Intense and Extremely Dark Seinen Anime
Anime
If you're a teenager and you're trying to take the leap into more adult anime after being tired of all that Shonen bs then you've come to the right place! Now man up and watch all this depraved shit. Read Berserk after you're done with the show.
2025 Update: If you don't have that much time then watch
Hellsing Ultimate
Black Lagoon
Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu
and ESPECIALLY EVANGELION
2025 Update: If you don't have that much time then watch
Hellsing Ultimate
Black Lagoon
Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu
and ESPECIALLY EVANGELION
Kenpuu Denki Berserk
Berserk
TV, 1997,
25 eps
Me:-
Author:8
This is by far the best intro to Berserk if you can't stand the animation in the memorial edition. Don't bother with the 2016 anime please read the manga from volume 14 after this show.
Another thing to note I don't think you need an intro to Berserk but it is every 16-year-old boy's favorite manga probably the most depraved and melancholic anime of all time by far the most depraved and melancholic mangas of all time it is up to you whether to watch this or the Memorial Edition. You can choose a more modern early 2010's animation which is decent and watchable or an Evangelion/Pokemon (same studio)/Trigun/Cowboy Bebop 90s animation style.
ps. The 2016 anime is unwatchable unless you enjoy manga slideshows with PS1 era (1994) 3d renderings.
Another thing to note I don't think you need an intro to Berserk but it is every 16-year-old boy's favorite manga probably the most depraved and melancholic anime of all time by far the most depraved and melancholic mangas of all time it is up to you whether to watch this or the Memorial Edition. You can choose a more modern early 2010's animation which is decent and watchable or an Evangelion/Pokemon (same studio)/Trigun/Cowboy Bebop 90s animation style.
ps. The 2016 anime is unwatchable unless you enjoy manga slideshows with PS1 era (1994) 3d renderings.
Berserk: Ougon Jidai-hen - Memorial Edition
Berserk: The Golden Age Arc - Memorial Edition
TV, 2022,
13 eps
Me:-
Author:-
This is the best rendition of Berserk. Don't bother with the 2016 anime please read the manga from volume 14 after this show.
TV, 2003,
22 eps
Me:-
Author:-
The biggest mindfuck ending of all time please watch this.
Shinseiki Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion
TV, 1995,
26 eps
Me:-
Author:10
Probably the greatest anime ever made, most iconic and most significant apart from Dragon Ball Z.
Shinseiki Evangelion Movie: Air/Magokoro wo, Kimi ni
Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion
Movie, 1997,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:10
Watch after Evangelion (mandatory)
Evangelion Movie 1: Jo
Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone
Movie, 2007,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:8
The following 3 are the rebuild movies which split off in an alternate timeline from the OG show basically Code Geass Resurrection vs. the OG Code Geass also Dragon Ball's alternate timeline highly recommend it.
Evangelion Movie 2: Ha
Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance
Movie, 2009,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:-
The first movie is not a mandatory watch but 2.0, 3.0 and 3.1 have to be watched in that order in order for you to understand anything.
Shin Evangelion Movie:||
Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time
Movie, 2021,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:-
The best anime Movie of all time maybe one of the best movies ever made you have to watch 2.0, 3.0 before watching this.
OVA, 2006,
10 eps
Me:-
Author:9
Somehow out of the author's work this is less depraved than Drifters... Fucking incredible action, animation and OST one of the greatest anime ever made. The story is mid so that stops it from being a masterpiece.
TV, 2016,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:9
Let's see we have Austrian painter, Jesus, Joan. We also have elves enslavement and rape. Dwarfs and Oda Nobunaga and our samurai protagonist kicking ass. I'm not going to lie this shit is just as depraved as Berserk.
TV, 2006,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:10
My all time favorite anime. The themes are extremely dark and depraved don't let the tropical setting and hot chicks fool you. PLEASE WATCH THE DUB.
TV, 2006,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:10
The twin arc is probably the most insane thing on this list.
OVA, 2010,
5 eps
Me:-
Author:9
4 years later we get an absolute baller arc from the manga adapted definitely worth watching it's basically impossible to find this outside of Crunchyroll
Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu
Parasyte: The Maxim
TV, 2014,
24 eps
Me:-
Author:9
Deep philosophical intrigue with a mature story and intense action. Essentially this is Tokyo Ghoul done right.
Biohazard: Degeneration
Resident Evil: Degeneration
Movie, 2008,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:9
CGI is quite outdated but I grew up watching Iron Man Armoured Adventures so this looks not that bad to me.
Movie, 2012,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:8
War zombies, monsters, disgusting CGI insanity. Probably the best Resident Evil movie.
Biohazard: Vendetta
Resident Evil: Vendetta
Movie, 2017,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:6
Extremely fun movie kind of dumb but still super fun I can recommend this to everyone the CGI has also taken a massive leap you can tell this was made in 2017.
Biohazard: Infinite Darkness
Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness
ONA, 2021,
4 eps
Me:-
Author:8
People hated this show but I thought it was decent. Interesting plot, interesting characters, and a generic corny plot but I wanted more zombie and I wanted more Resident Evil so I'm cool with this.
Biohazard: Death Island
Resident Evil: Death Island
Movie, 2023,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:7
Death Island is a wet dream for Resident Evil fans of every game because of the teamup with the entire universe: Leon Kennedy, Claire Redfield, Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine
ONA, 2023,
8 eps
Me:-
Author:9
Definitely Seinen but a lot less depraved than the other ones whole lot of substance and mystery give it a watch.
Early 2025 update: I forgot to mention it is pretty dark because sentient androids get brutalized I don't really care about robots so it's not very dark to me but it is mature and a fantastic mystery.
Early 2025 update: I forgot to mention it is pretty dark because sentient androids get brutalized I don't really care about robots so it's not very dark to me but it is mature and a fantastic mystery.
TV, 2004,
74 eps
Me:-
Author:-
Still on my to watch list. Apparently the best anime of all time according to millions of people.
Jin-Rou
Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade
Movie, 2000,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:-
Nazis, WW2 and a 2000s Gray filter what more do you want
Koukaku Kidoutai: Stand Alone Complex
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
TV, 2002,
26 eps
Me:-
Author:-
ONA, 2018,
10 eps
Me:-
Author:4
I personally hated this but you might love it. It's very avant garde like EVA with literally none of the substance that made EVA great. Also this show is super zesty and bisexual so if you like that then go watch it.
Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu
Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-
TV, 2016,
25 eps
Me:-
Author:8
