Anime like Madogiwa no Totto-chan

What is Madogiwa no Totto-chan about?

Studio: Shin-Ei Animation
Status: Finished

This engaging series of childhood recollections tells about an ideal school in Tokyo during World War II that combined learning with fun, freedom, and love. This unusual school had old railroad cars for classrooms, and it was run by an extraordinary man-its founder and headmaster, Sosaku Kobayashi--who was a firm believer in freedom of expression and activity.

In real life, the Totto-chan of the book has become one of Japan's most popular television personalities--Tetsuko Kuroyanagi. She attributes her success in life to this wonderful school and its headmaster.

The charm of this account has won the hearts of millions of people of all ages and made this book a runaway bestseller in Japan, with sales hitting the 4.5 million mark in its first year.

Tags: Autobiographical , Disability , Kids , Rural , War , School , Tragedy

Where to watch?

No streaming links available

Kono Sekai no Katasumi ni

Also known as In This Corner of the World.

Studio: MAPPA , Genco , Animatsu Entertainment
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Slice of Life

The story follows a young lady named Suzu Urano, who in 1944 moves to the small town of Kure in Hiroshima to live with her husband's family. Suzu's life is thrown into chaos when her town is bombed during World War II. Her perseverance and courage underpin this heart-warming and inspirational tale of the everyday challenges faced by the Japanese in the midst of a violent, war-torn country. This beautiful yet poignant tale shows that even in the face of adversity and loss, people can come together and rebuild their lives.

Tags: Historical , War , Family Life , Female Protagonist , Tragedy , Seinen , Rehabilitation , Drawing , Heterosexual , Disability

Where to watch?

Tubi TV

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Look Back

Also known as LOOK BACK.

Studio: Studio Durian , Avex Pictures
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Slice of Life

Ayumu Fujino is a fourth grader who draws a manga strip for the school newspaper. Her art makes her the star of the class, but one day she's told that Kyomoto, a student who refuses to come to school, would also like to submit a manga for the paper...

Tags: Drawing , Tragedy , Female Protagonist , Coming of Age , Primarily Female Cast , Otaku Culture , Hikikomori , Work , Meta , Rotoscoping , Autobiographical , Shounen , School

Where to watch?

Amazon Prime Video

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Hotaru no Haka

Also known as Grave of the Fireflies.

Studio: Studio Ghibli , Sentai Filmworks
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama

In the aftermath of a World War II bombing, two orphaned children struggle to survive in the Japanese countryside. To Seita and his four-year-old sister, the helplessness and indifference of their countrymen is even more painful than the enemy raids. Through desperation, hunger and grief, these children's lives are as heartbreakingly fragile as their spirit and love is inspiring.

Tags: Tragedy , Survival , Orphan , War , Family Life , Historical , Primarily Child Cast , Rural , Military , Homeless , Autobiographical , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Educational

Where to watch?

Netflix

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Junkers Come Here

Studio: Bandai Visual , Kadokawa Shoten , Bandai Entertainment , Triangle Staff
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Fantasy , Slice of Life

This heartwarming and unexpectedly mature story concerns a young girl named Hiromi Nozawa and her dog, Junkers (pronounced Yoon-kers). Hiromi walks us through her childhood troubles of love, schooling, and family bonds. Her companion Junkers accompanies her on this adventure. However, Junkers is no ordinary dog - he can talk and grant 3 wishes.

Tags: Family Life , Coming of Age , Animals , Female Protagonist

Where to watch?

Hulu

Tubi TV

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Ookami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki

Also known as Wolf Children.

Studio: MADHOUSE , VAP , Dentsu , Yomiuri TV , Funimation , Kadokawa Shoten , Toho , Studio Chizu
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Fantasy , Romance , Slice of Life

The theme of the film is the love between parents and children. The story covers 13 years and begins with a 19-year-old college student named Hana who encounters and falls in "fairy tale-like" love with a "wolf man." After marrying the wolf man, Hana gives birth and raises two wolf children—an older sister named Yuki who was born on a snowy day, and a younger brother named Ame who was born on a rainy day. The four quietly lived in a corner of a city to conceal the existence of the "wolf children," but when the wolf man suddenly dies, Hana decides to move to a rural town far removed from the city.

Tags: Family Life , Werewolf , Coming of Age , Female Protagonist , Environmental , Rural , Shapeshifting , Snowscape , Parenthood , Kemonomimi , Tragedy , Animals , Male Protagonist , Urban , Agriculture , Mythology , School , Heterosexual

Where to watch?

Crunchyroll

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Kaijuu no Kodomo

Also known as Children of the Sea.

Studio: Studio 4°C , Madman Entertainment , GKids , DMM pictures
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Supernatural

One summer vacation, Ruka meets two boys, "Umi" and "Sora," whose upbringing contains strange and wonderful secrets. Drawn to their beautiful swimming, almost more like flying, Ruka and the adults who know them are intertwined in a complex mesh...
Meanwhile, an unexplained anomaly is occurring all over the world: fish are disappearing. Thus begins a marine adventure of boys and girls to captivate all the senses!

Tags: Philosophy , Primarily Child Cast , Space , Environmental , Animals , Cosmic Horror , Female Protagonist , Coming of Age , Mythology , Swimming , Seinen , Astronomy , Urban , CGI , Bullying , Ships , Kaiju , Monster Boy , Handball , Amnesia

Where to watch?

Disney Plus

Netflix

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Aru Nihon no Ekaki Shounen

Also known as A Japanese Boy Who Draws.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama

An experimental animation and documentary about the life of a boy who wants to become a manga artist.

Tags: Autobiographical , Meta , Drawing , Coming of Age , Work , Rotoscoping

Where to watch?

YouTube

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Coquelicot-zaka kara

Also known as From Up on Poppy Hill.

Studio: Studio Ghibli , GKids
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance , Slice of Life

Yokohama, 1963. Umi is a high school student living in her family's hillside home overlooking the sea. Every morning she hoists two signal flags towards the bay, sending out a message. A poem about the flags is published in the school newspaper. Could the author be Shun, the daring newspaper editor who has drawn Umi's attention?

While the two teenagers join in the campaign to save their school's old clubhouse, their budding relationship takes an unexpected turn when they discover a secret surrounding their past. In a Japan at the crossroads of tradition and modernization, Umi and Shun share a moving story of friendship, love and hope.

Tags: School , Historical , Coming of Age , Shoujo , Heterosexual , Female Protagonist , Primarily Teen Cast , School Club , Ships , Outdoor , Family Life , Incest

Where to watch?

Netflix

Max

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Tonari no Totoro

Also known as My Neighbor Totoro.

Studio: Studio Ghibli , Studio Fantasia , Walt Disney Studios , GKids
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Fantasy , Slice of Life , Supernatural

Follow the adventures of Satsuki and her four-year-old sister Mei when they move into a new home in the countryside. To their delight they discover that their new neighbor is a mysterious forest spirit called Totoro who can be seen only through the eyes of a child. Totoro introduces them to extraordinary characters, including a cat that doubles as a bus, takes them on a journey through the wonders of nature.

Tags: Family Life , Primarily Child Cast , Rural , Youkai , Female Protagonist , Urban Fantasy , Kids , Gods , Primarily Female Cast

Where to watch?

Netflix

Max

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Mei to Koneko Bus

Also known as Mei and the Baby Cat Bus.

Studio: Studio Ghibli
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Fantasy

A short film only screened at the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka. This work is a mini-sequel to the film My Neighbor Totoro.

Mei is eating a caramel on one very windy day, when suddenly a whirlwind appears and starts chasing her. The whirlwind turns out to be a baby cat bus. Mei offers the kitten a caramel and the two become friends. That night, the baby cat bus visits Mei. Letting Mei ride inside him, he leaps out into the sky. They head for the midnight forest full of ghosts. Other cat buses large and small have also gathered together. In the forest, Mei encounters...

Tags: Animals , Rural , Gods

Where to watch?

No streaming links available

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