These shows and movies are perfect for kids around 12, but they’re also great for anyone who loves a good story!
1. My Neighbor Totoro (Fantasy/Slice of Life – Age 7+)
This is a magical movie about two sisters, Satsuki and Mei, who move to the countryside with their dad while their mom is in the hospital. They discover their new house is near a forest full of friendly spirits, including the big, fluffy Totoro! The girls have wonderful adventures with Totoro and the other spirits. It’s a gentle, beautiful story that captures the wonder of childhood and nature
2. Doraemon (Series, Comedy/Sci-Fi – Age 7+)
Nobita is a pretty unlucky kid – he’s not good at school or sports, and he’s always getting picked on. But his life changes when he gets a robot cat from the future named Doraemon! Doraemon has all sorts of cool gadgets in his pocket that he uses to help Nobita. But Nobita often misuses the gadgets, leading to all kinds of funny troubles. Each episode is usually a new adventure with a new gadget.
3. Pokemon (Series, Adventure/Fantasy – Age 7+)
Ash Ketchum is a 10-year-old boy who dreams of becoming the world’s greatest Pokemon trainer. He travels around different regions with his partner Pokemon and Pikachu, catching new Pokemon, battling other trainers, and earning gym badges. Along the way, he makes friends, faces off against bad guys like Team Rocket, and learns important lessons about friendship and perseverance.
4. Spirited Away (Movie, Fantasy/Adventure – Age 10+)
In this anime, a 10-year-old girl, Chihiro, moves to a new town with her parents, but suddenly, she ends up in a magical world full of spirits! Her parents get turned into pigs by a witch, and now Chihiro has to work in a big bathhouse for spirits to try and save them. She makes friends with Haku, a mysterious boy who helps her and meets all sorts of weird and wonderful spirits. It’s about growing up, being brave, and learning to stand on your own two feet.
5. Howl’s Moving Castle (Movie, Fantasy/Romance – Age 10+)
Sophie is a girl who works in a hat shop. One day, she gets cursed by a witch and turns into an old lady! Looking for help, she ends up in a huge, walking castle owned by a wizard named Howl. Howl’s kinda vain and has his own problems – he’s running from the king who wants him to fight in a war. Sophie and Howl help each other out, going on adventures and trying to break their curses. It’s a story about finding your inner strength and how love can change people.
6. Kiki’s Delivery Service (Fantasy – Age 10+)
Kiki is a 13-year-old witch who, following tradition, must leave home for a year to train. She flies to a new city with her talking black cat, Jiji, and starts a delivery service using her flying broomstick. Kiki makes new friends and faces challenges as she tries to fit in and make her business work. Sometimes, she even doubts her witch powers! It’s a sweet coming-of-age story about finding your place in the world and believing in yourself.
7. Cardcaptor Sakura (Genre: Magical Girl, Adventure, Comedy – Age: 10+)
10-year-old Sakura Kinomoto finds a strange book in her basement. When she opens it, she accidentally releases a bunch of magical Clow Cards, spreading them all over town. Keroberos, the guardian beast of the cards (who looks like a cute flying stuffed animal), tells Sakura she has magical powers and must collect all the cards before they cause trouble. With help from her best friend Tomoyo and rival-turned-friend Syaoran Li, Sakura goes on magical adventures to catch the cards and learn to use their powers. It’s a fun, magical girl series with lots of action, cute outfits, and a bit of young romance.
8. K-On! (Series, Slice of Life/Music – Age 12+)
When Yui Hirasawa starts high school, she doesn’t know what club to join. She ends up in the Light Music Club with four other girls. The only problem is that Yui has never played an instrument in her life! The girls practice together, become great friends, and try to save their club by performing at the school festival. It’s a fun, lighthearted show about friendship, music, and enjoying your high school days.
9. Sailor Moon (Series, Magical Girl/Action – Age 12+)
Usagi Tsukino is a clumsy, crybaby 14-year-old girl who finds out she’s actually Sailor Moon, a guardian of justice! With her new powers, she fights evil and protects the Earth from bad guys who want to take it over. She teams up with other Sailor Guardians – Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus. Together, they battle monsters, find a lost princess, and try to have normal teenage lives at the same time.
10. Naruto (Series, Action/Adventure – Age 12+)
Naruto Uzumaki is a young ninja with a dream of becoming the Hokage – the leader and strongest ninja of his village. But Naruto has a secret: he has a powerful nine-tailed fox demon sealed inside him, which makes the villagers fear and dislike him. The show follows Naruto as he trains, makes friends and rivals, and faces dangerous enemies. It’s about never giving up, the power of friendship, and working hard to achieve your dreams.
11. Spy x Family (Series, Action/Comedy – Age 12+)
This one’s wholesome! There’s a spy called Twilight who has to pretend to have a family for his latest mission. He adopts a little girl named Anya (who’s secretly a mind reader) and marries a woman named Yor (who’s secretly an assassin). None of them know each other’s real identities! They all try to keep their secrets while acting like a normal, happy family. It’s super funny watching them deal with everyday family stuff while also trying to save the world.
12. Ouran High School Host Club: (Comedy/Romance – Age 12+)
Haruhi is a smart girl who gets into a school on a scholarship. One day, she accidentally breaks an expensive vase in the Host Club room – a place where handsome boys entertain girls. To pay off her debt, Haruhi has to join the Host Club, but everyone thinks she’s a boy! It’s super funny watching Haruhi deal with the silly rich kids in the club and try to keep her real gender a secret. There are lots of laughs, some sweet moments, and a bit of romance, too.
13. Hunter x Hunter (Action/Adventure – Age 12+)
Gon Freecss finds out his dad, who he thought was dead, is actually alive and a famous Hunter – someone who does dangerous and exciting jobs. Gon decides to become a Hunter, too, hoping to find his dad someday. He makes friends with Killua (a kid from a family of assassins), Kurapika (who’s seeking revenge for his murdered clan), and Leorio (who wants to be a doctor). They face tons of challenges and meet both friends and enemies as Gon chases his dream. It starts off light but gets pretty intense later on.
14. Free! Iwatobi Swim Club (Sports/Drama – Age 12+)
This one’s all about friendship and swimming! Haruka Nanase loves being in the water more than anything. In high school, he reunites with his old friends from the swim club, and they decide to start a new swim team. They work hard to improve their skills, compete against other schools (including some of their old friends), and learn the value of teamwork. It’s fun, has great characters, and the swimming scenes are really cool to watch.
17. Little Witch Academia (Series, Comedy/Magic – Age 12+)
Akko is a regular girl who dreams of becoming a witch like her hero, Shiny Chariot. She goes to Luna Nova, a school for witches, but there’s one problem – she can’t really do magic! Akko works super hard to improve her magic skills, makes some great friends, and even uncovers a big mystery about her hero. It’s all about believing in yourself and never giving up on your dreams, even when things get tough.
18. Haikyuu (Series, Sports – Age 12+)
Shoyo Hinata loves volleyball, but he’s super short. In his first real game, he gets crushed by Tobio Kageyama, this amazing player known as the “King of the Court.” Hinata vows to get better and beat Kageyama one day. But They end up on the same high school team! Now, they have to learn to work together to make their team the best in Japan. It’s a story about teamwork, never giving up, and how passion can help you overcome any obstacle.
19. Yowamushi Pedal (Series, Sports/Comedy – Age 12+)
Sakamichi Onoda is a total anime nerd who loves riding his bike to Akihabara to buy manga. He doesn’t know it, but all that riding has made him super good at cycling! When he gets to high school, he joins the cycling club and discovers he has a real talent for it. The show follows Onoda and his team as they train and compete in big races, trying to become the best in Japan. It’s about finding your hidden talents and the joy of doing something you love.
20. Kuroko’s Basketball (Series, Sports/Comedy – Age 12+)
Tetsuya Kuroko was part of an unbeatable middle school basketball team called the “Generation of Miracles.” But Kuroko wasn’t a star – he was their “phantom sixth man” because he was so quiet and plain that people hardly noticed him on the court. Now in high school, he teams up with Taiga Kagami, a naturally talented player, to beat the rest of the Generation of Miracles. Kuroko uses his “lack of presence” to make amazing passes and help his team win. It’s about working together and how everyone has something special to offer.
21. Assassination Classroom: (Action/Comedy – Age 12+)
In this anime, we see a teacher, who is a super-fast yellow octopus-like alien who’s gonna blow up the Earth if you don’t kill him by graduation! That’s what Class 3-E at Kunugigaoka Junior High School is dealing with. But This weird alien teacher, who they call Koro-sensei, is actually really good at teaching! The students learn assassination skills while also improving their grades and self-confidence. It’s funny, action-packed, and surprisingly touching as the students bond with their strange teacher.
22. Daily Lives of High School Boys (Series, Comedy/Slice of Life – Age 13+)
This show doesn’t really have a big story – it’s just about three high school guys and the silly stuff they do every day. Like trying to talk to girls, goofing off in class, and just being weird teenagers. It’s broken up into short stories that are super relatable and hilarious. If you want something that’ll just make you laugh, this is it.
Each of these anime has its own unique charm. Whether you like action, comedy, sports, magic, or heartwarming stories, there’s something here for everyone!