Movies like The Garden of Words (2013)
The best movies like The Garden of Words (2013) are Ocean Waves (1993), Weathering with You (2019) and 5 Centimeters per Second (2007). If The Garden of Words hooked you with its animation and drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedYour Name. (2016)8.5/10 from 13,195 votes
- NewestSendai Girls' Pro-Wrestling in Shinjuku FACE ~Acceleration~ (2026)Released 2026
- In JapaneseOcean Waves (1993)Also in Japanese
Ocean Waves (1993)
At Kichijōji Station, Tokyo, Taku Morisaki glimpses a familiar woman on the platform opposite boarding a train. Later, her photo falls from a shelf as he exits his apartment before flying to Kōchi Prefecture. Picking it up, he looks at it briefly before leaving. As the aeroplane takes off, he narrates the events that brought her into his life...
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWeathering with You (2019)
The summer of his high school freshman year, Hodaka runs away from his remote island home to Tokyo, and quickly finds himself pushed to his financial and personal limits. The weather is unusually gloomy and rainy every day, as if taking its cue from his life. After many days of solitude, he finally finds work as a freelance writer for a mysterious occult magazine. Then, one day, Hodaka meets Hina on a busy street corner. This bright and strong-willed girl possesses a strange and wonderful ability: the power to stop the rain and clear the sky.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like this5 Centimeters per Second (2007)
Three moments in Takaki's life: his relationship with Akari and their forced separation; his friendship with Kanae, who is secretly in love with him; the demands and disappointments of adulthood, an unhappy life in a cold city.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisClannad: The Motion Picture (2007)
Plagued by a seemingly endless stream of haunting dreams, Tomoya drifts through life with an almost overwhelming sense of anger and emptiness. Then, one fateful day, he meets the mysterious and beautiful Nagisa, and his world begins to change. While helping Nagisa revive the defunct Drama Club at their high school, Tomoya discovers that she has the same dreams. Their story starts beneath the cherry blossoms, but where will fate lead them?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOver the Sky (2020)
Mio has long hidden her feelings for her childhood friend Arata. After an argument leaves their relationship uncertain, she sets out to reconcile with him but awakens in a mysterious version of Ikebukuro following an accident. Guided by unusual new companions, Mio searches for a way home while confronting the feelings and memories she has avoided.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl (2019)
In Fujisawa, Sakuta Azusagawa is in his second year of high school. Blissful days with his girlfriend and upperclassman, Mai Sakurajima, are interrupted by the appearance of his first crush, Shoko Makinohara.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & romance
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisA Silent Voice: The Movie (2016)
Shouya Ishida starts bullying the new girl in class, Shouko Nishimiya, because she is deaf. But as the teasing continues, the rest of the class starts to turn on Shouya for his lack of compassion. When they leave elementary school, Shouko and Shouya do not speak to each other again... until an older, wiser Shouya, tormented by his past behaviour, decides he must see Shouko once more. He wants to atone for his sins, but is it already too late...?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisFireworks (2017)
Moshimo, Japan. The annual fireworks festival is about to take place and a group of schoolboys, arguing over whether they are round or flat when viewed from different angles, set out to find it out.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & romance
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 animation & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisYour Name. (2016)
High schoolers Mitsuha and Taki are complete strangers living separate lives. But one night, they suddenly switch places. Mitsuha wakes up in Taki’s body, and he in hers. This bizarre occurrence continues to happen randomly, and the two must adjust their lives around each other.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & romance
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisWords Bubble Up Like Soda Pop (2021)
After meeting one day, a shy boy who expresses himself through haiku and a bubbly but self-conscious girl share a brief, magical summer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLook Back (2024)
Popular, outgoing Fujino is celebrated by her classmates for her funny comics in the class newspaper. One day, her teacher asks her to share the space with Kyomoto, a truant recluse whose beautiful artwork sparks a competitive fervor in Fujino. What starts as jealousy transforms when Fujino realizes their shared passion for drawing.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisFrom Up on Poppy Hill (2011)
Yokohama, 1963. Japan is picking itself up from the devastation of World War II and preparing to host the 1964 Olympics—and the mood is one of both optimism and conflict as the young generation struggles to throw off the shackles of a troubled past. Against this backdrop of hope and change, a friendship begins to blossom between high school students Umi and Shun—but a buried secret from their past emerges to cast a shadow on the future and pull them apart.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWe Made a Beautiful Bouquet (2021)
Two people meet each other after missing the last train home, leading to a beautiful relationship over five years.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
Worth the HypeMovies 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 drama & romance
Worth the HypeMovies 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: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMai Mai Miracle (2009)
Inspired by her grandfather's stories, young Shinko embarks on wild flights of fancy about the history of the little town she lives in. But dreams can't fend off the realities of growing up.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHer Blue Sky (2019)
High school student Aoi Aioi lives with her elder sister, Akane, after a tragic accident took their parents away 13 years ago. Because Akane has since been taking care of her single-handedly, Aoi wants to move to Tokyo after her graduation to relieve her sister's burden and pursue a musical career, inspired by Akane's ex-boyfriend Shinnosuke "Shinno" Kanamuro. Shinno was part of a band until he left for Tokyo to become a professional guitarist after the sisters' parents passed away, and he was never to be seen again.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisApril Story (1998)
In spring, a girl leaves the island of Hokkaido to attend university in Tokyo. Once there, she is asked to reveal why she wanted to go there in the first place.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEven If This Love Disappears Tonight (2022)
A high school girl wakes up each day with no memory of the day before. When she agrees to date a shy classmate, Toru, he begins to fall for her—despite her rule against falling in love.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPrincess Principal Crown Handler: Chapter 4 (2025)
After a failed attempt to defect Princess Mary, Team White Pigeon is captured by the Kingdom's Home Office. When the Duke of Normandy discovers that the girls are spies for the Commonwealth, he orders them to become double agents for the Kingdom. Princesses is placed under the control of the Duke of Normandy, and the other four spies are temporarily released while remaining under constant surveillance. Meanwhile on Control's side, this incident leads to suspicions that the members of Team White Pigeon have become double agents for the Kingdom. In order to investigate the matter, Control assigns the team a new mission.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & drama
A Walk to Remember (2002)
When the popular, restless Landon Carter is forced to participate in the school drama production, he falls in love with Jamie Sullivan, the daughter of the town's minister. Jamie has a "to-do" list for her life, as well as a very big secret she must keep from Landon.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFoxes of Chironup (1987)
Foxes Ken and Chin become the proud parents of cubs, Koro and Kan, who enjoy a carefree life on the northern Japanese island of Chironup. They befriend a fisherman and his wife but are forced to run for their lives when soldiers on a military exercise decide to take home some fox pelts as souvenirs. A sweet little film that obliquely symbolizes the plight of Japan's aboriginal Ainu people and the northern islands that have been contested with Russia since they were occupied by Stalin's soldiers in 1945.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & drama
Bounce (2000)
Buddy Amaral, a successful and self-absorbed Los Angeles advertising executive, switches airline tickets with a stranger just before boarding a long-delayed flight so that he might enjoy an overnight fling with a pretty Dallas businesswoman. When the plane goes down, killing all aboard, Buddy's guilt soon turns into an alcohol problem. As part of his 12-step program, Buddy seeks atonement and decides to seek out the woman he thinks he's left a widow.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & romance
SnoozefestMovies like thisPokémon: The First Movie (1998)
Determined to prove its superiority, a bio-engineered Pokémon called Mewtwo lures Ash, Pikachu and others into a Pokémon match like none before.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGrow Up (TBA)
Sophie is a small-town teenager taking an art scholarship program at Wyatt University in the summer. This summer will change Sophie's life forever.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Sendai Girls' Pro-Wrestling in Shinjuku FACE ~Acceleration~ (2026)
Sendai Girls' Pro-Wrestling in Shinjuku FACE ~Acceleration~ was a professional wrestling event promoted by Sendai Girls' Pro-Wrestling, held on February 8, 2026, at Shinjuku FACE in Tokyo, Japan.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team - Miller's Report (1998)
Universal Century 0079. The One Year War rages on, and Shiro Amada and his unit, the 08th MS team, continue their struggle against Zeon forces in the jungles of Southeast Asia. But recent events have put them under close scrutiny by Federation leaders. Alice Miller, an officer of the Federation Intelligence Division, has been dispatched to ascertain the truth behind a series of events leading to the capture of a new enemy mobile armor. As she begins her investigation, the lines between Federation and Zeon become blurred. Is there really a spy among the 08th MS team?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Suicide Kings (1997)
Carlo, a former mobster, is abducted by five privileged young men desperate to raise a $2 million ransom to save the sister of a friend. As Carlo plays mind games, however, his captors splinter -- each wondering whether one of their own had a hand in the crime.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRaspberry Magic (2010)
An eleven-year-old science enthusiast turns her raspberry-growing project into an emotional mission to reunite her family after her father leaves and her mother falls into depression.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Like The Garden of Words and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Garden of Words?
The closest matches to The Garden of Words are Ocean Waves (1993), Weathering with You (2019) and 5 Centimeters per Second (2007). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Garden of Words?
Start with Ocean Waves (1993), the closest match to The Garden of Words.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Garden of Words?
Your Name. (2016), rated 8.5/10 by 13,195 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Garden of Words?
Sendai Girls' Pro-Wrestling in Shinjuku FACE ~Acceleration~ (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like The Garden of Words?
Yes: Ocean Waves (1993), Weathering with You (2019) and 5 Centimeters per Second (2007).
How are movies similar to The Garden of Words chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Garden of Words, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.