Some of the best sad anime on Netflix will make you cry your eyes out, while others will leave you feeling hollow and lonely.
Even some of the most well-liked programs, like “Naruto,” have terrible, moving moments that may make you tremble.
As a result, if you’ve been watching anime for a while, you probably already know that it has several upsetting elements that stick with you for a very long time.
Over time, anime has developed into a fantastic storytelling tool similar to other types of entertainment.
While the honest representation of human emotions and other parts of life has improved, anime with depressing themes have attracted a far larger audience.
Now, a sizeable portion of anime fans appreciates these heartwarming tales that touch people and impart a lesson that can change a person’s life.
While a slice of life, action, adventure, and science fiction are the most common anime genres, a large percentage of them also have an emotional component that helps viewers relate to the characters and feel the variety of events they are going through.
However, we’ll be concentrating mainly on films that are known for causing audiences to cry in this article. Some of these sad anime on Netflix are listed below:
1. 7 Seeds (2019-2020)
Shortly, the planet was struck by a massive meteorite. All forms of life, including humans, have vanished from the face of the earth.
The administration, anticipating this result, took action to prepare for the worst-case situation.
For instance, there was “Project 7SEEDS,” wherein five teams of seven young men and women were carefully chosen (Spring, Summer A, Summer B, Autumn, and Winter).
After that, each individual was placed in a cryogenic sleep state to ensure the survival of humanity.
They were abruptly forced into a harsh reality when those men and women awoke.
They looked for ways to survive while grieving and heartbroken over losing their loved ones for all time.
The top cast includes, as expected, the main protagonist, named after his father, and the heroine, named after her mother.
2. The Rising of the Shield Hero (2018)
The Rising of the Shield Hero is one of the best sad anime on Netflix to binge-watch. This anime centers around a boy named Yato who lives in a world where magic exists.
Additionally, he is a member of the royal family of the kingdom of Hoshido, ruled by the emperor. He is a talented swordsman who wields a legendary sword called the “Shield Hero.”
He meets a girl named Kaguya, a princess of the neighboring country of Nohr. She is a powerful magician who uses fireballs as weapons.
Together, they must fight against the evil forces threatening peace in the land. The top cast includes, as usual, the main protagonists, who the same actor plays.
3. Flavors of Youth (2018)
Flavors of Youth is another great anime that will make you shed tears. It tells the story of two high school students who meet at a restaurant.
One day, they discover that they are both descendants of the same noble family. This discovery leads them to question what happened to their parents.
As a result, they decide to investigate the history of their ancestors. The top cast includes, again, the main protagonists who play themselves.
4. Our Love Story (2016)
Yoon-Ju is a graduate student in the fine arts who is currently putting up her graduation show. One day, when she looks for supplies for her project, she encounters Ji-soo at a junk store.
Additionally, Yoon-Ju notices Ji-soo in an unusual setting and finds herself drawn to her. After their first meeting, Yoon-Ju runs into Ji-soo again at a convenience shop, and the two subsequently begin dating.
Furthermore, Yoon-Ju, who has never loved dating guys, finds Ji-soo fascinating and falls head over heels in love with her.
5. Your Lie In April (2014-2015)
Your Lie in April is also one of the best sad anime on Netflix to binge-watch. It’s about a high schooler named Shiori who is a hopeless romantic. One day, she receives a letter from her childhood friend, Haruhi Suzumiya, who is now living abroad.
Haruhi asks Shiori to visit her in Japan. However, Shiori doesn’t want to go because she thinks it would be too challenging to see Haruhi.
However, she eventually decides to visit her anyway. The top cast includes, once again, the main protagonists.
6. A Silent Voice (2013)
A Silent Voice is another fantastic anime that will make you cry your eyes out. It’s about two boys who attend the same junior high school.
One day, they discover they have been assigned the same homeroom teacher. As a result, they become friends.
However, things worsen when the teacher begins to harass one of the boys sexually. The top cast includes, once more, the main protagonists who act themselves.
7. In This Corner Of The World (2016)
Suzu, a cheery and often distracted woman, resides in Eba, a beach town close to Hiroshima. Suzu enjoys drawing and painting the world around her as a child.
She frequently sees the world through a surrealistic lens that combines actual scenery with artistic flourishes.
Suzu, whose artistic ability grows, also creates a beautiful painting of her childhood crush. Suzu’s childhood crush is Tetsu, who is gazing out to sea and mourning the loss of his brother, who drowned while serving as a sailor.
At 18 years old, Suzu weds Shusaku, whom she has known since she was young, and moves in with his family as a navy civilian in Kure, a sizable naval port city 15 miles outside Hiroshima City, in 1943.
8. Toradora (2008-2009)
Toradora is next on our list of best sad anime on Netflix to binge-watch. Despite being a lovely guy, Ryuji Takasu is plagued with his father’s evil appearance, which makes others steer clear of him.
However, he lives with his mother in a dilapidated house. Living in a brand-new apartment next to Ryuji, Taiga Aisaka is a little selfish and a surprisingly strong young woman who has no idea how to take care of herself.
While they try to assist one another with their love lives, Ryuji cares for her, cooking, cleaning, and playing her dog’s role. The top cast voices Junji Majima, Ayako Kawasumi.
9. Violet Evergarden (2018)
Auto Memory Dolls are the focus of the narrative. The typewriter’s prototype was a device that was created. Professor Orlando, an expert in letterpress printing and a mechanical doll researcher, made it initially.
While Molly, his wife, was a novelist, she lost her writing ability after going blind. The first Auto-Memories Doll, designed by Dr. Orlando for her, was then made to record every word uttered by a human voice.
Additionally, the phrase now refers to the business of writing for other people. When the battle is done, and Violet Evergarden is no longer a soldier, the narrative follows her journey of reintegrating back into society and her quest to comprehend the final words of her master and guardian.
The top cast include, Yoko Hikasa, Maaya Uchida, Rie Tanaka, Tomokazu Sugita, Daiki Yamashita, and Chiaki Kuriyama.
10. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (2017)
Demon Slayers is next on our list of sad anime on Netflix to binge-watch. They are a group of warriors who fight demons. They are led by the demon slayer, Kiritsugu Emiya, also known as “the man who killed 100 demons”.
Kiritsugu is a kind-hearted man who loves his daughter but is forced to kill demons because of his past sins. However, he meets two girls, Setsuna and Kagura, who are demon slayers.
They become friends and help each other overcome their demons. The top cast include, Kouki Uchimura, Nana Komatsu, Yuuki Kaji, and Ryota Ohsaka.
11. Death Note (2006-2007)
Death Notes are notebooks given to specific individuals with the power to kill anyone whose name is written inside them.
L, a high school student, finds a notebook left behind by a serial killer named Light Yagami. He uses this notebook to kill criminals.
L, becomes obsessed with finding the identity of the person who wrote the death note and eventually becomes Kira, a vigilante who kills criminals. The top cast includes, Kenichi Matsuyama, Sayaka Senbongi, Eiji Takemoto, and Chisa Yokoyama.
12. Death Parade (2019)
Death Parade is the story of a girl named Natsuki Hanae, a high school student living in Tokyo.
She is a cheerful person who likes to make fun of things. One day, she gets involved in a mysterious incident where she sees a strange figure on the street.
She dreams about the figure, leading her to meet a boy named Tatsuya Shiba. He tells her that she will die if she does not change her life.
Natsuki decides to live her life differently from before, and she begins to see the world through different eyes.
The top cast including, Haruka Fukuhara, Aoi Miyazaki, and Masahiro Takashima.
13. Fullmetal Alchemist (2003)
The last on our list of best sad anime on Netflix is Fullmetal Alchemist. Fullmetal Alchemist is set during World War II.
To save his younger brother Edward Elric, the alchemist Edward Elric steals the Philosopher’s Stone from the enemy army.
Afterward, they go to America, where they meet a young woman named Winry Rockbell. She helps them get the stone back.
After returning home, Edward discovers that he has been turned into a homunculus or an artificial being.
He must find the remaining parts of the philosopher’s stone to restore himself. The top cast included Christopher Sabat, Phil Parsons, and Michael Sinterniklaas.
