heartbreakingly beautiful anime?

[mana.]

So I'm looking for anime that's heartbreakingly beautiful.

Those animes that break your heart- not because they're filled with overbearingly sad moments like Elfen Lied or Sakaino or Kimi ga Nozomu Eien, but because they're filled with such poignant moments of struggles or anything, or feelings of quiet nostalgia, that it just slips into your heart and makes it ache, or can make you cry. The ones where even the "regular moments" can leave you stunned. The genre doesn't matter.

The only three I've found that have truly done this for me are Koi Kaze, Honey and Clover I & II, and Voices of a Distant Star. But I want to discover a lot more of them.

Hmm, to help clarify I thought: Bokura ga Ita, Fruits Basket, Wolf's Rain, NANA, REC, and Evangelion all came close, but just not in the way those three up wowed me.


Any recs for similar anime if you can understand what I'm talking about?

[Skyfall]

Air (http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=2002) is a very good bet. drama/bit of fantasy/minuscule amounts of romance. Air the Movie (http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=1667) as well. A shortened version of the series that focuses solely on the two main characters. Unlike the series, has actual romance in it.

Kanon (2006) (http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=4404) is another good bet. Romance/drama/bit of fantasy.

5 Centimeters per Second (http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=4568) should be your cup of tea as well, seeing you like Voices of a Distant star.

[jedinat]

Mushishi (http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=3433) (poignant episodic stories)
Haibane Renmei (http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=271) (a very beautiful anime)
Aria the Animation (http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=2659)/Natural (http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=4243) (I prefer Natural to Animation)

[G. Zeus]

Those animes that break your heart- not because they're filled with overbearingly sad moments like Elfen Lied or Sakaino or Kimi ga Nozomu Eien, but because they're filled with such poignant moments of struggles or anything, or feelings of quiet nostalgia, that it just slips into your heart and makes it ache, or can make you cry. The ones where even the "regular moments" can leave you stunned.
Sounds like slice of life to me.


Is this thread anime exclusive or are manga titles also included? Among the most moving works that I've come across, only Kamichu! (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=5356), Ichigo Mashimaro (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=4823), Mushishi (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=5923), Gunslinger Girl (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=2947) have had anime adaptations that actually do justice to the original versions.

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/manga.php?id=3605) has 2 OAV series (2 episodes each) but they only capture a small fraction of what the manga has to offer. If you want poignant moments or feelings of quiet nostalgia, this is the epitome.

If you liked Voices of a Distant Star, then you might also want to check out Pale Cocoon (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=6352).

[Reno]

*Seconds Haibane Remnei.*

[kurerisu]

I second 5CM per second and if you don't mind yaoi, Winter Cicada. That one was quite a tearjerker for me because the 2 main characters had to go through so many tribulations.

[Frans]

Maybe PlanetEs? it's a bit boring at the start, but the scene near the end made this into a great anime.
You could also try Maria Sama.

[Matrim]

*thirds Haibane Renmei*
Simoun
Gunslinger Girl
5cm per Second
Gankutsuou - The Count of Monte Christo

[KholdStare]

I second Haibane Renmei, Byousoku 5 Centimetre, and Gunslinger Girl. All three are beautiful.

I also want to suggest Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.

[mana.]

Sounds like slice of life to me.



It doesn't have to be slice of life- I definitely wouldn't have categorized Wolf's Rain or Evangelion as slice of life.


Thanks for the suggestions everyone! If you think of anymore I'm welcome to hear them!:D

[Autumn Demon]

air and shinigami no ballad - momo the girl god of death sound like that, though they might be closer to what you said about kimi ga nozomu eien, saikano, and elfen lied.

maria-sama ga miteru (first season), saint luminous mission high school and lamune, maybe

[Frans]

I want to add some more..
Some of the suggestion maybe stretching it a bit..
Infinite Ryvius
Paradise Kiss - by the same author as Nana.
Beck
Major - this one is a sport anime.

I think you will like Paradise Kiss and Beck. But for me, the strongest emotional moments came from Major and PlanetEs because those two have those heartbreakingly beautiful moments.

[Kyuusai]

I also want to suggest Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.

I second this, wholeheartedly.

I also would add any of Miyazaki's more famous films from that period:
- Tenkyuu no Shiro no Laputa (marketed in the US as "Castle in the Sky")
- Mahou no Takkyubin (known in the US as "Kiki's Delivery Service")
- Tonari no Totoro (known in the US as "My Neighbor Totoro")
- Porco Rosso

I would add to that list Ghibli's "Grave of the Fireflies" and second the recommendation of the recent soothing-to-watch series Aria.

[CandyVanMan]

While a bit bittersweet, I My Me - Strawberry Eggs is quite a rewarding watch.

I second Shinigami No Ballad. It was both dark and somber as well as uplifting.

Somehow I can't say that Paradise Kiss fits here though. While a certain level of success is achieved by the characters, none of them seem to have found happiness. Somehow, to me, this made for a rather cold ending.
I've been avoiding Haibane Renmei and I never understood why. Someday I must squeeze this into my backlog. Something tells me that if I watched it, I would recommend it.

While we're at it, I want to speculate that Kodomo No Jikan could wind up in this category if it's handled properly.

[teachopvutru]

I third Air TV and second Kanon 2006

[retardation]

i'd second planetes and haibane renmei

if you like h&c, might as well look at nodame cantabile. pretty similar.

[Frans]

Well, that's why I told that it maybe stretching it a bit. Although it didn't quite have the happy ending, there is some struggle and at least a nostalgic feelings in the end. I think she(?) wants anime that have those moments (that have been described in the first post) in the overall proceeding of the story and not just a happy ending.

[CandyVanMan]

That's fair. It may just be that I have no love for their character types.

[Kaioshin Sama]

Legend of The Galactic Heroes
Turn A Gundam
Macross Plus
PlanetES
Only Yesterday
Monster

All of these have poignant moments that let me sit back and ponder some things about life in general. I should also mention that this category touches upon my favourite type of anime.:)

[king12354]

Full Moon Wo Sagashite-Beautiful
Gungrave-A fit ending to a great story
Canvas 2-Hard to describe, I think it fits your description though. Romance/Art/Drama

[KholdStare]

I've been avoiding Haibane Renmei and I never understood why. Someday I must squeeze this into my backlog. Something tells me that if I watched it, I would recommend it.

I've avoided it in the past because the storyline doesn't seem to appeal to me but after I watched it, it went to my top ten list and never moved down since.