Touching Anime Ballads That Make You Cry [Moving & Heart-Wrenching]
Do you all watch anime?
The theme songs of the shows we watched tend to stick in our heads forever, don’t they?
In this article, I’ll introduce plenty of moving, heart-wrenching anime ballads that can bring you to tears.
I’ve gathered many powerful masterpieces that will make your heart tremble—songs I want even non-anime viewers to hear.
Give them a listen when you’re feeling a bit tired or in the mood for a good cry.
If you’re in love right now, you’re sure to find a song that hits just right.
If you’ve seen the anime, the combination of the song and the scenes will make the emotion even stronger.
If you haven’t seen the anime these songs come from, take this chance to check them out!
I think the songs will sink even deeper into your heart.
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- [For when you want to cry or feel sad] Tear-jerking masterpieces that make you cry when you listen
Tear-Jerking Anime Song Ballads Special [Moving & Heartbreaking] (1–10)
Take care and have a good day!Higuchi Ai
A song full of messages that leaves a powerful impression.
It’s a work by singer-songwriter Ai Higuchi, released digitally in November 2023.
It was selected as the ending theme for the anime Attack on Titan The Final Season Part 4 (Final Chapters).
The poignant lyrics—expressing a desire to spend tomorrow with you—are thought-provoking.
Everyday life with a loved one, and the wishes buried deep in the heart…
I believe it offers a chance to reexamine the state of one’s own heart.
youyuzuki
Introducing it as a masterpiece that sparked a major movement.
It’s a song related to the game “Higurashi When They Cry.” Thanks to the anime’s huge success and other factors, the song’s popularity skyrocketed.
It’s a legendary ballad with countless derivative works.
Many of you might remember it being popular on sites like Niconico Douga.
The song has a simple structure where the same chord progression repeats throughout, but perhaps thanks to the development and melody, it has an appeal that makes you want to keep listening.
My SongGirls Dead Monster
This song was used as an insert track in episode 3 of the anime Angel Beats! It was released in 2010 as part of the single Crow Song under the name of the in-story band Girls Dead Monster.
The arrangement is simple, performed solely with the sound of an acoustic guitar, which allows the lyrics’ message to sink deep into your heart.
It’s a wonderful classic that supports you when you’re feeling down after a failure or when you can’t find what you want to do.
Moving and Heart-Wrenching Anime Song Ballads Special (11–20)
Stay AliveEmiria (CV: Takahashi Rie)
This is a song used as the ending theme for the anime Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World.
It’s performed by Rie Takahashi, the voice actress for one of the characters, Emilia, and was released as a single in 2016.
The song is a grand, emotional rock ballad, and its transparent, pure vocals create a beautiful soundscape.
The lyrics, which express the loneliness of being all by oneself, are sure to tighten your chest.
Be sure to listen closely and take it all in.
ebb and flowRAY
It’s a song about a frustrating situation: there’s a big age gap, and while the narrator admires the person and wants to stay close by their side, that person only sees them as a child.
Rey’s voice is beautiful, so I think it’s easy to listen to.
Song that marks the passage of timeLia
Lia’s song “Toki wo Kizamu Uta,” used as the opening theme for the anime CLANNAD ~AFTER STORY~, is renowned as a classic anime song—so chances are you’ve heard it even if you haven’t seen the series.
Beyond the anime’s heartrending yet heartwarming story, this song, which conveys feelings for someone lost, brings Tomoya to mind and is impossible to listen to without tears.
Everything—the sound and the vocals—is beautiful, so if you haven’t heard it yet, please give it a listen.
It will surely make you want to watch the anime too!
SKETCHAkiyama Kiiro
This song, powerfully vocalized by Akiyama Kiro, portrays a person close to us who lives with strength, along with the feelings directed toward them.
It was written specifically as the ending theme for the anime My Hero Academia.
The message that by supporting someone precious, we ourselves receive strength is particularly striking.
While it depicts the strong bond between two people, it also expresses the anxiety that one day that precious person might disappear.
Precisely because of that, the piece conveys a resolve to hold the other person even closer in one’s heart.
