As a child, Ishida Shouya was cruel in his pursuits of entertainment. He decided to bully the transfer student in his class, Nishimiya Shouko, who was also deaf, just for fun. While Shouya was not the only one to bully Shouko, the class singled him out and ostracized him for it after Shouko transferred out of the class. The teachers, thinking Shouya deserving of such treatment, ignored the fact that all of his classmates bullied him. In the present day, Shouya is in his last year of high school and still a victim of his past mistakes. Determined to right his wrongs, Shouya sets out to make things right with Shouko once more.

As another anime by the same animation studio, Kyoto Animation, we cannot help but find similarities in Koe no Katachi’s animation style alone. Released in Japan in 2016, Koe no Katachi stirred up a storm amongst many otaku with its complex story of friendship, living in the past, and working towards a better future, quite similar to the story of Tamako Love Story. There’s even the theme of love, not just for the love between friends, that is also an undercurrent in Tamako Love Story. If you are looking for a coming of age story where the main character is forced to grow up and work towards a brighter future the way Tamako was forced to, watch Shouya in his attempts to better his life and right his wrongs in Koe no Katachi.

Miyamizu Mitsuha is a normal high school girl who wishes to leave her countryside home for the bustling city that is Tokyo. In Tokyo, Tachibana Taki is a boy who lives in Tokyo and spends his time either at school or at his part-time job saving up for his aspiration as an architecture. One day, these two wake up in each other’s bodies and are forced to go through each other’s lives. This becomes a common phenomenon every few days, but they may have more importance in each other’s lives than they ever could have predicted.

It’s hard to mention a movie like Koe no Katachi without also mentioning Kimi no Na wa, an anime movie that took the world by storm, outsold Spirited Away in the box office and became a booming success outside of Japan in countries like China and the US. The love story of Tamako Love Story is similar to that of Kimi no Na wa. Like Tamako, Mizuha and Taki did not feel any love for each other during their encounters. When they realize that they might not encounter each other again, they take their romance into their own hands. However, unlike in Tamako Love Story, there is a lot more that is going to happen should Mizuha and Taki decide to grab life by the horns and pursue their love. If you are looking for a similar romance with the same heartwarming feeling but a more thrilling plot, check out the critically acclaimed Kimi no Na wa for a story you won’t soon forget.

Toono Takaki and Shinohara Akari are torn away from each other when Akari is forced to move due to her father’s job. Despite the distance, Takaki and Akari continue their friendship through mail. Through the years, Takaki and Akari go down different paths in life but still, they remember each other fondling at the toughest of times. While they may not keep in contact anymore, they still wonder if they can take a chance to meet once more.

At one point, it was hard to mention anime movies without mentioning 5 Centimeters per Second. Think of this anime as what will occur between Tamako and Mochizou when he leaves for Tokyo. Taking that idea of lovers who are separated, we get to see how two people who clearly have feelings for each other adapt to life before they can really settle their feelings. Despite all that happens in their lives, they are each other’s rock, much like Tamako and Mochizou. If you are looking for a touching anime movie that really reaches down to your core like Tamako Love Story, 5 Centimeters per Second is for you.

Byousoku 5 Centimeter Trailer

Oumae Kumiko has given up music after a mishap at a concert band competition in middle school. However, upon enterting high school, Kumiko finds herself surrounded by people who all want to join the brass band. Thanks to her friends, Kumiko’s love for music is renewed and she is able to play once more. However, Kumiko will also have to rely on the new band advisor, Taki Noboru to help lead them to the national band competition as well.

One real theme that we haven’t explored in detail about Tamako Love Story is the theme of friendship. While Tamako is trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life, she finds true meaning in friendship in those around her and especially Mochizue. This type of theme rings so true in Hibike! Euphonium Movie: Kitauji Koukou Suisougaku-bu e Youkoso. These students will get together and will be forced to work cohesively if they wish to win the regional concert. This may also involve overcoming a few personal hurdles together. Hibikie! Euphonium Movie is an anime movie that really tackles the idea of friendship, teamwork, and working cohesively to accomplish a single goal moreso than we see in Tamako Love Story. If that was your favorite part of Tamako Love Story, please look towards Hibike! Euphonium Movie for more!

A fate encounter between Akizuki Takao, a boy who dreams of making shoes, and Yukino Yukari, a mysterious young woman, changes their lives. Takao offers to make Yukari new shoes and so, the two of them continue to meet and comfort each other throughout the rainy season. They both have gone through a lot and while they both help to bring comfort to each other’s lives, they’ll have to figure out a way to overcome their obstacles before the rainy season and their relationship end.

Kotonoha no Niwa was an amazing movie when it first came out and to this day, it is still a great movie to recommend to many otaku. Like Tamako Love Story, Kotonoha no Niwa plays off the ideas of moving towards the future. While Tamako is trying to figure out what she wishes to do with her life, Takao and Yukari are trying to figure out a way to move onwards in life considering the hardships they are going through right now. While we cannot go too deep into the plot, we know that this is going to be a movie you love with its themes and how heartwarming it can be.

As a child, Jun Naruse believed in fairy tales and happily ever afters. With her big mouth, this caused her whole life to come crashing down when she witnesses something seemingly spectacular and reports it to her mother. Now Naruse is being blamed for her parents’ divorce. As a result, Naruse’s feelings of regret become tangible in the form of a fairy egg which seals Naruse from being able to speak to prevent Naruse from saying anything else that will ruin lives. Despite being a student now, Naruse cannot speak even now. However, she has been chosen to appear alongside several students in a musical at school.

While The Anthem of the Heart is not exactly like Tamako Love Story, they are both heartwarming with similar protagonists. Despite not having many similarities, if you fell in love with Tamako Love Story, we know that you’ll enjoy The Anthem of the Heart with its touching notes and simple yet resonating messages that will grab at you similarly, if not more so, than Tamako Love Story. Like Tamako in her present day, Naruse used to be really naive and childish. As she’s grown disillusioned through the years, we see how she closes herself off from others despite her desire to speak to other people. We get to see how Naruse has closed herself off, but at the same time, her willingness to communicate with her classmates in other methods speaks volumes of what is in her heart. We haven’t even mentioned how she makes sure her voice is heard. We would hate to spoil even a second of this anime movie, so give it a shot and we know you won’t regret it.