These Romance Anime Series Will Make You Cry Like A Baby

Japanese animated series, or anime, have proven over the years that the medium that’s most often associated with storytelling for children can pack a powerful punch when it comes to emotional storytelling. Whether it’s the heartwrenching and critically-acclaimed anime movies by Studio Ghibli or the action-packed series like Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen, which have gained fans all over the world, anime series are more than just their vibrant visuals.

They can do a wonderful job of evoking a wide range of emotions, including heartbreak and tears, with their compelling stories. 

We’ve put together a list of some of our favourite romance anime series that will tug at your heartstrings and make you cry. Take a look…

Saddest Romantic Anime Series To Watch On Crunchyroll, Netflix, And Amazon Prime Video

Your Lie In April (2014)

The heartbreaking tale of grief and love tells the story of two musical prodigies, Kousei and Kaori. After his overly strict mother passes away, Kousei finds out that he has lost his passion for playing the piano. However, this changes when he meets Kaori, as seeing her play the violin reignites the passion to play music in him. When he starts realising that he is falling in love with her, everything inside him starts fighting against him giving in to these feelings, as he is convinced his love is one-sided.

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Violet Evergarden (2018)

One of the most heartwrenching anime series of all time, this one follows the titular heroine Violet as she sets about on a journey to discover her identity. Violet was raised to be a killer and served as a ruthless mercenary in the war. Now that the war is over, she finds herself lost and bereft of any meaning or purpose. 

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Orange (2016)

TRIGGER WARNING: This anime series explores themes of depression, grief, and suicidal tendencies. 

This anime series is an emotional rollercoaster. The story follows 16-year-old Naho Takamiya, who suddenly starts receiving letters from her future self. These letters implore young Naho to prevent her classmate Kakeru Naruse from taking his own life. As Naho begins to grow closer to Kakeru, she starts developing romantic feelings for him. While this spells out a happy ending for young Naho, it threatens to ruin the happy marriage and family she has created in the future.

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Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day (2011)

Widely considered to be one of the saddest anime series of all time, Anohana follows a group of friends who are all struggling to deal with the death of their friend Menma. Even though she has been dead for a long time, the group of friends are still unable to cope with her loss. Their lives change when a girl enters their lives, claiming to be Menma. The group has to come together to figure out why Menma’s spirit is lingering in this world and how they can help her finally pass on. The journey, while cathartic, is filled with the pain of her loss and the heavy guilt they carry for not being able to save her.

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Plastic Memories (2015)

This sci-fi romance tells the story of a doomed romance that will not fail to tug at your heartstrings. It’s set in a world where humans exist alongside Giftias, androids that are nearly indiscernible from humans. The one big difference between the two is that a Giftia can only live for about nine years before it ceases to exist and its memories disappear forever. The story follows Tsukasa Mizugaki, the newest member of the corporation that makes Giftias. He meets Isla, a beautiful yet reserved Giftia, who is his partner. Soon, the two begin to develop feelings for each other, but can Tsukasa let her go when her time runs out?

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Rumbling Hearts (2003)

Love triangles can be messy and heartbreaking, as the protagonists of this anime series end up discovering unwittingly. High school student Takayuki is dating the love of his life, Haruka Suzumiya. Their small friend group consists of the couple, Shinji Taira and Haruka’s best friend Mitsuki. Their perfect days are changed forever when a tragic accident leaves Haruka in a coma for many years. Saddened by her loss, Takayuki and Mitsuki grow closer and develop romantic feelings for each other. Life wasn’t done surprising them because Haruki wakes up from her coma and is now too fragile to handle emotionally heavy news like Takayuki and Mitsuki being in a relationship together. So, Takayuki has to rpetend to still be her boyfriend while dating Mitsuki. 

Watch it here