All of you who are looking for anime movies like Anthem of the Heart can be glad because I have brought a specially created list of movies for you. If you enjoyed the way fantastically the slice-of-life themes were portrayed in this movie, so stick through the end. In the list of entries below, you’ll find many amazing masterpieces that have their special charm.
There is nothing more fun than watching drama and romance combined along with fantasy, and slice of life. Are you ready to watch some gems that will move your heart? Let’s begin already!
Anime Movies Like Anthem Of The Heart That Will Steal Your Heart
Highlights
- The list includes anime movies like Anthem of the Heart from almost all genres to make the list of variety
- The nature of the story may be different, but similarities sure are there
- I have ranked the entries on the basis of my personal opinion
15. Child Of Kamiari Month
Animation | Characters | Plot | Total |
8/10 | 8/10 | 8/10 | 24/30 |
Kana Hayama is a 6th-grade student who loved running, but something tragic left her heart shattered. Can you guess what? Her mother passed away, leaving her heartbroken. Soon after, she experiences her life taking a fantastical turn when she meets divine messengers.
Their messengers were in the form of a rabbit and a demon boy. They revealed to her that her mother was a descendant of god who had the duty to gather kids from around the country to enroll them in a Kamiari festival. As her mother is no more, she must take over the responsibilities of her mother before it’s too late. The story is pretty average, but it does have many aspects, making it one of the best anime movies like Anthem of the Heart.
14. In The Forest Of Fireflies’ Light
Animation | Characters | Plot | Total |
9/10 | 9/10 | 9/10 | 27/30 |
This Movie offers everything you might be in search of. It has nothing that doesn’t catch the eye, so get ready to be spellbound. Hotaru Kagegawa’s life took a beautiful supernatural turn when she befriended a mysterious masked man in a forest.
The man’s name was Gin, who helped her when she was stuck and lost. Guess what? Hotaru was 6 years old at that time. So time passed, and they continued seeing each other and just like that love happened. That’s when they found themselves captured in a whirlwind of problems.
Why? Because Gin has a shocking curse: if he ever lets himself get touched, he’ll disappear forever. Their love story seemed difficult to have a happy ending, but I hope you know nothing comes free of cost. This movie offers a beautiful romance trope, making it one of the anime movies like Anthem of the Heart.
13. Whisper Of The Heart
Animation | Characters | Plot | Total |
9/10 | 9/10 | 9/10 | 27/30 |
Did someone say anime movies like Anthem of the Heart? Well, here you go! Whisper of the Heart offers a lot more similarities besides its title. Just like Naruse learned a lot about herself and life when she was put in a challenging situation, Shizuka experienced somewhat the same. Also, like she had a fantastical turn, Shizuka meets the Baron, which adds a similar touch to the story.
Shizuka was a dedicated and devoted lover of books whose favorite spot was the library. One day, something intrigued her when she learned that a boy named Seiji was reading her book collection. Her curiosity led her to meet the guy, and the two shared common interests, leading them to be friends.
When the girl learns that Seiji is very ambitious, she feels disappointed in herself for not having any direction in life. Her search for a goal made her mature and confident and gave her a beautiful direction leading to great destinations.
12. Wolf Children
Animation | Characters | Plot | Total |
9/10 | 9/10 | 9/10 | 27/30 |
Though the nature of the story is different, you’ll find many similarities if you are in search of anime movies like Anthem of the Heart. Hana used to be as innocent as Naruse, but things changed when she decided to have a family with a werewolf.
She found herself trapped in a dark world hungry for evil after her lover’s death. This feeling was actually a fear that stemmed from the realization that her children were werewolves. Fearing for the safety of her kids, she decided to move to a village to stay low-key as much as possible.
The movie perfectly depicts the challenges of a mother and how far she can go for her kids. I am sure you’ll enjoy the drama, romance, and slice-of-life factor in this one.
11. The Cat Returns
Animation | Characters | Plot | Total |
9/10 | 9/10 | 9/10 | 27/30 |
Guys, you must not wait any further if you are eagerly searching for anime movies like Anthem of the Heart. The Cat Returns has got you covered, as it offers a lot more than you have imagined. Haru Yoshioka was seeking fun and entertainment to brighten her boring life a bit.
Although she never wished for a messy life, she regretted wishing for a different life. She finds herself in big trouble after saving a cat from trouble. Guess what? The cat was actually a prince of his kingdom, and he expressed his wish to marry Haru.
Despite wanting to refuse, she was trapped in problems that led her to the kingdom. The plot twist? The more she stays in the kingdom, the more cat-like she becomes. Yes, the girl was losing humanity! Luckily, the Baron came to her help and advised her to search for the answers, leading her to self-discovery.
10. Children Who Chase Lost Voices
Animation | Characters | Plot | Total |
9/10 | 9/10 | 9/10 | 27/30 |
Just like Naruse experienced so much at an early age, Asuna Watase experiences somewhat the same. She was an ideal and responsible girl who knew she had to look after the house to ease her working mother.
One day, she finds herself amidst some fantastical events, such as when a boy named Shin protects her from a monster. The boy claimed to be from a different world that has mysteries of its own. When she was finally happy being friends with Shun, she got the news of his death, leaving her shattered into a million pieces.
Despite the news, she continued her search for him, which led him to look like Shun. That’s when she knew life’s new chapter was full of adventures and mysteries. Not gonna lie; you’ll definitely enjoy this one as this is definitely one of the anime movies like Anthem of the Heart.
9. Kiki’s Delivery Service
Animation | Characters | Plot | Total |
9/10 | 9/10 | 9/10 | 27/30 |
If you enjoyed Naruse coping with life challenges, then you’ll certainly love Kiki’s Delivery Service. Kiki found a passion in herself to continue their family tradition of witch training as soon as she turned 13. She had a strong will to start anew in a different town on her own to complete the training.
So, without any overthinking, she said heartfelt goodbyes to her loved ones and set out on her broom with her talking cat, Jiji. After some challenges, she was able to find a beautiful town to settle in. Still, it was very hard to find one and a lot of things went out of expectations.
People didn’t welcome her with an open heart, knowing she was a witch. It seemed difficult to win their trust and love. However, her strong will carve a way out of all the impossibilities. I am sure you’ll enjoy watching it if you are looking for fantasy and magic anime movies like Anthem of the Heart.
8. Okko’s Inn
Animation | Characters | Plot | Total |
9/10 | 9/10 | 9/10 | 27/30 |
After entering her hometown, Okko’s life was bombarded with tragic events. The loss of her parents, and being an orphan all of sudden was the biggest shock of her life. Life gave her no choice but to return home, so she had to live in her grandmother’s Inn.
The Inn was actually full of ghosts and spirits, but thankfully, the spirit of a kid helped her understand a lot of things. Now, she must fulfill all the responsibilities and duties to inherit the Inn and run it successfully.
However, things came off more challenging, contrary to her expectations. The best thing about her was that she didn’t want to give up, which made her life beautiful. It’s a very satisfying movie that beautifully combines the elements of the supernatural and slice of life. This is also one of the reasons it’s on this list of anime movies like Anthem of the Heart.
7. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Animation | Characters | Plot | Total |
9/10 | 9/10 | 9/10 | 27/30 |
You’ll find the female lead, Makoto, very similar to Jun Naruse. She was equally naive when it came to handling situations. She wanted to experience something exciting in her life, but when life gave her a chance, she messed it up.
Things became interesting when she found the power to time travel, and without realizing its worth, she began using it for fun. She used the precious power for such trivial matters that she almost lost it. There were a few attempts left for her to time travel, and then when she found herself in a situation where she needed it the most.
The realization of the value of power hit her with remorse and guilt, but she couldn’t do anything. Not gonna lie; it’s one of the best anime movies with life lessons and for students to watch. Also, this movie offers a unique and simple trope of romance and drama, which makes it one of the movies that is similar to Anthem of the Heart.
6. Ponyo
Animation | Characters | Plot | Total |
9/10 | 9/10 | 9/10 | 27/30 |
Fantasy, drama, slice of life, nature, and magic, dude, what else are you looking for? If you enjoy nature anime movies even slightly and are in search of anime movies like Anthem of the Heart, then this is your sign to watch Ponyo.
Ponyo is an adorable goldfish who is on the run from house to set out on fun adventures. She didn’t like the overprotective nature of her sorcerer father, who used to be a human once. When she captured the attention of a human boy named Sousuke’s life, her life changed.
The two became friends, and she enjoyed life on land, which developed a desire in her to be a human. Her strong passion carved out the way through impossibilities, and she grew limbs. However, her human transformation unleashed magical pressure, leading the world into chaos and havoc. Now, considering herself responsible for the mess, she must undo what has been done!
5. A Whisker Away
Animation | Characters | Plot | Total |
9/10 | 9/10 | 9/10 | 27/30 |
You’ll find many similarities in art, aesthetics, nature, theme, genres and characters in this one. All of these similarities are the reason this one is on this list of anime movies like Anthem of the Heart. Miyo Sasaki’s messy relationship with her parents adds drama and sadness to her life. She finds an escape from her reality by devoting herself to her Crush Kento’s life.
Unfortunately, even after trying a lot, she couldn’t win his love or interest. This doesn’t stop her from finding another way to enter his life. Can you guess what she does? You won’t believe me! Well, the girl transforms herself into a white cat and becomes Kento’s pet.
This sure brings her close to his heart, leading her to listen to his worries and problems. However, she found herself helpless and failed for not being able to ease his fears. She regrets her decision to be a pet, but now she can’t just reveal the truth to him to lose him forever, right? So, what will Miyo do?
4. Spirited Away
Animation | Characters | Plot | Total |
10/10 | 10/10 | 10/10 | 30/30 |
It’s such a gem of a movie from everyone’s Studio Ghibli that it fits everywhere and offers a complete package. There is no way you won’t love it if you’re in search of anime movies like Anthem of the Heart. Chihiro is used to being naive and innocent, just like Jun Naruse. She also found herself and her parents in a challenging situation when she visited a haunted park.
While her parents’s greed led them to turn into pigs, she ran to find a way out of this chaos. There was simply no way for her to go. So, in that time of worry, a boy named Haku came to help and introduced her to Yubaba’s Bathhouse.
The innocent Chihiro started working in the bathhouse, where she had to perform all sorts of duties. It was a tough task for her, but she had to do it because there was no other way. Anyhow, her stay in the bathhouse taught her a lot of things about life.
The girl also continued her search for a way to turn her parents back to normal and run out of this creepy place ASAP. There are many twists, and mysteries that will leave you awestruck!
3. The Boy And The Beast
Animation | Characters | Plot | Total |
10/10 | 10/10 | 10/10 | 30/30 |
It’s a masterpiece from Studio Chizu that is rated 8.24/10 on MAL, which says a lot about its quality. The innocent Ren’s life lost colors when his loved one passed away, leaving him alone and lonely. Ren had no trustworthy person to rely on, so he started wandering the streets.
That’s when he came across Kumatetsu from the Beast Kingdom. The beast was actually looking for the right boy who could tick all the boxes to be his disciple. So, he decides to give Ren a chance and invites him to the kingdom.
Ren Started his training, and the two developed a precious bond. The boy’s journey was definitely not easy and was full of challenges. I am sure you will enjoy the adventure and fantasy element in this movie. Trust me, you’ll love it as it offers the same fun, thrill, and excitement you are in search of, making it one of the anime movies like Anthem of the Heart.
2. The Boy And The Heron
Animation | Characters | Plot | Total |
10/10 | 10/10 | 10/10 | 30/30 |
Is anyone still looking for anime movies like Anthem of the Heart? Look no further and give The Boy and the Heron a chance to win your heart. It’s a complete package offering from heartbreakers to the wonders of fantasy and adventure. Mahito’s life takes a chaotic turn after his mother’s death and his father’s second marriage to his aunt.
He couldn’t bear the sight of his father forgetting his mother and marrying his aunt. Day by day, things were getting difficult for him to handle. Above all, a talking Heron came to add insult to injury by constantly adding more to his frustrations.
Twist began when the Heron made a shocking revelation! He told him that his mother was alive and that to find the answers, he had to visit a mysterious tower. At first, he was reluctant, but eventually, he lost himself to Heron’s persuasion.
Soon after, he found himself trapped in a messy challenge that offered a thin line between life and death. Yes, things were made deadly for him, and he needed to find a way out all by himself.
1. A Silent Voice
Animation | Characters | Plot | Total |
10/10 | 10/10 | 10/10 | 30/30 |
What a beautiful movie to end our list of anime movies like Anthem of the Heart! You might find the nature of the story different, but I promise you you will see it as one of the best anime movies like Anthem of the Heart.
There are many character similarities, and it also offers drama and romance, making it very similar to your favorite movie. Shouya Ishida used to be naive and apathetic, which led him to seek fun and bully others.
However, he never expected his life would change when he bullied a deaf girl, Shouko. The girl’s mother transferred her to another school, and Shouya faced hatred from everyone who blamed him for the incident. Even after years, the boy couldn’t find peace, and he regretted his actions every single day.
Unable to find a way out, he went to meet Shouka to seek forgiveness and to atone for his sins. Will the girl forgive him? You gotta watch it to know! Have a fantastic watch!
Final Notes
I am super happy to recommend anime movies like Anthem of the Heart. While writing about them, nostalgia hit me hard, and now I crave to rewatch them all. Dude, it’s such a great feeling! Let me know how you feel watching these gems in the comments below. I will return soon with some more anime movie recommendations. Take Care!
FAQS
What is the plot of Anthem of the Heart?
It’s one of the most heartfelt anime movies. The story highlights the life of Jun Naruse, whose naivety puts her in a challenging situation. She was a person who used to speak without thinking, and that gave her guilt for a lifetime. However, life introduced her to things that brought her out of dismay and led her to beautiful destinations. It’s a must-watch anime movie about love and heartbreak.
Is Anthem of the Heart based on a true story?
No, it’s a fictional story!