In a recent thread redditmembers of a forum dedicated to anime have been intensely debating an issue that has generated countless discussions in the community: «What is the saddest anime out there?» The conversation, which attracted hundreds of comments, highlighted the difficulty of finding consensus when determining which elements make a series considered the saddest of all.

These elements often include moving stories, well-developed characters that viewers can relate to, and emotional situations that address universal themes such as loss, sacrifice, and tragedy. Anime's ability to build a strong emotional connection is essential, as it is this connection that allows stories and characters to live on in the memory of those who watch them.

However, what for some may be the saddest anime ever seen, for others may not have the same impact. Subjectivity plays a crucial role in the perception of sadness in anime. An anime that is devastating to some may seem simply heartwarming to others. Sadness is a deeply personal feeling, and what brings one person to tears may not affect another in the same way.

• «Maquia is a sad movie».
• «A Silent Voice/The Shape of the Voice (Koe no Katachi). I think it can be considered a classic.».
• «Nana. It's not completely sad, just dramatic, but the ending killed me anyway.».
• «In the Forest of Firefly Light (Hotarubi no Mori e). It's just a short film (about 45 minutes), but it's also a classic».
• «I Want to Eat Your Pancreas (Kimi no Suizou wo Tabetai). I haven't seen it personally, but when it came out, everyone was like, 'Oh my God, this is the saddest thing I've ever seen.».
• «Tokyo Magnitude 8.0. An anime about surviving an earthquake, it's also a classic. Comments needed?».
• «Grave of the Fireflies/Tombstone of the Fireflies (Hotaru no Haka). An anime about children surviving the war. Any comments needed?».
• «Terror in Resonance (Zankyou no Terror). It's more like a thriller, but from what I remember, it made me cry at the end.».
• «Violet Evergarden».
• «Did you skip Grave of the Fireflies or not watch it? Also, Code Geass – while not a ‘sad anime’ at its core, it does have some pretty depressing moments. Also, When Marnie Was There is a good title in that sense. And… I’m not sure if it falls into the same category, but Simoun definitely made me feel emotions too when I saw it».
• «Planetarium: The Reverie of a Small Planet».
• «In my personal opinion, Akame Ga Kill is very sad. It's a bloody anime, so be careful.».
• «I'm surprised I didn't see this: Go see Anohana: the flower we saw that day. I cried so much watching this».
• «Texhnolyze is not sad, just… depressing».
• «5 centimeters per second».
• «It's not sad, but it's quite realistic. Welcome to NHK».
• «WorldEnd: What to do at the end of the world. Bring the tissues. It's hard».
• «You should watch Natsume Yuujinchou. The writing is S-level and will make you cry, although they are often tears of happiness. But there are also a lot of really sad episodes. Of the shows you mentioned, I think you will really like the atmosphere».
• «Fruits Basket (2019) made me cry a few times. There are some episodes that are very realistic, in my opinion.».
• «Made in Abyss, especially the movie and the second season. The second season is so sad that I wondered how a human could write a story like this.».
• «I cried a lot watching Fruits Basket».
• «I appreciate this thread because it lets me know in advance which titles I should avoid.».
• «Death Parade is great overall, but the ending always bothers me especially».
• «Puella Magi Madoka Magica. A very depressing magical girl anime».
• «I'll add 86: Eighty-Six».
• «The ending of Wolf's Rain broke my heart at the time. I think a big part of that was due to Yoko Kanno's phenomenal score.».
• «The original Fullmetal Alchemist from 2003 is pretty sad, as are Wolf's Rain and Grave of the Fireflies.».
• «Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai is pretty good. 'A Silent Voice' and 'Let Me Eat Your Pancreas' are great sad anime movies».
• «thunderous hearts».
• «Erased was pretty sad, from what I remember. It's been a while since I've seen it, though.».
• «Gundam is depressing, it's basically about child soldiers and endless conflicts under imperial rule».
• «Assassination Classroom».
• «There are old animes that Key (the creators of Clannad) made called Kanon and Air. I wouldn't say they're as amazing as Clannad, but you can definitely see where Clannad came from and there's still sadness».
• «Kotaro lives alone. The first episode of Seraph Of The End. Wolf Children. Grave Of The Fireflies. From Up On Poppy Hill. House Of Shadows. Violet Evergarden».
• «Clearly the second season of Clannad is called Clannad After Story. I have never cried so much in my life and I have watched hundreds of animes».
• «Banana Fish. This will break your soul (it's been 4 years and I haven't recovered)».
• «I can't believe no one suggested Orange. I cried so much I had to pause the last episode because I was so upset. It's worth watching, it's really good».
• «Huh, this thread made me realize that Oyasumi Punpun doesn't have an anime yet».
• «Not really sad, but hits all the right places, A Place Further Than The Universe. Builds slowly and hits like a truck».
• «Vinland Saga Season 2. It's not the saddest season ever, but it's still very sad and heartbreaking to watch. It's the saddest season I've seen after episodes 135 and 136 of Hunter x Hunter.».
• «Kakushigoto is full of the usual happy family stuff, but there's always something that feels sad in the last few minutes of each episode.».
• «I think it's really hard to top Plastic Memories. But damn, School Days almost fucked me up mentally like Plastic Memories.».

The discussion shows how emotional elements in anime can resonate differently with viewers and how What is considered “the saddest anime” can vary greatly depending on personal experiences and perceptions.

Source: reddit