Disclaimer: I did not cry over all of these, but I’m not exactly what you’d call a crying person. So, if I mention that an anime listed did make me cry, you should definitely watch it if you want to lose your will to live.
(I linked a different trailer this time. I actually like this trailer better because it better shows the cast)
Anyone who has read my review for this movie likely would expect this to be my #1. That’s because I cried. I don’t cry a lot, as I stated before. Shoko Ishida is a relatable character, almost to the point where I’d have been scared to watch it if I had known just how relatable he is for me.
The movie itself is beautiful and compelling, and I kinda want to read the manga after watching it. I don’t really read manga after watching anime, usually. Actually, I usually don’t do it the other way around, either. Anime adaptions usually don’t live up to my expectations. But I loved this movie so much, I want to!
“A Silent Voice” is available on Netflix.
Among the world’s saddest anime, there’s a special place for “Your Lie in April.” I didn’t cry, but that’s because it’s a series and I was too busy making fun of my sister who was crying. (She was about their age when we watched it and played Flute in her school’s band, at the time)
It’s a beautiful story about a girl who forces herself into a boy’s world, forcefully dragging him out of his comfort zone and forcing him to start playing the piano again. There is mention of abuse, and it does well to show the trauma children can suffer because of it.
However, the abuse isn’t what makes this anime one that makes you lose your will to live. I won’t even say what it is because I really want my poor readers to suffer if they choose to watch it.
NOTE: If you do like this anime and have friends that enjoy slice of life anime but don’t want to let them know it will destroy their emotional state…show them the first trailer Aniplex uploaded of it. It will trick them in the same way Madoka Magica tricks people into thinking it’s just a cute magical girl anime. It lies.
“Your Lie in April” is available on Netflix and Hulu.
#3: Cl’annad: After Story
Although the video above is fanmade, I think it does the best job at tricking all of you into thinking this is just gonna be another slice of life series that takes place after the events in “Cl’annad.”
While it does take place after “Cl’annad,” and I definitely suggest watching “Cl’annad” first, this series will destroy you. Like…multiple times. You get really, really sad and then you think it’s all okay and then it’s like “SURPRISE! YOU THOUGHT!” Don’t trust it when it seems happy. It’s not. You will cry.
One thing I will say, though, is that it does a good job showing how difficult it can be to cope with loss. Additionally, it shows that, while the loss of a loved one can be heard, there is still hope. It’s not impossible when you’re not alone.
Cl’annad: After Story is available on Hulu.
This is another anime I found to be beautifully done, but not as strongly as some of the others. At first, it comes off as a comedy about a boy and girl switching places occasionally. However, as the plot progresses, it’s revealed that they’re switching places so that they will have a chance at saving hundreds from an impending disaster. I don’t want to say too much, but I will say that I almost shed a few tears for this one. I was completely immersed and found myself most hurt near the end, after the disaster hits.
“Your Name” is not available on Netflix, Hulu, or Youtube…but I recommend watching it if you can.
#5: Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Aniplex likes to make anime that trick you into thinking they’re going to be a cute anime, but then totally destroys your expectations. Indeed, I watched the anime earl in high school. I then tried to trick my friend into watching it. It took a mutual friend of ours to keep insisting she didn’t deserve such pain. Neither of us was willing to admit why the anime was so sad, but we were both working desperately to either trick her or protect her.
Because this anime is sad. It’s even more sad when you consider that these are eighth-graders. Both “Your Lie in April” and “Madoka Magica” take innocent fourteen-year-olds and make you cry your eyes out over them.
Madoka Magica is available on Hulu.
Honorable Mention: Grave of the Fireflies
Believe it or not, this movie is a Studio Ghibli movie. It’s known as one that will completely destroy your will to live. You keep having hope, but it’s a period piece about the struggles endured during World War 2. It’s one of my favorite movies, but I’m partially influenced because I am a history major.
Grave of the Fireflies doesn’t sugarcoat anything. It starts off sad, though you don’t fully understand why. It then takes you through and lets you get attached to characters you just saw were dead, and then you get sad that they died anyway.
Why? Because they’re children, so of course you’re still going to hope things will work out, even if you know they won’t.
