Kokoro Connect is a wonderful school themed show with elements of comedy, romance and a lot of drama. This show is about five students attending Yamaboshi Academy who don’t quite fit in any school club, so they decide to form their own club, the Student Cultural Society. Things get a bit freaky and twisted when these kids mysteriously start to switch with each other’s bodies, bringing about a whole lot of drama. Kokoro Connect is all about plot twists and character development. This is a show in which you never know what can happen next, and every little change of events brings these kids close together, although not always in a good way. Kokoro Connect provides a strong insight into being in someone else’s shoes, with all the drama that implies.

Of course, we can’t talk about dramatic and not mention Nana. This is the story of Nana Osaki, a strong independent punk rock girl with dreams of becoming a rock-star, and Nana Komatsu, a naïve and dependent 20-year old girl who has the ability of falling in love with the wrong men. The two Nanas board the same train to Tokyo hoping to fulfill their dreams and end up becoming roommates and friends. Nana is a beautiful shoujo with a lot of music and style. Watch these two girls grow up as they dive into the big city to fulfill their destinies. Of course, their paths are not easy and they have to face envy, betrayal and the ugly side of fame before they can triumph in the concrete jungle.

Another is a classic among horror and mystery dramas. The story revolves around young Sakakibara who is transferred into class 3-3 of Yomiyama North Academy, where everyone behaves rather mysteriously. In this class, Sakakibara meets a girl with an eye-patch named Misaki Mei, who is ignored by everyone else for some unknown reason. After Sakakibara and Misaki begin to interact, strange and unfortunate things start to occur around class 3-3. Just reading what Another is about is enough to give you goosebumps. After all, dramas are not only meant to make you cry, they may also take you through different emotions. Another is an intricate story with several twists of events that will keep you biting your toenails and dying to know what’s really happening. You’ll feel an icy chill running down your spine as you unsuccessfully try to guess who’s alive and who’s dead.

Hai to Gensou no Grimgar is the story of six young boys and girls who suddenly find themselves in a world of fantasy with no memory of how they got there or where they come from. The world of Grimgar is now their reality and they have to train as knights, magicians, hunters and thieves, among others. Sadly for them, their new world may be a bit more realistic and harsh than the usual fantasy RPG games we are used to. Even though this show shares a somewhat similar premise to fantasy shows like SAO, Grimgar focuses much more on character development and on the peripeteias or misfortunes the main characters have to go through. The scenery also plays a big role in conveying a dramatic and melancholic atmosphere. Hai to Gensou no Grimgar is a very artistic anime featuring beautiful backgrounds and a brilliant soundtrack that really help to develop the relationships between the characters and their dramatic everyday life.

In Higashi no Eden we’ll meet college student Saki Morimi, who’s on a trip to Washington. She gets in trouble with the police for trying to get inside the White House Garden but is saved by a young naked man with a gun, a cellphone and no memory. This is how she meets Akira Takizawa and they start a dangerous adventure to find out the connection between Akira’s real identity, a mysterious succession of events and a terrorist attack on Tokyo. Higashi no Eden is a really cool and original story that has a bit of everything. This dramatic thriller has elements of romance, comedy, sci-fi, mystery and action, so it’s really no surprise how this show can take us through a roller coaster of emotions. As if the tension arising from a terrorist attack were not dramatic enough, the unexpected twists of events and Akira’s mysterious identity will provide you with the adrenaline and the edginess you were looking for.

Plastic Memories follows the story of Tsukasa Mizugaki, who gets a job at SAI Corp, a company known for producing androids known as Giftias. These Giftias are very similar to actual human beings, with the only detail that their lifespans are of 81,920 hours (around nine years and four months). Tsukasa’s work consists of retrieving Giftias who reach their expiration date, and to do so he counts on Isla’s assistance, who is a Giftia and an expert on retrievals. To make the story a bit more complicated, Tsukasa realizes he has feelings for Isla, but this love has an expiration date. Plastic Memories is a romantic science fiction anime which reminds us a lot of another epic drama featuring charming androids, Chobits. Judging from both shows’ huge success, this type of romantic dramas has proved to be a winning formula. Plastic Memories is a story to feel in love but also to learn to let go. Oh yeah, it’s also a story to cry like a little girl.

Your Lie in April tells the story of prodigious piano player Kousei Arima, who falls into a depression after the death of his mother and he quits playing. For a couple of years, Kousei carries a dull and music free life. Of course, that is only until he meets Kaori Miyazono, a gorgeous violinist girl who rocks his world and makes him want to play and live music again. Your Lie in April is a lovely romantic school drama filled with music, optimism and second opportunities. This is the kind of show to believe in second chances and starting over again. Still, Your Lie in April is not all about rainbows and butterflies. In fact, you are bound to experience many different emotions while watching this inspiring yet heart-breaking drama.

AnoHana (for short) presents a group of childhood friends who have grown apart after the tragic death of one of the group’s members, Menma. Years later, Menma’s spirit appears in front of Jinta, one of the boys, which brings the whole group together again to try to help Menma’s soul find her rest. These boys and girls will have to re-live their childhood stories in order to help Menma’s spirit and to get rid of the ghosts of their past (see what we did there?). AnoHana is a magnificent supernatural slice of life show that will make us cry our eyes out by teaching us some beautiful and valuable life lessons. This dramatic production is all about cherishing what we have, not taking things for granted, learning to let go and appreciating our friends. AnoHana is definitely a ride of emotions.

Probably no other anime screams out DRAMA as much as Tokyo Magnitude 8.0. This is the story of Middle School student Mirai Onozawa, who takes his 8-year old brother, Yuuki Onozawa, to a robot exhibition on the same day a devastating earthquake hits the city. The siblings find themselves in the middle of the destruction and they set off on a journey through the horror of a collapsing metropolis as they attempt to get back home safe to their parents. Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 will get you immersed in a world of hopelessness, fear and misery with occasional glimpses of hope and optimism that serve as relief. It’s the kind of production that makes you suffer for the main characters and pray for them to get out of that awful situation (just like in The Pursuit of Happyness or in The Impossible, to name a few insufferable movies). Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 will give you a lot to think about the importance of family and the ephemerality of life. If that’s not dramatic then nothing is.

And then of course we have Clannad: After Story, because no drama list would ever be complete without Clannad. If you are really into drama anime then chances are you’ve already heard about this anime. Clannad: After Story has a reputation for being the anime that causes the greatest amount of crying. You seriously need to have an ice cold heart to watch Clannad: After Story and not shed a single tear. Clannad: After Story follows the everyday life of Tomoya Okazaki and Nagisa Furukawa after they graduate from high school. As they enter adulthood, these two will face the struggles of growing up and getting into the real world. Join them along their dramatic journey to learn about the importance of family and how to endure the trials and tribulations of life.