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Please recommend 'intellectual' anime with deep plots?

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May 21, 2015 9:06 AM
#1
MoronicAcid
Offline
May 2015
5
Hi there! I am relatively new to watching anime so I would love to hear some suggestions from you guys :)

I'm looking for anime similar to Steins;gate and Death note...ones that makes you think, reflect, and overall consistent and logical. They are also able to tug at my heart strings with realistic characters/personalities and setting that can make the view feel involved...and creates the nostalgic feeling of sweet bitterness once it ends.

I did some research and saw that Code Geass seem to come up a lot, but I don't really like Mecha or fantasy. The animation also feel a bit way too 'pointy' for my liking (I don't know how to describe it XD).
I also tried watching Serial Experiments Lain but it was way too boring. There's no real 'plot' or that emotional rush. I'm fairly well-read in philosophy so the theme of existentialism conveyed so directly isn't so effective to those who are not new to the topic.

So overall, I like anime like Death Note, Steins;Gate, Monster, and Elfin Lied? (I don't remember this one though)

Thanks!
May 21, 2015 9:07 AM
#2
zhope213
Offline
May 2013
113
shiki
Heroic Age
Another
Tasogare Otome x Amnesia
Mirai Nikki
Hellsing Ultimate
zhope213May 21, 2015 9:13 AM
May 21, 2015 9:08 AM
#3
laidellent

Offline
Feb 2015
6811
Try Texhnolyze

P.s:Go to any elitists' profile and see their "favs""
May 21, 2015 9:23 AM
#4
aikaflip

Offline
Nov 2014
5009
If you enjoyed Steins;Gate you may also like Shinsekai yori.

laidellent said:
Try Texhnolyze

P.s:Go to any elitists' profile and see their "favs""

Lol. *waves*
May 21, 2015 9:24 AM
#5
Snappynator

Offline
Aug 2014
6589
Maybe try Higurashi no Naku Koro ni.
May 21, 2015 9:26 AM
#6
murhe
Offline
Dec 2014
577
Angel's Egg
Serial Experiments Lain
Texhnolyze
Haibane Renmei
Kino's Journey
Mushishi
Legend of the Galactic Heroes
Kaiba
The Tatami Galaxy
Mind Game
May 21, 2015 9:31 AM
#7
silversaint

Offline
Jan 2011
9949
Legend of the Galactic Heroes
May 21, 2015 9:33 AM
#8
BlueKite

Offline
Oct 2011
7092
Shinsekai yori
May 21, 2015 9:38 AM
#9
PaladinAlchemist

Offline
Sep 2014
179
Have you watched any of the Studio Ghibli movies?

They have much simpler plots than the animes you mentioned, but have realistic characters, nostalgia feelings, some have that bittersweet feeling at the end, but they don't have the "mind games" aspect really.

You also might want to check out Akira. It doesn't fit everything, but it's usually grouped with the same kind of stuff people are suggesting.

I'll have to second Mushishi (it's one of my favorite stories period, not just limited to anime).

But I'm not recommending Code Geass. The plot is not nearly as logical as Death Note, Monster, etc . . . There's one scene where two people are falling off a cliff and show up again in another scene with literally no explanation how they survived--ever. That's just one non-spoiler example of why I couldn't recommend Code Geass if you're looking for intellectual plots.
May 21, 2015 9:46 AM
#10
Eredar

Offline
May 2015
56
Kon and Miyazaki movies.
May 21, 2015 10:05 AM
#11
BreadlyCereal

Offline
Jun 2014
46
glassthroat said:
Angel's Egg
Serial Experiments Lain
Texhnolyze
Haibane Renmei
Kino's Journey
Mushishi
Legend of the Galactic Heroes
Kaiba
The Tatami Galaxy
Mind Game

Honkey said:
Kon and Miyazaki movies.

+1
Paranoia Agent also.

Certainly not Ergo Proxy, Mirai Nikki or Fate/Zero, they're genuinely shallow
hnughj
May 21, 2015 10:18 AM
#12
MoronicAcid
Offline
May 2015
5
TheRefractingOne said:
My favorites are as intellectual as it gets.

Other anime:
Hellsing Ultimate +1
Another +1
Mirai Nikki +1

Also, Code Geass is very similar to Death Note, and it has no plot holes whatsoever, a true masterpiece.


Oooh "Another" seems interesting. I'll add that to my list :D thanks
May 21, 2015 10:19 AM
#13
mgronald

Offline
Jan 2015
3596
laidellent said:
Try Texhnolyze

P.s:Go to any elitists' profile and see their "favs""


is that you?

but OP try that show its good.
May 21, 2015 10:21 AM
#14
laidellent

Offline
Feb 2015
6811
mgronald said:
laidellent said:
Try Texhnolyze

P.s:Go to any elitists' profile and see their "favs""


is that you?

but OP try that show its good.


What are you doing here,Free fanboy...?

OT:Try any Ghibli films
May 21, 2015 10:24 AM
#15
MoronicAcid
Offline
May 2015
5
PaladinAlchemist said:

I'll have to second Mushishi (it's one of my favorite stories period, not just limited to anime)


I quite like the atmosphere from the art style already! But what does the review mean when they say that Mushishi is slow and episodic? Does it mean it has no overall plot and has a different story each episode?
May 21, 2015 10:33 AM
#16
MoronicAcid
Offline
May 2015
5
BreadlyCereal said:
glassthroat said:
Angel's Egg
Serial Experiments Lain
Texhnolyze
Haibane Renmei
Kino's Journey
Mushishi
Legend of the Galactic Heroes
Kaiba
The Tatami Galaxy
Mind Game

Honkey said:
Kon and Miyazaki movies.

+1
Paranoia Agent also.

Certainly not Ergo Proxy, Mirai Nikki or Fate/Zero, they're genuinely shallow


I will try Paranoia Agent! I saw a bit of it on youtube and it has a disturbing atmosphere to it---I like it.

The others I will look up later. However, I'm not that interested in the fantasy, robots/mechanical stuff, magic, or supernatural stuff...(but of course, there are exceptions like Death note, where the problems are solved through thinking, rather than relying on magic)

Thank you guys for the help!
May 21, 2015 10:35 AM
#17
MoronicAcid
Offline
May 2015
5
laidellent said:

P.s:Go to any elitists' profile and see their "favs""


What are elitists?
May 21, 2015 10:59 AM
#18
deadglory

Offline
Apr 2015
49
Psycho-Pass
Parasyte
May 21, 2015 12:04 PM
#19
thepingsta
Offline
Jun 2014
67
I would +1 Shinsekai yori. Once you get to the end, it gets pretty philosophical/ deep. Some episodes in the beg/middle might put you off as 'slow" but trust me, its worth it in the end.

Also Code Geass is worth it in the end! You sound very similar to me as I am a 20 year old guy in university who isn't much interested in the mecha/fantasy thingy, so when I first saw Code Geass, I didn't even finish the first episode when I dropped it. 6 months later, I decided to give it another try and pushed through the first episode and it just picked up from there. Once I finished it, it was def one of the best animes I've seen along side of Death Note and Steins Gate.
May 21, 2015 12:13 PM
#20
laidellent

Offline
Feb 2015
6811
MoronicAcid said:
laidellent said:

P.s:Go to any elitists' profile and see their "favs""


What are elitists?


basically this..more or less..

May 21, 2015 12:32 PM
#21
psrv
Offline
Apr 2015
9
Darker than Black
May 21, 2015 12:37 PM
#22
absolutelynone
Offline
Sep 2013
280
Certainly not new, but watch Evangelion (original) and End of Evangelion, it has endless layers of complexity, you won't regret it.
Fate/Zero is a good one also .
May 21, 2015 12:56 PM
#23
Tenth

Offline
Jul 2010
8334
silversaint said:
Legend of the Galactic Heroes
May 21, 2015 12:56 PM
#24
PaladinAlchemist

Offline
Sep 2014
179
MoronicAcid said:
PaladinAlchemist said:

I'll have to second Mushishi (it's one of my favorite stories period, not just limited to anime)


I quite like the atmosphere from the art style already! But what does the review mean when they say that Mushishi is slow and episodic? Does it mean it has no overall plot and has a different story each episode?


There's not so much of an overall plot as themes. Each episode does have its own story, but don't let its episode nature turn you off. I almost always prefer an overall plot to episodic, but Mushishi is just so good that it doesn't matter.
May 21, 2015 2:01 PM
#25
oooo3333

Offline
Aug 2014
4312
By intellectual, you mean anime with the Dementia tag.

I recommend

Serial Experiments Lain
May 21, 2015 2:16 PM
#26
8oomer

Offline
Oct 2014
6693
+6 (I've lost count) Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu (LotGH - Legend of the Galactic Heroes)

Gosick
Some "warm-up" mysteries and a darker, background one.
Avatar: Anzu Kadotani from Girls und Panzer. XMas awesomeness version by Charenji :)

May 21, 2015 3:00 PM
#27
Tobanchi
Offline
Jan 2014
9
Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt
May 21, 2015 3:16 PM
#28
removed-user
Offline
Jul 2018
561867
Spice and Wolf
Ergo Proxy
May 21, 2015 9:24 PM
#29
NoValueNobs
Offline
May 2015
109
MoronicAcid said:
Hi there! I am relatively new to watching anime so I would love to hear some suggestions from you guys :)

I'm looking for anime similar to Steins;gate and Death note...ones that makes you think, reflect, and overall consistent and logical. They are also able to tug at my heart strings with realistic characters/personalities and setting that can make the view feel involved...and creates the nostalgic feeling of sweet bitterness once it ends.

I did some research and saw that Code Geass seem to come up a lot, but I don't really like Mecha or fantasy. The animation also feel a bit way too 'pointy' for my liking (I don't know how to describe it XD).
I also tried watching Serial Experiments Lain but it was way too boring. There's no real 'plot' or that emotional rush. I'm fairly well-read in philosophy so the theme of existentialism conveyed so directly isn't so effective to those who are not new to the topic.

So overall, I like anime like Death Note, Steins;Gate, Monster, and Elfin Lied? (I don't remember this one though)

Thanks!


I had the exact same issue when I first started watching anime, picky about the artwork.

WATCH. CODE. GEASS. NOW.

That's all I have to say. It's a masterpiece and it's better than those two you stated(I watched death note as my first anime, and yes i did rather like it.)

Code Geass
Psycho Pass
Shiki
Fate/zero
Monster(SO MUCH THIS!)
Darker than Black
Ergo Proxy(if you enjoy philosophy this may be an eyesore, they really didn't do famous quotes their justice)

Could go on if I could only remember...
May 21, 2015 9:59 PM
#30
SeijiSensei

Offline
May 2012
18055
Bake Neko and its sequel Mononoke
Ghost Hound
Mouryou no Hako
Aoi Bungaku
Oh! Edo Rocket
Hyouge Mono
May 21, 2015 10:26 PM
#31
xoxopixie
Offline
Mar 2013
11
well i'll probably be repeating some of the earlier suggestions, but here goes:

Death Parade
Legend of the Galactic heroes (it's intelligent and philosophical... but it tends to get a bit tiresome if you're watching as a marathon)
code geass (plot holes aside, it is good. really good actually, it's been a while since i've watched it but i remember getting a really strong impression off it. at the very least it's not stupid)
monogatari series (the fanservice is ... done in excess, but behind those useless disturbing bits, it is a really good story, enough to make you watch all of the seasons at least)
Mouryo no hako (this goes really well with what you're looking for. mind blowing.)
kara no kyoukai movies
katanagatari
kino no tabi
mushishi
mawaru penguindrum
no game no life
perfect blue
one outs
shinsekai yori
hyouka
hunter x hunter
tatami galaxy

at some point i couldn't be bothered too write any commentary, but they're all good. Varying levels of intellectual, but none of them will bore you. They didn't bore me anyway...
xoxo pixie;)
May 21, 2015 11:31 PM
#32
--Dawn--

Offline
Jan 2015
3111
Spice and Wolf
Mahouka Koukou (The science and reasoning behind the magic is pretty in depth, and the show itself is amazing, one of my favorites.)
"Make it flashier!" -Maid Chou Anime List
May 22, 2015 10:22 AM
#33
zerogoukki
Offline
Oct 2014
1
a lot of these have probably been mentioned already, but i'll reiterate:
shinsekai yori - questions of morality and society, consequences of having power, what it means to be human, human relationships, etc. truly a beautiful anime, i highly recommend it to everyone.

ghost in the shell - politics, philosophy, disconnect between mind and body, extent of artificial intelligence, meaning of being human. very talky and political but soooo great. be ready to pay attention, this isn't something you can watch while multitasking, at least i couldn't. the english dub is actually incredible.

neon genesis evangelion - i can't NOT include this one. depression, identity, storyline that takes a lot of thought to comprehend. it'll leave you thinking about the ethics of science and technology and how far people are willing to go for themselves/each other.

ghost hound - deals with altered states of consciousness, humans playing god with artificial life, trauma and how it effects people, children trying to grow up to be better people than their parents. it's heavy in real psychological concepts (like, stuff i learned in university psych courses). it's a slow burner, but SO good.

psycho-pass - deals with morality, the idea of human beauty and purity as applied to the mind rather than the body, the consequences of a "perfect" society, mental illness, ethics of technology, and other issues frequently explored by production ig anime (production ig is also behind GITS and ghost hound, plus a ton of others that i haven't seen which are probably intellectual as well).

darker than black - i'm only 8 episodes into this because i started yesterday, but so far it's exploring a lot of themes that have made me think, like the ethics of "using" people, government control, etc.

ergo proxy - also about the consequences of "perfect" society, artificial intelligence, etc.

serial experiments lain - kind of like evangelion in that it's very multilayered and complex, so it'll leave you thinking for a while. it's about the concept of god as applied to humans and the internet, basically. also the split between body/mind, or soul, if you'd like to take a spiritual look at it. another slow burner.
May 25, 2015 7:53 AM
#34
ThePinhead3333

Offline
Mar 2015
1059
Revolutionary Girl Utena
Mawaru Penguin Drum
Texnolyze

RahXephon
Kino No Tabi
Kinos Journey
Boogiepop Phantom


Serial Experiments Lain
Mushishi


Kara no Kyoukai
Paprika
Ghost in the Shell
Tokyo Godfathers
My name is Terrence always is Terrence and will always be Terrence
Current Accounts: ThePinhead3333,
May 25, 2015 8:47 AM
#35
BurntJelly

Offline
Feb 2013
6197
Noein: To Your Other Self
This is my general recommendation for anyone that liked Steins;Gate. (don't read the synopsis, there be spoilers)
May 25, 2015 8:50 AM
#36
BitchOnTheBeach

Offline
Feb 2015
2458
+1 Mushishi
+1 Katanagatari
+1 KnK
+1 NGE
May 25, 2015 9:20 AM
#37
removed-user
Offline
Jul 2018
561867
****If you want a deep plot for the love of god do not watch another. another is entertaining and all but is in no way intellectual****

Also Mirai Nikki is very good, however it is not necessarily known for having a very deep plot.

anyway, though i am probably reiterating others suggestions here it goes:

shinsekai yori (slow in the beginning, so give it a few episodes. fantastic story)

mawaru penguindrum (lots of symbolism in this one, do not let all the bright colors fool you, it has quite a dark tone)

monster (well known for a reason, but quite long in comparison to other suggestions)

code geass (i know the mecha aspect can be off putting but it is more about taking over the world and less about the actual mechas. about as similar to death note as you can get. PLUS, the second season of code geass is not as bad as the second season of death note)

Psycho Pass (lots of literary references, tries hard to be intellectual, entertaining, fantastic world building)

Spice and Wolf is a also a wonderful choice if you are fond of romance. less action in this but overall well developed story
May 25, 2015 9:23 AM
#38
SNaG21

Offline
Nov 2013
793
+infinity Death Parade. Fucking love that show and can't recommend it enough.

BreadlyCereal said:


Certainly not Ergo Proxy, Mirai Nikki or Fate/Zero, they're genuinely shallow


I haven't seen Ergo Proxy yet, and you could make a case for Future Diary, but I argue heavily, like others in the thread, that Fate/Zero is a good intellectual dark show, although to explain why would entail spoilers for OP.
May 25, 2015 9:58 AM
#39
Tensoon

Offline
Aug 2014
872
+1 The Tatami Galaxy

May 25, 2015 10:35 AM
#40
SeijiSensei

Offline
May 2012
18055
+Noein
Kuuchuu Buranko (aka "Trapeze" and also "Welcome to Dr. Irabu's Office")
May 25, 2015 10:44 AM
#41
Saberforlife

Offline
May 2015
1022
Full metal alchemist brotherhood has a good plot
its not like steins gate but the plot is perfect
May 25, 2015 10:46 AM
#42
bunny1ov3r

Offline
Apr 2012
4229
Danmachi, very deep "plot" on loli
My Reviews and Rants: http://bunny1ov3r.wordpress.com/

痛就是爱
May 25, 2015 10:53 AM
#43
Tens_Da_Hologram

Offline
Jul 2014
619
Plots so deep I found Jiraiya's body.... ^.^
May 25, 2015 10:55 AM
#44
ZA_WAYD

Offline
May 2014
5645
laidellent said:
mgronald said:


is that you?

but OP try that show its good.


What are you doing here,Free fanboy...?

OT:Try any Ghibli films


KEK X'D
May 25, 2015 10:59 AM
#45
zal

Offline
May 2015
4449
monster
planetes
Signature removed. Please follow the signature rules, as defined in the Site & Forum Guidelines.
May 25, 2015 11:30 AM
#46
listbot
Offline
Apr 2013
383
Many people look for strategic works, probably due to famous works like Monster, Death Note and Code Geass.
Here are some works that involve strategies, I'm sure there are more, and welcome to any suggestions:

Some titles with smart or talent leads
May 25, 2015 11:32 AM
#47
ZA_WAYD

Offline
May 2014
5645
-Zal- said:
monster
planetes


+ karra no kyokai
shinsekai yori
ghost in the shell

these are great , i think you should try one of them OP
May 25, 2015 11:53 AM
#48
MischievousGhost

Offline
Mar 2012
319
Mushishi
Monster
Legend of the Galactic Heroes
Shin Sekai Yori
Kino's Journey

These series aren't as intellectually-focused, but they are noteworthy nonetheless:
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Gankutsuou
One Outs
Katanagatari
Hunter x Hunter (2011)
Spice and Wolf
Gosick
Baccano!
Ergo Proxy
Time of Eve
Psycho-Pass
Fate/Zero

These series aren't really considered intellectual, but they do have [mostly] realistic characters and engaging stories:
Ping Pong the Animation
Nodame Cantabile
Natsume Yuujinchou
Rainbow: Nisha Rokubou no Shichinin
Nana
Kids on the Slope
Space Brothers
Beck
Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal
MischievousGhostMay 29, 2015 12:41 PM
May 25, 2015 12:12 PM
#49
chinesecartoonz

Offline
Feb 2014
1503
do u even legend of the galactic heroes

May 25, 2015 12:23 PM
#50
Caelidesu

Offline
Feb 2015
4857
In descending order of complexity:

Serial Experiments Lain
Neon Genesis Evangelion
The Tatami Galaxy
Code Geass

I'm watching Shin Sekai Yori right now but I'm not too sure that I see the appeal. Maybe there's some fantastic twist later on or something.
Now you're wondering if there's white text in any of my other posts.

Over there, I'm everywhere. I know that.
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