Are You Ready To Cry Again?
Clannad is a show that will make you cry, laugh, and feel all of the emotions in between. It’s a must-watch for anyone looking for an anime that will touch their heart.
Tomoya Okazaki is a high school student who lives in a small town. One day, he meets Nagisa Furukawa, a girl who has a dream to revive the school’s drama club. Tomoya is hesitant to help her, but eventually concedes. As the series continues, he’ll find himself enjoying life more than before.
If you’re looking for an anime that is similar to Clannad, don’t worry! We’ve found 10 alternate shows that will give you the same experience. ..
We’ve reviewed a number of anime this year, and we wanted to share with you our thoughts on each one. If you’re looking for a new anime to watch, be sure to check out our full reviews of the series.
- Clannad After Story
- K-On!
- Attack on Titan
- Death Note
- Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood
- Naruto Shippuden
- One Piece
- Toradora!
- Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion
- Death Note: The Last Name ..
Ef: A Tale of Memories
Similarities – Drama & Romance
If you’re a fan of Clannad, you’ll love Ef: A Tale of Memories. This show is full of heart-wrenching moments that will make you want to watch it to the end. At the same time, Ef doesn’t rely on humor to keep the viewer entertained. ..
This series has a serious and dramatic tone throughout its entire run-time. Furthermore, the characters give off this serious and romantic energy at the start. However, you’ll find Ef to contain similar themes and witness its characters undergo stressful and emotional discourse that will tear at your heartstrings.
Ef: A Tale of Memories tells the story of two people, Hiro and Miyako, who spend Christmas Eve together. Hiro borrows Miyako’s bike to chase a purse thief, but when he returns she is unconscious and his bike is destroyed. They decide to spend the holiday together as their relationship starts to blossom. ..
Elsewhere, we follow Renji, a boy who desires to become a heroine. He encounters a shy girl named Chihiro Shindou, who spends her time reading books at an abandoned train station. The two become friends and start writing a novel together. Things take a turn for the worse when Renji discovers Chihiro’s secret regarding her short-lived memory disability that will test Renji’s ideals. ..
The series continues to explore the interconnected stories of love, rejection, and acceptance. You’ll see how these themes play out in each episode, culminating in a heart-wrenching narrative. ..
Angel Beats
Similarities – Themes & Setting
This anime is a great emotional roller coaster full of heartbreak and romance. With its slightly realistic characters, depressing themes, and school-like setting, Angel Beats delivers a great narrative that will leave a lasting impression. Unlike Clannad, Angel Beats tends to lean into its comedy more.
Angel Beats is a heartwarming and humorous anime that tackles heavy topics such as traumatic stress, regret, and heartbreak. ..
This show is about the struggles of people who are trying to make sense of their lives after death. It will resonate with you on an emotional level, as you see characters struggle with completing simple tasks while alive and some encountering dilemmas that were outside their control. While Angel Beats may offer more humor than Clannad, that’s only one piece of its overarching puzzle.
Kanon
Similarities – Story Structure & Characters
Both “Kanon” and “Clannad” are anime series produced by Kyoto Animation. Both series follow the daily life of a male protagonist and their interactions with multiple female characters. These female characters often change the protagonist’s perspective on life, leading to different outcomes in their lives. ..
Tomoya and his friends are faced with obstacles that follow a similar theme and concept. These obstacles vary in their severity, but all follow a similar pattern. The characters must overcome difficult challenges in order to continue on their journey.
Kanon is a series that is built upon the relationships between its characters. These relationships will gradually be revealed to the audience, keeping them engaged and invested. However, Kanon is not afraid to break your heart with tear-jerking and heartbreaking scenery.
Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day
Similarities – Friendship & Drama
Anohana is a series that will challenge your heart, morals, and soul. It is cutesy art style that fooled fans into thinking it was a happy-go-lucky endeavor. However, what hides under its adorable exterior is a series that will challenge your beliefs and values.
Anohana is a heartwarming series that tackles difficult topics in an authentic way. Jinta, the male protagonist, struggles to move on after the death of his friend. The series builds up his courage and strength to face this challenge head on. ..
The death of Jinta’s friend leaves a lasting impression on his former companions, who are all struggling with different forms of stress and hardship. Like Clannad, this series is an enriching and beautiful story about friendship and overcoming one’s hardships to achieve something greater.
A Silent Voice
Similarities – Realistic Issues & Emotional Conflict
A Silent Voice is an anime film that tackles all sorts of mental health and behavioral issues. From bullying to depression, this series is jam-packed with many emotional events that will make you tear-up multiple times. With an emphasis on friendship and redemption, this movie is a must-watch.
In our story, Shouya is a bully who is not well-behaved. He picks on his classmate for being deaf, and this leads to him transferring schools. In the end, Shouya is ridiculed and shunned by his classmates because of it.
Shouya, a teenager, holds himself accountable for his actions and is haunted by those memories. Although everyone from his mother to his classmates despises him, Shouya receives a life-changing opportunity when he spots Shouko wandering a nearby area. To make things right, Shouya plans to apologize to Shouko, hoping that this will wipe his horrid elementary school memories from his head. ..
This anime is an excellent choice for those looking for a powerful and life-changing story about bullying and psychological trauma. The voice actors and actresses are amazing, and the characters appear to be authentic, motivational, and astonishing.
Your Name
Similarities – Supernatural, Drama, Romance
Loneliness is a feeling of being alone or disconnected from the world. It can be a scary place to be, especially if you’re not used to it. In this story, two people from different walks of life are forced to share a lonely moment and find ways to make it work. Fans will enjoy following their journey as they face new challenges and build a strong bond.
Your Name is a story about two people who are stuck in each other’s bodies. They must complete each other’s tasks and responsibilities while trying to find a solution to their body-switch problem. While that’s going on, new developments start brewing in our female protagonist’s village that causes these two to pick up the pace.
This anime spends a great deal of time fleshing out the relationship between its body-swapping protagonists Taki and Mitsuha. Despite airing from different areas, Taki and Mitsuha’s interaction with each other’s family members and loved ones is an intriguing sight to see. Furthermore, this anime contains some curve balls that fans won’t anticipate.
Little Busters!
Similarities – Romance, Drama, Themes
Little Busters is an anime that is often overlooked. It comes from the company Key, which created the visual novel Clannad. This anime follows Riki, who joins a heroic group called the Little Busters led by Kyousuke. In their high school years, Kyousuke aims to create a baseball team but needs more recruits. ..
Riki is tasked with recruiting more people to help with the Little Busters’ investigations. They find a letter that directs them to do multiple missions in order to uncover the mysteries of their world.
Not wanting to fail his peers, it’s up to Riki to recruit new members while helping his comrades complete these strange tasks. Little Busters will leave fans teary-eyed with its emphasis on romance, family, and friendship. Fans who enjoyed the chemistry between Tomoya, Nagisa, and the other Clannad characters will love seeing how Riki plays off the other members of the Little Busters.
Your Lie In April
Similarities – Emotional & Tear-Jerking Anime
Your Lie In April is an anime series that tackles the difficult topic of loss and heartbreak. The show does this in a way that is both respectful and honest. This is something that is sorely lacking in many anime series, but Your Lie In April manages to do it flawlessly. ..
Kousei, a proficient pianist, loses motivation to continue playing after one of his family members dies. Suddenly, he meets Kaori, an extremely talented violinist who plans to reignite his passion for the craft he abandoned. ..
This anime is an emotional and tear-jerking ride that delves into depressing real-world issues. Like Clannad, this show doesn’t hold back on its heartbreaking elements as its goal is to internally drain you of your happiness and comfort. While some scenes in this show will bring a smile to your face, Your Lie In April is a show many fans should consider watching with a box of tissues at their side.
Fruits Basket
Similarities – Characters, Romance, Drama
This series is a heartwarming story of a young girl who is forced to leave her home and live with her grandparents. She falls in love with a boy who is also living with them and they start a relationship. However, the government starts to get involved and they are forced to leave the country. The series follows their journey as they try to find new homes and find new love.
This anime is a classic that received a remake treatment. It follows Tooru, who becomes a guest of the Souma residence because she doesn’t want to live with her grandparents. In time, Tooru will uncover dark secrets about the Souma family that’ll put her kindness to the test.
Fruits Basket is an anime about a family that has a dark secret. The Souma family has some magical elements to their story, and fans of the manga and anime will love the art style and animation.
Kokoro Connect
Similarities – Themes, Comedy, Drama
Kokoro Connect is a supernatural-themed anime that features likable characters who thrive in a colorful world. The story revolves around five students who create a culture club and partake in various club-like activities.
Two club members wake up in each other’s bodies one day. This causes the curse to spread to their three remaining members. The anime follows their quest to solve their body-switching problems. As they continue switching bodies, they’ll uncover hidden scars and tragedies that will test their loyalty to each other. ..
Kokoro Connect is an excellent show that portrays the friendship cycle most people endure with their friends, relatives, and significant others. Like Clannad, these dark remnants of their past lives will challenge our characters internally and make them question if their friendship is worth safeguarding. These moments make Kokoro Connect a special and entertaining show to watch. ..
- Attack on Titan
- Death Note
- Fullmetal Alchemist
- Naruto
- One Piece
- Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion
- Cowboy Bebop
- Wolf’s Rain
- Angel Beats!
- Fate/Zero ..
Our picks for the best laptops for students are based on our research and personal experience. We took into account features, performance, and price to come up with our recommendations. Do you have any other suggestions? Let us know in the comments below!