Growing up, we learn a lot from animals. Whether they’re in Disney characters or some of the documentaries we watch, they provide valuable lessons. As a result. A lot of people grow up loving animals. A vital component of this is giving these animals human characteristics.

As is the case with other forms of media, animals play a significant role in anime. They’ll mostly play supporting roles, these animals are often cute and energetic, always offering comedic relief. However, in certain rare cases, animals will play the main protagonists. These characters are incredibly eye-catching, as they have to retain traditional anime protagonist traits and the characteristics of the animal they play.

Here are the ten best anime with main animal protagonists.

1. BEASTARS

While the name might seem simple, the anime is one of the most complex and mature series. It follows a society of anthropomorphic animals, where carnivores and herbivores live together. Our main character is Legosi, a timid and kind wolf who has to deal with being stereotyped as a carnivore.

Things become even more complicated when develops feelings for Haru, a dwarf white rabbit. It’s a world that’s genuinely worth engrossing yourself in as it explores the social status and class difference in society. The characters are complex, and you’ll learn a great deal from this anime.

2. WOLF CHILDREN

If you’re going to watch this series, make sure you have a box of tissues ready because it’s an emotional roller coaster. It tells Hana’s tale, a single mother, and the problems that come with raising a family on your own. The only catch is that her two children can turn into wolves, something they’ve inherited from their father.

Hana must struggle to balance her responsibilities as a mother and hide her kids’ identity from the public as well. It’ll wrench at the heartstrings, and make you want to hold your mother tight.

3. AGGRETSUKO

While the first two series will definitely be an emotional experience, this particular anime isn’t as heavy. It has a quite quirky sense of humor. The main character is Retsuko, who’s an adorable red panda lady, but her life is full of stress. She has a regular job and is sick of the same mundane everyday routine. Her solution, death metal karaoke.

That’s where the name Aggressive Retsuko comes from, and it’s truly epic to see her performances. If all the main characters weren’t adorable fuzzy animals, this series might be quite depressing.

4. CHI’S SWEET HOME

If you love cats, then you’re going to enjoy CHI’S SWEET HOME. It follows the life of an adorable kitten who lives a hard life on the streets. Until a small loving family adopts her, and we get to follow her adventures. It’s an anime that’s a great showcase of keeping pets and understanding animal rights. If you’ve ever had a kitten, you know they’re always getting into trouble, and that’s what anime shows. It also has some lovely sweet family moments.

5. SHIROKUMA CAFE

While anime tends to cover many pressing issues and showcase complex storylines, they don’t always have to be so severe. SHIROKUMA CAFE is an excellent example of one of the most chill and comedic shows you can watch.

It’s about employees that work in a café by the zoo, but the only catch is that all the workers are animals. Each of them has its unique quirks that make them enjoyable characters.

6. LOVELY MUCO

Shiba Inu is known all over the world for being some of the most adorable and fiery dogs. This anime series is for all you dog owners out there. Muco lives at home with his owner in their mountain. They get into a variety of tricky situations, but it always ends positively. You’ll have a great time following their adventures around the mountains.

7. DOG AND SCISSORS

More often than not, animated series can get away with entirely bonkers ideas. That’s what this next anime is, the storyline makes no sense at all. It’s about a high school bookworm that gets shot by a robber. The character is then reincarnated as a dachshund puppy. His biggest sorrow is that he can’t read books, and then his life changes when his favorite novelist adopts him. To his surprise, she’s an incredibly sadistic woman!

8. SILVER FANG

While new anime fans may not be familiar with this series, the old school fans will remember SILVER FANG. It follows the story of Gin, a silver-haired Akita pup who joins a pack of wild dogs. These dogs go all over Japan to recruit energetic dogs, in their war against Akakabuto, the bear who killed Gin’s father.

It’s not for kids, though, as the anime is filled with violence. However, the story is excellent and gives plenty of action. It’s not the best representation of bears though, as the show depicts them as demonic characters.

9. SAMURAI PIZZA CATS

The ninja turtles are iconic, but what if we told you there existed a similar group of evil-fighting animals that loved pizza. As the name of the show implies, these are Samurai Cats that love pizza. They’ve also got cool armor to help them in their adventures, and the pizza in the anime looks delicious as well!

10. GIRL MEETS BEAR

The story follows the friendship of Machi and her talking bear, Natsu. She’s a shrine maiden, who lives in the country but wants to try attending high school. Her best source of information is Natsu, who naturally seems to know everything about city living, his advice is often comical, and they got into a lot of trouble. Bears have always been well-represented in media, and Natsu is one of the funniest examples.