Anime like Kono Oto Tomare! 2

Chihayafuru

Also known as Chihayafuru.

Studio: MADHOUSE , VAP , Nippon Television Network
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance , Slice of Life , Sports

Chihaya Ayase is a girl who has spent most of her life simply supporting her sister in her model career. That changes when she meets a boy named Arata Wataya, a talented karuta player who recognizes Chihaya's potential to become a great player herself. As Chihaya takes on a new dream of becoming Japan's best karuta player, she is soon separated from her karuta playing friends, Taichi Mashima and Arata Wataya, as they grow up. Now in high school, Chihaya still continues to play karuta in the hope that she will one day meet her friends again.



Tags: Karuta , Female Protagonist , School Club , Coming of Age , Love Triangle , Josei , School , Heterosexual , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Teen Cast , Unrequited Love , Athletics , Bullying , Slapstick , Tomboy , CGI

Chihayafuru 3

Also known as Chihayafuru 3.

Studio: MADHOUSE , Nippon Television Network
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance , Slice of Life , Sports

They may have just won their most coveted karuta tournament, but members of the Mizusawa karuta team still have a long way to go. Each member chases their dreams, and with a win under their collective belt, those dreams are closer in reach than ever. Chihaya Ayase is determined to challenge Wakamiya Shinobu and win the title of Queen, and Taichi Mashima is ready to take on Arata Wataya now that he’s made it into the most elite of karuta players — but an unexpected revelation will deal these karuta players a hand none of them saw coming.



Tags: Karuta , School Club , Female Protagonist , Josei , Love Triangle , Athletics , Coming of Age , Educational , Ensemble Cast , School , Primarily Teen Cast , Unrequited Love , Tomboy , Heterosexual , Male Harem , CGI , Meta

Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso

Also known as Your lie in April.

Studio: A-1 Pictures , Aniplex , Dentsu , Fuji TV , Kodansha , Aniplex of America , Kansai TV , KYORAKU
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Music , Romance , Slice of Life

Piano prodigy Arima Kousei dominated the competition and all child musicians knew his name. But after his mother, who was also his instructor, passed away, he had a mental breakdown while performing at a recital. This resulted in him no longer being able to hear the sound of his piano playing. Two years later, Kousei hasn’t touched the piano and views the world without any flair or color. He was content at living out his life with his good friends Tsubaki and Watari until, one day, a girl changed everything. Miyazono Kaori is a pretty, free spirited violinist whose playing style reflects her personality. Kaori helps Kousei return to the music world and show that it should be free and mold breaking unlike the structured and rigid style Kousei was used to.

Tags: Tragedy , Disability , Classical Music , Primarily Teen Cast , Coming of Age , Rehabilitation , Male Protagonist , Female Protagonist , Heterosexual , School , Philosophy , Shounen , CGI , Unrequited Love , Tomboy , Slapstick , Suicide , Football , LGBTQ+ Themes

Chihayafuru 2

Also known as Chihayafuru 2.

Studio: MADHOUSE , VAP , Nippon Television Network
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance , Slice of Life , Sports

Now in their second year of high school, Chihaya and her friends share all the fun and worries that come with welcoming underclassmen to the team as they face tough rival schools. The passion of the Mizusawa Karuta Club burns hotter than ever, but with the same refreshing, youthful mood carrying over from the first season.



Tags: Karuta , Female Protagonist , School Club , Heterosexual , Josei , Coming of Age , Love Triangle , Ensemble Cast , Unrequited Love , Primarily Teen Cast , School , Tomboy , Athletics , CGI

Sakamichi no Apollon

Also known as Kids on the Slope.

Studio: Dentsu , Fuji TV , Tezuka Productions , Toho , DAX Production , Sentai Filmworks , MAPPA , Sony Music Entertainment , Hanabee Entertainment
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Music , Romance , Slice of Life

The beginning of summer, 1966.

Because of his father's job situation, freshman high school student Kaoru Nishimi moves by himself from Yokosuka to Kyushu to live with relatives. Until then, Kaoru was an honor roll student who tended to keep to himself, but meeting notorious bad boy Sentaro Kawabuchi starts to change him. Through his devil-may-care classmate, Kaoru learns the attractions of jazz and finds the first person he can call a "friend". He also discovers how much fun it is to play music with a pal.

Other characters include Sentaro's kind childhood chum, Ritsuko, who is the daughter of a record shop owner; the mysterious upperclassman, Yurika; and Brother Jun, the much-admired leader among their peers. Set against the backdrop of a seaside town with a scent of American culture, this series is a drama about young people coming into their own, crossing each other's paths, and finding friendship, love, and music!



Tags: Coming of Age , Band , Love Triangle , Josei , Jazz Music , Male Protagonist , Heterosexual , Found Family , Primarily Male Cast , School , Rural , Religion , Historical , Primarily Teen Cast , Unrequited Love , Age Gap , Time Skip

Hibike! Euphonium 2

Also known as Sound! Euphonium 2.

Studio: Kyoto Animation
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Music , Slice of Life

With another tournament fast approaching, Kumiko's band is doubling down on practice and discipline, leaving little time for sleep or other recreational activities. The redoubled practice schedule brings Kumiko and Reina closer together, but elsewhere in the band, it seems like drama threatens to tear the group's unity apart. The ghost of the prior year's mass band exodus still haunts many of Kumiko's classmates, and with former band member Nozomi Kasaki now asking to return, it seems like the grudges of the past will soon be impossible to ignore.



Note: The first episode aired with a runtime of ~48 minutes as opposed to the standard 24 minute long episode.

Tags: Band , Coming of Age , School Club , Female Protagonist , School , Primarily Teen Cast , Primarily Female Cast , Ensemble Cast , Unrequited Love , Family Life , Classical Music , Kuudere

Mashiro no Oto

Also known as Those Snow White Notes.

Studio: Shin-Ei Animation , DMM music
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Music

Sawamura Matsugorou is a shamisen player of legendary talent. Upon his death, his grandson, Sawamura Setsu, lost his ability to play. Having lost his beloved sound, Setsu finds himself in Tokyo in search of a new sound to love. Tachiki Yuna, who works at a club, hooks him up with a gig to play there as a warm up act. Setsu imbues the sound of his shamisen with his many thoughts and feelings he has of others, still searching for his own sound and his own feelings.



Tags: Musical Theater , Coming of Age , Male Protagonist , School Club , Shounen , Urban , School , Tragedy

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 , CGI , Tsundere , LGBTQ+ Themes

Given

Also known as given.

Studio: Lerche
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Music , Romance , Slice of Life

Tightly clutching his Gibson guitar, Mafuyu Satou steps out of his dark apartment to begin another day of his high school life. While taking a nap in a quiet spot on the gymnasium staircase, he has a chance encounter with fellow student Ritsuka Uenoyama, who berates him for letting his guitar's strings rust and break. Noticing Uenoyama's knowledge of the instrument, Satou pleads for him to fix it and to teach him how to play. Uenoyama eventually agrees and invites him to sit in on a jam session with his two band mates: bassist Haruki Nakayama and drummer Akihiko Kaji.

Satou's voice is strikingly beautiful, filling Uenoyama with the determination to make Satou the lead singer of the band. Though reticent at first, Satou takes the offer after an emotional meeting with an old friend. With the support of his new friends, Satou must not only learn how to play guitar, but also come to terms with the mysterious circumstances that led him to be its owner.



Tags: Band , Boys' Love , Male Protagonist , Primarily Male Cast , LGBTQ+ Themes , Coming of Age , Primarily Teen Cast , Suicide , Tragedy , Rehabilitation , Cute Boys Doing Cute Things , Urban , School , Josei , Bisexual , Rock Music , Ensemble Cast , CGI , Basketball , Tsundere

Hibike! Euphonium: Chikai no Finale

Also known as Sound! Euphonium: The Movie - Our Promise: A Brand New Day.

Studio: Kyoto Animation
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Music , Slice of Life

The next piece begins! Kumiko is now in her second year at Kitauji High School, and with a new year comes new problems. As if making it to Nationals wasn't hard enough, Kumiko is tasked with mentoring the concert band's troublesome first years – each with their own distinct personality and problems to solve. With Kumiko busy juggling both the concert band and her new role as senpai, how does her relationship with Shuuichi fit into the picture?



Tags: Coming of Age , Band , School Club , Female Protagonist , Primarily Female Cast , School , Primarily Teen Cast , Ensemble Cast , Heterosexual , Classical Music