Gakkougurashi!

Anime where suffering (psychological, emotional, or physical) is a recurring theme.

Includes each of the ‘main’ instalments of the listed media.

P.S. don’t take this too seriously, these shows have a lot more to offer than just the suffering factor, I just thought it would be an interesting list to make :)

Anime that can be defined by their SOL or otherwise “normal life” elements, but have some particular features (e.g. dark undertones, supernatural happenings, huge secrets, etc.) which make them wildly different from your classic Nichijou, Azumanga Daiou, or K-On!

The “EXTREME” part is mostly an exaggeration for title’s sake, since about 75% of the runtime is typically just normal SOL content.

Wholesome/SOL anime with a majority female cast, but also has some pandering fanservice involved in the anime, some more than others. Mainly to do with suggestive camera work or a lot of skin shown. Sometimes they tease yuri. Ecchi is never in the genre list.

I'm going off memory and only stuff I've seen.

We only sell anime that makes you cry here.

If you watch anything on this list, be prepared to bawl.

This differs from my suffering list, as not all of these are “cruel”. Rather, many might even make you cry because of how sweet they are.

Each entry is labeled with “wholesome”, “heartbreak”, or “both” to symbolise why you will be left in tears afterwards.

*Note these are just based on my own and the general community’s experiences. If you are particularly resistant to crying while watching movies or shows, some of these might not work for you.

Anime where one (or more) of the characters turns into something (or someone) else unexpectedly.

This stack is only for entries where this transformation is a core or recurring plot point, and will not include one-off episodic specials which have no bearing on the overall story.

SPOILERS AHEAD, SINCE THE DESCRIPTIONS WILL SHOW WHAT THE CHARACTERS TURNED INTO.

Don't read the summary, don't ask others their opinion, don't look up spoilers, just turn on episode 1 and watch.