10 Classic Animations That Grew Up with Taiwanese People, This One is More Tear-Jerking Years Later: Understanding the Love That Was Never Spoken

For many Taiwanese people, childhood was not just about classrooms, alleys, and summer vacations, but also hidden in the television turned on after school every day. We escaped homework with Shiro, watched Hana Mama carefully budget for a few coins, searched for criminals with Conan, and believed that a dragon cat really lived deep in the forest. At that time, we watched animations expecting adventure, magic, and laughter. It was only years later, when we reopened familiar works, that we realized the stories had already hidden the hardships of parents, the separation and reunion of families, and the growth that every child would eventually face.

Some of these works came from Japan, some from the United States, and one carried a strong Taiwanese flavor in language, faith, and family relationships. Although their nationalities were different, they all entered the lives of a generation of Taiwanese people through television, videotapes, DVDs, and movie theaters. This article comprehensively sorts out the cultural impact of the works, the generational memories of Taiwanese audiences, and the heat of online discussions to rank the top 10 animations that grew up with Taiwanese people, helping you rediscover the stories you didn't understand as a child.

Top 10 Classic Animations That Grew Up with Taiwanese People: Grave of the Fireflies | Both Brother and Sister Wanted to Live, but Ultimately Lost to That Era

Grave of the Fireflies is set in Japan during the late stages of World War II. Fourteen-year-old Seita loses his mother in an air raid and can only take his younger sister, Natsuko, to live with relatives. After leaving their relatives' home, the siblings hide in an abandoned air-raid shelter to live. Seita tries his best to find food but cannot stop Natsuko's body from gradually weakening. For many Taiwanese viewers, this might be the first time they saw such a cruel animation: no hero appears in time, and no miracle changes the ending. War destroys the originally ordinary lives of a pair of children. After growing up and watching it again, Natsuko's desire to eat candy and miss her mother becomes even more striking because the audience finally understands that she never wanted much, just someone to take care of her and a meal to eat.

Many viewers admit that this is an animation that is hard to muster the courage to watch again after seeing it once. Natsuko's scenes of molding mud into rice balls and weakly asking her brother why fireflies die so quickly will suddenly come to mind even after many years. Some people blamed Seita for being stubborn when they were young, thinking that if he had been willing to lower his head, the siblings might not have reached a dead end. However, after experiencing the difficulties of life, they realized that Seita was just a 14-year-old child who had lost his parents and was forced to play the role of an adult. Some netizens also remind us that the work involves complex war positions and we cannot replace historical responsibility with tears, but Natsuko's fate still makes people see that in war, those who first lose their choice are always the children who haven't even had time to understand why the world has changed.

Top 9 Classic Animations That Grew Up with Taiwanese People: Sailor Moon | Girls Can Be Afraid to Cry, but Can Also Become People Who Save the World

Ordinary junior high school girl Usagi Tsukino accidentally meets a talking black cat Luna and learns that she is Sailor Moon, who bears a mission. From then on, she fights side by side with her companions Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Venus, and others to protect the Earth and search for the lost Moon Princess. Many Taiwanese viewers remember the transformation scenes, gorgeous outfits, and that familiar line "I will punish you in the name of the moon" from their childhood. However, it was only after growing up that they realized that Usagi Tsukino's true value lies in the fact that she was never a perfect hero. She cries a lot, eats a lot, is afraid of getting hurt, and will want to run away when faced with setbacks, but she always stands up again when her companions need her. Sailor Moon taught a generation of girls that courage does not mean being fearless. Kindness, tears, and the ability to believe in others can also be the power to save the world.

Many viewers recall that as children, they used pens, spoons, or any long object to imitate transformations and also argued with classmates about which Sailor Warrior they were most like. At that time, they envied their beauty and strength. After growing up and watching it again, they were more moved by the friendship between the roles, who chose to believe in each other time and time again. Someone sighed that Usagi Tsukino, who was the most crybaby in the team, was always the one who hugged sadness and continued to move forward when truly facing loss. Someone only understood after growing up that her way of saving enemies was often not to eliminate them but to try to understand why they ended up this way. That line "I will punish you in the name of the moon" was once a slogan for children to imitate, but what remains after many years is another kind of power: girls can be cute, romantic, fragile, and can also decide for themselves what kind of person they want to be.

Top 8 Classic Animations That Grew Up with Taiwanese People: Spirited Away | Entering the World of Gods, What You Really Find is That Brave Yourself

Ten-year-old Chihiro moves with her parents, accidentally stumbles into the world of gods, her parents turn into pigs because they are greedy, and she is forced to work in the bathhouse run by Yubaba. In order to save her family, Chihiro must learn to get along with strangers, take responsibility, and firmly remember her own name. When watching Spirited Away as a child, it is easy to be attracted by the faceless man, the boiler man, and various strange gods. However, after growing up, it is realized that what Chihiro actually faces is the fear that everyone first leaves their parents and steps into a strange world. She does not suddenly become fearless, but chooses to move forward every time she is afraid, which also makes her growth particularly real.

Many viewers were attracted by the faceless man, Yubaba, and the monsters in the bathhouse when they were children. After growing up and watching it again, they realized that what is truly terrifying in Spirited Away is not the monsters, but that once a person is swallowed by desire, they may even forget who they are. Chihiro's parents turned into pigs because they were greedy, people in the bathhouse rushed for gold, and even the white dragon was controlled by Yubaba because he lost his name. Chihiro does not have powerful magic. All she can rely on is kindness, courage, and always remembering her real name. Someone sighed after watching it, growth is not about becoming worldly-wise, but in a strange and chaotic world, still being willing to help others and not living up to being an adult you dislike. The most touching part of Spirited Away is that after Chihiro walked through that tunnel, she was no longer the timid child she was at first, but still retained her original kindness and clarity.

Top 7 Classic Animations That Grew Up with Taiwanese People: Toy Story 3 | Andy Let Go of His Childhood, Which Can Never Be Recovered

Andy is about to leave home for college, and his longtime companions Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and other toys face the fate of being collected, discarded, or sent away. By chance, the toys are sent to the Sunshine Daycare Center. Originally, they thought they could regain a child's love, but they found that the place was strictly controlled by Bear in the Big Hug Bear. After escaping, Woody and his companions finally returned to Andy's side. In the end, Andy chose to give the toys to the little girl Bonnie, personally ending his own childhood. This farewell touched many Taiwanese viewers because when the movie was released, the children of the first generation were also gradually going to school, leaving home, or entering society. Andy's moment of letting go of the toys was like completing a childhood farewell that couldn't be held for the whole generation.

What viewers remember most is not the toys escaping the daycare center, but the moment Andy's hand suddenly pulled back before giving Woody to Bonnie. Someone realized here that what Andy was reluctant to let go of was not an old toy, but the self who once believed that Woody could talk and that someone was waiting for him every day he came home. In the garbage incinerator, the toys found no way out and could only quietly hold each other's hands, which also made many people feel nostalgic even after many years. As a child, we always hoped to grow up quickly. However, when we truly reached the age of leaving home, going to school, and working, we realized that childhood has no formal end date. It is usually when we are suddenly tidying up the room that we realize we haven't touched our favorite things for a long time.

Top 6 Classic Animations That Grew Up with Taiwanese People: One Piece | What Really Stays Are the Tears and Smiles of Every Farewell

One Piece tells the story of Luffy, who aims to become the Pirate King, sets sail on the Grand Line to search for the legendary "ONE PIECE," and meets companions such as Zoro, Nami, Sanji, and Chopper along the way, facing strong enemies and the unknown world together. Many people chased after the hot-blooded battles, Devil Fruits, and adventure journeys when they were young. However, after growing up, they realized that what truly touched people's hearts in One Piece was never about who became stronger, but a group of battered people who, because they believed in each other, were willing to stand up again and again. Each companion has a past they cannot let go of, and it is because they met each other that they found the courage to live again. For many Taiwanese viewers, One Piece accompanied not only their childhood but also their journey from students to entering society.

The most discussed topic among viewers is not which battle was the most exciting, but those farewells and reunions that made them unable to hold back their tears. Someone still cannot forget Nami crying out to Luffy "Save me," Robin shouting "I want to live" on Enies Lobby, the Merry going to say goodbye to everyone, and Ace's last words "Thank you for always loving me, who is hopeless..." Many people shared that when they were young, they watched it for friendship and adventure. After growing up, they realized that every line of dialogue was talking about family, trust, dreams, and regrets. Someone also joked that after following it for more than twenty years, One Piece is no longer just a comic but a friend who grew up with them. Every few years, when they watch it again, the places that move them are always different. The only thing that hasn't changed is that when Luffy puts the hat back on his head and sets sail again, the heart still burns with the impulse to believe in dreams.

Top 5 Classic Animations That Grew Up with Taiwanese People: Crayon Shin-chan | The Wild Ones Fight Every Day, but Live the Happiness That Countless People Miss the Most

Five-year-old Shin-no-suke Honekawa lives in Katsushika and loves to imitate adults and flirt with pretty older sisters every day, often making his mother Misae so angry that she chases after him. His father Hiroshi commutes to work every day, carrying the burden of the mortgage and family expenses, while Misae is busy with housework and taking care of Shin-no-suke and his little sister Shiro. When watching Crayon Shin-chan as a child, attention was paid to Shin-no-suke's pranks and bare buttocks.