Drama, drama, drama… anime is definitely chock full of dramatic works with characters going through some incredibly life-altering situations. Sometimes they are a little more understated but they can leave such a profound impact on the viewer. 2019 was a mixed bag for drama anime and me as I ended up picking quite few that jumped headlong into being full-on melodrama, but I still found a nice crop of dramatic anime for the year.
Please note, the nominees and winning choice are entirely my own opinion and are not based on any rigid criteria. Feel free to nominate your own winners for the categories in the comments. Help other readers find some awesome anime from 2019 to watch.
Best Drama Anime of 2019
This category had me struggling to pick a winner largely because anime does drama in so many different ways. While these are my nominations, I’d love to know what anime drama caught your eye in 2019.
Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2
No Guns Life
And the winner is…
Run With The Wind
Run With The Wind did start in 2018, but the dramatic conclusion occurred in Winter 2019 so I’m counting it. This was definitely a solid anime to start the year off with and one that managed to give each of the ten characters their own story arc and mostly give them enough time to develop and ultimately resolve in the final stretch of the story. Throw in the underdog sports team story and you have all the drama you could want, beautifully told and with beautiful visuals.
I think I also really appreciate that Run With The Wind told its whole story in the space of its two cours. Sure you could do a sequel, a spin-off, or even a next generation thing but there’s no need. It was a lovely, self-contained story that really brought me into the lives of its characters and I loved it.
Okay, what was your favourite anime drama from 2019?
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Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James
This is where I finally get to choose Fruits Basket. It’s a show that works better over long arcs than the little one shots, but when it does work it’s a thing of beauty.
Run With the Wind was awesome, too, though. Actually, I’m wavering, as I’m remembering the show.
Fruits Basket was a great drama. Certainly it would be one I would recommend from last year.
Ah yes! This one had my heart and soul.
It took me awhile to get into it but it ended up being such a worthwhile journey.
Honestly, out of all the options here, Run With The Wind is the only real choice because it is the only one that has actually reached a conclusion. As someone who favours completed anime, there can’t really be any other option.
True. Stories that conclude are always more satisfying then a story that is ongoing. I very much enjoy it when an anime manages to tell a complete story within a season (though Run With The Wind did have two cours).
Exactly! Unfortunately, few series actually do that and we’re often left hanging since popular manga that end up getting an anime are usually long running series and cannot fit into a single season 🙁
As a binge watcher who always waits for the series to be completed, those that come to a conclusion are far more satisfying. (needless to say there are still very engaging anime that spans multiple seasons)