Yukito Kunisaki is on a journey in search of the Winged Maiden who was bound to the sky centuries ago, after hearing an old childhood tale from his mother. As Yukito shows his puppet show to people in an attempt to make some money, he finds himself in a small town in which he did not expect to stay very long. However, when he meets an unusual girl named Misuzu, things take a drastic turn as he is invited to stay with her.
By staying in the quaint town, Yukito soon becomes friends with the locals. As he gets to know them better, he learns of their problems and decides to help, putting his search for the Winged Maiden on hold. With his search on hold, and his growing attachment to Misuzu and the small town, will Yukito ever find the Winged Maiden, or is she closer than he thought?
Air has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: AIR, Air
Genres: Romance , Japan , Earth , Asia , Drama , Alternative Present , Present , Contemporary Fantasy , Slice of Life
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Top 10 Anime Like Air [2024 List]
10. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni
Keiichi Maebara has just moved to the quiet little village of Hinamizawa in the summer of 1983, and quickly becomes inseparable friends with schoolmates Rena Ryuuguu, Mion Sonozaki, Satoko Houjou, and Rika Furude. However, darkness lurks underneath the seemingly idyllic life they lead.
As the village prepares for its annual festival, Keiichi learns about the local legends surrounding it. To his horror, he discovers that there have been several murders and disappearances in the village in the recent years, and that they all seem to be connected to the festival and the village's patron god, Oyashiro. Keiichi tries to ask his new friends about these incidents, but they are suspiciously silent and refuse to give him the answers he needs. As more and more bizarre events occur, he wonders just what else his friends might be keeping from him, and if he can even trust them at all.
When madness and paranoia begin taking root in Keiichi's heart, he will stumble straight into the mysteries at work in Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, a story that is told across multiple arcs.
When They Cry has finished airing and it has 26 Episodes. It is also Known as: ひぐらしのなく頃に, When the Cicadas Cry, The Moment the Cicadas Cry
9. Princess Tutu
In a fairy tale come to life, the clumsy, sweet, and gentle Ahiru (Japanese for "duck") seems like an unlikely protagonist. In reality, Ahiru is just as magical as the talking cats and crocodiles that inhabit her town—for Ahiru really is a duck! Transformed by the mysterious Drosselmeyer into a human girl, Ahiru soon learns the reason for her existence. Using her magical egg-shaped pendant, Ahiru can transform into Princess Tutu—a beautiful and talented ballet dancer whose dances relieve people of the turmoil in their hearts. With her newfound ability, Ahiru accepts the challenge of collecting the lost shards of her prince's heart, for long ago he had shattered it in order to seal an evil raven away for all eternity.
Princess Tutu is a tale of heroes and their struggle against fate. Their beliefs, their feelings, and ultimately their actions will determine whether this fairy tale can reach its "happily ever after."
Note: Princess Tutu aired in two parts. The first part included 13 25-minute episodes, while the second part consisted of 24 12-minute episodes with a 25-minute final episode.
Princess Tutu has finished airing and it has 38 Episodes. It is also Known as: プリンセスチュチュ, Princess Tutu
8. Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai.
Jinta Yadomi is peacefully living as a recluse, spending his days away from school and playing video games at home instead. One hot summer day, his childhood friend, Meiko "Menma" Honma, appears and pesters him to grant a forgotten wish. He pays her no mind, which annoys her, but he doesn't really care. After all, Menma already died years ago.
At first, Jinta thinks that he is merely hallucinating due to the summer heat, but he is later on convinced that what he sees truly is the ghost of Menma. Jinta and his group of childhood friends grew apart after her untimely death, but they are drawn together once more as they try to lay Menma's spirit to rest. Re-living their pain and guilt, will they be able to find the strength to help not only Menma move on—but themselves as well?
anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day has finished airing and it has 11 Episodes. It is also Known as: あの日見た花の名前を僕達はまだ知らない。, AnoHana, We Still Don't Know the Name of the Flower We Saw That Day.
7. Angel Beats!
Otonashi awakens only to learn he is dead. A rifle-toting girl named Yuri explains that they are in the afterlife, and Otonashi realizes the only thing he can remember about himself is his name. Yuri tells him that she leads the Shinda Sekai Sensen (Afterlife Battlefront) and wages war against a girl named Tenshi. Unable to believe Yuri's claims that Tenshi is evil, Otonashi attempts to speak with her, but the encounter doesn't go as he intended.
Otonashi decides to join the SSS and battle Tenshi, but he finds himself oddly drawn to her. While trying to regain his memories and understand Tenshi, he gradually unravels the mysteries of the afterlife.
Angel Beats! has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: Angel Beats!（エンジェルビーツ）, Angel Beats!
6. Kanon
It’s been 7 years since Yuuichi Aizawa visited his aunt Akiko, but now that his parents have gone to Africa to pursue their careers, he is finally back in the little northern town. Yuuichi is not really overjoyed with the prospect of living here though, because all of his memories of this place and the people living in it have mysteriously vanished. His cute cousin Nayuki seems like a stranger as well, even though he used to play with her all the time when they were younger.
On the day of moving into his new home, Yuuichi starts unpacking the boxes and stumbles upon a red headband that no one seems to recognize. This is one of the first clues that will make Yuuichi take a stroll through the snow-covered town and make him start recalling fragments of his past, broken promises and buried secrets. Yuuichi soon realizes that there is something supernatural going on, and all of his new female acquaintances seem to have links to his forgotten past.
Kanon has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: カノン, Kanon (2002)
5. ef: A Tale of Memories.
One Christmas Eve, Hiro Hirono helps Miyako, the victim of a purse snatching, and discovers that she goes to the same school he does. To the dismay of his childhood friend, Kei, Hiro starts hanging out with Miyako. But Kei is not about to let a new girl in Hiro's life take him away from her, and sets out to prove that she's the only one for him. When Renji Asou meets Chihiro Shindou at an abandoned train station, he doesn't notice anything unusual at first. But he soon discovers that she suffers from a rare form of amnesia and can only remember things for thirteen hours. Chihiro dreams of writing a novel, but her amnesia has made it an impossible task. Now, however, Renji is determined to help her fulfill her dream.
ef - a tale of memories. has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: ef - a tale of memories., ef: A Tale of Memories.
4. Clannad: After Story
Clannad: After Story, the sequel to the critically acclaimed slice-of-life series Clannad, begins after Tomoya Okazaki and Nagisa Furukawa graduate from high school. Together, they experience the emotional rollercoaster of growing up. Unable to decide on a course for his future, Tomoya learns the value of a strong work ethic and discovers the strength of Nagisa's support. Through the couple's dedication and unity of purpose, they push forward to confront their personal problems, deepen their old relationships, and create new bonds.
Time also moves on in the Illusionary World. As the plains grow cold with the approach of winter, the Illusionary Girl and the Garbage Doll are presented with a difficult situation that reveals the World's true purpose.
Based on the visual novel by Key and produced by Kyoto Animation, Clannad: After Story is an impactful drama highlighting the importance of family and the struggles of adulthood.
Clannad ~After Story~ has finished airing and it has 24 Episodes. It is also Known as: CLANNAD〜AFTER STORY〜 クラナド アフターストーリー, Clannad: After Story
3. Sola
Yorito Morimiya is obsessed with the sky. He especially loves taking pictures of its array of different faces—sunrises, sunsets, clouds. On one of his early-morning excursions to photograph the sunrise, Yorito meets a strange girl engaged in an argument with a vending machine. By the time that Yorito forces the girl's tomato juice out of the machine, she's vanished without a trace.Sola follows the story of Yorito, his sister Aono, and their childhood friends Mana and Koyori Ishizuki, as well as that of a mysterious girl who appears and disappears, and who seems to harbor a dark secret. In a world where magic and the supernatural are never far below the surface and no one is who they seem to be, love and loneliness vie for supremacy beneath Yorito's sky.
Sola has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: sola, Sky
2. Clannad
Tomoya Okazaki is a delinquent who finds life dull and believes he'll never amount to anything. Along with his friend Sunohara, he skips school and plans to waste his high school days away.
One day while walking to school, Tomoya passes a young girl muttering quietly to herself. Without warning she exclaims "Anpan!" (a popular Japanese food) which catches Tomoya's attention. He soon discovers the girl's name is Nagisa Furukawa and that she exclaims things she likes in order to motivate herself. Nagisa claims they are now friends, but Tomoya walks away passing the encounter off as nothing.
However, Tomoya finds he is noticing Nagisa more and more around school. Eventually he concedes and befriends her. Tomoya learns Nagisa has been held back a year due to a severe illness and that her dream is to revive the school's drama club. Claiming he has nothing better to do, he decides to help her achieve this goal along with the help of four other girls.
As Tomoya spends more time with the girls, he learns more about them and their problems. As he attempts to help each girl overcome her respective obstacle, he begins to realize life isn't as dull as he once thought.
Clannad has finished airing and it has 23 Episodes. It is also Known as: CLANNAD, CLANNAD
1. Kanon (2006)
As a young child, Aizawa Yuuichi had often visited his cousin in the city; however, something drastic happened to keep him away for seven long years. Now, Yuuichi returns, his memories of those days are simply gone.
Settling into the wintry town, Yuuichi comes across several young girls, all of whom are connected to his past. As he befriends them and continues to interact with them, the long forgotten memories from his childhood begin to resurface...
Kanon (2006) has finished airing and it has 24 Episodes. It is also Known as: カノン (2006), Kanon Remake, Kanon 2006
