What's the Most Brutal Anime You've Seen?

[Casual Shinji]

I'm going to go with Akira. Sure, there are more gory or violent anime, like Elfen Lied, but the OP asked for "brutal". The violence in Akira is brutal. The most innocent or undeserving characters are victims to most unpleasant and visceral suffering. Elfen Lied opens with exploding heads and gratuitous fan service, so it feels like a childish cartoon. Akira has a character step on a piece of glass with his bare foot, or a blameless girl getting her nose punched in - and it looks ten times worse.

There's also the bit where said blameless girl...

Spoiler

...gets horrifically crushed. You hear her scream in agony (which is still one of the most blood curdling screams I've ever heard) and see her eyes bug out as she's slowly smushed.

What makes it even worse is that, as you said, she's the only character in the movie who's completely innocent. She only tried to help.

 

[Not Lord Atkin]

I'm thinking Elfen Lied. It was also the first anime I've seen.

Spoiler

There was a scene when the main character tore a 6-year-old girl in half with invisible tentacles and left her to die in her brother's arms. And the fucked up thing is - that wasn't even the most brutal scene in that anime.

The entire anime was just difficult to stomach, even for an adult. It was actually psychologically demanding to watch it. But I did anyway because the story was quite unique and interesting.

This post basically encapsulates everything that mystifies me about Elfen Lied. I've often wondered if, maybe if I'd gone into Elfen Lied expecting to hate it, I might have liked it (hell, I might have found it interesting enough to finish). Between the fact that I didn't really give a crap about anyone in it and the yes-we-make-hentai-and-nothing-else level animation, I was totally disconnected from everything. I was just bored.

When I'm emotionally invested - and when something is crafted with talent - then I'll be as freaked out as a show wants me to be. When Hei breaks the fingers of...Christ I can't remember that girl's name...in Darker than Black, that had way more impact to me than anything in Elfen Lied.

I also don't understand how...er...maybe I should stop talking about Elfen Lied.

As I said, it was the first anime I've seen and it's been over 5 years since then. My standards have changed. I reember that I found it interesting back then but perhaps if I decided to watch it again, I'd hate it. Dunno.

 

[VeneratedWulfen93]

Definetly Hellsing Ultimate. Alucard shoots a guys legs off and watches him crawl away before picking said legs up, crushing them and sicking a demonic, multi-eyed dog on him. Or when he fights this spanish Gambit rip off and kicks his left kneecap so hard his leg snaps the wrong way and pretty much falls off before splitting the poor guys arm in half and then biting him.

Hellsing trounces all in my opinion.

 

[Frankster]

Mnmosyne. Now when it comes to gore and kinky gore, im no prude and got greater tolerance for it then the average escapist, but even i was squirming at times when watching it xP

 

[CrystalShadow]

Hmm.

Well, of the anime I've seen, Elfen Lied is definitely up there as being brutal.

'She, the ultimate weapon' (the title varies a bit, so I'm not entirely sure what to call it) is... Also quite messed up, though perhaps not in a way that could be described as brutal as such.

Oh, but going with 'kids' anime...

Naruto. Seriously, that's been heavily edited for western audiences to make it more child-friendly, but when you see the unedited versions, you see why.

Naruto (and many of the other characters) get the crap kicked out of them on a regular basis, and often in quite sadistic ways.
I mean, a lot of the core premise of the series (when it isn't being silly) is about using other people for your own ends, and whether or not you should care about what that does to them...

Naruto, when you look at it is really messed up.

 

[Edl01]

Higurashi. Loads of people have mentioned it but honestly I don't think it is all that gory, the horror in Higurashi is mostly caused through our uncertainty and mistrust in the characters who constantly seem to change personality wise which means we never know how to expect. Yes there is some gory scenes but they are few and far between. Plus the deaths in the anime are a bit censored and are usually toned down from the novel/manga.

Elfen Lied- Gory as crap. This really is "Goreporn the anime". It is insanely bloody, but is lacking somewhat in the plot department. Probably my pick for goriest anime ever made.

Now that I got the two most famous ones out of the way some more obscure ones:

Mirai Nikki - A survival game anime that in many ways is similar to the Hunger Games(it came out first, and no I am not stupid enough to say it is a rip off).
This show is so gorey at many points, and has one of the most likeable cast of characters I have ever seen. the show also has a fairly graphic rape scene.

Another - About a school class with a curse on it meaning one classmate will die every month. Jesus are some of these deaths brutal. I'm talking saw levels of brutality for one or two.

Psycho Pass - Currently airing police drama. The police shoot guns that make criminals explode!!!So gory and yet so awesome at the same time.

 

[Nazulu]

Well, I haven't watched it at all, but from what I've already seen, Fist of the North Star is probably the worst offender.

From what I have watched, Beserk easily. It's violent in more ways than one. Children slaughtered, there's rape, some torture, etc.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

45 posts and nobody's felt the need to mention Hokuto no Ken?

Seriously?

I feel old.

I knew I wouldn't be the first to mention this one! Hokuto no Ken (or Fist of the North Star) is probably the most brutal anime I've ever seen, mainly because my memories of the 80's version of Devilman are diminishing (there's more Devilman, right? I know of the live action movie...) Anyway Fist of the North Star: it's made out of blood, gore and, manly tears. Unlike DBZ, an enemy was introduced and killed off in the same episode with the exception of a handful of seasonal, big-plot baddies (Shin and, Raoh) and certain other baddies who could have been mid-season baddies (Jagi and, Sauzer). There was also a comic relief baddie who lasted...two episodes I think (I wanna say Wolf...I think he may have been Jagi's henchman but that could have just been in the anime movie)

Anyway, here's some sweet, sweet violence from the anime series (spoilers I guess...also the subtitles aren't in English):


---

Well, I haven't watched it at all, but from what I've already seen, Fist of the North Star is probably the worst offender.

From what I have watched, Beserk easily. It's violent in more ways than one. Children slaughtered, there's rape, some torture, etc.

Now that you mention it, Fist of the North Star hasn't really murdered many children on screen and rape wasn't introduced (from what I remember) until the series reboot back in...I think 05? Not that it was much of a series reboot since only 3 DVDs came from it but that's neither here nor there...the violence in Berserk isn't whited out either so...and isn't the alternate title for Berserk Bastard!! or am I thinking of another anime?

 

[Legion]

Elfen Lied, Texhnolyze and Gantz all involve a lot of dismemberment and other brutal and violent deaths. Although they aren't like a lot of western shows where you are supposed to think it's cool. They are often done to innocent people, or by very twisted people.

Mardock Scramble: The First Compression is fairly brutal near the end as well, and like the above, it's meant to show a point rather than for people to get off on it.

 

[Zenron]

Meh, things like Elfen Lied and Higurashi aren't really that brutal. They're violent yes, but it's violence without substance.

The brutality needs to actually mean something, there's a couple of scenes in Elfen Lied like that but not much, and nothing with the kind of emotional impact of something like the eclipse from Berserk(I'm not sure if the anime goes that far into the story). The scene with Casca and Griffith stands out as a truly horrifying moment.

 

[Nazulu]

Well, I haven't watched it at all, but from what I've already seen, Fist of the North Star is probably the worst offender.

From what I have watched, Beserk easily. It's violent in more ways than one. Children slaughtered, there's rape, some torture, etc.

Now that you mention it, Fist of the North Star hasn't really murdered many children on screen and rape wasn't introduced (from what I remember) until the series reboot back in...I think 05? Not that it was much of a series reboot since only 3 DVDs came from it but that's neither here nor there...the violence in Berserk isn't whited out either so...and isn't the alternate title for Berserk Bastard!! or am I thinking of another anime?

Never heard of Bastard. I looked it up and got this - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastard%E2%80%BC

Spoiler: spoilers here for Beserk and Fist of the North Star

Beserk is definitely one of the most horrible. While a lot of it is just amusing, every now and it takes a really dark turn. It takes it up a notch it when the ones in pain start screaming from it, or when you look at the children who had just been molested by a pedophile, and especially the last couple of episodes! I hate seeing people get eaten.

Fist of the North Star I also rank very high when the exploding bodies start showing bones and organs. Nearly reaches fucking Saving Private Ryan in horror.

 

[Relish in Chaos]

Spoiler: Fullmetal Alchemist

The scene towards the end of the first anime where King Bradley strangles his son to death. Despite the overall depressing nature of the series, that was the first scene to really make me go, "Shit...that's brutal." It doesn't even have to be that visceral; it was more psychologically brutal than anything, because the kid just wanted to help his father.

 

[Username Redacted]

Mardock Scramble: The First Compression is fairly brutal near the end as well, and like the above, it's meant to show a point rather than for people to get off on it.

I would describe the Mardock Scramble movies as more unorthodox in their approach to violence than super brutal. That said their world-building has me intrigued enough that I'm sticking around to see what the third movie brings.

 

[AsurasEyes]

Berserk. Hands down. The gore has weight to it, people actually scream and shout like Tarantino extras, and there's a sense that all the stuff happening is pretty damn painful. At one point the main character chops off his own arm with a blunted sword after considerable difficulty and stabs the villain with the broken bone.

 

[Nazulu]

Spoiler: Fullmetal Alchemist

The scene towards the end of the first anime where King Bradley strangles his son to death. Despite the overall depressing nature of the series, that was the first scene to really make me go, "Shit...that's brutal." It doesn't even have to be visceral; it was more psychologically brutal than anything, because the kid just wanted to help his father.)

I agree with this too. The characters and emotions and pretty much every thing were just so well done in that show that every death was made into an actual tragedy, compared to something silly as Elfin Lied. That specific part you mentioned really stood out for me as well.

Spoiler: more FMA

As well the girl being fused with the family dog, watching Greed slowly dying like he was suffering, the town turning into stone or some shit, Crimson and Scar making people explode like it's nothing, Marta slowly pierced inside Alphonse, etc. It's pretty fucking hectic.

 

[Dr. Cakey]

Naruto. Seriously, that's been heavily edited for western audiences to make it more child-friendly, but when you see the unedited versions, you see why.

90% sure that's not true. I suppose it's possible that there was censorship for the TV broadcast, but I highly doubt it, and if there was it isn't present in the DVDs or online streams.

Japan actually has much stricter controls on what can and can't be shown on TV than the US. For example, you can't swear on TV. At all.

 

[CrimsonBlaze]

I haven't seen Berserker in it's entirety, but there are a lot of really brutal moments, especially in the anime series finale. I've never wanted to not watch an anime as much as I did this one.

 

[The Funslinger]

Deadman Wonderland.

I only saw one episode, and never really watch anime.
I remember a little girl wielding a giant whip sword while describing the way she was torturing a man, which was by cutting off as small of chunks of meat as she possibly could, before eventually slicing off both his arms.
"If I'm good enough, I might be able to cut you about 5000 times!"

Captcha: corned beef
I am now hungry.

Came here to say that.

When Deadmen lose a battle in the Carnival Corpse in that anime, they have a part of their body or an organ removed for research.

Edit: My avatar is from that anime.

 

[PolarBearClub]

I think it was from a thread on here, where people were discussing sites they don't like going onto, and someone mentioned Sickipedia? I think that was it.

Anyway, having not heard of it before I ventured on, and at the top of the homepage was a small article on an anime film and how brutal it was.

I managed to find a clip, which involved this obese guy, who I think was in a jacuzzi or a sauna. He may have been a crime boss or something along those lines, as he had the people who work for him bring in a young boy, who in a silhouette form you see him proceed to rape him, and a pool of blood flows out from the boarding obscuring the audiences view. Brutal, and also made me quite mad, may as well have been watching something resembling a real-life sexual assault.