It’s human to want to cry from time to time, and for that, watching a movie or series from our favorite animation genre always works. Sad anime has always been present in history, as drama is an essential part of daily life. In this list, we’ll enumerate the best sad anime movies and series that we know, so we hope you have your tissues ready.
- Grave of the Fireflies (1988)Genre: War, Drama Type: FilmIf there’s one movie that should be on this list, it’s “Grave of the Fireflies.” While we all know the masterful work of Hayao Miyazaki, in this case, the film belongs to director Isao Takahata. Takahata specializes in narratives rooted more in reality, and this is one of the most heart-wrenching ones you’ll find in anime.The story follows two siblings, Seita and Setsuko, who become orphans due to the war. After being taken in by their aunt, the children begin to feel hostility from their family and decide to leave in search of their mother.What follows is an agonizing tale of abandonment and indifference. The city is engulfed in war and has no time for two children born during a dark period for humanity.
- Clannad (2007)Genre: Romance, Drama, Tragedy Seasons: 2 Episodes: 23 – 24Here, we’ll discuss both parts of “Clannad.” The first part is set in high school, and the second part, “After Story,” follows the protagonists as adults. To fully experience both stories, we strongly recommend watching the prequel, although the second season doesn’t require much context and could be watched on its own.The story focuses on Tomoya Okazaki, a troubled young man who finds life meaningless. He finds it dull and repetitive, believing he will never achieve anything. But one day, he meets a girl named Nagisa Furukawa, who seems peculiar to him. As he gets to know her better, he learns that she has repeated a year due to illness and dreams of reviving the school’s theater club.What follows is a love story that unfolds over several years, with the second part focusing on the protagonists’ adulthood. This series has brought even the most ardent anime fans to tears, so we certainly believe it’s worth it.
- AnoHana – The Flower We Saw That Day (2011)Genre: Drama, Slice of Life, Supernatural Seasons: 1 Episodes: 11This touching story about enduring friendship, despite loss and distance, plays with viewers’ emotions from the get-go.The series premise begins with something supernatural: Jintan, a young man neglectful of his responsibilities, begins to “hallucinate” one of his friends, who passed away years ago. But the hallucination is vivid, and Menma appears as if she had grown up with them. He will soon discover that the girl has a purpose, and that is to reunite her friends to fulfill a wish.Now, Jintan will carry the secret of seeing Menma, and little by little, he will reconnect with his friends. Some more skeptical than others, they will rekindle their friendships, but carrying a grief they have carried since childhood is not easy. And Menma’s loss marked them all in very different ways.
- Your Lie in April (2011)Genre: Drama, Romance Seasons: 1 Episodes: 22When people think of sad anime, they often think of “Your Lie in April.” It’s one of those tragic romance series that touches the heart, and alongside “AnoHana,” it set a standard for drama in Japanese series.It’s one of those series where the characters’ personalities jump off the screen, bursting with life. The protagonists of this story are very realistic, and the series illustrates the beautiful things in life, such as music, youth, and friendship. But what truly drives the plot is the relationship between the two protagonists.When a young pianist finds himself unable to hear the music he produces, he feels lost. Thanks to a fateful encounter with a beautiful violinist, his past trauma begins to heal, and both begin to make beautiful music together, developing an epic love story that will go down in history.
- A Silent Voice (2016)Genre: Drama Type: FilmIn the case of “A Silent Voice,” it’s a sad anime because it deals with very serious issues. The story covers the childhood and adolescence of two characters who meet in elementary school. However, both are on opposite sides of the spectrum, as Shoya Ishida is the class bully, while Shoko Nishimiya is the young victim.These two characters will find themselves in constant clashes, and as a viewer, it’s very difficult to understand Shoya’s position. Shoko immediately becomes the focal point of the story, and the empathy you feel for her is genuine.However, Shoya hasn’t fared well after what he did to Shoko, so he decides to apologize to her before ending his life. But when he meets her again, the girl treats him very kindly, and this convinces him to move forward, and even try to form a friendship.
Make sure to have the tissues ready when watching these emotionally gripping anime series and movies.
