Movies like Pica-Don (1978)
The best movies like Pica-Don (1978) are Barefoot Gen (1983), Ethel & Ernest (2016) and The Breadwinner (2017). If Pica-Don hooked you with its animation and war, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedNeon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (1997)8.3/10 from 2,003 votes
- NewestScarlet (2025)Released 2025
- In JapaneseBarefoot Gen (1983)Also in Japanese
Barefoot Gen (1983)
A story about the effect of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on a boy's life and the lives of the Japanese people.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEthel & Ernest (2016)
This hand drawn animated film, based on the award winning graphic novel by Raymond Briggs, is an intimate and affectionate depiction of the life and times of his parents, two ordinary Londoners living through extraordinary events.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Breadwinner (2017)
A headstrong young girl in Afghanistan, ruled by the Taliban, disguises herself as a boy in order to provide for her family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & war
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Sky Crawlers (2008)
Youngsters called Kildren, who are destined to live eternally in their adolescence. The Kildren are conscious that every day could be the last, because they fight a war as entertainment, organized and operated by adults. But as they embrace the reality they are faced with, they live their day-to-day lives to the full.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBarefoot Gen 2 (1986)
Three years after the Hiroshima bombing, a teenager helps a group of orphans to survive and find their new life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWhen the Wind Blows (1986)
With the help of government-issued pamphlets, an elderly British couple build a shelter and prepare for an impending nuclear attack, unaware that times and the nature of war have changed from their romantic memories of World War II.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & war
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLegend of the Galactic Heroes: My Conquest Is the Sea of Stars (1988)
For the past 150 years, humanity’s two greatest nations have been deadlocked in a meaningless war. In what is hoped to be a miraculous victory, the Alliance embarks on a battle to break through the Empire’s frontline. Like many other “decisive” battles, this can only end in disaster; a sentiment shared by Imperial nobleman Reinhard von Lohengramm and Alliance Commodore Yang Wen Li, both of whom realize how to turn the fight in their favor. And while the tides of war may never change, these two men must rise to the occasion, solidifying their place in history as heroes.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & war
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisLegend of the Galactic Heroes: Overture to a New War (1993)
Reinhard von Müsel and Yang Wen-li return to their respective homes, one victorious and the other defeated. While Reinhard earns the new name Lohengramm, Yang and his friends celebrate some welcome news.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & war
Absolute CinemaMovies 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 animation & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGenocidal Organ (2017)
The war on terror exploded, literally, the day Sarajevo was destroyed by a homemade nuclear device. The leading democracies transformed into total surveillance states, and the developing world has drowned under a wave of genocides. The mysterious American John Paul seems to be behind the collapse of the world system, and it's up to intelligence agent Clavis Shepherd to track John Paul across the wreckage of civilizations and to find the true heart of darkness—a genocidal organ.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNaruto OVA 12: The Day Naruto Became Hokage (2016)
Depicts the day that Naruto Uzumaki became the 7th Hokage.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSgt. Stubby: An American Hero (2018)
The true story of the most decorated dog in American military history - Sgt. Stubby - and the enduring bonds he forged with his brothers-in-arms in the trenches of World War I.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & war
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisThe Kill Team (2019)
When Andrew Briggman — a young soldier in the US Army during the invasion of Afghanistan — witnesses the murderous behavior of fellow soldiers, under the direction of a malevolent Sergeant, he faces a moral dilemma. His increasingly-violent platoon becomes suspicious that someone in their ranks has turned on them, and Andrew begins to fear for his safety. A fictionalized dramatization based on a true story.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRevival of Evangelion (1998)
Revival of Evangelion is a re-edit of the Neon Genesis Evangelion films , released in 1998. It consists of Evangelion: Death (which was essentially a clip show that summarized the entire regular series) and The End of Evangelion , re-edited together to make a version that tells the entire story of Evangelion. It is considered to be the final form of the Evangelion films.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCat Shit One (2010)
The war against terrorism has gone private. War has always been a profitable business, so having private corporations field their own armies to fight against terrorism is just good business. Who else could protect those innocent bunnies from the religiously fervent turbaned camel fanatics. It falls upon a small cadre of seasoned furry rabbit soldiers to take the battle to the camel's home turf.Derived from a popular Vietnam-conflict based manga series called Apocalypse Meow , this sequel series uses animal characters to tell the story of the war against terrorism fought in distant countries. Non-human cast of characters notwithstanding, this compelling and painstakingly-researched work places an emphasis on factualism in order to accurately portray the weapons and tactics used by soldiers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & war
SnoozefestMovies like thisScarlet (2025)
After failing to avenge her father's murder, Princess Scarlet, wakes up in the "Land of the Dead." In this world filled with madness, if she does not achieve her revenge against her nemesis and reach the "No End Place," she will become "Void" and cease to exist. Can Scarlet find a way to live at the end of her endless journey?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHalo Legends (2010)
The universe of the Halo video game series is expanded in seven short animated films from Japan's greatest anime directors and studios.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & war
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFist of the North Star: The Legend of Yuria (2007)
Second part of the new Fist of the North Star movie pentalogy presenting the story from Yuria's perspective, spanning from her childhood, including the day she first met Kenshiro.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGiovanni's Island (2014)
In the aftermath of the most devastating conflict mankind had ever experienced, the tiny island of Shikotan became part of the Sakhalin Oblast... and on the unhealed border in this remote corner of the world, friendship among children from two different countries timidly blossomed, striving to overcome language barriers and the waves of history. Inspired by true events.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNeon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (1997)
SEELE orders an all-out attack on NERV, aiming to destroy the Evas before Gendo can advance his own plans for the Human Instrumentality Project. Shinji is pushed to the limits of his sanity as he is forced to decide the fate of humanity.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Pica-Don?
The closest matches to Pica-Don are Barefoot Gen (1983), Ethel & Ernest (2016) and The Breadwinner (2017). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Pica-Don?
Start with Barefoot Gen (1983), the closest match to Pica-Don.
What is the highest-rated movie like Pica-Don?
Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (1997), rated 8.3/10 by 2,003 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Pica-Don?
Scarlet (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like Pica-Don?
Yes: Barefoot Gen (1983), The Sky Crawlers (2008) and Barefoot Gen 2 (1986).
How are movies similar to Pica-Don chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Pica-Don, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.