20
[Discussion] What anime is the most cathartic for you?
(reddthat.com)
Pop Team Epic
The only one that sometimes comes to mind even though I haven't watched anime for many years now: Flying Witch
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
In FMA:B it turns out the government is being run by a bunch of inhuman, genocidal monsters and a bunch of people band together and do something about it. So yeah, probably this one.
I still much prefer the original to brotherhood. So much better character development.
Thank you! Brotherhood is great but it always felt like it was banking on the audience to have already read the manga.
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
Most CGDCTs with strong iyashikei elements, but specifically ARIA 🥰
Cathartic how, this could mean either NGE or Aria the animation lmao
I'd imagine it has to be 86 for many people, myself included. Part 2 has the most cathartic ending of all time.
Also, shout-out to Umamusume season 2 and Gundam: Witch from Mercury.
It's not a coincidence that the most cathartic anime for me are in fact my top 3 anime.
I'd definitely second 86. When I really want a solid dose of catharsis, there's nothing that even begins to compare with that last episode. I can't even think about it (or, for instance, write about it) without it bringing tears to my eyes.
Frieren
In the purest sense of the word "cathartic," absolutely 86. There's nothing - literally nothing, in any media - that's ever touched me the way the last episode of that series does.
Honorable mentions:
In a similar sense, Akudama Drive. It's especially rewarding because with the vividly over-the-top beginning, it doesn't feel like that's the way it's headed, but it is.
In a milder sense, Honey Lemon Soda. There's just something about that series - to me, it's far better and more satisfying than any of its better-known rivals.
In a similar vein to that, Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop, which as a bonus is visually stunning too.
In a somewhat different sense, the original OVA of Little Witch Academia. It just sweeps me up from the very first frame and doesn't let go until the last.
And in the more traditional sense, say what you might about the series as a whole, but Sword Art Online S01E03 - The Red-nosed Reindeer - is beautifully touching, as is the entire Mother's Rosario arc.
I love isekai. So GATE, Overlord, and Tanya of Saga the Evil are really enjoyable.
this post was submitted on 13 May 2026
20 points (100.0% liked)
Anime
4565 readers
315 users here now
This community is the place to discuss and ask questions about anime, anime news, and related topics.
Currently airing show discussion threads are created by our resident bot, rikka@ani.social. If it doesn't make a thread for an episode that you want to discuss, see the user guide on the wiki for instructions on how to ask rikka to make a thread for you to use.
Check out our wiki to find:
- Episode Discussion Thread Index
- Weekly Discussion Thread Index
- Bot User Guide
- List of shows currently monitored by the bot
Rules
More complete rules on the wiki.
- Posts must relate to anime or similar (donghua, etc.)
- Discussion threads for currently airing media must be made by the bot. If there isn't a discussion thread made for a piece of media you want to discuss, then request it via pm.
- Ensure that all series spoilers are tagged. See here for details.
- Memes should be directed toward !animemes@ani.social (or similar) instead of this community
- Do not post explicitly NSFW material. Please use your best judgement when marking lewd material as NSFW, unmarked material risks being removed.
- Please redirect discussion of piracy towards a more appropriate community
- Any clips from currently airing shows cannot include content from episodes released within the past 7 days.
- All posts and comments must adhere to the ani.social Terms of Use
- In general, keep things civil and avoid attacking other individuals.
Post Tags
Post tags are completely optional, but some recommended tags would include:
- [DISC] or [Discussion] for general discussion/question posts
- [Rec] Recommendation posts with a recommendation/review
- [Clip] a video clip post
- [News] for news and updates
- [Spoiler] for discussions with spoilery content - indicate the series that is being spoiled
Related General Communities
- !animemes@ani.social
- !anime_irl@ani.social
- !avid@ani.social - Videos
- !animewallpapers@ani.social
- !manga@ani.social
- !lightnovels@ani.social
- !anime@lemmy.eco.br (Brazil community)
- !anime_es@ani.social (Spanish language community)
- !aum@ani.social (Myanmar community)
- !otomegames@ani.social
- !visualnovels@ani.social
- Megathread of other communities on the fediverse maintained by @MentalEdge@sopuli.xyz
Chat
Thanks to @NineSwords@ani.social for running the discord!
founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS