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 which make them produce that salty discharge from the eyes, 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 on June 11th, 2023 by Alexandra Locke: 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, this article has been updated to include even more depressing anime.
30 Erased (2016)
12 Episodes
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. When his mother is murdered by a stranger, Satoru goes on his biggest jump yet back to his fifth-grade self.
Erased is so heartbreaking because of its subject. Now that Satoru is in the past, he must save three of his classmates who were murdered and figure out who the killer was. This harrowing task, plus Satoru’s relationship with his friend Kayo Hinazuki, make this an intense 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.
29 Orange (2016)
13 Episodes
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.
28 Wolf Children (2012)
117 Minutes
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 Hana does 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.
27 Oshi No Ko (2023)
Ongoing
Oshi no Ko is a new 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 was, Aquamarine becomes a distant sleuth, keeping close to the enemy. After all, anyone in the industry could’ve given Ai’s residence away to the public. Oshi no Ko’s unexpected story is sure to shock and sadden audiences.
26 Your Name (2016)
106 Minutes
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, that makes it one of the saddest anime movies. The film follows Mitsuha and Taki, 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.
25 Tokyo Revengers (2021)
38 Epidoes
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. Still, Takemichi persists, rising through the Tokyo Manji ranks to achieve his goal.
24 Banana Fish (2018)
24 Episodes
There is 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. This show received praise for its realistic depiction of their relationship.
Banana Fish is a gut-wrenching, sad anime series on many levels. Ash is a gang leader, 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 when he tries to see Eiji off.
23 I Want To Eat Your Pancreas (2018)
108 Minutes
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 is 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 does not realize his true feelings for her until it is too late.
22 Plastic Memories (2015)
13 Episodes
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.
21 Violet Evergarden (2018)
13 Episodes
A completely original anime, Violet Evergarden is a profound and moving sad anime movie, with moments that will make viewers reach for the tissues. Most people cite this anime 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 had to find a new purpose for her life. After recovering from her wounds, she began working as an Auto Memory Doll to help translate people’s thoughts into words on paper.
20 Puella Magi Madoka Magica (2011)
12 Episodes
Madoka Kaname is a meek young girl who hopes to be as confident as her mother one day. However, her world is turned upside down when she and her friends meet an adorable telepathic being named Kyubey. Kyubey promises to grant them each one wish, as long as they agree to become Magical girls and fight terrifying witches.
Though they are hesitant at first, each of the girls accepts and is dragged into Kyubey’s world. Unfortunately, the world of witches and magical girls is more terrifying than they realized. Not to mention that the wishes all have huge caveats attached to them. Puella Magi Madoka Magica expertly portrays a sense of pain, loss, and hopelessness as the girls try to defeat the being who tricked them.
19 Chrono Crusade (2003)
24 Episodes
Chrono Crusade is all about the struggles of post-World War I in New York City. However, it is not a straightforward drama. The series is actually about a demonic entity and the Magdalene Order, whose goals are to stop the demons from destroying the world.
Fighting the monstrous entities is not without its difficulties and the Order has seen plenty of horrifying collateral damages. One of the main characters, Rosette, is still hopeful that she will find her brother somewhere in the wreckage, as he was taken from her by a demon.
18 True Tears (2008)
13 Episodes
True Tears is a fairly uncomplicated and straightforward romance story, but that does not mean it will not have viewers bawling their eyes out by the end of the series. It follows a boy named Shinichirou Nakagami who winds up living under the same roof as the girl he has feelings for.
However, Shinichirou notices that she acts very differently at home than she does when they are elsewhere. He is eager to help her in the best way he can but has a difficult time figuring out the best way to do that while still taking care of himself.
17 Devilman Crybaby (2018)
10 Episodes
Devilman Crybaby follows two friends, Akira Fudo and Ryo Asuka, as they prove demons exist in their world. However, when a summoning goes wrong, Akira gets possessed by a demon and becomes a Devilman. As panic sets in around the globe that evil beings exist on the mortal plane, Akira works hard to save the ones he loves and to prove the Devilmen aren’t the same as demons.
Unfortunately, no one listens to Akira, and everyone he loves gets annihilated. Making matters worse, viewers learn Ryo was Satan the whole time and orchestrated the entire world-ending event. Ryo’s betrayal and Akira’s helplessness to protect his loved ones make Devilman Crybaby a bittersweet anime.
16 Elfen Lied (2004)
13 Episodes
Elfen Lied is infamous for being a deeply sad anime with graphic violence and dark themes. Even fans of sad, heartbreaking anime series are urged to use discretion before tuning in to Elfen Lied, but for interested fans, it can be quite rewarding.
Elfen Lied follows a young girl named Lucy who is a Diclonius, a race of humanoids with terrifying powers. She becomes the victim of a torturous scientific experiment. Lucy eventually escapes by killing everyone around her and receives an injury that causes her to revert to a childlike state.
15 5 Centimeters Per Second (2007)
3 Episodes
Makoto Shinkai’s films are known for their breathtakingly beautiful visuals. While his hit Your Name is certainly his best-made film overall, the one that hits fans hardest in the feels is still 5 Centimeters Per Second. Revolving around two close friends who are torn apart by life, the film is about growing up and growing apart.
Despite their efforts to stay in touch, the characters keep drifting further apart as they go through life. However, their memories of each other remain, and they keep hoping to meet once again despite the growing distance between them. The film gives a realistic portrayal of the natural progression of life and how people tend to naturally drift apart sometimes. The title is a reference to the speed of falling cherry blossoms.
14 Steins;Gate (2011)
24 Episodes
Steins;Gate tells the story of Okabe Rintarou, a college student and self-proclaimed scientist who accidentally discovers a way to change past events by sending so-called D-mails. After making use of the D-mails, Okabe and his friends find out that when one messes with time, it tends to mess back. Okabe must race against the clock to save his childhood friend Mayuri and ends up watching her die again and again.
Eventually, Okabe arrives at the point where he must choose between Mayuri and the girl whose life he saved when he sent the first D-mail, the one he fell in love with – Makise Kurisu. Watching Okabe fail time and time again and seeing the two of them grow desperate in the face of overwhelming obstacles is enough to break anyone. Despite yanking on viewers’ heartstrings, fans will find that Steins;Gate only gets better on a rewatch.
13 Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009)
64 Episodes
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is a tale about Edward and Alphonse Elric who broke the laws of alchemy by attempting human transmutation, to bring their deceased mother back to life. The brothers paid a high cost for their indiscretion.
Nevertheless, these brave and tenacious brothers refuse to resign themselves to their fates and set out to find a way to get their bodies back. They believe the Philosopher’s Stone to be the key, but, faced with the stone’s true nature, they grapple with the moral implications of using it. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is a rich, layered, and poignant anime featuring several tragic stories that will make one’s blood chill and eyes tear up.
12 Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (2009)
11 Episodes
When an 8.0 magnitude earthquake located 25 km under the sea hits Tokyo, two young siblings, Mirai and Yuki, struggle to reach their parents as they track their way home from a robot exhibition in Odaiba. The children are assisted by a single mother and motorcycle courier, Mari, who is making her way to her daughter and mother.
On their long and arduous journey to reunite with their families, the trio find comfort and support in each other and becomes a family in their own way. Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is a horrifying, poignant, and realistic depiction of the aftermath of a huge natural disaster, as seen through the eyes of three well-portrayed characters.
11 A Silent Voice (2016)
130 Minutes
The 2016 anime movie A Silent Voice, from Kyoto Animation, wants the audience to feel what the characters on the screen are feeling, and it does that job quite well. A Silent Voice is about a deaf girl named Shoko Nishimiya who was constantly bullied by her peers in elementary school to the point that she had to transfer schools multiple times.
The film also follows Shoya Ishida, the boy who bullied Shouko and who later became the target of bullying himself. In his third year of high school, Shoya, haunted by his wrongdoings and regretting his past actions, resolves to go on a journey of redemption. Shoya finds Shoko again and strives to make amends.
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