Adult Anime
This was compiled from recommendations of friends and strangers of various anime series/movies that deal with adult/mature themes beyond the popular Shonen or Shoujo stuff.
The goal was to basically find what could be considered The Sopranos or Mad Men of anime, or at least Breaking Bad.
In retrospect, it was a dumb idea, these are not comparable mediums, which is why live action adaptations of anime fail all the time.
But the suggested names in this list is probably as you would get to, say, Sherlock or Firefly, a well written story with decent production value, told in a way that respects the viewer and aims to not just delight the viewer but also make him think, empathize, and maybe sob a little.
I took the liberty to rank the suggestions based on how much they fit the profile (according to me, an ignorant idiot), the lower a show is, the less it matches the profile. But ultimately they all fit the profile, more than anything else out there.
I've put the movies on the bottom of the list, for no reason in particular, and I've added comments from the suggestors (in bold), with any interesting related material mentioned. I've also commented on the few I've seen from this list (not in bold).
The goal was to basically find what could be considered The Sopranos or Mad Men of anime, or at least Breaking Bad.
In retrospect, it was a dumb idea, these are not comparable mediums, which is why live action adaptations of anime fail all the time.
But the suggested names in this list is probably as you would get to, say, Sherlock or Firefly, a well written story with decent production value, told in a way that respects the viewer and aims to not just delight the viewer but also make him think, empathize, and maybe sob a little.
I took the liberty to rank the suggestions based on how much they fit the profile (according to me, an ignorant idiot), the lower a show is, the less it matches the profile. But ultimately they all fit the profile, more than anything else out there.
I've put the movies on the bottom of the list, for no reason in particular, and I've added comments from the suggestors (in bold), with any interesting related material mentioned. I've also commented on the few I've seen from this list (not in bold).
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- CreatorNaoki UrasawaStarsHidenobu KiuchiLiam O'BrienMamiko NotoTenma, a brilliant neurosurgeon with a promising future, risks his career to save the life of a critically wounded young boy. The boy, now a charismatic young man, reappears 9 years later in the midst of a string of unusual serial murders.My sole contribution to this list, a buddy of mine has been trying to get me to watch it for years, he swears it's the proof that Anime can be as good as any HBO show.
- CreatorShin'ichirô WatanabeHajime YatateStarsKôichi YamaderaUnshô IshizukaMegumi HayashibaraThe futuristic misadventures and tragedies of an easygoing bounty hunter and his partners.
- DirectorMizuho NishikuboMamoru OshiiStarsAtsuko TanakaIemasa KayumiAkio ÔtsukaA cyborg policewoman and her partner hunt a mysterious and powerful hacker called the Puppet Master.and the series: Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (2002)
- StarsYûto NakanoTravis WillinghamKôjun ItôGinko is an expert travelling around to investigate a primeval life-form, the "Mushi," and helping people with Mushi-related supernatural problems.
Ginko is a man, a man who has *seen some 5hit* Mushi are the spiritual basis of all life, and are everywhere, and, like prions, can sometimes really *beep* our humanity to shreds. This anime is a delicate, poisonous flower to watch, and bewitches the more sensitive souls. It primarily stars adults, or children thrust into adult/incomprehensible situations, and tends to quell the unfilled soul.
Sequel: Mushi-Shi: Next Passage (2014) - CreatorHideaki AnnoStarsMegumi OgataMegumi HayashibaraKotono MitsuishiA teenage boy finds himself recruited as a member of an elite team of pilots by his father.
- StarsKôki UchiyamaAaron DismukeMicah SolusodFive ping pong prodigies learn to navigate the harsh climate of competitive sport and the even more frightening realm of self realization.
- StarsMayo SuzukazeJunko IwaoNozomu SasakiIn the era of Japan's Meiji Restoration, an assassin regains his humanity.Sounds outright like a sob story, not exactly a negative thing or a criticism, but if you've seen a couple emotionally-manipulative-movie-or-show you've seen all emotionally-manipulative-movies-or-shows. They all have the same endgame.
Doesn't detract anything from the fact that it's a good anime (according to people, I've not seen it yet). - CreatorShin'ichirô WatanabeStarsKazuya NakaiGinpei SatoAyako KawasumiFuu, a waitress who works in a teahouse, rescues two master swordsmen, Mugen and Jin, from their execution to help her find the "samurai who smells of sunflowers."I've seen this one, it's so unique you can't even imagine it working in any medium other than Anime. It also has, probably, the best use of iphop music in any entertainment content.
- StarsShintarô AsanumaHiroyuki YoshinoRin MizuharaWhen a nameless student at Kyoto University encounters a demigod one night, he asks to relive the past three years in order to win the heart of Ms. Akashi, the object of his affection.Another emotionally-manipulative-story, still could be good.
- StarsAi MaedaRyuji AigaseKelli CousinsYoung world-weary sharpshooter girl Kino and her talking inquisitive motorcycle Hermes travel around her unusual world, visiting various city-states for three days each to learn about their culture, history and ruling philosophy.
Kino travels on a motorcycle to experience nations of radically different cultures for three days each.
Now, that's more like it! - CreatorKentaro MiuraStarsMarc DiraisonNobutoshi CannaCarrie KeranenGuts, a wandering mercenary, joins the Band of the Hawk after being defeated in a duel by Griffith, the group's leader and founder. Together, they dominate every battle, but something menacing lurks in the shadows.
the 1990's series - avoid the newer 5hit like the plague
the guys kept selling me on the manga, I'm more likely to give it a shot before watching the anime. - StarsKengo KawanishiKhoi DaoAi KayanoA 17 year old socially awkward orphaned shogi player, dealing with adult problems like financial difficulties, loneliness, and depression.Whaaat? a highschooler in anime with problems other than a crush on a girl?
I thought these didn't exist. - CreatorShûkô MuraseStarsKôji YusaAkiko YajimaLiam O'BrienIn a post-apocalyptic future humans live in peace with androids in a domed city. However, a strange series of murders has intruded into bored inspector Re-l Mayer's life.
- CreatorYuzuru TachikawaStarsJamie MarchiAlex OrganAsami SetoAfter death, humans go to either heaven or hell. But for some, at the instant of their death, they arrive at the Quindecim, a bar attended by the mysterious white-haired Decim.
Stories about morality and sin.
- CreatorYasuyuki UedaStarsKaori ShimizuBridget HoffmanDan LorgeStrange things start happening when a withdrawn girl named Lain becomes obsessed with an interconnected virtual realm known as "The Wired".
- StarsJun FukuyamaAmi KoshimizuJ. Michael TatumKraft Lawrence goes from town to town to make profits as a travelling merchant, with the help of a wolf deity by the name of Holo.
A merchant/economist travels around with a wolf spirit/economist and solve economic and trade and diplomatic problems in various communities.
- CreatorYasuhiro YoshiuraStarsTomokazu SugitaMiyuki SawashiroJun FukuyamaIn the not too distant future androids have come into common usage. Taking the androids for granted, humans treat them as if they were common everyday tools, while on the other hand, some people empathize with androids due to their human-like appearance (save for a digital ring floating above their heads). This has become a social problem and these people are frowned upon as a result. Rikuo, one who has taken androids for granted for his entire life, one day discovers that Sammy, his home android, has been acting strangely and finds a strange phrase recorded in her activity log. He, along with his friend Masaki, traces Sammy's footsteps and come upon an unusual café.
- StarsKazunari TanakaSatsuki YukinoAi OrikasaAi Tanabe joins the Debris Section of the Technora Corporation as they work to remove the debris left around Earth. As Ai tries to accommodate to space life, she learns more about her crew on the dilapidated 'Toy Box'.
- StarsMamoru MiyanoAsami ImaiKana HanazawaAfter discovering time travel, a university student and his colleagues must use their knowledge of it to stop an evil organization and their diabolical plans.
whether or not you like sci-fi themes, I'm going to have to go ahead and recommend Steins;gate. The premise lies in some advanced college students dealing with time travel and its implications across the multiverse, hopping from timeline to timeline, seeking some sort of resolution to the flaws in their original place and only finding, idk, horror or causality or something. Still. The content is mature in nature.
- CreatorShin'ichirô WatanabeStarsKaito IshikawaSôma SaitôAtsumi TanezakiTokyo has been decimated by a terrorist attack, the only clue to the culprit's identity is a bizarre internet video. Two mysterious children form Sphinx, a clandestine entity determined to pull the trigger on this world.
Story about some terrorists and their motives.
- DirectorYoshiaki KawajiriStarsKôichi YamaderaEmi ShinoharaTakeshi AonoA vagabond swordsman is aided by a kunoichi and a spy in battling a demonic clan of killers - led by a ghost from his past - who are bent on overthrowing the Tokugawa Shogunate.
- StarsEmily NevesGreg AyresDavid WaldIn a post-apocalyptic world set a thousand years after our era, the remaining humans, now with telekinesis, live in a seemingly peaceful society, but dark secrets of the past will soon be discovered by a small group of friends.
a series that was truly endowed with excellent storytelling, From the New World (Shinsekai Yori). Youths born into a society formed well after an apocalyptic epidemic manifest powers. They grow up and realize that the truths of their society are flimsy, and the construction of their reality is spoiled. The process of their various levels of education is so very well-written.
Reminds me a little bit of Wool (short story), which is a good thing (unlike the follow-up short stories of Wool). - CreatorYoshitoshi AbeStarsRyô HirohashiJunko NodaEri MiyajimaA young girl is reborn as an angel-like creature called a haibane, with no memory of who she once was.
People hatch from cocoon eggs and have wings. They live in a small community within a sheltered town and try to come to terms with their beingness and sense of belonging. This description defies the actual contents of the anime. It's actually one of my favorites of all time.
- StarsMamiko NotoMamoru MiyanoDaisuke NamikawaThe story of a man who struggles with relating to humans. The man feels utterly detached from everything that makes one truly human. A truly harrowing portrait of brokenness, made all the more frightening for how relatable it is.
this is only for a master of literary patience and adulthood, Aoi Bungaku, aka Blue Literature. It features six anime-adapted short stories from Japanese literature. The themes encapsulate beauty, narcissism, suicide, terror, murder, and plenty of other adult qualities. It's the kind of literature that my mother would have told me that I couldn't check out from the library when I was 15. It's a slow burn through them, but truly rich.
We don't have a public library so I don't know what he's talking about, but sure, I'll check it out. - StarsRikiya KoyamaKôhei KiyasuSteve StaleyIppo, a teenage boy with a pure heart and unrelenting determination, discovers a passion for boxing after veteran fighter Takamura saves him from bullies.
- StarsJeran UgokweJack StansburyMasato HagiwaraA young japanese man finds himself in a strange game to recover from his debts.
- StarsMatthew ElkinsHiroshi KamiyaKazuhiko InoueWhen Natsume Takashi inherits a book that belonged to his late grandmother he realizes the book is filled with the names of spirits she defeated and bound to her will. He then decides to return their names so they can be free once again.
- CreatorWarren EllisStarsRichard ArmitageJames CallisAlejandra ReynosoA vampire hunter fights to save a besieged city from an army of otherworldly creatures controlled by Dracula.
- CreatorUme AokiAtsuhiro IwakamiAkiyuki ShinbôStarsAoi YûkiChiwa SaitôEmiri KatoA creature named Kyubey offers Madoka and Sayaka a wish if they agree to become 'magical girls' and fight abstract beings called 'witches'. However, a magical girl named Homura is, for uncertain reasons, determined to stop this agreement.
- StarsAyako KawasumiKari WahlgrenSayaka ÔharaSeven chosen mages and their summoned heroic spirits fight against each other to try and win the Holy Grail: a magical device that can grant any wish.
- CreatorShuichi ShigenoStarsShin'ichirô MikiSteve BlumTodd HaberkornThe story of a young delivery boy who becomes a drift-racing legend.
- CreatorMonkey PunchStarsYasuo YamadaRichard EpcarMichelle RuffThe adventures of the master thief Lupin III and his cohorts as they dive into various escapades, all the while in pursuit by the tenacious Inspector Zenigata.
- StarsAya HiranoNobunaga ShimazakiRinka H.B.B.17-year-old Shinichi Izumi is partially infected by a Parasyte, monsters that butcher and consume humans. He must learn to co-exist with the creature if he is to survive both the life of a Parasyte and a human as part monster, part person.
Alien parasites. While this does take place among high school students, the story doesn't have them doing the cliche anime roles you'd normally see.
- CreatorGen UrobuchiStarsKana HanazawaMiyuki SawashiroNoriko HidakaBelieving in humanity and order, policewoman Akane Tsunemori obeys the ruling, computerized, precognitive Sibyl System. But when she faces a criminal mastermind who can elude this perfect system, she questions both Sibyl and herself.
Futuristic CSI styled show.
- CreatorSatoshi KonStarsShôzô ÎzukaToshihiko SekiMamiko NotoSeemingly unconnected citizens of Tokyo are targeted for bludgeoning by a boy with a golden baseball bat. As detectives try to link the victims, they discover that following the assaults, the victims' lives have improved in some way.I've seen this one, it's basically the reason why I'm seeking more of this type of anime, but to be honest Paranoia Agent really went to shit after six episodes, and basically ran itself into the ground in the most godawful way imaginable.
Spoilers because I've been known to have shit opinions. - StarsMakoto FurukawaKaito IshikawaMax MittelmanThe story of Saitama, a hero that does it just for fun & can defeat his enemies with a single punch.Seen this one too, it subverted the superhero trope in a very clever way, but after a few episodes it found itself knee deep in other tropes. Should've kept it fun and not bog it down with a dumb plot.
Many people liked it, tho, and I've been known to have shit opinions. - StarsMamoru MiyanoBrad SwaileVincent TongAn intelligent high school student goes on a secret crusade to eliminate criminals from the world after discovering a notebook capable of killing anyone whose name is written into it.
this one of the most clever shows I've seen, anime or not
Not really that clever, but one of those shows, like Sherlock (2010), where the cleverness of the characters or plot is looked at as great writing, while the logic goes out the window.
See: Prison Break (2005), Elementary (2012) and pretty much all popular shows with "genius" main character. - StarsNatsuki HanaeRisa TanedaAyane SakuraA piano prodigy who lost his ability to play after suffering a traumatic event in his childhood is forced back into the spotlight by an eccentric girl with a secret of her own.Boy meets girl, girl changes boy. I've not seen that story before. New to me. 100 percent Fresh.
- StarsMax MittelmanSarah Anne WilliamsErik Scott KimererGuts is haunted by demons who are attracted to him because of a demonic mark on his neck.
It's really dark on human nature and set in medieval times. I don't know why he told you to avoid the new series like the plague, it literally plays close to the manga for story now where the original skipped massive amounts of molestation, gore and brutality. They added 3d CG styles and it's not particularly the greatest, but the point is the story.
Eh, gore and rape a good show does not make. - StarsHiroshi KamiyaEri KitamuraYuka IguchiThird-year high school student Koyomi Araragi is human again. Cured of his vampirism, he seeks to help other supernaturals with their problems. Koyomi becomes involved in their lives, revealing secrets in people he once knew.Monogatari Series: First Season
Bakemonogatari (2009)
Nisemonogatari (2012)
Nekomonogatari (Kuro) (2012) (Black)
Kizumonogatari Part 1: Tekketsu (2016)
Kizumonogatari Part 2: Nekketsu (2016)
Kizumonogatari Part 3: Reiketsu (2017)
Monogatari Series: Second Season
Nekomonogatari (Kuro) (2012) (White)
Monogatari Series: Second Season (2013) - Kabukimonogatari
Monogatari Series: Second Season (2013) - Otorimonogatari
Monogatari Series: Second Season (2013) - Onimonogatari
Monogatari Series: Second Season (2013) - Koimonogatari
Hanamonogatari (2014)
Monogatari Series: Final Season
Tsukimonogatari (2014)
Owarimonogatari (2015) 1
Koyomimonogatari (2016)
Owarimonogatari (2015) 2 - StarsAkira KamiyaShigeru ChibaTeiyû IchiryûsaiAfter a nuclear war turns Earth into a lawless wasteland, Kenshiro, a practitioner of the deadly master art "Hokuto Shinken", fights a succession of tyrannical warriors to restore order.
Mad Max as a kung fu expert basically. There are movies, OVAs and a TV show.
80s anime was pretty basic, hardly any nuance. could be a fun watch but I doubt it'd be more than that. - StarsAsami SetoYui HorieYoshino and Shuichi are two friends, both starting at a new school, both starting puberty, and both transgender. This series follows them as they come out and find acceptance.I know Japan has its issues with gayness and all that, but yeah, I think I've seen enough of theses stories. I didn't even like Moonlight (2016) all that much.
- CreatorJunya InoueStarsTyler GalindoBrittney KarbowskiKanata HongôA young man gets transported into a video game he plays called Btooom. A plot is uncovered involving an organization that aims to conquer the world by dominating the virtual world.
Transported into a deadly scenario based on a violent video game. The characters range from young to old and the story is more about survival.
Ehhhh, you know, it's been done, and by the Japanese as well! Battle Royale (2000) - StarsEri KitamuraKenji AkabaneMitsuhiro IchikiChisato is an office manager and the wife of Sora, a bartender. Whenever she comes home from work, she's exhausted prompting Sora to treat her to a meal as well as a fresh drink. How will Chisato act when under the influence of alcohol?
- StarsRoland Angelo CrisoloGeorge N. Cahill IIITakahiko SakamoroThe Japanese AEGIS Destroyer "Mirai" of the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force is on its way to Pearl Harbor for training missions when it's suddenly engulfed in a strange electrical storm.
is a military sci-fi/fantasy anime (without robots).
Why watch a re-hash of The Final Countdown (1980), when you can not-watch the actual The Final Countdown (1980). - DirectorShôgo FuruyaSatoshi KonStarsTôru EmoriYoshiaki UmegakiAya OkamotoOn Christmas Eve, three homeless people living on the streets of Tokyo discover a newborn baby among the trash and set out to find its parents.
There's Tokyo Godfathers (which felt painfully real to me), and then there's all the other movies from Satoshi Kon, where half the time you're not supposed to know what's real. That gets a little annoying after awhile, but it's refreshing amidst the sheer volume of juvenile material out there.
Satochi's movies:
Millennium Actress (2001)
Paprika (2006)
Perfect Blue (1997) - DirectorSatoshi KonStarsMegumi HayashibaraTôru EmoriKatsunosuke HoriWhen a machine that allows therapists to enter their patients' dreams is stolen, all hell breaks loose. Only a young female therapist, Paprika, can stop it.
- DirectorSatoshi KonStarsJunko IwaoRica MatsumotoShinpachi TsujiA pop singer gives up her career to become an actress, but she slowly goes insane when she starts being stalked by an obsessed fan and what seems to be a ghost of her past.
very existential
A ringing endorsement! - DirectorKenji KamiyamaHiroyuki OkiuraStarsMichael DobsonYoshikazu FujikiSumi MutohA traumatized member of an elite para-military police force falls for the sister of a female terrorist courier who died in front of him on duty.
Really good, a lot darker. Action with political elements.
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsYôji MatsudaYuriko IshidaYûko TanakaOn a journey to find the cure for a Tatarigami's curse, Ashitaka finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest gods and Tatara, a mining colony. In this quest he also meets San, the Mononoke Hime.It's Miyazaki!™
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsSumi ShimamotoMahito TsujimuraHisako KyôdaWarrior and pacifist Princess Nausicaä desperately struggles to prevent two warring nations from destroying themselves and their dying planet.It's Miyazaki!™
- DirectorTaichi IshidateNaoko YamadaStarsMiyu IrinoSaori HayamiAoi YûkiA young man is ostracized by his classmates after he bullies a deaf girl to the point where she moves away. Years later, he sets off on a path for redemption.Sob story *rolls-eyes* but yeah alright
- DirectorYoshifumi KondôStarsYoko HonnaIssei TakahashiTakashi TachibanaA love story between a girl who loves reading books, and a boy who has previously checked out all of the library books she chooses.
anytime people are recommending anime, this one usually gets overshadowed by other Studio Ghibli films, but I think it's underrated if you're looking for something that's mature in a non-gory non-fantastic sort of way
- DirectorMizuho NishikuboMasaki TachibanaStarsTatsuya NakadaiYukie NakamaYûsuke SantamariaA dramatic yet heart-warming story of cross-cultural friendship among children in the aftermath of WWII, presented by Tokyo-based award-winning animation studio Production I.G. Based on true events.
- DirectorMakoto ShinkaiStarsRyunosuke KamikiMone KamishiraishiRyo NaritaTwo teenagers share a profound, magical connection upon discovering they are swapping bodies. Things manage to become even more complicated when the boy and girl decide to meet in person.I've seen it, average writing (really subpar), but amazing visuals. It's a shame those amazing visuals told a bland story.
- DirectorMakoto ShinkaiStarsMiyu IrinoKana HanazawaFumi HiranoOn a rainy morning in Tokyo, 15-year-old Takao, an aspiring shoemaker, decides to skip class to sketch designs in a beautiful garden. This is where he meets Yukari, a beautiful yet mysterious woman. They strike an unlikely friendship.See the note above.
- DirectorKatsuhiro ÔtomoStarsMitsuo IwataNozomu SasakiMami KoyamaA secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psychic psychopath who can only be stopped by a teenager, his gang of biker friends and a group of psychics.The holy grail of "Who needs writing when you got vizuaaaalz!"