Anime like Cello Hiki no Gauche

Nekohiki no Oruorane

Studio: J.C.STAFF , Polydor Records
Status: Finished
Genres: Fantasy , Music

During the holiday season, a young man encounters a drunken cat belonging to an old man in an alley. The old man has trained his three cats to sing.



Tags: Animals , Snowscape , Musical Theater , Iyashikei

Ongaku

Also known as ON-GAKU: OUR SOUND.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Music , Slice of Life

When you’re a bored teenager looking for thrills, sometimes the only thing you can turn to is rock ‘n roll. Having no skill, money, or even a full set of drums, a feared trio of high school delinquents nevertheless decide they are destined for musical glory in a quest to impress their only friend Aya, avoid a rival gang, and – most importantly – jam out. Animated almost entirely by director Kenji Iwaisawa, and featuring a lead performance by Japanese alt-rock legend Shintaro Sakamoto, ON-GAKU: OUR SOUND brings its own sound and vision to the Hiroyuki Oohashi manga from which it was adapted. With pitch-perfect deadpan humor, the film presents a highly original take on the beloved slacker comedy: a lo-fi buddy film with a blaring musical finale that will leave you wanting an immediate encore.



Tags: Band , Delinquents , Rotoscoping , Coming of Age , Primarily Teen Cast , Rock Music , Male Protagonist , Primarily Male Cast , School

Nodame Cantabile

Studio: J.C.STAFF , Dentsu , Genco , Kodansha , Fuji TV , Magic Capsule , Sony Music Entertainment , Fujipacific Music , Trilogy Future Studio
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Music , Romance , Slice of Life

Shinichi Chiaki is a first class musician whose dream is to play among the elites in Europe. Coming from a distinguished family, he is an infamous perfectionist; not only is he highly critical of himself, but of others as well. The only thing stopping Chiaki from leaving for Europe is his fear of flying. As a result, he's grounded in Japan.

During his 4th year at Japan's top music university, Chiaki happens to meet Noda Megumi; or as she refers to herself, Nodame. On the surface, she seems to be an unkempt girl with no direction in life. However, when Chiaki hears Nodame play the piano for the first time, he is in awe at the kind of music she plays. To Chiaki's dismay, Nodame moves into the apartment next to his and finds out that she is head over heels in love with him.

Nodame Cantabile tells the story of Chiaki and Nodame, as they not only learn to deal with each other, but learn lessons from one another as they strive for the top of the musical world.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Tags: Primarily Adult Cast , Josei , Heterosexual , College , Classical Music , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Band , Slapstick , Tsundere , CGI

Piano no Mori

Studio: MADHOUSE , Sony Music Entertainment
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Comedy , Drama , Music

Amamiya Shuuhei moves from Tokyo to the country side due to his grandmother's bad health. His father is a famous pianist and Shuuhei has taken strict piano lessons since he was very young, aspiring to follow in his footsteps. In school, he is teased by his classmates and is dared to play the piano in the forest. This piano is said to be cursed: if you play it, no sound will come. After school, Ichinose Kai, a boy in the same class, takes Shuuhei to the forest. When Shuuhei tries to play he fails, but Kai plays a wonderful song.

This is the beginning of a strong friendship, and a story of two very different boys developing their skills as musicians.

Tags: Primarily Child Cast , Classical Music , Coming of Age , Primarily Male Cast , Male Protagonist , School , Bullying , Rural , Seinen

Mimi wo Sumaseba

Also known as Whisper of the Heart.

Studio: Studio Ghibli , Tokuma Shoten , Walt Disney Studios , GKIDS
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Drama , Romance , Slice of Life

During summer vacation, a schoolgirl named Shizuku, who longs to discover her true talents, observes an ordinary-looking cat riding by himself on the train. Intrigued, she decides to follow him. This chance encounter leads her to the mysterious Seiji, a boy who is determined to follow his dreams, and The Baron, a magical cat figurine who helps her listen to the whispers in her heart. Soon, Shizuku's exciting adventures carry her far beyond the boundaries of her imagination.



Tags: Coming of Age , Writing , Female Protagonist , Heterosexual , Shoujo , Animals , School , Primarily Teen Cast , Fairy Tale , Tsundere , Crossover , Cycling , Love Triangle , Kemonomimi , Nekomimi , Unrequited Love

Omoide Poro Poro

Also known as Only Yesterday.

Studio: Studio Ghibli , Tokuma Shoten , GKIDS
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance , Slice of Life

Taeko Okajima is a typical "office lady" in a big company in a big city. When she takes a sabbatical to the countryside in Yamagata Prefecture, the hometown of her brother-in-law, the journey recalled her memory of her 5th grade year. During her stay in Yamagata, she works hard and happily as a farmer and is surrounded by friendly relatives and villagers, bringing up more memories. Their hospitality makes her to reconsider her choice of life.



Tags: Female Protagonist , Iyashikei , Coming of Age , Rural , Biographical , Philosophy , Family Life , Agriculture , Josei , Historical , Travel , School , Heterosexual , Acting , Baseball , Cohabitation

Aru Tabibito no Nikki

Studio: Robot
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Fantasy

Follow Tortov as he journeys through very surreal, magical, picturesque landscapes, meeting interesting characters and circumstances on the way. Accompanied by his long-legged pig friend, Tortov takes us on an on-going adventure of peaceful contemplation.



Tags: Episodic , No Dialogue , Travel , Iyashikei , Male Protagonist , Animals , Slapstick

Chuumon no Ooi Ryouriten (1991)

Status: Finished
Genres: Fantasy , Horror , Supernatural

A short film based on a story by Japanese writer Kenji Miyazawa.
Two young British hunters get lost in the woods and discover a strange restaurant. Are the hunters about to discover how it feels to be the hunted?



Tags: No Dialogue , Guns , Classic Literature , Animals , Rural , Primarily Male Cast , Primarily Adult Cast , Restaurant , Fairy Tale , Cannibalism , Shapeshifting

BLUE GIANT

Also known as Blue Giant.

Studio: Toho , NUT
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Music

Dai Miyamoto's life is turned upside down the day he discovers jazz. A former high school basketball player, Dai picks up a saxophone and begins practicing day and night, determined to become one of the greatest of all time. He leaves his hometown Sendai for the bustling nightclubs of Tokyo, but soon finds the life of a professional musician is not for the faint of heart. His passion eventually wins over the cocky but talented pianist Yukinori, and after Dai convinces his friend Shunji to learn the drums, they launch a new jazz trio whose rough sound contains a raw energy that quickly wins attention from local audiences. But what does it take to truly be great?



Tags: Jazz Music , Urban , Band , Ensemble Cast , Male Protagonist , Primarily Adult Cast , Seinen , Primarily Male Cast , CGI , Tragedy , Bar

Yodaka no Hoshi

Status: Finished
Genres:

The stars in the sky seem to maintain the remote, eternal order which earthbound souls can hardly hope to attain, as it would take exceptional energy to transform oneself from an earthly creature into a brightly shining star. However, the ugly nighthawk who had experienced great hardship being despised by fellow birds managed to convert that hardship into enormous energy to fly up to heaven, and in the end could glow as the nighthawk star.

A short made by Ryu Kato celebrating Kenji Miyazawa's 80+ years of fairy tales based on the story of the same name.



Tags: Philosophy , Coming of Age , Astronomy , Animals , Bullying