Anime like Tsuru ni Notte: Tomoko no Bouken

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 , Homeless , Rural , Military , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Autobiographical , Educational

Hadashi no Gen

Also known as Barefoot Gen.

Studio: MADHOUSE , RCC Chugoku Broadcasting , GEN Productions , Discotek
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama

It's the summer of 1945. 3 years have elapsed since the war between Japan and USA began. Gen is a young boy living a struggling yet satisfying life in the city of Hiroshima, that has been strangely spared by the bombing taken in almost every other Japanese City. Food is scarce, and Gen's family is suffering from severe malnutrition, which endangeres his pregnant mother. There isn't much spare time as Gen and his little brother Shinji help their father and mother at work and try to make sure their family survives the tought times. Little do they know, what the Americans have in store for the city of Hiroshima and as of the 6th of August 1945, their lives are about to change dramatically.



Tags: Tragedy , Historical , War , Autobiographical , Gore , Body Horror , Male Protagonist , Primarily Child Cast , Nudity , Educational

Junod

Also known as Junod.

Studio: Studio Hibari
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama

Mii and Yuko, two junior high school students are visiting Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on a school trip when they come upon a monument dedicated to Dr. Marcel Junod standing forlornly in a corner of the park. They wonder who Dr. Junod was and what he did. Just then they are bathed in a strange light and transported back to Europe, more than 70 years before.

It is 1935. The young Dr. Junod, who has been working in a hospital in Mulhouse, France, is heading to Ethiopia as a delegate of the ICRC. Time travelers Mii and Yuko set off along Dr. Junod's path of hardship and turmoil. In Ethiopia, Dr. Junod witnesses attacks on Red Cross workers and the use of poison gas. One after another people are felled. The young doctor sees firsthand the horrors of war, but buoyed by an indomitable spirit he willingly offers a helping hand to those who are suffering as a result of the war.

Dr. Junod's work takes him from Ethiopia to Spain and across the European battlefields of World War II. He works to improve the treatment of prisoners of war and arranges prisoner exchanges. He establishes a method for prisoners and their families to write to each other. He secures routes for the delivery of relief supplies. As a humanitarian, Dr. Junod offers moral support to the weak. Seeing that, Mii and Yuko reflect on their own lives and problems.



Tags: Educational , Biographical , Historical , Medicine , Non-fiction

Yume Kakeru Kougen: Kiyosato no Chichi Paul Rusch

Also known as Paul Rusch: His Life and Dream.

Studio: Magic Bus , Tama Production
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Slice of Life

In 1925 Paul Rusch, an American missionary, arrived in Japan to help The Young Men's Christian Association with reconstruction efforts after the Great Kantou earthquake. Through his association with the Anglican Church he also became a professor at Rikkyo University in Tokyo and deepened his attachement to Japan as a result of conversations with his students. However, he had to leave the country when the Pacific War broke out. In 1945 Paul came to Japan again as an officer of General Headquarters and grieved over the deaths of many of his former students. He vowed to dedicate the rest of his life to helping the people living in Kiyosato - a highland area in Yamanashi Prefecture. He raised funds in the United States, helped build various facilities for the population and established the first highland dairy farm in Japan. However, not all Japanese were happy to deal with an American after the war ended, and so emerged one more important task for Paul: to help soothe post-WWII relationships between the people of two countries.



Tags: Biographical , Historical , Rural , War , Male Protagonist

Pika Don

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama

An animation documentary describing the tragic consequences of the A-bomb explosion in Hiroshima on August 6th, 1945. The flash of the A-bomb, 100 times brighter than the sun, is called "PICA", and the enormous shock wave which came right after the flash is called "DON". At the time this film was completed, it was the very first attempt in the world to deal with such a sensitive subject of Hiroshima using animation media. Because of this short film, the City of Hiroshima decided to establish the Hiroshima International Animation Festival in 1984, appreciating animation art as an effective medium.



Tags: Cosmic Horror , Tragedy , Historical

Hiroshima ni Ichiban Densha ga Hashitta

Studio: MADHOUSE , NHK
Status: Finished
Genres:

The story follows a girl who works on a streetcar both before and after the bomb drops on Hiroshima.

Tags: Historical

Ushiro no Shoumen Daare

Also known as Who's Left Behind?.

Studio: Mushi Production
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Slice of Life

Kayoko is a young girl in 1940, just starting first grade. She's a bit of a crybaby, which is no secret to those around her. She loves playing with friends and singing cute schoolyard chants, and occasionally having fun with her three older brothers. Her mother is pregnant, and so she looks forward to being a big sister, only partially understanding the responsibility that might bring. Meanwhile, the war effort is growing, and it`s only the natural thing to do to be patriotic and support the country...

Kayoko goes so far as to contribute her favorite dolly, whose materials could help build explosives. Time passes, and as she grows older, Kayoko sees how the war has affected her life and those around her. Nothing can prepare her for 1945, however, and the bleak times that are soon to come. Based on original creator Kayoko Ebina's real life experience during World War 2 on Showa era.



Tags: Historical , War , Female Protagonist , Autobiographical , Tragedy , Family Life , Coming of Age , Survival , Time Skip

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 , Female Protagonist , Family Life , Tragedy , Seinen , Rehabilitation , Drawing , Disability , Heterosexual