Sad anime tells some of the stories that stick with fans the longest, because few emotions can be felt as intensely as sadness. It’s easy to laugh at a quick joke or feel joy at a character’s achievements and victories, but such feelings are often short-lived. On the other hand, moving viewers to tears requires forming a genuine connection, as the characters need to feel real and relatable.
There are many movies that sometimes make viewers cry. Especially when it comes to longer series, certain moments are bound to be especially sad, such as the tragic ending of the Going Merry in One Piece. However, very few shows try to build a real connection with viewers, focusing on their emotions above all else and resulting in some of the best sad anime.
10 Purple Garden
Violet Evergarden follows the eponymous protagonist, who, after being raised as a weapon only to excel on the battlefield, must start a whole new life as an “Automatic Memory Doll ” after the war ended. Since she herself is largely unaware of the extent of human emotions and experiences, capturing the thoughts of others and learning about their emotions is a perfect way to learn and grow. Although Violet’s storyline is quite sad, the saddest moments of this series occur when she interacts with her customers, such as a mother writing letters to her daughter’s future birthday when knowing that she won’t be with me.
9 angel beats!
The premise of Angel Beats! has affirmed this as one of the most emotional series that anime fans can experience. Set in the afterlife, the story revolves around a group of teenagers, all of whom die with deep regrets and unfulfilled wishes. From the main characters to the supporting characters, everyone who comes here has a tragic and realistic backstory, at least one of which viewers will definitely connect with. While moments of humor and action are also present, especially regarding the conflict between Afterlife Battlefront and Tachibana, this is ultimately just a facade behind which lie some of the medium’s saddest scenes. information awaits unsuspecting onlookers.
Your 8 lies in April
Your Lie in April tells the story of Kousei Arima, a piano prodigy who lost his ability to play and his love for music after his mother’s death. However, everything seems to change when he meets Kaori Miyazono, an eccentric violinist whose free, emotional playing style ignites Kousei’s passion and inspires him to start playing the piano. return. Unfortunately, Kaori suffers from an incurable disease and their journey together comes to an untimely end. Although Kaori’s illness is shown from the beginning and she spends most of her time in the hospital, no audience member can finish the film without crying at the end, when Kousei reads her letter. .
7 Banana Fish
The story of Banana Fish is full of sad moments and reasons to cry, as it boldly tackles topics that few other stories have the courage to tackle. From drug abuse and gang violence to corruption and PTSD, no phenomenon is too dark to explore. The story follows Ash Lynx, a complex character who has proven himself to be incredibly strong despite his traumatic past, and Eiji Okumura, who is drawn into Ash’s world with the obvious desire to save him. Unfortunately, their journey together did not end as happily as fans wished.
6 Anohana: The flower we saw that day
Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day is famous for being one of the saddest anime series, and with good reason. The story revolves around a group of friends who fall apart after one of them, Meiko Honma, passes away. Several years later, her sudden appearance as a ghost brought them back together, forcing them to face the regret, guilt, and grief they had ignored for so long. Despite its supernatural bent, its nostalgic themes and focus on human relationships make it grounded and relatable, only adding to the impact of its overwhelming sadness. Its distinct ending theme is sure to keep fans moving.
5 Cyberpunk: Edge runner
Given its foundation, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners could easily be dismissed as promotional material for a game that only fans of the series will appreciate. However, it is much more than that, proving itself to be one of the best and saddest stories told in the medium. The show has an origin story revolving around David Martinez, a boy with a once bright future who ends up becoming a fugitive after a series of tragedies, and Lucy, a cyber fugitive with a story. Similar tragic story. With the story taking place in Night City, a dangerous, dystopian future where kindness is rarely rewarded, its heartbreaking events are almost predictable.
4 Tokyo Magnitude 8.0
One of the main strengths of Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is its realism, which seeks to realistically depict an earthquake strong enough to instantly change the landscape of Tokyo and its dire consequences. No one could be prepared for such an event, much less Mirai Onozawa and Yuuki Onozawa, two kids on vacation alone. However, far from home, they have no choice but to face this new situation, together with Mari Kusakabe, a motorcyclist and single mother. The sadness comes from the impact of the disaster, which caused much loss and grief to the city.
3 WorldEnd: What do you do at the end of the world? Are you busy? Will you save us?
WorldEnd follows Willem Kmetsch, a veteran frozen in ice 500 years ago. He then wakes up and discovers that he is the only human left, as humanity has been wiped out by mysterious creatures known as “Beasts”. Because of fear of these monsters, he and the surviving races must now live on floating islands in the sky. This is where he encountered the Elves, young girls used as weapons against the Monsters. From its post-apocalyptic setting to the tragic backstories of the Goblins, as well as their self-sacrificing intentions and disregard for their own lives, this series is filled with emotional moments.
2 Plastic Memories
Plastic Memories is a story about forbidden love, limited by time. The story takes place in a world where a company called SAI Corp produces lifelike androids that resemble humans in every way, aside from the fact that they have a significantly shorter lifespan. After getting a job at this company, Tsukasa Mizugaki meets Isla, a veteran android, and together they must retrieve the other androids before losing their memories. As heartbreaking as it is to see humans and increasingly close androids separated, Tsukasa and Isla’s relationship, which develops throughout the film, also has a tragic end.
1 Clannad: After Story
Clannad: After Story is about the future when Tomoya Okazaki starts dating Nagisa Furukawa as well as their life together. Unfortunately, while watching their relationship develop should have been a positive experience for fans of the couple, their family life proved to be full of troubles, challenges and difficult choices. The tragedies are not even limited to the couple as other characters also face their own difficulties. Adulthood is rarely easy, a fact that this series depicts in an honest and realistic way, evoking real empathy from viewers. Many anime fans consider the title one of the saddest ever, with developments in Tomoya and Nagisa’s family breaking fans’ hearts multiple times.
From sudden deaths to tragic revelations, there are many different ways to create a sad scene. However, a character’s death won’t evoke any emotions if viewers never connected with that character in the first place. The series has succeeded in telling some of the most impactful and memorable stories in media not through meaningless sad events but by creating worlds that feel real. and important to fans. So, saddest anime series feels completely real, an event that no one can easily forget.
