I Want to Eat Your Pancreas (2018)
Movie · 2018 · Animation, Drama, Romance · 1h 48m · Japanese
Curator score: 7.9/10 (241.4K ratings)
Tagline: This is a story about an unforgettable spring...
After his classmate and crush is diagnosed with a pancreatic disease, an average high schooler sets out to make the most of her final days.
Ratings:
- Curator score: 7.9/10
- IMDb: 8.1/10
- Letterboxd: 3.92/5
- TMDB: 8.2/10
Director: Shinichiro Ushijima
Production: ABC Animation, Aniplex, jeki, Futabasha, Studio VOLN, Tohan
Cast: Mahiro Takasugi, Lynn, Yukiyo Fujii, Yuma Uchida, Jun Fukushima, Atsuko Tanaka, Shin-ichiro Miki, Emi Wakui, Nanami Atsugi, Kazuya Saji, Narumi Kaho, Nene Hieda, Tomoe Tanii, Reiou Tsuchida, Hayato Kimura, Anju Nitta, Emiko Takeuchi, Takaaki Uchino, Kenta Kataoka, Tomoyuki Arai
Curator Review
Verdict: A tender, emotionally heavy coming-of-age romance with strong animation and a bittersweet hook. It works best as a quiet character study about loneliness, connection, and learning to live while time is running out, though some viewers may find its melodrama and a few awkward relationship beats frustrating.
Best for: viewers who want a tearjerker; fans of anime romance and coming-of-age drama; people drawn to bittersweet stories about mortality; audiences who like gentle, introspective character pieces
Skip if: you dislike melodrama; you are sensitive to awkward or problematic romantic dynamics; you want a plot-driven film over an emotional one; you are looking for a light or comforting watch
Overview: This is a deceptively simple high-school romance that becomes a meditation on mortality, isolation, and the small ways people change each other. The title is a provocation, but the movie’s real interest is in how two lonely teenagers stumble toward intimacy and self-understanding before time runs out. Its emotional payoff is straightforward, but effective.
Worth noting: The animation is polished and expressive, with a soft visual style that suits the story’s melancholy warmth. The film’s biggest strength is its ability to make ordinary moments feel precious, even when the script leans hard into sentiment. That same sincerity can also feel a little blunt, especially if you’re allergic to earnest teen melodrama.
Bottom line: For viewers open to a sad, romantic coming-of-age story, it lands as a moving and memorable experience. If you prefer subtlety, or if certain relationship dynamics in teen dramas tend to bother you, this may be more mixed than devastating.
Top Letterboxd reviews:
- Bula 🈲️: Watching someone eating pancreas would have hurt a lot less than this
- ainslee: he didnt even eat her pancreas
- adambolt: why is a movie with a stupid ass title like this making me tear up so much
- russman: This may be the first movie I went to see just based on the title
- Jayden Fa'amata-Bray: The Fault in your pancreas
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Topics: anime, romantic drama, coming-of-age, tearjerker, melancholy, high school, illness, bittersweet, youth, emotional
https://watchlist.tannermartz.com/apple/movie/i-want-to-eat-your-pancreas/504253
I Want to Eat Your Pancreas (2018)
Movie · 2018 · Animation, Drama, Romance · 1h 48m · Japanese
Curator score: 7.9/10 (241.4K ratings)
This is a story about an unforgettable spring...
Overview After his classmate and crush is diagnosed with a pancreatic disease, an average high schooler sets out to make the most of her final days.
Ratings
Curator score: 7.9/10
IMDb: 8.1/10
Letterboxd: 3.92/5
TMDB: 8.2/10
Director Shinichiro Ushijima
Production ABC Animation, Aniplex, jeki, Futabasha, Studio VOLN, Tohan
Cast Mahiro Takasugi, Lynn, Yukiyo Fujii, Yuma Uchida, Jun Fukushima, Atsuko Tanaka, Shin-ichiro Miki, Emi Wakui, Nanami Atsugi, Kazuya Saji, Narumi Kaho, Nene Hieda, Tomoe Tanii, Reiou Tsuchida, Hayato Kimura, Anju Nitta, Emiko Takeuchi, Takaaki Uchino, Kenta Kataoka, Tomoyuki Arai
Curator Review
Verdict
A tender, emotionally heavy coming-of-age romance with strong animation and a bittersweet hook. It works best as a quiet character study about loneliness, connection, and learning to live while time is running out, though some viewers may find its melodrama and a few awkward relationship beats frustrating.
Best for
viewers who want a tearjerker
fans of anime romance and coming-of-age drama
people drawn to bittersweet stories about mortality
audiences who like gentle, introspective character pieces
Skip if
you dislike melodrama
you are sensitive to awkward or problematic romantic dynamics
you want a plot-driven film over an emotional one
you are looking for a light or comforting watch
Overview
This is a deceptively simple high-school romance that becomes a meditation on mortality, isolation, and the small ways people change each other. The title is a provocation, but the movie’s real interest is in how two lonely teenagers stumble toward intimacy and self-understanding before time runs out. Its emotional payoff is straightforward, but effective.
Worth noting
The animation is polished and expressive, with a soft visual style that suits the story’s melancholy warmth. The film’s biggest strength is its ability to make ordinary moments feel precious, even when the script leans hard into sentiment. That same sincerity can also feel a little blunt, especially if you’re allergic to earnest teen melodrama.
Bottom line
For viewers open to a sad, romantic coming-of-age story, it lands as a moving and memorable experience. If you prefer subtlety, or if certain relationship dynamics in teen dramas tend to bother you, this may be more mixed than devastating.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Bula 🈲️ (4★) · 3306 likes
Watching someone eating pancreas would have hurt a lot less than this
ainslee (2★) · 2837 likes
he didnt even eat her pancreas
adambolt (4.5★) · 1274 likes
why is a movie with a stupid ass title like this making me tear up so much
russman (3.5★) · 1250 likes
This may be the first movie I went to see just based on the title
Jayden Fa'amata-Bray (2.5★) · 1153 likes
The Fault in your pancreas
Recommended similar titles
2006 · Fantasy, Animation, Drama · 1h 38m · NR · Curator 7.4/10 (203K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
A heartfelt animated coming-of-age story that balances youthful romance with the ache of time slipping away.
2016 · Animation, Drama, Romance · 2h 9m · NR · Curator 9.1/10 (910.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Crunchyroll
Shares the emotional focus on loneliness, regret, and the difficult path toward human connection.
2019 · Animation, Drama, Fantasy · 1h 52m · PG-13 · Curator 6.5/10 (340.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
A visually lush teen romance that mixes longing, fate, and emotional spectacle.
2014 · Romance, Drama · 2h 6m · PG-13 · Curator 3.5/10 (1.1M ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Disney Plus, Netflix Standard with Ads
A mainstream counterpart for viewers who want a romance shaped by illness and limited time.
2015 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 45m · PG-13 · Curator 7.3/10 (420.5K ratings)
A bittersweet teen story that uses illness, friendship, and humor to explore emotional growth.
2007 · Adventure, Drama, Family · 1h 35m · PG · Curator 6.8/10 (894K ratings) · Where to watch: Disney Plus
For audiences who respond to stories that begin in youthful innocence and end in painful emotional loss.
2018 · Comedy, Drama, Romance · 1h 50m · PG-13 · Curator 4.1/10 (678.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
A warm, accessible teen romance centered on self-discovery and the need to be seen.
2012 · Drama · 1h 43m · PG-13 · Curator 7.9/10 (3.4M ratings) · Where to watch: AMC+, Philo
A sensitive coming-of-age drama about isolation, friendship, and the power of being understood.
2002 · Drama, Romance · 1h 42m · PG · Curator 0.1/10 (4.3K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
A classic tearjerker about young love, illness, and the emotional force of limited time.
2020 · Animation, Drama, Romance · 1h 38m · Curator 9.6/10 (12.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Crunchyroll
A tender romance about two lonely people changing each other’s lives through care and companionship.
Topics
anime, romantic drama, coming-of-age, tearjerker, melancholy, high school, illness, bittersweet, youth, emotional
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