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Best anime audiobooks

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Let’s have a closer look at the anime genre and examine some fan favorites.

Best anime audiobooks

Recently, we’ve seen many manga and anime audiobooks surface in Japanese and English. 

It's worth noting, though, that most audiobooks aren’t adaptations of anime but light novels. As a result, the audiobook might be longer than the average anime episode, and you’ll get a more elaborate background story.

Let’s have a closer look at this genre and examine some fan favorites alongside the best text to speech tools for listening to them.

Japanese anime overview

Short for “animation,” the work "anime" describes all animation in Japan. However, outside of the country, it has become a ubiquitous term for Japanese animation as a subgenre.

Anime quickly became one of the most popular TV genres. It gave the world something different and evolved into a subculture with a massive fan base.

If you want to listen to your favorite books in a different format, voiceovers and audio files are an excellent option. And if you need some recommendations, here’s where to start:

Four Must-Listen Anime Audiobooks

1. Kizumonogatari

Kizumonogatari is a story of Koyomi Araragi, a young student who stumbles upon a dismembered vampire. After saving her, Araragi decides to devote his life to fighting vampire hunters.

The supernatural mystery audiobook is highly popular and will surely leave you wanting more. Luckily, it’s part of a 20-volume series, so you’ll have hours upon hours of listening.

2. Dungeon Born

Dungeon Born is a tale with a unique point of view - it’s told from the perspective of a dungeon. It tells the story of Cal, a so-called Dungeon Core, a soul forcefully put in a stone. As Cal gains consciousness and starts learning about the world, he builds a dungeon around himself to grow in power.

You can get this book in various formats, including a paperback, high-quality CD, and Audible audiobook.

3. Mushoku Tensei

Mushoku Tensei is a story of Rudeus Greyrat, an unemployed 34-year-old who believes he’s wasted his life away and wants a do-over. His wish is granted when he gets hit by a truck and reborn with full memory of his previous life.

The story follows Greyrat’s life as he tries to avoid past mistakes and create a better life for himself.

4. Attack on Titan

Attack on Titan is easily one of the most popular anime series ever. It follows the story of Eren Yeager, a young boy whose mother gets murdered by titans. When he comes of age, Yeager joins the Survey Corps and devotes his life to fighting titans.

This riveting series is full of plot twists and action, so it’ll keep you hooked to your headphones.

Where to Listen to Anime Audiobooks

If you want to listen to the above books, you can use many TTS platforms, streaming services, and even downloadable mp3 files.

Audiobook apps seem to be a popular option, so here are some that you might want to try:

  • Audible - Amazon’s service is a go-to for millions of audiobook fans. The app is available for Android, iOS, and Amazon products. Audible’s voice actors are among the best in the industry, so you can expect excellent character voices that will make the listening experience enjoyable and entertaining.
  • YouTube - If you don’t want to deal with Audible’s pricing, you can find YouTube videos that serve as audiobooks. There are many options with Japanese voiceover and English adaptations so you can find a variety of titles.
  • Apple Podcasts - Apple’s Podcasts app recently started adding anime audiobooks. While there aren’t many titles to explore, iPhone users can expect professional voices and an increasingly growing library.
  • Audiobooks.com - For a monthly subscription, you can use the website to browse lots of anime audiobooks, though there’s no phone app.

FAQ

What is an anime book?

“Anime book” is a misnomer, as anime is short for “animation” and refers to video formats. Anime is usually based on Japanese books and light novels, so the whole book genre got its name from it.

What are the best text to speech voice options?

Many users agree that Speechify is the best text to speech platform out there. Other options include Amazon Polly and NaturalReader.

Cliff Weitzman

Cliff Weitzman

Cliff Weitzman is a dyslexia advocate and the CEO and founder of Speechify, the #1 text-to-speech app in the world, totaling over 100,000 5-star reviews and ranking first place in the App Store for the News & Magazines category. In 2017, Weitzman was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list for his work making the internet more accessible to people with learning disabilities. Cliff Weitzman has been featured in EdSurge, Inc., PC Mag, Entrepreneur, Mashable, among other leading outlets.