TL;DR For emotional and heartbreaking anime, consider "Clannad," "Your Lie in April," "Angel Beats," "Grave of the Fireflies," and "Violet Evergarden."
Tragic and Heartbreaking Stories
Several animes are renowned for their tragic and emotionally impactful stories. "Clannad" and its sequel "Clannad: After Story" are frequently mentioned as tear-jerkers that deeply explore themes of love, loss, and family [1:1]
[2:1]
[5:1]. "Grave of the Fireflies" is another classic that portrays the devastating effects of war on children with a haunting narrative
[1:4]
[5:5]. "Your Lie in April" combines music with a poignant story about overcoming grief and finding hope
[2:1]
[4:3].
Exploration of Deep Emotions
Animes like "Violet Evergarden" and "A Silent Voice" delve into complex emotions such as regret, healing, and redemption [1:6]
[4:5]. "Angel Beats" offers a mix of humor and heartbreak, focusing on characters dealing with unresolved issues from their past lives
[5:1]. "Made in Abyss" is noted for its emotional depth and exploration of adventure and loss
[2:7]
[3:2].
High Stakes and Emotional Depth
For those interested in high stakes combined with emotional storytelling, "Vinland Saga," "Cyberpunk Edgerunners," and "Steins Gate" offer thrilling narratives with significant emotional impact [3]. "Code Geass" and "Death Parade" also provide intense emotional experiences, exploring themes of sacrifice and grief processing
[5:3].
Short and Impactful Series
If you're looking for shorter series that pack an emotional punch, "Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day" and "Plastic Memories" are recommended for their concise yet powerful storytelling [2:1]
[4:1]. "A Place Further Than the Universe" focuses on moving past tragedy and finding new beginnings
[1:2]
[4:5].
These recommendations cover a range of genres and styles, ensuring there's something for everyone who seeks an emotional anime experience.
Genre doesn't matter to me as much. The most important things for me are:
The character(s) are relatable/believable and make me care about them.
It tells the story that it needs to tell without overstaying its welcome. That doesn't mean it can't be a long series with multiple seasons. I just don't want it to feel like it's dragging on for no reason
A Place Further than the Universe
Though admittedly that is more about learning to move past tragedy than the tragedy itself
I suggest Made in Abyss, the promised neverland, violet evergarden, and Berserk 1997
Very good choice. I'd also add Darker than Black.
Grave of the Fireflies
I can't believe this wasn't the first answer
From the New World, Girl last Tour , Black rock shooter dawn fall .
Clannad will make you cry.
Not sure about not overstaying its welcome.
Eu já fui um fã assíduo de animes, mas já faz um tempo que eu não pego pra assistir algum pra valer e queria voltar, queria alguma recomendação de algo triste, gosto mais de séries mais tristes, independente do gênero, e de preferência algo mais curto. Alguns que já assisti: clannad (um dos meus favoritos), your lie in april (amo também), plastic Memories, ano hana, your name, etc
Clannad
Anohana
Your Lie in April
Edit: porra, agora que eu vi que vc já viu esses kkkkk
Outros:
Túmulo dos Vagalumes (filme)
Maquia (filme)
Violet Evergarden
Já vi esses 3, são todos muito bons, só o ano hana que não gostei tanto, mas clannad e your lie in april são incríveis.
Eu só vi depois que vc ja tinha visto, coloquei mais algumas sugestões
Tentei ver violeta semprejardim 2 vezes e achei muito chato, vou tentar uma terceira
Kotaro Lives Alone! Tem na Netflix é um anime que vai fazer você sentir todos os sentimentos possíveis em cada episódio!
Vou dar uma olhada nesse também, não conhecia.
Made in abyss e To Your Eternity
Os dois eu só vi a primeira temporada e tô enrolando pra ver o resto kkkk, eu gostei bastante de made in abyss, to your eternity eu não me engajei muito, apesar de gostar do começo.
Recomendo terminar de assistir made in abyss que é absolute cinema e ler o manga que é minúsculo e tô your eternity também não goste muito depois de um certo episódio então você que sabe
Angel beats
Sousou no Frieren
Túmulo dos Vagalumes (filme)
86: Eighty Six
Looking for an emotional anime such as:-
People who have watched all these would know what I mean. Anime like 'Clannad', 'Your Lie in April' are also emotional, but not my cup of tea.
Thanks in advance.
I'm always a promoter of Made in Abyss, I think it's amazing. Also Re:zero and FMAB are the others that come to mind quickly.
Death Parade
Megalobox
Yatagarasu
Psycho-Pass
Inuyashiki Last Hero
Monster
Ajin
91 Days
Berserk
Hoktou no Ken
Great list! Only one I havent watched is Apothecary Diaries.
I would probably recommend the below. Quite a bit of variation, but all animes that I really enjoyed that have action and some emotional depth.
86
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans
Code Geass
Death Note
91 Days
Vivy Fluorite Eyes Song
Death Parade
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Odd Taxi
Psycho Pass
Re:Zero
Link Click
I really enjoy watching anime that makes me feel very emotional. Sad or happy.
Edit: thank you all, I have a lot to watch now! ^_^
Clannad, Toradora, Fate Stay night (have some quite emotional scenes also) , Plastic Memories, Angel Beats, Golden Time and Your Lie in April, take your pick there´s no wrong choices
Clannad
Re: Zero
A Silent Voice
Your Name
Your Lie in April (BIG MOOD)
Toradora
Oregairu
Made in Abyss
Eureka 7
Haibane Renmei
A Place Further Than the Universe
March Comes in Like a Lion
Clannad
A Silent Voice
Violet Evergarden
My recommendations in order of how much I enjoyed them:
Sora yori mo Tooi Basho
Nagi no Asukara
Anohana
Your Lie in April
There's a lot more out there, these are just the one's that immediately come to mind.
Hey everyone,
I’m looking for some really emotional, heartbreaking anime. The kind that sticks with you, makes you think, and maybe even leaves you empty inside for a while. I love stories that explore deep emotions, whether it’s about love, loss, regret, or just the struggles of life. Bonus points if it has an amazing soundtrack that enhances the atmosphere.
For reference, some anime I’ve really enjoyed in this category are Angel Beats, Clannad: After Story, and Your Lie in April. I love how these shows balance emotional storytelling with powerful character development. I also really liked Anohana and Violet Evergarden because of how beautifully they handled themes of grief and moving on.
I’m open to any recommendations, whether it’s something well-known or more underrated. I don’t mind older anime either, as long as it has that emotional impact. Also, I prefer anime with some depth rather than just forced drama—something that genuinely resonates. If there’s an anime that left you emotionally wrecked, I’d love to hear about it.
Thanks in advance! I’m ready to cry.
Texhnolyze
Have fun :)
Yea, that one is ….. yea.
Decade of watching anime, and this is still my go-to answer. It's one of the most bleak endings ever.
Code Geass (machiavellianism and "what do we sacrifice to win a war?" And lots of people die in war)
Death Parade (more grief processing)
Black Lagoon (very realistic portrayal of real life pirates in the south China sea, people doing bad things to stay alive)
My Happy marriage
An Heart breaking Story about a Young Woman from a good Family. She was treated Like a servant and her Standing was below the servants and only Had worn down clothes, that were repaired countless Times. Her childhood crush gets engaged to her half sister WHO IS the princess of the Family. And she gets engaged to Kiyouka Kudo WHO IS Said to be cold hearted
Grave of the Fireflies...
NANA!! Unrewatchable
I need to watch some sad animes. Doesnt matter whether it's action, romance or a movie. Any recommendations will do.
Clannad, then clannad after story. Just remember you asked for it.
Just chiming in to add to the pile.
Yes, it's a happy anime. And then some sad moments. And then happy. And then...
I feel bad telling you that there is sadness. That is going to be looming over all the happiness. Just know you watch the happy series to build you up to what happens in After Story. You will wonder how After Story could be sad, whether it pulls some awful twist. It does not. It never kicks the dog, but it does get human and real, even while it is being a little fantastic.
I teared up here and there, and then when it hit I cried every episode. As a grown man. And here I am a decade and a half later, and I still cry when I think about it.
Clannad ruined me for years
El mejor anime SAD de la historia nada más que decir, atta (alguien que ha visto 800 animes y contando).
Your lie in April is one of my top 3. Such a well written and touching story. Extremely sad though.
grave of the fireflies, just a movie not a whole show but omg i was sobbing for like 10 minutes straight
real talk, saddest piece of media i ever saw
I wouldn't consider Your Name sad, as >!the ending is just happy, not sad or even bittersweet. Sure, it has sad parts, but it's not sad overall.!<
Cyberpunk Edgerunners didn't make me sad at all
I mean it was sad at moments but I wouldn’t say it’s like all the others that people are recommending, had more lighthearted feelings throughout rather than sad
I couldn't finish Your Lie In April. At episode 2 I got Bidge to Teribithia vibes and had to nope out.
Your Name is touching, but it isn't sad. It's Shinkai's apology for how gut-wrenching 5 Centimeters per Second was.
Hi! I’m looking for suggestions for anime— I’ve seen quite a few now and i’m struggling a bit to pick what I want to watch next.
I really want something that could tug at my heartstrings. I also like anything with great character development and relationships both romantic and platonic. Maybe delving into themes of trauma and getting to be close to someone
Not sure if there’s anything similar to Danganronpa in terms of the emotion it conveys and the way there’s a lot of characters to love, but that would be awesome.
If there’s something with all that good emotional stuff AND action or some kinda compelling story, that would be a huge plus for me.
It depends. Different things makes different people emotional.
If you are a boy - watch "rainbow seven from the sixth chamber", I'd also highly recommend Fruits Basket to everybody
I second Fruits Basket! It's tied with Natsume's Book of Friends for my favorite anime of all time.
Cowboy Bebop, if you haven't seen it yet. Lots of character development. It starts out fairly light-hearted, which makes the heavy parts hit even more.
Angel Beats is so good
Death Parade
Came here to say this. Absolutely stunning ending fr
Ooh this one 🤌🏽🤌🏽
War in the Pocket
Bruh that is not ok 😭
I'm talking about real heavy hitters, genre doesn't matter, and it doesn't matter if it's impactful in the moment or has more of a slow burn... My top picks would be Clannad After Story, Fruits Basket, Gintama and evangelion. I've seen a respectable amount of shows, so feel free to recommend some lesser known titles too
Your Lie in April
Wonder Egg Priority
Elfen Lied
Erased
Plastic Memories
I Want to Eat Your Pancreas
A Silent Voice
Parasyte
Blue Period
Made In Abyss
Banana Fish
Happy Sugar Life
Assassination Classroom
Grave of Fireflies
I've watched almost everything on this list. I haven't watched parasyte, but I've heard it's good, didn't get the memo that it's like an emotional show. I thought it was more of an horror/action... Blue period anime was kinda disappointing to me, but I've heard that the manga is better. As for Happy Sugar Life, I haven't heard of that, I'll see what it's about, thanks for the recs!
parasyte’s ending is actually so underrated. the message that anime leaves you with is absolutely ridiculous. had me thinking about it for weeks
Toradora... Probably watched it 5-6 times already. Can't wait to rewatch it again tho. I always had a thing for romcoms but I was surprised about the impact it had on me when I first watched it. Your Name is a close second tho, followed by A silent voice
I've seen all of these shows and they are great! I liked Toradora, but idk, for me personally it didn't have such a long lasting impact... The soundtrack however, I remember those sad tunes vividly to this day. You can see that a lot of tropes are outdated and boring in the show, BUT it was the show that really kicked off the genre so all is forgiven. Thanks for the recs!
Nothing has made me tear up like Fruits Basket but the ending of season two of 86 made me cry, as did Real Girl 🎃
I have seen a few episodes of 86, but it didn't interest me that much tbh, might give it a try sometime again. I haven't heard about Real Girl and it seems interesting so I'll check it out!
I think I'm extra invested in 86 because I've read the Light Novels. That's why it makes me cry.
Hope you enjoy Real Girl, I loved it 🎃
Maybe others will disagree, but my choice is ReZero.
It looks at suffering and loss in a way that might be less "smart" than other stories, but it does it in a way that you have no choice but to feel something. You wish things could be different. Sure some will blame that on the characters and their actions, but I saw it as more of a "Sometimes, things will go wrong no matter what you do." The sense of helplessness is very disheartening.
But when the dust settles and it feels like there might be a purpose to all this pain and emotion, it's inspiring. Maybe there always is the light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe life is just a constant ride from catastrophic low to unforgettable highs. But as long as we just try our best and find a way to push through, we'll come out better in the end. That's how I saw it at least.
That constant back and forth between sadness and hope feels more beautiful and emotional than anything else I've ever seen. It's not the best, but it does something that only it could have done- which is why I chose it.
Yeah, It's definitely one of the best shows I've ever watched. I agree with everything you've said, the pay off at the end of season 2 part 2 is one of the most satisfying things ever. It's just... It's missing something, idk what, I guess it's that "x factor" that everyone feels differently. Though I have no doubt that it's the best Isekai out there, maybe only something like Mushoku tensei comes close to it...
I've seen it, it's alright, it's just that the philosophy and the message of the show I disagree with... Thanks anyways!
Hello there! So I recently finished Plastic Memories and just now Darling in the FranXX too and I cried so much. I truly love animes that genuinely make me cry and get me into my feelings. That being said, I’d like to see some recommendations of some of the most emotional animes there are. Romance if possible. Thank u all
{Maquia} hits hard. I would also recommend {Nagi no Asu kara}
Nagi no Asukara - (AL, A-P, KIT, MAL)
^(TV | Status: Finished | Episodes: 26 | Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Slice of Life)
^{anime}, <manga>, ]LN[, |VN| | FAQ | /r/ | Edit | Mistake? | Source | Synonyms | ⛓ | ♥ | (1/2)
I second all of these
Welcome to the NHK made me cry.
{Violet Evergarden}
Wonder egg priority
I'm looking for an anime that will make me feel all kinds of emotions, I don't want just sadness and depression, although im not against it. I want to feel joy, hype, as I said: sadness, I wanna laugh, I wanna be surprised, and be satisfied. I guess that is a lot for one anime to have, but the more it has, the better.
Clannad + Clannad After Story. It strikes a good balance between sad and uplifting moments.
Gurren Lagann
It has a lot of hype, but there's also other emotions that it makes you feel throughout it.
Definitely more on the sad side, but A Silent Voice is a great option. Beautifully animated, and a good story
If that movie doesn't at least stir up some emotion in you I don't know what will
i big sad thinking about it :(
Fr fr 🥲
A Place Further than the Universe
March Comes in like a Lion
Both are excellent, they're emotionally resonnant. Not necessarily because it's sad, but rather it's so uplifting and awe-inspiring.
That second one made me angry, but not angry at the show but rather the situations that Rey got put in.
OP, you listen to this guy. Two of my favourites.
Fruits Basket has all the emotions. There is a lot of sadness and hurt but also a lot of funny and cute and sweet moments. It's a real rollercoaster of emotions.
animes with emotional stories
Here are some key recommendations for anime with emotional stories:
Your Lie in April (Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso)
Clannad: After Story
A Silent Voice (Koe no Katachi)
Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day
March Comes in Like a Lion (3-gatsu no Lion)
Takeaways:
Recommendation: If you're looking for a deeply emotional experience, start with "Your Lie in April" or "A Silent Voice." Both are beautifully animated and have powerful soundtracks that enhance the emotional impact of the story.
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