"Heartwarming Life-Affirming Friendship Anime"

[Yui Is My Wife]

Ever since K-ON! I have developed a particular fondness for heartwarming and funny stories of friends on the verge of adulthood growing up together, looking out for each other and supporting each other's hopes and dreams, sharing laughter and tears, wherein even the antagonists are at worst heroes of another story than outright villains.

Was originally turned off by the "exploitative" implication of "Idols", and almost missed out on the wonderful wonderful story of Love Live, and let me tell you not since K-ON! had I had a "security blanket" this warm and comforting.

The trouble is, only have 2 Episodes Left till the Season 2 Finale, and now comes the hard (and tearjerking) part of saying goodbye to friends that you have come to love and care about.

Thanks to a GLUT of dark and nasty material that My Circle of Friends insist of watching over the last 3 years, I have by and large missed out on a sizable chunk of the "Heartwarming Friendship Genre" of Anime.

Any recommendations of Sweet Dream Fuels the likes of K-ON! and Love Live that can help to warm the heart over the next few months?

Thanks!

PS. Please, no nasty "School Days" style backstabbing/death/betrayal at the end that comes out of nowhere.

[Flower]

Series adapted from the Kirara manga variants are your "go to" source (very generally speaking).

As for which ones that occur to me off the top of my head, and having no idea what series you have already seen, I would suggest:

Kiniro Mosaic and it's sequel Hello! Kiniro Mosaic
Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka
Hanayamata
The Tamayura series - the OVAs, Tamayura Hitotose, Tamayura More Aggressive and the recent first of four movies
Hidamari Sketch's four seasons and the OVAs
Acchi Kocchi
Soredemo no Sekai
Mikakunin de Shinkoukei
Isshukan Friends
Barakamon
Yama no Susume seasons 1 and 2
Majimoji Rurumo
Koufuku Graffiti

Also the currently airing Ore Monogatari and Akagami no Shirayuki would prolly fit the bill.

[Pocari_Sweat]

My #1 recommendation is an animated movie by Mamoru Hosoda called Wolf Children. Touching and bittersweet tale of a single mother raising two children. The immature will tell you they dropped it within the first 15minutes because of "furry shit" but they simply just missed out. An absolutely beautiful film and one of my all-time favourites, you will shed a tear or two guaranteed unless you are made of stone. Not the cheap melodrama crap that a lot of TV anime writers throw at you (I'm looking you Key and Mari Okada)

Another animated movie I recommend is a Ghibli one by the name of Isao Takahata called Only Yesterday. It's about a middle age women going back to her home town. It's a adult coming of age story with mono no aware at its finest where it looks back at our main character life at the present, the past and the future. Nostalgia and reminiscing the past are big themes in this series.

In terms of TV series that I recommend:

Usagi Drop
Barakamon
Tari Tari
Hyouka

There was also an Anime Mirai OVA series which a lot of people missed called Aki no Kanade, which gave a shorter more contemporary vibe of Only Yesterday. Oh how I wish this to be a full TV series one day.

[Flower]

Yes, yes!

The Aki no Kanade OVA was superb!

Also - seconding Hyouka. A wonderful series. And Tari Tari was also quite good.

Usagi Drop was before 2012 so I did not mention it, but if the OP has not seen it it is well, well worth it!

Other suggestions that come to mind are the mind-bogglingly underrated Gingitsune and if you enjoyed Love Live you might give the Idolm@ster series and the currently airing Cinderella Girls series a try.

[Yui Is My Wife]

In terms of "heartwarming", how does Idolmaster compare to Love Live?

Sorry, right now more than anything needing a warm and comforting "security blanket" anime to reverse myself from a nervously-broken-down constantly-crying-wreck into a normal happy human being.

[Flower]

Originally Posted by Yui Is My Wife

In terms of "heartwarming", how does Idolmaster compare to Love Live?

Sorry, right now more than anything needing a warm and comforting "security blanket" anime to reverse myself from a nervously-broken-down constantly-crying-wreck into a normal happy human being.

Hmm ... for myself in general and overall iM@S is a better fit for me. Love Live did not do it as much for me, though it was largely because I did not enjoy the music or the cgi dancing. For Love Live I only finished season 1, but it did not leave much of an impression on me and I cannot remember much of it tbh. I tried season 2 but it just did not work for me.

iM@S for me has a lot of the elements you mention, AND I like the characters and the music especially.

By the way ... if you want security blanket anime ... have you tried the Aria trilogy? Both it and the Tamayura series might just fit the bill for what you are describing you're seeking at atm.

[Pocari_Sweat]

If you want pure unadultered sugar, then I don't think you can get better than oremonogatari which is a carryover from last season.

[Triple_R]

YIMW, I think we have similar tastes in moe, so I probably can help you out here. I'm going to take a few of the recommendations you've received so far and add a couple as well.

Shows I'm very confident you'll like:

Tari Tari
Sora no Method
Locodol


Shows I'm pretty confident you'll like:
Kiniro Mosaic
Koufuku Graffiti
The Tamayura series


There's one extra show I'm going to add here, if you feel up to trying a show with an all-adult cast, but still a spirit somewhat similar to Love Live!, and that show is Shirobako. I loved Shirobako, and on the whole I found it pretty heartwarming. The last two episodes of Shirobako do pack a good punch.

[Pocari_Sweat]

While I do think Shirobako is an excellent series (personally I think it's AOTY for 2015), I don't think it's what the OP is looking for.

From the OP, I'm getting a sense that he/she is looking for a "feel-good" heartwarming SOL series rather than a pseudo-commentary about the anime industry that also happens to have heartwarming moments.

[frivolity]

Try Natsu-iro Kiseki, about four close friends in middle school who chance upon a wishing stone while one of them is about to move away to another prefecture.

[Pocari_Sweat]

Originally Posted by frivolity

Try Natsu-iro Kiseki, about four close friends in middle school who chance upon a wishing stone while one of them is about to move away to another prefecture.

I can second that. That was quite a pleasant series (and a Sphere commercial to boot lol). I think it can count as psuedo-idol too I guess even though it's not really an Idol series.

[frivolity]

Nearly forgot, Tamako Market and the movie sequel, Tamako Love Story. Both revolve around a middle school girl growing up in a fairly rural town that is connected through its central market. Her family consists of her father and younger sister, while her mother is deceased. Her neighbour across the street is a boy her age who lives with his parents. Both families run competing mochi stores.

[Pocari_Sweat]

Originally Posted by frivolity

Nearly forgot, Tamako Market and the movie sequel, Tamako Love Story. Both revolve around a middle school girl growing up in a fairly rural town that is connected through its central market. Her family consists of her father and younger sister, while her mother is deceased. Her neighbour across the street is a boy her age who lives with his parents. Both families run competing mochi stores.

I guess Tamako Market (TV) can count, though I do think there are far better examples. Tamako Market (movie) whilst a significant improvement over the TV series, the tone and atmosphere of it is vastly different and not something I think the OP is looking unless he/she is looking for a serious romance story.

[Arya]

Not very knowledgeable about this genre, I didn't watch K-ON! and didn't like Hyouka, but, that aside, I think Hibike! Euphonium could fit.

[Yui Is My Wife]

Making sure to stay alive till 2019 in the faint hope of a K-ON! 3rd-Season/2nd Movie/10th Anniversary Celebration.

[SeijiSensei]

If you can handle another idol show, I'll suggest AKB0048. It has as political theme along with the "ganbatte" stuff as well.

Chihayafuru has a lot of friendship and bonding within the context of building a team to play high-school karuta.

Tsuritama also has a strong focus on friendship, but among four boys. There are a couple of female characters, but they are in supporting roles.

[AntonKutovoi]

Check Gakkou Gurashi. It's a nice, sweet anime about 4 cute girls
Sorrry, couldn't stop myself.

And with all seriousness - check Barakamon and this season's Sore ga Seiyuu.

[Kotohono]

Originally Posted by Flower

Series adapted from the Kirara manga variants are your "go to" source (very generally speaking).

As for which ones that occur to me off the top of my head, and having no idea what series you have already seen, I would suggest:

Kiniro Mosaic and it's sequel Hello! Kiniro Mosaic
Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka
Hanayamata
Koufuku Graffiti
Yama no Susume seasons 1 and 2

I would highly second Hanayamata it was truly a note worth one in this genre, imo. The other two listed are good but I felt the "Heartwarming Life-Affirming Friendship" aspect was far strong in Hanayamata than the average Kirara series, the other 3 are still good for this though .

And Yama no Susume was a really strong show in terms of this theme and is simply a delight to watch.

Originally Posted by Yui Is My Wife

In terms of "heartwarming", how does Idolmaster compare to Love Live?

Sorry, right now more than anything needing a warm and comforting "security blanket" anime to reverse myself from a nervously-broken-down constantly-crying-wreck into a normal happy human being.

It's close but I had felt im@s focused on the sillyness of the characters and other aspects of being an idol more than LL did, but it's still there and heart warming for sure even if I didn't feel the focus was as strong to it.

Seriously watch Hanayamata ^^.

Originally Posted by frivolity

Try Natsu-iro Kiseki, about four close friends in middle school who chance upon a wishing stone while one of them is about to move away to another prefecture.

This also a great suggestion for this seconded.

[kitten320]

There are good news for you, LL! movies is coming out soon, at least in Japan so it's not complete goodbye just yet

Heart-warming friendship wise you really should check Aria series, starting with Aria Animation. It might seem boring but it really draws you in and with each season gets better, leading to a heartfelt ending.

Chihayafuru is about dreams, growing up, friendship and sports. Real good.

AnoHina is a nice one but it does involve death and is more of a Clannad style.

You could try out Gingitsune, it's mostly episodic and characters don't know each other from young age but it does focus on friendship and family here and there.

Hanasaku Iroha is a good one too where group of people try to save the Inn.

Love Lab is kinda similar to K-ON with several charaters fooling around and helping each other in need.

Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo is a great one. While there is romance, friendship plays strong part as well and it's about helping and supporting.

Tari Tari is similar to Hansaku Iroha in style, but less romantic themes.

While Uchuu Kyoudai is about adults, it involves pursuing the dream, helping and supporting each other. Main focus are two brothers who dreamt from young age to become astronauts. Has pretty much everything you want, long watch as well.


Hopefully some of them will pick your interest.


P.S. Idolm@ster is good but I personally prefer LL!, though I@ is superior music wise. It has some of those elements you are searching for, especially in Chihaya's arc, best one of the series.

[AnimeFangirl]

Team sports anime like Bamboo Blade and Big Windup! tend to be big on the "We're all in this together ol' buddy" kind of atmosphere. Try those two for starters.

There's a new series this season called Wakaba Girl which seems a bit generic, but might be what you're looking for as well.