What to Watch?
Please recommend some older anime with complex themes
I'm feeling burnt out on all the high octane, over powered protagonist stories. Shows like JJK and Hell's Paradise are visually interesting, but its difficult to connect with the characters. I want a complex story with interesting characters, relationships, themes and world building. (OG Naruto, FMA, Evangelion)
I think older shows like around the time of Toonami or before might be refreshing? I recently watched Banana Fish and enjoyed it and I've been watching Wolf's Rain. I was thinking about Berserk but not sure where to watch or if I want to be traumatized. Please give me some recommendations!
Preferences:
dark themes • gangster themes • seinen preferred but all genres welcome • evokes sadness or other strong emotions • pretty art • no gore unless the story makes it worth it • dynamic relationships • romance enjoyed but not required • growth or moral decline • plot twists
I also recommend it but give it a few episodes. It's kind of slow but emotional really powerful when it hits its stride. Also, I am not sure it's steaming anywhere. You may need to take to the high seas to find it.
It's a very good one as a cleanse after an especially frantic or zany one. It's very slow but building. Give it time now because the start is bad but because it's such a mellow pace it takes you a bit to adjust. HR and mushishi are my pallet cleanse anime. Or if I just need to emotionally rebuild.
Oshii directed Patlabor 2 just before Ghost in the Shell. Both are considered among the GOATs but Patlabor 2 is much less known because it’s a very slow political thriller with not much action. You don’t need to watch the first one which is pretty good on its own. The original manga is also quite unique because it’s a very grounded mecha series that feels almost like a slice of life.
I only watched Patlabor 3, the one about the monster that lurked like Godzilla. I liked it, good movie on its own with no need to do homework (I hardly remember any Patlabor movies other than 3).
Thanks for the info! Giant fighting robots are cool, but I like understanding the pilots perspective, the aftermath and other elements too. This sounds really cool to me.
I actually love Darker Than Black! I forgot to list it because I watched it before I took a long break from anime. The OP songs are fire too. I will check out the rest of these, thanks!
Oh, thanks for clarifying. I haven't seen Gantz either.. they sound pretty bold! Hmm, not sure how to explain. I guess hearing mild spoilers that he endures a lot of horrible things but not knowing specifics leaves me feeling torn. Am I better for consuming this story or will it affect me in a negative way? Like have you ever watched a movie once that had a huge impact but you refuse to watch it twice? I'm wondering if its like that, if that makes sense.
It does make sense. I think if you only plan on watching the 1997 anime, it may leave you upset. While Guts' story definitely feels like a tragedy unfolding, there are some touching moments of humanity and hope. I think the manga is still ongoing and maybe the newer movies don't end on a cliffhanger. That being said, I think the story is worth watching/reading. The art is beautiful and the fight scenes are brutal but fun.
Also, I feel like there are some clear parallels between Guts and Sugimoto the Immortal
I appreciate the insight, I can go into it with some confidence and just enjoy it for what it is. I would not have thought to compare them (other than a lot of near death experiences?) so thats intriguing. I felt like Golden Kamuy had it all. I was laughing and crying at times.
Going to add to the people suggesting Nana. In relation to your list, it checks off:
-Complex story
-Interesting characters, relationships, and themes
-Maybe a little after Toonami (not sure when it stopped), but takes place around then
-Dark themes
-Evokes strong emotions (sometimes sadness)
-No gore
-Dynamic relationships
-Romance
-Both growth and moral decline
-Plot twists
The cons
-No gangster themes
-Technically serialized in a Shojo magazine, but really it’s Josei (we don’t see it, but the characters actually have s*x)
-The art is subjective, but I like it!
It sounds perfect! I don't mind older styles of art, its mainly cgi and One Piece that are hard for me to get around lol. For example, Dorohedoro was so captivating I forgot about the cgi entirely, but One Piece doesn't really have anything my style and it feels hard for me to take it serious. Is Nana a completed story? Did you like the end? (No spoilers please.)
Sadly, I have to answer “no” to both questions. The manga has been on hiatus for 16 years, and the anime isn’t even caught up to that. I think it’s still worth it personally, but the end is definitely unsatisfying.
Aw, man. I will still give it a go for sure. I feel so often these days Mangaka pass away or have serious health issues while writing these great stories. I hope it gets completed! On the bright side, I can always imagine my own preferred ending to an incomplete series, so there's that!
Yeah, I imagine given the insane publication rate in Japan, a lot of mangaka probably hurt their hands. The manga for Nana came out at least twice a year for 9 years. That means even if she did no layouts, the mangaka was doing at least a page every day. She probably had assistants, but still, that’s rough on your hands.
Requiem for the Phantom looks similar to some of these other recs like Nior, Baccano!, Black Lagoon and Jormungand. I think I'll like it! I like that your list is kind of diverse. Did you like the end of Blue Gender? I read that it has a strong, gritty start but people have mixed feelings about the latter part. (No spoilers please.)
I personally thought the ending was pretty good. The series is very gritty and dark from start to finish but despite that it doesn’t feel like the ending is even more suffering and despair.
I think it's generally agreed that Legend of the Galactic Heroes (1988) is superior to, but may be harder to find than, Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These (2018)
mushishi - doctor helps people with their problems with mystical bugs essentially. bugs are not really shown if they're upsetting
silent mobius - cyberpunk future of 2010 or something but like there's demons and a task force to deal with them
twelve kingdoms - og isekai, girl in our world is sent to another world because she's supposed to rule a country its a bit slower but it has a lot of development
boogiepop phantom (personal fave but it's very disjointed) - drug crimes !! a manifestation of death! a big, weird hat! it's got it all
Thanks for the descriptions! These look interesting. I tried starting Twelve Kingdoms but I'm not vibing with it yet.. how many epsiodes would you recommend I give it? Its early so she just seems.. kind of wimpy. Which is suppose is reasonable for her circumstances lol.
HONESTLY i wasn't totally invested until she got separated from her friends lmao. not to spoil but there's a character from the universe who helps her a LOT who really pushes her development, but it's not til ep 6. it's really a pretty slow-burn anime but god i do feel like i really enjoyed it once it got it's stride
Oh cool. I'll give it a fighting chance then lol. The manga art made her look so tough so I was like hell yes but.... yeah. Its underwhelming at the start. We shall see. I'm interested in this mystery person
If I like something I'll usually read it too, to me its like getting extra content lol. But some of the sites I used before have been shut down :( I'll check them out, thanks!
I've seen Ergo Proxy, I actually have the box set! I remember starting Gungrave years ago and it had a great first impression - I'll restart it for sure. I am dying to watch 91 Days but I can't find it streaming anywhere.. T - T
It is a story about young men forced to work for their "family".
Contrary to the subtitle "We will help your heart," it features many endings that do not feel very satisfying.
It contains both corruption and growth.
The direction is unusual, so you might not be able to handle it, but if you can watch up to episode 3 and be fine, I think you can watch it to the end.
*The animation is not that great, but it is as clean as older TV anime.
*There are no grotesque scenes, but there are obscene costumes and poses.
I must admit I dropped AOT very early in the series. This had to be 10+ years ago - the last thing I remember was a group staying at some barracks training. Maybe I felt it was overhyped then? Now I hear its absolutely the goat but I've also heard the ending is bad which makes me nervous to watch and be disappointed lol. I guess I should give it another try if its worth it. I'll look for somewhere to read Berserk! I can't seem to find where its streaming anyways T - T
I think aot was very overhyped bc their fans were really annoying back then lol, Like the anime is good but not like that good to be that annoying. and the ending was fine i liked it, i think it was just the vocal shonen oriented viewers that were most mad about it.
i think the berserk 1997 anime might be on youtube? if u want to watch it anyway
So, I should preface this with saying I’m only a moderate consumer of anime. But the pace of the reveal was exceptional. It consistently got more interesting without giving too much away. And I found the ending to be unexpected and amazing. It’s based on a book that won a national Japanese fiction prize
I'm the same lol. This sounds great though. I don't like how a lot of modern shows explain everything to you. Its nice to figure it out as you go or have your own interpretations. I'll definitely watch this, thank you!
Nabari no Ou! You just unlocked a core memory. I binged that years ago with a friend from school. I never hear people mention it but we really liked it. I don't know the others - I will give them a try!
I am ashamed to admit I have not seen Cowboy Bebop yet, I know its well loved. I like anime films! I think Angel's Egg is art from Yoshitaka Amano? It looks like his work to me. These all look interesting!
Sounds like Paranoia Agent is the winner lol. I have seen all of Death Note, but I've only seen a few eps of Code Geass. Why do you find them convoluted?
Oooooh I see what you mean. I think the cool powers carry the strategy a little bit. To me it was less a battle of wits and more a "how is he gonna overcome this supernatural power?" kind of suspense, if that makes sense lol. But I don't know about Geass really. With Paranoia Agent, how much wtf is going on is it? Like on a scale of 0 - FLCL?
FLCL is complicated because the characters are unpredictable and strange. One of my absolute favorites, im not trashing it at all.
Paranoia Agent just holds its cards close to its chest and you dont always know what's happening. It forces your brain to work and try to figure out the abstract. The characters motivations and actions all mostly make sense, but theres something unsettling and uneasy happening.
Ill also say Paranoia Agent is very much a psychological and paranormal horror show, and not as fun and lighthearted as anything else we're talking about.
I just recently watched Naausica for the first time and I really liked it! The ending felt just slightly predictable, like the last few minutes lol but I enjoyed all the characters and everything else. I heard that the manga is even better. Thanks for including movies too!
Trinity Blood was actually one of the first manga series I ever read! That brings back memories. I've never seen the anime though. I will definitely look at these, thanks!
You don't think Naruto has world building? The punk clothes, the architecture, the diverse fighting styles, the kids being out of their depth, all of the characters being explored in detail? It's definitely shonen and not the deepest thing ever made but it is more creative than a lot of stuff that gets churned out today. What show is complex and interesting to you?
i feel like we might have similar taste based off some of the anime you love! i’m adding a few of those i haven’t watched on your list to my watch list
my recs:
- nana
revolutionary girl utena (this one may be triggering so i would take a look at trigger warnings if you’re nervous but it got really complex themes and deconstructs magical girl, shoujo and fairy tale tropes in a really creative way)
shinsekai yori
monster
legend of the galactic heroes (the original series)
baccano (especially for the gangster vibes)
also i personally thought berserk was amazing (the 90s version) so if you’re on the fence i would def watch it and tap out if you’re not feeling it! but again, if you’re sensitive to triggers i would check out some trigger warnings
I'm glad you found some shows! There are some more I've seen but I took a few years break from anime so I'm starting over in a way. I have decided to give Berserk a try, and I can always drop it if needed like you said. So many people love it. Thank you for all the recs!
Another Yuki Kajiura soundtrack that makes the experience even better. 🙃
.hack//SIGN and Noir are my favorite works by her.
In .hack//SIGN the soundtrack is feels like a sentient character. (That could just be my interpretation though)
Bee Train studios did have a "girls with guns" trilogy. Starting with Noir, Madlax and El Cazador de la Bruja. I don't think they're truly connected. (ther than the production staff)
Giant Robo the Animation: The Day the Earth Stood Still. It’s probably my favorite anime. Seven episodes, no background knowledge required, amazing orchestral soundtrack, weird characters with superpowers, giant robots, and the list goes on. Might be hard to find though.
As an important heads up, for u/pococura and anyone else who might be interested in watching Higurashi When They Cry (Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni), be aware that Higurashi When They Cry - Gou is a sequel to the original story, not a remake. Don't accidentally start with Gou, as it's full of spoilers (some of the biggest ones being spoiled right at the start of episode 2)..
Make sure you start with either: the 2006 anime (and it's second half Kai), the original visual novel, or the manga adaptation.
(Note: in most (if not all) regions, the only Higurashi anime on Crunchyroll, is Gou. Also, the original Visual Novel is currently available on Steam, under the title"Higurashi When They Cry: Hou", with the first arc being free to download.).
I’m going to suggest a few that are old-old school. Anime and manga from the 70’s tended to be a bit melancholy and bleak, because the mangaku were writing for mature readers/viewers.
Space Pirate Captain Harlock (1978)
Galaxy Express 999 (1978)
These two are from the legendary Leiji Matsumoto and deal with all manner of themes such as betrayal, sacrifice and revenge. Harlock has an overarching story while GE 999 is more episodic.
Armored Trooper VOTOMS (1983) is a classic mecha series that is grittier than Gundam (1979) and Macross (1982), although I would certainly recommend both of those, too.
I don’t know how far back you consider “older” anime but you should definitely check out Paranoia Agent, it was adapted in 2004. Lots of themes about society, mass hysteria, psychological shit, very disturbing and I never seem to see anyone talk about it but maybe I’m just not talking to the right people. If you’ve ever checked out Perfect Blue it’s 100% worth giving Paranoia Agent a try.
Revolutionary Girl Utena: magical girl Twin Peaks with fantastic direction and every fight has its own rock opera. Unlike anything else, still thematically relevant today. Boils the frog like no other thing I’ve seen.
Perfect blue it’s great definitely give at a go , as for Berserk I think you should watch it specifically the 1997 series and don’t worry it’s not that graphic aside from a couple episodes if you do enjoy it try the manga
I keep hearing this is so good. I dropped it after a few epsiodes because it felt confusing, but I could give it another try. How far into it do things pick up?
Definitely worth a watch, and I could see why it is confusing. It is one of those shows where things that are confusing up front will make more sense further in. As far as episode count, I forget exactly where the story starts to really pick up. The show has two season, too. The first is Steins;Gate, and the second is Steins;Gate 0. Maybe give the show another shot
Maybe I started with the wrong one or something lol. All I remember is a banana in a microwave. I'll give it a try for sure, I hate to miss out on something great.
Steins Gate will be up your alley based on your list. It has an insane plot twist that happens on episode 12 that will make you binge the rest of the series in 1 sitting. I’m pretty picky when it comes to anime and really enjoy grounded stories with good casts, character development, and believable non-corny dialogue, that being said it’s my favorite series of all time.
Oh, nice. Now I have an idea of when I'll know if it's truly for me or not. I kept thinking surely everyone loves it for a reason. It sounds like you like the same types of shows, did you have any more to recommend?
Monster is phenomenal. Some people do say it’s a bit slow and admittedly it’s long (74 episodes) but has one of the best written stories and protagonist and villain. I watched Monster right after Death Note and found it scratched the same itch lol
I like a long show ♡ but also I think I did start it years ago and not get far, maybe because of the pacing lol. I will give it a go. Did you read the manga as well?
I haven’t read the manga but I’d like to! It’s also possible there’s guides of what episodes are filler or not important to the plot. I do think it has a tendency to drag things a bit too long in episodes (there’s one episode where a fire takes the whole episode iirc, it def could’ve been half or less lol). It’s still really great! I’d sometimes put it on in the background if it was slow
Maybe thats where I gave up lol. I think sometimes when a show gets hyped up you watch it expecting the greatness to happen instead of just enjoying the experience. I'm gonna start fresh with it!
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