Looking for a specific type of anime.

[ninja666]

I want to watch an anime of a type I'm not sure even exists. I want an anime that is as far from a typical portrayal of anime as possible. I want a show with a serious, ambitious, multi-plot storyline, non-annoying, likable characters, jokes that are actually funny and aren't dragged on throughout the whole series, gray morality, and as little badassery as it's humanly possible. So basically, I'd like an anime that's like "western" shows. Why so many requirements? Cause I really want to watch some japanese animated piece of work, but hate that all of them are extremely cheesy and over the top. The preferred setting would be either fantasy or something stylized off medieval/ancient Japan, but generally everything but sci-fi will do. Thanks in advance for suggestions.

PS. It has to be a TV show. Feature movies are out.

 

[Keoul]

Baccano or Samurai Champloo are all that come to mind.

Spoiler: Baccano

It's not medieval/ancient japan but in America, time period skips around.

It's serious.
Ambitions I guess.
Multi-plot and a bit confusing because of it.
Non-annoying is subjective so iunno, I didn't find it annoying.
Likable characters also subjective but I thought they were pretty cool.
Jokes are... okay, not a lot of em.
Gray morality, there is some gray morality, can't get into it much without spoilers.
There is badassery, but it's convincing enough that you can go along with it, it's not like TTGL.

Spoiler: Samurai Champloo

Set in ancient/medieval Japan
Serious
Not that ambitious but there's not that many anime set at this time (or at least I haven't seen that many good ones).
Not really multi-plot, there is a major plot but they deviate quite often, think something like pokemon, main quest but they do other things on their journey.
Non-annoying, subjective.
Likable characters, also subjective.
Jokes are few.
Gray morality isn't THAT present... There is some of it in the final episodes but meh.
There is badassery, soz.

You can't really mix "serious" without "Badassery", Otherwise you just get a comedy slice of life anime. If all else fails go watch "when seagulls cry" It's weird so maybe it'll fit a few of your requirements.

Seriously man those are a shit load of requirements, I don't think there's that many anime that would fit the bill exactly.

 

[ninja666]

You can't really mix "serious" without "Badassery", Otherwise you just get a comedy slice of life anime. If all else fails go watch "when seagulls cry" It's weird so maybe it'll fit a few of your requirements.

Seriously man those are a shit load of requirements, I don't think there's that many anime that would fit the bill exactly.

That was kind of expected. The Japanese are a pretty immature bunch and it shows in all of their creations (schematic, full of same archetypes, over the top badassery and peculiar type of humor that isn't funny unless you are "brainwashed" enough). Well, looks like I'll have to go with just those two you recommended.

 

[Auberon]

Seinen is right up that alley. If you don't mind the (IMO) focal point of Fate/Stay Night and especially Heaven's Feel route, watch Fate/Zero.

Magical girls, Puella Magi Madoka Magica from Urobutcher, who coincidentally wrote F/Zero.

 

[ninja666]

Seinen is right up that alley. If you don't mind the (IMO) focal point of Fate/Stay Night and especially Heaven's Feel route, watch Fate/Zero.

I've just read some articles and reviews about these two and they seem fine. Are they really worth my time, though? I don't want to watch half the serie not knowing what's going on just because I didn't read the manga/book original that was necessary, as the creators didn't care enough to include some parts of the plot in the anime. Plus, I'm basically looking for "Breaking Bad" or "Game of Thrones" of anime. I don't know if Fate series fit.

 

[Auberon]

Both series explain the basic concept of Grail War and servants relatively well. Some subjects, like Kiritsugu's bullets and Magi talk require knowledge of Nasuverse metaphysics but you can ignore them from story point of view.

 

[Tethalaki]

I'd throw a suggestion out there for Steins;Gate.

Admittedly, I've only played through the visual novel version, but the Anime itself was extremely well received and definitely hits quite a few of your requirements.

 

[Chromatic Aberration]

I know what you are looking for since I personally like these kinds of stories best myself. You might want to look into....

[ul][li]Monster [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Manga/Monster?from=Anime.MONSTER]: Psychological thriller that deals with the nature of evil - has some of the most haunting scenes I've ever seen, without ever resorting to overtly crazy stuff. Perhaps the most "western" anime you will ever see.[/li][/ul]

[ul][li]Legend Of The Galactic Heroes [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Anime/LegendOfGalacticHeroes?from=Main.LegendOfGalacticHeroes]: The quintessential space opera and a show that is essentially about that the world, history and politics is essentially grey. Very cerebral and in a classical sense one of the most "epic" shows I could ever see.[/li][/ul]

[ul][li]Samurai X - Trust and Betrayal [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Manga/RurouniKenshin?from=Main.RurouniKenshin]: anime movie that is a heartwrenching tragedy. Maybe a bit presumptions at times still utterly beautiful in a very depressing way[/li][/ul]

[ul][li]Spice & Wolf [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/LightNovel/SpiceAndWolf?from=Main.SpiceAndWolf],Higurashi - When They Cry [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry?from=Main.HigurashiNoNakuKoroNi] and Puella Magi Madoka [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Anime/PuellaMagimadokaMagica]: All of those might be too tropy for you but the second is disturbing horror (and sometimes too over the top) and the third one of the best tragedies I've seen so far. The first is what I like to call the prime example of a character driven anime-show that is essentially just about a developing romance - sounds boring but is a very sincere show and far more tragic than one thinks if one looks a little bit beyond the surface. Highly recommended [/li][/ul]

...or if you want something more cerebral and/or disturbing (e.g. think David Lynch or some thoughtful movie but as an anime)

[ul][li]Kaiba [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Anime/Kaiba]: Disturbing Cyberpunk that deals with the issue of identity and broadly with body-soul problem. Very bleak and enigmatic despite its style. [/li][/ul]

[ul][li] Paranoia Agent [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Anime/ParanoiaAgent]: Broadly a critique of consumerism this one is the perfect example of what would happen if David Lynch directed an Anime. Starts pretty normal, becomes a depiction of paranoia and then goes into cloud-cuckooland.[/li][/ul]

[ul][li] Kino's Travels [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/LightNovel/KinosJourney]: Very quiet show that essentially asks the viewer what to make of the things portrayed. Something that gets you to think well after each episode. [/li][/ul]

...or something more pop-corny (think 24 but as an anime)

[ul][li] Death Note [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Manga/DeathNote?from=Main.DeathNote]: A rollercoaster anime classic which is sometimes well over the top but never too much to become annoying. It just stays awesome[/li][/ul]

[ul][li] Cowboy Bebop [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Anime/CowboyBebop?from=Main.CowboyBebop]: Another classic and a show that I can only describe by asking "What if Quentin Tarantino did anime?". Not an exact comparison thanks to his latter movies but still - the atmosphere it certainly has.[/li][/ul]

The Japanese are a pretty immature bunch and it shows in all of their creations (schematic, full of same archetypes, over the top badassery and peculiar type of humor that isn't funny unless you are "brainwashed" enough)

Well tbh that can also be said about most Western sitcoms if you swap Japanese with US-american and minus the badassery...for that we have Chuck Norris...

 

[ninja666]

The Japanese are a pretty immature bunch and it shows in all of their creations (schematic, full of same archetypes, over the top badassery and peculiar type of humor that isn't funny unless you are "brainwashed" enough)

Well tbh that can also be said about most Western sitcoms if you swap Japanese with US-american and minus the badassery...

The thing with western television is that you don't necessarily have to watch sitcoms with "family" humor. If you don't like them, there are always shows filled with dark humor, offensive humor, british humor etc. as well as a plethora of serious ones ("Breaking Bad" being the prime example). When you want to watch anime, you have two options:
a) Anime for boys consisting of overly cheesy, super-powered badass warriors fighting each other, tits, sex jokes, and paper-thin plots.
b) Anime for girls - "slice of life", romance and whatnot

If you don't like any of that stuff, you don't have much to search for in the anime department, which is sad, really.

 

[Chromatic Aberration]

If you don't like any of that stuff, you don't have much to search for in the anime department, which is sad, really.

Someone stated it before: I think you need to look beyond the Shonen demographic. The whole Seinen genre is essentially exactly what you want. For examples pretty much every single anime I've typed in up there in my post isn't like your descriptions of a) or b). Go and watch before you jump to conclusions.

 

[ninja666]

The whole Seinen genre is essentially exactly what you want.

Not really. Seinen titles, despite being targeted towards mature audiences, still tend to be pretty over the top (not to say downright silly) and have a lot of naive plots and overall badassery. I'm speaking from experience, as I've watched a few seinen anime in my life (Elfen Lied, Hellsing, Noir, Black Lagoon). However, full-length movies tend to be more mature than TV shows (Perfect Blue, Akira, Hotaru no Haka and Kite being my favourites), which is kinda logical, but I don't see why it doesn't apply to many TV series.

 

[Vegosiux]

You know what I don't get?

"I want a show with a serious, ambitious, multi-plot storyline, non-annoying, likable characters, jokes that are actually funny and aren't dragged on throughout the whole series, gray morality, and as least badassery as it's humanly possible.

Oh, and it has to be an anime."

One of those requests is not like the others. So, the million dollar question is...why is it there at all?

I'm serious. Why not look for what you're asking for everywhere? Why are you limiting yourself to anime?

 

[ninja666]

You know what I don't get?

"I want a show with a serious, ambitious, multi-plot storyline, non-annoying, likable characters, jokes that are actually funny and aren't dragged on throughout the whole series, gray morality, and as least badassery as it's humanly possible.

Oh, and it has to be an anime."

One of those requests is not like the others. So, the million dollar question is...why is it there at all?

I'm serious. Why not look for what you're asking for everywhere? Why are you limiting yourself to anime?

Dunno... probably some part of me doesn't want to accept that I actually don't like anime as much as I used to and is making me try to find one that's suitable to my tastes, so I won't think the entire library of anime is crap (a subjective, biased opinion; just sayin', so you wouldn't go full-on on me with a flamewar).

 

[mjharper]

People have already mentioned Spice and Wolf, Baccano!, Steins;Gate, Kino's Journey, and Paranoia Agent. Worth a check, all of them.

Other suggestions: Read or Die, FLAG, Moribito, Eden of the East, Welcome to the NHK. Even if these don't cover all of the conditions you listed, they should scratch at least some of the itch.

 

[necromanzer52]

Monster. Monster is what you are looking for.

I'd also recommend Beck:Mongolian chop squad. Especially if you're into music. This is a show every musician has to watch at least once.

You mentioned you like perfect blue. The director of that made a series at one point called paranoia agent.

Between these 3 shows, you should find something you like.

 

[SKBPinkie]

Mushishi.

Seriously, go watch it now. Absolutely fantastic show. Fantastic stories, great music and art.

Also - "The Japanese are an immature bunch" - Really? You're judging an entire culture based on the few cartoons you've seen made by them.

 

[Hochmeister]

I want to watch an anime of a type I'm not sure even exists. I want an anime that is as far from a typical portrayal of anime as possible. I want a show with a serious, ambitious, multi-plot storyline, non-annoying, likable characters, jokes that are actually funny and aren't dragged on throughout the whole series, gray morality, and as least badassery as it's humanly possible. So basically, I'd like an anime that's like "western" shows. Why so many requirements? Cause I really want to watch some japanese animated piece of work, but hate that all of them are extremely cheesy and over the top. The preferred setting would be either fantasy or something stylized off medieval/ancient Japan, but generally everything but sci-fi will do. Thanks in advance for suggestions

Sounds like you'd want to watch Legend of the Galactic Heroes. It's very different from your typical show and is more like a play or history documentary. Definitely one of the best shows I've ever watched and the whole thing's on youtube too:

Serious: check. No moe or fanservice here!
Ambitious: You betchya!
Multi-plot: so many plot lines you'll have trouble keeping track of them!
Non-annoying: The only annoyance is a Japanese Wesley Crusher who is far less annoying than the real Wesley
Likeable Characters: More than I can count
Jokes: Bittenfeld!
Grey Morality: The whole point of the show, plays off democracy against autocracy to great effect.
Badassery: Guys in power armor hacking at each other with battleaxes to Wagner? Check!

everything but sci-fi will do.

Goddamnit! The thing is, most of the stuff I know of that's like what you're looking for are the old school 80's/90's sci-fi shows. I'd still recommend Legend of the Galactic Heroes as the Sci-fi setting is not necessary for the plot, the show would be virtually unchanged in a 19th century Napoleonic setting. There's no magic technology upgrades or super robot stuff. Aside from that, the only other show I can think of is Baccano!

 

[Pappytech]

Chromatic's earlier post has a pretty good selection, and other people have already brought up Baccano! so I'll leave that one alone.

I would normally recommend Darker than Black, but seeing as how you're looking for something without super-humans, I'd suggest you take a look at Psychopass, a cyberpunk series wherein all of Japan is governed by a system which calculates which citizens will and won't become criminals. Although it does contain the occasional kung-fu fist fight, these're fought on a very human level, and most of the rest of the series is dedicated to ordinary police work (or as close as you can get to ordinary in a futuristic, Orwellian society). It's dark, it's serious, and (most) of the characters are pretty damn compelling in my opinion.

 

[BlackBark]

I want to watch an anime of a type I'm not sure even exists. I want an anime that is as far from a typical portrayal of anime as possible. I want a show with a serious, ambitious, multi-plot storyline, non-annoying, likable characters, jokes that are actually funny and aren't dragged on throughout the whole series, gray morality, and as least badassery as it's humanly possible. So basically, I'd like an anime that's like "western" shows. Why so many requirements? Cause I really want to watch some japanese animated piece of work, but hate that all of them are extremely cheesy and over the top. The preferred setting would be either fantasy or something stylized off medieval/ancient Japan, but generally everything but sci-fi will do. Thanks in advance for suggestions.

PS. It has to be a TV show. Feature movies are out.

Dunno... probably some part of me doesn't want to accept that I actually don't like anime as much as I used to and is making me try to find one that's suitable to my tastes, so I won't think the entire library of anime is crap (a subjective, biased opinion; just sayin', so you wouldn't go full-on on me with a flamewar).

It seems like you are in a similar boat to me. I have found myself watching less and less anime over the years because I simply can't find many series anymore with a fairly mature setting and story with likeable/relatable characters. I will just mention a few series that I enjoyed; maybe you will see something of interest.

1. First, I'll say +1 to "Monster". That is the closest I can think of to your description, besides the fantasy setting.

2. "Berserk". Fantasy setting with a pretty dark story about a warrior who joins a band of mercenaries that has set their sights on reaching the top. While there is plenty of fighting, there's a lot more going on in the background.

3. "Gungrave". This has a modern day setting (OK, there is a bit of sci-fi in this, but it only really comes up half way through the series), and it does have quite a few typical anime traits, with some over the top gun play, but to me, the characters really stood out and the underlying story is pretty serious. Also, it might be worth starting from episode 2.

4. Finally, I would like to recommend "Shigurui". I watched the anime quite a while ago and recently I read the manga to find out what the end of the story was. This one really had me on the edge of my seat as the writer did a good job of making the story unpredictable. I haven't been so tense as I was reading through the last volume in quite a while. The violence and sexual themes are a bit too strong for my liking, but overall I think this is one of the best anime set in medieval Japan. The story is very serious, although there is the odd humorous moment here and there.

 

[ninja666]

everything but sci-fi will do.

Goddamnit! The thing is, most of the stuff I know of that's like what you're looking for are the old school 80's/90's sci-fi shows. I'd still recommend Legend of the Galactic Heroes as the Sci-fi setting is not necessary for the plot, the show would be virtually unchanged in a 19th century Napoleonic setting. There's no magic technology upgrades or super robot stuff.

All right, I can watch a little sci-fi, as long as it's not filled with mech crap. I've always hated those cause for the most part it doesn't have any substance when there's robots.