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Recommend me some depressing anime!
Aumni
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien
Saikano
Monster
School Days
While I wait for Berserk's glorious comeback I'm looking to find some more anime that explores some serious psychological issues in relationships or the human psyche to entertain. I've seen a few more than the ones above but can't remember them too well.
I find Japanese Anime's ability to portray these bizarre and unusual stories fascinating, and crave more.
Thank you for your time!
Saikano
Monster
School Days
While I wait for Berserk's glorious comeback I'm looking to find some more anime that explores some serious psychological issues in relationships or the human psyche to entertain. I've seen a few more than the ones above but can't remember them too well.
I find Japanese Anime's ability to portray these bizarre and unusual stories fascinating, and crave more.
Thank you for your time!
http://steamcommunity.com/id/aumni/ Battlenet: Aumni#1978 GW2: Aumni.1425 PSN: Aumnius
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Welcome to the NHK is pretty depressing.
Then there's 5 Centimeters per Second, a bittersweet movie consisting of three short stories.
ef, a tale of memories and its sequel are pretty insane, but it's produced by Shaft so YMMV.
Last but not least, most of Satoshi Kon's works have bizarre stories. Perfect Blue, Paprika and Paranoia Agent to name a few.
It turns people into pacifists.
[EDIT] Goddamn you, Chen
Also, don't watch 5 cm/s. It's too much. I was depressed for days afterward. Not kidding about this. It's industrial strength drama. It's beautifully animated though. Just gorgeous.
Yeah I did see this one and the scene at the end where:
I'll have to check out 5cm/s.
I'll have to add Grave of the Fireflies, Elfen Leid, and Now then Here there to the have seen list, but it's been a while so I might just go rewatch those. Except Grave of the Fireflies because I think my body won't handle that again.
Thanks guys!
It's true.
If you want something psychological and also fucking weird that is slightly less soul-crushing, Paranoia Agent might work. I just finished watching it (years lttp).
I was so expecting something different. Holy Christ, it's depressing. Haven't seen any other movies listed, except Grave, also a downer, but N&T has really stuck with me.
Does it get depressing or is the Manga completely different? I spent a lot of time laughing while reading the first... 4-5 volumes of the manga.
If you like your depression with a hint of hope then I'd suggest The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, and possibly Azumanga. I know Azamanga is generally happy fun times stuff, but the ending is pretty special and all kinds of emotional.
Anyone want to beta read a paranormal mystery novella? Here's your chance.
stream
It's got a lot of sad stuff in it, though I wouldn't necessarily say it's a "depressing anime" as a whole. It has some pretty dang sad parts though, no doubt.
plus, I just think it's awesome.
evangelion + movie (emo)
cowboy bebop (only plot related episodes)
fafner in the azure (sad action)
bokurano (unavoidable fates)
serial experiments lain (calm but sad)
haibane renmei (very calm show)
texhnolyze (depressing throughout with occasional violent action. quiet.)
xam'd (great show, sad ending, mostly upbeat though)
blue gender
hikaru no go (has the most depressing 3 episodes ever. The plot summary will make you skip this, but it's really good)
Grave of the Fireflies, on the other hand...good god, why.
Some parts of Battle Royale are fairly disheartening, the angst and poor translation diminish it though.
Origin is the exact same as my Steam, in case you're needing a Support or Assault in BF3.
If you want gruesome and depressing there's always Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni and Kai. The first season is extremely violent, but the characters are all school children in a small town stuck repeating the same sad, violent week or two over and over.
Also, I just watched 5cm Per Second, and I didn't find it that depressing? Maybe I'm just too dead inside, heh.
It also goes by the name Hochi No Koe. It completely fits the bill for being incredibly depressing.
IIRC, when that movie was released it was a double feature playing opposite to My neighbor Totoro. I guess they wanted to horrify children into a coma after the Miyazaki flick was over or something.
I remember watching it when I was about 15 when a friend of mine loaned me a bunch of anime he had on VHS and...just...wow. I don't remember anything about the other stuff he loaned me, but I remember Grave of the Fireflies because it threw me in a funk for about a week after I'd watched it.
I also second Elfen Lied and Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni.
The best part is you don't even realize it's slowly killing your soul right up until the end.
People just sitting back and accepting fate is somehow more depressing than fighting and failing.
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0
Very sad.
Clannad and Clannad After Story qualify as well.
STEAM
Basic summary: guy gets sold into service to a mercenary plane squadron by his "best friend", winds up forced to kill in order to buy his way out of the squadron.
Also, Air.
I disagree. YKK is charming. It's calm and peaceful. It's not depressing.
And someone suggested Azumanga, which is arguably the funniest, most upbeat anime ever created. It's only sad in that it ends and we must say goodbye to the characters, but that's true of most things.
I fucking hate the OVA's. The go agaisnt the manga and anime and turn the series from a light hearted shonen to depressing ville.
On topic, another vote for Grave. Though you already seen School Days, so I'm not sure how much worse anything could be in comparison. Now that's just an incredibly depressing anime.
The Navy ones I have seen already but I gotta check out Texhnolyze and Bokurano. Thanks for the list.
Some other really good suggestions as well. Time to q up some anime!
...and then it seemed like your typical Anime series. It does have some depressing moments, mostly earlier on.
Perhaps not really what you want, but consider watching "Death Note". I found it really depressing, specially the ending. There are two deleted scenes that are worth to watch too, if you can find them.
Saw this and loved it! But I don't think it was too depressing aside from the ending; it had more of a thriller drama feel.
2 words: Episode
Good God yes.
Flag is pretty somber up until the end, then it gets sad. :~(
Eureka 7 is generally upbeat, but has some really depressing moments.
Currently painting: Slowly [flickr]
Well I'll aim for the more obscure ones.
If you liked Clannad/Kanon/Air, I'd recommend checking out Sola which is along the same line.
Key: The Metal Idol is an amazing sci fi trek as well. Definitely a melancholy tale of a robot girl who wants to become human by becoming a singer.
Speaking of which, A Tree of Palme is a very Japanese Pinnochio story. It's a little trippy but it's emotional watching him search for what it means to be human... at all costs.
Full Metal Panic 1 and The Second Raid certainly hit harder than I expected for a more action oriented series.
If not, Perfect Blue.
Made me sad just thinking of it
Akira
Ninja Scroll
Narutaru
Battle Angel
Chrono Crusade
Naruto has some really depressing moments, but it gets really 'broken-wing' sometimes. Fullmetal Alchemist is the same way, where it's so thickly laid on that you almost can't help but laugh at how absurd it is.
Also there's a manga called "LIFE" that I remember liking for what little I read of it. It was a really fucked up view of the life of a high school girl who cuts herself because of bullying and a general lack of self-worth. Not sure if there's an anime yet.
Eden: its an endless world- Its kind of like a Science Fiction version of Berserk (only... no magic and less of a revenge story but think Berserk in a Sci-fi world and you'll kind of get the idea of the mood this manga carries)