Movies Like Barefoot Gen 2

If you liked Barefoot Gen 2 (1986), a animation and drama movie directed by Toshio Hirata, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
Barefoot Gen (1983)
★ 7.7/10Also animation and drama
A story about the effect of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on a boy's life and the lives of the Japanese people.
2
In This Corner of the World (2016)
★ 7.9/10Also animation and drama
Japan, 1943, during World War II. Young Suzu leaves her village near Hiroshima to marry and live with her in-laws in Kure, a military harbor. Her creativity to overcome deprivation quickly makes her indispensable at…
3
From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)
★ 7.5/10Also animation and drama
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…
4
Giovanni's Island (2014)
★ 7.5/10Also animation and drama
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…
5
Lonely Castle in the Mirror (2022)
★ 7.1/10Also animation and drama
Shy outcast Kokoro has been avoiding school for weeks when she discovers a portal in her bedroom mirror. She reaches through and finds herself transported to an enchanting castle where she is joined by six other…
6
The Boy and the Heron (2023)
★ 7.4/10Also animation and drama
While the Second World War rages, the teenage Mahito, haunted by his mother's tragic death, is relocated from Tokyo to the serene rural home of his new stepmother Natsuko, a woman who bears a striking resemblance to…
7
Kensuke's Kingdom (2024)
★ 7.1/10Also animation and drama
A young boy and his family set off on a sailing trip of a lifetime until a violent storm erupts, sweeping Michael and his dog overboard. After washing up on a remote island, terrified, they struggle to survive and…
8
When the Wind Blows (1986)
★ 7.5/10Also animation and war
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…
9
Summer Ghost (2021)
★ 7.3/10Also animation and drama
An urban legend says that lighting fireworks at an abandoned airfield will beckon the "summer ghost," a spirit that can answer any question. Three teenagers, Tomoya, Aoi, and Ryo, each have their own reason to show up…
10
Emperor (2012)
★ 6.2/10Also drama and war
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…
11
The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity (1959)
★ 8.2/10Also war and drama
Kaji, sent to the Japanese army labeled Red, witnesses cruelties in the army and revolts against the abusive treatment against a fellow recruit. He also sees his friend Shinjô defecting to the Russian border, and he…
12
Suzume (2022)
★ 7.9/10Also animation and drama
Suzume, 17, lost her mother as a little girl. On her way to school, she meets a mysterious young man. But her curiosity unleashes a calamity that endangers the entire population of Japan, and so Suzume embarks on a…
13
Genocidal Organ (2017)
★ 6.7/10Also animation and war
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…
14
A Wind Named Amnesia (1990)
★ 6/10Also animation and drama
A wind has swept the Earth taking all the memories from everyone. No one knows who they are, how to speak, or how to use the tools of modern civilization. Two years later, a young man who has been re-educated travels…
15
Look Back (2024)
★ 8.2/10Also animation and drama
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…
16
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
★ 7.8/10Also drama and war
The classic story of English POWs in Burma forced to build a bridge to aid the war effort of their Japanese captors. British and American intelligence officers conspire to blow up the structure, but Col. Nicholson, the…
17
The Colors Within (2024)
★ 6.9/10Also animation and drama
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…
18
Fist of the North Star: The Legend of Yuria (2007)
★ 6.4/10Also animation and drama
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.
19
Roujin Z (1991)
★ 6.6/10Also animation and drama
Mr. Takazawa, an elderly invalid who is cared for at his home by Haruko, a young nursing student, is chosen by the Japanese Ministry of Public Welfare to test the Z-001, a computerized hospital bed with robotic…
20
Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window (2023)
★ 7.4/10Also animation and drama
This engaging series of childhood recollections tells of an unconventional school in Tokyo during World War II that combined learning with fun, freedom, and love. The school had old railroad cars for classrooms and was…