From school-time tales like Clannad based on visual novels to more societal critiques, animes often make viewers feel in a completely different way. In the end, however, despite the grand size of the genre, some dramas excel at making fans cry far better than others.
Updated January 7, 2023 by Mark Sammut: They say laughter is the best medicine, but at times, nothing hits the mark like a good cry. There is no lack of anime tearjerkers, and even series that are generally fun can occasionally throw out a gut punch. Fullmetal Alchemist, One Piece, Naruto, and Assassination Classroom are responsible for some of the industry’s most devastating moments, even if they are not really considered sad anime. However, certain shows and movies are infamous for their tendency to inspire tears.
To Your Eternity
Immortality comes at a steep price. Directed by a mysterious observer, a magical orb capable of changing shapes is sent to Earth, and it eventually finds itself taking the form of a wolf and then a boy. Along with sharing an emotional bond, the orb (called Fushi) can only assume somebody’s form if that person is deceased. Consequently, death is an intrinsic part of To Your Eternity’s premise, and the anime shows how Fushi’s personality and journey are shaped by his relationships.
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Death goes hand-in-hand with life, but someone can live on through the people they leave behind. To Your Eternity encompasses every possible emotion, be it unbridled happiness or crushing sadness. The latter comes frequently, and each moment can inspire tears.
5 Centimeters Per Second
One regret can haunt someone’s entire existence. Takaki Tono and Akari Shinohara met when they were kids, forming an instant bond. They seemed destined for each other, but life eventually got in the way, breaking them apart forever. 5 Centimeters per Second chronicles their short but sweet time together, along with their attempts to move on once they are forced to go their separate ways.
5 Centimeters per Second was directed by Makoto Shinkai, a filmmaker who loves to make audiences cry. Split into three episodes, the story gets progressively more heartbreaking and complex. The anime not only shows intensely sad moments but also explores the depression that can set in after these life-changing events.
Your Lie In April
Few anime are as infamous for their sad endings as Your Lie In April. Focused on the story of Kosei Arima, a well-accomplished pianist, and musician, the story takes an interesting turn as the audience is introduced to the free-spirited Kaori Miyazono.
The two get along well during the show’s runtime, eventually concluding nicely with a romantic plot. However, the story quickly grows more and more dramatic as the audience becomes introduced to illness and the strife it causes each of the characters. Overall, there’s a lot to appreciate about this series, especially for people that love well-developed characters.
Violet Evergarden
There is no bigger tragedy than war, something that the popular anime Violet Evergarden really hits home. The story surrounds the ex-soldier Violet Evergarden, the namesake character of the series, as she reintegrates after the end of a recent war.
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Taking up the career of a ghostwriter that writes for people that cannot write for themselves, the anime jumps into a deep exploration of each character’s emotions, especially the protagonist herself. In the end, Violet Evergarden is a good pick for anime fans that like historical dramas and suspenseful action.
Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day
Anohana is a recurring pick among sad anime for its unique premise. The story focuses on the story of a group of childhood friends that have slowly drifted apart in different directions. The issue? The group was divided after an accident that killed one of their friends, named Meiko.
This accident affects the group, especially the now-reclusive main character Jinta when Meiko’s ghost suddenly appears to bring them back together. All in all, Anohana is a great series for audiences that love a story that’s both fulfilling and sad at the same time.
Haibane Renmei
Many prominent fantasy series have become the icons of the sadder side of the anime industry. However, one modern fantasy series which flies under the radar has the potential to be one of the most heart-wrenching of them all — Haibane Renmei.
The premise of Haibane Renmei follows the story of Rakka, a haibane (a creature resembling an angel), and the mysterious-walled city of Glie. However, as mysterious as the circumstances are, the plot only becomes more suspenseful as viewers learn more about Glie and its inhabitants.
Rumbling Hearts
Based on a visual novel, Rumbling Hearts is about romance and the conflicting emotions and heartbreak that can be born out of these relationships. Takayuki and Haruka are high-school sweethearts, and while their budding relationship is not perfect, they seem right for each other. However, an accident shatters their future, and things get complicated from there.
Rumbling Hearts has a strong roster of main characters who are all complex and grounded in reality. While none of them are necessarily presented as villains, the anime does not go out of its way to make its characters overly likable. They are flawed humans who are prone to bouts of selfishness, anger, and hostility.
Wolf Children
Anime movies hold a special place in the hearts of anime and manga fans for their heartwarming moments that can’t quite be reached in a normal anime series. The length of the film, plus the need to watch in one sitting, allows the movie to immerse the viewer more effectively — the film Wolf Children proves this much as it shows viewers the daily life of a family of wolf people. After meeting a werewolf in college, the main character Hana has two half-wolf children; Wolf Children focuses on the life of this unique family.
All in all, Wolf Children makes for a good pick for anime fans that are looking for a sadder fantasy-style movie outside of the standard Studio Ghibli style of animation. The film was also praised for its unique premise, focusing more on the relationship between mother and child than an action-filled plot.
Kotaro Lives Alone
Kotaro Lives Alone is one of the best anime comedies of 2022, and it is also among the year’s saddest shows. The eponymous child moves into an apartment on his own, which naturally attracts the attention of his neighbors. Before long, Kotaro finds himself stuck with a few impromptu guardians, all of whom are slightly baffled by the kids’ outdated talking style, sharp wit, and mature personality.
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For the most part, Kotaro Lives Alone is a wholesome and lighthearted slice of life about a kid who acts well beyond his age. However, occasionally, the anime cuts through Kotaro’s comedic shell to remind everyone that he is still a 4-year-old boy. More importantly, the tragic past which led the protagonist to live alone is painfully realistic.
Terror In Resonance
Terrorism has become one of the most prevalent tragedies of the last few decades. Released back in 2014, Terror in Resonance explores the tragic undertones of a monumental issue in modern history with striking imagery and plot mechanics.
That said, be aware that viewers may find the imagery in the anime hard to swallow, between being a psychological thriller and a critique on a very controversial topic. Nonetheless, the adventures of Nine and Twelve will certainly leave an impression on anybody that watches until the end.
Made In Abyss
Made in Abyss follows a girl and her robotic friend as they venture down into the Abyss, a fantastical place filled with extraordinary creatures, beautiful vistas, and despair. As they head down deeper and deeper, things get progressively worse, and this fantasy show is willing to torture its characters regardless of their age or innocence.
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Kinema Citrus’ anime is not an easy sit. While not consistently sad, Made in Abyss has very few moments of proper happiness. Every triumph is built on pain, loss, and tragedy; every character is either suffering or in the process of inflicting misery on someone else. In terms of dark adventure anime, Made in Abyss is basically in a league of its own, even if it is difficult to unabashedly recommend due to its more disconcerting sequences.
Angel Beats
Key visual novels have become known for their heart-wrenching storylines (and romantic subplots), as well as their excellent visuals. Angel Beats, the anime released in 2010, has a legacy for many as being one of the most compelling of these. Taking viewers to a school-time afterlife, the story revolves around Otonashi Yuzuru and a band of renegade teenagers fighting against passing on.
Nonetheless, as the story goes on, viewers face the cruel reality of this afterlife. For new anime fans, this is an amazing starting point for the more melancholic side of the medium. The comedy and setting bring a more light-hearted tone, counterbalanced by incredible visuals, music, and twists that hit right to the heart.
Your Name
Among anime movies, Your Name is one of the most famous in recent years (and for many of all time). It’s easy to understand why — the anime movie offers one of the most heartfelt and heartbreaking stories of all time.
The movie focuses on the story of Taki Tachibana, a boy living in Tokyo, and Mitsuha Miyamizu, a girl living in the countryside bored with her current lifestyle. However, things become complicated when they find that they mysteriously swap bodies. There’s a little bit of everything in Your Name for everybody, from mystery to romance to sad events that will make any anime fan cry.
I Want To Eat Your Pancreas
Some series are built to hit the viewer right in the feels. I Want To Eat Your Pancreas (contrary to what the title alludes to) builds a world that is both heartwarming and heartbreaking to its very core. The story focuses on the story of a girl, named Sakura, who suffers from a rare, fatal pancreatic illness.
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As viewers follow the show’s protagonist named Haruki, they will grow attached to the relationship between the doomed duo. Of course, due to the show’s excellent artwork and characters, the viewers experience a unique type of feeling by the end of the story.
Clannad & Clannad: After Story
Among the many anime tearjerkers, Clannad has become something of a classic. For old-timers, the series offers a nostalgic feeling. For newcomers, it offers a dramatic series with world-shattering undertones. Focused on the story of Tomoya Okazaki, follow as the new high-schooler explores his skewed view of happiness and reality.
Based on the Key visual novel of the same name, the story offers a tragic story centered around each heroine. While one subplot is more prevalent than the others, the conclusion found in its sequel, Clannad: After Story, will not be forgotten.
Orange
Everybody loves a good mystery, anime or not. Able to build suspense and hide tragic events, the audience often comes to unexpected conclusions; this is most definitely the case for the 2016 series, Orange.
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The protagonist, Naho Takamiya, receives a letter from her future self. However, the letter tells of a tragedy involving her classmate, Kakeru Naruse. Now, Naho must find the true meaning of the letters or face their tragic predictions. The series dwells upon the themes of regret and other saddening themes, perfect for the viewer that enjoys a subtly melancholic story.
A Silent Voice
Anime films (many of which are available on Netflix) have the potential to be even more saddening than their episodic counterparts. The movie A Silent Voice is a perfect example of this, hitting audiences with its alluring, down-to-life plotline. Telling the story of Shoya Ishida and his deaf classmate, Shoko Nishimiya.
The plot proceeds to create a dialogue on the issues of bullying and depression. Of course, not all sad anime are tragic; viewers will find the end of A Silent Voice fulfilling, though still a little depressing nonetheless. A perfect choice for audiences looking for the best of both worlds.
Maquia: When The Promised Flower Blooms
Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms is an ambitious movie that works as a war epic and an intimate family drama. Maquia comes from a race known as the Iorph who outlive humans by hundreds of years; consequently, they generally stay far away from each other. However, when war breaks out, Maquia escapes and winds up acting as the guardian of a human baby. As the child ages beyond his mother, tension begins to rise between the two.
Maquia’s handles its core relationship with grace and nuance, crafting a dynamic that is disarmingly real despite the movie’s fantastical setting. The anime’s emotional beats hit like a brick because, ultimately, most people can relate to story’s themes of grief and loss.
Plastic Memories
The evolution of robotics is a common trope in both sci-fi movies and anime alike. However, only a few series touch on the sadder parts of this topic. That said, Plastic Memories does focus on these critical issues, as audiences follow the journey of Tsukasa Mizugaki and the android Isla.
The anime tells a wistful tale of the impermanence of human and android life, and the feelings associated with AI. The overarch associations between characters and questions of romance in a short lifetime make this story incredibly compelling. A must-watch for any sci-fi anime lover looking for something a little bit different.
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0
Very few incidents can follow with as much heartbreak as a natural disaster. Separating families, these massive tragedies can destroy thousands to millions of lives without warning. These are just a few of the themes displayed in the tragic tale of Tokyo Magnitude 8.0.
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Taking place in Tokyo, the siblings Mirai and Yuki Onozawa find themselves separated from their family by a sudden magnitude 8.0 earthquake. Assisted by the motorcyclist Mari, the duo faces the constant struggles of familial separation and the endless disaster around them.
