Similarly to comics, realism also exists in anime. The reasons why these specific tropes exist and are commonly found in this genre is because they pay homage to Japan and its cultural ties. And with that being said, those ties are reflected in the content.

Hetalia, for instance, tells an often over-the-top allegory of political and historic events as well as more general cultural comparisons. Characters are personifications of countries, regions such as Hong Kong and micronations with little reference to other national personifications. Both positive and negative cultural stereotypes form part of each character’s personality. The character roster is massive and far from complete, but the main cast is primarily the countries which made up the Axis powers and Allies of World War II – Italy (North Italy in particular), (Western) Germany, Japan, United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China.

Note: The playlist below contains two versions of each episode (English and Japanese w/English subtitles). Click on the playlist icon on the top right corner of the video to select the version you wish to view.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uV-GcYwCy-U&list=ELcKv4x9LmD7A&index=5

For anime fans who weren’t history buffs during their school, but gravitated more towards science, then the anime, Cells at Work, suits this audience perfectly. In addition to satisfying the typical anime criteria (moments of comedy and drama), this show in particular provides strong educational value about the human body and how it functions. Australia’s doctor, Dr. Hope, who has also broke down the medical scenes in the MCU, provides yet another in depth analysis and a doctor’s perspective on the show.