Saikano
The Last Love Song on This Little Planet
On CBC
A melancholic romance between a schoolboy and a girl who is secretly a military super-weapon, where intimacy and love collide with the machinery of war and existential dread.
Saikano: The Last Love Song on This Little Planet. is a manga, anime, and OVA series by Shin Takahashi, creator of Iihito and Kimi no Kakera. Saikano was originally serialized in Shogakukan's Big Comic Spirits magazine. A live-action movie adaptation was released in Japan on January 28, 2006 with Aki Maeda starring as Chise. The Saikano manga and anime series has been licensed and is being distributed by Viz Media in English in North America. The anime series is distributed in the UK by Manga Entertainment. Although the city is not mentioned by name in the series, many of the locations used in Saikano can by all probability be found in Otaru-shi, west of Sapporo. The train station, "Hell Hill", the Asahi Observation Hill, the view over the harbor, and the school all have similar looking counterparts in the city of Otaru.
Where to watch
Not available in United States — it streams in other countries.
Questions people ask
Is Saikano sad? Yes, very. More sad than 98% of series.
Does Saikano leave you hopeful? Barely. Less hopeful than 88% of series.
Is Saikano violent? Yes. More violent than 81% of series.
Is Saikano easy watching? Barely. Less comforting than 75% of series.
Is Saikano scary? Somewhat. More frightening than 73% of series.
These describe how the series comes across across its whole run, compared with other well-known series. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked episode by episode, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.
Cinnamon Score
How much this series gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.
Familiar shape, done well.
How unlike any other series this one feels
How much more it delivers than it promises
How much audiences actually like it
Ensemble
Like Saikano
Nearest across the full emotional profile.
Same Mood as Saikano
Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.
Like Saikano, But Darker
Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.
Like Saikano, But Lighter
Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.
Like Saikano, But Less Popular
Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.
