AnimeSuki Forums

Ellie97 · 2011-09-25, 09:05

I am looking for an anime that will make my heart beat because of a dramatic twist. Whether it's sci-fi, fantasy or slice of life, anything that will make me cry will do. Usually I would be picky and ask for romance and completely decline harem, but not this time!! I want a pulse-raising, heart-stopping, cry-worthy, shocking drama of any kind!!
Something tragic and dramatic

Obelisk ze Tormentor · 2011-09-25, 09:33

What other drama anime have you seen?

There're great examples like Clannad and Kanon, but those are pretty famous. Chances are, you've seen them already.

PS: Does anybody here dare to suggest School Days to this poor soul?

(if he haven't seen it already)

Undertaker · 2011-09-25, 09:43

These are the one that pops up based on your description and tags provided.

Gankusuou => A futuristic take of Count fo Monte Cristo.

Monster => mystery/psychological affair about a doctor who saved a kid who ends up becoming a serial killer.

Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo => whatever you can find in English sub. The granddaddy of Japanese mystery manga. Each case is interesting and tells a story of revenge, consequences,etc.

Legend of Galactic Heroes => An Asian Sci-fi masterpiece. Might be a bit dry for people who just seek action, but the plot and twist is top notch. Focusing on morality of war, sovereign v.s. democracy, political maneuvering, and what not.

Touch => One of the best romantic/sport anime/manga of all time. Not going to spoil it just watch it. If you like it, feel free to watch H2 and Cross Game and other works by Mitsuru Adachi. The man is a beast as far as how many of his manga works was adapted into not just anime, but live action movies and dramas.

Macross => Any Macross is fine, the franchise is known for romance, singing, dog-fights, and emotional soap opera.

Fafner in the Azure => A group of kids fighting impossible odds to protect their family and the island they lives on against insurmountable odds of aliens and other human remnants.

Bakemonogatari => A psychological twister about supernaturals. Great dialog and characters with visual to match.

Paranoia Agent => Another psychological thriller with a juvenile serial assailant.

Durarara => This series is just messed up. Different people with different intentions in different factions centers around a fictional group DALLARS.

I'll post more when it comes to me.

Elegance · 2011-09-25, 10:23

True Tears
Seconding Macross
Maison Ikkoku

Guardian Enzo · 2011-09-25, 11:29

Seirei no Moribito has some incredibly powerful emotional moments, mined from the strength of the character development. AnoHana is pretty much a tear-jerker from the first ep, in a good way. And Ikoku Meiro recently got me misty a few times in a much more understated fashion.

SeijiSensei · 2011-09-25, 11:55

I'll add Kemono no Sou-ja Erin, the adaptation of another novel by Moribito author Uehashi Nahoko. It has a number of heart-rending moments.

Other good choices include the three-episode "Bakeneko" arc from Ayakashi Samurai Horror Tales, Nijuu Mensou no Musume, and Tokyo Magnitude 8.0. Shows like Saiunkoku Monogatari, House of Five Leaves, Kure-nai, Monster, and Junni Kokuki have lots of drama, but not necessarily the kind that leads to tears.

kitten320 · 2011-09-25, 12:12

I have no idea on how Bakemonogatari and Durarara fall under drama category, I didn't see anything very sad or happy there.

I like drama myself so my main suggestions will be:
You might have seen those but I'll still list them: Clannad, Kanon 2006, Air and Angel Beats. Angel Beats will be the weakest in drama field but it still has some powerful moments. All 4 series are dome by same person and drama is the main theme in them.

AnoHana had several sad moments. Is compared to Clannad a lot thought they have different themes going on.

Chrno Crusade are action series and mostly get drama heavy towards the end, but some of those moments are really strong.

Elfen Lied is all about drama, nudity, blood and killing... Basicly series are about special kind of humans who have super powers and are killing people around... but are they really the bad guys?

Ga-Rei Zero has strong drama theme going on. Series have action, blood, love and friendship... friendship is main theme.

Mai HiME series are hald and half... the first half of the series is mostly comedy while the second half is drama heavy.

Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom are seriouse series about people who were forced to become assasins. Has a lot of drama elements and tension. It is gun action series.

Rainbow: Nisha Rokubou no Shichinin are also strong series with a lot of things going on, including emotionally. eries are mostly about group of friends who had met while being imprisoned.

Senjou no Valkyria are military series about war. Has a lot of comedy but also some dramatic moments. One character's death really made me sad

Suzuka are romance series with love triangle so obviously drama is there.

That's all I can think of right now. Some series are more depressing than others.

Haak · 2011-09-25, 12:32

In my opinion, the absolute best drama anime are:
5 Centimeters Per Second - Romantic drama
Mushishi - Drama about living together with supernatural creatures
Casshern Sins - Drama about a post apocalypic world and trying to find meaning in it.
Natsume's Book of Friends - Drama about a guy who feels isolated because he can see ghosts no one else can.
Ano Hana - Drama about a group of friends who grew apart when one of them died.
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 - Drama about the aftermath of a terrible earthquake.
Grave of the Fireflies - Drama about orphans living in poverty in country at war.
Wandering Son - Drama about a group of pre-teens with LGTB issues.
Oujisan no Lamp - Drama about a guy who's business if failing due to improvements in technology
Planetes - Drama about garbage men astronoughts.

Undertaker · 2011-09-25, 13:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by kitten320

I have no idea on how Bakemonogatari and Durarara fall under drama category, I didn't see anything very sad or happy there.

While they might not have "drama" as you put it. (though I personally have different take on drama) they fits his/her other requirements such as shock value, disturbing, eart-stopping, and dramatic twists. Not to mention there are tags on this trhead for drama, psychological, and tragedy. Which makes them fit better than say Suzuka or Mai HiME franchise if you go by the latter two tags.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Haak

Grave of the Fireflies - Drama about orphans living in poverty in country at war.

Any Ghibli film will do fine, but this, THIS.

This is the one anime film that caused my 12 year old self a freakin' emotional trauma for all subsequent Ghibli films until last couple years, and it is still the only anime I tuck away as NEVER AGAIN.

God, the candy jar, it made me never look at that candy brand the same way again, and it was my favorite candy when I was a kid in Taiwan...

Ellie97 · 2011-09-25, 14:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Obelisk ze Tormentor

PS: Does anybody here dare to suggest School Days to this poor soul?

(if he haven't seen it already)

I'm a girl ;D
I heard school days was dramatic and I was considering watching it but I never did :P

Haak · 2011-09-25, 14:54

It's not really a drama but I'd recommend watching it anyway, just because it's one of those anime everyone has a strong opinion on.

kitten320 · 2011-09-25, 15:21

Word drama is mentioned 3 times in a title and it is the main thing that opening post is looking for. Opening post also confirmed the fact that she/he wants romance but will gladly accept everything else. Suzuka and Mai HiME match those qualities well while Bakemonogatari and Durarara are mostly off.

If talk about shock value, those are usually mysteries and suspence, not drama. Drama comes as bonus.

For me drama is when someone dies or something heart wrenching happens that makes you feel sad, bad and sorry. Bakemonogatari and Durarara never really got those emotions from me. Though if to choose from two of them, Bakemonogatari will meet the drama bill better.

Though I can add Steins;Gate to the list. Finished it several days ago and it meets the bill too. Did not bring me to tears but definetly made me feel for characters and be sad. It also has several twists, is psychological and makes you think.

Obelisk ze Tormentor · 2011-09-25, 15:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ellie97

I'm a girl ;D
I heard school days was dramatic and I was considering watching it but I never did :P

Oh! I'm SO sorry Ms. Ellie

. I guess I had too much interaction with guys that disguise themselves as girls on net forums & online games

.

Well, School Days is.........a lot of things. Dramatic? yes, but that's not all. The first half of the series is okay. It's the second half that will make you go "WTF!". If you really want to see it, I warn you that the second half contain at least these things: sex, rape and brutal killings. You got to see it to understand what I'm saying. One thing I'm sure: you won't be happy after watching the end of this series.

Undertaker · 2011-09-25, 18:13

Spoiler for Quotes:

I was really going to just leave at difference of opinion but...

The original poster did not specifically asking for romance,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ellie97

Usually I would be picky and ask for romance and completely decline harem, but not this time!!

As for, your sugguestion. While Suzuka is a fine love drama, romance in Mai-Hime franchises are arguably its weakest point in plot.

She didn't specifically asks for this, which is what my selection are based on:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ellie97

I want a pulse-raising, heart-stopping, cry-worthy, shocking drama of any kind!!
Something tragic and dramatic

and the thread tags that she attaches to this theard in the bottom....

As for my dview on drama, I'll just let Merriam-Webster speak for me

Spoiler for Definition of drama::

But really, ultimately it's up to Ellie97 to decide and judge what she wanted to watch. Not you nor me.

Anyway, here's a few more that has't been suggested:

Revolutionary Girl Utena => A classic, though it is hard to categorize it. I'll just say that it's a thought-provoking series with unparalleled production value and artistic sense for its time.

Jigoku Shojo => A young girl bind by the power of hell, assisting people who seek revenge and retribution. A very nice series with three 2-cour seasons.

I'll second AnoHana if you are looking for that's more tender and touching.

As for School Days, dive in only if you're looking for a f#$cked-up title. Granted it's based on eroge so there are going to be some weird stuff, but even for a eroge veteran like me, it's still a pretty messed up title in many senses and should have gone straight to OVA or H-Anime instead of mainstream anime on TV.

Ellie97 · 2011-09-26, 15:43

Thank you for so many replies!!!
And thank you for being so considerate of my opinion ^_^
for me, drama is anything tense or that will widen my eyes due to a shocking twist,, yes, the shock factor is very important for a drama (in my opinion of course, yours may vary :P )

kitten320 · 2011-09-26, 17:43

Then you can also try Dennou Coil, it loos innocent at first but then some shocking and sad factors come into play.

Magical Madoka also has some shocking and sad factors.

By the way, do you accept yaoi/yuri shows or are those a total no?

HasuMasu · 2011-09-27, 00:17

How about Wolf's Rain?

Also, seconding School Days,
it's definitely drama and I've
seen more fucked up stuff
before.

mecharobot · 2011-09-27, 05:26

Full Moon o Sagashite - A drama/idol anime mix. It's more anime style than soap opera, but definitely a drama overall.

Rose of Versailles - Another shoujo. This is a bit (a lot) heavier than Full Moon and it's also probably the best historical anime to date.

Which reminds me of Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal. Another good historical with more swordplay to go with it.

Nana is the closest anime I've seen to soap opera. You'll notice its characters acting less like in conventional anime and more like in live action drama shows.

Kimi ga Nozomu Eien is a visual novel adaption, which seems like a standard school romance at first, but becomes like a soap opera fast. There are still a few conventional side elements in it, but the drama plot shouldn't leave you cold.

Ellie97 · 2011-09-27, 17:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by kitten320

By the way, do you accept yaoi/yuri shows or are those a total no?

I HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE WITH YAOI!!! I had origionally created a thread a while back looking for yaoi but no one ever replied!! If you have any suggestions PLEASE PLEASE give

I am also happy with yuri

syke123 · 2011-09-27, 22:57

Let's see since your looking for something emotional and that will probably make you cry then, I'll recommend you what I've found based on experience. Because I look for the exact same thing, in what I watch.

Keep in mind they all have romance in them.

Phantom Requiem for the Phantom: If you follow the series to the end, the ending twist will make you cry.

Angel Beats: Similar, the ending is touching but the message this anime holds is what make's it shine.

Spice and Wolf:I would definitely recommend this for best romance, also it's very emotional especially the 2nd season.

I have a lot more good romance anime but they don't have those particular twists. Although there's one more I can think of without involving any romance, but if your looking into twists that are going to make your jaw drop, then look no further than.

Monster: Which includes an amazing plot, detailed and thorough characters, barely any noticeable holes to the story, and a character that no one else except Naoki Urusawa himself can produce. The series is a work of art.

2011-09-25, 09:05	Link #1
Ellie97 Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Trowbridge	Drama Drama Drama I am looking for an anime that will make my heart beat because of a dramatic twist. Whether it's sci-fi, fantasy or slice of life, anything that will make me cry will do. Usually I would be picky and ask for romance and completely decline harem, but not this time!! I want a pulse-raising, heart-stopping, cry-worthy, shocking drama of any kind!! Something tragic and dramatic

2011-09-25, 09:33	Link #2
Obelisk ze Tormentor Black Steel Knight Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Indonesia	What other drama anime have you seen? There're great examples like Clannad and Kanon, but those are pretty famous. Chances are, you've seen them already. PS: Does anybody here dare to suggest School Days to this poor soul? (if he haven't seen it already) __________________

2011-09-25, 09:43	Link #3
Undertaker Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: U.S.	These are the one that pops up based on your description and tags provided. Gankusuou => A futuristic take of Count fo Monte Cristo. Monster => mystery/psychological affair about a doctor who saved a kid who ends up becoming a serial killer. Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo => whatever you can find in English sub. The granddaddy of Japanese mystery manga. Each case is interesting and tells a story of revenge, consequences,etc. Legend of Galactic Heroes => An Asian Sci-fi masterpiece. Might be a bit dry for people who just seek action, but the plot and twist is top notch. Focusing on morality of war, sovereign v.s. democracy, political maneuvering, and what not. Touch => One of the best romantic/sport anime/manga of all time. Not going to spoil it just watch it. If you like it, feel free to watch H2 and Cross Game and other works by Mitsuru Adachi. The man is a beast as far as how many of his manga works was adapted into not just anime, but live action movies and dramas. Macross => Any Macross is fine, the franchise is known for romance, singing, dog-fights, and emotional soap opera. Fafner in the Azure => A group of kids fighting impossible odds to protect their family and the island they lives on against insurmountable odds of aliens and other human remnants. Bakemonogatari => A psychological twister about supernaturals. Great dialog and characters with visual to match. Paranoia Agent => Another psychological thriller with a juvenile serial assailant. Durarara => This series is just messed up. Different people with different intentions in different factions centers around a fictional group DALLARS. I'll post more when it comes to me. __________________ Last edited by Undertaker; 2011-09-25 at 10:02.

2011-09-25, 11:55	Link #6
SeijiSensei AS Oji-kun Join Date: Nov 2006 Age: 74	I'll add Kemono no Sou-ja Erin, the adaptation of another novel by Moribito author Uehashi Nahoko. It has a number of heart-rending moments. Other good choices include the three-episode "Bakeneko" arc from Ayakashi Samurai Horror Tales, Nijuu Mensou no Musume, and Tokyo Magnitude 8.0. Shows like Saiunkoku Monogatari, House of Five Leaves, Kure-nai, Monster, and Junni Kokuki have lots of drama, but not necessarily the kind that leads to tears. __________________ Taking Anime Seriously - Politics by the Numbers - Sports by the Numbers - MAL List - Avatars - Images

2011-09-25, 12:12	Link #7
kitten320 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007	I have no idea on how Bakemonogatari and Durarara fall under drama category, I didn't see anything very sad or happy there. I like drama myself so my main suggestions will be: You might have seen those but I'll still list them: Clannad, Kanon 2006, Air and Angel Beats. Angel Beats will be the weakest in drama field but it still has some powerful moments. All 4 series are dome by same person and drama is the main theme in them. AnoHana had several sad moments. Is compared to Clannad a lot thought they have different themes going on. Chrno Crusade are action series and mostly get drama heavy towards the end, but some of those moments are really strong. Elfen Lied is all about drama, nudity, blood and killing... Basicly series are about special kind of humans who have super powers and are killing people around... but are they really the bad guys? Ga-Rei Zero has strong drama theme going on. Series have action, blood, love and friendship... friendship is main theme. Mai HiME series are hald and half... the first half of the series is mostly comedy while the second half is drama heavy. Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom are seriouse series about people who were forced to become assasins. Has a lot of drama elements and tension. It is gun action series. Rainbow: Nisha Rokubou no Shichinin are also strong series with a lot of things going on, including emotionally. eries are mostly about group of friends who had met while being imprisoned. Senjou no Valkyria are military series about war. Has a lot of comedy but also some dramatic moments. One character's death really made me sad Suzuka are romance series with love triangle so obviously drama is there. That's all I can think of right now. Some series are more depressing than others. __________________ My anime list

2011-09-25, 10:23	Link #4
Elegance Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2011	True Tears Seconding Macross Maison Ikkoku

2011-09-25, 12:32	Link #8
Haak Me, An Intellectual Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: UK Age: 33	In my opinion, the absolute best drama anime are: 5 Centimeters Per Second - Romantic drama Mushishi - Drama about living together with supernatural creatures Casshern Sins - Drama about a post apocalypic world and trying to find meaning in it. Natsume's Book of Friends - Drama about a guy who feels isolated because he can see ghosts no one else can. Ano Hana - Drama about a group of friends who grew apart when one of them died. Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 - Drama about the aftermath of a terrible earthquake. Grave of the Fireflies - Drama about orphans living in poverty in country at war. Wandering Son - Drama about a group of pre-teens with LGTB issues. Oujisan no Lamp - Drama about a guy who's business if failing due to improvements in technology Planetes - Drama about garbage men astronoughts. __________________ MAL \| AnimeSuki Choice Awards 2020 Winners

2011-09-25, 14:54	Link #11
Haak Me, An Intellectual Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: UK Age: 33	It's not really a drama but I'd recommend watching it anyway, just because it's one of those anime everyone has a strong opinion on. __________________ MAL \| AnimeSuki Choice Awards 2020 Winners

2011-09-25, 15:21	Link #12
kitten320 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007	Word drama is mentioned 3 times in a title and it is the main thing that opening post is looking for. Opening post also confirmed the fact that she/he wants romance but will gladly accept everything else. Suzuka and Mai HiME match those qualities well while Bakemonogatari and Durarara are mostly off. If talk about shock value, those are usually mysteries and suspence, not drama. Drama comes as bonus. For me drama is when someone dies or something heart wrenching happens that makes you feel sad, bad and sorry. Bakemonogatari and Durarara never really got those emotions from me. Though if to choose from two of them, Bakemonogatari will meet the drama bill better. Though I can add Steins;Gate to the list. Finished it several days ago and it meets the bill too. Did not bring me to tears but definetly made me feel for characters and be sad. It also has several twists, is psychological and makes you think. __________________ My anime list

2011-09-26, 15:43	Link #15
Ellie97 Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Trowbridge	Thank you for so many replies!!! And thank you for being so considerate of my opinion ^_^ for me, drama is anything tense or that will widen my eyes due to a shocking twist,, yes, the shock factor is very important for a drama (in my opinion of course, yours may vary :P )

2011-09-26, 17:43	Link #16
kitten320 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007	Then you can also try Dennou Coil, it loos innocent at first but then some shocking and sad factors come into play. Magical Madoka also has some shocking and sad factors. By the way, do you accept yaoi/yuri shows or are those a total no? __________________ My anime list

2011-09-27, 00:17	Link #17
HasuMasu Senior Member Artist Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: The Middle Way	How about Wolf's Rain? Also, seconding School Days, it's definitely drama and I've seen more fucked up stuff before. __________________

2011-09-27, 05:26	Link #18
mecharobot Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2011	Full Moon o Sagashite - A drama/idol anime mix. It's more anime style than soap opera, but definitely a drama overall. Rose of Versailles - Another shoujo. This is a bit (a lot) heavier than Full Moon and it's also probably the best historical anime to date. Which reminds me of Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal. Another good historical with more swordplay to go with it. Nana is the closest anime I've seen to soap opera. You'll notice its characters acting less like in conventional anime and more like in live action drama shows. Kimi ga Nozomu Eien is a visual novel adaption, which seems like a standard school romance at first, but becomes like a soap opera fast. There are still a few conventional side elements in it, but the drama plot shouldn't leave you cold.

2011-09-27, 22:57	Link #20
syke123 . Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Lost in a delusional world.	Let's see since your looking for something emotional and that will probably make you cry then, I'll recommend you what I've found based on experience. Because I look for the exact same thing, in what I watch. Keep in mind they all have romance in them. Phantom Requiem for the Phantom: If you follow the series to the end, the ending twist will make you cry. Angel Beats: Similar, the ending is touching but the message this anime holds is what make's it shine. Spice and Wolf:I would definitely recommend this for best romance, also it's very emotional especially the 2nd season. I have a lot more good romance anime but they don't have those particular twists. Although there's one more I can think of without involving any romance, but if your looking into twists that are going to make your jaw drop, then look no further than. Monster: Which includes an amazing plot, detailed and thorough characters, barely any noticeable holes to the story, and a character that no one else except Naoki Urusawa himself can produce. The series is a work of art.