Hopefully, you have prepared your tissues because all these movies are sure to bring you to tears. If you need a good cry, then I would highly recommend watching the movies from this list.
1. Grave Of The Fireflies
Grave of the Fireflies is a profoundly beautiful and harrowing story of family, war, and survival. Studio Ghibli is known for creating masterpieces and this film is no exception. Starting from the animation to the voice acting, everything in this film is stunningly haunting. We follow Seita, a bright young boy who loses his parents during the bombing of the Second World War in Japan. Left in the care of his aunt Seita strives to look after his younger sister, Setsuko.
2. Shoplifters
We follow a man named Osamu Shibata, a day laborer who enjoys shoplifting. He is an unconventional man and enjoys spending time with his son. One day Osamu spots a little girl in the cold and quickly decides to take her home. His wife is less than pleased with his decision. However, she too develops a bond with the little girl and takes care of her. She later learns that the girl’s name is Yuri. The family lives with their grandmother Hatsu and often relies on her pension to make ends meet.
3. Love Letter
After the tragic death of her beloved fiancé, our protagonist Hiroko Watanabe has not been the same. One day Hiroko discovers her fiancé's high school notebook. She also discovers that the notebook has an address written on it and thus decides to write a letter and send it to the mysterious address. Hiroko never expected to get a reply to her letters. She soon discovers that the person sending her the replies is a woman named Itsuki Fuji. The woman was her late fiancé's classmate and strangely both shared the same name. The two women continue writing letters to each other and soon develop a strange bond with each other.
4. The Girl In The Sun
We follow a hardworking salesman named Kosuke Okuda. One day Kosuke runs into a familiar face from his past. During his middle school days, he remembers a young girl named Mao Watarai who used to be his classmate. He remembers Mao being bullied as a young child. Kosuke and Mao happen to unexpectedly bump into each other and start to reminisce about their past. Kosuke notices how beautiful Mao has become and instantly falls in love with her. Mao however is hiding a secret from Kosuke.
5. Hachiko Monogatari
Hachiko is a heartbreaking tale about a dog’s loyalty to their person. This film is sure to bring you to tears, especially if you are an animal lover. We follow the story of a beautiful Akita pup named Hachiko or Hachi for short. We see how pure the bond between an animal and their human can be. The movie’s ending is nothing short of tragic and will inspire you to be kind to the animals around you.
6. Bride For Eight Years
Hisashi and Mai are madly in love with each other and are set to marry each other in three months. However, their plans come to a screeching halt when Mai unexpectedly becomes severely ill and eventually falls into a coma. Hisashi refuses to leave his fiancé's side and takes care of her during her illness. Mai eventually does wake up from her coma however she has no memories of Hisashi.
7. Lingering Spirits
Honda Gajiro is a horrible young man. He is self-centered, greedy, and extremely money-hungry. One day Honda's reckless driving caused a car accident that resulted in the death of four people. The driver and three young women were the passengers in the car. Honda soon starts encountering the spirits of the women and the driver. They promise Honda a lot of money if he agrees to fulfill their last wishes. While Honda tries to fulfill their wishes, we see him evolve and become a better man.
8. Her Love Boils Bathwater
We follow a single mother named Futaba Kono. Kono is a strict but loving mother who loves and looks after her young daughter Azumi. Kono learns that she does not have much time left on earth. She decides to fulfill her last wishes before she dies. She sets out to find her husband and tries to get him to take over her bathhouse business. She also tries to find a partner for Azumi and encourages her to become an independent woman. This movie is sure to bring you to tears.
9. I Want To Eat Your Pancreas
A young high school student happens to accidentally discover his classmate's journal. By reading her journal our protagonist soon learns that his classmate, a young bubbly girl named Sakura Yamauchi was suffering from a pancreatic disease and that she had only a couple of months to live. This pushes our protagonist and Sakura to become close to each other.
10. A Tale Of Mari And Three Puppies
After a devastating earthquake, Mari and her three young puppies are left to fend on their own after the separation from their owners. We are brought to tears as we watch Mari try to fend for her herself and her puppies. We also see their families struggling to find them as they try to reunite the lost pups with their owners.
