8 saddest animes of all time, and where to watch them

❘ Updated: 2022-12-27T10:04:00

Netflix

Having a good cry is healthy now and again, so here’s some of the saddest anime series that you can really weep to.

Anime covers pretty much every genre in the books. There’s action, comedy, romance, and of course, tragedies.

There’s plenty of heart-achingly sad shows in the anime medium, but the ways in which they are sad can vary. Some are happy shows with suddenly sad endings, whereas others begin with tragedy. Either way, they’ll have you grabbing for the tissues.

So if you’re in the mood for a good cry, look no further, here – in no particular order – are the saddest animes out there. By the way, we’re talking anime series only. So no Grave of the Fireflies on here, unfortunately.

Here is a quick spoiler warning!

Banana Fish (2018)

Banana Fish isn’t talked about nearly enough as it should be talked about, but one thing that does get talked about is just how heart-breaking its ending is. True, a series about a gang leader who used to be victim of child prostitution was never going to be a light-hearted show, but the series is borderline cruel in how it gets you hoping that things just might turn out okay, all for it to come crashing down. But even so, the show is 100% worth the pain.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

Your Lie in April (2014)

If this show were to have one flaw, its that you can very much see the ending coming, but that doesn’t make it any less sad to watch. The show is beautiful in its exploration of the tragic, in regards to its art, its dialogue, and of course, its music, which is the driving force of the plot. If you want a show that shows you how to keep living, in spite of how sad life can get, then this is the show for you.

Where to watch: Netflix

Violet Evergarden (2018)

When it comes to a show about an emotionless soldier learning how to feel, you can bet that there’s going to be plenty of tears. The series covers the horrors of war, along with a variety of other tragedies as our protagonist must experience them all as a ghost-writer. There’s also her need to find the meaning behind her former commander’s final words to her, and prepare for that moment to be a gut-punch indeed.

Where to watch: Netflix

Erased (2016)

While Erased has its happy moments, boy does it make you work for them. The series is centred around our main characters Satoru’s regret, due to him not saving a childhood classmate from being abused by her mother and later murdered by an unknown killer. However, after another murder, Satoru suddenly finds himself back in his childhood body, with another chance to fix things. This ending, while not completely tragic, does have a lot of debate on whether or not its a truly happy one, so that’ll be for you to decide.

Where to watch: Hulu

Angel Beats (2010)

An anime about the afterlife, take a wild guess if you think this will be a sad show. Angel Beats is set in a limbo level high school in the afterlife, which hosts those who have experienced trauma that they must overcome before passing on fully. But even passing on sounds scary, so our main character, a boy with amnesia, joins a group that rebels against their unknown fate. This show will feature all the pain that both life and death has to offer, and even a little bit after that.

Where to watch: Netflix

Plastic Memories (2015)

Emotions are considered by man to be a sole human thing, but are they? Plastic Memories follows a worker at the Sion Artificial Intelligence Corporation, where he hunts down androids, or “giftias” as they are called here, who are about to reach their 9-year expiration date. While these androids are almost indiscernible from humans, they begin to lose their memories and become hostile as they age, so the ethics of memories and life are emotionally called into question with this show.

Where to watch: Hulu

Clannad: After Story (2008)

Clannad: After Story, is the sequel to the critically acclaimed slice-of-life series Clannad. This new show covers our characters as they leave high school and begin to grow up. Adulthood is hard as all hell, so there are plenty of tears from start to finish. But things also become hard in the show’s illusionary world as winter approaches, which calls into question that world’s whole purpose.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day (2011)

While we aren’t ranking this list, if we had to pick the saddest show, this might just be it. This series follows a group of old friends who are still reeling from the sudden death of their childhood friend, despite it having been years since the tragic event. Our characters are messy and hurt, giving a full picture of what grief can do to a person. Despite the dead friend being a character – in ghost form – her loss is truly felt throughout the show, making for an often harrowing experience.

Where to watch: Netflix