Animation sequences that left you in awe and/or moved you that weren't fights.
The first one that comes to my mind is from Akebi's sailor uniform Akebi getting ready for her first day in school, it's so beautifully intricate. Another one was the hand holding at the station in Saekano, it felt so intimate and intense. Also in Mob psycho 100 when Shigeo catches the pieces of the torn appart novel manuscript and organizes them once again, fantastic way to emphasize how meaningful that action was for both characters.
Commentaires
when the soundtrack & cinematic cuts play off of the monolog, pure anime excellence was achieved
The whole ep 11 from oblivion battery from the transitions, the effort of the players when practicing, the final decision and the sequence leading up to it...
Haikyuu the new quick, the receive, the revival of the king, many "last points", the oikawa set across the net, the jump from the movie...
Yuuri' performance of Yuri on ice in Yuri on ice
Hikaru's cg Danse Macabre in Medalist
Also THAT scene from In This Corner of the World. Honorable mention to almost any shot in a Makoto Shinkai film.
Even **made** me make a whole YouTube video about it that turned into just a love letter to anime lol. With actually lots of other examples I'm seeing other people mention here now like Violet Evergarden and Made in Abyss.
 
EDIT: Hate linking stuff but just *in case* anyone is interested in the video https://youtu.be/ro_fqzNpHgU specific scene starts at 4:51
EDIT 2: Thinking about other things in that video it's basically entirely things that fit this topic lol. Like Black Magic M-66 with the main character at a computer, Psycho-Pass when Akane's room changes, Sawako's smile in Kimi ni Todoke, like all of Eizouken lmao.
But near the end I talked about how much I fucking love the **Fate Grand Order 2023 Memorial video**. It has some action but it looks so fucking good that it doesn't really matter what's *happening* it's always **stunning** regardless. And god, the story it tells if you understand Fate packs so much emotion into so little time. I tried to explain it a bit but there's just *so* much to it.
Non cinematic budget, rain shots in After the Rain anime left an impression.
Edit: What a great Question cause it's really left me thinking and I came back to add:
- Dr Stone, Christmas scene, with the invention of the lightbulb, then the next episode has the telescope, and when Suika gets glasses and can see clearly for the first time. All jaw dropping.
- Mob Psycho 100 has awesome running animation, when Mob trains with the body improvement club, and other on point comedic animation, like anything with Reagan.
- Angel Beats too, the non action scenes are super dynamic. With good slap stick timing, multiple things going on in a scene. The episode they disrupt the class gets me every time, and the animation level really contributes to the comedy.
- School Rumble, not a fight but technically action which for a slice of life comedy stands out being the survival game/ school gun fight. They pulled a Community paint ball game level of awesomeness.
[This scene from Healer Girl](https://youtu.be/CxORKCb4Pmw?list=RDCxORKCb4Pmw) ... it may not be the most sakuga, but the wholesomeness, the beauty, the lovely singing, for me, it it truly was healing.
Another one I'd rate high would be the finale of Madoka Magica, specifically "Sagitta Luminis". If you don't know what I'm referring to, don't look it up, just watch the show. It's *maginificent*. Again, emotional impact.
Otherwise, the aforementioned Violet Evergarden, and if you'd like another treat for the eyes and ears, give the ["Bishounen Tanteidan"](https://youtu.be/bR52kTzskaQ) a look.
[Mayumi's eyes alone](https://imgur.com/TdkGiJh), I could get lost in them.
Edit: Added a pic link for *those eyes*...
Episode 1
Abyss sunrise scene. That was jaw dropping
Shit was so peak. Saying that i was awestruck is an understatement
I should do another rewatch....
1. The train scene is spirited away. There’s just something indescribable about it, I’ve never seen another scene like it. Hardly anything happens and it’s one of the most moving film scenes i’ve seen.
2. The dance under the stars in Adolescence of Utena. It’s just so beautiful and overwhelmingly romantic.
3. The third impact in End of Evangelion (honestly I could probably just say the entire second half of End of Evangelion for this). The imagery is some of the impactful and evocative stuff i’ve ever seen in a movie.
[Their performance for national qualifications](https://youtu.be/u5LDoMHlqHw?si=5vKAXAlrXpknSHT4). I get so emotional every time I watch it. Please I hope we get a season 2 because the manga has some banger chapters.
Nothing I've seen ever
FLCL bridge scene - “Never Knows Best”
Samurai Champloo drowning scene
Space Dandy’s “A World Without Sadness”
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners moon scene
Frieren meteor shower
Animators were flexing hard with this show
Whenever people talk about good utilization of CG in anime it's almost always about being able to spin the camera around.\
I've seen some criticism about the more restraint usage of the CG camera in Beastars' especially compared to Houseki no Kuni.\
But in my opinion not moving the camera is what makes the usage of CG in Beastars' directing and storyboards so compelling. Especially in the 3rd season.
[This scene with Deshico for example has static shots that lasts more than 20 seconds with nothing but the composition and the character's movements conveying all the info.](https://youtu.be/aCc44soHcMM?si=u8zwJxRq66FUHQR6)\
In most 2D anime the first shot alone would multiple different cuts.\
- first of Louis entering the room
- Of Louis approaching Deshico
- Louis placing his research material on the table
- and of Deshico reacting to Louis
But in here it is all condensed into a single 30 second cut.\
Season 3's style reminds me of older live action films where a lot of the framing was based off theater, and I think it suits Beastars surprising well especially with the focus on theatrics in the beginning of the series.
Kenma POV in last part of match really moved me. It's done so beautifully
* The running scene in 'A Place Further than the Universe'
* The first half of YLIA finale.
* That running while raining scene in Look Back.
[Ponyo riding the waves](https://streamable.com/epso0g)
[Hana, Yuki and Ame running in the snow in Wolf Children](https://streamable.com/t2tbc3)
[Cocona's transformation sequence in Flip Flappers](https://streamable.com/8oz5bb)
[Fujino skipping in the rain in Look Back](https://streamable.com/9pvdjo)
[This dream sequence in Your Name](https://streamable.com/rpa5c0)
[The backstory and dance in Dandadan episode 7](https://streamable.com/4i059d)
I really like [this short scene in Maboroshi](https://streamable.com/1q70fy) too
Violet Evergarden: [The 'Walking on water' scene.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_PTlM5quRc) Across of the Violet sky is one of my favourite soundtracks thanks to this
[](#listen)
[The food prep](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1k3rid8/one_should_refrain_from_watching_food_for_the/) in Food for the soul
Fate/Zero’s Kiritsugu/Kirei parallels
Most of Talulah’s backstory in Arknights anime. Also the scene with Kal’tsit and the Doctor at the sarcophagus. That show really does confrontational dialogues well.
Liz and the Blue Bird - the performance of the titular piece, Liz and the Blue Bird
The Garden of Words, pretty much the whole movie lol.
Plenty of scenes in FLCL also fit, though I think two stand out in particular to me.
The first is right at the beginning: the shot of the bridge, while ONE LIFE by the pillows plays. I still don't know exactly why, but I'm sure that was the moment I realized what FLCL was.
The second is the scene where Canti flies into the sky. The entire scene felt supernatural, perhaps because of the birds swirling and the wind. Canti's little dip before the music's swelling and his zooming up was everything. This has to be my favorite scene in FLCL: somehow, in a show built around creating an atmosphere, this moment had the strongest atmosphere.
There was also a new show from this season that just dropped. It's called Shiboyugi: Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table. The first episode has some incredible animation and some absolutely amazing direction. I really think it'll be a sleeper hit this season.
Those that watched it know which scene I'm talking about
its a witch girl who cant see colors who gets sent back by her grandmother to 2018 to when the grandmother was a student, and there she sees a student who draws these gorgeous... acryllic? i think its called, and that is the only color she can see
So a lot of the times when she sees color its these dreamscapes of that color style that is absolutely gorgeous like a gif here [https://i.pinimg.com/originals/bc/13/7d/bc137da427ddaac0de10763e737bc365.gif](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/bc/13/7d/bc137da427ddaac0de10763e737bc365.gif)
But the one that sticks in my mind is Tanjiro’s father dancing in the snow in Demon Slayer. Kind of just came out of nowhere
The running scene in A Place Further Than The Universe was just gorgeous and wonderful on evrry level
Hinata Kawamoto declaring she wasn’t wrong in defending her bullied friend even if it meant being bullied herself.
https://youtu.be/2-gulRfv428?si=y_TuDLUHP-WaLJJv
Mushoku tensei has several, but the stand out is bread.
https://youtu.be/L4GQGzd6BdE?si=JqEpGa02MvbJVZxx
And Bocchi 's episode 8 concert.
https://youtu.be/QjmnsAWGm8E?si=QFTwPDAZW07ufeeQ
...