Deep anime makes fans think long after it ends is now more popular than ever. Newcomers may find this surprising, as anime can look like a fun form of entertainment on a surface level. However, dig a little deeper and one will find a plethora of shows with surreal, existential and very complex themes.
The topics that anime can cover are seemingly endless. Modern psychology, gender, and the role of technology are just a few of the many challenging topics that become more accessible when filtered through the lens of anime. That’s not to say that any of these series make for a simple viewing experience: they open viewers up to new ideas that keep them thinking long after the credits roll.
10 horrors in resonance
Terror in Resonance has been ranked as one of the best Studio MAPPA anime for its exploration of terrorism and violence. In an alternate modern Japan, two teenagers steal an atomic bomb in what appears to be a terrorist attack. It is later revealed that the boys are involved with a school that turns orphans into human weapons. With only 11 episodes, this anime has a quick viewing time but is not interesting at all. Not only is Resonance beautifully animated with complex characters, but it also feels more prophetic than ever in today’s political zeitgeist. Monster fans will notice similarities between Kinderheim 511 and Resonance’s Rising Peace Academy.
9 Roujin Z
Roujin Z is a satirical sci-fi anime about both technology and elderly care. Written by Katsuhiro Otomo, of Akira fame, set in 21st century Japan, it details the creation of a robotic hospital bed known as the Z-001, designed to let humans used for eating, bathing and dispensing medicine. An 87-year-old patient “volunteered” to test the product in a mixture of both humor and horror. When the bed turns out to be a government-created weapon, the film turns to pure action, but questions about the inhumane treatment of the elderly still linger. For those interested in history, the film also touches on themes of traditional and modern technology as well as the militarization of Japan.
8 Welcome to NHK
Welcome to NHK’s exploration of the phenomenon known as hikikomori, or extreme social withdrawal, which affects a staggering 1.5 million people in Japan today. The film is about the reclusive Tatsuhiro Sato and a mysterious girl who seems to know a lot about him even though they have never met before. Over the course of 24 episodes, audiences learn more about Sato and what may have encouraged him to live so isolated in the first place. Loneliness, mental health and existentialism are all prominent themes that NHK examines in a realistic and nuanced way. In the end, Welcome to NHK is an underrated psychological anime worth watching.
7 Firefly Grave
Any seasoned anime fan has likely heard about Grave of the Fireflies and how brutal the viewing experience is. One of Studio Ghibli’s best films, it tells the story of two brothers, Seita and Setsuko, who struggle to survive during the final months of World War II in Japan. The children experience hunger, loneliness and tragedy as their lives are devastated by brutal war. Viewers will be forced to relive a terrible period in history, but that’s what makes Grave of the Fireflies such an important and necessary film.
6 monsters
One of the best anime of the early 2000s, Monster revolves around doctor Kenzo Tenma and his pursuit of serial killer Johan Liebert. Tenma, who saved Johan’s life as a child before realizing his monstrous nature, has the ultimate motive to send Johan to prison. However, Johan is more mysterious, and the way his backstory is revealed over 70 episodes is an enjoyable slow burn. Monster tackles the uncomfortable truth that even the best-intentioned actions can have disastrous consequences, as well as the blurred lines between good and evil. This anime is a must-see for fans of Death Note and relationship-based series like Banana Fish.
5 Ghost in the shell
Ghost in the Shell set a new standard for the neo-noir and cyberpunk genres when it was released in 1995. The film follows a cyborg public safety officer named Motoko Kusanagi as she tracks down a hacker. the elusive known as the Puppet Master. The film raises pressing questions about technology and how one can create identity amidst it, which is especially strange in the modern age with our dependence on AI. Ghost not only raises important questions but is also gorgeously animated with a haunting choral soundtrack. In other words, it’s no surprise that the film has become a modern-day cult classic.
4 revolutionary girls Utena
Utena Tenjou is not your typical high school student. She is drawn into a fencing tournament to save her mysterious classmate, Anthy Himemiya, who has the ability to “revolutionize the world”. Revolutionary Girl Utena is a deconstruction of gender, fairy tales, shoujo manga, and polite love stories. However ambitious it may sound, the allegorical series lands the ball at every turn. With the love story of Utena and Anthy at the center, Utena has been heralded as one of the best LGBTQ+ anime series. While the sheer amount of symbolism hardly makes for a regular watch, the show will keep fans thinking long after the final episode.
3 perfect blue colors
The brainchild of legendary director Satoshi Kon, Perfect Blue is a psychological thriller similar to Black Swan or an Alfred Hitchcock film. J-Pop idol Mima Kirigoe leaves girl group CHAM! to pursue a life as a full-time actor, but things quickly took a turn for the worse. Mima becomes a victim of stalking and gradually begins to lose touch with reality as the people she knows are killed one by one. Released in 1997, Perfect Blue raises questions about stardom, Internet privacy, and female voyeurism that remain extremely relevant today. It’s no surprise that Perfect Blue regularly ranks among the best anime films of all time.
2 Overcoming mentality
A cyberpunk series reminiscent of Blade Runner and 1984, Psycho-Pass isn’t afraid to ask thought-provoking questions about morality. The main character, Akane Tsunemori, must navigate a computer network known as the Sibyl System, in which a civilian’s culpability counts against whether they should be arrested or not. Akane, an idealistic officer, is forced to reconsider the flawed system when a serial killer appears that the Sibyl System cannot detect. Not only does everyone in the series have subtly different morals, two of the main actors also have one of the deepest feuds in anime which makes both characters even more interesting.
1 Evangelical Neon Genesis
Neon Genesis Evangelion is a deep mecha anime. Set in the futuristic city of Tokyo-3 fifteen years after the disaster known as Second Impact, the film follows Shinji Ikari as he learns to pilot a machine called Evangelion. The show has heavy Judeo-Christian imagery and uses the psychological theories of Jung and Freud. Shinji is also not a typical male protagonist, he is soft-spoken and much more reluctant to pilot his Eva than the average action hero. Overall, any fan who has seen the original series or any of the remakes will have spent at least a few hours trying to grasp the complexity of the story and its symbolism. An incredibly ambitious series, Evangelion changed anime forever and was more than just a drastic deconstruction of the mecha genre.
Clearly, anime is a much more complex medium than it first appears. Watching it doesn’t have to be a passive viewing experience: anime deeply challenges the viewer, and that’s precisely its appeal. The The most profound anime that leaves fans thinking long after it ends is guaranteed to reframe perspectives and make viewers think about their own lives through multiple lenses.