Top 10 Sweetest Moments in Anime

#10: Thank You For Loving Me “Angel Beats!” (2010)

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Turns out life after death isn’t all its glammed up to be, especially if limbo looks a lot like high school. After going through various ordeals and dangers together, as well as watching many of their friends finally pass on, Otonashi and Kanade are all that remains. In a heartfelt confession, Otonashi admits his love for the pint-sized girl once known as Angel, suggesting they remain in limbo in order to ferry other souls through to the afterlife together. Alas, Kanade reveals she’s already fading away, only allowing the pair to share a tear-jerking embrace where she thanks him for his affection.

Tony Tony Chopper has had his fair share of tragedy. His father figure, Dr Hiluluk, was murdered, and Chopper had to live out his life as a human/reindeer hybrid. After Luffy and company help him overthrow the tyrannical Wapol, he makes the decision to join their crew, leaving his adopted mother, Dr Kureha, behind. Despite what appears to be a bitter goodbye, just as the Straw Hats set sail, she arranges for the entire island to complete Dr Hiluluk’s final piece of work, creating the image of cherry blossoms falling from the sky and covering the island, signalling that not only is the island finally on the road to healing, but also serving as a loving goodbye from Chopper’s surrogate parents.

Life certainly isn’t easy for the Elric family, especially when it comes to their estranged father. An ancient alchemist and physical manifestation of a Philosopher’s Stone, Hohenheim went from lone wanderer to husband falling desperately in love with Trisha Elric, eventually fathering Edward and Alphonse. However, his fear of watching his family grow old around him led him to depart in search of a way to end his immortality. Following the events of the battle against Father and the Homonculus, Hohenheim returns to the grave of his wife, where he laments his failings but also celebrates the gift of having her and his sons in his life, all before passing away with a smile on his face.

#7: The Letter “You Lie In April” (2014-15)

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Time to bust out the tissues people, because this one’s a weeper. As pianist prodigy Kosei performs at a musical competition, his companion and love interest Kaori is undergoing life-saving surgery. As the piece progresses, he sees an illusion of Kaori performing alongside him, where he realises that the operation has failed and he has just lost the girl he loved. After her funeral, Kosei is given a letter by her parents, containing a confession by Kaori. She reveals that she told that titular lie in April; that she was indeed in love with him. Despite his loss, Kosei swears to never forget her, and to continue to keep playing the piano in her memory.

For a comedic series of shorts focusing on identical sextuplets, this is an oddly poignant moment about love and loss. The normally hyperactive Jyushimatsu finds himself infatuated with a girl who likes him for who he is. After his brothers get him ready, he sets off at a frantic pace to ask the girl out. Unfortunately he’s left high and dry since she’s moving away very shortly. Left devastated, all he wants is to drown his sorrows, but being the supportive family they are, his bros encourage him to see her off. What follows is the typical Osomatsu-San brand of humour, save for the fact you might just by tearing up as that train leaves the station.

Sometimes it’s not about what you’ve lost, but what you find. In the case of this gang of old friends, it’s the ghost of their former childhood companion. In order to help her move on, Jinta and the rest must try to find out what her last wish was, but in the process soon begin to realise they’ve all been harbouring guilt for what happened to Menma. All of this boils over in the climax as the group goes through the emotional ringer, before culminating in all of them coming to terms with their own personal grievances. But the moment also allows them to say their final goodbyes to the adorable spirit as she finally finds peace.

#4: Rin is Adopted “Usagi Drop” (2011)

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As a single, workaholic thirty year old with nothing really going on in his life, it’s easy to see why a rather disconnected individual like Daikichi would choose to adopt a child everyone else has ruled off as a blemish on their social standing. Rin, the illegitimate daughter of Daikichi’s grandfather, Rin, may be six years old and considered an outcast, but she’s fiercely independent, all the while being one of anime’s cutest characters. The dynamic between these two lost souls leads to a lot of “aww” moments, but our favourite has to go to Daikichi making the choice to take Rin into his care. For all his flaws, he truly has the making of a good father.

#3: At the Dinner Table “Erased” (2016)

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After discovering he has the power to travel back in time to when he was an elementary school student, Satoru Fujinama attempts to change the future by saving his old classmates lives from the hands of a serial kidnapper. Along the way, he discovers his friend Kayo is being horrifically abused at home by her mother. Eventually he manages to save her, and on the night before her mother is confronted, Kayo spends an evening at Satoru’s house, where they all sit down for a meal together with his family. The kindness of this simple act brings Kayo to tears, and let’s be honest, us as well.

#2: Confession “Kimi ni Todoke” (2009-11)

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The will-they/won’t-they routine has been done to death and then some, but we can’t deny the feels we had at the ending of this romantic series. The painfully shy Sawako and the more outgoing Kazehaya eventually come to realise their growing love for one another, but don’t manage to act on it until the end of the second season, where Sawako gathers every ounce of her courage to admit her feelings, handing over Christmas and Valentines gifts she hadn’t been able to hand him prior. The tenderness levels go into overdrive however with a final embrace, as love is declared and their future together as a couple looks very bright indeed.

#1: A Tearful Meal “Haikyuu” (2014-)

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What do you get if you take silent crying, add a team of emotionally broken guys, set it in a sports anime, and sprinkle a bit of uplifting narration? A recipe that touched the hearts of all viewers and had the fandom practically weeping. After losing to Aobajosai, the Karasuno High Volleyball Club lament their loss in silence as they all go out for a meal, openly crying while they eat. Over all the heartbreak, their coach promises that they will get stronger little by little, and eventually rise back up to the challenge. Losing is never easy, and though it’s painful to watch our heroes cry at their defeat, it’s uplifting to know they are far from finished. Do you agree with our list? What do you think is the sweetest moment in anime? With new top tens published every day, be sure to subscribe to MsMojo.