The 8 Best Anime About Tea Ceremonies And Drinking

Tea is one of the most famous drinks ever and has a long tradition in Japan, anime are no exception.

Sadō is one name for the Japanese tea ceremony of preparing green tea while sitting on a tatami mat.

While not all the anime follow this ritual, we show you the best anime that reference tea.

8. Special A

Special A is a romantic series from 2008 and an excellent choice for fans who enjoy the trope of enemies who become lovers.

Prepare to fall in love with the story of Hikari Hanazono and Kei Takishima, childhood friends turned fierce competitors.

This anime will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions as you follow their journey through the prestigious Special A school, that classifies the students based on their results.

And as Hikari and Kei vie for the top spot in their class, they soon realize that there might be more than just friendly competition between them.

While Hikari sees Kei as her biggest rival, little does she know that he has been harboring secret feelings for her all along.

In a series like this, a refined character with the hobby of savoring tea at every available moment is almost a necessity and in this regard, Akira Todo, Hikari’s best friend, fits the role perfectly.

7. My Hero Academia

My Hero Academia is one of the best anime in the fighting genre released in recent years, authored by Koei Horikoshi, with both the manga and the anime still ongoing.

Even in an anime like this, you’ll encounter characters who not only enjoy tea but also make it a significant part of their appeal and characterization. Fans of the series are likely familiar with Gentle Criminal, a villain introduced in the second part of season 4.

He is known for his elegant and refined appearance, and drinking tea is an integral part of his identity, with numerous scenes in the episodes featuring him indulging in this distinctive aspect of his character.

The story focuses on quirks, which are essentially superpowers, in a world where 80% of the population has developed a unique power due to genetic mutation.

The Pro Heroes are superheroes who use their powers for good, while the Villains use their powers for evil.

The main character, Izuku Midoriya, dreams of becoming a Pro Hero and following in the footsteps of his idol, All Might. Despite being born without any superpowers, Deku’s chance encounter with All Might sets off the events in the story.

6. Girls Und Panzer

Girls Und Panzer is a comedic war anime that revels in absurdity and nonsense, released in 2012 with 12 episodes. Yes, you read it correctly: a combination of war, comedy, and cute girls doing cute things, all in the same series.

In this whirlwind of chaos, the tea-obsessed character couldn’t be missing, and Darjeeling (yes, like the tea variety) is an essential addition.

Just know that her motto is, “No matter how fast we go, or no matter how many hits we take, I will never spill my tea.” Do we need to say more?

The protagonist, Miho Nishizumi, is the last descendant of a family known for manufacturing tanks.

But due to past traumas, Miho wants to distance herself from this tradition, but fate has other plans and she must take up arms and fight.

5. Time of Eve

Time of Eve is a 2008 net anime written and directed by Yasuhiro Yoshiura. It originally consisted of six mini-episodes, which were later condensed into a movie in 2010.

The story is about young Rikuo, his pet android Sammy, and the bizarre patrons of the android café Time of Eve, all of whom are big tea and coffee drinkers.

The theme of the relationship between man and machine is certainly not foreign to anime of this caliber, but what is surprising about Time of Eve is the extreme optimism with which this theme is addressed.

The touching scene in which Sammy and Rikuo play the piano together comes to mind, a purely sentimental act that shows how there can be a genuine understanding between humans and androids.

This movie tells us that coexistence with machines is also possible, and not only dystopian scenarios are contemplated.

4. Humanity Has Declined

Humanity Has Declined was adapted into just 12 very smooth-flowing episodes from the manga of the same name. The plot is set hundreds of years after the beginning of humankind’s slow decline.

Earth has become the realm of fairies, small creatures with incredible intelligence, who spend their time in pompous tea ceremonies.

The protagonist of the story is a human who has become an ambassador to mediate between humans and fairies. But she will soon realize that the work is not as easy as thought.

This is a very light work loaded with humor, sometimes even black humor.

But the real pride of this series is that it manages to entertain excellently while not talking about anything in particular or even having an intricate plot. Pure entertainment, trust us.

3. Black Butler

A fairly well-known anime consisting of multiple seasons and a large number of episodes. Sebastian Michaelis is the butler of the ancient and powerful London house of the Phantomhive.

He can boast such qualities as a perfect education, good manners, knowledge of martial arts, and other talents in every other area imaginable. Among them is the secret recipe for making excellent red tea which loves to serve to his guest.

He will be placed in the employ of Ciel Phantomhive, a wayward boy who nonetheless harbors a great secret, as will be evident from the succession of strange events that occur.

A vision with a dark and mysterious style, full of twists and turns that will make you jump out of your chair, and very well-characterized characters.

Also notable are the character design and the almost gothic setting, which will only make you appreciate it more.

2. K-On

Adapted from the Yonkoma manga of the same name consisting of a set of 4-cartoon humorous strips by author Kakifly, K-On! is an anime consisting of a total of 37 episodes aired since 2010.

The plot features four female students named Yui, Mio, Ritsu, and Tsumugi. One day they all decide to join their institution’s light music club in order to save it from being dismantled due to a total lack of members.

An anime that combines the pivotal theme of music with elements of the daily lives of the girls who are members of the group. They like to drink tea with each other in their spare time and that’s exactly why K-On! is included in this listicle.

The excellent technical compartment that this work possesses along with its humorous parts are by no means to be underestimated.

1. Hyouge Mono

The story is set in ancient Japan, with the great warrior Oda Nobunaga gradually leading his troops to the unification of Japan.

But contrary to appearances, the story is not about him, but about his vassal Sasuke Furata, a peculiar and eccentric man, obsessed with the tea ceremony and other Zen-related customs.

A 2011 historical genre anime consisting of 39 episodes, which tells the eccentric story of this man alongside the greatest conqueror in Japan’s history without any plot armor.

A very interesting show if you are curious to see the war from different eyes, and not from the direct protagonists.