What are some good sad animes?

[Moderated]

I've already seen Elfen Lied, Angel Beats, Clannad, Clannad:Afterstory, and AnoHana.
AnoHana got the closest to making me cry, but didn't get the tears to fall. I mean, it makes me tear up just looking at clips of it or hearing the opening, but no tears fall. I want to find an anime where I can't hold back my tears.

 

[JoJo]

Grave of the Fireflies is an anime film and damn sad, crushing even. Only three films have ever successfully brought me to tears and GotF was one of them. Watch that if you haven't already and if you don't cry manly tears... well then no-one can help you.

 

[Chromatic Aberration]

Tragedies are fun.

Try,

* 5 Centimeters per Second [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Anime/FiveCentimetersPerSecond?from=Film.FiveCentimetersPerSecond]: a set of three short stories telling the story of a love unfulfilled. Contrasts beautiful landscape shots with the emptiness inside the main character. Albeit borderline kitsch it still manages to fuck you up if you can get behind it.

* Samurai X - Trust & Betrayal [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Manga/RurouniKenshin?from=Main.RurouniKenshin]: prequel to the Rouroni Kenshin (Samurai X) series and, damn, this is a beautiful mess. A tragedy in the truest sense it tells the story of an assassin who falls in love only to have everything he has crushed by the cruel nature of the story. Beautiful visuals and thoroughly depressing.

* Puella Magi Madoka Magica [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica]: Don't let the appearance fool you. If you can stomach the Magical Girl elements this one is one of the most perfect animes I've seen and one of the most crushing tragedies in anime to witness. Everything I could say is a spoiler so I just say, go and watch it. It is as good (and soulcrushing) as everyone says.

 

[Moderated]

Tragedies are fun.

Do I need to have seen Rouroni Kenshin to get that?
Also, already seen Madoka and loved it.

 

[Chromatic Aberration]

Tragedies are fun.

Do I need to have seen Rouroni Kenshin to get that?
Also, already seen Madoka and loved it.

Nice. No, you don't need to see the series - it's a stand-alone prequel.

 

[The Wykydtron]

Angel Beats. Perfect blend of comedy and tragedy ever written, it's about a group of spirits unable to move on with their second life because their first one ended in the most unfair and abrupt way possible leaving them in a certain purgatory. They rebel against the god who allowed it to happen (breaking the school rules 24/7) with Angel trying to keep them in line.

Which god is it exactly is nicely unclear. Like the Christian god but with reincarnation. Episode 10 is a good example. Also the best episode because i'm a massive romantic at heart and I adore Tsundere characters.

Basically Clannad with a nicer ending and no Afterstory. I hated Afterstory...

EDIT: Did I really misread the opening post? FUCK!

I got nothin' :S I'm watching Madoka Magica now and I never find all the sad animes, even classic ones without recommendations

Why do I get the feeling that i'm likely to laugh at Madoka Magica instead of cry after witnessing episode 3?

Cuz that was FUNNY.

 

[Ultress]

Chrono Crusade,it's mostly action oriented with some tragic elements.The ending is heart breakingly sad for reason that the show semi spoils.Well worth it.

 

[Spacewolf]

Wow you managed to get my top 3 saddest picks in the OP although I would say everything in Anohana apart from the first two and last two are pointless. (Angel Beats, Both Clannads and Ano just for reference I haven't seen Elfen)

Others- Kannon but it seemed abit derivative to me, Toradora is sort of happy tear inducing so might be a suggestion as well as Chuunibyou. From what I've heard Air might be alright as well

But sad from start to end I think is pretty much impossible and as far as I can come up with you've already seen the best sad ones

 

[Auron225]

Grave of the Fireflies is an anime film and damn sad, crushing even. Only three films have ever successfully brought me to tears and GotF was one of them. Watch that if you haven't already and if you don't cry manly tears... well then no-one can help you.

I'll second this. It's an absolute masterpiece, but I can't bring myself to watch it twice. I can only have my heart crushed like that once 0.0

Also, I'll 2nd 5 centimeters per second. It's pretty sad - beautiful though.

Aside from those? Umm... nothing comes to mind right now. I guess I'm just here to second things

 

[Someone Depressing]

Arashi no Yoru ni.

Romeo and Juliet but with animals instead. And a creepy fanbase.

And Eureka Seven. There are two continuities: The anime/mange and the OVA (sleep tight, good night, young lovers). Neither has anything to do with each other; it's confusing, and sometimes hard to follow, and the English dubbing's... eh, but it really can hit close to home. Just ignore the fact that the male lead pees himself every so often, and the sad moments will be pretty effective.

 

[Dimitriov]

I've already seen Elfen Lied, Angel Beats, Clannad, Clannad:Afterstory, and AnoHana.
AnoHana got the closest to making me cry, but didn't get the tears to fall. I mean, it makes me tear up just looking at clips of it or hearing the opening, but no tears fall. I want to find an anime where I can't hold back my tears.

Air is a quite beautiful and tragic anime. It made me tear up, and it's probably the only sad anime with which I am familiar.

[link]en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Air_episodes[/link]

 

[Barciad]

Haibane Renmei - A very delicate and well written series.
Infinite Ryvius - Not all that dark until the final third. Then you will be curled up in a little ball.
Now and Then, Here and There - The single most harrowing anime series that I have ever seen. After an uneven first episode, it soon gets going. It is not so much what you see, but what is implied. Something many other series could learn from.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

WTH? No Cowboy Bebop out of any of you?!

Yeah though, OP. Cowboy Bebop. If you haven't seen it, you need to. Ignore everything else at least until you've watched a couple of the good episodes.

 

[Marik2]

Not sure if you want sad manga since everyone else said the animes that were in my mind.

 

[Micalas]

Good choices. I've heard of most of these and have cried to one. I'll give these a shot when I'm depressed.

 

[Spacewolf]

I also remember hearing about a show called Sola but haven't seen it myself so someone else will have to confirm its sadness.

 

[Moderated]

Basically Clannad with a nicer ending and no Afterstory. I hated Afterstory...

How does a person even type that without dying?

edit: Oh yeah, IHow could I forget Higurashi No Naku Koro ni. It's really weird but it all makes sense by the end. It has a bit of annoying anime tropes but it's worth it.

I loved Higurashi, and it was a lot of things, but I don't remember it ever being sad. Just funny as shit, creepy, or cringy.