Serial Experiments Lain

This is the kind of stuff you'll want to show to your older relatives or a friend / significant other who isn't into anime in particular but is open to new experiences. Not necessarily to hook them on anime but simply to share a good time together.

What helps an anime end up on this list:
* either subdued or distinctly avant-garde appearance that transcends common anime design sensibilities;
* mature, adult-life-related themes;
* well-crafted, compelling story and character interactions;
* fresh and daring ideas or their execution;
* being otherwise remarkable as an art piece;
* moderate length.

What DOESN'T help an anime end up on the list:
* referencing or pandering to otaku culture, incessant fan service, and all that crap;
* slow-burn slice-of-life narrative;
* overly random, absurdist, reference-heavy humor;
* being too long or narratively incomplete;
* being too tropey;
* not being very good in general (regrettably, this includes bad and mediocre adaptations of good manga/LNs, so no Berserk, My Home Hero, or Golden Kamuy on the list).

These aren't absolute rules but they're hard enough that I would only consider minor exceptions. There is most certainly not enough room for every single piece that fits the bill, so take this as my personal, heavily curated top-50. If there is a sequel or a side-story that also deserves attention (or, conversely, one you should skip), I will mention it in the annotations, so please watch them.

List is subject to revisions and reordering.

Series that emphasise the presentation of struggle and dramatic event(s) through culminating the portrayal of the experience to that point visually or by some other means.

The "Scotland Loves Anime" film festival takes place annually in Glasgow and Edinburgh. It was started in 2010 and includes the "Golden Partridge" jury award and audience-voted awards.

The past winners of the Golden Partridge Award are as follows.

2021: Gyokou no Nikuko-chan
2022: Goodbye, Don Glees!
2023: Hokkyoku Hyakkaten no Concierge-san.

take the lainpill (estro)

Some are franchises, so only one entry per franchise.

anime featuring liminal spaces and which may or may not also embody the liminal. a transitional space, unsettling un-belonging, altered reality

Arranged by score

"Elitist" has been a very generic and broad term to generalise many types of not-so-mainstream or "deep" anime, so this list is very diverse and it's criteria are not always clear cut and objective. Nonetheless I try to provide a proper explanation for why each entry is included. Generally speaking these are shows that fit one OR more of these adjectives: Experimental, Avant-Garde, Psychological, Philosophical, Obscure, Classic, Critically Acclaimed, Artsy, Old, etc...

Some shows here are not necessarily obscure or underground at all, but they are still here because they have been stereotyped as "elitist" by the community over time, due to their experimental or artsy nature. Similarly, some shows here are not necessarily artsy or experimental in nature, but their old/underwatched/obscure nature gives them a reason to be here. Not all aspects have to be checked to be included. Only one per franchise.

I have personally watched the great majority of the anime in this list, but there are a couple which I haven't. Still added them because of how strongly they are stereotyped as "elitist" or have fitting characteristics to be classified as such. I know my list still lacks many essential classics, I will continue to add and expand into this list as I watch those personally.

For more recommendations, go to my other Interest Stacks, "Elitist Anime 2" , "Elitist Anime 3" and "Elitist Anime 4", whose links are:

- https://myanimelist.net/stacks/4256
- https://myanimelist.net/stacks/4756
- https://myanimelist.net/stacks/10188
- https://myanimelist.net/stacks/15961

Anime with unique art-style/premise and or surreal/dreamlike sequences

Collection of psychological anime that contain interesting themes and elements that make viewers think and inquire about the characters and the complexity of the plot.

Denpa as a genre usually refers to Japanese artistic works with themes associated with social isolation, existentialism, insanity that stems from living modern society, and the glorification of otaku/outsider cultures. Examples of denpa in other mediums include the films of Hideaki Anno (Love and Pop, Ritual) and the films of Shunji Iwai (All About Lily Chou-Chou), as well as the visual novel Wonderful Everyday Down the Rabbit-hole.

For more about denpa, check out this excellent blogpost about the genre: https://ontheones.wordpress.com/2019/06/29/on-denpa-a-guest-article-by-kenji-the-engi/

Tired of seeing the same premise over and over again?

Do you want something that is truly unlike other anime out there?

well then my friend, these series should be perfect!


also, I have a channel named APolygons2 on YouTube. go subscribe to it if you enjoyed the stack. I'm broke, so I need help to feed my imaginary pet. I haven't fed him in the 4 years. so he's been holding my entire family hostage, with a gun!

Most good stories have this, so this is more like, anime that use show don't tell the a lot and do it effectively.

on an unrelated note, go subscribe to APolygons2 on youtube. he is.... umm... just a very cool channel I found. it's totally not my own shitty attempt at making entertainment.

Anime that seem to have researched the subject that they are handling.

for sci-fi for example, that would be how accurate the science is.

List of anime for "elitist". These anime have been considered as "deep" animations by various critics and analysts.

In this compilation there are animes with quite complicated stories that are not recommended for all audiences. As they are: cult, artistic, experimental, avant-garde, underrated, psychological, philosophical, unique or mind-blowing anime.

This list has a part 2: https://myanimelist.net/stacks/4197

Its too deep for you bro you wouldn't understand

Go subscribe to APolygons2 on YouTube. what will you do? will you follow what was told to you by a text? or would you avoid it to avoid listening?

but wouldn't not listening also prove that you are getting influenced by the text? can you claim you're truly free to make that choice after reading this far? because there is a chance that you may have actually subscribed to that channel on another time if you saw it on your own. which would mean not doing it is by the influence of this text.

so without you knowing what you would have done without reading this, can you claim to be fully free? or are you just a result of everything that has influenced you in your life?

are you a slave to direct or subliminal messaging, or are you in control?

if you are in control? by how much? is it fully? cause that is very doubtful.