Movies like Whisper of the Heart (1995)

Name: Whisper of the Heart
Released: 1995

10 films to watch after Whisper of the Heart, ranked by how well they match its tone — not just its genre.

Shizuku lives a simple life, dominated by her love for stories and writing. One day she notices that all the library books she has have been previously checked out by the same person: "Seiji Amasawa."

1

When Marnie Was There (2014)

Fit 78%

Shares Animation, Drama and Family with Whisper of the Heart.

Upon being sent to live with relatives in the countryside due to an illness, an emotionally distant adolescent girl becomes obsessed with an abandoned mansion and infatuated with a girl who lives there - a girl who may or may not be real.
2

Mai Mai Miracle (2009)

Fit 73%

Shares Animation and Drama with Whisper of the Heart.

Inspired by her grandfather's stories, young Shinko embarks on wild flights of fancy about the history of the little town she lives in. But dreams can't fend off the realities of growing up.
3

Liz and the Blue Bird (2018)

Fit 72%

Shares Animation and Drama with Whisper of the Heart.

In their last year of high school, two girls in the brass band club perform a song inspired by a fairy tale that parallels their friendship.
4

Child of Kamiari Month (2021)

Fit 68%

Shares Animation, Drama and Family with Whisper of the Heart.

A year after losing her mother, a young girl learns that she must journey across Japan to the annual gathering of gods in the sacred land of Izumo.
5

Okko's Inn (2018)

Fit 62%

Shares Animation, Drama and Family with Whisper of the Heart.

12-year-old Oriko Seki, who lost her parents in a car accident, ended up living in her grandmother's Onsen Ryokan "Haru no Ya." With the ghost "Uribou" cohabitating with her and all the other odds, she ended up training to be a young female innkeeper. At first, she didn't like the training, but gradually felt her admiration for her title and began to train seriously. Thus, the growth of the young warrior Oriko begins.
6

Lu Over the Wall (2017)

Fit 55%

Shares Animation and Family with Whisper of the Heart.

In a small fishing village, a gloomy middle school student named Kai meets a mermaid named Lu.
7

The Cat Returns (2002)

Fit 55%

Shares Animation, Drama and Family with Whisper of the Heart.

Young Haru rescues a cat from being run over, but soon learns it's no ordinary feline; it happens to be the Prince of the Cats.
8

Summer Ghost (2021)

Fit 53%

Shares Animation and Drama with Whisper of the Heart.

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 one day. When a ghost named Ayane appears, she reveals she is only visible to those "who are about to touch their death." Compelled by the ghost and her message, Tomoya begins regularly visiting the airfield to uncover the true purpose of her visits.
9

Mary and The Witch's Flower (2017)

Fit 50%

Shares Animation and Family with Whisper of the Heart.

Mary Smith, a young girl who lives with her great-aunt in the countryside, follows a mysterious cat into the nearby forest where she finds a strange flower and an old broom, none of which is as ordinary as it seems.
10

Ponyo (2008)

Fit 49%

Shares Animation and Family with Whisper of the Heart.

When Sosuke, a young boy who lives on a clifftop overlooking the sea, rescues a stranded goldfish named Ponyo, he discovers more than he bargained for. Ponyo is a curious, energetic young creature who yearns to be human, but even as she causes chaos around the house, her father, a powerful sorcerer, schemes to return Ponyo to the sea.