Image credit: Kyoto Animation, NHK, TV Tokyo, Fuji TV, Aniplex, Kadokawa, Kinema Citrus, CoMix Wave, Tokyo MX, Bandai Visual
It's like these anime have a direct line to the heart, showing us the ups and downs of life in ways that words alone can't describe.
From tales of young heroes fighting against the odds to save the world, to quiet stories about finding your place in a world that seems too big and too confusing, each anime on this list has moments that feel so real and so touching, you can't help but feel what the characters feel.
1. "Violet Evergarden" (2018)
A former child soldier turned Auto Memory Doll, Violet Evergarden seeks to understand the last words her major and guardian said to her as she writes letters for others, exploring the various shades of human emotions and coming to terms with her past.
2. "A Silent Voice" (2016)
Shoya Ishida, a former bully, seeks redemption by reconnecting with Shoko Nishimiya, a deaf girl he tormented in school; their reunion leads to a journey of forgiveness, understanding, and personal growth for both, as well as their circle of friends.
3. "Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day" (2011)
A group of childhood friends drift apart after the death of their friend Menma, who appears as a spirit to fulfill her forgotten wish, bringing the friends back together in a touching tale of reconciliation and moving past grief.
4. "Plastic Memories" (2015)
In a future where humans live alongside androids with finite lifespans, Tsukasa Mizugaki works at a terminal service company, retrieving androids before they expire, and forms a deep bond with his android partner, Isla, exploring love and loss.
5. "To Your Eternity" (2021)
An immortal being sent to Earth, capable of taking on the form of those around it with strong stimuli, embarks on a journey of understanding humanity, forming various meaningful connections and experiencing the vast spectrum of life's experiences.
6. "Your Name" (2016)
Two teenagers, Mitsuha and Taki, mysteriously start swapping bodies intermittently; as they navigate this bizarre phenomenon, they form a bond that becomes crucial when they uncover a startling connection between them and a looming disaster.
7. "Natsume's Book of Friends" (2008)
Takashi Natsume, who can see spirits, inherits a book from his grandmother containing the names of spirits she had bound to her service; Natsume decides to return these names to their owners, forming friendships with both spirits and humans along the way.
8. "Your Lie in April" (2014)
Kousei Arima, a piano prodigy whose life in music halts after his mother's death, is drawn back into the world of music by Kaori Miyazono, a vibrant violinist with a free-spirited approach to music, challenging Kousei to face his past and embrace the future.
9. "Made in Abyss" (2017)
Riko, an orphan living near a massive, unexplored abyss, descends into its depths with a robot boy named Reg in search of her mother, facing the dangerous creatures and cursed terrain of the abyss, uncovering its dark secrets and her own origins.
10. "5 Centimeters per Second" (2007)
A tale of the distance and longing between two friends, Takaki and Akari, as they grow older; the story unfolds in three acts, each depicting the challenges and changes in their relationship over time, emphasizing the struggles of moving on and the bittersweet nature of love.
11. "Charlotte" (2015)
Yuu Otosaka, who can possess others, is forced to transfer to a school for students with supernatural abilities after being caught, joining a student council tasked with securing students who misuse their powers, uncovering deeper conspiracies and personal revelations.
12. "Little Busters" (2012)
Riki Naoe, orphaned and saved from loneliness by a group of friends called the Little Busters, helps them form a baseball team at their school, uncovering hidden truths about the world and themselves as they strengthen their bonds.
13. "Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms" (2018)
Maquia, an immortal girl from an isolated clan, finds a mortal baby boy in a forest, deciding to raise him as her own; the film explores their relationship as Maquia struggles with the pain of outliving her son.
14. "Blood+" (2005)
Saya Otonashi, a girl with amnesia, discovers she is part of an ancient race of vampire-like creatures and must fight against her own kind, the Chiropterans, using her blood as a weapon, while uncovering her forgotten past and the complex web of friends and foes.
15. "RahXephon" (2002)
In a world where Tokyo is sealed off by a mysterious barrier, Ayato Kamina discovers his connection to the RahXephon, a god-like mecha, and is thrust into a conflict that blurs the lines between friend and foe, reality and illusion, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.
16. "Millennium Actress" (2001)
The film chronicles the life of a retired actress, Chiyoko Fujiwara, through the lens of a documentary filmmaker and his cameraman, blending reality and fiction as they explore her past roles and the elusive figure of the man she loved and chased throughout her career.
17. "Tokyo Magnitude 8.0" (2009)
Following a massive earthquake in Tokyo, siblings Mirai and Yuuki, along with a motorcycle courier named Mari, make their perilous journey home, confronting the physical and emotional devastation left in the wake of the disaster.
18. "Ousama Ranking" (2021)
Bojji, a deaf and powerless prince deemed unfit to rule, sets out on a journey to prove his worth; along with his shadow, Kage, a survivor of an assassin clan, Bojji embarks on an adventure that teaches him strength, courage, and the true meaning of leadership.
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