Japan has produced hundreds — if not thousands — of animated works that cause the average viewer to reach for their tissues. Recently, a prominent ranking site had Japanese audiences choose their all-time favorite tearjerker anime — a lineup that includes several international hits.
Ranking.net, a site dedicated to media-related surveys, recently unveiled the results of its “Heartwarming Anime That Will Make You Cry” poll. Out of 4,200 total participants, the overwhelming majority voted for Kyoto Animation’s Violet Evergarden — a moving military drama about a young woman with harrowing memories of the battlefield. The series earned 1,653 votes — over double that of second place winner, Your Lie in April, which earned 713 votes. The third and fourth most highly-voted works — Clannad: After Story and Angel Beats — both originate from the mind of Jun Maeda, the well-known co-founder of Key Visual Arts. The full list, ranked from most to least popular, can be seen below.
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Anime’s Best Tearjerker Wins Landslide Victory in Official Poll
- Violet Evergarden
- Your Lie in April
- Clannad: After Story
- Angel Beats
- A Place Further Than the Universe
- We Still Don’t Know the Name of the Flower We Saw That Day (Anohana)
- A Silent Voice
- WorldEnd: What do you do at the end of the world? Are you busy? Will you save us?
- Steins;Gate
- The Promised Neverland
Several of the aforementioned works have garnered international acclaim for their tentative and thoughtful treatment of controversial subject matter. A Silent Voice (2016) is a poignant drama about an adolescent boy and his powerful friendship with a hearing-impaired classmate that he used to bully. In addition to the topic of disability, the anime also addresses issues relating to mental health and self-harm through its central characters. The Promised Neverland (2019) is a post-apocalyptic tragedy that follows a group of orphans who, despite their peaceful upbringing, gradually realize the dark intentions of their protectors and the threat this poses to their lives and all of humanity.
The #1 winner, Violet Evergarden, is one of the few anime series that realistically depicts the severe psychological effects of PTSD in a post-war context. Ranking.net briefly describes the story: “[It] is the story of a girl who lost both arms in the war. [She] learns about people’s feelings and the meaning of love while working as an ‘Auto Memory Doll.'” Several participants who submitted accompanying comments found Violet’s emotional journey to be the main highlight of the series. “The historical background is very easy to understand and the change in the protagonist’s heart is very good…the anime is full of touching stories and I cried every time I watched an episode,” stated one voter. “To be honest, I think it’s good enough to be incorporated into school ethic’s classes.”
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In contrast to Violet Evergarden, Your Lie in April is an intense romantic drama starring two adolescent protagonists with a shared passion for music. The story opens with 14-year-old Kosei Arima, who loses his interest in piano after his mother dies. Later on, he meets Kaori Miyazono, a talented violinist whose cheerful personality gradually rekindles his spirit and his drive to perform on stage. Meanwhile, Kaori is concealing a terrible secret that will change their relationship forever. According to one voter, Kaori’s departure from the series created an “overwhelming” feeling of loss after seeing it. “…It feels like there is salvation, but also like there isn’t, and before you know it, tears are spilling,” they said. “I recommend you read the manga after watching the anime. Seeing the sadness in words makes the sense of loss even more intense.”
Violet Evergarden is available to stream on Netflix. Your Lie in April and The Promised Neverland can be streamed on Hulu and Crunchyroll. A Silent Voice is available to buy or rent via Amazon Prime Video.
In the aftermath of a great war, Violet Evergarden, a young female ex-soldier, gets a job at a writers’ agency and goes on assignments to create letters that can connect people.
- Release Date
-
January 11, 2018
- Finale Year
-
November 30, 2017
- Creator(s)
-
Kana Akatsuki
- Cast
-
Erika Harlacher
, Tony Azzolino
, Kyle McCarley
, Reba Buhr
, Ben Pronsky
, Christine Marie Cabanos - Seasons
-
1
- Studio
-
Kyoto Animation
- Creator
-
Kana Akatsuki
- Writers
-
Reiko Yoshida
, Tatsuhiko Urahata
, Taaki Suzuki - Number of Episodes
-
13
- Franchise(s)
-
Violet Evergarden
- Directors
-
Taichi Ishidate
, Haruka Fujita - Based On
-
Light Novel
- MyAnimeList Score
-
8.68
Source: Ranking.net
