Anyone who’s familiar with a fair amount of anime knows just how common high school life, and characters who are high school students themselves, are in many genres of anime. Some may say the reason for this simply comes down to target audience, but I think there’s more to it than that…
Most anime is targeted towards young people, many of which are high schoolers. But the reason I don’t feel target audience is the main driving force for the abundance of high school life in anime is because it’s present in many genres of series, most of which are popular with fans who are not high school age. For example, Toradora!, Code Geass, and K-ON! feature characters in high school, but many of their hardcore fans are likely to be older (around college age perhaps). From shonen series like Bleach and Death Note, shojo series like Ouran and Kimi ni Todoke, comedies like Seto no Hanayome and Azumanga Daioh, drama like Clannad and Durarara!!, and many others, characters in high school thrive in a variety of anime genres.
So, to get to the main point of this post, what is it about high school that makes it such a popular age group for anime characters, and at least a somewhat important setting for such a variety of anime? This is all purely my speculation of course, but I believe it comes down to a few reasons that work together in relating to the stage in life that high school represents.
First of all, high school is the time when people are about to transition from childhood to adulthood. Although they often try to act grown-up, they still retain a lot of childhood insecurities and naivety. But at the same time, they’re rapidly maturing – forming relationships, discovering more about themselves, and deciding what will become of them when school life is over. High school, being at the borderline between the end of childhood and the beginning of adulthood, has the ability to easily place anime characters in these emotionally dynamic situations in terms of personal development and relationships. High school is already a time when they’re discovering who they are and getting over the last remnants of childhood flaws, so thrusting these “typical high school students” into non-typical situations, whether it’s the whimsical tragedy of Clannad, the intricate sci-fi universe of Haruhi, or the emotional train ride of Toradora!, seems to intensify the drama and emotion dynamics. Being high schoolers, they’re still “just kids,” thus there’s a sense of innocence about them and greater sympathy because they have to put up with what happens despite their age. But at the same time, they’re on their way to adulthood, so it’s gratifying to watch these kids “grow up” in the profound ways that the fictional worlds of anime offer.
Secondly, since high school lies between childhood and adulthood, the characters are not yet saddled with the burdens of adult life. They don’t have to worry about raising a family and earning a living from a job. Usually all they have to worry about is schoolwork and drama amongst their friends. This gives them time to take on other roles that anime stories can throw at them (like saving the world). In high school, since they’re almost adults, they act in ways that older viewers can relate to while simultaneously having the freedom to still be a kid. No longer being a child but also not yet being an adult leaves them open to lean towards one or the other in their development.
And lastly, I believe a nostalgia or wish fulfilling factor is present. The most serious anime fans I know are around college age or a little older, yet many of their favorite series feature high school kids. Now that we’re busy starting our adulthood, either by going to college or getting into the workforce, we tend to grow nostalgic for our high school years when we were almost adults but still had the naivety and liberty of childhood. In addition to being nostalgic, we may often wish that our high school life was as interesting as what we see in anime. Now that we’re finally saddled with working, raising a family, or furthering our education, we no longer have time for the ignorance, naivety, freedom, and general “fun” that high school offered. Thus, seeing typical high school situations in these otherwise non-typical anime stories seems to bring out warm, nostalgic feelings in older viewers. On the other hand, fans still in high school watching Bleach or Shana may like the wish-fulfilling aspect of these series and think “I wish my high school life was as cool as this!” But for older fans watching the character-driven slice-of-life series like Azumanga Daioh and K-ON! may adore the nostalgic aspect and think “Ah, those were the days. Wish I could go back to those innocent high school years,” or something like that.
…Or maybe that’s just me. Perhaps I’m thinking too much into it and high school is just an excuse to show cute/sexy high school girls in sailor uniforms XD
because most of the fandoms are pedophile.
On a purely practical level, you also don’t have to draw different clothes when they wear uniforms by day and frumpy indoor wear by night. Except for the special date episode.
Socialization is also a lot easier, I think. College may be freer and more relaxed academically, but even by then you start attending parties within your circle and closing yourself off.
@ kluxorious
LOL, well the fans I know who like high school anime aren’t, but from being around the online community it’s not too hard to spot some who could be. As much as it takes dignity out of anime, I can’t deny there’s some truth to your statement (I don’t know about the “most” part though XD)
@ 2DT
Ah yes, being able to draw them in the same clothes all the time is a good way to not only save hassle in animation, but it gives fans a better reoccurring image of the character to imprint in their minds. The unique school uniforms of each anime that feature high school characters becomes a staple part of cosplay, figures, fan art, and promotional art for that character or series. The school uniforms also help in making similar looking characters from different series distinct from each other.
I actually felt more closed in a “circle of friends” and less social in high school than in college. But I did feel freer when it came to my interests in college. I guess for your second point it depends on the person and the schools they went to.
It’s worth noting that visual novels like Kanon, ef – tales of…, Da Capo, etc also uses the high school setting for reasons known… It must be easier to formulate a story with a harem of girls…. Or that they are targeting the Otaku who plays these games.
Of course, There were several times I wished my high school years was like in the anime since I had to deal with the nasty part of life… Bullying and such. However, college is the next stage in life with more freedom, but the high school setting never really got tiring for me, if ever.
High School setting is easy to establish because it has neither limitation of childhood or adults’ life. Plus,it is easy for the audience to access and familiarize themselves with.
@ Chikorita157
Yeah, I can definitely see how high school would work good for a harem story. Like I said, in high school they’re old enough to have serious relationships but still retain childhood innocence. But because they’re all students, it makes it easier for them to all gather at school and have interactions (whereas, if they were adults, it would be harder to make an excuse for all of them to get together).
For me, middle school was rough but high school and college were good.
@ Canne
Surprisingly, high school is not mandatory in Japan. But despite this, everyone’s gone to school (mostly) and is familiar with a school setting, so that does make it easily accessible to different people.
I still think college is better fit for the “end of childhood, beginning of adulthood” borderline. In the Asian tradition, almost all kids are still highly dependent on their families even during college, so they really don’t worry about how to fend for themselves or the ‘entering society’ part until they near graduation and begins looking for jobs proper… plus, entering college is harder than getting out of college in Asia so really, high school is a more ‘academically pressured’ time. The only reason I can see why high-school > college for all this is that you’re still under 18 and technically not an adult whose responsible for themselves, yet.
I myself more interested in why everyone in high school is parentless. Many animes do focus on high school students but most of the time there is a serious lack of parents. So when kids are out saving the world we don’t question their food/clothing situation because their parents provide that. But we never see those parents as they are busy…off screen. Poor parents, only useful as money bags.
I often find myself wanting to go back to my high school days when I watch certain animes. Then I remember the home work, quick lunches, and gym class. Sure I have to work now instead but I enjoy my real freedom. XD
@ Aorii
Yeah, I guess college could just as easily match that description – it depends on the person I suppose. Like we’ve said, high school age is still technically not an adult and you don’t have as much freedoms in school as you do in college, for example, the classes you take in high school are still general education and you still have to dress in school uniforms. You could be dependent in both high school and college, but you’re closer to becoming a “shakaijin” (person in society) in college.
@ Christina
I think lack of parenting in anime is common for a few reasons, mainly that lack of authority figures lets the young protagonists be in “their own world” and engage in all the wondrous adventures that anime stories can give them with more freedom, and that missing a parent creates more conflict and drama.
There are some things about my high school days I wish I could take back, like not having to worry about supporting myself and what my uncertain future will be. But like you, I also don’t miss the homework, P.E. classes, and tight eating schedules. So I guess I’ll just accept things as they are =)
For all the reasons you listed, we’re naturally attracted to shows featuring high schoolers, but I often wonder just how well we can really understand them from a Western perspective. Despite how big of an audience we are, these shows aren’t being made for us, nor are they meant to reflect our realistic or idealized experiences. What is it like being a high schooler in Japan and what does it mean as an experience that older viewers reflect back on?
So many characters of high school age seem to be aware of it as a time that’s short, sweet, and very Important, but is this a typical experience that reflects the mindset of the average student in Japan, or is it one that exists to better dramatize the situation in fiction? It certainly seems to be more important in Japan, with entrance ceremonies marking the beginning of a student’s high school life, but so often I see the completion of it in anime as a truly bittersweet moment that characters take very seriously, and couldn’t be any more removed from the casual way we treat it in the West. Is this an accurate portrayal, or an attitude that only exists in fiction?
All I know is that graduation, for me, didn’t mean my friends and I were parting ways for good, didn’t mean that I was now an adult that was permanently leaving behind the “childish ways” of my youth, didn’t mean that much at all was changing, but in anime it seems to not just symbolize but literally mark a passage into a new phase of life, and I wonder just how much this is true of Real Life in Japan.
@ Joe
Very interesting points. I think your question about whether it’s just a fictional device could be a little of both – it can better dramatize the fiction but I’m sure there’s some truth to it for a number of high schoolers (not everyone of course). From a Western perspective, I think watching Japanese high school settings is both soothing, because slice-of-life anime shows are so different than shows, especially animated ones, we can find in the West, and it’s also fascinating to see what high school is like in Japan and how it’s different from our idea of it.
High school in anime is escapism for me, my high school career was terrible and sucked.
I think the second point is probably one of the biggest appeals of high school life in anime. Plus, high school social life, compared to that of the office life or the often disconnected college social life, is much more interesting.
The target audience probably also contributes much to this as well.
Anyways, the 4 years of high school were some of my favorite times of my life yet.
@ Robert
Sorry to hear that. Hope things are better for you now.
@ Yi
Hmm, I actually think college life is more interesting to experience while high school life is more interesting to watch, hence it’s used in anime because it’s something we watch XD
My four years of high school also contain some of my precious memories and steps towards personal development.
I find that my tolerance for the high school setting is really wearing thin – it takes a pretty solid show to get me willing to watch something set in a high school these days. Or it has to be so stupid as to be entertaining (hey there, Strawberry Panic!). I loved Toradora, but I dropped Kimi ni Todoke because the high school romance melodrama was too much… Toradora certainly had some melodramatic moments, but it also had enough humor and more of the coming-of-age elements.
My viewing habits have become kind of bizarre, though – I watch a lot of more adult-oriented shows at the same time that I’m only willing to follow Yumeiro Pattissiere and the latest Pretty Cure on a weekly basis. I legit don’t know what I’m gonna do when YP wraps up at the end of the summer.
I believe you’re pretty close in your estimations. If anything, the market went largely in this direction post-Evangelion, a show that perfectly encapsulated attitudes post-Economic Bubble collapse. It seems more like a system of retreat to a time when responsibility was low, and aspirations negligible. It’s also a great place for stories of the underdog, something many anime fans (Japan especially) thrive on. It’s also a place where fans can impose whatever wishes upon that time in their lives with a brighter, cheerier outlook than perhaps they had in school. The world seems both wide open, and utterly overwhemling at the time, and is easy to mine for drama when one allows it to.
That, or the other…meh…
@ A Day Without Me
Yeah, it can get repetitive after a while. The high school setting seems to be divided between the slice-of-life genre (K-ON!, Toradora!, Kimi ni Todoke, etc) and fantasy genre (Shakugan no Shana, Bleach, Kannagi, etc). I don’t think I could ever grow tired of the setting as long as the story and characters continue to be engaging.
@ Mike
I kind of wish we had our AX discussion before I wrote this post so I could quote many of your good ideas XD Heh, but thanks for the input anyway. You’ve given me more to think about regarding this topic.
uhhh one question how do orphaned anime characters pay for school and their apartments
I can’t think of any example of an orphaned character (as in, no parents or guardian to support them) paying for high school. Could you give an example?
come to think of it they never mention it but maybe other people are paying for them but like in fate/stay night do u think fujimura is paying for shirou…oh wait i got a good example such as minase kusakabe in 11eyes but maybe she’s rich or something oh well u never actually think of a reason if the anime is good