Drama Anime

Based on the novel A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. (Source: AniDB)

When elephants are about to die, they will leave their herd and die alone. When a person knows that he is about to die, what will he choose? It's lung cancer, and it has already metastasized. There are probably 6 months left. It's a story about a man's last few steps in his life. It's probably quite different from the elephants.

Second season of Pikaia!.

Studio Kaab's first work--an inspiring interactive animation. We follow the lives and turmoils of seven outcasted 17 year olds and you--the protagonist. Between the aches of being a girl who's younger than her body looks or a boy who'd rather get into fist fights than give handshakes, we found a piece of ourselves within the outcasted teens that's abnormal. Like a four leaf clover. Which are said to bring luck even though it is a mutant in the sea of three leaves. And so the curtain rises to glimpse at these four leaf Clovers--4 boys and 3 girls. (Source: Studio Kaab)

The life of the French poet André Marie Chénier during the period of radical social and political upheaval in France.

Promotional anime for Panasonic CN-F1D Strada.

Depiction of Japan's economy, based on Shoutarou Ishinomori's epynomous manga.

Based on the real life-story of Pink Lady, a female pop duo that rose to superstardom in the mid-1970's. (Source: ANN)

A class of Japanese youths volunteer for the war effort during WWII, but then get stranded in Manchuria.

An alternative episode 11 (or episode 11.5) released on the DVD set of Chikyuu Bouei Kazoku. The world's first experience simulation game park "Amber Crystal" opened in Chiba Prefecture. Opening day only allows couples inside with a special ticket. Seiko and cameraman Hayakawa, Mamoru and Junko-sensei are there to meet up. While saying "because it is a game, it's okay to do anything", Mamoru guards as a knight figure to raise XP to steadily power up. Meanwhile, Seiko who became a mage, realized that this game park is the invasion of the space monster and goes on to approach the final boss of the game.

Grick is a young chipmunk living in the city with his sister. But after hearing from a carrier pigeon of the Chipmunk homeland, the Great Forest, he leaves home alone. Grick meets both friends and enemies along his adventure to find the place where he truly belongs.

Independent animation by Hayashi Seiichi.

A summary of the Wakakusa Monogatari: Nan to Jo-sensei full series aired as a TV specials. Nan Harding is the new student at Mr. and Mrs. Bhaer's school. Everyone thinks that she is a pain in the head, but not Mrs. Jo. Together with the other kids, they all embark on their personal adventures and misfortunes while learning in school. (Source: ANN)

Sang-ho and Sun-ja are kidnapped by someone and live in brutal abuse while performing acrobatics in a circus troupe called the "77th Dan". One day their uncle comes to visit them and they try to escape, but when Sun-ja is captured by the circus, a black hooded person, the object of Japanese fear, suddenly appears to help them... (Source: Daum; translated)

A summary of the Flanders no Inu full series aired as a TV specials.

A short anime with the theme of earthquake disaster and reconstruction released by Shichigahama, a town in Miyagi Prefecture. (Source: AniDB)

With its pitch-black wings spread wide and a fragile note in its mouth, a crow delivers a task to a young female spirit. Her job has always been to give people the final push to suicide, and this one is just like all the rest. Though jaded, she continues to perform her duty, as much as it tears her apart inside. However, when one of her victims is saved by a young man, her world shines brighter. But even this joy might be destroyed when he begins to show signs of despair... [Written by MAL Rewrite]

An early Toei film directed by Fukiya Kouji.

Hamtaro and the Ham-Hams learn how to stay safe on the road in this 14-minute long special produced by the Tokyo Emergency Service. (Source: Hamatarou Wikia)

15th Century Japan is ravaged by constant wars, as the lords of the realm seek to rule the land. Having lost your father in battle, you are working in the restaurant he left your mother and little brother...when an evil magistrate sends your little brother away...to become a poison taster! To save his life, you disguise yourself as a boy and go to the castle in his place...but what awaits you there is so much more! "I'll show you all...my divine rule!" In the Sengoku era...love is the most dangerous battle of all! (Source: Voltage)

2nd Season to Osiris no Tenbin.

The Souya is a Japanese museum ship that previously served as an icebreaker and patrol boat, and was the first Japanese ship to take part in an Antarctic research expedition. The anime tells the adventures of the ship and its crew. (Source: AniDB)

A music video for the song Nautilus by Yorushika.

DVD-only episodes 12-13 of Takahashi Rumiko Gekijou Ningyo no Mori.

Based on the novel by Hatojuu Muku.

Based on the novel "Kyojin no Hoshi" by Kajiwara Ikki (Story), Kawasaki Noboru (Art), published in the year 1982.

This is a short film made in the fall of 1917. It is about a girl asking for rice.

A dramatization based on the novel "The Story of Rennyo" by Hiroyuki Itsuki.

A compilation film of the Haha wo Tazunete Sanzenri series. Due to a box office slump, the film aired only for 1 week in theaters.

The Ham-Hams practice safety! Hamtaro and the Ham-Hams learn what to do if there's an earthquake or a fire in this 13-minute long video produced by the Tokyo Emergency Service. (Source: Hamatarou Wikia)

A short film by Kuri Youji.

To spend the summer vacation, junior high school student, Kazuki rides a bullet train to Hiroshima to stay with his aunt. Arriving in Hiroshima, his aunt narrates the tragic past of what happened the day the atomic bomb fell. From the aunt who had to overcome a lot of hardships, he learns the value of peace and to have the courage to lose.

Remake of the 1979 TV anime Hana no Ko Lunlun.

A summary of the Trapp Ikka Monogatari full series aired as a TV specials.

The fifth film in Shin-Ei's series of annual WWII themed anime television movies for children "Sensou Douwa" (war story). (Source: AniDB)

In a world filled with the oddball gods and monsters of Japanese mythology, one of the creature's free-spirited daughters, Onari, is determined to follow in the footsteps of the mighty heroes of lore, but her unique powers are yet to be revealed. Does she have what it takes to protect her peaceful village from the encroaching presence of the mysterious “Oni” who threaten the gods? (Source: Netflix)

Chugai Pharmaceutical's promotion anime bringing awareness to rheumatoid arthritis.

(No synopsis yet.)

An adaptation of the first series, with different characters and an alternate setting.

(No synopsis yet.)

A little girl always plays on the stepping stones in the brook. A shy little boy hovers around her unable to ask her that he wishes to be alone. Suddenly, it rains and they seek shelter together, which brings them closer.

In the vast desert grasslands of northern Novoland, there was a nomadic society that cherished martial arts, believed in the god Pandeng and worshiped heroes. The men there were all hot-blooded and the women were all strong-willed. Their kingdom was called Qingyang. The story is set in Qingyang and depicts the power struggles within the northern nomadic tribes, as well as the grievances between Qingyang and the East Land. As a child, the Qingyang crown prince Lü Guichen was sent to live with the Yanzhen Tribe by the Great Lord. After the tribe rebelled, Lü Guichen was brought back to Beidu city. However, his older brothers did not value this young and weak crown prince, instead focusing solely on competing against each other for the throne's succession. Yet, after experiencing the baptism of war and the ups and downs of life, Lü Guichen, with his gentle personality, gradually matured and gained strength amidst his older brothers' power struggles... During that time, the royal family of the East Lands was in decline, and several feudal states had emerged. The Great Lord of Qingyang sought to use an alliance with the Xia Tang State to achieve his ambition of dominating the East. As a result, Lü Guichen was sent as a hostage to Xia Tang. It was there that he met the unruly Tianqu warrior, Jiye, and was drawn to Jiye's tenacious and unyielding spirit, eventually becoming close friends. This is the story of the young Zhaowu Duke and the young Yulie King of the Xie Dynasty-to-be.

Music video directed by Yuutarou Kubo for the song Tarareba by Japanese rock band amazarashi.

A young girl wanders outside on a snowy night, trying to find a place to stay.

Music video by Aimer for the song Kyou Kara Omoide that was on her 5th single Re:I Am. The video was directed by Gaku Kinoshita.

Movie version of the TV series Perrine Monogatari.

A Minna no Uta song from 1988. Animation by Shigeru Tamura.

(No synopsis yet.)

Gauche is having trouble perfecting his piece for his performance in 10 days when he hears a knock on his door...

In-hye and Sun-mi visit their hometown, a small and quiet village in the countryside, after a long time only to face unexpected news: their old friend Eun-sil died while giving birth. The town is left in an uproar because of the baby, whose father is unknown, and it is neglected, protected by no one. While In-hye and Sun-mi try to save the baby with the help of Ji-young, their friend who has stayed in town, they find out that Eun-sil, who was mentally retarded, was a plaything of the village. In-hye and Sun-mi are troubled with the rage they feel against the village people and the guilty conscience they feel towards Eun-sil. Although they abandoned Eun-sil in the past, will they be able to protect her baby until the end? (Source: HanCinema)

Based on the manga by Mizuho Shuushi, the story shows a realistic portrayal of a Japanese bike gang member trying to live up to social expectations of him being a 'legend'.

A summary of the Alps Monogatari: Watashi no Annette full series aired as a TV specials.

(No synopsis yet.)

The 25 minute film tells the tale of an ailing elderly woman named Itako who encounters a fox named Okon. The story opens with Itako lying bedridden, as she has for a long time. Okon enters her home and Itako tells the fox that he is welcome to take anything that he wants, for she has no use for anything anymore. Okon is delighted and in order to return the favour (the act of ongaeshi), Okon performs a magic jyōruri (a ballad with shamisen accompaniment) that heals Itako so that she is fit enough to walk again. Everyone is surprised by Itako's sudden recovery. She then hears of a hunter who has been badly injured and is near death. Itako hides Okon in the back of her shirt and has the fox sing the song while she plays shamisen in order to heal the man. This act of kindness is repeated for others until Itako's good fortune leads some to be suspicious of her. (Source: Nishikata Film Review)

Old friends Cabbage and Pea reunite under awkward circumstances.

Third Kyojin no Hoshi movie.

Chisato's journey home from Manchuria after the war.

Shouwa 19 (1944), summer. Tamaru, a soldier who aspired to be a manga artist, was on Peleliu Island at the end of the Pacific War. The island was a paradise covered with beautiful forests and surrounded by a sea of coral reefs. It was also a battlefield on which 50,000 soldiers from Japan and the United States killed each other. At that time, 40,000 elite US troops invaded in an attempt to seize the airfield, which was touted as the best in East Asia. A garrison of 10,000 Japanese troops was ordered to meet the aggressors and "thoroughly endure" the attack. What did they fight for and what was on their minds on this small island far from their homeland?!? A long-forgotten record of truth from young people who lived in the "war" era! (Source: Hakusensha, translated)

After a victorious military campaign, a general returns home to glory and prosperity. The king rewards him and claims that all enemies will be intimidated by the general. From then on, the general no longer practices martial arts. He eats, drinks, lives the glamorous life, and doesn't bother anymore with sharpening his weapons. When the enemy one day returns, his own arrogance leads to his defeat and eventually to the downfall of the whole nation. (Source: Wikipedia)

A Norton (anti-virus company) commissioned anime from Tekken showing a man who tries to protect his coworkers but caves under the social pressure. He finds himself scared and alone only for a girl to come and protect him (emotionally) and together they protect each other.

Promotional video for the Shounen Jump+ manga Ori no Naka no Soloist.

Takekichi and Masakazu are two tough guys who are forced to go underground when they lose their boss in a turf war in this modern update of the classic Chinese novel "Water Margin". (Source: The Anime Encyclopedia)

A music-video style recap OVA. This release covers episode 12-20 and is with classical music entirely except for one song right before the credits. The beginning also has a unique frosted boarder frame around the video that changes designs which was not present in the the first music recap nor in the original anime.

It would be hard for anyone to imagine the combination of a mother and a telegraph pole. How could such a thing be possible? The image of the telegraph pole raising her child using cables in place of arms and legs is quite charming. The spirit of the producer who made such a wild idea into a film is also quite charming. (Source: AniDB)

A summary of the Haha wo Tazunete Sanzenri full series aired as a TV specials.

First Kyojin no Hoshi movie.

A Tsutaetai, Kokoro no Tegami (wedding, elderly aid, and funeral company) commissioned work from Tekken showing a son recounting the love of his mother as she supported his ailing father.

Second Kyojin no Hoshi movie.

An elderly man walks along his house and sees a turtle munching on a turnip. He does not disturb the creature but lets it eat in peace. Later that night, he has a dream of his late wife...

A recap episode of Tekkaman Blade II, included on the Tekkaman Blade LD BOX in 1998 and later also included on the BD Box in 2016.

"The Pine's Branches" is the latest work in Murata Tomoyasu's series "Journey through memories of life and death,” which he began following the Tohoku earthquake in 2011.

Above ground, there are many people, coming and going. Underneath a certain sidewalk grate, lives a garbage bag. He has no work, no home, and no family. This is a story of the dirty, black garbage bag and how he gains new life through his connection to the outside world.

Music video for Chiaki Maruyama's song Boukentai: Mori no Yuusha.

Episode 1: "When the Buckwheat Flowers Bloom" Heo Saeng-won is an ageing market vendor. He has been a peddler all his life. After a long day at the marketplace in Bongpyeong village, he follows his fellow peddler Jo Seon-dal into an inn where he meets a young itinerant vendor, Dong-i. As the three accompany each other under the moonlight along the buckwheat flowers, Heo Saeng-won realizes he has a special bond with Dong-i. Episode 2: "Spring Spring" I toil on the field day and night as a servant for a man who has promised to give his daughter's hand to me in return for my labor. The man, however, keeps putting off the wedding, saying that his daughter is not growing fast enough. One day, out of fury, I call the man to the ultimate match. Episode 3 "A Lucky Day" Kim, who earns his living by driving a rickshaw, gets out on the street again, even after hearing from his wife that she is seriously ill. Kim then gets to drive an unusually large number of customers that day, and begins to suspect something hideous may lie ahead of his sudden good fortune. At the end of the long and hard day, Kim returns home, with an inexplicable sense of fear weighing down on his heart. (Source: IndieStory)

(No synopsis yet.)

Maji is a young hood in the Nagisa criminal organization whose name is synonymous with loyalty and truth. While driving away thugs, he meets and falls for local high school girl, Kumiko; however, complications ensue when he and his group run into the rival Kikuchi gang looking for trouble. Based on the first four volumes of the gang chivalry manga by Ayumi Tachihara. (Source: ANN)

A summary of the Araiguma Rascal full series aired as a TV specials.

One summer day, Rintarou accidentally breaks a Japanese maple leaf fossil treasured by his father. Feeling guilty, he cannot bring himself to tell his father. While at the riverbank looking for fossils, Rintarou meets a boy named Toshi, and their days of adventure begins. The film was made by Touko Yatabe for her graduate project at Musashino Art University.

(No synopsis yet.)

The Takazis' only daughter named Keiko was born seriously handicapped, deaf and dumb and mentally handicapped. Her parents tried to accept her handicap but their suffering continued. Things changed after Keiko entered a deaf and dumb school. Not only Keiko but also her parents grew up with friendship and cooperation of the teachers and friends. They established a group named "Donguri" (acorn) to make a community workshop where the handicapped people could be independent. (source :jfkl.org)

Lu Fan, a white-collar urban woman who has always considered herself a more ordinary woman than anyone else, is suddenly abducted by an alien one day. The alien, who claim to be from Saturn, tells the absurd reason for their invasion of Earth, and that the key to the invasion plan is to make Lu Fan fall in love with him and then betray the Earth. In the funny daily life with the Saturnian, aliens from various planets start to appear around Lu Fan one after another! These aliens have their own objectives, but because of their intertwined destinies, they all end up in Beijing. Lu Fan begins to realize that she is not as ordinary as she thought, and she slowly develops a crush on the Saturnian. How will she choose? (Source: iQIYI)

Independent animation by Hayashi Seiichi.

The second theatrical Bonobono movie, done completely in 3D.

A tuberculosis history, awareness, and prevention informative anime.

The story centers around Ginjirou Manda, a loan shark who charges toichi — 10% more interest every 10 days, or 365% every year. Thanks to his unrelenting money-collecting tactics, he is feared as Minami no Oni or the Demon of Osaka's Minami business district. (Source: ANN)

Six animated shorts about discrimination and being different. 1. "Daydream" talks about dealing with people with disability. It homes in on the daily life of a father with a daughter whose hands and feet are deformed. 2. "Animal Farm" relies on the rough-and-ready feel of stop-motion clay animation to create a satire of bullying and mob dynamics. 3. "At Her House" paints a devastating picture of gender inequality within a marriage. 4. "Flesh and Bone" gently pillories superficiality and the obsession with outward appearance. 5. "Bicycle Trip" focuses on the discrimination experienced by foreign workers in Korea. 6. "Be a Human Being" looks at the way young Koreans are barely treated as human beings before they get to university. (Source: ANIWEBLOG, ASIANDB, Jeonju)

Second season of Hua Jianghu: Huan Shi Men Sheng.