Movies like The New Tale of Genji / Melodia (2015)
The best movies like The New Tale of Genji / Melodia (2015) are Inu-Oh (2022), Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary in Concert (2010) and All Eyez on Me (2017). If The New Tale of Genji / Melodia hooked you with its history and music, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedKagemusha (1980)7.8/10 from 778 votes
- NewestCosmic Princess Kaguya! (2026)Released 2026
- In JapaneseInu-Oh (2022)Also in Japanese
Inu-Oh (2022)
A cursed dancer and a blind musician — both ostracized by society — become business partners and inseparable friends as their larger-than-life concerts propel them to stardom in 14th century Japan.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & history
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLes Misérables: 25th Anniversary in Concert (2010)
This concert, recorded to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the landmark musical Les Miserables, gathers the casts of the show's 2010 original production at the Queen's Theatre, the 1985 original production by the London company, and the 2010 production at the Barbican together for one performance. Together with talents like Michael Ball, Hadley Fraser, and John Owen-Jones, the performers present the play's musical numbers in a semi-theatrical style, fully costumed and with all the emotion of the musical's heyday.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both history & music
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisAll Eyez on Me (2017)
All Eyez on Me chronicles the life and legacy of Tupac Shakur, including his rise to superstardom as a hip-hop artist, actor, poet and activist, as well as his imprisonment and prolific, controversial time at Death Row Records. Against insurmountable odds, Tupac rose to become a cultural icon whose career and persona both continue to grow long after his passing.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both history & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCadillac Records (2008)
The story of sex, violence, race and rock and roll in 1950s Chicago, and the exciting but turbulent lives of some of America's musical legends, including Muddy Waters, Leonard Chess, Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, Etta James and Chuck Berry.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both history & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail (1952)
A fugitive lord and his six retainers disguise themselves as monks to bluff their way through a hostile checkpoint.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Colors Within (2024)
Totsuko is a high school student with the ability to see the 'colors' of others. Colors of bliss, excitement, and serenity, plus a color she treasures as her favorite. Kimi, a classmate at her school, gives off the most beautiful color of all. Although she doesn't play an instrument, Totsuko forms a band with Kimi and Rui, a quiet music enthusiast they meet at a used bookstore in a far corner of town. As they practice at an old church on a remote island, music brings them together, forming friendships and stirring affections.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisYour Lie in April (2016)
Arima Kousei won numerous piano competitions while under the strict watch of his mother. He was known as the human metronome during that time. Since the death of his mother, Kousei has been unable to hear the sound of his piano. He then meets Miyazono Kaori through childhood friend Sawabe Tsubaki. Kaori plays the violin and has a free sprit. Since meeting her, Kousei is able to face the piano again. Meanwhile, Kaori holds a secret.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGojoe: Spirit War Chronicle (2001)
Benkei, a master fighter and killer, vows never to take another life after his conversion to Buddhism. His faith in pacifism, however, is shaken and ultimately broken by the attacks from a trio of fighters known only as the demons. Taking up his sword once more, he sets out to end their murderous terror.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Piano Forest (2007)
Shuhei Amamiya transfers to Moriwaki Elementary filled with hope and ambition. But it doesn't take long before he gets picked on by the class bullies, and gets involved in a dare to play the mysterious piano in the forest. Igniting his meeting with an equally enigmatic child, Kai Ichinose, who seems to be the only one capable getting sound out of the thought to be broken piano.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTokyo Tribe (2014)
In an alternate Japan, territorial street gangs form opposing factions collectively known as the Tokyo Tribes. Merra, leader of the Wu-Ronz tribe of Bukuro, joins forces with heavy-hitting gangster Buppa of Buppa Town. With Buppa's support, Merra aims to initiate a gang war between the Wu-Ronz and the Musashino Saru, and in a confrontation between the two attempts to kill Kai of the Musashino Saru. The inadvertent murder of Kai's friend Tera (a Musashino Saru member beloved by all Tribes since before their formation) leads to the joining of forces between all of the Tribes in an all-out war against Merra and Buppa.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Anthem of the Heart (2015)
A young girl had her voice magically taken away so that she would never hurt people with it, but her outlook changes when she encounters music and friendship. Will Naruse be able to convey the anthem of her heart?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSturgill Simpson Presents Sound & Fury (2019)
In this anime visual album, a mysterious driver heads deep into a postapocalyptic hellscape toward a ferocious showdown with two monstrous opponents.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBlue Giant (2023)
High school student Dai Miyamoto has his life is turned upside down the day he discovers jazz. Picking up a saxophone and leaving his sleepy hometown for the bustling nightclubs of Tokyo, Dai will find that the life of a professional musician isn’t for the faint of heart, as he must confront what it truly means to be great.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Liar and His Lover (2013)
Set within music field, this film depicts a love story between a 25-year-old sound engineer and 16-year-old high school student Riko, who posessess a gifted voice. 25-year-old sound engineer Aki is a member of popular band "Crude Play," but right after the band decides to make their major record debut Aki quits the band. But, Aki provides his music to Crude Play under the name of producer Soichiro. Aki begins to date Riko, whose father runs a fruit and vegetable shop. Riko doesn't know about Aki's background, but she likes to listen to him hum. Riko is in a band herself, with childhood friend Yuichi and Sota. One day she is scouted by producer Soichiro.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBuddha 2: The Endless Journey (2014)
2500 years ago, in India, Siddhartha was born as a prince of the Shakya clan, but he gives up his position as a prince to see the world. He meets a strange boy named Assaji, who can predict the future, a monk with only one eye and Depa. Siddhartha continues traveling. Siddhartha is overwhelmed by the sufferings he witnesses around him. Meanwhile, Prince Ruri of Kosara begins his attack on the Shakya clan. Second Buddha movie from Tezuka Productions.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both history
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEdo Porn (1981)
The world-famous woodblock artist Hokusai (1760-1849), a widower in need of a steady income, lives with his daughter Oei in the house of his friend Bakin.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both history
SnoozefestMovies like thisEmperor (2012)
As the Japanese surrender at the end of WWII, Gen. Fellers is tasked with deciding if Emperor Hirohito will be hanged as a war criminal. Influencing his ruling is his quest to find Aya, an exchange student he met years earlier in the U.S.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisICHI (2008)
Ichi is a blind entertainer that travels the countryside with her traditional Japanese guitar and walking stick. She’s in search for the kind man that brought her up as a child, but because of her beauty she encounters problems every step of the way. Fortunately for Ichi, she is also a gifted swordswoman and carries a lethal blade within her walking stick.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Tales of Hoffmann (1951)
A melancholy poet reflects on three women he loved and lost in the past: a mechanical performing doll, a Venetian courtesan, and the consumptive daughter of a celebrated composer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCosmic Princess Kaguya! (2026)
Iroha's life gets knocked off its orbit when Kaguya, a carefree runaway from the Moon, moves in and convinces her to perform in a virtual world together.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisMumon: The Land of Stealth (2017)
Raised suckling poison arrows among the sparring Iga ninja factions, Mumon is a carefree 16th-century mercenary. When the ninja council makes a power play to defeat the young Nobukatsu Oda struggling to step into his father’s warlord shoes as they expand rule across the country, Mumon jumps into the fray to satisfy his new bride Okuni’s demand that he make good on his promises of wealth. Yet Mumon soon finds what is worth fighting for beyond money or nation.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOath of the Midnight Sun - Gustav III: A Battle by a Proud King (2015)
In the midst of Sweden's rise to power, King Gustav III was the "darling of the rococo" who brought to flower the gorgeous Nordic culture. Set in the turbulent 18th century Europe, where power and intrigue swirled around him, this musical depicts his love, friendship, and courageous battle for his beliefs on a grand scale, involving a variety of characters.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
Embraced by the Seas of Calista (2015)
Set on the fictional Mediterranean island of Callista on the eve of the outbreak of the French Revolution, the play depicts the struggles of a young officer who is torn between love, friendship, and his love for his homeland.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
Hiroshima (1953)
Historical fiction about the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, on 6 August 1945, and its effects on various civilians, especially children, of that city.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both history
The Rose of Versailles -Fersen and Marie Antoinette- (2014)
Based on the manga The Rose of Versailles by Ikeda Riyoko.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
Lupin the Third: Search for the Queen's Necklace! (2015)
Musical by the Takarazuka Revue. In modern day France, an exhibition is being held at the Palace of Versailles of the "Necklace of Marie Antoinette". The necklace had been used in a fraud case that marked a chapter in French history and later went missing. It has been reproduced using real diamonds. Fujiko has sneaked into Versailles, as has the gang of Lupin, Goemon, and Jigen - all with the intention of getting their hands on the necklace, which is valued at over 3 billion yen in today's money. But they bump into Inspector Zenigata. Lupin is the one who manages to foil Zenigata and grab the necklace. Yet the instant he lays hands on it, everyone is enveloped in a mysterious light. When they regain consciousness, they notice they have gone through a time slip to 1785, before the French Revolution when Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were around.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both history
JAPlan (1984)
A portrait of the German electronic band "Der Plan". Büld follows the band on their tour through Japan.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
Ask This of Rikyu (2013)
Sen no Rikyu (Ebizo Ichikawa) is the son of a fish shop owner. Sen no Rikyu then studies tea and eventually becomes one of the primary influences upon the Japanese tea ceremony. With his elegant esthetics, Sen no Rikyu is favored by the most powerful man in Japan Toyotomi Hideyoshi (Nao Omori) and becomes one of his closest advisors. Due to conflicts, Toyotomi Hideyoshi then orders Sen no Rikyu to commit seppuku (suicide). Director Mitsutoshi Tanaka's adaptation of Kenichi Yamamoto's award-winning novel of the same name received the Best Artistic Contribution Award at the 37th Montréal World Film Festival, the Best Director Award at the 2014 Osaka Cinema Festival, the 30th Fumiko Yamaji Cultural Award and the 37th Japan Academy Film Prize in nine categories, including Best Art Direction, Excellent Film and Excellent Actor.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both history
Kagemusha (1980)
A feudal epic presenting the tale of a petty thief who is recruited to impersonate Shingen, an aging warlord, in order to avoid attacks by competing clans. The impostor becomes comfortable living his life among nobility, but his responsibilities to his station grow more demanding the longer he occupies it.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both history
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSamurai Cat: The Movie (2014)
The ever versatile Kazuki Kitamura stars as masterless samurai Kyutaro Madarame, a feared swordsman who has fallen on hard times in old Edo. Caught between two warring gangs in an epic battle of cat lovers and dog lovers, he begrudgingly accepts the canine faction's offer to assassinate the opposite leader's beloved pet: an adorable white cat. Yet upon raising his lethal sword, he cannot bring himself to go through with the act, and the cat melts his ronin heart. But before finding peace as a newly minted cat person, the still fearsome Madarame will have to take on both gangs in a classic samurai street brawl.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both history
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The New Tale of Genji / Melodia?
The closest matches to The New Tale of Genji / Melodia are Inu-Oh (2022), Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary in Concert (2010) and All Eyez on Me (2017). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The New Tale of Genji / Melodia?
Start with Inu-Oh (2022), the closest match to The New Tale of Genji / Melodia.
What is the highest-rated movie like The New Tale of Genji / Melodia?
Kagemusha (1980), rated 7.8/10 by 778 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The New Tale of Genji / Melodia?
Cosmic Princess Kaguya! (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like The New Tale of Genji / Melodia?
Yes: Inu-Oh (2022), The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail (1952) and The Colors Within (2024).
How are movies similar to The New Tale of Genji / Melodia chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The New Tale of Genji / Melodia, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.