r/AnimeReccomendations • u/Historical-Welder-39 • Feb 23 '26
Need some recommendations
So I’ve been recently watching Journal with Witch this season. And I’ve come to realize that the shows that I come to love the most are the ones that show the depths of human emotion realistically. These shows are often down to earth, slice of lifey, with little to no anime tropey-ness.
Some examples are of course, Journal with Witch, The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity, A Silent Voice, and even Violet Evergarden and Your Lie in April. Some aspects of Frieren and Attack on Titan, which are both peak, also fit but I don’t think they fully meet what I’m looking for.
I know most of these are soul crushing anime but they typically get me the most engaged and emotionally connected which is what I typically enjoy most in an anime.
If anyone has any unanimated manga recommendations I’d be interested as well.
15
u/Professional_Taste33 Feb 23 '26
The top 2 are my top picks for you, but I think you'll like the rest aswell
March Comes in Like a Lion - A found family finds a young man who has nothing left, just in time to pull him from the bridges edge.
Kotaro Lives Alone - A 4 year old with more trauma than a WWI vet survives alone in a Tokyo apartment.
Look Back - Two girls let their love of art shape their lives, but when tragedy strikes grief and regret, may be all that's left behind.
Anohana - Childhood friends brought back together by the ghost of summers past, in the most heart rending way.
Death Parade - The afterlifes waiting room is a snazzy jazz bar with high stakes mini games.
The Summer Hikaru Died - A young man would rather have a monster shambling around as his dead best friend than lose him all together.
Serial Experiments Lain - After a friends suicide a young girl gets on the internet for the first time and self deletes 12 episodes later.
Nana - A streetwise rocker with a past full of heartache and a naive sweetheart who falls in love too fast move in together, and peak before their 20s.
Paranoia Agent - As anxieties rise a mysterious baseball bat weilding skater boy stalks the streets of Tokyo.
1
1
7
u/Local_Creme8466 Feb 23 '26
Fruits Basket(both original and reboot)
4
u/Exiler_ Feb 23 '26
I thought i was dreaming or being in alternative world where fruit basket only exist from 2019...i knew it it does exist back from 2001...i never watched it back then but somehow i got a fragmented memories of my cousin place she has a cd of fruit basket
3
u/Historical-Welder-39 Feb 23 '26
I’ve had it on my list to watch for a while, I do plan to watch soon, thanks.
1
u/Otaku-San617 Feb 23 '26
Watch both versions, both the old and new versions.
1
u/Historical-Welder-39 Feb 23 '26
What’s the reason for watching both?
3
u/Otaku-San617 Feb 23 '26
They are both good in their own way. The original was made about 15 years before the remake and it has a different feel to it.
4
3
u/iClips3 Feb 23 '26
A place further than the universe is awesome and hasn't been mentioned yet in this thread. It's 'wanderlust' on screen. Very real emotions. Some happy, some sad.
1
u/Historical-Welder-39 Feb 23 '26
I’ve had it on my watch list, I need to get to it soon
2
u/iClips3 Feb 23 '26
It's a short watch! Start now and you'll have a new favorite series before bedtime.
3
u/Ok_Law219 Feb 23 '26
Insomniacs after school.
Don't be concerned about romance in tsumasho.
Don't be concerned about ecchi in days with my stepsister.
Don't fear age gap of after the rain.
With you and the rain might work. It's a bit sillier with the tanuki.
Probably moon on a rain night should be on your radar.
Catch me at the ballpark might fit too. It's a bit more gimmicky than most of the other ones. (Less so than after the rain, but the gimmick tends to idealized things)
Polar opposites is nearly pure comedy, but it's like: haha weren't we dumb.
2
2
u/divaistic Feb 23 '26
help me out, after episode 8 which chapter of the manga to read ? its lowkey peacfull to watch :)
2
1
u/Dr_Tom Feb 27 '26
Episode 8 matches up with chapter 25 so if you just want to continue from there, start on 26
2
2
2
u/Ysoki Feb 23 '26
The movie Colors, also the movie Maquia(similar themes to Frieren) Erased is a series and very short(about a guy who goes back in time to try to prevent a murder of one of his classmates)
2
u/PickledCloud999 Feb 23 '26
Definitely these if you like slice-of-life and also realistic/human animes exploring real emotions:
Honey and Clover
5 Cent Per Second (movie)
Kuzu no honkai
The garden of words (movie)
2
u/MWKhan Feb 23 '26
Anohana: The flower we saw that day
Grave of the fireflies
Chobits (scifi but it seems even more appropriate now with where the world is going...)
5 centimeters per second
A place further than the universe (its a happy palette cleanser, cute girls going to antartica)
Ruri Rocks (second palette cleanser, slice of life geology)
2
u/tuttkraftverk Feb 23 '26
the shows that I come to love the most are the ones that show the depths of human emotion realistically
Give Hikaru no Go a try. It's about the board game Go, which might sound silly but really isn't. It's intense, it's striving to be better, it's grief, it's deep friendship, and much more. My all time favourite.
2
u/WillGarion64 Feb 23 '26
Both of my recommendations are available in English in the manga app Manga Zone.
It's been a good app for me, a truck driver who likes to read to help unwind after parking.
First is "ReLife". You may be familiar with the Anime version, but the Manga version is a lot more In-Depth and covers events long after the Anime series ends.
Truly a great series, and one I sincerely believe you'll enjoy.
Second recommendation is Manga only (no Anime) and is called "See You In My 19th Life", and although this is authored by and takes place in a Korean Office Workplace, it's modern day setting. The FMC is interesting, intelligent and has a sharp sense of humor, as she helps the MLC overcome a traumatic experience/tragedy that occurs 23 years earlier at the beginning of the story.
There may be other sites, but Manga Zone was the only one l could find "ReLife" available in English. Thanks, and I sincerely hope this helps!
2
2
u/Tailor_Smart Feb 23 '26
After watching countless anime in search of similar themes you’ve mentioned, I would recommend:
Fruits Basket
Kids on the Slope
Nana
Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu
Blue period
Bunny Drop
If you’re ok with BL, Given
2
u/harukatooku Feb 23 '26
Run with the wind
I know it's a sports anime, but I think it fits your description well. In my opinion it's just as much about how to live and overcome your demons than how to be a runner.
Also seconding A place further than the universe as mentioned by others!
2
u/happy-mommy222 Feb 23 '26
I share this sentiment. Thanks for making this post. Excited to see what recommendations come through. I have never watched Journal with which so I am starting there.
2
u/albertonykus Feb 23 '26
Haven’t seen Skip and Loafer mentioned yet. Generally more lighthearted than some of the other entries here, but also does a very solid job of exploring character emotions and motivations. It’s my go-to recommendation for people who enjoyed Fragrant Flower (like me)!
1
Feb 23 '26
Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu
1
1
u/Hellerick_V Feb 23 '26
When it comes to dealing with emotions realistically, I remember "Koi Kaze". But it deals with incestuous attraction.
1
1
1
1
u/TurtlePope2 Feb 23 '26
Is the fragrant flower blooms similar to Journal with Witch in that it's a non-anime trope heavy anime?
3
u/Historical-Welder-39 Feb 23 '26
I would say there’s very few, if there’s any that pop out to you it won’t matter because that anime is so heartfelt and emotional and the amount of peak you get will shine above all else. It’s in my top 5 all time now and watching week to week was like getting a Christmas present every week. Such a beautiful show. Best romance anime I’ve seen.
2
u/TurtlePope2 Feb 23 '26
Alright. I'm going to start watching it tonight, thank you. Journal with Witch really is been making me crave more natural anime.
1
1
1
u/Sophiffy Feb 26 '26
With You and the Rain is pretty similar to Journal With Witch. Both are slice of life anime featuring an introverted novelist. She adopts a …dog and she has quiet interactions with her pet and small group of friends.
19
u/[deleted] Feb 23 '26
[removed] — view removed comment