Ranking the Best Heartfelt Christmas Anime for the Holidays

The holiday of Christmas is around the corner, and everyone is preparing for the merriest of holidays. Of course, with the Christmas decorating and preparation, one looks to watch something that's within the theme of the season, and that includes anime fans. Despite not being that popular among Japanese animation, Christmas is very much included in some films and series, the latter including special Christmas episodes in their repertoire. This is the ranking of the most heartfelt Christmas anime for you to watch.

5 Centimeters per Second: Provides Proper Christmas Atmosphere

5 Centimeters per Second is a romantic anime drama film written and directed by Makoto Shinkai. The movie is unique with its narrative and plot direction, consisting of three segments (or episodes) of the protagonist's life, in this case, of Takaki Tōno and his relationships with girls he meets during his journey. The movie is set mostly during winter months, giving it a 'merry' feel that any fan of this genre should watch with their loved ones during Christmas holidays.

Always my Santa!: Legitimate Christmas Anime

If you're looking at a legitimate Christmas anime, Always My Santa! should be one of the first picks of the bunch. At first a manga series written and illustrated by Ken Akamatsu, Always My Santa! got its OVA in 2005, and it follows a girl named Mai, who loves Christmas, but when she meets a boy named Santa, who absolutely hates his name (and Christmas), she decides to make him love the holiday. A very charming and entertaining story, very much suited for Christmas.

The Last: Naruto the Movie: Action-packed Fun

This entry isn't necessarily your legit Christmas movie, but it does feel like it when you watch it. The Last: Naruto the Movie follows our Gutsy Ninja two years after the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War, where we witness firsthand the blossoming love of Naruto and Hinata. The movie is set during the Rinne Festival, which is held during winter in Konohagakure, and it feels like an in-universe version of Christmas. There is love, funny moments, but also amazing action, definitely worth watching during the Christmas holidays.

Toradora! (episode 19): Good Utilization of the Christmas Episode

Toradora! is one of the most popular romantic drama anime in recent years, and it certainly has connections to Christmas. The story of anime follows Ryuji and Taiga, two not-very-popular students of their high school who share the same thing: crushes on their friends. Despite having differences, the duo decides to help each other as 'wingmen' to charm their crushes but eventually finds themselves in love with each other. The Christmas episode in question sees a couple during Christmas holidays. Very suiting, right?

More rankings like this on My Anime List.

Love Hina X-Mas Special: Silent Eve: One of the Best Christmas Specials

Another Ken Akamatsu story, Love Hina, that provided us with a very heartfelt story of Keitarō Urashima and his journey of finding a girl to whom he promised to enter the University of Tokyo together. This entry references a Christmas special that presented us with very much in-love characters of the original series and a very 'merry' atmosphere. Definitely worth a watch during the Christmas holidays.

Ranma ½ Specials (episode 2): Fun Episode That Will Fill You With Laughter

One of the best-selling manga series of all time, Ranma ½ was the ultimate shōnen series of the 1990s. We now have a remake, but the original series was a hit and one of the most popular anime of that time. The story of the series follows the boy named Ranma, who trained in the martial arts since early childhood. However, his life changes when he's cursed—when he's exposed to cold water, he becomes a girl, while hot water changes him back to his original gender. This Christmas special sees characters being invited to the Christmas party at Tendo Dojo, where they enjoy the festivities. Totally worth a watch.

Clannad: After Story (episode 13): A Very Heartfelt Special

At first one of the most popular visual novel games among Japanese fans in 2004, Clannad got its anime adaptation in 2007. The story follows Tomoya Okazaki, a high school student who struggles in the aftermath of his family's downfall. In the aftermath, he meets Nagisa Furukawa, who changes his life forever. The Christmas special episode revolves around the couple and their time during Christmas they spend with their families.

Sailor Moon S Movie: Hearts in Ice: Iconic Winter Action Movie

Like the Naruto movie, Sailor Moon S Movie: Hearts in Ice is in similar terms—it happens during winter months or even holidays. The story of the movie follows our Sailor Senshi trying to defeat a new threat to Earth, this time against an evil queen, Kaguya, who tries to turn Tokyo into a winter wonderland. Of course, except for the action, there are many fun moments in the movie, so definitely check out this iconic piece of media.

Tokyo Godfathers: An Unconventional Christmas Story

Tokyo Godfathers is truly a unique Christmas movie in its own right, especially among other entries of this ranking. Directed by Satoshi Kon, the movie follows the story of three different people who are homeless and are dealing with their own struggles. However, they meet and unite when they find an abandoned baby named Kiyoko, for whom they try to find her parents. A very unconventional Christmas story that will move you to tears.

Another Christmas themed ranking on Ranker website.