My top five emotional episodes in anime - those damn feels

  There is massive amounts of awesome anime out there but there only a few that can actually make you well up and be genuinely affect by the stories and actions of the characters. This can only be achieved by exceptional story telling, amazing soundtracks and stunning imagery. 
  Below are my five personal favourite moments that have stayed in my memory. Beware tear jerking spoilers ahead. 

5. Guilty Crown Ep 15 - Hare's sacrifice

  This anime is set in Tokyo in the year of 2039, after an out break of what was called the "apocalypse virus" the country of Japan fell under the control of the GHQ, a multinational organization. The story revolves around Shu Ouma, he accidental obtains a super weapon that gives him the ability to pull out the physical manifestations of peoples souls called "Voids" they appear as weapons or tools with great power. He's enlisted by a resistance group called "funeral parlour" that want to restore Japan's independence. 

  Episode 15 in my opinion has the saddest and most epic moment in the series. Shu's oldest friend Hare Menjou is gunned down by turret fire, her "Void" is damaged in the process, a damaged "Void" is a death sentence. Shu's manages to get her to cover but she chrysalises and shatters in his arms, this then leads Shu's to unleash a maelstrom of of rage and kills every last enemy soldier in the area. 

  This moment is particularly emotional due to the development of Shu's character, Hare was the only character that understood Shu and the pain he has suffered though out the series the episodes after.   

4. Mira Nikki Ep 26 - Yuno's death 

  This anime revolves around Yukiteru 'Yuki' Amano, a loner who onlytalk to his imaginary friends and records his life on his mobile phone. He soon comes across Yuno Gasai, a girl he accidentally talked to a year ago, but since then Yuno has become mentally disturbed due to abuse from her ill mother, and has been obsessively falling in love with him. 
  The unlikely pair end up being entered into a life and death survival game created by a dying god that wishes to find his successor. Each participant has a future diary, and item or phone that tells them the future, Yuki's only tells him his future and Yuno's informs her of where Yuki is and what he's doing. This then lead to the two of them teaming to take on all of the other contenders in the game. 

  This series is down right insane but it manages to draw you in and compels you to keep watching, and its how they end the series that hits your feels button. After all of the chaos Yuki end up actually starting to fall for Yuno but the game dictates that there can only be one winner, and due to Yuno's love for Yuki she forces him to kill her and as she dies Yuki promises to create a world where she will be happy. The episode ends with a depressed 10.000 year old Yuki staring at his phone waiting for a message that will never come.

  The ending of Mira Nikki hits you hard due to the all of the anguish that Yuki goes through, he still doesn't get want he wanted even though he chose the unselfish path, in the final seconds of the episode you want something to happen so that he'll reunite with Yuno but it sadly nothing happens. 

3. D.Gray Man Ep 3 to 5 - Lala's lullaby 

  This anime series follows the adventures of Allen Walker, an exorcist that hunts a breed of demon called "Akuma". These demons have the ability to hide under human skin and act as humans, these creatures are created by a being called the Millennium Earl. The Earls is hunting for an element called "Innocence", this element can be transformed in to tools or weapons that can destroy "Akuma". 

  In this series that is already quite dark in its own right, but episodes 3 to 5 feature an unfortunate story that bring out the tears. Allen and sent to find innocence in an abandoned town, he's warned that there is a ghost that roams the town. This ghost turns out to be an old man and a little girl named Guzol and Lala. They later discover that Lala is a "Doll" a manufactured human brought to life by using "Innocence" and Guzol is her protector but he's become fatally ill. The "Akuma" come to take Lala but Allen vows to protect them, in the battle Gozel saves Lala from being attacked but begins to bleed out doing so, Allen finishes off all of the "Akuma" in a fit of rage.  As Gozel slowly dies Lala sings her lullaby until he passes, Lala removes the "Innocence" from her person and she becomes inanimate again. Allen buries both of them and begins to cry due not being able to keep his promise.

  A flash back revealed that Lala was left alone in the abandoned town and on occasion was attacked by scared travellers, a young Gozel came across her and was the only person who treated her with kindness and stayed by her side so she would never lonely. This episode hits you deeply because of three things: the story of Gozel and Lala, Allen not being able to keep his promise and Lala singing the lullaby as Gozel finally closed his eyes. 

2. Fullmetal Alchemist:Brotherhood Ep 4 - Nina and Alexander become a chimera

  Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood follows Edward and Alphonse Elric, they fully trained Alchemists and they have the ability to manipulate objects through transmutation. To do this they have to follow the basic rules of Equivalent exchange, the main one being in order to gain something you have to sacrifice something of the same value. The two brothers foolishly tried to resurrect their mother but instead Ed loses his leg and Al loses his body, Ed sacrifices his arm to attach Al's soul to a suit of armour. Ed gets two metallic limbs and thus earns the title Fullmetal. 

  In episode 4 the Elric brothers meet the Tucker family, Shou the father is a state alchemist and is trying to create an intelligent chimera (human and animal cross breed), and if he doesn't show development he'll lose his status and won't be able to feed his daughter Nina and her dog Alexander. Ed and Al spend the day with the Tucker family and have fun with Nina and Alexander, but they leave to do research. 

  Ed and Al return the next night to find Shou and a new Chimera that shows intelligence, but Ed questions where Nina and Alexander are but they soon realise that they are now both the chimera when it say their names with Nina's voice. Ed loses it and almost beat Shou to death. 

  Every fan of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood know that this is the most saddest and traumatising moment in the series. It hits you especially hard because you spend the first half of the episode watching the Elric brothers have fun with Nina and Alexander and to finding out what happens to them is down right cruel, but its written so well you'll want to watch the next episode to find out how the brothers grow from that moment.  

1. Angel Beats! Ep 10- Yui passes on

  This anime revolves around the character of Otonashi, who learns that he's died and is now in a high school purgatory for those who have died young. He meets a group of students that are fighting a particular student they called "Angel", Otonashi decides to try and talk to this "Angel" but she kills him instead and he then resurrected again. After more altercations with "Angel" its revealed that she isn't evil but instead she's trying to restore order and help the students to pass on. 

  Episode 10 involves Otonashi and Kanade (Angel) work together to help other students pass on. Their first student is Yui, she was paralysed from the waist down before died so Otonashi offers to help her do the things she never could when she was alive. This leads to  a series insane wishes like performing the ultimate football trick and doing a German suplex, but the last wish is that Yui wanted to get married with someone she loved, Otonashi tries to think of something but he's interrupted by his friend Hinata. Hinata so far has only ever teased and made fun of Yui through out the series but he claims he would marry her now and even when she was paralysed, she doesn't believe him but he tells her what their life would have been like, and then Yui suddenly disappears now that all of her wishes are complete. 

  Episode 10 is probably the most emotional string pulling moment in the series, not only by the way the episode is written but its the soundtrack they place behind the flashback of Hinata and Yui past of being together that gets you, and anyone who has watched this anime will agree.