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TearJerkers Rating Comment
Ai Yori Aoshi (TV) Good
Air (TV) Masterpiece A list of the most effective sad/tearjerker anime that I've experienced. Since emotions are subjective, your experiences may be different, and after all, I'm a self-declared sentimental sap. These aren't necessarily ultra-depressing, tears-never-stop series. Some, like Rumbling Hearts and SaiKano, are sad in almost every episode. Others, like Angelic Layer and Chobits, are fairly happy & cute most of the time, but have a few "shining moments" of sadness. More detailed comments can be found in "Seen All," "Seen Some," or "Top 20 Anime."
Air (movie) Very good
Aishiteruze Baby (TV) Good
Angel Links (TV) Good
Angelic Layer (TV) Excellent
Arc the Lad (TV) Decent
Aria - The Natural (TV) Excellent
Aria the Animation (TV) Very good
Aria the Origination (TV) Masterpiece
Azumanga Daioh (TV) Excellent
Cardcaptor Sakura (TV) Very good
Cardcaptor Sakura The Movie 2: The Sealed Card Very good
Ceres, Celestial Legend (TV) Very good
Chance Pop Session (TV) Good
Chobits (TV) Good
Chrono Crusade (TV) Very good
Clannad (TV) Very good
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 (TV) Good
D.C. ~Da Capo~ (TV) Very good
D.C.S.S. ~Da Capo Second Season~ (TV) Good
D.N.Angel (TV) Good
Destiny of the Shrine Maiden (TV) Very good
Diamond Daydreams (TV) Very good
ef: a tale of memories (TV) Excellent
Elfen Lied (TV) Excellent
Eternal Alice (TV) Good
Excel Saga (TV) Excellent It may seem like a surprising entry, but the end of episode 23 and episode 24 have a big impact because they're sad moments to contrast with the zaniness of the series in general.
Fafner (TV) Masterpiece
Fantastic Children (TV) Masterpiece
Figure 17 (TV) Excellent
Fruits Basket (TV 1/2001) Masterpiece
Full Moon o Sagashite (TV) Good
Fullmetal Alchemist (TV) Masterpiece
Fushigi Yugi (TV) Good
Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight! (TV) Good
Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo (TV) Very good
Gift - eternal rainbow (TV) Good
Green Green Thirteen: Erolutions (OAV) Decent
Gunslinger Girl (TV) Very good
Gurren Lagann (TV) Very good
H2O ~Footprints in the Sand~ (TV) Decent
Haibane Renmei (TV) Masterpiece
His and Her Circumstances (TV) Very good
Honey and Clover (TV) Excellent
Kaleido Star (TV) Excellent
Kaleido Star: Legend of Phoenix - Layla Hamilton Story (OAV) Masterpiece
Kanon (TV 1/2002) Very good
Kanon (TV 2/2006) Excellent
Kasimasi - Girl Meets Girl (TV) Good
Kimagure Orange Road: The Movie Good
Kino's Journey (TV) Masterpiece
Kodocha (TV) Excellent
Koi Kaze (TV) Excellent
Kokoro Library (TV) Good
Kurau: Phantom Memory (TV) Excellent
A Little Snow Fairy Sugar (TV) Very good
Living for the Day After Tomorrow (TV) Excellent
Looking Up At The Half-Moon (TV) Very good
Love Hina (TV) Very good
Lucky Star (TV) Excellent
Lunar Legend Tsukihime (TV) So-so
Magical Project S (TV) Very good
Mahoraba ~Heartful days~ (TV) Very good
Mahoromatic - Automatic Maiden (TV) Good
Mahoromatic: Something More Beautiful (TV) Good
Marmalade Boy (TV) Good
Martian Successor Nadesico (TV) Masterpiece
Momo: The Girl God of Death (TV) Excellent
Mushi-Shi (TV) Masterpiece
My-HiME (TV) Very good
My-Otome (TV) Very good
Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok (TV) Very good
Nanaka 6/17 (TV) Very good
Naruto (TV) Good Another surprising entry, perhaps, but several dramatic childhood flashbacks and certain major deaths earn Naruto a spot on the list.
Natsuiro no Sunadokei (OAV) Decent
Negima! (TV) Good
Neon Genesis Evangelion (TV) Excellent
Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (movie) Excellent
Night on the Galactic Railroad (movie) Very good
Now and Then, Here and There (TV) Masterpiece
Omishi Magical Theater Risky Safety (TV) Very good
One: True Stories (OAV) Very good
Ouran High School Host Club (TV) Masterpiece
Petite Princess Yucie (TV) Very good
Pita-Ten (TV) Very good
Popotan (TV) Very good
Prétear (TV) Very good
Princess Tutu (TV) Excellent
RahXephon (TV) Decent
Refrain Blue (OAV) Very good
Rozen Maiden (TV) Good
Rozen Maiden: Träumend (TV) Decent
Rumbling Hearts (TV) Masterpiece
SaiKano: Another Love Song (OAV) Very good
Sailor Moon (TV) Good
Sailor Moon S (TV) Very good
Sailor Moon Sailor Stars (TV) Very good
Sailor Moon SuperS (TV) Good
Samurai 7 (TV) Good
She, The Ultimate Weapon (TV) Masterpiece
Shuffle! (TV) Good
Sola (TV) Good
Starship Operators (TV) Good
Stellvia (TV) Decent
Strawberry Panic! (TV) Good
Tenchi Universe (TV) Good
This Ugly Yet Beautiful World (TV) Very good
Trigun (TV) Excellent
True Tears (TV) Very good
UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie 2: December Nocturne (TV) Very good
Ultra Maniac (TV) Good
Uta∽Kata (TV) Very good
(The) Vision of Escaflowne (TV) Excellent
Voices of a Distant Star (OAV) Good
Welcome to the NHK (TV) Very good
Wet Summer Days (OAV) Good
When They Cry - Higurashi (TV) Excellent
Wolf's Rain (TV) Excellent
Wolf's Rain (OAV) Masterpiece
X (TV) Good