Top 10 Anime to Help Get Over A Breakup

Even if you’re not a fan of series featuring the supernatural, Natsume’s Book of Friends has something for everyone by ways of its light-hearted, dramatic, and humorous qualities. Outcasted as a child due to the misunderstandings caused by his ability to see beings known as Ayakashi, Natsume comes to see this gift as a curse. It is only through his compassion for others and subsequent companionships that he is able to conquer his trauma and flourish as a person. Blurring the line between spirits and humans, the problems faced by the spirits are also surprisingly relatable.

At its core, Polar Bear Café is a heartfelt series about friendship and community. While the absurdity of the characters largely consisting of animals is ever prevalent, and certainly utilized for comedic relief, it is these creatures’ distinguishably human characteristics that make the viewer feel as though they are meeting with a group of friends every episode. This is only further aided by the main cast’s mismatched and yet complimentary fit in terms of personalities, so that even though they tease each other, there is a sense of comfort and affection.

Narrated in the present-day by recent high school graduate Hotaru Takegawa, Hotarubi no Mori e is a short film about coming to terms with loss. It follows the relationship between the young girl and masked yōkai, Gin, who she meets when she gets lost in the forest near her relatives’ home. As the summers come and go, Hotaru is forced to consider the limits of her affections when the development of their friendship into something more is hindered by an unalterable spell placed on Gin that will cause his disappearance if ever touched by a human.

Natsuyuki Rendevous figuratively and literally explores the idea that one’s first love never dies. Smitten with a widowed florist, Hazuki Ryōsuke’s efforts to become romantically involved with the older woman are consistently foiled when her late husband causes interference – both in her heart and as a ghost only he can see. A twist on the classic love triangle, the series effectively portrays each of the three parties’ struggles, from Rokka’s still-present grief and overwhelming guilt in accepting Hazuki’s advances to Shimao’s despair in his inability to be touched, seen, or heard by his wife even though he is present as another man aspires to take his place, which the latter feels some shame for.

A beautifully simple but unique experience, Mushishi’s episodic nature allows for the dramatization of that which the viewer would be most familiar with, the relationships between individuals, their societies, and their environment, and the consequences when one is out of balance with the other. The ethereal creatures known as mushi and their supernatural powers act as reflections of such imbalances, leaving Ginko, a “Mushi Master”, to attempt to help those suffering from their encounters with these “life forms”. Despite its formulaic “mushi-of-the week” structure, the series’ atmosphere, carried by its ambient use of visuals and sound, further invite one into each thematically symbolic self-contained story, where a peaceful tone is maintained amidst even dire situations.

March Comes in Like a Lion revolves around teenaged professional shōgi player, Rei Kiriyama, and his turmoil with the sport that acts as both his saviour and demise in situations of financial stability, loneliness, and depression. Each arc is a glimpse into the ever-changing seasons as experienced by the cast. With a title referencing the idiom, “March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb”, the series reminds viewers that recovery, like the transitioning weather, is followed by time. This additionally serves as a foreshadowing of not only Kiriyama’s gradual progression of self-worth through the development of relationships with respectable peers and friends but also his own impacts on these characters’ lives.

Kids on the Slope complicates the traditional love triangle trope, with Sentarō Kawabuchi’s unrequited love having such impact, both directly or indirectly, on the lives of the series’ central characters. This is especially the case with Kaoru Nishimi, whose growth as an individual and pursuit of Ritsuko Mukae are consequential elements of their friendship. In spite of the boys’ contrasting personalities, their connection through a mutual appreciation for jazz music allows them to complete and unconditionally love each other, as well as overcome any conflicts.

With a heart matching his size, this giant high school student is not your typical shōjo anime protagonist. A far cry from a bishōnen, what makes Takeo Gouda special are his kindness and willingness to help anyone and everyone who comes to his attention. It is these qualities that also unexpectedly lead him into a romance with the petite and sweet Rinko Yamata. However, even a character as optimistic as the boy suffers from self-doubt and insecurities, evidencing the importance of having support and positive validation, especially from that of a best friend.

Referencing the speed at which the cherry blossom petals fall, 5 Centimeters Per Second tells the story of the equally fragile and brief relationship of Takaki Tōno and Akari Shinohara during their childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Divided into three slow-paced segments, the film explores matters of distance and loneliness, and of dwelling on and letting go of past connections through both of the protagonists’ viewpoints, presenting the idea that one must find happiness in the present rather than regretting what has been lost to time itself.

Love has its ups and down, and this is also the case with the realistically depicted relationships in Nana. One starved for affection and the other musical ambition, the two women couldn’t be any more different. Bonded by their shared first name upon meeting on a train to Tokyo, however, the main leads become each other’s emotional and mental support in a series of infidelities, crushes, one-night stands, romances, breakups, engagements, and even, in Hachi’s case, an unplanned pregnancy. While some of the other portrayed friendships are deadly and ruining, their passion for each other is precious and will definitely move one to tears.