5 Anime Featuring Mathematics And Its Subfields

Mathematics is an interesting subject for some people and there are anime series featuring it in different and creative ways.

It’s extremely hard to find works fully dedicated to mathematics, so this listicle will present anime where the subject plays a significant role, including subfields like Game Theory and Probability.

5. Monogatari Series

Even in the Monogatari Series there is a story that indirectly talks about mathematics.

In the part concerning Sodachi Oikura, Araragi’s childhood friend, a math test is a triggering reason for her dropping out of school and her mental breakdown.

Sodachi Riddle is one of the most underrated parts of the entire Monogatari universe. In this tale, maths serves as another great narrative medium used by Nisio Isin to portray an important character of Araragi’s life.

4. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventures

JoJo is a long series divided into 9 arcs, 6 of which have already received an anime adaptation. Not all of them feature mathematical references, even though the majority can boast very tactical fights.

During Part 4 Diamond is Unbreakable, the main villain Yoshikage Kira uses trigonometry to attack Josuke, the main character. This part was more complete in the manga version but it’s still present in the anime adaptation.

Another example is present in JoJolion, namely the 8th part of the series, which has not received an anime yet.

3. Summer Wars

Summer Wars is a 2009 sci-fi anime movie by Mamoru Hosoda and is filled with mathematics references. The main character Kenji is a part-time developer with a very solid background in Math.

The plot begins after Kenji receives an invite from Natsuki, the most popular girl in his school. She wants him to be her temporary boyfriend to please her grandmother.

This movie mentions modular arithmetic, a system used in other fields such as abstract algebra and group theory. The example we are talking about is seen at the beginning of the film, while Kenji and Natsuki are sitting on the plane.

Other mathematical concepts are mentioned too, like Schor’s algorithm and the concept behind breaking encryption keys.

2. Science Fell in Love, So I Tried to Prove It

A 2020 romance anime series featuring Shinya Yukimura and Ayame Himuro, two scientists that analyze the world’s systems. One day, Ayame confesses to Shinya that she may have fallen in love with him.

For this reason, both of them should find a scientific method to prove and measure love.

Mathematical analysis plays an important role in this anime, as proved by the picture below. The math is understandable for someone with a high school degree and a talking bear will explain to you the formulae.

It’s quite delightful to see some works like this one taking the effort to add these interesting details and showing them on screen.

1. Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor

A gambling anime about the story of Kaji, a poor young man facing an enormous debt. Anything related to chance has to do with probability, the branch of mathematics involved in explaining how likely an event is to happen.

Kaiji: Ultime Survivor is all about numbers and probabilities but that’s not all. Game Theory plays a crucial role as well because gambling is heavily influenced by decision-making and possible outcomes.

In plain English, Game Theory is about decisions and analyzing strategies. This anime is more of psychological warfare, where everything matters and decisions cannot be rushed.