Know of any mature/serious anime?

[thefascistpig]

I'd reccomend casshern sins and blue exorcist. Also gintama though thats mainly comedy though it has a lot of serious arcs

 

[Dr. Cakey]

Gantz

Nope, as said by others before you. From what I gather, it's basically what you would get if you somehow turned the phrase "ANIME ISNT 4 KIDS!!!!!!!" into a TV series.

Berserk

I actually just finished watching Berserk yesterday. It strengthened my suspicions that the "best anime ever" are actually just whatever happened to be picked up by Adult Swim in the early 2000's. Not that it's a bad show by any stretch of the imagination, but it ends at the moment the plot begins. Literally. Episodes 2-25 are an enormous flashback to previous events, and while the manga then returns to the present, the anime never does. It ends on the cliffhangeriest cliffhanger I've seen in my entire life.

Elfen Lied

I'd be inclined to say don't watch Elfen Lied because it's a terrible show, but of course I shouldn't say that because people like this show. Those people are dumb (Hate the sinner, not the sin, I say). Luckily, you're averse to anime tropes, because Elfen Lied has most of them, so I can just say don't watch it for that reason instead.

If you want something grounded in reality, watch Monster. It's a good series in its own right (though it is slow paced and emotionally draining at times) and basically my de-facto "anime recommendation for people who hate anime" due to its lack of fantastical elements.

I personally found Monster too slow-paced to keep watching it (the art didn't help either), but based on the praise it gets I have no intention of writing it off, and it does seem to be what you're looking for.

I'd like to point out, though, that you may not like what you think you like (insert Jimquisition episode on focus groups here). For example, everyone says: no highschool, no fanservice, no mecha, and the more homophobic and/or repressed ones say no effeminate guys. Well Code Geass has all of that, and everybody likes Code Geass*.

*EDITOR'S NOTE: Confirmed by scientific study in 2009. Based on random genetic sampling, people who do not like Code Geass are actually alien invaders, not humans.

snip

Are you...are you serious

I think you're the first person who has claimed that the absolutely miniscule level of fanservice in Code Geass (I can't even remember anything off the top of my head, but it's been a while) is ruining it for you.

Code Geass is something that consistently features in pretty much everyone's top anime lists. A lot. There's a reason for that. It's not perfect, but out of whatever gripes one could possibly have with the show (I have a few myself)...fanservice?

In that case DEFINITELY stay away from Gantz and Elfen Lied. If you think Code Geass was sexualised, then watching those two may turn you away from anime forever.

There's also the possibility of me having watched enough anime to get completely desensitized to fanservice, to the point of my brain not even registering/remembering it. Not unless it is brutally shoved into my face...oh on that note, do NOT watch Highschool Of The Dead.

He's not the only one. Code Geass is my second-favorite anime (unhorsed from first by a certain diabolical bunny-cat), but I would still say the fanservice detracted from my experience. What I'm looking for from pretty much every story is a strongly woven emotional experience. That's why I liked Code Geass, why I liked Madoka, why I liked Steins;Gate, why I liked Evangelion, why I liked Gurren Lagann. For that matter, it's why I liked Iron Man 3. And fanservice is poison to that emotional IV drip (except when used appropriately, as in Bakemonogatari, Gurren Lagann, and...no, that's about it). That's how I see it, anyway.

However, if you want a "serious" anime, I suggest Monster.

My recommendation have been stated before but I'll throw in my suggestions as well:

Monster The first anime that comes to mind when I think of mature anime. It's slow paced but very well grounded. It's all about a young surgeon who saves the life a young boy that grows into (well he sort of already was) a murderous sociopath. His whole life gets thrown upside down and he's got to stop the Monster he created.

Monster, just Monster.

Definitely sounds interesting. Is the dub any good, or should I watch it with subtitles?

You...you could watch it on Hulu both subbed and dubbed - assuming you live in the land where the light of Hulu touches - but it seems like it's not there anymore. Odd.

That's what I was about to say:

(Is this shot really necessary? None of the male characters are filmed like this...)

(Why?!)

I realise Code Geass is far from the worst offender, but I find any of that stuff annoying. I notice every time a female character inexplicably wears a stripperific outfit, or their breasts jiggle when they move slightly. The fact that it's (comparatively) more subtle in Code Geass almost makes it worse. It's obvious they don't need to do it, so I don't know why they choose to.

Argh scale those down, way too big :S

The fact you said "None of the male characters are filmed like this..." makes me feel you are very new to anime. Code Geass very much falls within Shounen [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh%C5%8Dnen_manga]genre, a category where female fanservice is common and male fanservice is extremely rare for obvious reasons.

You find it annoying, and that's fine, but a lot of the fanbase doesn't. Code Geass for the most part stays well within the bounds of keeping fanservice exactly that - a little something for the fans. You either appreciate it, develop a tolerance to it, or outright despise it. People in the last group will have a difficult time enjoying quite a few anime that are generally considered to be worth watching, since every bit of fanservice will constantly put them off. I can't really help with that.

I'm someone who usually appreciates fanservice it as long as it's kept on a leash and isn't allowed to run rampant pushing-over the other elements of the anime/manga. I can happily say "wooo go Karen you sexy mecha pilot!" and at the same time respect her as a character with significant influence. As for the Ashford Academy girls, they aren't exactly particularly deep characters but holy SHIT I found myself crying so hard at some of the later...umm...don't wanna spoil it for you, finish that anime first

I'd disagree with you on two counts at least. One, that fanservice is archetypal of shounen, and two, that Code Geass is a shounen. I mean, it's a misuse of the term to begin with, since it really only applies to manga (and I suppose by extension adaptations of manga), while Code Geass is an original anime. And Code Geass's manga adaptation was shounen, so that kind of weakens my position. But I'm still right, because reasons!

I really only say this because people have a habit of drawing some kind of magic line between shounen and seinen. Like, shounen is okay if you're a shit casual, but the pros are up here watching DEEP, SERIOUS seinen stuff, completing forgetting that everything terrible they've ever seen was also seinen.

Have I gone on too long?

Elfen Lied is worth watching, but it is very... bipolar. It is a dark sci-fi story that is intermingled with a comedic dorm anime (ala Love Hina). It's done for contrast, to make the dark/brutal stuff stand out more when compared to the funny cutesy stuff. It's a very effective technique, but the extreme tone changes can be off-putting. (the dub is fine, although a few characters sound like they huff helium to get high)

Let me just write down another point in support of "people like the dubs of things they like". The dub for Elfen Lied is quite bad. It was done by Sentai Filmworks. But I repeat myself.

Serial Experiments Lain is also damn good. (SUB only! Dub is awful.)

Or perhaps not. The delivery of the Japanese in Lain is so flat I'd consider it and the dub to be all but interchangeable. Although in Japanese the antagonist is voiced by Sho Hayami, who also voices Aizen in Bleach, so that experience is kind of orgasmic.

Yeah, avoid NG:E unless you want to have an aneurysm. I am also one of those rare people who didn't care much for Ghost in the Shell. While interesting, I always deemed it too slow for an action anime, and not paced properly for a detective thriller. It'll go from stop to 100 MPH over the span of one scene, and the effect can be jarring (snooze...oh HELLO...snoooze...)

Ah, right, Ghost in the Shell is also a TV series. I've seen an episode or two of Stand Alone Complex, plus the original (well, not actually "original", but...) movie, and I thought they were both pretty bad. I thought the movie was pretentious as hell. And I liked Evangelion, so that's saying something.

Also, keep an eye out for Psycho Pass, Shinsekai Yori, Zetsuen no Tempest, Another the Animation, and Btooom in case they ever get released.

Another's been released, and Tempest as well, I think. Plus, everything you've mentioned except Katanagatari is streaming...if you live in the right country, anyway.

Rin, Daughter of Mnemosyne. About One immortal woman living in the a society like ours and the story progresses into the near future. Women who become immortal by a seed from the tree of life and the men get the same but turn to demon like monsters.

Also has what may be the highest tits/minute ratio of anything this side of hentai. Including Queen's Blade. It wishes it was torture porn but couldn't be for whatever reason, so they had to tell a story instead.

So, yeah, the OP should probably pass on that.

Eva series - You may as well watch it and make your own mind, it's overrated, pretentious and grating but that comes with analysis and time

Yeah, I agree complete - whoops, I thought we were talking about Wolf's Rain. My mistake.

 

[PFCboom]

Kikaider. It's an android who, at first, doesn't know he's an android. Even after transforming from his human guise into full android, he can't quite believe what he is. Existential struggles and killer acoustic guitar riffs follow. It's one of my favorite animes because, considering what else was on Toonami at the time - FLCL, Trigun, etc. - that kind of drama was such a breath of fresh air. But it did have the odd android vs. android fight so it wasn't TOO bad.
You can find a few small sites streaming a half-way decent quality version. The individual volumes are cheap-ish, altogether.

 

[Austin Howe]

I really don't care who's already said it, Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the top 5 things to ever air on television.

 

[BNguyen]

Try Fate/Zero, it's pretty dark and while I can't say how you'll accept it but I enjoy the dub
and have you tried When They Cry? and the anime made by the same group called When Seagulls Cry? When Seagulls Cry can get a bit more graphic with what it shows when compared to When They Cry - think of it like this: When They Cry shows the psychological aspects of murder and death while When Seagulls Cry shows the physical aspects.

Infinite Ryvius is also pretty good as well as Mushishi.

 

[James Joseph Emerald]

I actually just finished watching Berserk yesterday. It strengthened my suspicions that the "best anime ever" are actually just whatever happened to be picked up by Adult Swim in the early 2000's. Not that it's a bad show by any stretch of the imagination, but it ends at the moment the plot begins. Literally. Episodes 2-25 are an enormous flashback to previous events, and while the manga then returns to the present, the anime never does. It ends on the cliffhangeriest cliffhanger I've seen in my entire life.

Thanks for the head's up about Berserk. I really hate stories that don't end properly. They keep me up at night.
(I suppose I could read the manga, but there's something about manga/comics/graphic novels that bore me. They take all the effort of reading a book, but without the benefit of being able to imagine things how you want).

I'd like to point out, though, that you may not like what you think you like (insert Jimquisition episode on focus groups here). For example, everyone says: no highschool, no fanservice, no mecha, and the more homophobic and/or repressed ones say no effeminate guys. Well Code Geass has all of that, and everybody likes Code Geass*.

Perhaps so, but even Code Geass is right on the edge of my threshold. Although the plot is great, I often find myself thinking things like, "I'll give some leeway on the high-school setting, but come on, there's no way the Student Council President would have that much power. Where are the teaching staff?" and "why would a highly competent, robot-like ninja choose to fight in a fetishistic maid outfit with a skimpy thong underneath?" and "using bipedal tanks is one thing, but do they really have to be all colourful and impractical-looking? And why does everyone have their own personal model, each one more powerful than the last?"

 

[Izanagi009_v1legacy]

I recommend Psycho Pass. Interesting universe setup which basically explores the notion of persecuting criminals before they actually commit a crime. Great soundtrack.

I second the notion, it's one of the most violent and thought provoking anime out there with Gen Unobuchi making the story a great debate about security vs. freedom. Add in one of the most violent, menacing and charismatic villains of all time with great voice work out of Takahiro Sakurai and it's a complete package.

 

[Izanagi009_v1legacy]

A pretty obscure anime that I can't recommend enough is From The New World. It's about a civilization of psychics 1000 years after our civ ended. There's exploration of the culture as well as really interesting uses of their telekinesis. It's also on Crunchyroll, so you can find it easily and watch FO FREE.

Shin Sekai Yori? that show is good but it has a few issues: a few plotlines that go nowhere, odd animation, and varying emotional response

 

[Vausch]

Kaiba.

Don't let the art style fool you, Kaiba is one of the saddest and deepest stories I've seen in a long time. It has very sympathetic characters and villains as well as rounded responses from all arguments and some noticeable commentary on current affairs.

Also I'd bet money it was the inspiration for "Remember Me".

 

[Dr. Cakey]

I'd like to point out, though, that you may not like what you think you like (insert Jimquisition episode on focus groups here). For example, everyone says: no highschool, no fanservice, no mecha, and the more homophobic and/or repressed ones say no effeminate guys. Well Code Geass has all of that, and everybody likes Code Geass*.

Perhaps so, but even Code Geass is right on the edge of my threshold. Although the plot is great, I often find myself thinking things like, "I'll give some leeway on the high-school setting, but come on, there's no way the Student Council President would have that much power. Where are the teaching staff?" and "why would a highly competent, robot-like ninja choose to fight in a fetishistic maid outfit with a skimpy thong underneath?" and "using bipedal tanks is one thing, but do they really have to be all colourful and impractical-looking? And why does everyone have their own personal model, each one more powerful than the last?"

I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of all the awesome.

But no, I actually agree with you, at least to a certain extent. As I said, Code Geass is my second favorite anime, but I also think it could be twice as good as it was.

You're ultimately going to have to do some experimenting to find out what your likes and dislikes really are. Some show at the edge of your comfort zone (say, Madoka Magica) will catch your attention, and you'll pursue more things like it. Or you'll find studios or directors you think you might like and skim what they've produced.

And before you know it you'll have Attack on Titan next to Danganronpa next to Monogatari Season 2 next to Sunday Without God in your watchlist. And you'll wonder where you went wrong.

EDIT: And yes, I make monster posts. I take the "discussion" part of discussion boards and reply to pretty much every post that I have the slightest thing to say about.

 

[mrhateful]

snip

While i too find it annoying, I gotta agree that Code Geass have very little in the fanservice department, I mean when you have finished Code Geass and want more(obviously) then you will find other animes have an absurd amount of fanservice compared to Code Geass and you almost wish for it to just be on Code Geass level.

 

[Zetatrain]

I'm actually surprised no one has mentioned this yet

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex

I guess you could call it a Cop show in a cyberpunk setting. It has good action, political drama (mostly in the second season), and philosophical discussion on existence, specifically about the line that separates man and machine.

Others

Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket

Not sure if you know much or anything about the Gundam franchise or the universe this OVA is set in, but it's still a very stand aloneish series and avoids a lot of the stand Gundam tropes that may annoy some people.

The series is about a young boy named Al who lives in a neutral space colony that has been virtually untouched by a war that has been raging on for nearly one year between the Earth federation and the Principality of Zeon. However, when the colony is discovered to be housing a top secret military project for the Federation the fighting comes to Al's homeland. Thematically, I guess you could call the series a deconstruction of what a child's fantasy of war is (black and white morality annd good guys vs bad guys that kind of stuff). The series is only six episodes so at the very least it won't take long to finish

Attack on Titan

As someone who rarely watches shounen anime, I really had no idea what to expect going into the series even with all the hype surrounding it. Now, I'm currently up to episode 18 and I have to say I'm really enjoying it. Yeah, it definitely has its shounen roots, but personally I don't think their much of a detriment to the series...yet. The only thing that might turn you off are some elements that you might consider "Weird Shit", but I personally think they add a good amount of mystery to the series.

I've actually just shown this series to a friend of mine whose tastes seem to fit your general description and he couldn't stop watching it.

My general advice would be to at least watch this series up to episode 8, by then you should have a good understanding of what you're in for.

 

[Tsun Tzu]

My recommendations have been mentioned several times over...

But I have to echo the sentiment behind Black Lagoon.

Throw in Spice and Wolf (calm, generally serious study of economics) and Usagi Drop (relatively light hearted show about parenting) and you've got a pretty well rounded set of shows in a more "mature" vein. I don't really believe "mature" has to include blood and tits, but eh.

 

[Mid Boss]

Attack on Titan has great action, good writing, and strong characters. It's pretty new and hasn't finished the first season.

Mankind has been pushed to the brink of extinction by a race of creatures called the Titans. They range in size from 3 to 15 meters tall and resemble perpetually smiling, genderless, deformed, men. They are almost completely mindless and don't need food but are obsessed with eating humans and only humans. To kill a Titan requires a precision strike to the back of the neck. To reach this, humans have invented the "3D gear". Natural gas powered hip mounted grappling hook launchers they use to maneuver around the Titans to reach their weak spot. But, even with the 3d gear and years of training, most humans die, HORRIBLY, before ever landing a single titan kill. Every encounter with the Titans results in massive casualties and almost inevitable retreat. Faced with such overwhelming power and numbers, what's left of mankind has walled itself into a massive city and have lived in peace, safe from the Titans, for 100 years.

What I particularly love about the series, other than the horrific slaughter the Titans visit on the humans, is that there aren't any weak, helpless, crying female characters. The women of Attack on Titan are almost as numerous and are just as capable as the men are. Something you almost.... NEVER see in an anime.

 

[Casual Shinji]

The women of Attack on Titan are almost as numerous and are just as capable as the men are. Something you almost.... NEVER see in an anime.

You are kidding me, right?

You do know nearly every (shounen) anime is packed to the gills with hot action ladies, don't you? Seeing as their target audience are men. Bleach and Black Lagoon, just to throw out a few examples.

 

[Legion]

I'm actually surprised no one has mentioned this yet

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex

They mentioned having seen it in their opening post, which would most likely be why. I assume they meant Stand Alone Complex as they talk about the "cutesy robots" and they are not in the original movies.

Elfen Lied

I'd be inclined to say don't watch Elfen Lied because it's a terrible show, but of course I shouldn't say that because people like this show. Those people are dumb (Hate the sinner, not the sin, I say). Luckily, you're averse to anime tropes, because Elfen Lied has most of them, so I can just say don't watch it for that reason instead.

While I do not agree that it is terrible, or that the people who like it are dumb (that could be seen as a personal attack by the way, considering it's basically calling everybody in this thread who recommended it dumb), I do have to wonder why so many people have recommended it despite it quite overtly being full of the kinds of things the OP said that they didn't like.

Perhaps so, but even Code Geass is right on the edge of my threshold. Although the plot is great, I often find myself thinking things like, "I'll give some leeway on the high-school setting, but come on, there's no way the Student Council President would have that much power. Where are the teaching staff?" and "why would a highly competent, robot-like ninja choose to fight in a fetishistic maid outfit with a skimpy thong underneath?" and "using bipedal tanks is one thing, but do they really have to be all colourful and impractical-looking? And why does everyone have their own personal model, each one more powerful than the last?"

To be honest, I find it best to remind myself that such things are not that much more unrealistic than most of the common things we see in Western shows and films. Most car chases would end in cars being wrecked and the protagonists being crushed to death were they to happen in real life, cars are simply not that durable. Most heroes would have been shot to tiny lumps of meat if the supposed elite soldiers they were facing hadn't conveniently forgotten how to aim. Somehow men in scenarios where they need to kill lots of people always seem to come across a beautiful woman who only has eyes for them. It's just as ridiculous really.

The list could go on really. If you really wanted you could take any work of fiction and dissect it the way you are doing. I am not suggesting you are wrong to look at it that way, but when it comes down to it, it really isn't that much stranger than the kind of things we are used to in non-anime fiction.

If anything anime actually makes "more sense" because they frequently feature worlds and settings that are not even remotely possible. When you get protagonists capable of using what is essentially mind control, having brightly coloured mech's isn't all that strange. On the other hand we get things such as James Bond and most action movies, which are set in the real world, but full of completely impossible things that are supposed to seem realistic.

What I particularly love about the series, other than the horrific slaughter the Titans visit on the humans, is that there aren't any weak, helpless, crying female characters. The women of Attack on Titan are almost as numerous and are just as capable as the men are. Something you almost.... NEVER see in an anime.

I always find it strange when people say that. The vast majority of anime I have watched have women who are as strong if not stronger than the men around them. I cannot help but wonder what kind of anime those people like to have such a view. Because I cannot think of a single anime I have seen where the women are all the weak and helpless type.

 

[Mid Boss]

The women of Attack on Titan are almost as numerous and are just as capable as the men are. Something you almost.... NEVER see in an anime.

You are kidding me, right?

You do know nearly every (shounen) anime is packed to the gills with hot action ladies, don't you? Seeing as their target audience are men. Bleach and Black Lagoon, just to throw out a few examples.

LOL! No no no. I'm not having another one of THESE conversations. Thanks anyway!

 

[vIRL Nightmare]

Phantom: Requiem for The Phantom.

About a guy who was abducted and basically brain washed and trained to be the best assassin, using is predecessor as the prototype. There are no heroes in this show. Villains, anti-heroes sure, but no heroes.

If you haven't watched it yet then do it. Now. You're missing out.