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Looking for "serious" anime recommendations (very specific tastes)

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Jan 14, 4:23 PM
#1
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May 2009
2
Hello everyone,

As I was not able to find something enjoyable by trying the recommendations from the anime I liked, and as I am now an old dad with not too many free time to try different shows I thought that asking knowledgeable people could help :)

I am looking for what I would qualify as "serious" animes (as opposed to anything with super deformed style, or "ridiculous jokes") but in the same time I am not a big fan of older graphisms, I will try to give a few examples of what I liked (and you can probably check my profile for those who have more time, only the completed ones the others are irrelevant)

So for the serious storyline (again it may not be considered as such for other people), I really enjoyed Death note even if I would have love another ending, I could identify as the caracters easily.
I remember liking Tsukihime a while ago and appreciated Kara no kyoukai too (especially on t he graphical part, Kara no kyoukai is probably what I liked the most of every anime I ever watched but the story itself was a bit long) - on the other side I did not like much all the fate stay night things I consider this too much "wtf" to enter the story

On the other top ever anime I would have clannad and Kanon 2006.

I am more interested in deep and dark storyline such as Death note, but I am open to any title that you think would be a match for someone that enjoyed the 5 that I mentioned above (death note, kara no kyoukai, tsukihime, clannad and kanon)

I hope all of this make sense (english is not my native language) and I would love to provide additional details if it can help to find new anime to watch (I cant believe that there has been nothing to my taste since 2012?)

For additional elements: for instance I could not watch fma brotherhood until the end because I found it less "serious" than the first one (if it can help people to understand what I try to descrbie with the serious word)

Thanks for any help!
Jan 14, 11:12 PM
#2
Jan 14, 11:30 PM
#3

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Mar 2022
254
if you already seen kara no kyoukai you can just dive more into the type moon series - more specifically the fate series.
Also neon genesis might be good it seems serious(havent seen)
Jan 15, 3:46 AM
#4

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Sep 2016
7060
Albeit long Monster seems to fit best. It's a serious, profound and dark mystery with an adult cast.
This dance is the pinnacle of human achievement.
Jan 15, 3:57 AM
#5

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Jan 2008
2833
It's on my ptw but maybe Paranoia Agent? It's got that mystery thriller element of Death Note plus I think it has a supernatural element to it.

HellGirl shares a lot of similarities to Death Note
Jan 15, 5:50 AM
#6

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Apr 2023
314
- Mouryou no Hako; for a darker tone.
- Kanojo to Kanojo no Neko: Everything Flows; for a lighter tone.

Jan 15, 7:02 AM
#7

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Apr 2011
611
Legend of the Galactic Heroes (original OVA)
Seirei no Moribito
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
Texhnolyze
Jan 15, 8:47 AM
#9

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May 2012
18056
Big second for Moribito



Vinland Saga (season two is even stronger)



If they can be more comedic, I suggest
https://myanimelist.net/anime/46102/Odd_Taxi

More episodic
https://myanimelist.net/anime/889/Black_Lagoon (second season stronger)

More slice-of-life (again the second season is stronger)
https://myanimelist.net/anime/31646/3-gatsu_no_Lion

Finally, here's one you don't need to look far to watch. It's the closing three-episode arc from the anthology series Ayakashi Samurai Horror Tales. If you like this, there's a successor series called https://myanimelist.net/anime/2246/Mononoke.



SeijiSenseiJan 15, 9:13 AM
Jan 15, 10:36 AM

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Jun 2011
13897
I totally get you, newer anime tend to have a lot of those ridiculous jokes or wacky animation.

+1 Vinland Saga
+1 Technolyze
+1 Mononoke
+1 Mo Dao Zu Shi

Mushishi (if you like watching healing slice of life anime with some mystery and amazing music)
Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu
Asura (movie)
Ajin
Honobono Log - best slice of life short
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Jan 15, 5:39 PM
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Jan 2020
275
The first that came to my mind was Pluto and maybe Knights of Sidonia
Jan 17, 6:34 AM

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May 2012
18056
I think it's time for the OP to come back and react to these suggestions.

Nothing annoys me more than people asking for suggestions and never returning to the thread, and particularly, never thanking people who helped them.
Jan 17, 5:52 PM

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Apr 2023
49
Evangelion, Monster, Lain, works by Satoshi Kon, etc. What the average elitist likes.
Jan 18, 2:10 AM
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Jan 2024
1
Somebody already mentioned it, but I also absolutely 1000% recommend Berserk. I am the same as you and only enjoy adult-oriented, 'serious' anime, and Berserk is hands down my #1 favorite anime by a large margin.. You might feel like it takes a bit to get going, but trust me, it will definitely be worth your time investment once you get to a certain point...

There are 3 ways to watch Berserk. There is the old 1997 anime, the 2012 movie trilogy, or the Berserk Redux Fan Edit:

1997 anime:
I highly highly recommend the 1997 anime over the movie trilogy. The 1997 isn't condensed like the movie trilogy is so it has time to develop the characters better. It also makes much better use of the music to highlight emotional or important themes/scenes. The downside is the animation is on the older side... it doesn't bother me since the story more than makes up for it, but since you mentioned animation quality I thought I'd mention it.

2012 movie trilogy:
The animation is more modern, yes, but it condenses everything so much that you won't get as attached to the characters so the impact of certain events that occur later on will not have nearly the same emotional impact, and this is the whole reason to watch Berserk.

Berserk Redux: (just google Berserk Redux to find it on reddit)
The Redux version is a mix of both of the above that a fan edited together. So it captures the best of both worlds. It keeps all the character development of the 1997 anime but also shows the more modern animated fight scenes of the 2012 movies. It captures the best of both very well.


I also saw somebody recommend Knights of Sidonia, and I can also highly recommend this anime as well. It does have a few jokes and comedic moments but it is very much a 'serious' anime. It's about the last remnants of humanity, who have survived on a gigantic spaceship for nearly 1000 years after the rest of humanity was wiped out by massive aliens. They must defend the ship (and thus the last of humanity) from the continuous alien threat while trying to discover new ways to combat them and figure out why they are attacking in the first place.

There are 2 seasons of Knights of Sidonia followed by a movie that wraps everything up.
SeinenFTWJan 18, 2:16 AM
Jan 18, 7:56 AM
Jan 28, 7:41 PM

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Sep 2013
23
there are a lot of good recomendations above, here some more:

Psycho-Pass - Its in my favorites! really adults, great chracter develpment and history

Attack on Titan - It starts like a shonen, but later on get really mature
Rainbow - its about some young boys in prison
Hellsing Ultimate - If you want some action and blood
Rage of Bahamut - Action and Adventure
Fate Zero - This is one is a lot better than Fase Stay Night
Baccano - Mystery and Crime

Nodame Cantabile - really good romance
Spice and Wolf - another good romance
Bunny Drop - this one is to warm your heart


If you want some things a little different
Ergo_Proxy - this one is difficult to explain..
Initial D - Its about drift and racing
Hajime no Ippo - Its about boxing, but the characters are really good
Death Billiards - Gaming for your life
Akagi - Gambling

Movies
Perfect Blue - this one influenced several hollywood films
Vampire Hunter D
Stranger Mukou Hadan
Grave of the Fireflies
Akira

WillGuabsJan 28, 7:48 PM
"I’ve set myself to become the King of the Pirates…and if I die trying…then at least I tried!"

Monkey D. Luffy
Jan 28, 9:25 PM
Offline
Aug 2013
3564
Monster
Vinland saga
Attack on titan
Banana fish
Gungrave
Wolfs rain
Seirei no moribito
Kingdom
Berserk
Odd taxi
Samurai champloo
Afro samurai
91 days
Ghost in the shell
Shinreigari
Shinsekai yori
Higurashi
Shiki
Texhnolyze
Paranoia agent
Legend of galactic heroes
Cowboy bebop
Devilman crybaby
Darker than black
Fate/zero
Golgo 13
Chainsaw man
Basilisk
Dorohedoro
Dororo
Initial D
Mushishi
Megalo box
Gantz
Inuyashiki
Tekkonkinreet
Mutafukaz
Tokyo tribe
Ajin
Tokyo ghoul
Golden kamuy
The promised neverland
Ousama ranking
Rainbow
Cyberpunk
Great pretender
Bungou stray dogs
Fullmetal alchemist brotherhood
Beastars
Made in abyss
Michiko & hatchin
Biohazard
Wicked city
City hunter
Midnight eye gokuu
Demon city shinjuku
Tokyo godfathers
Asura (movie)
Kaiji ultimate survivor
Baki
Kengan ashura
Baccano
Durarara
Gundam iron blooded orphans
Link click
Black lagoon
Jormungand
Hellsing ultimate
Tokyo revengers
Daughter of 20 faces
Kizumonogatari (movies)
AnimeDownUnderJan 28, 9:30 PM
~AnimeDownUnder~


Jan 29, 2:11 PM

Offline
Jan 2022
744
You seemed to have watched a lot of Detective Conan, so here's some more: Movies 10, 8, 9, 13, 7, 14, 12, 15, 11

Cardcaptor Sakura The Movie/Clear Card Prologue (to see if you want to proceed with Clear Card proper)

If you're in a mood to be a Clannad completitionist, try Clannad The Motion Picture - I'm surprised you were able to get past the relatively deformed style compared to today's zeitgeist (same as Cardcaptor Sakura)

The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya

Air in Summer

Monster

Rec OVA

Welcome to the NHK

Howl's Moving Castle

The Garden of Words

End of Evangelion
Jan 29, 2:22 PM
Offline
Dec 2021
7
Monster, Code Geass, Ergo Proxy, NHK ni youkoso, Devilman Crybaby, Serial experiments Lain, Evangelion (although the beginning has some comedy and slice of life-ish chapters).

From them I think Monster, Evangelion and NHK to be the best. Monster, Code Geass and Devilman crybaby are the better fitting tho.
Jan 29, 2:23 PM
Offline
Dec 2021
7
Reply to AnimeDownUnder
Monster
Vinland saga
Attack on titan
Banana fish
Gungrave
Wolfs rain
Seirei no moribito
Kingdom
Berserk
Odd taxi
Samurai champloo
Afro samurai
91 days
Ghost in the shell
Shinreigari
Shinsekai yori
Higurashi
Shiki
Texhnolyze
Paranoia agent
Legend of galactic heroes
Cowboy bebop
Devilman crybaby
Darker than black
Fate/zero
Golgo 13
Chainsaw man
Basilisk
Dorohedoro
Dororo
Initial D
Mushishi
Megalo box
Gantz
Inuyashiki
Tekkonkinreet
Mutafukaz
Tokyo tribe
Ajin
Tokyo ghoul
Golden kamuy
The promised neverland
Ousama ranking
Rainbow
Cyberpunk
Great pretender
Bungou stray dogs
Fullmetal alchemist brotherhood
Beastars
Made in abyss
Michiko & hatchin
Biohazard
Wicked city
City hunter
Midnight eye gokuu
Demon city shinjuku
Tokyo godfathers
Asura (movie)
Kaiji ultimate survivor
Baki
Kengan ashura
Baccano
Durarara
Gundam iron blooded orphans
Link click
Black lagoon
Jormungand
Hellsing ultimate
Tokyo revengers
Daughter of 20 faces
Kizumonogatari (movies)
@AnimeDownUnder Wait does kingdom have an anime?
Jan 30, 1:43 AM
Offline
Aug 2013
3564
Reply to HA3VY
@AnimeDownUnder Wait does kingdom have an anime?
@HA3VY It does...however the first 2 seasons of kingdom were animated pretty badly. Because the CGI didn't age well...but the newer seasons of kingdom are apparently really good. But if you can get past the CGI of kingdom in the first 2 seasons then the story is still pretty good and season 3 is also really good

You never really hear people talk about the kingdom anime because the first season is pretty hard to watch, makes it hard for anyone to get into the series. I hope they remake the first 2 seasons
~AnimeDownUnder~


May 26, 9:43 PM
Offline
May 2009
2
Reply to SeijiSensei
I think it's time for the OP to come back and react to these suggestions.

Nothing annoys me more than people asking for suggestions and never returning to the thread, and particularly, never thanking people who helped them.
@SeijiSensei I am very sorry to not have come back and answer earlier but I struggle a lot with family life and work, I have very fewe spare time to watch animes.

I am very thankful to all the answers I got I am computing data and trying to find the animes that think I will enjoy.

Thanks a lot to everybody that took time to help and answer

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It’s time to ditch the text file.
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