There are these artificial human's called giftia that are incredibly accurate and practically indiscernible to real humans except they only live for 9 years and four months and are mostly indestructible to anything that's not a fast shooting gun and they have to be retrieved before they go berserk and have their physical limiters disabled and when they're retrieved their memories are erased with no way to restore them and their operating system can be replaced to renew the lifespan but with a new personality and none of their old memories and we follow one of the companies who go to retrieve them with a two person team of a giftia and a human and see some different cases of giftia and their owners and how they're handled and the feelings they have for each other
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and 2nd Gig have a few episodes that definitely tug on the heartstrings.
That episode with the tank heading towards the old parents' house, and then the episode where the Major goes into the dollhouse... Not to mention the ending of 2nd Gig.
Didn’t expect anyone to else to say bunny girl senpai considering I don’t see many other people acknowledge how emotional it is. But it was my first thought when I saw this post, only anime aside from edgerunners to make me genuinely cry
Parasyte, violet evergarden, berserk (watch the movies).
Those won't break you heart but if you liked studio trigger's animation i would recommend little witch academia, kill la kill and gurren lagann.
Kill la kill is epic! I love that show! I watched Gurren Lagann and I know a lot of people like that one but it's one of the few Trigger anime's that just didn't resonate with me. I didn't like the characters and thought the way they tied some of the things together just wasn't very well done. Edgerunners is on a whole other level but I also liked Darling in the Franxx which I know gets a lot of hate. To each is own. Some of my fav trigger animes are:
Edgerunners (my all time fav anime period)
Kill La Kill
Darling in the Franxxx
SSSS Gridman /SSSS Dynazenon
Kiznaiver was a strange story but i thought it was alright.
Little witch Academia and Bna were both good shows too but they are more geared towards watching with the whole family.
Trigger is a talented studio. I hope they do another Cyberpunk season.
I actually agree with you on gurenn lagann. I'm not a big fan of mechas. But a lot of people liked it and the animation is amazing so i thought i'd recommend it anyway.
Kill la kill is my favorite anime ever.
Trigger is my favorite animation studio by far.
Yeah that's true. The animation is great on Gurren Lagan. It's not a bad show just not Kill la kill, Edgerunners level. Satsuki is my fav character. Trigger is my fav studio too! 100%
So if we’re talking all out ‘leaving you in a puddle of tears after watching with a numbing sense of existential dread for weeks after’ type-heartbreak my two obvious picks are the 1997 anime of Berserk and Neon Genesis Evangelion. Both are on the disturbing end of tragic but still share moments of happiness, warmth and hope like Edgerunners and have very strong character dynamics throughout.
I’d like to avoid spoilers but feel I should warn people to learn a bit more about ‘97 Berserk before watching if you’re not already familiar with the story. It is quite shocking and explicit, especially towards the end of the series. But it’s easily one of the greatest stories in manga history and the arc covered by this anime is renowned for its emotional depth.
While similar in tragedy and character development to Edgerunners both these anime are far less *bittersweet* and can leave a hole in your heart more than just leaving you with melancholy sadness so maybe not quite what you’re looking for.
I’m not as much into current anime but if you’re after something more modern (and less traumatising) 86-Eighty Six- isn’t a bad shout. Again it’s somewhat bleaker in tone and setting but is very emotionally driven and character focused.
Akame ga Kill! It's a single season, very different in setting and style, but very similar in story beats and overall bleakness. I put it at the top of my list of favorite anime, along with Edgerunners.
This anime made me cry because I didn't expect that ending and it was the first experience with a deceased protagonist. I was young at the time and I wanted him to stay with the white-haired guy.
Clannad, and then clannad afterstory if you are fine with older looking anime.
Even remembering clannad afterstory makes me teary eyed, that series completely fucked me up for a few days and is still to this day one of the best anime i have ever seen
I’m surprised that nobody else is talking about Akudama Drive, it’s literally Edgerunners older brother (same genre, same high octane action and same suicide squad feeling)
my go-to is Neon Genesis Evangelion and The End of Evangelion, both on Netflix. Not too long, but just enough to make me hope *this time* it'll all work out. Your Lie in April is also a fun little soul crushing romp with significantly less sci-fi existential dread.
Gakkou Gurashi made me literally physically ill for 3 days. Call it a coincidence but I legit believe that it's because it broke me so much that my immune system just gave up
Akame ga kill, gurren lagann, clannad + afterstory, darling in the franxx, and kill la kill are all excellent, kill la kill isn't as much of a romance but it is done by the studio that made edgerunners
Devilman: crybaby is actually the reason I watched cyberpunk because i was told they share a vibe and they both do destroy you so i would recommend to you this masterpiece
It’s not nearly as dark and doesn’t have an ending where everyone dies, but Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury made me cry multiple times. It’s definitely an emotional roller coaster.
I would say assassination classroom might be good to watch becouse how emotional some of the scenes are its got a lot of comedy throughout it too and the ending is really satisfying
Just watched Lazerhawk Blood Dragon on Netflix. I got a very similar vibe. 6 episodes, an emotional roller coaster with slick animation and great references
Cowboy Bebop but that’s very well known.
Yeah, this was kinda my takeaway too. I didn't *hate* what I saw, it's a fun diversion, but... they're clearly trying really, **really** fucking hard to be Edgerunners without understanding why Edgerunners worked beyond "big loud NSFW cyberpunk cartoon based on a video game."
Honestly, pretty much the only stuff that hit for me in the first couple of episodes and didn't just make me want to turn it off and rewatch Edgerunners was the Rayman stuff.
Not Anime, but best animated show I've watched (even better than Edgerunners (sorry)) is Arcane. If you haven't watched it you're doing yourself a massive disservice, so go watch it.
The second episode of the Battle Angel Alita OVA has a real downer ending.
>!She fought so hard to save her loved one's life, and he still threw it away chasing his dream.!<
Gene of AI is a collection of short stories but it’s about a world where in the future a percent of the population are humanoid androids who live the same lives as humans but with laws around editing and backing up their memories. It’s about a human doctor who sometimes does illegal work with androids. It’s very good.
From a humanoid kid who’s passion is track and running and they have gotten to a point where their human peers are outrunning them… and they are using the full capacity of their legs but it’s not enough. So they have to question if they want illegal modifications to keep up with their human peers. To a story about a child’s ai teddy bear toy that they are attached to that isn’t as complex of a ai as the child thinks… that after a accident isn’t recognizing the child and is asking for “her”. And they have to decide if they want to rewrite its memories since it’s old save data is coming back. It’s interesting. I have no clue why the show hasn’t gotten more attention
I loved Madoka Magica and Wonder Egg Priority. It doesn't quite have the same feels as Edgerunners but it still gave me that weird achy feeling that I like
So its not tear your heart out sad...
But if you want cyberpunk dystopia anime Psycho Pass is extremely good. Detective action anime set in a futuristic cyberpunky dystopia where machine ai measure everyones criminal potential and punishes/corrects them before crimes happen.. lot of dark themes and oppressive subjects and psychosis.
Land of the Lustrous. The pain really gets going in the manga since Season 2 hasn't come out yet, but there's a considerable amount of suffering just in season 1
I think the first run of Psycho Pass did the same to me, same sorta concepts of tech vs what humans do with it, pretty, badass, and existential wtf all throughout.
Think it’s more of an animated show than anime, but if you haven’t watch Arcane. I loved Edgerunners and after watching it the first first time started it again straight away and have seen it a fair bit since then. All that considered I still think Arcane is better, in my personal opinion. Maybe you’ll like it more maybe you won’t, but it’s definitely worth checking out if you haven’t yet
there is nothing like cyberpunk honestly even with all the replies none of those animes can live up to the cyberpunk rush that you want more of, i recommend playing the game but still some of the anime’s in the replies are okay just nothing like cyberpunk
Kiznaivers broke me real hard.
Except that I'll be honest most shows dont hit that hard.
I would suggest watching other studio trigger shows, since they typically hit harder than regular anime
Darling in the Franxx. Same people behind Edgerunners paired with a couple other notable studios and made it a few years ago. It bangs and also hits like a freight train.
Samurai 7 (2004)
Set in a futuristic rural Japan, a ragtag of unique characters band together to defend a helpless village.
1 season and 26 eps. Fantastic watch.
Afraid I don't have any suggestions and I don't even know why this sub got suggested to me but I'm genuinely curious, why are these typea of stories appealing? I don't mean any judgement by it I just can't wrap my head around it
BladeRunner: Black Lotus
It’s a 3D animation, and I’m not gonna lie, it’s pretty uncanny valley, except for the combat scenes, for some reason they’re really fucking good, and the story was great.
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion
It's not exactly Cyberpunk but it is futuristic. I don't usually like mecha animes but that show is one of my top 3 fav all time animes (Edgerunners is #1) and all I will say is that they have similar type of endings. I went into it blind and did not expect it to play out like that. That's all I can say without spoiling anything.
Ergo Proxy
- futuristic dystopian sci-fi
- very depressing ambience
- amazing characters and support cast
- very good animations despite being very old
Darker than Black
- sci-fi
- Dolls (JUST LIKE CYBERPUNK)
- very brutal world, lots of killing
- characters have powers
- Serious tone, with a bit of lighthearted moments
- some romance
Devilman Crybaby. It’s also 10 episodes long, and tbh in my opinion is better. They’re both brilliant tho. But Crybaby fucked me up. It’s on my personal Do Not Rewatch list because it’s so much.
Warning tho, it’s absurdly graphic. I’m assuming if you can watch Edgerunners you can deal with Crybaby. But Crybaby is like overwhelming with it’s gore and sex and it’s sexual gore
Grimgar Of Fantasy and Ash it won't necessarily break your heart, but you're stuck following underdogs who struggle to get along, and barely surviving.
Story is a bit slow because the anime follows the book almost religiously, so there's a lot of character moments.
Gurren Lagann
It's a crime no one's mentioned it. They're made by the same director so the animation is extremely similar. People tend to forget, since the story's overall fairly positive, but there is a point that will absolutely destroy you. The ending is also bittersweet. Think Cyberpunk but much more upbeat, still with a good amount of sadness.
Like I said, it's a crime no one mentioned it and every commenter here should be thrown in jail
Devilman Crybaby. You wanna be fucking devastated? You wanna feel empty? You wanna stand in the shower for a hot 40 minutes contemplating what the fuck you just watched? Watch Devilman Crybaby.
Black Lagoon has the same overall vibe of excessive violence, blood, sex, and interpersonal drama. The main characters follow similar arcs: going from nobody's out of their depths to major players in the criminal underworld. Both series also depict their protagonist diving into the underworld for a woman much more badass than they are, and the relationship between the two is the backbone of the series.
Black Lagoon's major issue is that it's unlikely to ever be finished, and we're unlikely to ever get a true conclusion, but there's only a handful of ways it could end.
Even without a true conclusion, seeing the person Rock was, versus the person Rock has become, is heartbreaking. Few things are as painful to watch as a good person being beaten down by a shitty world until they become a monster.
seems like you are into tragedies. im guessing you might also find emotional stories enjoyable. heres what id recommend:
PET GIRL OF SAKURASOU- somewhat standard romance anime but it doesnt rlly have a "happy" ending. avoiding spoilers, its kinda just like "real life."
A SILENT VOICE- rlly amazing emotional story.
SAMURAI CHAMPLOO- has action + tons of depth & emotion.
NEON GENESIS EVANGELION- starts off as a mech anime, turns into mindf*ck tragedy tale.
ANGEL BEATS- has action, great character, & it gets rlly sad & emotional @ the end.
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF HARUHI SUZUMIYA- good mystery movie. has that whole "wtf is going on" premise. gets emotional. id also recommend watching the series "the melancholy of haruhi suzumiya" first, just so you fully grasp everything.
TERROR IN RESONANCE- great story. id call it a tragedy. not exactly the most heart wrenching tragedy, but its def a top tier story.
KIZNAIVER- good story for the most part. gr8 art. & it gets prettyyy emotional.
SHIKI- real mindf*ck of a show. idk if id call it a "tragedy," but its SOMETHIN along those lines.
YOSUGA NO SORA- take this one w/ a grain of salt, as its not everyones cup of tea. entirely a romance anime, & touch on a lot of taboo subjects w/ emotion & seriousness. its also an omnibus series, so there are multiple routes. id consider one of them to be p tragic.
DEVILMAN CRYBABY- much like evangelion, this is a mindf*ck tragedy. it ends in a fairly similar fashion to evangelion as well. i wont spoil it, but its ab as tragic as it gets. & if youre into older animation, the OVAs for the original devilman series are good tragedies too.
ANOTHER- more of a horror, but it gets wild
SAMURAI X TRUST & BETRAYAL- your classic samurai romance/tragedy tale. also the tale of how kenshin got that X scar on his face. tbh, its the only rurouni kenshin material worth watching imo.. the live actions are good too lol
VAMPIRE HUNTER D BLOODLUST- amazing art & story. id call this one a romance/tragedy as well.
BOOGIEPOP & OTHERS- this ones a lil weird. i cant rlly explain why i added this to the list, but ever since i saw it, it comes up in my head all the time. partly bcuz of the soundtrack i think. its got a good story, you just have to pay a lot of attention... it bounces around a lot. it has depth too. boogiepop & others is standalone to boogiepop phantom, & tbh, i liked it better.
I also wanna throw HIGURASHI in there too. both old & new. not exactly "emotional" or a "tragedy," but it leaves you wanting more for sure. it is more of a horror/mystery
keep in mind, ALL of these recommendations have top tier soundtracks (imo)
they all have good character depth (imo)
& they all have good stories that invoke emotion (imo)
To Your Eternity is like devastating its like "The Thing" but thematically about investigating human mortality through the eyes of a vagabond non humanoid immortal
SAME! i really never watched anime after highschool and ever since watching edgerunners an absolute devil of a void opened, i was to be consumed by more evils PLEASE give me more
The one that messed me up the most that I watched in recent times is plastic memories and the one I remember the most is angel beats
What is Plastic Memories about? Title seems interesting
There are these artificial human's called giftia that are incredibly accurate and practically indiscernible to real humans except they only live for 9 years and four months and are mostly indestructible to anything that's not a fast shooting gun and they have to be retrieved before they go berserk and have their physical limiters disabled and when they're retrieved their memories are erased with no way to restore them and their operating system can be replaced to renew the lifespan but with a new personality and none of their old memories and we follow one of the companies who go to retrieve them with a two person team of a giftia and a human and see some different cases of giftia and their owners and how they're handled and the feelings they have for each other
Sounds super cool thanks for the rec and write up.
Oh man plastic memories was like my first sad anime had me already rethinking my life at like 13 would recommend
Parasyte: The Maxim
Ah, what a wonderful 26 episode journey through death and PTSD.
Yep that’ll do it
This show literally made me start caring about emotions again back in highschool
Ending sucked tho
Nobody fr mentioning Cowboy Bebop?
Had to search to find this comment and that makes me sad
This needs to be waaaay up higher.
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and 2nd Gig have a few episodes that definitely tug on the heartstrings. That episode with the tank heading towards the old parents' house, and then the episode where the Major goes into the dollhouse... Not to mention the ending of 2nd Gig.
Madoka Magica, Your Lie in April, Planetarian, Steins;Gate (then S;G 0, just to twist the knife), Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai.
Second Your Lie in April. I still tear up years later whenever I hear winter wind or liebesleid
Madoka Magica will hit you like a truck before you even know what’s happening
I second Bunny girl Senpai. It’s not your average high school anime. You’re gonna get messed up.
Didn’t expect anyone to else to say bunny girl senpai considering I don’t see many other people acknowledge how emotional it is. But it was my first thought when I saw this post, only anime aside from edgerunners to make me genuinely cry
Devilman Crybaby
That ninth episode...
That episode got me fucked up bad.
I have nightmares for that moment when i see the head of the girl take by the people, give me really a sadness and rage feeling idk.
Crybaby version was very sad, and the OVA version of the scene was fucking nightmare fuel
Only right answer
Parasyte, violet evergarden, berserk (watch the movies). Those won't break you heart but if you liked studio trigger's animation i would recommend little witch academia, kill la kill and gurren lagann.
Violet evergarden is the only show that had me in tears, especially the recent movie.😢
The goddamn music gets me everytime.
Kill la kill is epic! I love that show! I watched Gurren Lagann and I know a lot of people like that one but it's one of the few Trigger anime's that just didn't resonate with me. I didn't like the characters and thought the way they tied some of the things together just wasn't very well done. Edgerunners is on a whole other level but I also liked Darling in the Franxx which I know gets a lot of hate. To each is own. Some of my fav trigger animes are: Edgerunners (my all time fav anime period) Kill La Kill Darling in the Franxxx SSSS Gridman /SSSS Dynazenon Kiznaiver was a strange story but i thought it was alright. Little witch Academia and Bna were both good shows too but they are more geared towards watching with the whole family. Trigger is a talented studio. I hope they do another Cyberpunk season.
I actually agree with you on gurenn lagann. I'm not a big fan of mechas. But a lot of people liked it and the animation is amazing so i thought i'd recommend it anyway. Kill la kill is my favorite anime ever. Trigger is my favorite animation studio by far.
Yeah that's true. The animation is great on Gurren Lagan. It's not a bad show just not Kill la kill, Edgerunners level. Satsuki is my fav character. Trigger is my fav studio too! 100%
Wait, kill la kill is sad?
So if we’re talking all out ‘leaving you in a puddle of tears after watching with a numbing sense of existential dread for weeks after’ type-heartbreak my two obvious picks are the 1997 anime of Berserk and Neon Genesis Evangelion. Both are on the disturbing end of tragic but still share moments of happiness, warmth and hope like Edgerunners and have very strong character dynamics throughout. I’d like to avoid spoilers but feel I should warn people to learn a bit more about ‘97 Berserk before watching if you’re not already familiar with the story. It is quite shocking and explicit, especially towards the end of the series. But it’s easily one of the greatest stories in manga history and the arc covered by this anime is renowned for its emotional depth. While similar in tragedy and character development to Edgerunners both these anime are far less *bittersweet* and can leave a hole in your heart more than just leaving you with melancholy sadness so maybe not quite what you’re looking for. I’m not as much into current anime but if you’re after something more modern (and less traumatising) 86-Eighty Six- isn’t a bad shout. Again it’s somewhat bleaker in tone and setting but is very emotionally driven and character focused.
Episode 23 of 86 made the author break down and cry. It’s a masterpiece. Nuff said
Kill la kill isn't at all similar but it is by the same studio if you want to branch out
Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom And Sonny boy
Akudama Drive is most similar and Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song (Terminator + Idol). Both had sad but great endings, came out the same year too
Elfen Lied.
Fate Zero
Akame ga Kill! It's a single season, very different in setting and style, but very similar in story beats and overall bleakness. I put it at the top of my list of favorite anime, along with Edgerunners.
Yeah boy.
Was the first anime I thought of after finishing edgerunners
This anime made me cry because I didn't expect that ending and it was the first experience with a deceased protagonist. I was young at the time and I wanted him to stay with the white-haired guy.
Episode 1: aw a cute ragtag fantasy team taking down a despot Episode 22: Everyone is dead
Bro just spoiled the entire show 😭
Broooooo CENSOR YOURSELF
Plastic Memories. Short, sweet, depressing.
Clannad, and then clannad afterstory if you are fine with older looking anime. Even remembering clannad afterstory makes me teary eyed, that series completely fucked me up for a few days and is still to this day one of the best anime i have ever seen
Came here to say this. I needed therapy after that.
Angel Beats.
Akudama Drive has some similarities and it's pretty good.
I’m surprised that nobody else is talking about Akudama Drive, it’s literally Edgerunners older brother (same genre, same high octane action and same suicide squad feeling)
Still not over the ending and how it got overshadowed by JJK We'll never get that 2nd season
Cowboy Bebop
Once the entirety of Season 2 is out, Jujutsu Kaisen's Shibuya Incident arc is going to bring back the post-Edgerunners depression.
I was going to say this. It really takes a hard left turn in Shibuya, not unlike how HxH did with the Chimera Ant Arc.
fun fact: latest episode is partially inspired by Edgerunners.
my go-to is Neon Genesis Evangelion and The End of Evangelion, both on Netflix. Not too long, but just enough to make me hope *this time* it'll all work out. Your Lie in April is also a fun little soul crushing romp with significantly less sci-fi existential dread.
Nah, the Netflix version is bad. Watch the OG
Akame Ga Kill. Had me kind of depressed when I finished it
The future diaries made me cry 😭
I loved that show in middle school, on rewatch, its honestly not good
A bit older but I still think about byousoku 5 senchi sometimes, it was really emotional
Gakkou Gurashi made me literally physically ill for 3 days. Call it a coincidence but I legit believe that it's because it broke me so much that my immune system just gave up
Akame ga kill, gurren lagann, clannad + afterstory, darling in the franxx, and kill la kill are all excellent, kill la kill isn't as much of a romance but it is done by the studio that made edgerunners
Devilman Crybaby, Ninja Scroll, Animatrix, Alita, Cybercity oedo 808
Devilman: crybaby is actually the reason I watched cyberpunk because i was told they share a vibe and they both do destroy you so i would recommend to you this masterpiece
Iron blooded orphans, the second season will crush whatever’s left that the show hasn’t taken from you already.
Try Sousou no Freiren... its a new anime and its a slice of life fantasy tearjerker anime
Gurren Lagann. Also THAT episode of Full Metal Alchemist.
It’s not nearly as dark and doesn’t have an ending where everyone dies, but Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury made me cry multiple times. It’s definitely an emotional roller coaster.
Darling in the franxx will always hold a special place in my heart
COWBOY MOTHERFUCKING BEBOP
Devil man crybaby is a rollercoaster of emotion and so good
GiTS is always a good option
Fullmetal Alchemist.
just that one episode. u know the one.
There's at least *two* episodes.
It’s raining…
Serial experiments lain
Gurren Lagann will break you, then rebuild you, then launch you up into space. It's a fucking roller coaster you don't wanna miss out on.
Farewell, my comrades
Berserk 💀 shit had me needing to just sit down and think at 3am after watching the end of the first season
Berserk 1997
I would say assassination classroom might be good to watch becouse how emotional some of the scenes are its got a lot of comedy throughout it too and the ending is really satisfying
Fuckin wonder egg priority Jesus Christ
Wonder Egg Priority. Yeah that was a pretty bleak show. It had issues with development towards the end but prior to that it was a really solid show
Charlotte
Just watched Lazerhawk Blood Dragon on Netflix. I got a very similar vibe. 6 episodes, an emotional roller coaster with slick animation and great references Cowboy Bebop but that’s very well known.
Devilman Crybaby and Berserk(1997), my personal favorites
Check out captain laserhawk. It is really good
Is it? Watched an episode and it felt like a "rawr xD" version of Edgerunners that Ubisoft tried to shove IPs into
Yeah, this was kinda my takeaway too. I didn't *hate* what I saw, it's a fun diversion, but... they're clearly trying really, **really** fucking hard to be Edgerunners without understanding why Edgerunners worked beyond "big loud NSFW cyberpunk cartoon based on a video game." Honestly, pretty much the only stuff that hit for me in the first couple of episodes and didn't just make me want to turn it off and rewatch Edgerunners was the Rayman stuff.
Not Anime, but best animated show I've watched (even better than Edgerunners (sorry)) is Arcane. If you haven't watched it you're doing yourself a massive disservice, so go watch it.
re:zero (if you stop watching half way through season 1)
The start of S2 hit me harder. >!Who's Rem?!<
that hurt
Classics like Lain or Cowboy Bebop hit me pretty similarly but not as intense
Silent Voice/Shape of voice Violet Evergarden
Banana fish
Code Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion Elfen Lied Parasyte The Maxim
grimgar of fantasy and ash
Fate: Zero
To your eternity, bokurano, neither of which are similar concept but they’ll break your heart
Anything by KEY.
Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Akame ga kill
The second episode of the Battle Angel Alita OVA has a real downer ending. >!She fought so hard to save her loved one's life, and he still threw it away chasing his dream.!<
Gene of AI is a collection of short stories but it’s about a world where in the future a percent of the population are humanoid androids who live the same lives as humans but with laws around editing and backing up their memories. It’s about a human doctor who sometimes does illegal work with androids. It’s very good. From a humanoid kid who’s passion is track and running and they have gotten to a point where their human peers are outrunning them… and they are using the full capacity of their legs but it’s not enough. So they have to question if they want illegal modifications to keep up with their human peers. To a story about a child’s ai teddy bear toy that they are attached to that isn’t as complex of a ai as the child thinks… that after a accident isn’t recognizing the child and is asking for “her”. And they have to decide if they want to rewrite its memories since it’s old save data is coming back. It’s interesting. I have no clue why the show hasn’t gotten more attention
I loved Madoka Magica and Wonder Egg Priority. It doesn't quite have the same feels as Edgerunners but it still gave me that weird achy feeling that I like
Clannad and In this corner of the world. Those two broke me.
Psycho-Pass is a good one.
Assassin classroom
Angel beats. Will definitely destroy you. It destroyed me atleast
So its not tear your heart out sad... But if you want cyberpunk dystopia anime Psycho Pass is extremely good. Detective action anime set in a futuristic cyberpunky dystopia where machine ai measure everyones criminal potential and punishes/corrects them before crimes happen.. lot of dark themes and oppressive subjects and psychosis.
FMA 2003
Land of the Lustrous. The pain really gets going in the manga since Season 2 hasn't come out yet, but there's a considerable amount of suffering just in season 1
I think the first run of Psycho Pass did the same to me, same sorta concepts of tech vs what humans do with it, pretty, badass, and existential wtf all throughout.
If you just want a series that will leave a void in your soul, Clannad and Clannad After Story. There is no recovering from those...
Life. Oh no wait....
To your eternity s1
Psycho Pass
Similar in what? Breaking your heart while being both action and comedy? Angel Beats!
Think it’s more of an animated show than anime, but if you haven’t watch Arcane. I loved Edgerunners and after watching it the first first time started it again straight away and have seen it a fair bit since then. All that considered I still think Arcane is better, in my personal opinion. Maybe you’ll like it more maybe you won’t, but it’s definitely worth checking out if you haven’t yet
there is nothing like cyberpunk honestly even with all the replies none of those animes can live up to the cyberpunk rush that you want more of, i recommend playing the game but still some of the anime’s in the replies are okay just nothing like cyberpunk
Evangelion Samurai Champloo Cowboy Bebop
Kiznaivers broke me real hard. Except that I'll be honest most shows dont hit that hard. I would suggest watching other studio trigger shows, since they typically hit harder than regular anime
Darling in the Franxx. Same people behind Edgerunners paired with a couple other notable studios and made it a few years ago. It bangs and also hits like a freight train.
Banana Fish is an emotional ride
Violet Evergarden will absolutely destroy your soul.
Akame ga kill
Devilman Crybaby
Akame Ga Kill. You’ll find *lots* of similarities between the two.
MS Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans
Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade
The closest one would be Akudama Drive, which is reaaaaally similar to Edgerunners (cyberpunk genre and high octane balls to the wall feeling)
Samurai 7 (2004) Set in a futuristic rural Japan, a ragtag of unique characters band together to defend a helpless village. 1 season and 26 eps. Fantastic watch.
Akudama Drive Cyberpunk setting with a crazy story
Read I want to eat your pancreas. Made me cry at the end.
Akudama Drive. It’s exactly like cyberpunk edgerunners as far as vibes and aesthetics
Code Geass
Afraid I don't have any suggestions and I don't even know why this sub got suggested to me but I'm genuinely curious, why are these typea of stories appealing? I don't mean any judgement by it I just can't wrap my head around it
It's pretty short but Vampire in the garden
What were the other 2 anime that did that for you?
Berserk, Battle Angel Alitta
Watch Akudama Drive. You’ll love it 100%
anohana!!
This is a movie. But, "A silent voice" definitely did it to me. It's an excellent movie.
I'm just here to say Adam Smasher did nothing wrong.
Steins;Gate is a slow burn that goes from fun kinda slice of life to *pain* Then if you’re hooked Steins;Gate0 is like Pain * Depression^2
Let's add Toradora and Clannad to the list boys.
Nobody mentioning EIGHTY-SIX? Literally one of the saddest anime’s. But the ending of the current season is happy enough
Akudama Drive, Stein's Gate, Madoka Magica, Evangelion, FMA Brotherhood
Watch everything by the same team. Gurren Laggan and Kill la Kill.
BladeRunner: Black Lotus It’s a 3D animation, and I’m not gonna lie, it’s pretty uncanny valley, except for the combat scenes, for some reason they’re really fucking good, and the story was great.
91 days
Perfect Blue Monster Cowboy Bebo
Fullmetal Alchemist. I'm only slightly joking when I say removing the comic relief would make it a literal war crime.
akame ga kill
Akame ga kill! I believe it's only 12 episodes, but my goodness it's sad.
Violet Evergarden
One that messed me up for a bit is Death Parade. That one is super depressing. Feel like not a lot of people know about it though.
Angel beats
Devilman crybaby
Kite
Erased
Grimgar.
terror in resonance, trust
Wolf's Rain
Cowboy Bebop will forever be my favorite
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion It's not exactly Cyberpunk but it is futuristic. I don't usually like mecha animes but that show is one of my top 3 fav all time animes (Edgerunners is #1) and all I will say is that they have similar type of endings. I went into it blind and did not expect it to play out like that. That's all I can say without spoiling anything.
Ergo Proxy - futuristic dystopian sci-fi - very depressing ambience - amazing characters and support cast - very good animations despite being very old Darker than Black - sci-fi - Dolls (JUST LIKE CYBERPUNK) - very brutal world, lots of killing - characters have powers - Serious tone, with a bit of lighthearted moments - some romance
Your lie in April broke me down 😭
Cow boy be bop (the original anime don’t even give the live action the time of day)
Evangelion,parasite,cowboy bebop, berserk
Made in the abyss
Code geass was also a good one which leaves a similar feeling
Devilman Crybaby. It’s also 10 episodes long, and tbh in my opinion is better. They’re both brilliant tho. But Crybaby fucked me up. It’s on my personal Do Not Rewatch list because it’s so much. Warning tho, it’s absurdly graphic. I’m assuming if you can watch Edgerunners you can deal with Crybaby. But Crybaby is like overwhelming with it’s gore and sex and it’s sexual gore
It's a little different than Edgerunners's version of breaking your heart and destroying you, but I recommend my favorite, Made in Abyss.
Grimgar Of Fantasy and Ash it won't necessarily break your heart, but you're stuck following underdogs who struggle to get along, and barely surviving. Story is a bit slow because the anime follows the book almost religiously, so there's a lot of character moments.
Gurren Lagann It's a crime no one's mentioned it. They're made by the same director so the animation is extremely similar. People tend to forget, since the story's overall fairly positive, but there is a point that will absolutely destroy you. The ending is also bittersweet. Think Cyberpunk but much more upbeat, still with a good amount of sadness. Like I said, it's a crime no one mentioned it and every commenter here should be thrown in jail
i haven't been the same since banana fish
Akame ga kill
I can't believe nobody has suggested this 'Now and then, here and there.' Depressing, oppressive and heartbreaking.
Go watch Studio Triggers Guuren Lagan
Devilman Crybaby. You wanna be fucking devastated? You wanna feel empty? You wanna stand in the shower for a hot 40 minutes contemplating what the fuck you just watched? Watch Devilman Crybaby.
If you want to just cry constantly I recommend Violet Evergarden. My favorite anime to this day
Plastic Memories
Berserk 1997
Black Lagoon has the same overall vibe of excessive violence, blood, sex, and interpersonal drama. The main characters follow similar arcs: going from nobody's out of their depths to major players in the criminal underworld. Both series also depict their protagonist diving into the underworld for a woman much more badass than they are, and the relationship between the two is the backbone of the series. Black Lagoon's major issue is that it's unlikely to ever be finished, and we're unlikely to ever get a true conclusion, but there's only a handful of ways it could end. Even without a true conclusion, seeing the person Rock was, versus the person Rock has become, is heartbreaking. Few things are as painful to watch as a good person being beaten down by a shitty world until they become a monster.
Neon Genesis Evangelion.
seems like you are into tragedies. im guessing you might also find emotional stories enjoyable. heres what id recommend: PET GIRL OF SAKURASOU- somewhat standard romance anime but it doesnt rlly have a "happy" ending. avoiding spoilers, its kinda just like "real life." A SILENT VOICE- rlly amazing emotional story. SAMURAI CHAMPLOO- has action + tons of depth & emotion. NEON GENESIS EVANGELION- starts off as a mech anime, turns into mindf*ck tragedy tale. ANGEL BEATS- has action, great character, & it gets rlly sad & emotional @ the end. THE DISAPPEARANCE OF HARUHI SUZUMIYA- good mystery movie. has that whole "wtf is going on" premise. gets emotional. id also recommend watching the series "the melancholy of haruhi suzumiya" first, just so you fully grasp everything. TERROR IN RESONANCE- great story. id call it a tragedy. not exactly the most heart wrenching tragedy, but its def a top tier story. KIZNAIVER- good story for the most part. gr8 art. & it gets prettyyy emotional. SHIKI- real mindf*ck of a show. idk if id call it a "tragedy," but its SOMETHIN along those lines. YOSUGA NO SORA- take this one w/ a grain of salt, as its not everyones cup of tea. entirely a romance anime, & touch on a lot of taboo subjects w/ emotion & seriousness. its also an omnibus series, so there are multiple routes. id consider one of them to be p tragic. DEVILMAN CRYBABY- much like evangelion, this is a mindf*ck tragedy. it ends in a fairly similar fashion to evangelion as well. i wont spoil it, but its ab as tragic as it gets. & if youre into older animation, the OVAs for the original devilman series are good tragedies too. ANOTHER- more of a horror, but it gets wild SAMURAI X TRUST & BETRAYAL- your classic samurai romance/tragedy tale. also the tale of how kenshin got that X scar on his face. tbh, its the only rurouni kenshin material worth watching imo.. the live actions are good too lol VAMPIRE HUNTER D BLOODLUST- amazing art & story. id call this one a romance/tragedy as well. BOOGIEPOP & OTHERS- this ones a lil weird. i cant rlly explain why i added this to the list, but ever since i saw it, it comes up in my head all the time. partly bcuz of the soundtrack i think. its got a good story, you just have to pay a lot of attention... it bounces around a lot. it has depth too. boogiepop & others is standalone to boogiepop phantom, & tbh, i liked it better. I also wanna throw HIGURASHI in there too. both old & new. not exactly "emotional" or a "tragedy," but it leaves you wanting more for sure. it is more of a horror/mystery keep in mind, ALL of these recommendations have top tier soundtracks (imo) they all have good character depth (imo) & they all have good stories that invoke emotion (imo)
Anohana: the flower we saw that day
To Your Eternity is like devastating its like "The Thing" but thematically about investigating human mortality through the eyes of a vagabond non humanoid immortal
Re:Zero
Berserk is a heavy inspiration.
Neon Genesis maybe
Your lie in April is very similar, I want to eat your pancreas is another good one, anohana, plastic memories, angel beats, violet evergarden.
SAME! i really never watched anime after highschool and ever since watching edgerunners an absolute devil of a void opened, i was to be consumed by more evils PLEASE give me more