Movies Like Children Who Don't Know War

If you liked Children Who Don't Know War (1973), a movie directed by Masashi Matsumoto, 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
Fireworks (2017)
★ 6.6/10
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.
2
F.I.S.T. (1978)
★ 6.5/10
Johnny Kovak joins the Teamsters trade-union in a local chapter in the 1930s and works his way up in the organization. As he climbs higher and higher his methods become more ruthless and finally senator Madison starts…
3
American Teen (2008)
★ 6.4/10
A documentary on seniors at a high school in a small Indiana town and their various cliques.
4
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.
5
A Gentle Breeze in the Village (2007)
★ 7/10
Soyo, a student in a school with only six students, develops feelings for the new student, Hiromi, who has moved from Tokyo.
6
Assassination Classroom: Graduation (2016)
★ 7.1/10
A mysterious creature destroys part of the moon and then warns that if it is not destroyed before March of the following year, Earth will be next. It also demands to become the homeroom teacher of Class E, a third-year…
7
Urusei Yatsura: Beautiful Dreamer (1984)
★ 7.2/10
As the perpetually lecherous Ataru and his friends prepare for a carnival at Tomobiki High School, they gradually realize the days are literally repeating themselves. Any effort to break the pattern dumps them back…
8
Even If This Love Disappears Tonight (2022)
★ 7.6/10
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.
9
Love & Pop (1998)
★ 7.7/10
Tokyo schoolgirl Hiromi and her friends engage in a practice known as enjo kosai, or "compensated dating", where older men pay young girls for dates. Hiromi plunges deeper into this world to raise money for an…
10
Tall Girl (2019)
★ 6.3/10
Jodi, the tallest girl in her high school, has always felt uncomfortable in her own skin. But after years of slouching, being made fun of, and avoiding attention at all costs, Jodi finally decides to find the…
11
The Anthem of the Heart (2015)
★ 7.6/10
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?
12
Ana (2020)
★ 6.3/10
Ana meets Rafa in a chance encounter and they embark on a road trip to try and save him from bankruptcy, or worse.
13
Clannad: The Motion Picture (2007)
★ 7.3/10
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…
14
Flying Colors (2015)
★ 7.5/10
A high school girl, Sayaka Kudō was the bottom of the class. After a year, she improved her deviation value from 30 to 70, then passed Keio University that is considered one of the most difficult to enter in Japan.
15
The Quintessential Quintuplets Movie (2022)
★ 8.3/10
When five lovely young girls who hate studying hire part-time tutor Futaro, he guides not only their education but also their hearts. Time spent has brought them all closer, with feelings growing within the girls and…
16
The Breakfast Club (1985)
★ 7.7/10
Five high school students from different walks of life endure a Saturday detention under a power-hungry principal. The disparate group includes rebel John, princess Claire, outcast Allison, brainy Brian and Andrew, the…
17
From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)
★ 7.5/10
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…
18
Happyend (2024)
★ 6.9/10
In a near-future Japanese city bracing for a devastating earthquake, a group of teenage friends navigate personal struggles and fractured bonds amid rising tension.
19
Kikujiro (1999)
★ 7.5/10
Brash, loudmouthed and opportunistic, Kikujiro is the unlikely companion for Masao who is determined to see the mother he has never met. The two begin a series of adventures which soon turns out to be a whimsical…
20
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008)
★ 6.3/10
Four young women continue the journey toward adulthood that began with "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants." Now three years later, these lifelong friends embark on separate paths for their first year of college and…