School anime is an expansive genre with many popular titles because characters can befriend classmates, overcome difficulties, and determine their life path in a number of ways, including by joining a school club that reflects their interests and identity. They might be into sports, the supernatural, the fine arts, or something else entirely. However, no matter what niche a club’s members prefer, clubs offer a sense of community, safety, and encouragement to grow.
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Characters in anime about school clubs often face obstacles that resonate with viewers, so the genre’s ability to balance passion with success and hardship can be comforting or encouraging. Many club anime have stayed with their fans for years, but these are some of the most impactful.
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The five members of the Cultural Research club couldn’t find other clubs to match their interests, but despite their differing hobbies, they’re as close as can be. At least, they believed that was the case until they began swapping bodies. Althoughchanging their gender, memories, and location at random comes with challenges, it encourages them to face their inner demons together.
The characters inKokoro Connecthave a lot of sympathy for each other, but the show embraces a realistic approach. Since the characters lose their patience with each other and resist being vulnerable at times, its honest drama is one of the series’ most compelling points.
Crunchyroll,VRV
InDo It Yourself!!, an absent-minded girl named Yua Serufu joins the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Club at Gatagata Girls' High School, hoping thatthe skills she learnswill help her reconnect with her childhood friend. Serufu is clumsy, but her confidence and friend group grows alongside the club.
Do It Yourself!!stands out from other charming slice-of-life shows because of its technologically-advanced speculative world where people have relatively few responsibilities. Since the world is so advanced, being part of the DIY Club seems outdated, but the girls in the club take pride in their accomplishments.
Netflix
Yatora Yaguchi makes good grades but acts like a delinquent in and out of school. He doesn’t have a passion or the motivation to find one until he sees an impressive painting in the art room. Filled with the desire to create, he joins the art club with the mission of being accepted into the top art school in Tokyo because he realizes that his art can evoke emotions too.
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As a beginner, Yatora struggles to find his aesthetic while learning different mediums. He also often feels imposter syndrome around others because they have devoted their lives to art for longer than him. Pursuing his passion is challenging, butBlue Perioddoesn’t shy away from the struggles of becoming an artist.
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Chihayafurufollows Chihaya Ayase, a high school student passionate about kurata,a card gamewhere players aim to match verses of poetry using tremendous speed and accuracy. She dreams of earning the title of the best female kurata player, the Queen of Kurata, and has been training herself since childhood.
Despite her struggles to start a kurata club in high school and bring her team to the championships, Ayase and the others appreciate the beauty, strategy, and companionship the game offers them.Chihayafurufollows trends set in many other club anime, but its unique topic and use of lengthy flashbacks helped the series make a name for itself.
Crunchyroll,Funimation
Haruhi Suzumiya doesn’t realize she hasthe powers of a godbecause she’s busy seeking out the supernatural in her high school as part of the club she made with her seemingly ordinary friend, Kyon. Although Kyon realizes there are aliens, espers, and time travelers at the school, Kyon and the other club members try to appease Haruhi without triggering earth-shattering consequences.
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiyahas a fascinating plot, but that’s not all the series has to offer. Its episodes were intentionally aired out of order when the series began in 2006. However, since then, a rerelease has restructured the story in chronological order and added new content. Fans have different opinions about the best way to enjoy the anime, but deciding how to engage with Haruhi Suzumiya’s story is part of what makes it interesting.
Under threat of disbandment for not having enough members, the bassist, drummer, and keyboard player of the Light Music Club at Sakura High send out an ad for a new member who plays guitar. Unfortunately, the only girl excited who agrees to join doesn’t haveany musical experience.
Still, the Light Music Club comes together to teach its newest member about music to improve together. Their music may not seem like much, but with their bond and ambition, they strive to do their best.K-On!is a light-hearted, casual watch that became a well-known music series.
Funimation,HIDIVE
InClannad,delinquent Tomoya Okazaki comes across a mysterious girl who was held back a year after she was in an accident. She admits to him she has no friends but wants to restart the drama club at school. Despite having no interest in theater, Tomoya agrees to help her and slowly realizes that its members and life may be more interesting than he first believed.
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Based on asuccessful visual novelof the same name,Clannadhas many dark moments. However, the time it spends on each character gives it a depth and slow build that encourages fans to return to the series.
Crunchyroll,Funimation,VRV
The top two students at Shuchiin Academy, Miyuki Shirogane and Kaguya Shinomiya, run the school’s Student Council. Although they diligently care for the student body, they are also at war, trying to trick the other into confessing their romantic feelings first through mind games and elaborate schemes.
Since its release in 2019,Kaguya-sama: Love is Warhas made a name for itself by comedicallygoing against shojo anime tropes.Rather than waiting for Miyuki and Kaguya to realize their feelings, they know how they feel but let their pride get in the way of a happy romance, even as they fantasize about being together.
Many sports anime are set in high schools and follow the club’s activities and efforts to make it to championships. However, few have taken the anime community by storm likeHaikyu!!Paired with action-packed volleyball games, the touching rivalry and bond between the short yet athletic Shoyo Hinata and the aggressively strategic Tobio Kageyama made the series popular with fans of all genres.
As a sports anime and school club show, fans of the series share the team’senergy and motivation, so the time spent developing other characters in the series was also well-received.
Crunchyroll,Funimation,Netflix,Tubi,VRV
Ouran High School Host Clubis one of themost popular shojo animein the world for its discussions around gender and shojo archetypes. The show follows Haruhi Fujioka after she breaks an expensive vase and is forced to join the Host Club as a male host to repay her debt.
Throughout the show, Haruhi receives new opportunities to express herself while the high-class hosts learn what life looks like for most people.Ouran High School Host Clubhas many touching and hilarious scenes, but the way it balances its tone to highlight character development has kept the series popular since it came out in 2006.
