10 best sad anime that you should try
Sad anime, also known as tearjerkers, tell emotionally impactful stories that tug at the heartstrings. By exploring loss, grief, regret, and the full human experience, tearjerkers make audiences laugh, cry, and cherish loved ones.
Blending tragedy, romance, and comedy, the drama genre’s emotional storytelling resonates. From coming-of-age struggles to historical anti-war tales, sad anime crafts enduring, visceral viewer experiences. Crafting resonating messages, the best sad anime features endearing characters overcoming adversity.
Audiences cry, heal, and find cathartic release through stories conveying life’s ephemeral nature. Devastation often uplifts and reconnects, revealing the paradoxical magic of this genre. From historical tragedies to coming-of-age dramas, here are 10 of the best sad anime.
10 must-watch sad anime for an emotional journey
1) Clannad: After Story
A sequel to the acclaimed school romance Clannad, Clannad: After Story continues the emotional tale of Tomoya and Nagisa’s relationship. Following their marriage and journey through family life, devastating losses test their bond and definitions of family.
With profound growth through cruel turns of fate, this sad anime is considered one of the most devastatingly heartbreaking ever made. This sad anime series packs relentless emotional gut punches with its exploration of ideals of perseverance and community.
Life-changing events and tragedies strike beloved characters, testing the endurance of love. Its masterful storytelling makes one cry, laugh, and cherish loved ones more. Clannad: After Story powerfully conveys the importance of supporting those enduring immense losses
2) Your Lie in April
A coming-of-age drama, Your Lie In April explores loss and mental health through former piano prodigy Kousei. Colorless and unable to play after his harsh mother's death, he meets Kaori- a spirited violinist who inspires him to passionately embrace life's fullest emotions again.
Endearing characters and a bittersweet narrative of adolescent struggle with grief and identity resonate with audiences. Capturing messy human transitions of hardship and growth, this sad anime delivers stirring highs and lows through its vibrant classic soundtrack and animation.
Crafting an enduring, emotionally immersive viewing experience, Your Lie In April explores regained hope, passion, and purpose after life loses meaning.
3) Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day
Anohana examines childhood friends haunted by teenager Menma's death years prior. Her ghost returns to protagonist Jinta, reuniting the group so her spirit can move on once her wish is fulfilled.
This supernatural drama portrays the lingering pains of grief and emotional wounds inflicted through loss. With turmoil beneath nostalgic summer days, Anohana delivers an acclaimed screenplay conveying that even good friends can deeply hurt each other after tragedy strikes.
Regarded as one of the saddest modern anime, Anohana depicts the agonies of loss and reconciliation with masterful storyboarding and resonating messages of cherishing relationships before it’s too late.
4) Grave of the Fireflies
A devastating historical film from Studio Ghibli, Grave of the Fireflies follows two children during World War II in Japan struggling to survive after losing their mother in an air raid on the city of Kobe.
Somber, beautiful, and utterly heart-wrenching, this anti-war film gives innocents an emotionally resonant voice amid harrowing statistics. Through the tragic fates of young Setsuko and Seita, audiences see war’s most vulnerable victims.
With painful messages regarding pride’s costs and community’s worth, Grave of the Fireflies remains one of the saddest anime movies ever made. Its emotional storytelling leaves an enduring impact on all viewers.
5) A Silent Voice
A quiet, emotional drama, A Silent Voice explores bullying and suicide through a perpetrator's quest for redemption years after driving a deaf classmate to attempt suicide. Protagonist Shoya learns sign language and reconnects with classmate Shoko, attempting to make amends for his past bullying during their childhood.
This thoughtful redemption story sends resonating messages about bullying, disability, isolation, and the courage to change. With vibrant visuals and expressive animation, A Silent Voice's nuanced character writing makes it one of the most impactful sad anime in recent memory.
6) Angel Beats!
With elements of comedy mixed alongside enduring sadness, Angel Beats! finds a natural balance between tear-jerking emotion and comic relief.
The supernatural drama follows a group of teens in the afterlife who refuse to accept their fates, fighting against Kanade Tachibana, a mysterious girl nicknamed Angel, in a purgatorial high school setting.
Protagonist Otonashi befriends Angel and helps guide his friends to find peace and move on. But letting go proves difficult when the afterlife still holds so much left undone. Angel Beats! blends energetic humor with heartbreaking backstories to deliver cathartic emotional release.
7) Violet Evergarden
An emotional drama with breathtaking animation from Kyoto Animation studio, Violet Evergarden tells the story of Violet, a soldier struggling to integrate into society after a long war took away her home and purpose.
She learns the meaning of emotions as she starts writing letters to help connect people struggling to communicate their feelings. Through helping others share feelings of grief, pain, loss, and love, Violet processes her own repressed emotions and past trauma to understand what life and death mean.
With inspiring messages about empathy and understanding the true costs of conflict, this sad anime delivers an impactful story.
8) March Comes in Like a Lion
An emotional coming-of-age series, March Comes In Like A Lion tells the story of Rei Kiriyama, a professional shogi player plagued by depression and family loss after achieving pro status while very young.
Struggling personally and professionally, Rei isolates himself, feeling he can't connect with the happy families around him. But when he meets orphaned sisters Akari, Hinata, and Momo Kawamoto, who open their home to Rei, he begins to understand familial connections can come from places you don't expect.
With thoughtful explorations of depression and touching arcs about creating a family beyond blood relatives, this sad anime delivers powerful messages through masterful storytelling.
9) Plastic Memories
A melancholy sci-fi romance, Plastic Memories takes place in a futuristic city where giftia, android assistants, help humans in professional and personal spheres. But giftia only live nine years before losing their memories and personalities in a somber end-of-life termed “expiration.”
Protagonist Tsukasa works for a department recovering giftia before this fate befalls them. When Tsukasa partners with a giftia named Isla nearing her expiration date, they help give closure to families losing their loved ones while contemplating their own goodbyes.
Blending romance and cyberpunk themes, Plastic Memories uses endearing characters to give a tear-jerking perspective on love, loss, and what makes life meaningful.
10) I Want to Eat Your Pancreas
Despite its strange name, I Want To Eat Your Pancreas delivers an emotional exploration of life and loss through two high school students, one with a terminal pancreatic illness, who form a friendship that remains private, as they navigate her illness and their different social circles.
Uplifted by their time together, the story conveys the message to value all moments regardless of life’s unpredictable changes. Vibrant, nostalgic, and utterly heart-wrenching in its emotional conclusion, this unique sad anime’s exploration of friendship and mortality leaves a lasting impact.
With meaningful messages about how even small moments give life meaning, I Want To Eat Your Pancreas deserves its reputation as one of the great modern tearjerkers.
Conclusion
The best sad anime delivers emotionally charged but ultimately worthwhile viewing experiences ranging from bitter tragedies to heartwarming tales of perseverance.
Whether looking for an inspiring or cathartic story, this list explores many flavors of hardship, loss, grief, and regret to showcase the incredible emotional storytelling the anime drama genre has to offer.
For an impactful and unforgettable emotional journey, these sad anime deliver powerful punches but ultimately share messages of hope.
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