Anime fans, looking for suggestions

[Xprimentyl]

Apparently, this video?s been out for a while and garnered enough attention to merit ?viewer reaction? videos, but I?m just seeing it so, yeah. WARNING: Not safe for work, school, church or nursing homes?

Spoiler: ?DyE ? Fantasy?

While the song isn?t necessarily in my typical genre, it?s just esoteric enough to be pique my interest, but the animation is what really grabbed me. I used to be a pretty big anime fan back in my youth, late ?80s-mid ?90s, and this immediately reminded me of some of my favorites, i.e.: Fist of the North Star, Vampire Hunter D, Akira, Ninja Scroll, Demon City Shinjuku, anything dark, OTT violent, twisted and/or disturbing, and I found myself somewhat nostalgic.

Being away from anime for such a long time, I?m completely out of the loop, but I see a few people in here talk about it, so my ask is: are there any more recent anime (and by ?recent,? I?m saying within the last 15-20 years,) that are reminiscent of titles like those I listed above? The only thing of recent note I?ve watched was the first several episodes of Attack on Titan on Netflix, and they were incredible, but I prefer standalone films, not episodic stuff. If AoT had been a two hour movie, it?d have been perfect, but since it dragged on and I eventually ran out of episodes, I lost any interest to seek it out. So? suggestions?

 

[SckizoBoy]

Eh... Shingeki no Kyojin the anime was crap... better off reading the manga, then you'll realise how much better the history comes across and how drawn out the anime is...

You may or may not like...

Requiem from the Darkness
Shigurui
Hellsing
Perhaps anything by Satoshi Kon (basically Paranoia Agent, the films are probably a bit aged now)
Sky Crawlers

That's all that comes to mind based on what you've mentioned, though we two do have different tastes, though I, too, am quite out of the loop, anime wise...

 

[Xprimentyl]

Eh... Shingeki no Kyojin the anime was crap... better off reading the manga, then you'll realise how much better the history comes across and how drawn out the anime is...

You may or may not like...

Requiem from the Darkness
Shigurui
Hellsing
Perhaps anything by Satoshi Kon (basically Paranoia Agent, the films are probably a bit aged now)
Sky Crawlers

That's all that comes to mind based on what you've mentioned, though we two do have different tastes, though I, too, am quite out of the loop, anime wise...

Thanks for those!! Almost all appear (on face value) appear to be something I?d like! Gonna try to check them out.

Shingeki no Kyojin I assumed was Attack on Titan; Google search confirmed. (Sorry, my Japanese is a little rusty, meaning I ordered at a hibachi grill once by pointing at the menu then my mouth, and that?s about the extent of it.) But you won?t catch me reading manga even if it is better; I like anime for the visuals, the spectacle, so the show suited me just fine for what it was. Actually, when the show became more character-focused and less focused on the titans, I kinda lost interest.

But answer me this: I know there?s a level of cultural depth and meaning to Japanese animation that goes beyond, say simple ?animated entertainment? mentalities; do you feel the titans? imagery is a jab at Western culture? I noticed they all are very ?white? in feature, wide-eyed with the dumb, toothy grins, insatiable (greedy, predatory) appetites, etc.; I couldn?t really help catching some social commentary there. I could be completely off-base, just curious.

 

[I can't enter my old name]

Parasyte: the Maxim, if you've seen John Carpenter's The Thing, it's like that.

Higurashi: When they Cry is a quite famous mystery anime, with girls headbanging knives and whatnot.

Elfen Lied is great, despite what others may say, they're wrong and dummies. It reminded me of Akira when Testuo blows up people with his mind. This time Lucy goes around cutting people in half with her mind, quite gruesome.

Shin Sekai Yori is a modern masterpiece for tv broadcast anime. Also similar to Akira. The beginning is boring and confusing, but then somewhere along the way it becomes one of the most engaging and interesting anime you will ever find. It doesn't look very exciting, but it's amazing, beautiful, and tragic when you finish it. The only problem beside the beginning is that the animation is sometimes wonky. There's one episode everyone looks 10 years older, because they outsourced the animation to a different studio.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

Blood+ the Anime version had its moments.

 

[thejboy88]

Well, I happened upon a few clips on YouTube of a new show called "Cells at Work". Basically it shows the inner workings of the human body, with individual cells being personified as human-looking characters. The main characters are a red and white blood cell, and so far it looks pretty funny to me. So while I too haven't really been that into anime, I can safely say that this one is one I'm going to keep my eye on.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Devilman Crybaby seems to have a bit of that old 80's brutal-ness. And I think it's only 10 or so episodes. Haven't really seen it myself since I don't have Netflix, but I've heard good things.

 

[PapaGreg096]

Not an anime but if you enjoy the DYE music video he also worked on the French cartoon Lastman

 

[Xprimentyl]

Parasyte: the Maxim, if you've seen John Carpenter's The Thing, it's like that.

Higurashi: When they Cry is a quite famous mystery anime, with girls headbanging knives and whatnot.

Elfen Lied is great, despite what others may say, they're wrong and dummies. It reminded me of Akira when Testuo blows up people with his mind. This time Lucy goes around cutting people in half with her mind, quite gruesome.

Shin Sekai Yori is a modern masterpiece for tv broadcast anime. Also similar to Akira. The beginning is boring and confusing, but then somewhere along the way it becomes one of the most engaging and interesting anime you will ever find. It doesn't look very exciting, but it's amazing, beautiful, and tragic when you finish it. The only problem beside the beginning is that the animation is sometimes wonky. There's one episode everyone looks 10 years older, because they outsourced the animation to a different studio.

Thanks for the suggestions, but those don?t appear to be up my alley. Just judging by the Google images; I could be entirely wrong, so I?m not entirely discounting them. They?re all just a little too? bright and colorful? They?re also episodic; I prefer standalone films. The only light-hearted anime I ever got into was Project: A-ko; I guess I thought it was funny? School girl dealing with day-to-day stuff who incidentally has superhuman powers? B-ko showing up every day with bigger and bigger mechs trying to kill her, but only succeeding in making her late for school has a level of Wyle E. Coyote and the Roadrunner level of absurdity that appealed to me. But certainly everything else I watched was dark.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Blood+ the Anime version had its moments.

Thanks; thank does look interesting! Again, it?s episodic, so meh, but if it?s good enough and readily available, I?m willing to give it a shot.

Well, I happened upon a few clips on YouTube of a new show called "Cells at Work". Basically it shows the inner workings of the human body, with individual cells being personified as human-looking characters. The main characters are a red and white blood cell, and so far it looks pretty funny to me. So while I too haven't really been that into anime, I can safely say that this one is one I'm going to keep my eye on.

Thanks, but no. Not looking for funny anime; I?m nostalgic for the darker, more visceral stuff.

Devilman Crybaby seems to have a bit of that old 80's brutal-ness. And I think it's only 10 or so episodes. Haven't really seen it myself since I don't have Netflix, but I've heard good things.

Thanks! Yes, ?80s (and early ?90s) brutal-ness is exactly the itch I?m looking to scratch! Bonus if it?s on Netflix!

Not an anime but if you enjoy the DYE music video he also worked on the French cartoon Lastman

Thanks; the animation style was definitely a draw, but it alone wouldn?t necessarily have sparked my nostalgia had it not been for the last moments of the video, when things get? surreal? Looked up Lastman, and it looks a little bland, Adult Swim-y?
]

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

Akame ga Kill
Black Bullet
Basilisk
Kizumonogatari film trilogy (if you like, consider getting into the bakemonogatari series, though it varies in tone, but the films are prequels and are most like what you desire)
Berserk

Most of the stuff will be episodic, and you are advised to marathon it. Most movies are made based on an episodic series or a manga or something, not just completely standalone like that.


Also you're in luck cause that's my fav genre of anime out there so I think you will love those series.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Akame ga Kill
Black Bullet
Basilisk
Kizumonogatari film trilogy (if you like, consider getting into the bakemonogatari series, though it varies in tone, but the films are prequels and are most like what you desire)
Berserk

Most of the stuff will be episodic, and you are advised to marathon it. Most movies are made based on an episodic series or a manga or something, not just completely standalone like that.


Also you're in luck cause that's my fav genre of anime out there so I think you will love those series.

Thanks indeed! Those do look promising!

Yeah, I figured a lot of this stuff would be episodic or at the very least would have a bunch of related content that might make them easier to appreciate (i.e.: manga,) I think that?s why I kinda fell out of anime; I?m a simple guy, and an oversaturation of options, cliffhangers or at the very least, a bright, flashing sign that says ?Start here, end there? will often kill my enthusiasm pretty quickly. Short episodic series, I can deal with, like a 6-part miniseries, but when I have to ?tune in next week? for months or years at a time or binge watch to get the full story, I can lose interest.

 

[PapaGreg096]

Blood+ the Anime version had its moments.

Thanks; thank does look interesting! Again, it?s episodic, so meh, but if it?s good enough and readily available, I?m willing to give it a shot.

Well, I happened upon a few clips on YouTube of a new show called "Cells at Work". Basically it shows the inner workings of the human body, with individual cells being personified as human-looking characters. The main characters are a red and white blood cell, and so far it looks pretty funny to me. So while I too haven't really been that into anime, I can safely say that this one is one I'm going to keep my eye on.

Thanks, but no. Not looking for funny anime; I?m nostalgic for the darker, more visceral stuff.

Devilman Crybaby seems to have a bit of that old 80's brutal-ness. And I think it's only 10 or so episodes. Haven't really seen it myself since I don't have Netflix, but I've heard good things.

Thanks! Yes, ?80s (and early ?90s) brutal-ness is exactly the itch I?m looking to scratch! Bonus if it?s on Netflix!

Not an anime but if you enjoy the DYE music video he also worked on the French cartoon Lastman

Thanks; the animation style was definitely a draw, but it alone wouldn?t necessarily have sparked my nostalgia had it not been for the last moments of the video, when things get? surreal? Looked up Lastman, and it looks a little bland, Adult Swim-y?
]

Oh don't you worry things are going to get surreal when they fight some monsters

 

[Zeraki]

Well that music video escalated very quickly.

At first I was wondering what you were talking about when you compared it to ultra violent anime and then that happened.

Almost everything I can think of recommending to you has already been suggested, although if you're looking for something really screwed up and weird I might suggest Angel Sanctuary if you can find it.

I remember watching that in the early 2000's when I was in high school, although I don't remember whether or not it was actually good.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

Well that music video escalated very quickly.

At first I was wondering what you were talking about when you compared it to ultra violent anime and then that happened.

Almost everything I can think of recommending to you has already been suggested, although if you're looking for something really screwed up and weird I might suggest Angel Sanctuary if you can find it.

I remember watching that in the early 2000's when I was in high school, although I don't remember whether or not it was actually good.

The manga for Angel Sanctuary is really worth it. While the anime is great, it is only the first 2-3 volumes of a 20 vol series. Do check it out.

 

[stroopwafel]

Watch Texhnolyze. To this day it is the best thing I have ever seen. As for modern anime, the only one I didn't stop watching after the first episode in the last 10+ years is Inuyashiki. Very, very awesome about some down and out, kind-hearted middle aged dude who turns into some kind of robot with magic powers while the same happens to some young nihilistic sociopath. I watched that entire show in one sitting while normally with modern anime I'm staring at the clock after 10 minutes. I also really liked The Guyver 'reboot' though I don't really remember what year that's from but still recent enough I think.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Devilman Crybaby seems to have a bit of that old 80's brutal-ness. And I think it's only 10 or so episodes. Haven't really seen it myself since I don't have Netflix, but I've heard good things.

Thanks! Yes, ?80s (and early ?90s) brutal-ness is exactly the itch I?m looking to scratch! Bonus if it?s on Netflix!

You could also maybe check out Inuyashiki. Not that good in my opinion, but if you're looking to scratch that 'merciless people doing merciless things' itch it might be worth a peek.

 

[Worgen]

Well, if you are ok with a series taking awhile to get to the disturbing stuff then check out Made in Abyss. It's a fantastic anime and gets really dark, but it takes awhile for that stuff to really show up.

Spoiler: AMV with spoilers for the series but shows some of that violence.

 

[Marik2]

 

[Gordon_4_v1legacy]

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Excellent mix of police procedural, political intrigue, ruminations on the nature of being and some pretty cool overall cyberpunk action.