Drifting sakura petals, sunny beach fun, and fall foliage are all nice in their own way, but winter has its own brand of beauty. It’s hard to match the tranquil feeling of watching falling snowflakes, or seeing a white blanket descend over the world. Winter can mean sorrow and death, or it can bring tranquility and closeness. Many anime feature winter, with characters bundled up and their breath coming out in puffs when they speak.
While most anime snow scenes are beautiful, these 10 are the most breathtakingly gorgeous!
All ranking information was taken on the date of publication.
Kyoukai no Kanata (Beyond the Boundary)
MAL Rated 7.88, Ranked #703 | Aired Fall 2013 | Produced by Kyoto Animation
Kyoukai no Kanata is a moody, dark anime, and the wintery setting in parts of it only serve to make it more so. The snow is thick and atmospheric, perfect for brooding and contemplating what actions to take next against your enemy. Trapped in this winter world, the main female protagonist must figure out how to return home. But would you really want to leave a place as tranquil as this?
Naruto Movie 1: Dai Katsugeki!! Yuki Hime Shinobu Houjou Dattebayo! (Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow)
MAL Rated 7.17, Ranked #2661 | Premiered Aug 21, 2004 | Produced by Studio Pierrot
A scene in the snow is nice, but how about an entire movie? The first Naruto movie takes place primarily in the Land of Snow, where a neverending winter has descended on the country. The winter is both literal and symbolic: the nation is covered in snow, but it’s also in the grips of a tyrant.
The winter landscape makes for some spectacular fight scenes between everyone’s favorite ninjas, and fighters that have learned to manipulate the ice. Thanks to puffs of snow flaring up around everyone and some creative techniques, the winter land transforms into a part of the experience in the most dramatic way.
Nagi No Asakura (Nagi-Asu: A Lull In the Sea)
MAL Rated 8.39, Ranked #161 | Aired Fall 2013 | Produced by PA Works
The world of Nagi No Asakura is torn between the sea and the surface, and is already a vibrant environment. Following a timeskip into the future, the once-flourishing underwater village becomes a ghost town, covered in snow.
The entire village is covered in this ash-like snow, as though frozen in time. The event is ominous, but despite its negativity, it’s hard not to be dazzled by the beauty of the white-covered underwater streets. It looks like the whole town is encased inside a snow globe that someone shook vigorously; it is both chilling and magical.
Wolf’s Rain
MAL Rated 7.95, Ranked #596 | Aired Winter 2003 | Produced by Bones
It’s animal versus nature in Wolf’s Rain, where winter is more than just pretty scenery. It can also mean freezing temperatures and a test of survival. Here, winter is a dangerous beauty that can rob you of your breath if you let your guard down.
Wolf’s Rain likes to play with the colors of the snow. White wolves running across white snow is a striking image, and splashes of color are used to make a big impact on the viewer. You can almost feel the cold of the weather and the situations.
Clannad: Mou Hitotsu no Sekai Tomoyo-hen (Clannad: Another World, Tomoyo Chapter)
MAL Rated 8.19, Ranked #308 | Released Jul 16, 2008 | Produced by Kyoto Animation
Snow in Clannad and the sequel Clannad: After Story symbolizes moments of melancholy. A number of scenes in Clannad and its sequel take place in the snow, and one scene from a Clannad Special is set in a field of bare, snow-laden cherry trees. Without delving into spoilers, many of these winter moments deal with loss and “what could have been.”
A melancholy meeting in a field of cherry blossoms might work, but the magic of a snowy landscape paired with sad piano music turns the moments from sad to tear-jerking. Cherry blossoms symbolize a new season, a new hope - but snow symbolizes the end of growth. Clannad understands that, which you can see it in its beautiful anime snow scenes.
Nisekoi (Nisekoi: False Love)
MAL Rated 8.01, Ranked #499 | Aired Winter 2014 | Produced by Shaft
Although winter and cherry blossoms might seem like an unusual combination, winter and nighttime are a perfect match. The white of winter turns into shades of blue, changing the scene into a quiet, contemplative one.
That’s what happens in the snowy park scene in Nisekoi. We see a glowing blue and white park, a bench with a boy and a girl, and a splash of color from their shared red scarf. It’s a perfectly sweet snowy moment.
Byousoku 5 Centimeter(5 Centimeters Per Second)
MAL Rated 8.18, Ranked #317 | Premiered Feb 11, 2007 | Produced by CoMix Wave Films
Can love survive a great distance? Two close friends are about to be separated, but they see each other one last time in a train station in the middle of the night. The nighttime snow backdrop sets a melancholy mood as the two protagonists of 5 Centimeters Per Second take a walk together from a train station.
Standing under the cherry tree in the snow, the two share a moment that will stay with them forever, no matter how far they are. It’s a sad but heartwarming scene that contradicts the cold falling snow with the warmth of the couples’ souls.
Ookami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki (Wolf Children)
MAL Rated 8.86, Ranked #18 | Premiered Jul 21, 2012 | Produced by Madhouse, [Studio Chizu]{https://myanimelist.net/anime/producer/555)
The anime movie Wolf Children has a fairly simple art style, and it’s this simplicity that makes it a charming and lovable film about parenting and unconditional love. But it’s also this simplicity that makes the anime snow scene really stand out.
The scene (which you can watch on YouTube in full) shows the two wolf children running through the snow in pure joy. Simple art is replaced with a detailed snowy environment as the cubs frolic and tumble through it, as though the drawings were dumped into a traditional painting.
At times, the scene switches to the kids’ point of view so you can feel what it's like to run full speed through a landscape covered in snow. The music completes the scene, allowing viewers to experience a euphoric rush of emotions.
One Piece
MAL Rated 8.61, Ranked #61 | Aired Fall 1999 | Produced by Toei Animation
The pirate gang of One Piece explore lots of fantastic places on their adventures, and it’s on such adventure that they come across another beautiful anime snow scene - Drum Island! It’s winter all year round on Drum Island, with perpetual snow covering the drum-shaped mountains.
Seeing the icy flat peaks as the crew sails up to the island is quite a sight, but even more amazing is the view that the crew get as they’re leaving: cherry blossoms falling like snow onto the frosty land. Two words: absolutely gorgeous!
Mushi-Shi
MAL Rated 8.79, Ranked #27 | Aired Fall 2005 | Produced by Artland
Mushi-Shi is a beautiful anime in general, and the environment here is almost as important as the characters and the events. Mushi-Shi features spirits of nature, which swirl around unseen to the naked eye and mingle with the natural lights and shadows of the forests, mountains, and the shining sun.
So it’s no surprise that the anime features some amazing snow scenes. Forests and mountains transform into lush worlds of glimmering white, straight out of a fairy tale. This anime makes the most of the beauty of winter: footprints in the snow, sweeping landscape scenes, bare trees with snow piling upon their branches. You want to watch the snowy episodes over and over just to take in all the serene visuals.
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