While action-packed shounen animes often take the spotlight, the anime industry is more diverse than any other media medium. From terrifying horror to comedy that will make your sides hurt, this variety is what makes the genre so easy to get into. That said, some of the best anime of all time are melancholic dramas and tragedies that excel at making their audience full of tears.
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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.
10 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 to incredible visuals, music, and twists that hit right to the heart.
9 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.
8 Clannad (and Clannad: After Story)
Among the many titles in the genre, 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.
7 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.
6 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 bit depressing nonetheless. A perfect choice for audiences looking for the best of both worlds.
5 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.
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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.
4 Erased
Crime stories have become very popular in recent years. Among the many thoughts, many fans of this genre think "What could have been done differently?"; Erased looks to answer this question. Focused on the story of Satou Fujinuma, he receives the ability to go eighteen years in the past to prevent mysterious crimes committed against his family and friends.
The anime gives a fairly unique take to the mystery genre with a plot very similar to that of Detective Conan. Nonetheless, the plot feels more personal as viewers learn more about the characters and incidents.
3 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.
2 Grave Of The Fireflies
Sometimes, the older films of the past generation offer even more of a worthwhile plot than modern classics. At least, the Studio Ghiblifilm, Grave of the Fireflies, certainly does. Released all the way back in 1988, the story follows the wartime stories of Seita and his sister Setsuko.
The civilian side of 1945 Japan often goes unnoticed in modern history, so this film offers a very telling retelling (based on the autobiography of the same name.) Although there are some very dark tones (at least compared to other Ghibli films), the plot and well-developed characters make for an unforgettable experience.
1 Terror In Resonance
Terrorism isn't anything good, that isn't something to debate. Nonetheless, it 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; 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.
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