a perfect way to wind down and relax after an intense gaming session. With that in mind, here are our top 5 best anime series for gamers to enjoy.
- Also Read: Top 10 Anime For Beginners
Dragon Ball Series
Is it really any surprise that the franchise that spawned the most number of role-playing fighting games is on this list? The influence of Goku and the Dragon Ball series on the video game industry is no small feat. This popular manga and anime series follows the adventures of Son Goku, a monkey-tailed boy who trains in martial arts and seeks the seven mystical orbs known as the Dragon Balls. Collecting all 7 of these can summon a mythical dragon that has the power to grant any wish.
Along his journey, he makes many friends and enemies and faces powerful foes from different planets and dimensions who also covet the Dragon Balls for their own purposes. The series is divided into several sagas, each with its own plot and villains. If that doesn’t sound like the perfect plot for a fighting-adventure RPG, then no other anime deserves to be on this list.
Shangri-La Frontier
Shangri-La Frontier is an ongoing anime that’s surpassed all expectations for gamer weebs around the world. Rakuro Hizutome is a gamer who loves to play glitchy and faulty VR games, which he calls “trash games”. One day, at the lack of any new trash games in the market, he decided to challenge himself by playing Shangri-la Frontier- a popular and high-quality VR game with 30 million players. And the rest is his story.
The plot sounds like the anime is made by gamers and for gamers- and it even recognizes the importance of bad games. With superb action sequences, unique game mechanics, and a vibrant cast of characters, this anime is an edge-of-the-seat action comedy thriller.
Log Horizon
Log Horizon is an isekai anime for gamers because it depicts the experiences of players who are trapped in a virtual world that resembles a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). The anime explores core themes of gaming- such as teamwork, strategy, combat, exploration, and social interaction. The main protagonist, Shiroe is a master strategist and a veteran gamer.
The anime also shows how the players adapt to their new reality, create their own rules and society, and interact with the non-player characters (NPCs) who have their own personalities and emotions. While seemingly generic from its premise, this anime delves deeper than you think into political, social, and economic issues especially those concerning minor NPCs- characters who generally go unnoticed or ignored in actual games.
No Game No Life
If you’re a strategic gamer or a gamer who wins by quick wits and maneuvers then this is the anime for you. No Game No Life is a comedy fantasy anime about two siblings who are transported to a world where everything is decided by games- sounds like a paradise for gamers. Both of these siblings are unrivaled gamers in their original world and whichever game they play- they go by the name of Blanks.
The catch in their new world is that they remain human which means they rank bottom of the barrel when it comes to the hierarchy of species in that world. Follow their adventures as they challenge increasingly superior races in impossible games and gambits and still manage to come out on top proving once and for all that humans are not to be underestimated.
Sword Art Online
The story and world of Sword Art Online is every gamer’s dream life. This was the anime that finally brought gamers to the forefront of the anime community. It is about a virtual reality MMORPG called Sword Art Online, where players are trapped inside the game and must clear all 100 floors of a tower to escape. Their bodies are trapped in a way that if they die within the game, their body dies in the real life as well.
The main protagonist is Kirito, a beta tester who becomes a solo player and meets various friends and enemies along his journey. He also happens to fall in love with another player by the name of Asuna. The plot and lore are deeper than you think so both casual and hardcore weebs and gamers can enjoy this.
- Also Read: Top 10 Isekai Sequels Returning in 2024
While there are several animes based off on or adopting the format of popular games, the above 5 are the most popular and influential of them all. If high-octane gaming animes aren’t your cup of tea at the moment, check out our top 10 best romantic anime series to get a taste of that sweet slice-of-life lovey-dovey experience.
