Ever since tear-jerkers like Clannad After Story came along, it seems more and more anime series involve stories that can reduce fans to weeping dishrags by the end. From the beginning, Anime has featured intense stories and characters that deeply affect the emotions of viewers — for example, in the 70s we saw the dramatic death of Captain Okita of Space Battleship Yamato as he took a final look at Earth and the ascension of Nello and Patrasche into heaven in A Dog of Flanders. Looking at the comments I’ve seen in my Twitter feed and on the J-List Facebook Page, anime series that deeply affect us seem to be getting more common, and I often see big, burly men admit things like, “I cried like a baby, watching AnoHana…they were not manly tears.” Even shows that you don’t think of as especially deep can get you, like episode 20 of K-On! seaon 2 where Yui talks about next year’s culture festival, then the girls realize they’re high school seniors and won’t ever be playing in a high school band again after they graduate, and all break up in tears. I think emotional anime events like the ending of Madoka Magika are important because they become “shared moments” that allow us all to know we’re part of something larger.
There’s been a rise in the number of anime series that can deeply affect fans.
