A month or so ago I finally watched the Neon Genesis Evangelion series after hearing about it for more than 20 years. After slogging through a few episodes of predictable awkard-teenagers-pilot-giant-robots-to-save-the-world it finally reveals itself as a stunning exploration into the minds of troubled youth who are, effectively, subjected to a barrage of traumatic crises. It's a deep, rich world with complex characters, all with Herculean responsibilities and human weaknesses.
I'll have to watch Lain now, thanks to your comment.
I enjoy the usual suspects: Akira, Ghost in the Shell (including Standalone Complex), and Cowboy Bebop immensely. I like Robotech, though much of it is nostalgia. But I've found straying from the essentials to be challenging for my very Western tastes.
I tried to watch Stein's Gate and thought it was very clever, but the awkward romance and over-the-top characteristics of the main character were a bit too much. Knights of Sidonia and Attack on Titan got too weird, too quickly. I was too old for Dragonball. There's a lot of Western-focused, Japanese-animated options out there, but they almost universally lack the depth of their anime counterparts.
I'd love some recommendations if you have any, whether they be newer stuff or classics that I've overlooked.
If you liked Robotech and Evangelion, you might want to check out some of the Universal Century timeline Gundam shows. Mobile Suit Gundam and Zeta Gundam are the classics, but for something with gorgeous modern animation, check out Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, it's a prequel series that follows the main rival character from the original through his childhood and up to the start of the war that's the setting for the original Mobile Suit Gundam.
Oh, and check out Legend Of The Galactic Heroes. It's an epic along the lines of Romance Of The Three Kingdoms, with like 30 'main' characters and maybe 300+ named characters throughout its run. Huge in scope and scale, but always willing to take a couple minutes and reflect on philosophy, politics, and the horrors of war. It's a seriously adult show.
> Oh, and check out Legend Of The Galactic Heroes. It's an epic along the lines of Romance Of The Three Kingdoms, with like 30 'main' characters and maybe 300+ named characters throughout its run. Huge in scope and scale, but always willing to take a couple minutes and reflect on philosophy, politics, and the horrors of war. It's a seriously adult show.
Would echo this recommendation. It's a massive commitment to watch fully (even just the main series, not including spinoffs), but it's quite good.
Words of warning though - if you watch Legend Of The Galactic Heroes (or read the novels), read
Webers Honorverse books as well some of the space battle material on Orions arm 99% of warship depictions in SF will look to you unrealistically small-scale and mundane in comparison.
Like who goes in to battle with less than 20 thousand warships (LotGH), closes to less than 100 000 km before firing (Honorverse) or starts a campaign without god-AI driven relativistic autowar swarms of death (Orions Arm)? ;)
If you haven't watched End of Evangelion and the sequel movies, those are my favorite parts of the series.
Gurren Lagann is a wonderful homage to other mecha series. The series evolves in a REALLY interesting way, it blew my mind. Is worth sticking it out to the end!
Berserk (2016) is awesome, though I go back and forth on weather it transcends it's own violence. I'm probably just being a prude though, since nobody else seems to care haha.
DevilMan Crybaby(2018) is worth a watch. It is a gorgeously animated edgelord anime, run through a modern filter to make it more palatable.
Dorohedoro (2020) is bizarre and nihilistic and is written by a female author which is cool.
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (2012 - present) suffers from being the product of a "less woke" 80's and 90's but man... I love it so much. It is so dumb and fun. There is a LOT of it but you just have to go along for the ride.
One Punch Man (2015) is great fun.
I tend to follow individual studios and directors.
Hiroyuki Imaishi has been consistently excellent.
Satoshi Kon is a legend, pick ANYTHING by him and you will not be disappointed.
Shinichirō Watanabe. I'm especially fond of Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo.
Gurren Lagann, paired with Evangelion, remains one of my favorites. Though it’s a different production crew, it is the same studio, and it’s fascinating to watch them as a counterpoint. There is an obvious point where the main character in Gurren Lagann could, and perhaps should, break, but hope comes through. It’s the optimistic version of NGE.
Also, their ridiculous explanation for where all this mass-energy comes from, and the consequences? Fun.
I still find Kamina's repeated urging for Simon to "believe in the me that believes in you" to be something really compelling. The exact wording is a little awkward and stilted - translations almost always are - but the sentiment is gold, especially for the teenage audience this kind of stuff tends to attract.
Sure, you don't believe in yourself. You tear yourself down all the time. But you also believe in your best friend, you think the world of him, and here's your best friend saying he believes in you.
I found it to be a better version of "believe in yourself"... anyone that needs to hear that phrase is very likely to have problems doing just that. You nailed the context though; believe (your best elder-brother figure) who believes in you; they thought you could, prove them right.
> It's a deep, rich world with complex characters, all with Herculean responsibilities and human weaknesses.*
Planetes was recommended in the recent HN thread about space junk, and I ended up watching the whole series over the course of 4 days. It's similar to Evangelion, in that the first few episodes are goofy and awkward (except they're in their early 20s instead of teens). But by the end of the show I was blown away.
It's effectively an adult coming-of-age story, set against a sad, beautiful near-future world in which everyone is just trying to live their lives and get by. The space debris stuff is fun and maybe metaphorical, but from a plot perpsective it's almost parenthetical. I'm too young and immature to have words for the journey it took me on, but (much like Evangelion) it was exactly what I needed at the time in my life when I first saw it.
Survive through the "ninja" episode (you'll know which one I mean when you see it), and you will be rewarded.
Edit: apparently the anime and manga diverge significantly because the show was finished first. I intend to read the latter after I've had a chance to cool off from the former!
> Attack on Titan got too weird, too quickly
It picks up and starts to tie together. I almost didn't watch the second season, but a friend convinced me to and I don't regret it at all. Apparently the show and manga track closely together in plot, so you don't need to read if you've already watched, or vice versa (unless you want to read the last 20-ish chapters if you don't want to wait for the last season of the show to come out).
Don't expect profundity like Evangelion, although the plot is clearly inspired by Evangelion in some ways. But do expect high drama, long threads of intrigue, and whopper plot twists. It's one of the most exciting TV shows I've ever seen.
> I was too old for Dragonball
Too old to take it seriously, maybe! But it's still good fun, just like Space Ghost and Looney Tunes. If I ever have kids, I plan to watch it with them (although IIRC there were some racist and sexist moments that would best be elided).
> Western-focused, Japanese-animated options
I also have to recommend Avatar: The Last Airbender! Its target audience and Western origin belies its depth.
Cannot recomment Planetes enough! I'm watching it again with my girlfriend, and after some initial skepticism, she was very much onboard. And we haven't even gotten to the really good stuff yet.
That series was done dirty by the fansubbing community: When it originally aired back in 2003 only the first couple of episodes were translated, then it was dropped and no other group stepped up to keep translating it.
So many recommendations, but no Trigun yet. Starts off very silly, but goes to some good places over its single season run. At least, I sure felt it did when I was 13.
It's a western/sci-fi set in a vast desert-dwelling society, focusing on the legend of the mysterious criminal Vash, with a 60 billion dollar bounty on his head, usually called by the nickname "Vash The Stampede", who wreaks destruction and mayhem wherever he turns up.
The heartfelt moral questions the series poses ("the spider and the butterfly") are nothing short of profound, all the more because they may not be resolvable. One of my favorite series ever, aesthetically, narratively, and thematically: I've seldom seen anything so simultaneously silly, and gut-wrenchingly poignant.
I also enjoyed Ergo Proxy, Texhnolyze and Planetes. Ghost in the Shell is still the only movie I revisit every now and then (out of all movies ever). They are all slow, I want to take the time to watch them again some day.
Very different but I also enjoyed Naruto as I grew up myself. It's long (but you can skip all fillers) but sometimes very deep. I enjoyed Kenshin but never finished it.
As mentioned below Samurai Champloo is also nice and Steins Gate (nice, strange atmosphere) and Death Note: very psychological: He thinks that I think that he thinks and I'm smarter so... Love that. And One Punch Man, puts a smile on my face.
Post-EoE Gainax staff letting off some steam (heh). It is unironically Evangelion through a mirror goofy; a coming-of-age story where fraught filial relationships, older women who come on wa~y too strong, and more robots than you would expect c. 2000 figure in heavily. Just assume that anything you don't immediately understand is a metaphor for pubertal dysfunction and you'll be right 90% of the time.
Now, if you really want to be confused, pick up Revolutionary Girl Utena.
Ergo Proxy seems to suffer from translations/subtitles not conveying details/subtext/terminology sufficiently. I think it gets a bit underrated accordingly.
As one of the many people who was disappointed by the show when I watched it ages ago (despite its amazing aesthetic and visuals), I can totally believe that. In hindsight it's obvious, but after watching things from different subtitlers, I realized what a difference subtitle quality makes.
It's especially annoying when you naturally start to pattern match and pick up certain common words (if you've watched a lot of stuff for years) and see a short subtitle that seems like an extreme simplification or ham-fisted watering down of what a character just said. Subtitle timing and duration can also make a difference.
It makes you really appreciate good subtitling, at least.
(To be clear where I'm coming from: I'm not what you'd call an otaku, haven't watched many things of this kind. I really detest over-the-top stuff. I prefer realism to fantasy but can enoy it if it helps with the plot. I've watched and enjoyed Evangelion (wasn't enjoying it at all in the beginning but when it started getting "psychological" I loved it) and Ghost In The Shell, still haven't but want to watch the others you mentioned. I also watched Stein's Gate and felt exactly the way you did.)
Death Note is awesome, especially the first half. There's a bit of cringy overconfident adolescent personality going on, but I think it's all for the best considering the plot.
Monster is one I'm torn about. The themes it touches on are just perfect for a great dark story, but I feel like it under-delivers by always making it sound like it's gonna get really dark but never making it so. There's quite a bit of "semi-filler" episodes. Thought-provoking but never goes as deep as I'd like.
One movie I'd recommend is Perfect Blue. Realistic psychological suspense/horror with great animation.
Not at all the same genre, but Welcome To The NHK is pretty nice if you want some realistic "light-hearted dark humor" (if there's such a thing), but maybe not if you don't relate to being a hikikomori (or social recluse in general). There's over-the-top characteristics, especially in the first episodes, but it gets better. Watch, say, 10 episodes; if you don't love it by then, it may not be for you.
EDIT: Oh, I also watched Ergo Proxy in an overnight binge so I honestly can't remember much about it. A lot of people like it, I found it really boring and felt too grandiose for what actually happened in the end. There's an interesting story behind it all, but I had to resort to reading fan theories to get it.
EDIT2: For the sake of completeness, the show I actually love the most is Avatar (The Last Airbender. I'm right now watching the sequel and still making up my mind on it). Possibly because I was a kid when I first watched it, but it still really moves me. And yes, I said before I prefer realistic stuff, but this is one of the greatest exceptions. It's also not dark by any means - it's a kid's show after all -, plenty of light-hearted humor and all, but there are many many things I'd say even an adult can get from watching it.
>EDIT: Oh, I also watched Ergo Proxy in an overnight binge so I honestly can't remember much about it. A lot of people like it, I found it really boring and felt too grandiose for what actually happened in the end. There's an interesting story behind it all, but I had to resort to reading fan theories to get it.
The most common reaction to it I saw at the time actually was "really boring and felt too grandiose for what actually happened in the end". (That was my reaction, too.) It just has a lot of other characteristics that make it appealing; it's arguably still the best-looking anime I've seen, despite being 15 years old. Especially since I'm a fan of that kind of dark aesthetic. And it starts out really promising and curiosity-grabbing.
Psycho-Pass. Finish season one, which tells a complete story. There was a drop in quality in season two.
Psycho-Pass is about two layers of futuristic police, "inspectors" with full citizen rights, and "enforcers" who are treated as "latent criminals". A brain scan from the end of a cop's weapon, which takes a second to complete, may determine your fate. The lead female character is initially very keen and eager to be an inspector, but soon questions the system and society. It's fast-paced and a great show.
Welcome to the N.H.K is an interesting exploration of the hikimori phenomena.
Mushishi is a bit "standard anime fare" but I found it surprisingly wholesome and emotional.
Samurai Champloo is a very well drawn, animated, and stylish show with an amazing soundtrack by nujabes.
Fullmetal Panic! is very mecha shonen, but probably my favorite of the genre without having to delve into the more massive franchises like Gundam with it's bazillion different shows.
Also: Check out Satoshi Kon's stuff like Perfect Blue or Paprika.
A lot of great recommendations have already been made, but I wanted to throw out Kuuchuu Buranko (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Welcome_to_Irabu%27s...) as a personal favorite that doesn't get named as much as I think it deserves in this sort of conversation. Much closer to Tatami than to Lain.
While I'm at it: speaking of Tatami, you should also check out Yuasa's Kaiba: it's a lot more abstract than Tatami but ultimately ticks a lot of the same boxes.
Satoshi Kon has also already been mentioned, but I'd specifically call out Paranoia Agent as it's often less prominent than his feature films, yet (imo) is the most incisive of his stuff.
>Satoshi Kon has also already been mentioned, but I'd specifically call out Paranoia Agent as it's often less prominent than his feature films, yet (imo) is the most incisive of his stuff.
ignoring the good story and psychological elements, Paranoia Agent is worth watching for the sheer style and drawing methods.
Satoshi Kon was always stylish, but Paranoia Agent is one of the best examples.
If you aren't turned off by the girly aspect of it (The director previously worked on Sailor Moon) Revolutionary Girl Utena is comparable to Evangelion in terms of being ambitious and Avant-guard. (The movie is meant to be watched after the show. There's a fan website with a bunch of essays analyzing the show still active, there's a lot of subtle stuff going on in it, it was also partially inspired by japanese avant guarde theater in the 70s counterculture era.) I feel the dub hurts the material because the actors sound like they are doing children's theater so it's best watched subbed.
Big O is also a good show though it gets better as it goes along. It gets kind of abstract and embraces a sort of "theater of the absurd" sort of atmosphere so don't go into it expecting a typical narrative to the story.
If you like American superhero movies or comics at all Tiger and Bunny is a great Japanese show with a unique take on them.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica was sort of described as a "deconstruction" of Sailor Moon type shows, a writer with a horror background does a grim and gritty story that starts off like a Sailor Moon sort of thing and goes somewhere else.
Gundam is its own brand of weird, and while each series falls prey to toy commercial necessities (nary a protag old enough to drink), there is plenty of substance and a whole lot of flash to be found, and the focus on (critiquing) militarism means that most series is grounded in a way many series aren't.
8th MS Team, 0080: War in the Pocket, and Iron-Blooded Orphans are good to start with (even if you don't understand everything right off the bat, just flow with it). The first, because it is THE most grounded of all the series; the second, because it's by far the most moving, and the last because it's probably the most self-assured execution of the franchise's "child soldier" trope (with a fully-formed conception of just what kind of world produces that horror).
Mob Psycho 100 may seem out of left field and extremely Japanese at first, but it's such an effortlessly insightful, and universal, exploration of purpose, motivation, and the lies we tell ourselves about each, make it an easy recommendation, especially for someone who presumably might need some healing from Eva.
The Great Pretender will remind you a lot of Cowboy Bebop.
If you're looking for series that really focus on the "character study" aspect, then I would recommend Welcome to the NHK and Tatami Galaxy. Both series deal a lot with regret, hopelessness, and isolation, which I think are themes that might be especially potent given this past year. NHK in particular is a very intimate look inside the head of a deeply flawed person. Sometimes it's hilarious, other times extremely tragic and moving. I happened to come across it at a point where I was very depressed and struggling to find direction in life, and it affected me deeply. Fair warning - the subtitles in Tatami Galaxy can sometimes be hard to follow because the characters talk so damn fast. The very first scene is especially bad offender, so give it a couple minutes before giving up for that reason.
For EVA I had quite an interesting experience. When I watched it I streamed it but was dubbed in cantonese. I can only understand a little but still need to rely on chinese subtitles. The tone of cantonese is of course different from the original Japanese voicing actors. But, surprisingly I was so immersed in its world it felt it was just the language that attach whatever emotions to the characters. The voice of Shinji e.g never felt displaced or making me associate with people from south part of China. They sound genuine and the monologues are so expressive and powerful to make my mind forget it actually is cantonese.
In regards to Steins;Gate and the main character being "over the top": this probably won't make his antics any more bearable but maybe put them into some much needed context which the anime is kinda bad at providing. After his childhood friend, Shiina Mayuri, lost a grandparent she fell into a kind of PTSD, which caused him to assume the persona of a mad scientist, claiming he'd take her hostage because he didn't want her to go/leave. This helped her get over that death somehow but he still regularly lapses back into that persona.
I'd recommend trying to watch a bit more of Steins;Gate and Attack on Titan. They both get very rewarding as they go on. (For the latter, it's a bit more hit-and-miss, but the hits don't ever stop. Unlike the Game of Thrones kind, where there's a sheer drop-off starting Season 5 that only gets worse and never better.) And, as another commenter wrote, there's something much deeper and more nuanced about the main character's over-the-top personality in Steins;Gate than initially appears.
I have fallen in love with Adventure Time. Not only is it something my son and I can watch together, but tells real coming of age stories that are relevant to both kids and adults.
Adventure Time is deeply empathetic to the human condition. To communicate this connection it rewrites all the rules about how the world works and forces you to navigate them with no explaination.
To a child this is taken as a mater of course, to them that is how the real wold works. Children have to discover the world on their own and learn to navigate it, hopefully with the guidance of parents, family and teachers.
Most lessons are hard won and come only through experience. As the story progresses you see the characters in Adventure Time strugle to learn these lessons, sometimes succeeding sometimes failing.
As an adult this show opens me up to all these lessons again and gives me a chance to reevaluate my experiences as well as consider those my son is or will go through and how I cam be there for him.
Agreed with everything you said. Also you should check out Steven Universe, if you liked the feeling of Adventure Time. It hits a lot of the same emotional beats, and tells very powerful stories about family. You'll take different things from it than your son, but you'll both like it.
One of the Adventure time animators (and maybe creators?) is also behind Hilda, a book series and now a fantastic Netflix cartoon adapted from them. It’s a made for children 8 and up, and genuinely enjoyable as an adult too. The world is beautiful, the soundtrack is great, and the adventures are lots of fun.
I'd suggest Inuyashiki. It's somewhat robot-y and explores responsibility and human weakness in a different way from Evangelion. I think it's on Amazon Prime.
I'll have to watch Lain now, thanks to your comment.
I enjoy the usual suspects: Akira, Ghost in the Shell (including Standalone Complex), and Cowboy Bebop immensely. I like Robotech, though much of it is nostalgia. But I've found straying from the essentials to be challenging for my very Western tastes.
I tried to watch Stein's Gate and thought it was very clever, but the awkward romance and over-the-top characteristics of the main character were a bit too much. Knights of Sidonia and Attack on Titan got too weird, too quickly. I was too old for Dragonball. There's a lot of Western-focused, Japanese-animated options out there, but they almost universally lack the depth of their anime counterparts.
I'd love some recommendations if you have any, whether they be newer stuff or classics that I've overlooked.