Well, 'Wolf's Rain' is an underrated one. It tells the story of wolves who are on a journey to find Paradise. It has a complex plot filled with themes of survival, loyalty, and the search for a better place. The art style is beautiful, and the story is both heart - breaking and inspiring at times.
Another great underrated anime is 'Kaiba'. This anime has a very creative and deep story. It's set in a universe where memories can be stored and transferred. The main character, Kaiba, wakes up with no memories and goes on a journey to discover his past. It deals with themes like identity, love, and the value of memories in a really interesting way.
There were many animes that had been adapted from sad novels, such as Sword God's Domain, About My Reincarnation as a Slime, Index of Forbidden Magic Books, Gate to the Stone of Destiny, and so on. These anime works were all adapted from sad novels. By adapting the anime, the plot and characters in the novel were presented more vividly and attractive. These anime works not only had a breakthrough in the storyline, but also made a lot of efforts in character creation and emotional expression, which was deeply loved by the audience.
An anime with a sad ending (the female lead dies) can refer to the following example:
Detective Conan was an anime with a reasoning theme. The death of the female lead, Yuanshan and Ye, in the game became one of the clues for Conan to find the truth.
Naruto also had many scenes where the female lead died, such as the ninja Tsunete of Kinoha Village, the mother of Naruto Uzuzumaki, and the female lead of Sanin Village, Saninobu.
The female lead of Tanjiro, Hinata Hinatsu, in the movie 'Ghost Blade' also ended with death.
Other animes with sad endings included the female lead of Death Note, Yagami Tsuki, the female lead of Fate Stone Gate, Rentaro Okabe, and the female lead of Fate/Zero, Rin Tosaka.
Some of the more sentimental and meaningful cartoons were as follows:
1. Your Name. (Your Name): This is an animated film directed by Makoto Shinkai. It tells the story of time and space between two young people. Through touching melodies and beautiful scenes, it portrays a profound love theme.
2 Death Note: This is a Japanese manga created by Oba Thrush, which tells the story of a talented high school student who discovers a notebook that can kill. Although the purpose of this notebook is to help people solve social problems, the protagonist uses this notebook to kill countless innocent people because of his high IQ and curiosity. This story is full of sadness and reflection.
3. Fullmetal Alchemist: This is a Japanese manga and anime created by Ishida Atsuhito that tells the story of two brothers who achieve their goals through alchemy. Although there was a huge difference between their world and the real world, this story portrayed a deep theme of friendship and kinship through the feelings and sacrifices between brothers.
4. Grave of the Fireflies: An animated film directed by Makoto Shinkai about a couple who lost their child during the war. Although they had lost their homes and loved ones, they still held on to their love and hope for the future. This story was full of touching lyrics and deep thoughts.
5. A Chinese Oddsey: This is a Japanese novel by Keigo Higashino, which tells the story of two teenagers. Although this story is full of suspense and reasoning, it also portrays a profound theme of love and human nature, making people reflect on the complexity and contradiction of human nature.
In 'Your Lie in April', Kaori and Kousei can be considered as childhood friends in a way. Kaori's illness and the way their relationship developed and then ended was really sad. It shows the beauty and pain of love and friendship that starts from a young age.
Another characteristic is the use of symbolism. Similar to novels, anime uses symbols to enhance the sad atmosphere. In '5 Centimeters per Second', the cherry blossoms are a symbol of the fleeting nature of love and time. The protagonist's repeated encounters with the cherry blossoms as his relationships change add to the overall sense of melancholy.