Violet Evergarden is a masterclass in visual storytelling, emotional subtlety, and character transformation. Set in a post-war society, it follows Violet, a former child soldier, as she learns to understand emotions and the meaning of love while working as a letter writer. Its poignant themes—grief, healing, human connection—resonate deeply through breathtaking animation and reflective pacing.
For fans seeking similarly powerful journeys of self-discovery, quiet melancholy, and rich emotional worldbuilding, these 15 underrated anime offer kindred experiences that deserve far more attention.
1. The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004)
Streaming: Prime Video, Apple TV
MAL Rating: 7.60
Episodes: 1 (Film)
Studio: CoMix Wave Films | Director: Makoto Shinkai
In a divided Japan, three students form a deep bond around a mysterious tower—and the dream of reuniting.
Similarities: Lyrical storytelling, lost connections, wartime trauma, and emotional longing wrapped in striking visuals.
2. A Lull in the Sea (2013)
Streaming: Crunchyroll, HIDIVE
MAL Rating: 8.03
Episodes: 26
Studio: P.A. Works
Children from the sea attend school on land, challenging cultural divides and personal relationships.
Similarities: Emotional maturity, coming-of-age introspection, interpersonal drama, and a focus on unspoken feelings.
3. Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms (2018)
Streaming: Amazon Prime Video
MAL Rating: 8.38
Episodes: 1 (Film)
Studio: P.A. Works | Director: Mari Okada
An immortal girl raises a mortal child, experiencing love, loss, and the passage of time.
Similarities: Profound emotional resonance, female protagonist learning empathy, stunning animation, and themes of war and motherhood.
4. Kujira no Kora wa Sajou ni Utau (Children of the Whales) (2017)
Streaming: Netflix
MAL Rating: 7.10
Episodes: 12
Studio: J.C.Staff
In a world covered by sand, a floating island of empaths faces war, secrecy, and existential questions.
Similarities: Emotional detachment transforming into empathy, post-war tones, beautiful worldbuilding.
5. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu (2016)
Streaming: Crunchyroll
MAL Rating: 8.66
Episodes: 13
Studio: Studio Deen
A former convict learns the traditional Japanese art of Rakugo while uncovering his mentor’s painful past.
Similarities: Deliberate pacing, storytelling as healing, post-war societal trauma, and emotional growth through art.
6. Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee (2009)
Streaming: Crunchyroll
MAL Rating: 7.75
Episodes: 25
Studio: Studio Pierrot
In a world of eternal night, messengers called Letter Bees risk their lives to deliver heartfelt messages.
Similarities: Message-writing as metaphor, emotional catharsis, and a young protagonist healing from abandonment.
7. Emma: A Victorian Romance (2005)
Streaming: HIDIVE
MAL Rating: 7.82
Episodes: 12
Studio: Studio Pierrot
A maid and an aristocrat fall in love in strict Edwardian England.
Similarities: Class tension, slow-burning emotion, historical drama, and understated visual storytelling.
8. To Your Eternity (2021)
Streaming: Crunchyroll
MAL Rating: 8.35
Episodes: 20 (Season 1)
Studio: Brain’s Base
A mysterious immortal being learns to feel through the lives and deaths of others.
Similarities: Exploration of what it means to be human, loneliness, grief, and emotional evolution.
9. Sunday Without God (2013)
Streaming: Crunchyroll
MAL Rating: 7.43
Episodes: 12
Studio: Madhouse
In a world abandoned by God, a young girl becomes a gravekeeper in a land where no one truly dies.
Similarities: Themes of death, closure, spiritual longing, and an emotionless protagonist learning love.
10. Yuri Kuma Arashi (2015)
Streaming: Funimation
MAL Rating: 6.90
Episodes: 12
Studio: Silver Link
In a surreal world of humans and bears, forbidden love blooms amid societal judgment.
Similarities: Strong female leads, metaphor-driven narrative, and emphasis on emotional vulnerability.
11. Saraiya Goyou (House of Five Leaves) (2010)
Streaming: Crunchyroll
MAL Rating: 7.84
Episodes: 12
Studio: Manglobe
A timid samurai joins a band of morally grey criminals in Edo-era Japan.
Similarities: Reserved characters developing through relationships, subdued drama, and elegant storytelling.
12. Shigofumi: Letters from the Departed (2008)
Streaming: Crunchyroll
MAL Rating: 7.41
Episodes: 12
Studio: J.C.Staff
Dead people send final letters to the living, delivered by a stoic girl with a past of her own.
Similarities: Letter-writing as healing, emotional finality, and gradual character revelation.
13. Piano no Mori (Forest of Piano) (2018)
Streaming: Netflix
MAL Rating: 7.38
Episodes: 12
Studio: Gaina
Two boys from vastly different backgrounds bond through classical music and personal hardship.
Similarities: Quiet drama, emotional expression through art, and the transformative power of creativity.
14. Haibane Renmei (2002)
Streaming: Funimation
MAL Rating: 8.00
Episodes: 13
Studio: Radix
Angelic beings known as Haibane live in a walled town, wrestling with the memories of past lives.
Similarities: Amnesia as emotional metaphor, gentle pacing, grief, and spiritual rebirth.
15. Somali and the Forest Spirit (2020)
Streaming: Crunchyroll
MAL Rating: 7.82
Episodes: 12
Studio: Satelight
A golem guardian protects a human child in a world dominated by non-human species.
Similarities: Surrogate parental bond, end-of-life themes, emotional warmth, and painterly animation.
Why These Anime Work for Violet Evergarden Fans
Each of these anime carries the emotional gravity, visual finesse, and character-centric introspection that make Violet Evergarden unforgettable.
They explore the human condition with quiet power, through lost love, broken people, societal wounds, or the slow unraveling of emotion.
Whether via letters, lullabies, or unspoken glances, they echo Violet’s journey: learning what it means to feel, to connect, and to live.
