- Updated on: July 25, 2022
- by Ernie
Years after its release, anime fans are still enthralled by ‘Your Name’ – The hit anime movie directed by the legendary Makoto Shinkai. Kimi no Nawa as it is referred to in Japanese is an emotional coming-of-age romance anime movie featuring two high schoolers, Mitsuha Miyamizu and Taki Tachibana.
Your Name was widely successful, taking over every cinematic corner of the earth in 2016 and breaking Japanese box office records both locally and internationally. The intensity, eye-pleasing visuals, affectionate love story as well as mystery and drama ensured that it became one of the highest-grossing anime movies. Your Name is a household name in anime and anime fans are spoilt for choices when looking for similar anime movies like it.
Table of Contents
The Modern fantasy drama follows two school kids who find out that their bodies have suddenly switched. Taki lives in Tokyo while the heroine, Mitsuha, lives in the far countryside. In this beautiful, highly emotional anime movie, both protagonists learn more about each other through body-swapping, and as they begin to search for each other to find answers to their weird circumstances, they find their lives interwoven by chance and fate.
To help you fill the void left by Kimi no Na Wa, we bring you a list of the best 18 anime movies sharing similarities with this amazing piece of art… Here we go!
Table of Content
18. Into The Forest of Firelflies Light
| Storyline | Animation | Similarity | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
|
7/10 |
6/10 |
11/20 |
24/40 |
The name of this anime film might sound weird but the plot is even weirder. It tells a romantic story of two people from different planes of existence who should never have crossed paths. Like the critically acclaimed Your Name, Into the forest of fireflies light mixes its romance with elements of supernatural drama – adding more depth to the story.
This bittersweet anime film is very short and so you can quickly get it over with in time to do other things, the 2011 anime film runs for just 45 minutes. 6-Year-old Hotaru Takegawa gets lost in the forest on her way to her uncle, she makes contact with a forest spirit who leads her out of the forest with a warning never to return.
Hotaru returns and befriends the forest spirit, however when feelings get involved, their resolve is put to the test and an unwholesome compromise must be made. Are you confused? Cause I surely feel like.
16. Fireworks
| Storyline | Animation | Similarity | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
|
7/10 |
6/10 |
11/20 |
24/40 |
Fireworks is based on the 1993 TV drama directed by the iconic Shunji Iwai, and it is also known as ‘Fireworks, should we see it from the side or the bottom? The 2017 anime movie is produced by the producers of Your name so get ready to see a lot of similarities.
Set in a fictional beachside setting, this Sci-fi romance embodies the harsh reality of fantasy as we get to see the torrid relationship of Norimichi Shimida and Nazuna Oikawa. Norimichi and his friends set out to find the answer to what will turn out to be the question of the ages –
Are fireworks round or flat from the side? While all this is ongoing, Nazuna’s serious problems at home begin and she devises a plan to run away with Norimichi but when the plan fails, a mysterious force gives them a second chance at companionship.
16. I Want to Eat Your Pancreas
| Storyline | Animation | Similarity | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
|
7/10 |
7/10 |
12/20 |
26/40 |
There is just something about a slice of life and romance mixture that makes for a great anime movie. For me, this anime is more about friendship than romance, exploring the healthy friendship between an introvert and an extrovert while revealing the depth behind the true meaning of living.
If you are quite sensitive then I will recommend you watch this movie with a handkerchief or keep the tissue close so you don’t drench your clothes with your tears The protagonist Haruki is a bookworm who has no interest in anything or anyone
He comes across a book that turns out to be a diary belonging to the popular Sakura, he soon finds out that she is dying of pancreatic disease. Sakura is still bubbly, choosing to live life on her own terms despite her terminal illness and as these two characters Interact, their lifestyles collide creating a highly emotional show.
15. Grave of the Fireflies
| Storyline | Animation | Similarity | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
|
8/10 |
6/10 |
12/20 |
26/40 |
This 1988 anime movie from the highly-rated Studio Ghibli is the oldest film on this list and the second to contain fireflies in its title. The historical drama portrays the horror of war through the brutal experiences of Seita and Setsuko in the second world war.
Grave of the fireflies is an anime movie that evokes great emotions and will move you to tears. The storytelling is amazing and will keep you on edge till the end. It is not a romantic anime, nevertheless, the strong bond between siblings is totally explored in this journey through a war-torn era.
Seiko and Setsuna are orphaned siblings who have lost everything to the damaging consequences of war, they sojourn the countryside bedeviled by death and starvation evading an inevitable fate.
14. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
| Storyline | Animation | Similarity | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
|
7/10 |
7/10 |
12/20 |
26/40 |
A Sci-fi drama romance movie from Madhouse is an earlier work by the genius Mamoru Hosoda, famous for the Digimon series. The protagonist, Makoto Konno gains the ability to travel through time, and in this coming of age movie she soon realizes that leaping through time is complicated and actions have consequences even in time travel.
13. Anohana
| Storyline | Animation | Similarity | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
|
7/10 |
8/10 |
13/20 |
28/40 |
Quite similar to Your Name, Anohana: The flower we saw that day is a heartbreaking anime film. The 2013 anime film retells the story of the anime TV series that premiered in 2011 while delving deeper into specific characters.
Jinta Yadomi and his other friends have a mission at hand, Menma’s spirit has appeared to them and now they have to help the spirit get to heaven. To get the full Anohana experience, you should watch both the TV series and the anime film.
12. Millennium actress
| Storyline | Animation | Similarity | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
|
8/10 |
7/10 |
13/20 |
28/40 |
Millennium actress is power-packed with a lot of heartfelt messages and it is sure to leave a lasting impact on you after watching. With Ginei studio being demolished, Genya Tachibana decides to make one last documentary and along with Kyouji, he begins to interview the retired actress Chiyoko.
This 2002 anime film transcends the borders of reality. When Chiyoko begins her tales, Genya and Kyouji begin to relive her life, with 30 years worth of acting career being condensed into one lifetime of Illusion that merges the present and the past.
11. Voices of a Distant Star
| Storyline | Animation | Similarity | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
|
8/10 |
8/10 |
13/20 |
29/40 |
Hoshi no Koe tests the bond of friendship, stretching it across the distant stars. This sci-fi adds romantic elements with space expeditions, providing red hot passion to the drama already on show.
Aliens invade Earth, attacking humanity and Noboru Terao gets enlisted in the Earth’s army going to space to retaliate. He gets separated from his close friends, Mikako Nagamine, keeping in touch only through mails but what happens when distance increases the time taken to deliver messages?
10. the Place Promised in Our Early Days
| Storyline | Animation | Similarity | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
|
8/10 |
8/10 |
13/20 |
29/40 |
This is a beautifully animated film that moves between genres seamlessly. There is an unorthodox approach to romance in this movie, Hiroki Fujisawa and Takuya Shirakawa are in love with their classmate Sayuri Sawatari and the three of them love the Ezo tower.
The boys decide to construct an aircraft to transport them to the top of the tower but they face several obstacles due to the north and south of Japan being at war. The girl of their dreams suddenly disappears, a mystery that they find out is linked to the Ezo tower
9. the Garden Of Words
| Storyline | Animation | Similarity | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
|
8/10 |
8/10 |
14/20 |
30/40 |
A collaboration between TOHO animation and The Answer studio, the garden of words is a spectacular anime film. The animation and artwork here are brilliant, providing artistic life to this psychological drama.
Takao Akizuki is an aspiring shoemaker, he meets the beautiful Yukari Yukino in a beautiful garden and they hit it off immediately. This newfound relationship is good for both of them but it will be tested by time and season. Alternating between a slice of life and romance, this anime film showcases personal struggles amidst friendship and the compromises that ensure a lasting relationship.
8. Patema Inverted
| Storyline | Animation | Similarity | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
|
8/10 |
8/10 |
14/20 |
30/40 |
Patema inverted might not be as popular as some other anime movies on this list but it is certainly an amazing film. Directed by Yasuhiro Yoshiura, it is full of twists and suspense just like Your Name. The plot is also about a supernatural love story between teenagers… if you loved Your Name then you definitely will like Patema Inverted.
Patema Inverted makes romance its central theme and that serves the movie well. It focuses on a romance that goes against gravitational forces, Patema is a young girl of royal status possessing a knack for exploring the tunnels of her underground civilization.
Age is a young boy from Aiga – the civilization at the surface. He has resisted the brainwashing of his people and while he is not supposed to have anything to do with Patema, he protects his new friend and this chance meeting enables them to explore the best of two worlds together.
7. A Silent Voice: The Movie
| Storyline | Animation | Similarity | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
|
8/10 |
8/10 |
15/20 |
31/40 |
The story of an elementary school boy haunted by his past actions, A Silent voice is directed by one of Japan’s most prominent female directors and it was released the same year as Your Name. The story is highly intriguing even without the added supernatural elements of Kimi no Na Wa.
A silent voice is a solid story of redemption for the young boy Shouya Ishida. Along with his other classmates, they bully the deaf Shouko Nishimiya who is newly transferred to the school, but all hell breaks loose when Shouya is singled out as the only culprit and is then ostracised from class and his world becomes bleak.
Suffering through his past actions with genuine repentance in his heart, Shouya Ishida sets out on a redemption journey seeking out Shouko Nishimiya to make amends. This heartwarming tale of repentance and redemption might just be what you didn’t know you needed.
6. 5 Centimeters Per Second
| Storyline | Animation | Similarity | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
|
8/10 |
8/10 |
15/20 |
31/40 |
You can’t guess what this anime film is about from the title but be rest assured that this is a terrific anime movie that you must watch, directed by the Legendary Makoto Shinkai – Your Name’s director. Takaki Toono and Akari Shinohara love each other but their fates do not seem to be tied together.
A love hampered by a widening insurmountable gap in distance, 5 Centimeters per second tells the story of a gloomy, somber affair that describes the harsh reality of a lot of long-distance relationships. Takaki and Akari vow to fight for their love, but what happens when circumstances beyond their control keep pulling them farther and away?
5. Whisper Of The Heart
| Storyline | Animation | Similarity | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
|
8/10 |
8/10 |
16/20 |
32/40 |
Whisper of the heart can be said to be Studio Ghibli’s numero uno romantic anime film. In this coming-of-age anime film, we get to see Shizuku and Seiji grow together, successfully overcoming their obstacles and working towards their goals.
This was the first Japanese film to use the Dolby Digital Sound format, becoming the highest-grossing in 1995 when it was released and it is still one of Japan’s highest-grossing anime movies to date. Shizuku is a young girl with an insane love for literature, she notices Seiji Amasawa, a young boy who shares her love for the arts and poetry.
They both get to know each other but unlike Shizuku, Seiji already has his life planned, with dreams that he would like to fulfill. This friendship propels her to recognize her talent and work towards set goals… A real coming-of-age story garnished with bits of romance and slice-of-life drama.
4. Liz And The Blue Bird
| Storyline | Animation | Similarity | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
|
8/10 |
8/10 |
16/20 |
32/40 |
One of the more recent movies on this list was released in the spring of 2018 by Kyoto Animation. This anime movie inspires an intense feeling of longing for a delicate friendship portrayed by a heart-wrenching decision in a desperate attempt for a relationship to bloom.
Nozomi and Mizore must get closer if they are to connect with the respective characters that they are tasked to play. If you love musicals and a high school setting, then do well to see this awesome movie.
3. Wolf Children
| Storyline | Animation | Similarity | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
|
9/10 |
8/10 |
17/20 |
34/40 |
A highly engaging and unique piece of work from Mamoru Hosoda, Wolf children tests a mother’s love for her kids under extraordinary circumstances. Hana falls in love with a mysterious man who turns out to be the last remaining werewolf; however , love prevails and they have two kids together.
Ame was born during rainfall while Yuki was born during snowfall, they both inherit their father’s werewolf transformation abilities. When Hana loses the love of her life, she must face the challenges of being a single mother, not just a single mother but a single mother to half-werewolf kids in a world that fears what it doesn’t understand.
Wolf Children perfectly portrays the sacrifices a mother has to make for her kids as Hana leaves the major city, taking her kids with her to the countryside without the leadership of her werewolf lover.
2. The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya
| Storyline | Animation | Similarity | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
|
9/10 |
8/10 |
18/20 |
35/40 |
It’s best if you see the 2006 hit anime – The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya before seeing this 2010 anime film that brilliantly completes the story. This supernatural romance adds humor to deliver a near-perfect movie.
Kyon’s whole life is turned upside down when he realizes that the SOS brigade no longer exists and Haruhi is missing. How does he solve this annoying mystery and turn everything around without the aid of his best friends?
1. Weathering With You
| Storyline | Animation | Similarity | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
|
9/10 |
9/10 |
18/20 |
37/40 |
Weathering with you is another massively successful anime film by none other than Makoto Shinkai. Released in 2019, it shares some similarities with Your Name such as the art style and the music as the soundtracks for both films were produced by the same group.
Tokyo’s unusual weather brings forth an eternal downpour, Hodaka is a broke student who managed to save Hina from some evil men. He discovers that the girl is gifted with the power to call out the sun and they begin to exploit this ability, however with great power comes great responsibility and our young protagonists might not be ready for the inevitable consequences.
Conclusion
So, which movie are you going to binge-watch with your bae? You can watch these alone too, I was just kidding. But make sure to bring some tissues as these movies will make sure that you’ve teary eyes.
