The Tear-Jerking World of Heart-Piercing Anime Songs
Do you have an anime that you got so hooked on it moved you to tears?
When you encounter a work like that, sometimes just hearing a single line of the theme song out of the blue can make you cry.
Maybe the song didn’t hit you at first, but the closer the finale gets, the more heartbreakingly it starts to feel…
In this article, we’ve gathered anime songs that will make you cry and cry and cry.
We’ve included both old and new anime, so it should resonate with a wide range of generations.
By all means, enjoy the works themselves along with the songs.
- Touching Anime Ballads That Make You Cry [Moving & Heart-Wrenching]
- Moving and iconic anime songs, popular tracks
- [Tearjerker] Songs that make your heart tremble with tears & moving tracks with lyrics that touch the soul
- Anisongs that were hits in the 2000s: a nostalgic collection of legendary tracks
- [Nostalgic] Classic and Popular Anime Songs Recommended for People in Their 30s
- The nostalgic atmosphere tugs at your heartstrings. Tear-jerker songs from the Showa era.
- Anime Love Song Special [Heart-Fluttering & Tearjerkers]
- [So touching it makes you cry] A heartbreakingly wistful and sad song that tightens your chest
- [Just the Lyrics Make Me Cry] Tear-Jerking Songs That Touch the Heart
- Tear ducts guaranteed to burst! Heart-wrenching masterpiece songs I’d recommend to Gen Z
- [Collection of Epic Songs] A compilation of cool anime songs chosen by anime fans
- [Today's Tearjerker Song] Tear ducts destroyed! Timeless and trending tracks that will make you cry no matter what
- Tears won’t stop with these sentimental lyrics! Heisei-era tearjerker songs
[Tearjerkers] The World of Heart-Piercing Anime Songs (41–50)
See youDREAMS COME TRUE
It’s a timeless song that wraps a farewell with a loved one in warm hope.
Created by the pop duo DREAMS COME TRUE, the track layers Miwa Yoshida’s powerful vocals over a wistful melody, evoking not only loneliness but also the promise of meeting again.
The pure chorus sung by children further heightens the emotional impact of the story.
After being included on the album “AND I LOVE YOU,” it was released as a single in February 2008 and chosen as the theme song for the film “ONE PIECE Episode of Chopper Plus: Bloom in the Winter, Miracle Sakura.” Commissioned directly by the original author, it was crafted into a moving piece that closely matches the film’s worldview.
It’s a song that gives you the courage to look ahead during graduation and departure seasons.
[Tear-Jerking] The World of Heart-Piercing Anime Songs (51–60)
See youDREAMS COME TRUE
It’s a timeless song that wraps a farewell with a loved one in warm hope.
Created by the pop duo DREAMS COME TRUE, the track layers Miwa Yoshida’s powerful vocals over a wistful melody, evoking not only loneliness but also the promise of meeting again.
The pure chorus sung by children further heightens the emotional impact of the story.
After being included on the album “AND I LOVE YOU,” it was released as a single in February 2008 and chosen as the theme song for the film “ONE PIECE Episode of Chopper Plus: Bloom in the Winter, Miracle Sakura.” Commissioned directly by the original author, it was crafted into a moving piece that closely matches the film’s worldview.
It’s a song that gives you the courage to look ahead during graduation and departure seasons.
Ho-n-to-u-soMe
This is the opening theme for the OVA Tales of Symphonia The Animation: United World Arc, sung by Me.
Set to an intense sound, it captures the complex human emotions portrayed in the story of Tales of Symphonia.
You can feel the difficulties of human relationships and the powerful feelings that arise in such situations as you listen.
I also recommend belting it out and singing along yourself.
Capsuleaiko
A number by aiko where gentleness and heartbreak resonate together.
Written specifically for the TV anime “Apocalypse Hotel,” it opens with delicate piano melodies, then builds as the band and strings come in, beautifully expressing a swell of emotion.
The lyrics carry a wish to lock away memories with a precious person in one’s heart, along with the sorrow of their absence—piercingly poignant.
It might be just the thing to listen to when you want to have a good cry.
secret baseKozue Takada
The ending theme of “Eureka Seven.” A song whose clear, translucent vocals gently seep into the heart.
The characters’ purity and earnestness synchronize with the lyrics’ worldview, drawing you in.
Don’t miss the grand arrangement in the chorus.
Snow WingsRedballoon
It was redballoon’s major debut single and served as the ending theme for the TV anime Gintama.
The lyrics depict a wintry scene that feels frozen in place, which at first makes the song seem painful and sad.
However, backed by an intense band sound, it gives you the strength to rise up and keep moving forward.
It’s a song that gives you courage in tough times.
Life is Like a BoatRie fu
The gentle piano melody and warm acoustic guitar tones seem to softly nestle up to the listener’s heart.
This work by Rie fu is a song that richly expresses the journey of pressing forward with hope alongside someone precious, even as we face rough waves on the voyage called life.
The interplay of English and Japanese in the lyrics is truly beautiful.
Released as a single in September 2004, it captured the hearts of many fans as the very first ending theme for the anime BLEACH.
Give it a listen when you’re feeling a touch nostalgic or when you need the courage to take a new step forward.