Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo Movie 1: Operazakan - Aratanaru Satsujin

These anime primarily focus on one or more childhood friends. The friends might have reunited after a long period of time apart, or they might be characters who start a relationship in a Romance anime. A Childhood Promise might also be involved.

Animes that first appeared on Weekly Shonen Magazine as manga and had an adaptation for TV.

Every cinema or direct to video anime film that came out in 1996.

1995: https://myanimelist.net/stacks/34761
1997: https://myanimelist.net/stacks/34763

Disclaimer: There are a few hentai movies, that could be counted as well:
- Advancer Tina (1996)
- Choujin Densetsu Urotsukidouji 5: Kanketsu-hen (1996)
- Ginga Teikoku no Metsubou Gaiden: Aoki Ookami-tachi no Densetsu (1996)
- Harenchi Koumon Manyuuki (1996)
- Heisei Harenchi Gakuen (1996)
- Injuu Kateikyoushi (1996)
- Soap no Moko-chan (1996)

The Kindaichi Case Files manga series is written by Yōzaburō Kanari or Seimaru Amagi (depending on series) and illustrated by Fumiya Satō, the Kindaichi series was serialized in Kodansha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Magazine from October 1992 to October 2017, spanning a total of 76 tankōbon volumes. It is one of the earliest works in the mystery manga genre.

The series was adapted by Toei Animation into a feature film in 1996 and a 148-episode anime television series broadcast from 1997 to 2000. A second 47-episode anime television series adaptation, titled The Kindaichi Case Files R (Returns), was broadcast from 2014 to 2016.

In 1995, The Kindaichi Case Files won the 19th Kodansha Manga Award for shōnen. By June 2019, the manga had over 100 million copies in circulation, making it one of the best-selling manga series of all time.

Daisuke Nishio is a Japanese animator and director. He joined Toei Doga (now Toei Animation) as animator in 1981. After doing several TV series, he was promoted to assistant director on Dr. Slump - Arale-chan in 1982. He debuted as director for Dragon Ball in 1986 and made his film debut that same year with Dragon Ball: The Legend of Shenlong. Nishio also directed its sequel TV series, Dragon Ball Z, and several of its films.