Anime creators love making their audience cry. From heartfelt dramas about young love, unrequited feelings, and relationship drama to the more serious stories that tackle issues like death, war, and illness, anime has found countless ways to break hearts and make viewers weep.

For any fan of heart-rending stories that make them shed giant crocodile tears, they have come to the right place. There are several outstanding anime about truly heartbreaking, depressing subjects. These titles will surely tug on the audience's heartstrings in one way or another.

Updated by Alexandra Locke on February 14, 2024: Sad anime are among some of the most popular because they can evoke intense emotions from audiences. Countless shows have made fans' eyes well up, giving them connections to the anime they watch. As each season brings new, tragic stories to light, and since CBR's formatting has recently changed, this article has been updated to include the changes and even more depressing anime.

40 Demon Slayer is Filled with Death

Tanjiro and the rest of the characters leaping into battle in the Demon Slayer Anime Poster
Demon Slayer
TV-MA
Anime
Action
Adventure

When Tanjiro Kamado returns home to find his family was attacked and killed by demons, he discovers his younger sister Nezuko was the only survivor. As Nezuko slowly becomes a demon, Tanjiro sets out to find a cure for her and become a demon slayer so he can avenge his family.

Release Date
April 6, 2019
Cast
Natsuki Hanae , Zach Aguilar , Abby Trott , Yoshitsugu Matsuoka
Main Genre
Anime
Seasons
3
Studio
ufotable
Related
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu Academy Gets Official English Release
Kimetsu Academy, the Demon Slayer spinoff that takes place in high school, has finally received an official English translation in Weekly Shonen Jump.

Demon Slayer Scores:

IMDb Rating:

8.6/10

MyAnimeList Rating:

8.48/10

Crunchyroll Rating:

5/5

Demon Slayer is the story of two siblings on a mission to avenge their family’s massacre and eliminate demons along the way. Tanjiro and Nezuko Kamado have seen more death in their lives than they could have imagined, but they fight through the pain to get to their enemy, Muzan Kibitsuji.

Tanjiro and Nezuko have help along the way, but many of their friends succumb to wounds or decide to go their separate ways. Even some of the demons are redeemed in their final moments as lost souls looking for places to belong. Demon Slayer is an intense show that leans into tragedy, making for a truly sad anime.

39 Parasyte: The Maxim Features an Alien Invasion

The Cast Stands Together on the Parasyte The Maxim Poster
Parasyte: The Maxim
TV-MA
Action
Horror
Science Fiction
Animation

Original title: Kiseijû: Sei no kakuritsu.
17-year-old Shinichi Izumi is partially infected by a Parasyte, monsters that butcher and consume humans. He must learn to co-exist with the creature if he is to survive both the life of a Parasyte and a human as part monster, part person.

Release Date
October 9, 2014
Studio
Madhouse
Main Cast
Nobunaga Shimazaki, Aya Hirano, Rinka H.B.B., Atsuka Tanaka, Brittney Karbowski, Adam Gibbs and Joanne Bonasso

Parasyte: The Maxim Scores:

IMDb Rating:

8.3/10

MyAnimeList Rating:

8.33/10

Crunchyroll Rating:

4.5/5

Parasyte: The Maxim is a horror anime about an invasive alien species coming to Earth to feed on humans. The “Parasytes” typically attach to a human’s brain and control them to get prey. They also manipulate their hosts' bodies into unspeakably grotesque monsters with blades and hundreds of teeth.

Due to the alien’s nature, several characters are either eaten or taken over by the Parasites. The looks of complete terror and the sadness over loved ones lost make this show one of the saddest anime.

Migi Hovering Above Shinichi in Parasyte The Maxim

38 Erased Hinges on a Criminal Investigation Through Time

Erased anime with Satoru sitting determined and alert in the hideout
Erased
TV-14
Crime
Drama

29-year-old Satoru Fujinuma is sent back in time 18 years to prevent the events leading to his mother's death, which began with a series of kidnappings while he was in 5th grade.

Release Date
January 8, 2016
Creator
Kei Sanbe
Cast
Minami Takayama , Tao Tsuchiya
Main Genre
Anime
Seasons
1

Erased Scores:

IMDb Rating:

8.5/10

MyAnimeList Rating:

8.3/10

Crunchyroll Rating:

4.9/5

Erased is a time-travel and psychological thriller anime that follows an underemployed twenty-nine-year-old named Satoru Fujinuma. Satoru flits through time at random to fix problems and save people from terrible fates, including murder.

Erased is so heartbreaking because of Satoru's final leap. He must save three of his classmates who were murdered and figure out who the killer was. This is a harrowing task, but Satoru's relationship with his friend Kayo Hinazuki represents the deepest sorrow of the show. Kayo is the catalyst for much of the anime's heart and tragedy since the entire ordeal seems to focus on her, her family, and her need to belong.

Satoru Fujinuma and Kayo Hinazuki sit together in the bus hideout light by a camp light in Erased

37 Death Parade Takes Place in the Afterlife

Side profile of Decim looking gloomy in Death Parade.
Death Parade
TV-MA
Drama
Mystery

After death, humans go to either heaven or hell. But for some, at the instant of their death, they arrive at the Quindecim, a bar attended by the mysterious white-haired Decim.

Release Date
January 10, 2015
Creator
Yuzuru Tachikawa
Cast
Rumi Okubo , Yoshimasa Hosoya
Main Genre
Anime
Seasons
1
Studio
Madhouse
Related
Is Death Parade's Source Material Short Film Worth the Watch?
While Death Parade is considered a popular hit, its origin film remains rather obscure. However, fans may want to consider giving it a chance.

Death Parade Scores:

IMDb Rating:

7.9/10

MyAnimeList Rating:

8.2/10

Crunchyroll Rating:

4.8/5

Death Parade is a psychological anime about the afterlife. Decim is a neutral being running a bar where people who died simultaneously compete in various games to see where their souls will end up. The games are varying degrees of grotesque and nearly all of them end badly for at least one person.

Apart from the despicable competition, the show delves into questions of good and evil and what it means to be human. The anime ends on a bittersweet note, making it all the more depressing.

Decim attends to his duties in Death Parade.

36 Jujutsu Kaisen Has Deaths In Real World Locations

The cast pose together on the Jujutsu Kaisen Anime Poster
Jujutsu Kaisen
TV-MA
Animation
Action
Adventure

A boy swallows a cursed talisman - the finger of a demon - and becomes cursed himself. He enters a shaman's school to be able to locate the demon's other body parts and thus exorcise himself.

Release Date
October 2, 2020
Creator
Gege Akutami
Cast
Junya Enoki , Yuma Uchida , Yuichi Nakamura , Adam McArthur , Asami Seto
Main Genre
Animation
Seasons
3
Studio
MAPPA
Production Company
Mappa, TOHO animation
Number of Episodes
47 Episodes

Jujutsu Kaisen Scores:

IMDb Rating:

8.6/10

MyAnimeList Rating:

8.62/10

Crunchyroll Rating:

4.9/5

Jujutsu Kaisen is a riveting horror shonen with stunning animation from Studio MAPPA. Yuji Itadori’s awakening as a Jujutsu Sorcerer has the signature shonen flare that slowly deteriorates into devastating moral quandaries as the show goes on.

As expected within the horror genre, deaths are inevitable. But many of JJK’s characters are so beloved that it hurts all the more when they pass on. The sheer amount of carnage in loss in the second season alone is enough to bring any anime fan to tears. They grieve for their favorite lost characters, as well as the loss of Itadori’s innocence.

35 To the Forest of Firefly Lights Prevents The Main Couple From Touching

To the Forest of Firefly Lights
To The Forest Of Firefly Lights
Drama
Fantasy

Hotaru is rescued by a spirit when she gets lost in a forest as a child. The two become friends, despite the spirit revealing that he will disappear if he is ever touched by a human.

Release Date
September 17, 2011
Cast
Koki Uchiyama , Ayane Sakura , Shinpachi Tsuji
Runtime
45 Minutes
Main Genre
Animation
Story By
Producer
Akira Aoki, Yukio Kawasaki, Makoto Nakamura, Kôichirô Natsume
Production Company
Aniplex, Brains Base, Hakusensha, Hotarubi no Mori e Production Committee, Nihon Ad Systems (NAS), TV Tokyo

To the Forest of Firefly Lights

IMDb Rating:

7.8/10

MyAnimeList Rating:

8.28/10

Anime Planet Ranking:

112

Hotarubi no Mori e is an ethereal shojo anime about forbidden love. When a little girl named Hotaru Takegawa gets lost in the woods, a friendly spirit named Gin helps her return to her family. Hotaru and Gin’s relationship grows as she does, and the two beings start to fall in love, even though they can never touch.

This anime is a sweet, but heartbreaking, view of love and the impermanence of life. The time the main couple shares is precious to them, and those moments are what truly matters, even if they can’t be together any longer.

Hotarubi No Mori E

34 Orange Changes the Future to Right the Past

13 Episodes

The Cast of Orange Stand Together on a Bridge
Orange
TV-PG

High school student Naho Takamiya receives a letter from her future self that warns her to avoid mistakes she will make involving a new transfer student, Kakeru Naruse, a troubled boy whom she meets and begins to fall in love with.

Release Date
July 4, 2016
Cast
Jeannie Tirado , Kana Hanazawa , Seiichiro Yamashita , Micah Solusod , Makoto Furukawa
Main Genre
Drama
Studio
Telecom Animation Film

Orange Scores:

IMDb Rating:

7.6/10

MyAnimeList Rating:

7.6/10

Crunchyroll Rating:

4.7/5

On its surface level, Orange seems like the average mystery anime, but it is actually one of the saddest anime series out there. The protagonist Naho Takamiya receives a letter from her future self. However, she has to decode these letters to figure out their meaning, especially since they regard the loss of her classmate, Kakeru.

If Naho does not figure out the meanings of these letters, they predict the utmost tragedy for her and everyone else. Orange is overwhelmingly melancholic, and viewers are taken on a journey with the characters as they each deal with their regret, guilt, and grief.

 Naho Kakeru and her friends stand together on a bridge in Orange

33 Wolf Children Centers Around a Single Mother

117 Minutes

Japanese movie poster featuring a woman and two children. Wolf Children (2012)
Wolf Children
PG
Anime
Drama
Family

After her werewolf lover unexpectedly dies in an accident while hunting for food for their children, a young woman must find ways to raise the werewolf son and daughter that she had with him while keeping their trait hidden from society.

Release Date
July 21, 2012
Director
Mamoru Hosoda
Cast
Aoi Miyazaki , Takao Osawa , Haru Kuroki
Main Genre
Anime
Writers
Mamoru Hosoda , Satoko Okudera
Production Company
Nippon Television Network (NTV), Studio Chizu, Madhouse

Wolf Children Scores:

IMDb Rating:

8.1/10

MyAnimeList Rating:

8.6/10

Crunchyroll Rating:

4.9/5

Wolf Children has a wholesome premise, but it is quite the tear-jerker. It tells the struggle of a single mother named Hana trying to raise her two children. That is already challenging enough, but the children are also half-wolf. The kids' father went out hunting and was killed, leaving Hana alone to raise them.

Even sadder, Hana found his corpse as the trash collector was about to discard it. This anime will make the audience experience the same feelings as Hana as she struggles to raise her two supernatural children. It may be a sad anime on many levels, but it is also inspiring and encouraging, with Hana being a strong and caring single mother despite these hardships.

Wolf Children farming

32 Oshi No Ko Delves Into the Downsides of Idol Life

the 2023 hit anime official poster - Oshi no Ko Poster
Oshi No Ko
TV-14
Drama
Fantasy

A doctor and his recently-deceased patient are reborn as twins to a famous Japanese musical idol and navigate the highs and lows of the Japanese entertainment industry as they grow up together through their lives.

Release Date
April 12, 2023
Creator
Aka Akasaka
Cast
Rie Takahashi , Yumi Uchiyama
Main Genre
Animation
Seasons
1 Season
Production Company
CyberAgent, Dogakobo, Kadokawa, Sentai Studios, Shueisha
Related
REPORT: Oshi no Ko Is Getting a Live-Action Movie & TV Series
The Oshi no Ko anime series will reportedly receive a live-action TV series and movie, revealing cast, plot, production images and release windows.

Oshi no Ko Scores:

IMDb Rating:

8.4/10

MyAnimeList Rating:

8.7/10

HIDIVE Rating:

4.9/5

Oshi no Ko is an anime about a teen idol with a secret. Ai Hoshino has a bright future ahead of her that now includes her newborn twins. However, the twins are the reincarnated versions of her doctor who was killed the night she gave birth, and one of her biggest fans who passed away in the same hospital. Though they're an unusual family, Ai, Aquamarine, and Ruby seem like they'll have a happy future together.

Sadly, tragedy strikes when Ai is murdered by a fan. Vowing to discover who the killer's accomplice is, Aquamarine becomes a distant sleuth, keeping close to the enemy. This sad anime is plagued with many tragedies and dark twists. Oshi no Ko's unexpected story is sure to shock and sadden audiences.

31 Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Showcases A Bleak Future

Lucy looks at the viewer on the Cyberpunk Edgerunners Poster
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
TV-MA
Animation
Action
Adventure
Sci-Fi

Set in the universe of Cyberpunk: 2077, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners follows David, a young kid living on the streets trying to survive in the perilous Night City.

Release Date
September 13, 2022
Creator
Rafat Jaki
Cast
Aoi Yuki , Kenichiro Ohashi , Kenjiro Tsuda , Kazuhiko Inoue
Main Genre
Animation
Seasons
1
Franchise
Cyberpunk 2077
Distributor
Netflix
Main Characters
Lucy, David Martinez, Ripperdoc, Faraday, Pilar
Producer
Saya Elder, Hiromi Wakabayashi, Bartosz Sztybor, Satoru Homma
Production Company
CD Projekt RED, Trigger
Writers
Mike Pondsmith , Yoshiki Usa , Masahiko Otsuka
Number of Episodes
10
Related
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Creator's New Manga Debuts Next to Chainsaw Man & Oshi no Ko
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners creator Rafal Jaki's new work finally debuts on Jump+ and MANGA Plus alongside some of the world's biggest titles.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Scores:

IMDb Rating:

8.3/10

MyAnimeList Rating:

8.6/10

Rotten Tomatoes:

100%

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a dystopian anime based on the Cyberpunk 2077 video game. The story follows a young man named David Martinez who becomes an “Edgerunner” after his life gets turned upside down. The setting delves into the seedy underbelly of the universe as David finds himself in increasingly harrowing situations.

This anime is a tragic tale full of colorful, beautiful animation by Studio TRIGGER. David’s descent into darkness is sure to leave pits in the stomachs of any anime fan who dares to brave the graphic story and its devastating end.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners key art featuring Lucy and David in action poses.

30 Your Name's Characters are Separated by more than Space

Your Name movie poster with Taki and Mitsuha
Your Name
PG-13
Drama
Fantasy

Two teenagers share a profound, magical connection upon discovering they are swapping bodies. Things manage to become even more complicated when the boy and girl decide to meet in person.

Release Date
August 26, 2016
Director
Makoto Shinkai
Cast
Ryûnosuke Kamiki , Mone Kamishiraishi
Main Genre
Anime
Studio
CoMix Wave Films

Your Name Scores:

IMDb Rating:

8.4/10

MyAnimeList Rating:

8.8/10

Crunchyroll Rating:

4.9/5

The idea of fate in anime is nothing new. It is a common trope throughout several genres in the medium. However, Your Name tackles it from a new perspective, which makes it one of the saddest anime movies. The film follows Mitsuha Miyamizu and Taki Tachibana, high school students who come from average, humble lives.

Mitsuha wants to live in Tokyo, but she cannot afford it. Taki struggles to maintain his studies while working a part-time job. These are two highly relatable characters brought together by fate when they suddenly switch bodies. They quickly realize just how much their actions impact each other and that nothing in their lives is truly a coincidence. From the beginning to its unforgettable and emotional ending, Your Name will have viewers gripped.

29 Tokyo Revengers Repeats Awful Tragedies

Tokyo Revengers Anime streaming poster for Disney +
Tokyo Revengers
TV-14
Action
Drama

Hanagaki Takemichi lives an unsatisfying life right up until his death. Waking up 12 years in the past, he reckons with the eventual fate of his friends and tries to prevent an unfortunate future.

Release Date
April 10, 2021
Creator
Ken Wakui
Main Genre
Anime
Seasons
3
Studio
LIDENFILMS
Main Cast
Yuuki Shin, Yuu Hayashi, Tatsuhisa Suzuki, A.J. Beckles

Tokyo Revengers Scores:

IMDb Rating:

7.9/10

MyAnimeList Rating:

7.95/10

Crunchyroll Rating:

4.7/5

Takemichi Hanagaki is a down-on-his-luck twenty-six-year-old. When he hears his middle school girlfriend was killed, Takemichi discovers he can travel back in time to when he and Hinata Tachibana were together. Tasked by her brother, Naoya, to save her, Takemichi repeatedly goes back to the past to see if Hinata is still alive when he returns.

Tokyo Revengers' story about gang life, friendships, and lost love pulls at audiences' heartstrings. No matter what Takemichi does, Hinata and some of his other friends continue to perish in the present. This sad show features many, repeated deaths and hopelessness in Takemichi's efforts.

Takemichi and Kisaki Tetta in Tokyo Revengers

28 Made In Abyss Lulls Its Audience With Adorable Visuals

Made In Abyss anime cover art with characters fleeing a monster
Made in Abyss
TV-14
Action
Adventure

A girl and her robot companion search for her mother, who's lost within a vast chasm.

Release Date
July 7, 2017
Creator
Akihito Tsukushi
Cast
Luci Christian
Main Genre
Anime
Seasons
2

Made In Abyss Scores:

IMDb Rating:

8.4/10

MyAnimeList Rating:

8.65/10

Crunchyroll Rating:

4.6/5

On the surface, Made in Abyss seems like a cute anime about adorable chibi characters. But the character designs are Red Herrings to throw audiences off the scent of the true depravity of this anime. The story follows a young girl named Riko who dreams of following in her mother’s footsteps as a White Whistle.

However, the further Riko descends, like her mother, the more truths she learns about the titular Abyss and the horrors that Cave Raiders have faced. This show is a gut-wrenching horror that should only be watched by those of strong mind and stomach.

Riko reaching out a hand in Made in Abyss.

27 Re:Zero Plays with Subaru Natsuki's Life

Subaru and the Re:Zero Cast on the Anime Promo
Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World
TV-14
Isekai
Adventure
Drama

After being suddenly transported to another world, Subaru Natsuki and his new female partner are brutally murdered. However, Subaru awakens to a familiar scene, meeting the same girl again. The day begins to mysteriously repeat itself.

Release Date
April 4, 2016
Main Genre
Anime
Studio
White Fox
Main Cast
Yûsuke Kobayashi, Rie Takahashi, Sean Chiplock, and Kayli Mills
Creator
Tappei Nagatsuki
Seasons
2

Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World Scores:

IMDb Rating:

8/10

MyAnimeList Rating:

8.23/10

Crunchyroll Rating:

4.7/5

Re:Zero is not a show for the faint of heart. Although it begins relatively innocently as a typical isekai, it quickly devolves into a nightmare of chaos and death.

Subaru Natsuki's many, many deaths occur in all kinds of different ways - each more horrendous than the last. Not all of his deaths are on purpose, but nearly all of them are painful ways to perish. Subaru isn't the only character who dies in the show, either. The number of gruesome tragedies in this story proves this anime to be one of the saddest.

26 Banana Fish's Story Keeps Getting Darker

Ash and Eiji and the Cast on the Banana Fish promo
Banana Fish
TV-MA
Action

The story captures the war between a mafia boss named Dino and a young gang leader searching for redemption.

Release Date
July 5, 2018
Cast
Toshiyuki Morikawa , Yuma Uchida , Makoto Furukawa , Yoshimasa Hosoya , Jun Fukuyama , Hiroaki Hirata , Unshô Ishizuka , Kenji Nojima , Shinji Kawada
Creator
Akimi Yoshida
Main Genre
Action
Seasons
1
Studio
MAPPA

Banana Fish Scores:

IMDb Rating:

8.2/10

MyAnimeList Rating:

8.5/10

Rotten Tomatoes:

96%

There are plenty of anime with deep social commentary, but none of them are quite as willing to tackle harsh topics as Banana Fish. This anime follows Eiji and Ash, who slowly fall in love with each other. The show received praise for its realistic depiction of their relationship.

Banana Fish is a gut-wrenching, sad anime series on many levels. Ash is in a gang, and Eiji is a photographer. Unfortunately, their relationship is doomed to tragedy since they can never be together. Eiji must leave New York, but Ash is stabbed before he can say goodbye to Eiji.

25 To Your Eternity Has Tragedy After Tragedy

To Your Eternity (2021)
To Your Eternity
TV-MA
Anime
Adventure
Drama
Fantasy

Original title: Fumetsu no Anata e
A lonely boy wandering the Arctic regions of North America meets a wolf, and the two become fast friends, depending on each other to survive the harsh environment. But the boy has a history, and the wolf is more than meets the eye as well.

Release Date
May 31, 2021
Cast
Jacob Hopkins , Dorothy Elias-Fahn
Main Genre
Anime
Seasons
2
Production Company
Brains Base, Drive, NHK
Number of Episodes
41

To Your Eternity Scores:

IMDb Rating:

8.4/10

MyAnimeList Rating:

8.35/10

Crunchyroll Rating:

4.8/5

To Your Eternity follows a being named Fushi who is surrounded by death. The more they travel to try to understand humanity, the more loss they experience. Practically every person Fushi becomes acquainted with perishes in some form of unnatural tragedy that somehow spurs Fushi on.

The earnest portrayal of the characters trying to survive and do the right thing while surrounded by villains and monsters is one of the best parts of the anime. The ethereal animation gives the show a wistful air that seems to mimic the characters’ longing for peace and happiness. This tragic tale is a heart-rending reminder that peace and happiness are not always guaranteed.

Fushi blows their cover To Your Eternity

24 Attack On Titan Highlights War and Survival

Eren Yeager in his scout uniform on the Attack On Titan Anime Poster
Attack On Titan
TV-MA
Action
Adventure

Original title: Shingeki no Kyojin.
After his hometown is destroyed and his mother is killed, young Eren Jaeger vows to cleanse the earth of the giant humanoid Titans that have brought humanity to the brink of extinction in Attack on Titan.

Release Date
September 28, 2013
Creator
Hajime Isayama
Cast
Bryce Papenbrook , Yûki Kaji , Marina Inoue , Hiro Shimono , Takehito Koyasu , Jessie James Grelle
Main Genre
Animation
Seasons
4 Seasons
Studio
Wit Studios, MAPPA
Related
Hollywood Awards Attack on Titan Best Streaming Animated Series
The popular Attack on Titan anime, which has aired for over 10 years and received numerous tie-ins and spinoffs, has now won a major Hollywood award.

Attack on Titan Scores:

IMDb Rating:

9.1/10

MyAnimeList Rating:

8.9/10

Crunchyroll Rating:

4.9/5

Attack on Titan is a hit anime about a group of humans being attacked by man-eating giants called Titans. Although the citizens and soldiers of Paradis do their best, there are too many casualties to count - even if viewers only included the deaths from one episode.

Attack on Titan is also not afraid to kill off main supporting characters. All the characters have such a great presence in the show that fans mourn their losses that much deeper. War is never pleasant, and any anime depicting it is bound to be tragic.

23 I Want To Eat Your Pancreas Subverts Expectations At the End

I Want To Eat Your Pancreas
I Want To Eat Your Pancreas
Not Rated
Drama
Romance
Family

A high school student discovers one of his classmates, Sakura Yamauchi, is suffering from a terminal illness. This secret brings the two together, as she lives out her final moments.

Release Date
September 1, 2018
Director
Shin'ichirô Ushijima
Cast
Lynn , Mahiro Takasugi , Yukiyo Fujii
Main Genre
Animation
Studio
Studio Voln
Producer
Shin'ichirô Kashiwada, Yûma Takahashi
Production Company
ABC Animation, Aniplex, East Japan Marketing & Communications Inc.

I Want To Eat Your Pancreas Scores:

IMDb Rating:

8/10

MyAnimeList Rating:

8.6/10

Crunchyroll Rating:

5/5

I Want To Eat Your Pancreas is a sad anime movie that follows Haruki after he finds Sakura's journal and reads it. He discovers Sakura has been silently suffering from a fatal pancreatic disease. When Haruki returns to the journal, he is shocked to learn he is the first to know about Sakura's illness. Haruki vows to help her achieve everything on her bucket list before her inevitable death.

This anime is tragic, and its most painful event happens without a second's notice. Sakura talks about her death like it's no big deal, but a lot of fear is behind her bubbly facade. She teasingly flirts with Haruki the entire time as they grow closer, but he doesn't realize his true feelings for her until it is too late.

I Want to Eat Your Pancreas, featuring the two main characters

22 Plastic Memories Has a Time Limit

Isla Looks at the Viewer on the Plastic Memories Promo
Plastic Memories
TV-14
Science Fiction
Drama
Romance

Tsukasa fails his high school exams and ends up working with Isla, a Giftia, android that feels emotions.

Release Date
April 5, 2015
Studio
Doga Kobo
Main Cast
Sora Amamiya and Yasuaki Takumi
Creator
Naotaka Hayashi
Main Genre
Anime
Seasons
1

Plastic Memories Scores:

IMDb Rating:

7.3/10

MyAnimeList Rating:

7.9/10

Crunchyroll Rating:

4.8/5

Plastic Memories is one of those shows that gives the audience a bracing dose of reality and the reminder that nothing lasts forever. The premise of this sad sci-fi anime revolves around the creation of androids that are almost impossible to discern from real human beings.

However, the main difference is that androids have a very short, finite lifespan. They can only live for a maximum of about nine years. The protagonist falls in love with one of these androids, and viewers must watch him realize that his time with her is running out.

Tsukasa tenderly placing his hands on Isla's shoulders during a firework show in Plastic Memories

21 Violet Evergarden Features Different Kinds of Love

13 Episodes

Violet Evergarden anime cover art from netflix
Violet Evergarden
TV-14
Drama

In the aftermath of a great war, Violet Evergarden, a young female ex-soldier, gets a job at a writers' agency and goes on assignments to create letters that can connect people.

Release Date
August 22, 2022
Creator
Kana Akatsuki
Cast
Yui Ishikawa
Main Genre
Anime
Seasons
1
Studio
Kyoto Animation
Franchise
Violet Evergarden
Streaming Service(s)
Netflix

Violet Evergarden Scores:

IMDb Rating:

8.4/10

MyAnimeList Rating:

8.7/10

Rotten Tomatoes

80%

A completely original anime, Violet Evergarden is a profound and moving, sad anime, with moments that will make viewers reach for the tissues. Most people cite this show as one of the few that left them destroyed by the end.

Violet Evergarden, the main character, was raised specifically to be a weapon used against enemies. But as the war comes to a close, she has to find a new purpose for her life. After recovering from her wounds, she begins working as an Auto Memory Doll to help translate people's thoughts into words on paper while she tries to learn the meaning of love.

Violet Evergarden standing in the grass and looking upward