Movies Like Dekotora Gaiden: A Man’s Life, a Road of Dreams

If you liked Dekotora Gaiden: A Man’s Life, a Road of Dreams (2001), a movie directed by Hitoshi Ozawa, 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
Barbie and the Diamond Castle (2008)
★ 7.5/10
Liana and Alexa are best friends who share everything, including their love of singing. Upon meeting a girl inside a mirror, the duo embark on a journey that will put their friendship to the ultimate test.
2
BOYS OVER FLOWERS the movie (2008)
★ 8.1/10
Four years have passed since that emotional marriage proposal at Tsukushi Makino's high-school prom, and Tsukasa Dōmyōji announced his engagement to Tsukushi to the entire world. At an engagement dinner between their…
3
Drawing Closer (2024)
★ 8.4/10
With only a year left to live, 17-year-old Akito finds new meaning in life by bringing joy to a terminally ill girl who has just six months remaining.
4
Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop (2021)
★ 7.3/10
After meeting one day, a shy boy who expresses himself through haiku and a bubbly but self-conscious girl share a brief, magical summer.
5
Dance with Me (1998)
★ 6.9/10
Young Cuban Rafael just buried his mother, and comes to Houston to meet his father John for the first time. The difficult part is that John doesn't know he is Rafael's father. John runs a dance studio, and everyone…
6
Five Feet Apart (2019)
★ 8.2/10
Seventeen-year-old Stella spends most of her time in the hospital as a cystic fibrosis patient. Her life is full of routines, boundaries and self-control — all of which get put to the test when she meets Will, an…
7
The Last 10 Years (2022)
★ 7.2/10
Twenty-year-old Matsuri Takabayashi learns that she only has ten years to live due to an incurable disease. She decides to not dwell on her life and not to fall in love—until she meets a man named Kazuto Manabe at a…
8
The Liar and His Lover (2013)
★ 7.6/10
Set within music field, this film depicts a love story between a 25-year-old sound engineer and 16-year-old high school student Riko, who posessess a gifted voice. 25-year-old sound engineer Aki is a member of popular…
9
Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams (2021)
★ 6.9/10
Barbie meets another Barbie Roberts, forming a close friendship, nicknaming each other Malibu and Brooklyn when they both attend the Handlers, Performing Art School in NYC, over the summer, competing for a spot at the…
10
Zigeunerweisen (1980)
★ 6.5/10
A surreal period film following a university professor and his eerie nomad friend as they go through loose romantic triangles and face death in peculiar ways.
11
10DANCE (2025)
★ 7.6/10
Two dancers, opposites in all but their art, agree to train together for a competition. At first, they clash, but soon become drawn to each other.
12
maboroshi (2023)
★ 7.2/10
A factory explosion plunges a small town into a timeless freeze, leaving teenage Masamune and his pals to grapple with a quickly collapsing reality.
13
Your Eyes Tell (2020)
★ 8.5/10
A tragic accident lead to Akari's blindness, but she clings to life and the smaller pleasures it can still afford her. She meets Rui and begins to talk to him. Rui was once a promising kickboxer, but something happened…
14
Vivo (2021)
★ 7.2/10
A music-loving kinkajou named Vivo embarks on the journey of a lifetime to fulfill his destiny and deliver a love song for an old friend.
15
Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
★ 7.8/10
A young witch, on her mandatory year of independent life, finds fitting into a new community difficult while she supports herself by running an air courier service.
16
Josee, the Tiger and the Fish (2020)
★ 8.2/10
With dreams of diving abroad, Tsuneo gets a job assisting Josee, an artist whose imagination takes her far beyond her wheelchair. But when the tide turns against them, they push each other to places they never thought…
17
Dogwood Tree (2010)
★ 7.5/10
A young girl tries to maintain a long-distance relationship with an aspiring fisherman.
18
The Thief and the Cobbler (1993)
★ 7.2/10
Princess Yum Yum falls in love with Tack and saves him from being executed. Later, when the protective orbs of the palace get stolen, Tack and Yum Yum set out to find them and save the kingdom.
19
Mr. Jones (1993)
★ 5.8/10
The story about the relationship between a manic depressive man, Mr. Jones, and the female doctor who takes more than a professional interest in his treatment.
20
Cat Soup (2001)
★ 7.1/10
The surreal black comedy follows Nyatta, an anthropomorphic kitten, on his travel to the land of the dead and back in an effort to save his sister's soul.