One question I think a lot about it’s, why is anime unique? Other then the music of Weird Al Yanovich and perhaps video games, I can’t think of any other medium that appeals to such wide range of humanity, from old, jaded fans whose love of anime dates back to the 1970s like me to the 15-year-olds I sometimes have interesting discussions with at anime conventions. I think the reason anime is so unique is the “feels,” e.g. the emotional connections we form with the characters on the screen as they struggle to meet their specific goals.
It’s the kind of emotions we experience watching the outstanding Kimetsu no Yaiba, aka Demon Slayer, the story of a boy named Tanjiro whose entire family is killed by a demon, except his adorable younger sister Nezuko, who becomes a half-demon as a result of the attack. Tanjiro goes on a journey to become a demon slayer and find a way to make his sister human again, killing demons as he seeks out the one responsible for the murder of his family. When Tanjiro and Nezuko encounter a kind motherly demon named Tamayo and her companion Yushiro, Nezuko hugs Tamayo and pats the protesting Yushiro on the head, as if she’s found replacements for her slain mother and brothers. It’s a touching and emotional moment we can’t easily find in mainstream entertainment like Hollywood films or Game of Thrones.
What other anime series offered extremely touching scenes? I asked J-List’s Twitter followers and here are some of our favorites…
- The recent My Roommate is a Cat, the story of a man dealing with the death of his parents by adopting a stray cat, is outstanding. Each episode is told in two halves, one from the viewpoint of the humans, and again from the cat.
- Clannad is a fabulous anime that everyone should see. While the second half is an extremely emotional ride, even the first series, a more traditional harem anime, has its moments, like the scene after the tennis game when Kyou and Ryou both realize they’ve not been chosen, and break up crying.
- The “you found me!” climax in AnoHana.
- Pretty much every film by Makoto Shinkai can affect viewers deeply. The ending to 5cm Per Second left me an emotional dishrag to the point that I almost didn’t go see Your Name.
- The “crying porn” episode in season 2 of K-On! when the girls are talking about what they want to do for next year’s culture festival performance, even though they’re graduating.
- Several pivotal scenes in Gurren Lagann which remind us that life is like a roller coaster: the highs are meaningless but for the lows.
- The fireworks scene from I Want To Eat Your Pancreas.
I could literally go on forever since there are great scenes in almost every anime you could name, but you get a general idea.
Why is anime unique, to you? What are your favorite “feels” scenes? Tell us what you think on Twitter!
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