Movies like Kimagure Orange Road: I Want to Return to That Day (1988)
The best movies like Kimagure Orange Road: I Want to Return to That Day (1988) are Mind Game (2004), Aura: Koga Maryuin's Last War (2013) and The Relative Worlds (2019). If Kimagure Orange Road: I Want to Return to That Day hooked you with its romance and animation, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedChainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc (2025)8.5/10 from 1,292 votes
- NewestWhy Did I Get Married Again? (2026)Released 2026
- In JapaneseMind Game (2004)Also in Japanese
Mind Game (2004)
Nishi is a loser who has a crush on his childhood girlfriend. After an encounter with the Japanese mafia, he journeys to heaven and back, and ends up trapped in an even more unlikely place.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAura: Koga Maryuin's Last War (2013)
Satou Ichirou once called himself 'Maryuuin Kouga' and behaved as if he were a hero in a fantasy world. His strange behavior caused his classmates to bully him and he left the school. At his new school, he tries to behave like a normal boy, but one day he meets a girl who cosplays with a blue cape. She calls herself "a researcher traveling from the outer world to search for the 'Dragon Terminal'". At first, Ichirou rejects the girl, Satou Ryouko, because her behavior reminds him of his embarrassing past, but he changes his mind after seeing her getting bullied. In order to bring Ryouko back to real life, Ichirou accepts her and his past and begins the final battle as Maryuuin Kouga.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Relative Worlds (2019)
Shin has shut his heart ever since his mother died when he was young. His childhood friend Kotori has been looking after him ever since. Now that they are in the third year of high school, and it seems like they can finally move forward, another Shin from another Japan has suddenly appeared in front of them.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisFate/stay night: Heaven's Feel II. Lost Butterfly (2019)
Shirou has lost his Servant, Saber, and is no longer a Master in the Holy Grail War. Despite this, he refuses to leave the battle, determined to protect Sakura. Meanwhile, a mysterious shadow engulfs the city, killing Masters and Servants one by one. As Shirou faces new dangers, Sakura is drawn deeper into her own destiny as a mage.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHeaven's Lost Property the Movie: The Angeloid of Clockwork (2011)
Sakurai Tomoki goes on a trip to a hot spring, and is soon up to his usual perverted antics. In addition, he's about to receive his first love confession! However, his desire to pass his days peacefully is challenged once again by another Angeloid. Compared with the hostile Angeloids he had encountered in the past, this new Type Zeta Angeloid is by far the most powerful!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGenius Party (2007)
The seven short films making up GENIUS PARTY couldn’t be more diverse, linked only by a high standard of quality and inspiration. Atsuko Fukushima’s intro piece is a fantastic abstraction to soak up with the eyes. Masaaki Yuasa, of MIND GAME and CAT SOUP fame, brings his distinctive and deceptively simple graphic style and dream-state logic to the table with “Happy Machine,” his spin on a child’s earliest year. Shinji Kimura’s spookier “Deathtic 4,” meanwhile, seems to tap into the creepier corners of a child’s imagination and open up a toybox full of dark delights. Hideki Futamura’s “Limit Cycle” conjures up a vision of virtual reality, while Yuji Fukuyama’s "Doorbell" and "Baby Blue" by Shinichiro Watanabe use understated realism for very surreal purposes. And Shoji Kawamori, with “Shanghai Dragon,” takes the tropes and conventions of traditional anime out for very fun joyride.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWhy Did I Get Married Again? (2026)
The couples reunite for the destination wedding of Marcus and Angela's daughter, bringing drama old and new as they ask, "Why did we get married again?"
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Garden of Sinners: A Study in Murder - Part 2 (2009)
In February 1999, a string of murders has Shiki Ryougi and Mikiya Kokutou on edge. These crimes share a disturbing resemblance to a similar set of homicides from 1995, when Shiki and Mikiya first met, and awaken a dark, murderous desire that has laid dormant within Shiki's soul ever since then.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKabaneri of the Iron Fortress: The Battle of Unato (2019)
In the midst of an industrial revolution, the people of Hinomoto fight hordes of undead creatures, known as Kabane, using powerful armored trains. Half a year after the events of the original TV series, the heroes of the Iron Fortress attempt to take back Unato Castle.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAfro Samurai: Resurrection (2009)
Afro Samurai avenged his father and found a life of peace. But the legendary master is forced back into the game by a beautiful and deadly woman from his past. The sparks of violence dropped along Afro’s bloody path now burn out of control – and nowhere are the flames of hatred more intense than in the eyes of Sio.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEVANGELION: DEATH (TRUE)² (1998)
A highly experimental film presenting a story out of chronological order taking place 15 years after a near-apocalyptic catastrophe, about four traumatized 14 year olds who are tasked with piloting massive humanoid decisive weapons called Evangelion, the psychologically maladjusted adults who handle and command them, and the events and forces that affect them or which they take part in as they engage massive hostile invaders known as "Angels."
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Garden of Sinners: Paradox Spiral (2008)
Tomoe Enjou is attacked by bullies from his old school and saved by Shiki Ryougi. He asks her to hide him at her place and admits that he killed someone. Several days later, there are still no broadcasts about the murder as if it didn't happen... and when the victims are found, they're alive and unharmed.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFairy Tail: Dragon Cry (2017)
Dragon Cry is a magical artifact of deadly power, formed into a staff by the fury and despair of dragons long gone. Now, this power has been stolen from the hands of the Fiore kingdom by the nefarious traitor Zash Caine, who flees with it to the small island nation of Stella. Frightened that the power has fallen into the wrong hands, the King of Fiore hastily sends Fairy Tail to retrieve the staff. But this task proves frightening as a shadowy secret lies in the heart of the kingdom of Stella. Dragon Cry follows their story as they muster up all their strength to recover the stolen staff and save both kingdoms.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFist of the North Star: Legend of Raoh - Chapter of Fierce Fighting (2007)
A film adaptation of the Last Nanto General story arc from the manga, depicting the final battle between Kenshiro and Raoh that led to Kenshiro becoming the successor of Hokuto Shinken. Some events from the manga / anime have been excluded from the story (such as Raoh's fight with Juza) whereas others have been altered or expanded. New content featuring the final battle from Raoh's perspective have been added. This film serves as the follow-up to the first film in the series, which introduced Raoh and Reina's relationship, this time bringing it to a conclusion.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKizumonogatari Part 1: Tekketsu (2016)
One day, Koyomi Araragi encounters the horrifying vampire, Kiss-shot Acerola-orion Heart-under-blade A.K.A. the "King of Apparitions." He saves the fatally wounded Kiss-shot by offering his blood at the expense of his own life as a human. Now Koyomi has to face the vampire hunters to retrieve Kiss-shot’s limbs which were taken by these hunters...
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisIt Feels So Good (2019)
When it rains it pours. Kenji divorced his wife, lost his job and his old squeeze Naoko is getting married back home in the north of Japan, specifically in Akita. He returns there in order to attend her wedding. Naoko surprises him by proposing that they have sex again. The one night stand is the new beginning.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisChainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc (2025)
In a world where devils are born from humanity’s fears, Denji has only ever dreamed of living a simple life, eating good food, finding happiness, and experiencing the warmth of being loved. Then, one rainy afternoon, fate leads him to Reze, a mysterious girl working at a small café. With her disarming smile, playful charm, and unexpected kindness, she offers Denji something he has rarely known—a glimpse of an ordinary life beyond bloodshed and chaos.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & romance
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisGANTZ:O (2016)
After being brutally murdered in a subway station, a teen boy awakens to find himself resurrected by a strange computer named Gantz, and forced to fight a large force of invading aliens in Osaka.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa (2005)
Munich, Germany, 1923. Two years have passed since Edward Elric was dragged from his own world to ours, leaving behind his country, his friends and his younger brother, Alphonse. Stripped of his alchemical powers, he has been all this time researching rocketry together with Alphonse Heiderich, a young man who resembles his own brother, hoping to one day find a way back home. His efforts so far had proven fruitless, but after lending a hand to a troubled gipsy girl, Edward is thrown in a series of events that can wreak havoc in both worlds. Meanwhile, at his own world, Alphonse Elric ventures deeper into the mysteries of alchemy in search for a way to reunite with his older brother.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSee Me After Class (2012)
Due to an error the male student Kagami Yuuki is registered for a room in the girls dormitory of his new co-ed high school. Since no male rooms are available he is left with no other option than to sleep in the girls dormitory in the same room as the teacher that made the mistak in the first place, Ayane-sensei. To avoid getting kicked out of the school for being a boy in a girls dormitory he has to cross-dress whenever he is leaving his room. Needless to say that this brings him a lot of trouble.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMaison Ikkoku: The Final Chapter (1988)
Yagami comes to Maison Ikkoku, not knowing of Godai's and Kyoko's wedding, stating that she is now an adult, which she is, not knowing how to tell her, they panic, but she finds out in the end, and is heart broken.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & romance
xxxHOLiC The Movie: A Midsummer Night's Dream (2005)
Invited to a wealthy client's mansion, time-traveling witch Yuko and her companions arrive to find a group of collectors assembled to participate in a mysterious auction. And the mystery only deepens when the collectors go missing one by one. As more guests disappear and strange occurrences abound, Yuko and her friends realize they must solve the mystery before they vanish as well.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMoldiver (1993)
A naïve young girl accidentally modifies her brother's secret superhero uniform and becomes the unwilling superheroine Moldiver.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & comedy
Barber's Sorrow (2002)
A S&M comedy about a masochist barber.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & comedy
Tomorrow's Joe The Movie (1980)
An abridged remake of the first Ashita no Joe TV series, released in 1980 to provide back-story for the second TV series to new fans who were not familiar with the first TV series or the manga.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & drama
Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors (2018)
When a threat no one could have expected bears down on the Marvel Universe, this ragtag, untrained band of teens have no choice but to rise together and prove to the world that sometimes the difference between a 'hero' and 'misfit' is just in the name.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisClose Range Love (2014)
A smart high school student falls in love with her English teacher after she receives one-on-one tutoring from him.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisUnico in the Island of Magic (1983)
A young unicorn named Unico must fight an evil magician and save everyone who's trapped under his spell.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & drama
City Hunter Special: The Secret Service (1996)
City Hunter, the globally adored hero, becomes embroiled in an adventure that takes him deep into the political intrigue of a Third World country and into the pain and anguish of one man's tortured past. James McGuire's life is so dangerous he has to hire bodyguards for his Secret Service agents. It doesn't help that his chief agent is actually his long-lost daughter. Luckily for him, City Hunter and Kaori are behind on the rent and need the work. But a dark secret from McGuire's past threatens to destroy him and his lonely daughter Anna. Will he live to rescue his country? Will his resentful daughter learn to love him again? Will City Hunter finally get some action?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & comedy
City Hunter: .357 Magnum (1989)
A beautiful pianist comes to Tokyo for a charity concert - and City Hunter is there. But music isn't his forte. He wants lessons in the language of love. Desperation is the word as bodies start dropping. A foreign dignitary is assassinated in cold blood. Secret agents scour the streets for a missing microchip. And diplomatic infighting swirls around the upcoming concert until Nina the pianist and her grandfather Klaus are kidnapped. A maelstrom of exploding grenades, the rumble of Falcon's jeep, and the tinkling of the ivories all set the stage for City Hunter: . 357 Magnum. The show must go on!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Kimagure Orange Road: I Want to Return to That Day?
The closest matches to Kimagure Orange Road: I Want to Return to That Day are Mind Game (2004), Aura: Koga Maryuin's Last War (2013) and The Relative Worlds (2019). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Kimagure Orange Road: I Want to Return to That Day?
Start with Mind Game (2004), the closest match to Kimagure Orange Road: I Want to Return to That Day.
What is the highest-rated movie like Kimagure Orange Road: I Want to Return to That Day?
Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc (2025), rated 8.5/10 by 1,292 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Kimagure Orange Road: I Want to Return to That Day?
Why Did I Get Married Again? (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like Kimagure Orange Road: I Want to Return to That Day?
Yes: Mind Game (2004), Aura: Koga Maryuin's Last War (2013) and The Relative Worlds (2019).
How are movies similar to Kimagure Orange Road: I Want to Return to That Day chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Kimagure Orange Road: I Want to Return to That Day, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.