Recommendation Roulette: Anime Edition

Sakamichi no Apollon: The reason I selected this anime was because of the request for unique music and I feel like the storytelling is also unique. It's a romance anime and while it doesn't have the slice of life tag, it does have a bit of that vibe as well. It's also not on your plan to watch list.

Barakamon: This anime took me by complete surprise and was an extremely good series. It's a slice of life anime that has an enjoyable way of presenting the story. It has a nice pace to it and, in my opinion, is a series that's very easy to marathon through.

Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu: If you're okay with an Isekai anime, this is a series I highly recommend. For an Isekai, it really isn't your generic everyday OP protagonist going for power ups. It's has a unique type of storytelling and I love the music in it. The characters are all very fascinating and bring a lot to the table. Plus it does have Thriller and Psychological tags of your likes.

Recommendations:

1. Sakurako-san no Ashimoto ni wa Shitai ga Umatteiru
   Half thriller, half mystery - this anime is about the mortal remains of humans, the stories they tell and those people around them. You follow a rather mysterious bone obsessed MC slowly reveal a new secret each episode.
   
   
2. Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu
   One of my favorite Horror anime. Great main character(s), but also interesting side characters.
   
   
3. Tokyo Ghoul
   My favorite MC, whom you will follow fighting with his own morales as a human being pulled into the world of ghouls.
   

Gaikotsu Shotenin Honda-san ―
Duration: 12 eps., 2h 13m;
Genres: Comedy, Slice of Life;
Status: Not in your PtW list;
Description: Skeleton bookseller. Customer service. Can you already imagine how
our skeleton buddy feels when he deals with every type of customer??? You might
be chill when you're buying comics, but is everyone else too? Nah, some of them are
nightmares!
Pretty relaxing & also short anime about hard-working skeleton, which I obviously
watched in one sitting, because there definitely were some "me too, same" moments!
There are so many ecchi & edgy anime around, let's relax for a bit with this one~

Giovanni no Shima ―
Duration: Movie, 1h 42m;
Genres: Drama, Historical;
Status: In your PtW list;
Description: War-ridden island, where the story of two innocent kids unravel,
who are unaware why all of these are happening to them.
History books almost never tell you individual stories of random people, who
got caught up in higher people's affairs & politics. Especially kids, children, who are
meant to live through love & peace~
As a person, who doesn't like kids, you can see the movie still made me feel some
strong emotions while watching it. I seem to have weak spot for war-themed
anime, that also happen to focus on kids. You can watch this first, then above-
mentioned anime, so you know, you'll relax better~

Shinreigari ―
Duration: 22 eps., 9h 10m;
Genres: Mystery, Psychological, Sci-Fi, Supernatural;
Status: Not in your PtW list;
Description: Okay, I'm gonna be honest. I watched this anime because I took
part in some challenge & decided to watch 2-cour anime. Didn't know what it was
about or anything, I just hoped it wouldn't disappoint me, and it definitely didn't.
I have nothing poetic to say about this one, but I most definitely binged this one.
Slightly unnerving to some, but pretty enjoyable for me. Maybe a bit confusing, but
otherwise great horror story without blood & gore, but some disturbing dreams &
demons from the past~

Katanagatari : An visually impressive quest where a woman commissions a swordsman to help her gather 12 swords over the course of 12 episodes. (They're double-length, but still within your parameters.) The simple framework allows for a lot of variations, as the creators clearly have a lot of fun with the premise. And the music is amazing.

Made in Abyss : There's this giant hole, filled with danger and mystery. Most people barely dare to go and scavenge the stuff on the edges, but our two kid protagonists are set on going very deep, where things get incredibly weird and dangerous. Can they reach their destination ? Is is even possible to come back ? In any case, the journey is incredible, with inventive settings and fauna.

Princess Principal : Really fun steampunk spy capers, set in a London cut in half ala Cold-War-Berlin. The series makes a point of showing adventures in non-chronological order, which only enhances the mysteries (the first episode is "Case 13" - out of 24 ; the joke is that there's lot of adventures that were just skipped so that we only get the good stuff).

Pick whichever you want ! (or all of them, your choice.)

One look at your Plan to Watch and I wish I could sit here and recommend all of it, because I'm pretty sure you'd enjoy them all. But I'll still recommend my favorites from there, plus throw in a few wild cards that aren't on there.

From your PTW:

- Baccano!- This one is my favorite on there. The style of achronological storytelling is unmatched. The way this show sets up and pieces together its mystery to make a satisfying ending in only 13 episodes is something I've hardly seen done well in any medium. If you want a trip through the United States with the mafia, thieves, and some magic thrown in there, then I highly recommend this one. Also if you watch and enjoy it, check out Durarara!! because it's by the same author and is also very good.

- Re:Creators - Re:Creators is not for everyone. I understand how some people may be turned away from it since one character is a walking exposition dump, but if you can get past that, then this show is one that has spoken to me in a way that no others shows have. On paper, it's just a reverse isekai where fictional characters come back to meet their creators, so nothing too complicated. But it goes a lot deeper than that and if you've ever written a story, made a video, created a fictional world in your head, etc. then this will connect with you in some way. Oh and it also has some amazing action scenes and a wide cast of characters where there will be something for everyone.

A couple wildcards

- Golden Kamuy - Golden Kamuy may go down the comedy route a bit much for your tastes, but I think it's just a great time that slipped under the radar when it aired. Admittedly, it has some janky animation with the infamous CGI bear, but it has some good action in there too. Where Golden Kamuy excels is its character interactions. The main cast has some great moments together and watching our protagonists and antagonists go head to head looking for gold in the woods of Hokkaido is a blast. There's also 2 seasons currently out and a 3rd one starting next season, so no better time to get caught up!

- Devilman: Crybaby - I was struggling to find shows that fit the psychological/thriller genre that I would recommend, and this one is probably the closest one I could find that you haven't seen yet. And then again it really isn't thriller, but more horror. Either way, this show is brutal. From the opening scene to the final credits, Devilman: Crybaby doesn't hold back with showing how gritty and dark it can get. If you're in the mood for something a bit different, with a wacky animation style and solid action, then there's a chance you would get some enjoyment out of this thrill ride.

Hey there MetalFalcon! The titles I picked for you are :

Natsume Yuujinchou - A show I really love that's from one of the demographics that you've watched less of but with tags that combine things you've watched a lot of, so it's possibly to your liking too, slice of life, drama, supernatural.

Sakamichi no Apollon - Another show of a demographic that you've watched even less than the previous one (josei this time) that combines the slice of life genre you enjoy with the music tag that you seem to have watched a bit less of, so you might be interested. A beautiful work!

Id:Invaded - I might have started with the intention of finding things of tags you haven't watched a lot of (this one came up due to the Police tag) but it seems there are a lot of things I like among these so this is another one! A fun mix of psychological and mystery tags in this scifi thriller! Also, some very fun tracks in the OST.

Last but not least Given. Since you've only watched 2 shounen ai titles, I'll have to recommend this great slice of life that mixes the music tag with the romance tag and should be a good title to ease into the shounen ai tags.

So, all of the above have my thumbs up and you can pick any that seems more interesting! Hope you enjoy whatever you pick as much as I did and more!

I have 2 main recomendations and 2 other that included in dislike list.

Ben-to - This the series I recomends the most. The absurd concept of action really hooked me well from the first episode. I don't really remember about the plot but it has good drama to follow, at least for me. Since your scoring is a bit tough, this might not as you expected but who knows? It really worth to try.

Un-Go - Not many people recomends this anime but it's a hidden gem. The mystery is not at the highest level but it still really interesting to watch, especially when it comes the time for Inga to solve the mystery. Trust me, you'll love Inga.

The other two is:
Hyouka - Best written everyday's life mystery. I know it's a bit too much making super lazy boi to be the main character but the mystery itself really mindblowing and the solving is really satisfying, we as a viewers also could thinking about the mystery solving or at least we can predict how the solving will be but it's not that easy. It has school tag.

Gosick - This also has school tag. The story is mainly about a loli and a school boi who solved some mysteries, I won't give any sopiler about what are they gonna face. The mystery is not really that great like Hyouka or ID Invaded but trust me, you'll like much more on the relationship between Victorique and Kujou Kazuya. Both characters are developed well, and also some other important characters. Also it has both great OP and ED.

I don't have recomendation on streaming site since I watched anime not in english sub/dub, maybe try it on crunchyroll

Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt - Great ecchi anime, highly recommend watching the dub rather than the sub due to the changes made. I think the best way to explain this anime is that it's Powerpuff Girls if it was made for adults... and then Gainax decided to adapt it.

Mononoke - It's primarily a horror, but I'm recommending it to you due to the mysterious nature of Kusuriuri, the staging being set long into the past and the fantastical element of what is encountered. Although not a samurai anime, it has a similar feel to it.

Houseki no Kuni (TV) - The best 3D CGI anime ever created. The fantastical setting and world building combined with amazing character growth and consideration makes this one of the best anime I don't think you've heard about.

Stranger: Mukou Hadan - A samurai movie to it's core, there's some great fight scenes and animation on display here, even if the plot was a bit forgettable. Based on your liking of Juubee Ninpuuchou though, I think this is one for you.

I hope you like your recommendations!

You've watched a lot of anime, so at first I was nervous I wouldn't be able to think of anything but it's all fine now lol. I recommend you watch 91 Days, it's a crime-drama thriller. Basically the main character, Angelo, witnessed his parents and younger brother getting murdered (you could say double crossed) by the Vanetti mafia family. He then, seven years later, goes out seeking revenge against the murderers after getting a mysterious letter in the mail. Angelo ends up meeting Vanetti don's son, Nero, and attempts to "befriend" him for vengeance. There's a good amount of gun fights, trickery, and trust issues in the anime! I think it's a very good fit to your likes, as there is definitely some mystery within the show as well, like finding out who sent that letter.

I don't want to limit you to just one anime, so my other recommendation is something you've surely heard before: The Promised Neverland. It's a show that definitely exceeded my expectations and fits into the genres you listed. The Grace Field House is an orphanage for kids up to 12 years of age. Under their "Mama", Isabella's rules, they are free to do whatever they want as long as they never venture too far from the house. They take tests daily and every few months a child is adopted and gets sent to live happily with their new family... except they are never heard from again. Maybe they are just too distracted with their new life? At least that's what the children left in the orphanage hope. The Promised Neverland is a great anime that follows the story of the three oldest siblings who have suspicions about what's truly going on in the orphanage. It's a psychological thriller that I hope you enjoy (if you chose to watch it lol).

Shinsekai yori - One of the best mystery anime out there. Gorgeous animation along with a lovely soundtrack makes this a thrilling ride which will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

Subete ga F ni Naru - A very underrated murder mystery with a killer KANA-BOON op.

Durarara!! - A great large cast mystery anime. Each of the characters are written well and have their own unique stories.

Hisone to Maso-tan - A super cute fantasy CGDCT anime. Each one of the girls is completely adorable in her own right. Plus, dragon planes and all sorts of action. Really adorable show with some really touching moments.

Hello Otaku_baka_dsk,

I went and tried to pick stuff you don't have on your list yet. Hopefully you like one of them.

• Kanata no Astra (Sci-Fi, Adventure, Space, Shounen)
  　This would be my top recommendation for you. Albeit it doesn't have the genres you specified on your preferences, I decided to go with "anything is fine". This anime was one that I hesitated to watch while it aired, since it seemed like something I wouldn't enjoy... but alas, I was wrong. It has some mysteriousness to it that depending how perceptive you, it might be noticeable in the first few episodes. The interaction and grow of the characters was quite satisfying, as well as the manner in which the story was portrayed. The music was fantastic and the art was certainly enjoyable.
  
  
• UFO Gakuen no Himitsu (Sci-Fi, Space)
  　First, don't let the mean score turn you away. I think this is a bit of a hidden gem, although I have to admit that it might not be for everyone. This movie deals with topics that (although with different names) are actual theories and believes out there, mostly related with conspiracy things. The movie might seems a bit touchy and/or spiritual or something, but it was enjoyable and interesting. Considered that if you like mystery, you might enjoy it... tho if you don't really know much about the theories, you might not notice them.
  
  
• Hataraku Onii-san! (Slice of Life, Comedy)
  　This short anime is one with compact fun and cuteness. It deals with the every day life at workplaces with animals mostly in humanoid form. It has some recurring jokes, but usually has a different type of work every x episodes.
  
  
• Kono Oto Tomare! (Drama, Music, Romance, School, Shounen)
  　Firstly, I honestly don't remember any romance here. If there was, it was very subtle or barely part of the main story/theme they are portraying. It has absolutely beautiful music made with Kotos. I haven't really listen to many songs that are only with this instrument, but it was just too entrancing, captivating, goosebumps inducing, whatever you want to call it. It was just fantastic. The development and interaction between the characters was very satisfying since we can see an actual personality, changes and how they come as one team.
  

For bananabonkers:

1. Dorohedoro - It's gritty, gratuitously violent, weirdly hilarious... and all the food looks amazing. Who are the good guys? Who are the bad guys? Who knows? All around unique experience with a banger of a soundtrack.

2. and 3. Barakamon or Gin no Saji - Both are stories about a person that needed to break away from the path they were on because it was heading for disaster. The difference is that Handa in Barakamon is forced to take a break after he has a bit of a "conflict" with a critic. Hachiken in Gin no Saji, a complete big city dweller, in an act of defiance applies to and attends a farm and agriculture focused high school in the middle of no where. Both have to deal with the culture shock and learn to grow and overcome. (Big difference to be honest - Barakamon has a lot of kids, Gin no Saji is teens in school)

4. Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World - On the surface, it feels like an episodic adventure anime. However, this show goes much deeper into the morals and traditions that a young traveler encounters at each stop along their journey. It's way more psychological and philosophical that it appears and makes you wonder how you would react in some of the situations.

5. Kimi ni Todoke - One of the best shoujo romance anime out there. The characters are unique, genuine, and actively avoid a lot of the typical forced drama of other shoujo anime.

Black Jack OVA
The 93 Black Jack OVA fits most of your criteria. It is a darker and moodier take on one of Tezuka's more popular characters. Like a lot of OVAs from it's time it is well animated and drawn with some really beautiful shots strewn all over the show to heighten the show's atmosphere. I think it's a really good show considering that October is just around the corner and it's a really nice show to watch during a dark and spooky night even though it's not a horror anime.

Kagewani
This is a purely horror experience. Even though mal doesn't list it as a psychological anime it certainly fits the bill. While it's not the prettiest anime ever, it does have a fairly unique visual style that adds to the horror aspect of the anime.
It being short also means that it gets to the point fairly fast.

Casshern Sins
Like the Black Jack ova, this show is a darker and more atmospheric take on a beloved character from anime's past. Even though the color pallete is made out of the muted and brown colors of the post-apocalypse there is a lot of beauty to the art and animation. Casshan's pristine look is a striking contrast to the decadent and rusted up ruin of the characters and the world around him. It can be slow at times but when it gets going it's really good.

Teito Monogatari
Don't let the overall score of the show fool you. This ova is a treat, an experience like no other. In many ways it is a remnant of the 70/80s exploitation ovas and in other ways it's a wonderful piece of art. It can be pretty messed up at times though.

Ibara no Ou
- At first glance it may seem to be your normal action/sci-fi popcorn flick, but there's more to it than meets the eye. You'll want to pay attention to the details on this one, because it gets really weird really fast.

Blood: The Last Vampire
- If you're looking for something that feels like your typical American horror flick tho, this movie nails it (exemplified by the fact they got native English speakers for the cast). Feel free to try it out if you're looking to satiate that horror itch.

Tenshi no Tamago
- Here we got one of the better dementia tagged anime around. Mamoru Oshii's general moodiness is most prevalent here. However, it can be a very empty feeling (and for some boring) watch at times. But I think the thick moody tone, heavy symbolism, great visuals and sound design make up for it. This is definitely something to think about long after you watch it.

Jin-Rou
- Mainly recommending because it's one of my favorite movies that might actually fit your 'psychological' tag tastes. Another big tone-heavy piece, but this time it's more of a personal type of story with more of a narrative.


Moving on to the one-cours, I picked a couple of lighter ones to brighten the mood. We got:

Yesterday wo Utatte
- A romance all about just trying to live life and figuring out what adulting means. It's light, familial, and has got some great background art.

Sakamichi no Apollon
- Probably the one I recommend the most to you out of all these choices. It's got romance, friendship, a kind of shoujo feel (it's actually Josei but same-difference), some cool animation, and probably most importantly, an absolutely fantastic OST. This anime's definitely one of a kind to me, and I hope you feel the same.

Soooo I'll basically recommend stuff from your PTW since you seemed to be wanting to narrow it down and there's some really nice stuff on there~

Humanity Has Declined
I think this is one of the (somewhat) hidden gems of anime, and one that is something that fits the medium very well. It's basically a comedy show with a phenomenal mixture of anime cutesy and mature topics. It's hard to describe properly as it's kinda unique but it's hard describing why. It just works very well at being both funny and cute while not being in your face or edgy about it. Don't expect a narrative though, it's quite the light watch, but it fits your preferences as it's definitely a Seinen and a non-romance fantasy comedy. I personally love it but it's humor doesn't work for everyone. Still, if I could only recommend you one thing, it'd definitely be this.

Dennou Coil
It's a kids show, but I think it's still quite mature (ignoring poop jokes etc) and has a strong narrative. It's really tense at times and I genuinely had nightmares from it (and I watched it as an adult...). It's by no means fast-paced or exciting, but when it works, it works really well. It has some awful filler though but underrated anime in my opinion, not a must-watch but still worth watching.

Haikyuu
It has yaoi ships... okay I'm joking. I'd still love it without that (really, it has next to no romance) as it has such a great cast, all the characters are lovely and left a strong impression on me, and it's one of the few sports anime I've seen where I genuinely honestly root for the main characters because I like them so much. Fun characters, fun dynamics, lots of excitement, this is one of the, if not THE sports anime to watch (that doesn't go for something vastly different).

Serial Experiments Lain
It's been so long since I watched this but this one has stuck with me like forever. Prophetic about the age of the internet. Yes, it does not have a super exciting narrative, it can be a bit complex at times, but I don't think any of those makes it less... home-hitting (is that a word? :p). It can hit a weird balance of being too heavy and too slow. I do think it's one of the best of that type of anime though, since it's atmospheric presentation makes it more entertaining than some similar anime. It's atmospheric, moody, and it at least made me think about it at times, even years after I watched it. Also lovely retro vibes~

Flip Flappers
I was hesitant on whether to include this anime or no, but I'll recommend it nonetheless. This surely is not a great anime, but it's fun. It has a fun presentation and fun action scenes. I wish it wasn't so fanservice-y at times, it doesn't ruin it, but like, if they just didn't do that, I'd like it so much more. Still, I had fun watching it so I'll recommend it. It's presentation is very fun and I wish more anime looked like this. But it's probably the worst of these IMO, more of a guilty pleasure than anything. But did I tell you it's fun already? :p

I hope you'll like any of these >< I don't have a suuuuper good idea of your taste just from reading this, but since they're on your PTW, I hope you already have enough interest in them to give any of them a try. Also I am sorry if my English is bad, it's not my native language.

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
An action/magic shounen that I think you might enjoy! I'm not sure it qualifies for battle shounen but there's a lot of nice looking fights ovo and even a cute waifu

Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun
This is supernatural rather than magic but I still think you might like it. There's a bit of romance happening but it definitely doesn't take the spotlight; the anime is focused on its supernatural mystery elements and it gets a little darker than it might seem at first. It's also incredibly #aesthetic

Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works Prologue
Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works
I'm listing both of these since the prologue isn't necessarily required so I'd like to leave it up to your choice (although I'd recommend starting with it). Considering Archer from the main Fate/stay night franchise was literally the source of the word "GAR", I think this qualifies as something like the original GAR anime. It's not F/SN itself but this particular entry is generally considered a good starting point into the series. It's got action, super powers, magic, battles and of course top tier waifus!

Kakegurui××
I saw you'd already seen the first season and seemed to enjoy it well enough so I figured I'd put this on here! Also I haven't seen enough gambling anime to make a different rec lol