Despite failing his college entrance exams, Tsukasa Mizugaki has managed to land a job. He now works at Sion Artificial Intelligence Corporation as one of the people who bring in the androids, known as “Giftias,” when their expiration date is up. Tsukasa is paired with a lovely Giftia called Isla, who is one of the best in Giftia retrievals in the whole country. But when Isla’s time is almost up as well, will Tsukasa be able to find the words to express how he feels?

The relationships between Giftia and humans are what drive the emotion of Plastic Memories. As the characters explore what it means to truly be human, we, in turn, can see the parallels in our own world, though the settings might be vastly different. Of course, the romance aspect of the anime increases our emotional attachment to the characters’ outcome. Despite being packed with emotion, Plastic Memories can fall a bit short at times because of common tropes that it adheres to. Yet, if you manage to overlook these things, this show has a sea of emotion behind it to enjoy!

A strange epidemic begins to plague the small village of Sotoba, heralded by the death of fifteen-year-old Megumi Shimizu. Toshio Ozaki, a doctor for the people of Sotoba, is among the first to suspect that this disease might be more than it seems. In order to save what is left of the village, Toshio and Natsuno Yuuki must team up to stop the vampires now running rampant. In a world where the line between good and evil is unclear, who will manage to survive in the end?

On the surface, Shiki seems like nothing more than another supernatural-horror anime with an interesting story. Yet, this show is surprisingly deep, looking at the line between monster and man while somehow managing to draw the audience in emotionally. Shiki tells an old-school tale of vampires in a world where people aren’t prepared for the supernatural to invade. The anime brings in true fear that we don’t often feel from watching a show, fear for both the characters in this world and fear for what might happen to us if we encountered a similar situation. We are truly invested in the characters’ fates, creating an emotional attachment that is built out of seeing ourselves in them and makes us want to see it through to the end.

The Holy Grail War is a fight to the death between mages, each trying to outdo the last with their own Servants to fight for them. These Servants are heroes from another time, brought back by the power of the Holy Grail - though each comes with their own baggage from their past life. Each Holy Grail War is deadlier than the last, risking the lives of mages and innocent bystanders alike. But this time when the Fourth Holy Grail War manifests itself, fates intertwine, and humanity might suffer a fatal blow…

Fate/Zero is just one of several storylines in the Fate series, and each one has managed to tug at our heartstrings in its own way. However, Fate/Zero is probably the most emotional one to date, especially if you’ve watched any of the other series and already know the inevitable outcome for the people involved. Even if Fate/Zero is a brand new tale for you, the fact that the Fourth Holy Grail War is a battle royale in which no one’s safety is guaranteed will be a constant reminder in the back of your mind. And yet you will still be emotionally invested in the characters you meet along the way!

Satoru Fujinuma discovers that he has an incredible ability – when a tragedy is about to happen, he goes back several minutes before the specific moment occurs to change events. He calls this ability “Revival,” using this newfound gift to save many lives along the way. But when he is wrongfully accused of murder, Satoru finds himself sent back 18 years into his past! In order to protect those he loves in his present day, Satoru must solve the past murder of one of his classmates, Kayo Hinazuki.

Erased is an interesting look at what it looks like to move on from the grief of a loved one – and what it looks like when someone doesn’t move on. This anime can be confusing at times, but the characters are what really make it shine, with plenty of characters that you will find yourself rooting for. The plot has plenty of moments of suspense, especially toward the beginning of the show, that make you wonder where your favorite characters will end up. A lot about Erased remains a mystery that twelve short episodes can’t explain, yet the emotion behind it remains consistent for many viewers. Its beauty and tragedy combine to make a realistic world for us to delve into!

Kids don’t often think of the consequences of their actions on their future, and young Shouya Ishida is no exception, bullying deaf Shouko Nishimiya along with the rest of his elementary school friends. But when Shouko transfers out of school and Shouya is given all the blame, he is rejected by his classmates for years, suffering through bullying of his own. Now in high school, Shouya is haunted by his past mistakes and decides to seek out Shouko to make amends.

Though the shadows of the past seek to overwhelm him, Shouya strives to try to be better and redeem himself - something that we should all learn from! A Silent Voice has a story that stays with you because it is easy to put yourself in at least one of the character’s shoes. This movie is able to deal with difficult discussions without giving too many definite answers, leaving it open-ended for us to fill the spaces with our own experiences. It is a thoughtful film, yet also emotional in its execution.

On small Sentan Island, life is secluded from the rest of the world’s problems. The war is far from everyone’s mind, with our protagonist Akiyuki Takehara more focused on the separation in his parent’s marriage than any impending conflict. When headed to school with his friends Haru and Furuichi one day, Akiyuki and his classmates are caught up in a mysterious explosion. But the explosion isn’t what causes Akiyuki pain – it is the strange light that enters into his arm! Caught up in a whirlwind of events no one could have predicted, Akiyuki is swept along on a difficult journey that will teach him about the truths of life.

Bounen no Xamdou is one of those anime that throw a plethora of characters at you, but somehow manage to give them all time to develop and become uniquely memorable. This show does have quite a lot going on in terms of themes and storyline, but each piece is well thought out and has great depth to it. At each turn of the story, you may not even realize how attached you’ve become to characters until their tale ends and you feel that void they left behind. Bounen no Xamdou does struggle at times with its seemingly random plot, but this is definitely a show that becomes stronger over time, especially when it comes to emotion. This anime may not be one that everyone will enjoy, but for those that do, the ending will certainly bring on the tears!

When people die, they believe that they are sent to either heaven or hell – but little do they suspect that they will instead be judged on whether they should be reincarnated or sent to oblivion! A pair of people will be brought before an arbiter, where they challenge each other in a random game to see their true natures surface. This is Quindecim, where Decim, a thoughtful bartender, judges each soul he encounters.

A series of individual episodes surrounding the pairings receiving judgment, Death Parade eventually forms into its own main plot. When an unknown guest changes Decim’s world, humanity’s truest forms of emotion shine forth. Death Parade is a show with relatively little change in setting, but a variety of character development along the way – and that is what makes it so impressive! The themes and emotions are so realistic and deep that we feel drawn into each trial that the characters must face. We get to see the world through Decim’s eyes - we marvel when the world begins to change for our steadfast arbiter, and then we mourn with him as he realizes that he must move on.

Jinta Yadomi and his childhood group of friends used to spend every day together when they were young – that is, until their friend Meiko “Menma” Honma met a tragic fate. When Jinta is awoken from his days as a recluse by the ghost of Menma, he remembers a wish she had told him when they were young. Despite the pain of reliving their friend’s death, Jinta and his friends must band together to help Menma’s wish come true, and finally put her to rest.

In spite of the front that Jinta and his friends put up a front when they’re around each other, each character was affected by Menma’s death with strong emotions. As we learn the way that each person has dealt with the loss and grief, we can identify ourselves in them. Ano Hi Mita no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai manages to highlight the way that death affects us all, while making us feel that Menma’s death was personal to us as well. This anime is infamous for its emotional connection with viewers, and it’s easy to see why!

Coming from the same tragic veins as Clannad, Clannad: After Story begins after Tomoya Okazaki and Nagisa Furukawa graduate from high school. The two must lean on each other for emotional support as they deal with the hard work of growing up. Even as their real world moves forward, so does time in the Illusionary World… This anime continues the emotional story from before, dealing with the issues arising from being an adult, as well as the importance of family ties.

Clannad: After Story has a profound effect on viewers’ lives, changing the way that many look at the world. The anime expands perfectly on the setup of Clannad itself, allowing older viewers to identify with the new struggles that Tomoya and Nagisa face. Yet whereas the original Clannad is a slice-of-life anime with a few sad points, Clannad: After Story takes its plot to a whole new level of emotional depth. This really takes shape in the last section of the story. There is a reason that this anime has become a classic in its genre, and it is the depth of true emotion felt from the characters.

In terms of realistic and relatable emotion, Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is the best of the best, telling the tale of middle school student Mirai Onozawa and her family trying to survive the aftermath of a powerful earthquake. Mirai and her brother Yuuki are alone in Odaiba when the disaster strikes, leaving them stranded from their parents. Thankfully, the two run into a single mother named Mari Kusakabe, who is trying to get back to her own family and helps the two along. On their treacherous journey through the city, these three will learn the true strength of family ties.

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is the most emotional and feels-inducing anime on our list for a reason! The plot is realistic, often explaining exactly how emergency services or city leadership might react to such a disaster. Not only that, the story of Mirai and Yuuki is one that most people can relate to, even those who might not be particularly close with their family. Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 deals with the strong family bonds threaded with emotional ties, and what we have to go through to keep holding on to those people we care most about, even when we might be angry with them. This is definitely an anime that will stick with you for a long time and still moves with strong emotion, which makes it worthy of being the top of our list.