Anime That Makes You THINK?

[4RM3D]

To add a few that haven't been mentioned yet:

- Gosick
- Dennou Coil (release it on DVD, dammit)
- Katanagatari
- Mnemosyne

 

[deathbydeath]

I second Berserk, but more because of the interplay between characters, motivations, and relationships than the actual philosophical value. 's still utterly fantastic, though.

On a more direct note, the manga Eyeshield 21 has some wonderful thoughts about goals/dreams, the competitive nature of sports, and the relationship/rivalry between natural talent and talent acquired through effort.

Also Fullmetal Alchemist has a bit of what you're asking for, too.

 

[madwarper]

Have they made Heads into an anime? If not, read the manga.

Spoiler

Everything starts going well for Naruse, a shy electronics repairman. He confesses to his crush, she accepts him and they start looking for a place to move into to. Then, he gets shot in the head. After being in a coma, his girlfriend elects to have him undergo an experimental surgery to replace the damage portion of his brain with a brain slice of DonnerX. Then, after he wakes up, he finds he's slowly losing himself.

 

[EHKOS]

Gun X Sword plays the Moonraker card by making you wonder if the human race needs a reboot. I guess it only caters to the cynical but it made me think for a bit.

 

[the doom cannon]

Hmmm let's see what Anime can I name.
Code geass sort of. Death note. The "- naku no koro ni" ones. Baccano ( maybe more fun than thinking). Phantom: requiem for the phantom. Angel beats. Monster. Surprisingly, the currently airing "zetsuen no tempest". Steins gate. 5cm per second. I watched a whole ton of depressing and thought provoking anime at one point, I just can't seem to remember what their names are

EDIT: Ahhh how could I forget rahxephon, madoka magicka, usagi drop, the Fate series, fma, oh and another one that's currently airing: psycho pass. I'll just keep updating this post as I think of more.

 

[l3o2828]

I pretty much agree with every example being said here. but I raise you the manga Oyasumi PunPun.

Trust me, if you want to get REALLY FUCKING DEPRESSED while thinking about life itself and what it means, this is your bet.

 

[Fasckira]

Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Thread can be pretty much closed after this one. Theres been a lot of anime shows that have had me going "Eh" but more in the "Seriously?" kind of way, but Evangelion is one of those shows that even years on after watching it a few times Im still not convinced I've fully got every level of symoblism and hidden meaning within it.

 

[the doom cannon]

So question. Am I the only anime can in existence who doesn't like Eva? Seriously I just didn't enjoy it at all. I could barely finish it, but then similar stories like rahxephon and asura cryin I couldn't stop watching. I mean this in an interested way and in no way as a thinly veiled insult/I'm better than you kinda thing

 

[bartholen_v1legacy]

Neon Genesis Evangelion.

I discovered it when I was 14 and funnily enough it struck a unique note with me. It makes me ponder my own life and even though I don't have to pilot giant mecha to save the world I find myself relating with Shinji.

Also a vote for End of Evangelion. It makes you think at every turn:

What the hell were these people smoking? Why is there a giant naked albino woman cradling a robot? Where does the Tree of Life sit in all of this? What the hell is going on? Why is everyone suddenly a depressed psychopath? How exactly does Third Impact work? Why does Shinji jerk off to a comatose Asuka (seriously, that is the most gratuituous and pointless thing ever, made purely for shock value, like Griffith raping Caska for 20 pages in Berserk)?

So question. Am I the only anime can in existence who doesn't like Eva? Seriously I just didn't enjoy it at all. I could barely finish it, but then similar stories like rahxephon and asura cryin I couldn't stop watching. I mean this in an interested way and in no way as a thinly veiled insult/I'm better than you kinda thing

No, you're not. Eva is like those magic eye pictures: some see something incredible and amazing, some don't, and I'm one of the latter. I could spend hours tearing that series a new one.

 

[BENZOOKA]

Tis the Cowboy Bebop. It's rather straightforward in terms of plot, but it's narrative is absolutely packed with subtle commentary. I adore the intentional vagueness of the series, with nothing spelled out, you are left to fill in the blanks, encouraging you to watch for the minor details that could give you the bigger picture.

Well put Soviet. I feel the same way. And Radical Ed is one of my favorite anime characters of all time. The show wouldn't be as complete in its characteristics without her abstract input.

I would also like to mention Death Note. The characters plowing their ways through the story offer a delightful stimulation for one to simultaneously contemplate on the possibilities and all of the mind games put into motion.

 

[HardkorSB]

Mindgame:


You might not get it at first but it's a great watch nevertheless.

 

[Lugbzurg]

]Death Note

Gyaugh! You took it! But I guess with that username, it was inevitable.

Seems I've got a lot more to look forward to watching.

 

[Fenra]

Spice and Wolf comes to mind for me, got me thinking about church and politics and medieval economy, not exactly grand thoughts on life and the universe but made me think a lot. Very low on action, high on exposition that gets the cogs in my brain turning.

Fascinating but at the same time makes me feel incredibly stupid too, had to ask a friend to explain how the silver coin plot worked.

 

[Shinsei-J]

I found Welcome to the NHK to be a rather thoughtful Anime with a deeper point to make.

It's hilariously pathetic, especially the main character, but not in any bad way and it does make you think.

Try reading the manga, believe it or not, it's even darker than the anime.

I've got to give a shout out to Bakemonogatari for making me think, in so many ways.
Cause and effect between people.

 

[gamerguy20097]

Grave of the fire flies. A must see. Roger Ebert even added it to his list all time greatest movies.

 

[Ralen-Sharr]

I guess I must not like most "thinking" anime...

Most of the stuff listed here I've either never seen or really not liked.

The only thing that Neon Genesis Evangelion made me think was how stupid it was. Show would have been better if Shinji had gotten a bullet in the head in ep1. (just my opinion)

 

[Morsomk_v1legacy]

Well my list of animes that I've watched isn't as great compared to my list of mangas that I read, I probably cannot give a very good answer.

But I do know of one anime. Baccano. It was pretty cool how they managed to make story from multiple points of view, while the story was about theft on a train.

I would also suggest the manga Life is Money. My god, that manga will make you think about life in general.

 

[KeikakuKat]

Not enough Puella Magi Madoka Magica mentions! That show will make you question the true desires of any seemingly innocent wish and comtemplate the true value of a human life. All this somehow from a magical girl series. Oh, and it's only 12 episodes, so it's an easy watch.