Top 10 Anime That Will Break You After One Episode
Script written by Jonathan Alexander
#10: “Plastic Memories” (2015)
On their first day on the job for robot retrieval, Tsukasa and his android partner, Isla, are given a real doozy. Finding the child-like automaton, Nina, is the easy part. Getting her owner, Chizu, to part ways with her is a very different story. Turns out, the two had become something of a family over the years Whether you’re a parent or not, it’s easy to understand why Chizu struggles with saying goodbye. But, through some hard conversations and more than a few tears, she finally realizes it’s time for Nina to move on. For a show about androids, “Plastic Memories” sure has a lot of heart, that’s all we’re saying.
#9: “Chainsaw Man” (2022-)
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At the start of “Chainsaw Man,” Denji’s pretty down on his luck. His dead father left him indebted to the Yakuza, he’s working himself to the bone, and he has to spend part of his meager earnings to feed his pet, Pochita. And that’s just the first few minutes! Denji’s situation goes from bad to worse when the mob decides to turn his fee into a blood debt. But, in a moment guaranteed to make your heart skip a beat, Pochita sacrifices her life to give Denji another shot at his. And, wouldn’t you know, she was the Chainsaw Devil. Cue the revenge killing. Watching mobsters get torn to shreds has never been so satisfying.
#8: “Your Lie in April” (2014-15)
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If you play a musical instrument, go ahead and pack your box of tissues now. “Your Lie in April” is about a musical prodigy named Kosei. He only took up piano to appease his dying mother, and she showed her appreciation with violence instead of love. But, when she’s gone, Kosei still can’t find it in him to quit. Even if he doesn’t enjoy music anymore, at that point, it’s all he has left. It’s a heart-wrenching position to put anyone in, let alone someone in junior high. Kosei’s friends support him the best they can, but in the show’s first twenty minutes, there’s nothing they can do to numb the tragedy.
#7: “Bunny Drop” (2011)
Rin’s only crime is being born at the wrong time. She’s the very young daughter of the Kawachi family grandfather, and when he finally passes, Rin’s left ostracized from the rest of the family. Well, almost all of them. After realizing no one else stepped up to take care of the six-year-old, Daikichi gives up everything to become her father. Full disclosure, he’s a listless bachelor who doesn’t know a thing about raising a young girl. But, the fact that he tries is enough to make Rin burst into tears. And she’s not alone. From tragedy to found-family, the first episode of “Bunny Drop” really has it all.
#6: “Cross Game” (2009-10)
Come on, how sad could an anime about baseball really be? Against our better judgment, the answer is really, really sad. Before the first pitch is even thrown, “Cross Game” introduces you to Ko and Wakaba, life-long neighbors who have more chemistry than a science class. But, sadly, Wakaba doesn’t live to see the second episode. Instead of shying away from the heavy subject matter, the show fearlessly explores Ko’s journey through his grief. It all comes to a head in the episode’s final minutes when the boy finally lets it all out in one, good cry. If this grand-slam of emotion doesn’t give you chills, we aren’t sure what will.
#5: “Kotoura-san” (2013)
Right off the bat, this show proves that superpowers are not always popular. Haruka’s ESP may seem cool, but to everyone around her, she’s a freak. As a result, the anime’s opening minutes are a depressing montage of Haruka being shunned by every person she meets. Including her own parents. Thankfully, this starting chapter has a happy ending. When Haruka saves the well-meaning Yoshihisa from a speeding car, he doesn’t just thank her. He calls her his friend. After a whole episode of Haruka being belittled and made fun of, seeing her make a true, honest friend is like a breath of fresh air. It’s no wonder it left her all misty-eyed.
#4: “Violet Evergarden” (2018)
This anime literally opens with all-out war, and that’s not even the most affecting part of the episode. Soon enough, we meet Violet, a woman devoted to the bloody struggle… until she loses her arms. After receiving two prosthetic limbs, Violet begins work as a ghostwriting postal worker - and, more importantly, she starts to follow her own ideals. It’s a fairly straightforward premise, but it’s executed with so much emotional maturity, you can’t help but be mesmerized. After all, there’s just something incredibly moving about a person who yearns to understand love. Even though “Violet Evergarden” starts with war, the theme of its first episode is that of hope.
#3: “Oshi no Ko” (2023-)
When it comes to emotionally charged beginnings, “Oshi no Ko” takes the motherload. Despite the exhausting tribulations of idol life, Ai devotes everything she has to raising her twins, Aqua and Ruby. But then, out of nowhere, she dies. Her bloodthirsty stalker finds her, and Ai barely has time to say goodbye to her kids before she’s gone. The word “devastating” doesn’t do this moment justice. In fact, it defies description altogether. If anything, Ai’s death is so unfairly tragic, it almost makes you angry. She was a remarkable mother, and it’s just plain cruel that her kids only got her for one, measly episode.
#2: “To Your Eternity” (2021-)
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The soon-to-be-named Fushi begins life as an orb, before evolving into a rock, and later a wolf. Soon enough, he bonds with a young boy in search of his people, learning about humanity as he goes. Sadly, Fushi’s next lesson is that, for there to be life, there must also be death. Instead of his village, the boy finds only gravestones, and later passes on himself. That;s a lot for a single episode to cover, but somehow, “To Your Eternity” pulls it off with remarkable tact. Particularly in its cathartic ending. When Fushi takes on the form of the boy he once knew, it’s clear that “To Your Eternity” is something special.
#1: “Frieren: Beyond Journey's End” (2023-)
There’s starting with a bang, and then there’s starting with a whimper. “Frieren” chooses the latter to great effect. Early on, our hero learns that while decade-long quests are nothing to an elf’s lifespan, they’re everything to a human’s. Frieren takes her mortal friend on one last adventure, watches him pass on, and then grapples with how much she took life for granted. From there, “Beyond Journey’s End” continues to explore the realities of death with a wisdom that most shows take seasons to develop. That is to say, “Frieren’s” debut is a brilliant thinkpiece that will have you weeping, cheering, and then weeping again all before the first credit roll.
What anime has the best first episode? Let us know in the comments below!
