The Special Exclusive Club: Anime That Made Me Bawl Like A Little Girl

No manly tears here unlike glothelegend's list. Or so he claims that they were MANLY tears. I personally think they were "Little Girl" tears like mine. I'm generally not one for crying over anime and all but the following 7 anime out of my to this date 2,442 watched anime list, have made me shed plenty of salty water from my eyes. Some just trickled out one at a time slowly, some streamed out fast but ended quickly, some poured out like they would never stop. Actually only one series seriously made me cry non-stop for a good 30 minutes.

Ordered from first anime to the last anime that have made me bawl:

1. Grave of the Fireflies
2. s-CRY-ed
3. Wolf's Rain
4. Oseam
5. Legend of the Galactic Heroes
6. Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Second Season
7. Toward the Terra TV

Read below at your own risk since there be spoilers.

Now looking at my list I see 1 typical sad anime that everyone cries at. Or at least I see it mentioned all the time in "What anime has made you cry" discussions. That of course is Grave of the Fireflies. I was really young when I saw it so I really don't remember if I cried all the way through or at certain points. I don't think I'm willing to re-watch it to find out exactly what made me cry either. War based movies IRL always get to me so it was really no surprise that the first anime I cried at was surrounded by war, sorrow, and hardships. Oseam almost falls into this same category but there was no war in it. Just pure melancholy sadness all the way through. If I had to pick the saddest anime ever for someone and didn't want it to sound cliche, I'd pick Oseam hands down. Brothers and sisters sure have it tough in these 2 movies.

Wolf's Rain certainly made me cry but it wasn't because of the actual show that tears came out. I'd like to consider myself a pretty big animal lover. So at the end of Wolf's Rain when all the wolves were "laying" down. I just cried quietly while I was on the couch. Thoughts of my past pets that have passed away poured into my mind and with what I was viewing it was only natural to cry and remember. There is almost nothing sadder than loosing a loved one especially if that loved one is a pet. They become part of your family and there's just an emptiness left when they leave.

If you haven't stopped reading yet I'm VERY serious that there are HUGE spoilers below.

Character deaths always hit me pretty hard. Especially when I get attached to them. Most of the time I can see it coming like I did in Season 2 of Gundam 00. That's the one anime that made me really angry that I cried at because I knew my favourite character Sergei Smirnov was going to die since S1. I didn't want it to be true I guess but well S2 did everything possible to make me rage cry over his death. I'm just glad I was alone in the room at that moment because it probably would have looked a little silly seeing my reactions to the episode. Scryed for being a super excitable shounen series it certainly pulled the rug out from under my feet when Kimishima passed away as Kazuma carried his injured friend. The crying little girl didn't help make his death any easier. It's always really hard to watch a death happen but it's even harder to keep watching and see the reactions of those that cared about the character. That's when my tears generally start to flow.

Space Opera's have got to be the best genre ever created. Weather it be real life ones like Babylon 5 (totally obsessed with) or anime ones, I become engrossed with the worlds and just gobble it all up like there's no tomorrow. Toward the Terra is the last anime space opera I have sat through and the last anime that has made me shed tears. It wasn't a lot of tears but the way they ended the series with pretty much EVERYONE I loved and cared dearly about in the series dead I just felt soul crushed. All through watching the series I was tangled with tears but none fell until the last episode. While I certainly did love Jomy and Keith a lot, Harley is the death that bothered me the most. He was just a secondary character that was the captain of the Mu's ship and all but I fell in love with his character. He was bold, charismatic, and knew when to take the backseat when it came to leadership. He was always there for Jomy when he needed to bounce ideas off of and always there to be a voice of reason when Jomy spiraled into self doubt. The series certainly wouldn't have been as awesome as it was without the amount of amazing secondary characters surrounding Jomy and Keith's epic battle.

Legend of the Galactic Heroes is not only my favourite anime ever but it also holds the title for me crying for at least 30 minutes over it. I had thought of the possibility of Yang Wen-li dying much earlier on in the series but that thought got put onto the back shelf in my mind as I became obsessed with the show upon viewing. When it happened my heart sank. I felt like the world was ending and I had just lost the man of my dreams with it. What made it even worse is how Julian reacted. What doubled that worse feeling is Frederica finding out. Hell even Reinhard getting message of Yang's passing was traumatic. Remember when I said that seeing how people react to a death is worse than actually seeing it? Legend of the Galactic Heroes takes the cake with death reactions for me.

So there you have it. I'm not completely heartless! Which anime has made you cry?

P.S. Anyone who says Clannad After Story shall be subjected to my laughter. ^__^

chii Finally Made One!

Favourites are a great thing. What makes these shows mine is that I think about them very often when I'm thinking about anime and wish to watch them more than once. Some of them I've already watched 5+ times. To be a favourite they also must be entertaining as a whole series. So if they have season 2's or more, I should have loved them just as much as their season one. Everything on the list below applies! I've been meaning to make this kind of list for many years now and I've finally sat down and mulled through all my anime titles and picked these 100 to be my absolute favourites.

Like digitalboy I'll be updating this list regularly from now on but not once a month. I will only update when I feel an anime has stood up to my standards to break into this 100 anime list. I will keep a list at the bottom of this page which of which anime has moved in and which it has kicked out. I doubt that it'll happen very often but time will tell. Check out my Does Not Want List for a taste of my dislikes.

1. Legend of the Galactic Heroes

2. Fullmetal Alchemist

3. Full Metal Panic!

4. Hikaru no Go

5. Macross Plus

6. Romance of the Three Kingdoms

7. Jyu Oh Sei

8. Baccano!

9. Ristorante Paradiso

10. Infinite Ryvius

11. Mushishi

12. Princess Mononoke

13. Serial Experiments Lain

14. Ninja Scroll

15. Berserk

16. Super Dimensional Fortress Macross

17. Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory

18. Strawberry Marshmallow

19. Hi no Tori

20. Nasu: Summer in Andalusia

21. Gintama

22. Neon Genesis Evangelion

23. Koi Kaze

24. Oseam

25. Rose of Versailles

26. You're Under Arrest!

27. Durarara!!

28. Kare Kano

29. Kita e ~Diamond Dust Drops~

30. Twelve Kingdoms

31. Kemono no Souja Erin

32. Cowboy Bebop

33. Crest of the Stars / Banner of the Stars

34. Mobile Suit Gundam 00

35. Himitsu: The Revelation

36. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni / Umineko no Naku Koro ni

37. 3 x 3 Eyes

38. Whisper of the Heart

39. Honey and Clover

40. Now and Then, Here and There

41. Katanagatari

42. Kurenai

43. s-CRY-ed

44. D.Gray-man

45. Hunter X Hunter

46. Yakitate!! Japan

47. Detroit Metal City

48. Battle Angel Alita

49. Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo

50. Last Exile

51. Turn A Gundam

52. Guin Saga

53. Blue Submarine No. 6

54. Haibane Renmei

55. Astro Fighter Sunred AKA Tentai Senshi Sunred

56. One Piece

57. Detective Conan

58. Kara no Kyoukai - The Garden of Sinners

59. Bokurano

60. Claymore

61. House of Five Leaves AKA Sarai-ya Goyou

62. Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo

63. Chobits

64. Vandread

65. Hotori: Tada Saiwai o Koinegau

66. Tytania

67. Heroic Age

68. Dirty Pair

69. Millennium Actress

70. Neko Rahmen

71. Kuruneko

72. Kuragehime

73. Puni Puni Poemy

74. Excel Saga

75. Arakawa Under the Bridge

76. Giant Robo

77. Dominion Tank Police

78. Canaan

79. Antique Bakery

80. Tokyo Godfathers

81. Iria: Zeiram The Animation

82. Nodame Cantabile

83. Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind

84. Grave of the Fireflies

85. Trigun

86. Alien Nine

87. Gunbuster

88. Texhnolyze

89. Rurouni Kenshin

90. Patlabor: The Mobile Police

91. Junjou Romantica

92. Ryofuko-chan

93. Gravitation

94. Gungrave

95. Sora no Otoshimono

96. Video Girl AI

97. Simoun

98. Shangri-La

99. .hack//SIGN

100. X: The Movie

Looking At The Ghibli Movies

Top 10 Ghibli Movies

Who doesn't like a list? Especially a list full of movies that almost everyone has seen because, well, it's Studio Ghibli! (Or at least should have seen ) I think it's rare to find an anime fan that knows nothing about Ghibli because even a lot of non anime fans have seen a movie or 2 from them. They are basically the Walt Disney of Anime. They put out amazing movies that try to appeal to the widest audiences.

1. Princess Mononoke - Seen this at least 20 times. All time favourite and I don't think anything can top it. Giant beast lords, a wild girl, and a prince. Add a really interesting story and side characters along with some amazing action. What's not to like?

2. Whisper of the Heart - This movie gives me such... I don't know how to really word it but I guess you could call it something like "tender moments" feeling. Everything about it I loved to bits and the end almost made me cry. It had really good music in it too.

3. Grave of the Fireflies - WW2 movies in general I really like and will almost always make me cry. This one was no exception and is due for another re-watch if I can bring myself to do it. Touching and very powerful.

4. The Cat Returns - An indirect sequel to Whisper of the Heart. It takes the cat character that was in that movie and gives it it's own. It's a marvelous tale and all cat lovers should watch it. It's sure to get a giggle or 2 out of you for sure.

5. Kiki's Delivery Service - It's actually been a really long time since I saw this movie. (Basically since I was a kid) It's probably time for a re-watch to see if it stands up to how awesome I rememeber it being. I remember laughing a lot and that there was a really cute cat.

6. Howl's Moving Castle - Tis about a castle that moves around! What more do I need.

7. Pom Poko - Is Ghibli's version of Once Upon a Forest. I generally really like movies that revolve around animals that can talk and wish to save their homes. These animals were very funny and creative in getting what they wanted.

8. Laputa: Castle in the Sky - Maybe I like floating or moving objects that shouldn't really be where they are or moving because I thought this place was pretty special. It was fun and had all the typical Ghibli characters in it that I have come to enjoy.

9. Spirited Away - I know a lot of people think this is the best Ghibli movie ever made but honestly, it just was average to me. I laughed once while watching it and yes of course it was that scene with her running down the staires and smacking right into the wall. That was awesome. I have good memories of watching it with my sister and rewinding that part over and over again to laugh at it with her. That memory is probably why it is at spot 9.

10. Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea - I honestly expected a whole lot more out of this movie. It's really only on the list because I dislike all the other movies below even more.

Ponyo will most likely be booted out when The Borrower Arrietty comes out this summer but we'll see how much I like it. I have high hopes.

Others that didn't make it. Continuing the numbering order from above.

11. My Neighbor Totoro - Too many screaming kids. The only enjoyable thing about this movie for me was the Cat Bus. I do however completely understand why some (most) people love it to bits.

12. Porco Rosso - While the pig man was fun, I just didn't get into it as much as I thought I would. I still really like it when I see cosplayers at con's spotting the pig nose.

13. Gedo Senki - I fell asleep about 4 times before I could finish the movie. Enough said.

14. My Neighbors The Yamadas - A weird movie about a weird family. It was alright I guess but not very interesting or funny. I think it was trying to go for funny anyway.

15. Ocean Waves - Slice of Life... About a girl who wants to go to the countryside because she was born and raised in Toyko. While I completely understand that desire... In movie form it's boring.

16. Only Yesterday - Slice of Life... Coming of age tale... School kids...This is probably as worse as it gets for me in irritating plots that are overdone.

Oddly enough all these movies are rated 4/10. I think that is pretty good because I'm pretty harsh with my movie and ova ratings. This just goes to show while I'm clearly not a Studio Ghibli fangirl, I have enjoyed these movies enough not to give them complete crap ratings. (Even though I'm sure some people are to disagree with that statement. )

Shout outs to some that should be on the list but are not because of special reasons.

On Your Mark - It's simply a music video but if they ever made that into a movie it would instantly be in my top 10 list. I love the music in the video and the girl with wings is so pretty and cute! It's amazing how much story can get through in a 7 minute video.

Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind - This would be 3rd or 2nd if I included it. I don't because it was made before Ghibli was formed but it's one of the first anime movies I ever watched and one of the first manga I read too. Definitely a favourite anime movie. It was a gateway for the rest of Studio Ghibli movies so it really stands alone in a category of it's own for me.