Furiko

impressionistic emotional pieces that express a powerful melancholy

This is the kind of stuff you'll want to show to your older relatives or a friend / significant other who isn't into anime in particular but is open to new experiences. Not necessarily to hook them on anime but simply to share a good time together.

What helps an anime end up on this list:
* either subdued or distinctly avant-garde appearance that transcends common anime design sensibilities;
* mature, adult-life-related themes;
* well-crafted, compelling story and character interactions;
* fresh and daring ideas or their execution;
* being otherwise remarkable as an art piece;
* moderate length.

What DOESN'T help an anime end up on the list:
* referencing or pandering to otaku culture, incessant fan service, and all that crap;
* slow-burn slice-of-life narrative;
* overly random, absurdist, reference-heavy humor;
* being too long or narratively incomplete;
* being too tropey;
* not being very good in general (regrettably, this includes bad and mediocre adaptations of good manga/LNs, so no Berserk, My Home Hero, or Golden Kamuy on the list).

These aren't absolute rules but they're hard enough that I would only consider minor exceptions. There is most certainly not enough room for every single piece that fits the bill, so take this as my personal, heavily curated top-50. If there is a sequel or a side-story that also deserves attention (or, conversely, one you should skip), I will mention it in the annotations, so please watch them.

List is subject to revisions and reordering.

These are the best works anime can offer.

Includes:
• Oscar nominated works/Award Winning Films
• Well perceived works by critics
• Works with well-crafted, compelling story and character interactions
• Well perceived avant-garde/daring works
-
Disclaimer: These works won't always be magnum opus.

This list is under development ◖⁠⚆⁠ᴥ⁠⚆⁠◗

I included those anime which are realistic and relatable. You can relate to the characters and events in the anime with your own life.

Sometimes I get in the mood to watch a short or short series, but have found (much to my dismay) that there are so few good ones and so many truly horrifying ones! This is a list of shorts and short series that I've watched and enjoyed and recommend to those that are looking for something like these to watch.

(the shorts are listed first and then the short series)

Stories told without any dialog/narration, whether verbal or text. Lyrics/text not essential to understanding the story are okay.

One entry per series.

There are short-length anime series of OVAs, specials, ONAs, and music-centered anime that offer unique and captivating experiences in a more compact format. Here are some recommendations of short-length anime:

Personal recommendation of titles with great romance story, romantic subtext, or wonderful couples. A collection ranging from 1995 to 2023. Actively adding.

This Interest Stack is directly inspired by Digibro's "250 Anime Recommendations". Everything listed here is directly taken from the original video.
------
The reason to create this stack was to not make anyone sit through a 6-Hour long video.
------
This is the continuation of Part 4 of the 250 Anime recommendations list (Separated in parts because of MAL's 50 entries per list limit).
------
In the words of Digibro herself: "I'm also going to state how much i recommend these show's, So the minimum will be a light recommendation meaning something that i dont necessarily think is amazing but its worth checking out if you're bored, Not all of these are gonna be like 10/10 classics. Some of these are gonna be like OK shows that are just worth checking out. Maybe you'll like it more than i did."
------
* = Light recommendation
** = Medium recommendation
*** = Strong recommendation
**** = MUST-WATCH

------
Here are how these anime are categorized (In Order)

ARTHOUSE: Le Portrait de Petit Cossette - Furiko

CLASSIC FILMS (ALL MUST-WATCH): Akira - Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust

QUICK ACTION FIX: .hack//QUANTUM - Sukeban Deka (2 extra entries that couldnt be fit into the Stack: Venus Wars - Tenamonya Voyagers)
------




Links to other parts:

Part 1: https://myanimelist.net/stacks/34482

Part 2: https://myanimelist.net/stacks/34485

Part 3: https://myanimelist.net/stacks/34486

Part 4: https://myanimelist.net/stacks/34488

Part 5: https://myanimelist.net/stacks/34488



The End

I intend to update whenever I make a discovery that has this proposal and is artistically interesting(in order from best to worst)

Anime that were created by a independent (indie) animator or group of animators.

Only including anime released in the modern era of anime, i.e. after the 1963 release of Astro Boy. Focusing on anime that were released after 2000. Not including music videos.

Not aiming to be comprehensive, but feel free to suggest additions.

In my research thank you to:
Callum May for his article on Anime News Network (available at https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2017-11-15/the-best-independent-anime-you-can-watch-online/.124035)
Jasper Sharp for his helpful article found at https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/features/beyond-anime-short-history-independent-japanese-animation
Tracy Ha for her YouTube playlist (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC16370D5B63EB2BB)


Anime not listed on MAL
The Collision by Studio Wrong (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erULarjaRwQ)