Boogiepop wa Warawanai

insert wojak meme

Anime Unleashed was an anime block that was broadcast on the American cable TV network G4. Anime Current is its Canadian counterpart. The block is notable for having a unique catalog of sci-fi anime including popular titles such as Serial Experiments Lain and rather obscure titles such as Betterman. In my opinion, this is one of the strangest but also coolest block of anime to air on American TVs.

A collection of shows featuring late-night city vibes.

These are some pretty good psychological anime series and movies.. Some are new and some are a little older. Enjoy!

A stack of animes with main characters battling depression, deep trauma, or other mental health conditions. These animes are often about outcasted MCs and may make you feel an alienation kinda vibe.

Anime with unique art-style/premise and or surreal/dreamlike sequences

Denpa as a genre usually refers to Japanese artistic works with themes associated with social isolation, existentialism, insanity that stems from living modern society, and the glorification of otaku/outsider cultures. Examples of denpa in other mediums include the films of Hideaki Anno (Love and Pop, Ritual) and the films of Shunji Iwai (All About Lily Chou-Chou), as well as the visual novel Wonderful Everyday Down the Rabbit-hole.

For more about denpa, check out this excellent blogpost about the genre: https://ontheones.wordpress.com/2019/06/29/on-denpa-a-guest-article-by-kenji-the-engi/

List of anime for "elitist". These anime have been considered as "deep" animations by various critics and analysts.

In this compilation there are animes with quite complicated stories that are not recommended for all audiences. As they are: cult, artistic, experimental, avant-garde, underrated, psychological, philosophical, unique or mind-blowing anime.

This list has a part 2: https://myanimelist.net/stacks/4197

Art house, in relation to cinema, is a genre of films that are intended to be serious artistic works rather than merely popular entertainment but the descriptor can also be applied to anime. Furthermore, avant-garde refers to innovative, experimental, radical or unorthodox concepts and techniques. This can of course also be used in reference to anime and manga.

As MAL currently sadly only allows a max of 50 entries on interests stacks this list mainly prioritises the stand out and most high quality examples of avant-garde and art house anime television shows, feature films, OVAs and short film compilations. For a more comprehensive list which features the numerous experimental short films on the site as well as manga, I direct you to my accompanying Art house, Avant-Garde and Experimental club of the same name.

A list of anime that deals with mental illness or other neurodivergence. It may be a main part of the show or just something a main character deals with that contributes to the plot in some way. This is going to be an incomplete stack as I have only seen around 400 shows and there are probably so many that I have missed. If you comment on my profile one that belongs and why, I would love to add it.

As someone who has dealt with mental illness and neurodivergence my whole life, seeing shows where characters deal with similar issues gives me a feeling of being seen. I know many others on this site probably feel the same way.

I hope this list can help someone find a good show!

Associated words: Dark (Visually and/or Thematically), Story-centric, Atmospheric, Abstract, Psychological, Unorthodox, Nihilistic, AND/OR Avant-garde
(Emphasis on AND/OR)


Do check out the other 'half': https://myanimelist.net/stacks/4917 (Some shows could also fit here)

!this is based on my opinion please don't berate me for my tastes much appreciated!
anime that were popular/influential during the 2000s. (this is also based on what I've seen so far, list will go through changes)

Anime made by the first generation of anime fans.

I’m coining the term Anime New Wave in reference to the French New Wave and the Japanese New Wave in film canon. Like both of these movements, the first generation of creatives to achieve any kind of mainstream success were establishing the medium themselves and were drawing inspiration from outside their art form, such as how Osamu Tezuka was inspired by the work of Fritz Lang or how Hayao Miyazaki’s adaptation of Lupin III was deeply entrenched in film noir and Golden Age Hollywood aesthetics. With the rise of an otaku culture punctuated by the first doujin anime and the development of Studio Gainax, anime began to have its ideas and themes codified into a replicable series of cinematic references. Dezaki’s beautiful use of intense lighting and postcard memories, Tomino’s frantic paneling and action set pieces, Takahata’s evocative pastoral landscapes and slow takes, the language of anime was being written one word at a time. In the late 80s we saw the rise of talented creators who speak that language as their first tongue, and the results were inimitable and immediate.

Some directors I am considering under the term include Hideaki Anno, Shinichiro Watanabe, Kunihiko Ikuhara, and Satoshi Kon, just so there’s a point of reference here. I’m trying not to include directors who are usually lumped in with others on this list but were actively working as primary creatives in the studio system in the 80s, such as Mamoru Oshii. Lastly, I’m trying to keep the list centered on the initial wave of anime created even though plenty of these creatives have gone on to work on other things, just so I don’t have it be too confusing to look at. Arbitrary, I know.

Feel free to post comments on my page if you have any suggestions.

Anime with an intriguing, immersive, rich, or otherwise memorable atmosphere. Usually a combination of artistic, imaginative visuals, distinctive music, a slowish pace, and cryptic, emotional, and/or philosophical dialogue. Atmospheric doesn't necessarily mean good, though.