Dark, Depressing Anime Filled With Despair, No Happy Endings, and Devoid of Light-Hearted Elements

Kazami_Yuuji said:
Try Danganronpa-The Animation

Accelerator48 said:
Gungrave, skip episode 1

Accelerator48 said:
Gungrave, skip episode 1

Simplo said:
Tenshi no Tamago http://myanimelist.net/anime/885/Tenshi_no_Tamago?q=tenshi%20no%20tam

To be fair, I hated it, but mostly because of the elements, which you are looking for. No guarantees, it's difficult to recommend stuff to people who have seen 60+ days of anime.

Raz1515 said:
Check out ergo proxy, I think it has all you want!

grandy_UiD said:
Maybe check out Freesia (if manga is okay). This was pretty dark and cynic (and mental).

Simplo said:


Why do everyone say to skip its ep 1?

8oomer said:
Just a nudge as it's already in your PTW.
Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan - Tsuiokuhen

Paul-Phoenix said:

I heard it's not really a depressing story though - more like the character has a depressing backstory, which is a significant difference.

5hine said:
This is a blind rec, but Midori: Shoujo Tsubaki fits I think.

CandleJakk said:
Basilisk, definitely.

peachydeiji said:
Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom
maybe. I never finished it so I dunno about the ending but what I saw of it was pretty darn depressing

katsaroulhs said:
There are less painful ways to kill yourself OP.

Paul-Phoenix said:

lolno

Grudge said:

You are still on the 38th episode; “lol.” Make sure to watch Chimera Ant arc and then we will talk, comedian-san.

Paul-Phoenix said:

Oh ho? Well, well, challenge accepted then. I guess I did hear that the anime subverts itself from typical shounen bullshit later down the line. I merely lost the patience to wait that long.

To be fair, I didn't drop the damn thing. It's still on my watching list, after all.

Vhailor said:
Shigurui. Another one of Hiroshi Hamasaki's shows, the director of Texhnolyze. The constantly dark and depressing tone, the direction, cinematography, the way it uses music and sound effects, is very similar to Texhnolyze. Although, it has some very graphic violence, gore and nudity. It's by far the goriest anime I've seen.

Paul-Phoenix said:

I had planned to watch that one after I finished Kurozuka.

Zoltor said:
Um OP, despair, tragedy, and whatnot, has no meaning it there aren't happy moments as well.

It's the contrast between tragedy, and happiness, that makes the tragic moments, truly tragic/sad.

Zoltor said:
Um OP, despair, tragedy, and whatnot, has no meaning it there aren't happy moments as well.

It's the contrast between tragedy, and happiness, that makes the tragic moments, truly tragic/sad.

5hine said:
Drop Kurozuka. It turns into a terrible battle shounen-style thing. The first few episodes hyped me up so much, then the rest was a train wreck. I guess keep going until the wheelchair scene, it was entertaining. There's nothing of value after it though.

5hine said:
Thought of a few others:
Birthday Boy
Fantascope: Tylostoma
Malice@Doll

_RyuuJi_ said:
Watch Kaiji please. Zawa Zawa Zawa Zawa Zawa Zawa Zawa Zawa Zawa Zawa ~

djevo said:
Ajin. The series only has one episode out right now, but it looks to be pretty depressing

Paul-Phoenix said:

Somewhere in my priority list. I've been wanting to watch this, but never had the time due to the numerous anime I had to get through.



I don't usually watch currently airing anime until I know it's time well-spent from trustworthy reviews.

Raindownchips said:
Akagi fits what u want perfectly.

My first pick is Akagi

Paul-Phoenix said:

This Akagi?:
http://myanimelist.net/anime/658/Touhai_Densetsu_Akagi__Yami_ni_Maiorita_Tensai

KatsuraDragneel said:
thats the main rurouni kenshin anime you are referring to.

This is a 4 episode OVA that tells the depressing backstory

Paul-Phoenix said:
True, but you'd have to watch the main series to enjoy the OVA or something, right?

RyderFlynn said:
It's that time again, where every few years, I'd ask the members of this board for a recommendation to despair-filled stories devoid of any hope whatsoever. I'm talking about anime that don't grant you a magical reset button like Clannad After Story and Madoka Magica, I'm talking about anime that don't just leave a bittersweet taste like Angel Beats and Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai, but full-blown despair-filled stories like Aku no Hana, Elfen Lied, Shiki, NGEvangelion, Texhnolyze, and the Bokurano manga (not the more hopeful and light-hearted anime).

Naturally, everything mentioned above have been watched by me. There are a lot more recommendations you have in mind that I've probably watched, so please be sure to give my anime list a quick check using ctrl+f before you drop a title here, thanks. This also includes anime titles that I've dropped - if I dropped them, it's probably because they didn't interest me enough to catch my attention in the first place.

Some suggestions to consider when giving recommendations: I've never been one to catch up with the latest seasons of anime, so I might have missed a lot of recently aired anime that might have been good. Feel free to recommend those as long as they are quality anime. Something lowly-rated or poorly-reviewed like Btooom or Akame ga Kill should be avoided if possible, thank you.

I also dislike shounen tropes a lot. It's why I'm getting tired of the Hunter x Hunter remake because it's filled with boring themes of friendship and other shounen BS. Please refrain from recommending me those kind of series, thank you.

Rococo12 said:
Try Danganronpa-The Animation

Shizmoo said:
I do recommend Now and Then, Here and There. First half can be kinda of annoying with the MC, but second half picks up with the horrors of war using children soldiers, captive women as sex slaves, etc..