(I'm posting this in "Other Movies" but it could just as easily go in "Other TV" or even "Chattery Teeth"; I'll leave it to the mods if they want to move it.)
So I love animation. I also grew up with a lot of highly emotional and often incredibly sad animation; this was when VHS was new and foreign cartoons were being imported just to provide video rental stores with content, and cable was becoming a thing so the new channels needed it, too. It was also when Disney had entered a "dark age" after Walt's death, and a lot of new names (Bluth, Bakshi, Topcraft, etc.) now had the chance to become known and try new things. None of those people appear on this list (though they all did some great work.) This is a list of my favorite sad cartoon movies that most people have probably never heard of; please discuss and add your own!
1. Ringing Bell This is an anime film that was originally called Chirin no Suzu in Japan, and it's supposed to be a parable for the loss of childhood innocence in Japan following the war. That's likely to be completely lost on an American audience watching its (decent for 1983) dub; parents probably rented it for their children because they saw the adorable baby lamb on the cover (Sanrio, the company responsible for Hello Kitty, produced this film) with no indication of how dark, depressing and outright horrifying the actual cartoon is. The plot is this: A lamb swears revenge upon the wolf who killed his mother, but in order to become strong enough to defeat him, he must train under the very same wolf to become a killer. Needless to say, it doesn't end well, though it's not just depressing for the sake of being depressing- the questions raised by the ending are surprisingly deep and thought provoking for a "children's" film. It's actually not one I saw as a kid, but I really wish I had.
2. Diana's Piano This is technically a short from the TV special Garfield: His Nine Lives, based on a book of the same name (though it's actually not from the book; a few of the original "lives" were cut out and swapped for different ones in the TV special.) This segment has absolutely nothing to do with Garfield and can easily be viewed as its own piece. Unlike Ringing Bell, which is sad because it's a depressing story, this one celebrates the bond between humans and animals- it's sad because we all know how it must end, but everyone who loves (and has been loved) by an animal can relate to Sara and Diana as they grow up with each other. Recommended if you aren't afraid to admit that a Garfield cartoon made you cry.
3. Last of the Curlews The first ABC Afterschool Special, animated by Hanna-Barbara in 1972. This is also based on a book, by Fred Bodsworth. It only ever aired a couple times in the U.S. (more overseas, apparently) and I'm utterly convinced that it's because it was just too incredibly sad. It's another one where you can guess how it ends (based on both the title and the current conservation status of the Eskimo Curlew) but the execution of it is just beautiful. The main characters are portrayed as normal birds with no dialog beyond natural bird noises (there is a narrator who explains the natural life cycle of the curlew, as well as a couple human characters that appear from time to time) and it generally avoids anthropomorphizing them, but the two curlews (the last of their species) still emote and are relatable as they make their extraordinary migration from the Arctic Circle to the tip of South America and back again. The music is what always gets me in this one- it has a great orchestral score that sets the tone during dramatic moments of danger or sadness, something I really feel is missing in a lot of modern cartoons. Along with the original Lorax, this was one of the earliest environmentalist cartoons, and I still think it's one of the best.
Those are my three, what are yours? (And does anyone else even remember these?)
So I love animation. I also grew up with a lot of highly emotional and often incredibly sad animation; this was when VHS was new and foreign cartoons were being imported just to provide video rental stores with content, and cable was becoming a thing so the new channels needed it, too. It was also when Disney had entered a "dark age" after Walt's death, and a lot of new names (Bluth, Bakshi, Topcraft, etc.) now had the chance to become known and try new things. None of those people appear on this list (though they all did some great work.) This is a list of my favorite sad cartoon movies that most people have probably never heard of; please discuss and add your own!
1. Ringing Bell This is an anime film that was originally called Chirin no Suzu in Japan, and it's supposed to be a parable for the loss of childhood innocence in Japan following the war. That's likely to be completely lost on an American audience watching its (decent for 1983) dub; parents probably rented it for their children because they saw the adorable baby lamb on the cover (Sanrio, the company responsible for Hello Kitty, produced this film) with no indication of how dark, depressing and outright horrifying the actual cartoon is. The plot is this: A lamb swears revenge upon the wolf who killed his mother, but in order to become strong enough to defeat him, he must train under the very same wolf to become a killer. Needless to say, it doesn't end well, though it's not just depressing for the sake of being depressing- the questions raised by the ending are surprisingly deep and thought provoking for a "children's" film. It's actually not one I saw as a kid, but I really wish I had.
2. Diana's Piano This is technically a short from the TV special Garfield: His Nine Lives, based on a book of the same name (though it's actually not from the book; a few of the original "lives" were cut out and swapped for different ones in the TV special.) This segment has absolutely nothing to do with Garfield and can easily be viewed as its own piece. Unlike Ringing Bell, which is sad because it's a depressing story, this one celebrates the bond between humans and animals- it's sad because we all know how it must end, but everyone who loves (and has been loved) by an animal can relate to Sara and Diana as they grow up with each other. Recommended if you aren't afraid to admit that a Garfield cartoon made you cry.
3. Last of the Curlews The first ABC Afterschool Special, animated by Hanna-Barbara in 1972. This is also based on a book, by Fred Bodsworth. It only ever aired a couple times in the U.S. (more overseas, apparently) and I'm utterly convinced that it's because it was just too incredibly sad. It's another one where you can guess how it ends (based on both the title and the current conservation status of the Eskimo Curlew) but the execution of it is just beautiful. The main characters are portrayed as normal birds with no dialog beyond natural bird noises (there is a narrator who explains the natural life cycle of the curlew, as well as a couple human characters that appear from time to time) and it generally avoids anthropomorphizing them, but the two curlews (the last of their species) still emote and are relatable as they make their extraordinary migration from the Arctic Circle to the tip of South America and back again. The music is what always gets me in this one- it has a great orchestral score that sets the tone during dramatic moments of danger or sadness, something I really feel is missing in a lot of modern cartoons. Along with the original Lorax, this was one of the earliest environmentalist cartoons, and I still think it's one of the best.
Those are my three, what are yours? (And does anyone else even remember these?)