Anime like Shinigami no Ballad.

Jigoku Shoujo

Also known as Hell Girl.

Studio: Aniplex , Studio DEEN , Funimation , SKY Perfect Well Think
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Horror , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural

Somewhere in the vast sea of the Internet, there's a website that can only be accessed at the stroke of midnight. Known as the Jigoku Tsushin, rumor has it that if you post a grudge there, the Jigoku Shoujo will appear and drag whoever torments you into the inferno. Very little is known about the girl - all we know for sure is that she lives with her equally enigmatic grandmother, that three magical straw dolls accompany and serve her, and that whenever a posting on the Jigoku Tsushin moves her, she becomes the Jigoku Shoujo.


Tags: Revenge , Episodic , Female Protagonist , Tragedy , Bullying , Afterlife , Curses , Ghost , Urban , Oiran , Detective , Gore , Crime , Conspiracy , Cosmic Horror , School , Blackmail , Rural , Torture , Aliens , Circus , Twins , Veterinarian , Kuudere ,

Shigofumi

Also known as Shigofumi.

Studio: J.C.STAFF , Bandai Visual , Genco , Sentai Filmworks
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Fantasy , Psychological , Supernatural , Thriller

When someone dies, what should their final words be? Words that couldn't be said while still alive - of love, hate, hope, regret or perhaps words without any importance. These words are sent through letters called "shigofumi" from the recently deceased to the living. Mikawa Fumika is a mail carrier of these shigofumi, delivering them alongside staff and her partner Kanaka. However, there must be something more behind Fumika's silent exterior; shigofumi mail carriers are deceased humans with the same appearance they had just before death. Despite this, Fumika is still aging...

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Tags: Dissociative Identities , Female Protagonist , Urban Fantasy , Suicide , Denpa , Tomboy , Amnesia , Work , Tragedy , Tennis , Afterlife , Conspiracy , School , Magic , Episodic , Gods , Bullying , Kuudere , Disability , Writing , Coming of Age , Rehabilitation , Revenge , Crime , Heterosexual , Guns , Office Lady , Family Life , Police , Detective

ARIA The ANIMATION

Also known as ARIA The ANIMATION.

Studio: Hal Film Maker , The Right Stuf International
Status: Finished
Genres: Fantasy , Sci-Fi , Slice of Life

Drift peacefully into Neo Venezia, a city on the planet Aqua (formerly known as Mars). By the 24th century, humans have found a way to colonize the previously uninhabitable planet. As futuristic as that sounds, Neo Venezia is still teeming with rustic beauty; gondolas on wide canals and waterways are the main mode of transportation. The city itself is a faithful replication of Manhome's (the planet formerly known as Earth) Venice.

To make sure that residents and tourists alike get the most from Neo Venezia's many wonders, companies offering guided tours via gondola were formed, one of which is named Aria Company.

This is the workplace of Akari Mizunashi, a free spirited teenager from Manhome who is now a novice Undine (the title given to tour guides). Join Akari as she becomes intimately acquainted with other Undine, tourists, Neo Venezia's residents, and even the city itself, learning many valuable life lessons along the way, such as the wonderful truth that there are such things as manmade miracles.

Tags: Iyashikei , Ships , Work , Philosophy , Female Protagonist , Primarily Female Cast , Foreign , Urban Fantasy , Episodic , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Urban , Space , Time Manipulation , Animals , Primarily Teen Cast , Shounen , Kuudere , Chibi , Tanned Skin , Yuri

Full Moon wo Sagashite

Also known as Looking for the Full Moon.

Studio: Studio DEEN , Viz Media , NAS
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Mahou Shoujo , Music , Romance , Supernatural

Twelve-year-old Kouyama Mitsuki was devastated when she was diagnosed with a malignant tumor of the throat. She had made a promise to the boy she loves that she would one day become a singer, but her illness made singing impossible. To make matters even worse, two angels of death, Takuto and Meroko, appeared to Mitsuki and informed her that she only had one year left to live. This news provides an even greater motivation for Mitsuki to fulfill her dreams, and with a little bit of divine intervention, she begins her quest to become a professional singer so she can be reunited with Eichi before time runs out.



Tags: Female Protagonist , Afterlife , Idol , Musical Theater , Shoujo , Angels , Tragedy , Heterosexual , Urban Fantasy , Work , Unrequited Love , Henshin , Youkai , Rehabilitation , Age Gap , Found Family , Kemonomimi , Orphan , Disability , Primarily Child Cast , Suicide , Mythology , Nekomimi , School , Denpa , Animals , Philosophy , Love Triangle , Reincarnation

Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora

Also known as Looking Up at the Half-Moon.

Studio: Group TAC , Pony Canyon , Crimson Star Media
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Romance

After contracting hepatitis A, Ezaki Yuuichi has been confined to a hospital away from his friends and family, much to his displeasure. To relieve his boredom, he has taken to sneaking out of the hospital, usually putting himself on the receiving end of a beating from his nurse. Upon meeting a girl his age also staying in the hospital, he is immediately captivated by her beauty. Akiba Rika's personality is not quite as captivating as her beauty however. In fact, she is rather selfish, moody, and bossy. But as the two spend more time with each other, they become closer, sharing the ordinary joys and trials of a budding teenage romance, even when darkened with impending tragedy - for Rika's condition does not leave her much longer to live.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Tags: Male Protagonist , Seinen , Heterosexual , Tsundere , Tragedy , Coming of Age , Philosophy

Kino no Tabi: the Beautiful World

Also known as Kino's Journey.

Studio: WOWOW , Genco , A.C.G.T. , Sentai Filmworks , Studio Wombat
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Drama , Fantasy , Psychological , Slice of Life

Based on a hit light novel series by Keiichi Sigsawa, the philosophical Kino's Journey employs the time-honored motif of the road trip as a vehicle for self-discovery and universal truth. Deeply meditative and cooler than zero, the series follows the existential adventures of the apt marksman Kino along with talking motorcycle Hermes as they travel the world and learn much about themselves in the process. Imaginative, thought-provoking, and sometimes disturbing, Kino's journey is documented in an episodic style with an emphasis on atmosphere rather than action or plot, though still prevalent.

Tags: Philosophy , Episodic , Travel , Foreign , Tragedy , Meta , Motorcycles , Achronological Order , Dystopian , Female Protagonist , Agender , Guns , Rural , Steampunk , Snowscape , Mopeds , Politics , Cannibalism , Robots , Kuudere , Battle Royale , Aviation , War , Tanks

ef: a tale of memories.

Also known as ef ~ A Tale of Memories.

Studio: Shaft , Rondo Robe , Sentai Filmworks , NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Psychological , Romance

On Christmas Eve, Hiro Hirono's bike is stolen by a girl chasing a thief who stole her purse. He gives chase and finds her unconscious and his bike ruined. The girl, Miyako Miyamura, soon awakes and the two begin to talk. After making sure she is okay, they end up spending Christmas Eve together. Later, Hiro finds out Miyako attends the same school as him and they begin to spend more and more time together, Miyako developing affections for Hiro. Kei Shindou -- Hiro's childhood friend who has long held a crush on him -- begins to become jealous and a love triangle follows.

The series also tells the story of Renji Asou. One day, he meets Chihiro Shindou, the twin sister of Kei Shindou, at an abandoned train station. Even though she's very shy, they get along pretty well and begin meeting at the same spot everyday. However, Renji finds out that Chihiro was in a car accident years ago and as a consequence she suffers from a disability: her memory lasts only 13 hours. Nevertheless, after learning that Chihiro's dream is to write a novel, Renji finally decides to help her fulfill her dream while also trying to make her overcome the difficulties imposed by her condition.

Tags: Amnesia , Twins , Heterosexual , Love Triangle , Rehabilitation , Denpa , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Writing , Ghost , Philosophy , Drawing , Primarily Female Cast , Photography , Ensemble Cast , Filmmaking , Tragedy , Basketball , School , Nudity , Snowscape

Ningen Kousaten

Also known as Human Crossing.

Studio: A.C.G.T. , OB Planning , Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions , TV Tokyo
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Slice of Life

Though seemingly unconnected, the characters in HUMAN CROSSING all have something in common. They are dealing with the sometimes joyous, but often horrific realities of everyday life. Set in modern day Japan, this compilation of short stories explores the lives of people from all walks of life. The animation used here is subtle, with realistic renderings that fully express the range of emotions experienced by the film`s characters. HUMAN CROSSING taps into the dramatic potential of reality, focusing on the isolated, sometimes lonely nature of urban life. Ultimately, however, the film suggests that perhaps there is an inter-connectedness between people that binds even the most disparate strangers together.

Tags: Episodic , Family Life , Coming of Age , Bullying , Philosophy , Boxing

Hotarubi no Mori e

Also known as Into the Forest of Fireflies' Light.

Studio: Aniplex , Brain's Base , Hakusensha , DAX Production , TV Tokyo , NAS
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Fantasy , Romance , Supernatural

The story of Hotarubi no Mori e centers around Hotaru, a little girl who gets lost in an enchanted forest where apparitions reside. A young boy, Gin, appears before Hotaru, but she cannot touch him for fear of making him disappear.

Tags: Coming of Age , Youkai , Ghost , Tragedy , Rural , Urban Fantasy , Male Protagonist , Shoujo , Female Protagonist , Time Skip , Age Gap , Heterosexual , Iyashikei , Wilderness