Top 10 Anime Scenes That'll Make You Cry

“A Silent Voice” (2016)

Turns out that forgiveness and redemption is something of a vicious cycle. After trying to make amends to a deaf girl he bullied in his youth, things go from bad to worse for Shoyo when he discovers that Shoko is about to take her own life. While he manages to stop her, he gets himself terribly injured in the process. Overwhelmed, all Shoko can do is profusely apologise to Shoyo’s mother while she breaks down in tears. There’s nothing silent about the emotional intensity on display here.

“Sword Art Online II” (2014)

Yeah, we can rant and rave about this series’ many pitfalls all day long, but there’s no denying that this scene was really freakin’ sad! During one of Asuna’s solo outings in Alfheim Online, she found a stubborn yet loyal new friend in the form of a player named Yuuki. As it happens, back in the real world Yuuki is a terminal suffer of AIDS, with very little time left. Before she passes on, Asuna manages to hook them both up back into the game so Yuuki can be surrounded by all of her companions before she passes on. Damn SAO, when did you get so heavy?

“Angel Beats” (2010)

For all of their shenanigans, Otanashi and company’s exploits in limbo were above all else examples of just how painful moving on can be. With the majority of the students finally finding a way to the life beyond, Otanashi decides that he and Kanade should remain behind in order to assist those that come after. There’s only one problem, now that Kanade’s put her own problems to rest, she has no choice but to move on as well. All Otanashi can do is embrace her and beg her not to leave him, all the while his beloved angel tenderly thanks him for loving her, all before she suddenly vanishes. Wow, heaven sucks.

“Your Lie in April” (2014-15)

As if teenage romance wasn’t bad enough, you have to throw in arguably one of anime’s most heartbreaking reveals as well?! With their feelings towards one another buried under all manner of social awkwardness, Kousei and Kaori’s relationship has never been a simple one. Ah well, at least there’s still every chance they can work it out, right? Just as soon as he’s finished his performance and she gets out of surgery. Nope. While playing, Kousei sees a ghostly visage of Kaori playing alongside him, indicating that she hasn’t survived the operation, yet her music continues to resonate.

“Haikyuu!” (2014-16)

Known to the world of high school volleyball as the flightless crows, Karasuno had a lot to prove, but thanks to the arrival of their two new hopefuls Hinata and Kageyama, they managed to soar higher than anyone could have expected. At least until their anticipated match against rival school Aoba Josei. Despite giving it their absolute best, the crows ultimately fall short of a win. In order to mend their spirits, their coach takes them out to a restaurant, only for the whole team to start collectively crying at the defeat. It’s a quiet, tender scene that shows Karasuno at their lowest point, and boy does it hit us hard.

“Erased” (2016)

Even in a series featuring time-travel and a grisly murder-mystery, the most poignantmoment was caused by something as simple as breakfast. After managing to save his childhood friend Kayo from the reach of her physically abusive mother, she moves into the Fujinuma household. There, she is treated to a nice meal. However, upon seeing such a generous act, the memories of her abuse are triggered, leading her to breaking down then and there. Seeing such an innocent girl finally lose herself when exposed to genuine affection was more than a lot of us could bare.

“Made in Abyss” (2017)

What? We’re going to cry our eyes out over that monstrous blob of flesh? Pssh, as if! Well just wait until you take a gander at how messed up her past is. How she was exposed to the lowest levels of the Abyss to satisfy the curiosity of a mad scientist, only to be freed by her best friend Nanachi who then spent all her time looking for a way to kill her just to end her suffering. Feeling bad yet? Salvation does come in the form of Reg’s incinerator, except we then get to watch Nanachi lose it as the one person they’ve ever loved is wiped out. You may commence weeping.

“Clannad: After Story” (2008-09)
Oh, you thought that watching Tomoya go through the pain of losing his beloved wife Nagisa (xref) was bad enough? You thought the series couldn’t possibly take a sadder turn? Well you would be so, so, so wrong. While he struggled to adjust to life without his beloved, the one comfort he had was his daughter Ushio, who might just be the most adorable little girl in all of anime. Then tragedy strikes, again. Due to suffering the same illness as her mother, Ushio ends up collapsing one day, leading to her dying in her father’s arms. Because, you know, one heartbreak just wasn’t enough.

“Gurren Lagann” (2007)

Hey, no one said that happy tears didn’t count! After being trapped in a dream world by the Anti-Spiral, Simon finds himself turned back into his younger self; now nothing more than a thief without a future. That is, until he gets some rather unexpected help in the form of his thought deceased bro Kamina. His swagger and belief in his little buddy allows Simon to break free and finish the fight, but not before giving him some final words of encouragement. We’re not sure what’s more upsetting here, the fact we actually get to see Kamina again, or the fact we have to say goodbye anime’s manliest man all over again!

“Grave of the Fireflies” (1988)

Granted, you’ll be forgiven for crying at any part of this film. After all, its all about a brother and sister struggling to survive in the fallout of the second World War. Scarce of both food and shelter, Seita is unable to stop his sister from starving to death. We barely have a moment to take in the horror of it all before Seita too succumbs to malnutrition. The only silver lining, if you can call it that, is when the two’s spirits meet up again. The brutal backdrop combined with the sight of Seita and Setsuko’s ghosts rejoicing together is bound to break even the most hardened of anime fans.