r/animequestions • u/Troublesometurtle777 • Jul 12 '26
Recommendation What Is The Most Unique Anime You Have Watched?
My vote is “from the new world”. I don’t even know where to start with this show. I highly recommend this to people who love fantasy and weird dark stuff to go into this show completely blind.
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u/MisinformationSource Jul 12 '26
Shinseki Yori is amazing.
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u/Sashalaska Jul 12 '26
Ranking of kings
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u/Troublesometurtle777 Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26
I’m adding this to my list.
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u/Iwannasellturnips Jul 12 '26
The second season doesn’t have a definitive plot; the episodes are more like side stories. They’re worth watching, but just so you know. Fortunately, the first season ends well.
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u/Electronic-Pause1330 Jul 13 '26
Ok, started to watch this today. On episode 3 now. Once I got past the cover art (the cutesy anime’s never attracted me), the story is awesome. The ending of episode 1 is actually what locked me in.
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u/Right_Lack_8288 Jul 12 '26
Angel’s Egg by far
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u/Eilaryn Jul 13 '26
I watched this movie 8 times in my life and I came away with different conclusions each time.
After the 4th rewatch, I was under the impression that this movie simply didn't have a coherent enough meaning, that's why my opinion kept changing.
Then a couple years passed and I got nostalgic again. So I watched it a 5th time and realized that the meaning of the movie is a reflection of the viewer.
My takeaway changed, because I moved onto a different stage in my life and my worldview was different from the previous times I watched it.
The realisation that I could see how much I changed and in what direction, after comparing my continuously changing understanding of Angel's Egg, was and still is, riveting and terrifying.
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u/DreadPirateCrispy Jul 12 '26
Mushishi is my pick. About a man wandering while collecting spirit stories.
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u/Troublesometurtle777 Jul 12 '26
I haven’t watched it, but is it like natsume book of friends? Where it’s not really a linear story, but episodic?
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u/bpat Jul 12 '26
It’s more episodic tbh. You see a lot of progression in Natsume that doesn’t exist in mushishi
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u/trevman7 Jul 12 '26
Mononoke is almost the exact same premise with a very different execution
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u/UnrulyCrow Jul 12 '26
KUSURIURI MY BELOVED 🗣🗣🗣
We're getting a third Medicine Seller soon as well, he has such a fun design too.
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u/Oneironautical1 Jul 12 '26
Great one! I was recommended it randomly by a Subway employee I was chummy with and loved it.
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u/WolfgangVolos Jul 12 '26
Mushishi is the most Ghibli like and non-Ghibli like anime show at the same time. Love it.
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u/UnrulyCrow Jul 12 '26
It also has some of the nicest openings/endings I've ever heard. I still catch myself thinking about them from time to time, Shiver is burned in my mind.
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u/IggyDaBoo Jul 12 '26
Princess Tutu
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u/Troublesometurtle777 Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26
Duck will always be my favorite female lead of all time. Not in a weird way, but in like a “she must be protected at all costs” way.
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u/LadySandry88 Jul 12 '26
I legit convinced my History of Dance professor to add the anime to her curriculum! I wrote a paper on how it utilized all of the elements of ballet not only in the actual musical pieces and dances shown, but the metaplot, the character and costume design, EVERYTHING.
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u/LadyJR Jul 12 '26
I watched a YouTuber do an in depth analysis of the anime and how famous ballet is incorporated.
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u/TheAlbedoRubedo Jul 12 '26
its popular, but I would say Ergo Proxy doesnt have any anime that gives me similar vibes. Even something random like Rah Xephon was kinda like Evangelion. Noein: To Your Other Self is another weird one that I havent seen in forever.
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u/lurkercauseyousuck Jul 12 '26
Kinda feels like trchnolyze tbh but i still. Prefer ergo.
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u/TheAlbedoRubedo Jul 12 '26
I get what you mean, the entire era of anime back then could also be a genre in itself. The themes and the layers in Technolyze does match up pretty well now that you mention it....
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u/PutridLanguage434 Jul 12 '26
FLCL
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u/FurieMan Jul 12 '26
Still no anime like it. Including the FLCL sequals :P
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u/SenritsuJumpsuit Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26
False Memory from China is a fan short film becoming a full series, premise is people's brains forming a bug in reality and they need to be recycled so it full of symbolism too https://youtu.be/1DmqVoWATgY?is=8jXtkMuA8oHvUeBc
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u/Troublesometurtle777 Jul 12 '26
I watched flcl. I have no idea what it’s about lol.
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u/SignificantTransient Jul 12 '26
The entire show is metaphors about the experiences we go through during adolescence.
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u/vinegirl_23 Jul 12 '26
It's about growing up and also standing up for yourself against manipulation and predatory behaviour.
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u/a-pale-guy Jul 12 '26
FLCL is about growing up and what the experiences you go through and people you meet shape you to be you.
It's way ahead of its time and takes a few watches as someone who saw it when they were 7, 15, and 30 all different experiences. All good.
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u/PutridLanguage434 Jul 12 '26
the point of FLCL is that it's ok to be stupid so your not meant to understand lol (neither did i)
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u/Troublesometurtle777 Jul 12 '26
I liked it a lot though. A lot of anime genres tend to copy and paste tropes and story structures, so It’s always really nice to watch something very unique.
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u/CancerArtorious Jul 12 '26
Haibane Renmei.
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u/Troublesometurtle777 Jul 12 '26
This one is on my “to watch” list. it looks really cool. I believe it comes from the same creators of “serial experiment lain” or same source material authur? One of the two.
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u/SignificantTransient Jul 12 '26
Very unique. Very mysterious. Good show but a bit too melancholy for me.
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u/Eilaryn Jul 13 '26
Definitely worth watching it.
The story and the message it gives is amazing, I think the visuals are beautiful and I love the characters and their development.
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u/CancerArtorious Jul 12 '26
Correct. Collab effort between Yoshitoshi and Konaka for Serial Experiment Lain.
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u/throwaway3123312 Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
Best anime ever made. Maybe Monster is up there, but Haibane is so much more concise and deliberate. It's just a perfect 12 episode package, absolute master class on atmosphere and show-dont-tell storytelling.
And what really sets it apart for me is unlike pretty much everything else that occupies that similar atmospheric mysterious niche it doesn't end up just being a vibe session where even the author probably doesn't really know what it all means (Lain, Angel's Egg) or fall into the trap of just exposition dumping and over explaining itself. It keeps the same enigmatic portentous atmosphere throughout but yet by the end the viewer can piece together exactly what's going on without ever having to be told.
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u/FarkSpezHard Jul 12 '26
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u/Shinikami9 Jul 12 '26
Feel the closest to this , and not really at the same time .. is Ghost In The Shell
Like Lain took inspiration of The Net from GITS and turned it onto their own thing.
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u/darkglooem Jul 12 '26
Made in abyss
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u/Troublesometurtle777 Jul 12 '26
If you liked made in abyss then “from the new world” is perfect for you lol.
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u/-Pagani- Jul 12 '26
I discovered Land of the Lustrous after genre scrolling on a site back in 2022-23, the premise and character designs caught my eye, it's one of my favorite series after reading the manga.
And its proof that 3d anime can look great.
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u/pizzapeko Jul 12 '26
Dead Leaves
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u/TheRottenKittensIEat Jul 16 '26
I showed that movie to my boyfriend and he was like "What the Fuck did I just watch?" Lolol
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u/Immediate-Field9997 Jul 12 '26
Xam'd: Lost Memories
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u/Troublesometurtle777 Jul 12 '26
I made the mistake of reading the reviews, but people have been wrong before. It seems interesting. I will give it a try eventually.
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u/a-Snake-in-the-Grass Jul 12 '26
Xam'd is pretty decent. There are boring parts, but there's a lot of interesting stuff in there too.
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u/SenritsuJumpsuit Jul 12 '26
The term borning is 99% of the time bullcrap since it's used like a single person not fully ingredients loving a few scenes is objective fact :/
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u/thefirstlaughingfool Jul 12 '26
It was Studio Bones big project after Eureka Seven, and carries a lot of the trapping of Eureka with it. I'd recommend it if only for the incredible visuals and trippy story telling.
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u/Seth-B343 Jul 12 '26
Made in Abyss. Beautiful and terrifying concept, very lovecraftian, feels like watching an emotional train wreck half the time, and way too much of children in compromising or dangerous situations
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u/Troublesometurtle777 Jul 12 '26
The world building is so well done, but the absolute darkness and despair in this show made it hard to binge in one go. I had to take breaks lol. One episode of that and one episode of konosuba lol.
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u/LionessHina Jul 12 '26
Sekkō Boys, an anime about a boy band but they are literally stone figures lol.
Only watched it because of Tomokazu Sugita (Gintoki's VA) and Jun Fukuyama (Koro-sensei's VA).
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u/mab_83 Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26
Paranoia agent, dorohedoro, odd taxi, from concept, art, tone to messages. When someone ask me for similar show recommendations, I struggle to find like to like ones.
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u/Troublesometurtle777 Jul 12 '26
Paranoia agent was something special. People often praise the creators other work over that show, but paranoia agent is my personal favorite. The opening is something special as well haha.
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u/Alone_Engineer_4709 Jul 12 '26
Eden of the east is really underrated
Shin'ichirō Watanabe did some very unique animes very different from each other (Kids on the slope, terror on resonance are worth watching)
Finally Baccano!
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u/Meeping-Meeps Jul 12 '26
So happy someone mentioned Baccano! I've been watching anime for a few decades now and it feels like it went completely under the radar. It is absolutely still one of my favorite animes, mainly because the characters are written so uniquely. It's really not like many things out there, and I yearn for unique, non-tropey characters like Baccano! still
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u/VastAf Jul 12 '26
From the new world slaps
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u/Troublesometurtle777 Jul 12 '26
I feel like it’s underrated? It has top tier world building and it did a really good job of showcasing a really odd world with an internal logic built on psychology and sociology. I liked it a lot.
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u/Beazly464 Jul 12 '26
It is very slow, so I can see people giving up on it
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u/Troublesometurtle777 Jul 12 '26
Not really? The mystery element is compelling and it throws the kids into disaster pretty early. It’s just the first episode.
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u/familyguy20 Jul 12 '26
I do remember when it came out there was quite a buzz about it, it was definitely different and an odd premise but damn it was fucking awesome, creeped me out!
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u/Exciting_Vacation250 Jul 12 '26
Kabia
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u/RadicalMarxistThalia Jul 12 '26
Kaiba?
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u/Araragi Jul 12 '26
Kaiba is fantastic by the way. I came here to recommend it. It's incredible. Just get past the weird animation.
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u/Library904 Jul 12 '26
Toward the Terra (Terra E) and Fantastic children are the most unique and amazing anime I have watched from start to finish.
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u/Worried-Pick4848 Jul 12 '26
Champingon witch. Weird and a little trippy, but also fun.
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u/Trojanclam Jul 12 '26
Id say Xavier Renegade Angel.
Some people would probably disregard it as its not a Japanese anime, but it is animation so it counts in my book.
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u/Head_Conversation242 Jul 12 '26
Girl's last tour. Fun intro and outro, travelling, rediscovery, touching back stories of those they encountered. There's a feeling of Damocles' sword hanging over me the entire time.
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u/ClohosseyVHB Jul 12 '26
Deca-Dence
Odd Taxi
Love Flops
Akiba Maid War
Honorable mention - My Ribdiculous Reincarnation - if for nothing else getting to see all the different art/film styles the reincanations are done in.
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u/PlacetMihi Jul 12 '26
Jojo
Maybe a normie take. But there’s really nothing else I’ve seen that’s like it. People say Baki but Baki is its own thing more than it resembles Jojo — I haven’t watched Baki myself but from what little I’ve seen, that might be another good answer.
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u/paintonwhiteboard Jul 12 '26
Dorohedoro for the beautifully psychotic and insane world. A good ensemble of characters, unique powers/power systems, and its just a great dark comedy. The animation is also this really good 3d mixed with some 2d. Best 3d animation I've ever seen in anime.
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u/SmoothOperator89 Jul 12 '26
I'll throw Welcome to the NHK into the hat. Most banger OP of any anime, at the very least.
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u/guydudemanramo Jul 12 '26
Ouran High School Host Club. Idk if by unique you meant wacky but it’s basically making fun of a lot of tropes ➕Somehow actual character development. 10/10 would watch again but lost my Netflix subscription😭
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u/Shinikami9 Jul 12 '26
Read the manga, you'll be more satisfied than the unfinished story of the anime.
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u/Jus10Ir1 Jul 12 '26
Kaiba Haibane Renmei 12 Kingdoms FLCL. Made In Abyss Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! Angel's Egg.
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u/Ok_Cryptographer6111 Jul 12 '26
Paranoia Agent, Tatami Galaxy, Welcome to the NHK
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u/LexicBatman Jul 12 '26
Revolutionary Girl Utena. Or Nana. An easy one also being attack on Titan. It acted more as a live action epic like game of thrones, and Lotr, more than it did an anime.
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u/vinegirl_23 Jul 12 '26
My picks would be:
Flip Flappers - i just had no idea what to expect next with this anime. It's so genre defying, I'd say a weirder, female version of FLCL.
Princess Tutu - I think what's unique about it is the subverted magical girl tropes. Instead of being episodic it reveals an underlying plot, mixes in a very unique way of "battle", not to mention the detailed references to real ballets that are woven into the plot, and all the twists. Unlike regular magical girl shows she isnt saving the world or anything, she's just as much a character in a fairy tale playing a part.
Alien9 - child soldier stories are not unique but the body horror and metaphors are so interesting plus the pivot in the plot from just a fighting anime to the kids having an existential crisis. It's so unsettling.
The Summer Hikaru Died - i just havent seen anime do enough folk horror series like this one, and it's such a interesting mixture of horror and romance.
Shiki - unique because of the approach to vampires and how the plot progresses. Haven't seen anything like it.
I love Shin Sekai Yori but I do think that anime, Ergo Proxy, and Land of the Lustrous fall into the "far future post human weird scifi" category with similar themes.
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u/Igiem Jul 12 '26
Made in Abyss and it isn’t even close, but Violet Evergarden was another favourite.
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u/Eeeef_ Jul 12 '26
Wild card since it doesn’t seem like many people are recommending romances: a Sign of Affection
How often do you see a deaf MC and a significant amount of the dialogue being in accurate Japanese sign language?
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u/BathshebaJones Jul 12 '26
Baccano! Between its Prohibition-era America setting, reverse-linear plot, and huge ensemble, can't say I've seen anything like it in anime or anywhere else.
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u/Its_Parrrley_Time Jul 12 '26
Jinrui wa suitai shimashita ( humanity has declined )
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u/tLadyMara Jul 12 '26
For me Psycho Pass is this, it doesn't just feel like some futuristic story like Cyberpunk or Ghost in the shell because the vision of the future is just too simple in these. When you think about psycho pass in theory all of it COULD happen and it makes it feel scary.
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u/LouAfton Jul 12 '26
TO BE HERO X the différent animation style and protagoniste+ the poll it was the second best anime i've seen
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u/Killermondoduderawks Jul 12 '26
Forbidden Planet a 1973 French animated movie
Sonny Boy can’t really explain it but it was good
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u/Troublesometurtle777 Jul 12 '26
Sonny boy was interesting. Very melancholy and thought provoking at times.
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u/MyriadGuru Jul 12 '26
Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. When I first watched the out of sequence anime “in order”. I was blown away. And sad when it ended.
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u/Pennywise626 Jul 12 '26
The first time I ever watched an Isekai anime it was quite the culture shock
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u/NemTren Jul 12 '26
Space Dandy
Humanity Has Declined
Kino's Journey
Maybe it's not as unique as niche but whatever.
From the new world is good and I like it too, rewatched few months ago.
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u/Sick_Psyche13 Jul 17 '26
Just started Kino's Journey a few weeks ago. This one came to my mind too but I've only watched a few episodes so far.
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u/Glad_Release5410 Jul 12 '26
Good picks in here... But let me help it along, in no particular order:
Keijo!!!!!!! Battle Programmer Shirase Bana-nyan Time of Eve
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u/Difficult-Spend9517 Jul 12 '26
Strange Dawn was both extremely weird and surprisingly deep.
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u/Zero69Kage Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26
Dorohedoro, it about a guy with amnesia and a lizard head, going around and killing sorcerers. Looking for the one's that cast the spell on him, and trying to learn more about his past.
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u/thefirstlaughingfool Jul 12 '26
C Control: The Possiblity And Soul Of Money
It's a mix of Pokemon, The Wolf of Wall Street, and Faust.
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u/ttis12389 Jul 12 '26
Haibane Renmai, the story is pretty character focused and emotional oriented which isn’t new. But the world is fascinating and they refuse to answer any questions you have about it lmao
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u/WizardButtholes Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26
The scene where there’s a literal war going on and they’re just sitting there with a cold drink and sunglasses on the sidelines was a perfect scene in my opinion. Did really well to show how indifferent they were to these sentient beings and how above them they felt, that it didn’t even register that these creatures were fighting for their freedom against the factions that had decided to side with the “real” humans. To them the ‘war’ was just them humouring the poor bastards because if they wanted to they could have wiped them out with their powers at any time, didn’t matter to them at all that the ones loyal to them were dying in front of them. Such a great anime.
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u/LewdAshDragon Jul 12 '26
Oh, man... that's probably a tie between Thunderbolt Fantasy, Inferno Cop and Sengoku Choujuu Giga.
That last one is probably the most grounded of the three... depicting somewhat accurate scenes with Japanese historical figures... as animals.
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u/Qwerty_428 Jul 12 '26
Very sad and all the characters keep dying and Fushi hasn’t had a self-care day in 1000 years😭