CAA: Christian Anime Alliance

I don't know if you have Cartoon Network, but they just started playing Witch Hunter Robin on Adult Swim. I have only seen the first episode so I can't tell you much about the content. So far it's looking like it's going to be really good. I can't tell you much about the story, since it just started on CN. It's basicaly about a group of witch hunters and there new recruit (Robin), a 15 year old girl who has the ability to use The Craft (A special power that the Witche's use). That's all I got, hope it helps.

I would recommend Vampire Hunter D and Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlost to start. They are dark, but not too dark.

Hellsing.

It's dark, it's full of action. Only watch if you can take blood.

defintaly witch hunter robin, very nice, pretty dark

Witch Hunter Robin — mysterious and somewhat dark.

all that was mentioned above....and you might want to try Texhnolyze too, but it's a series that's quite hard to follow because the stryline is quite complicated and there are layers upon layers of philosophy. the show is literally "dark" since they used mostly dark tones in the art to parallel the darkness of the story. as of its action-y part, there's lots of blood and gore and violence and massacres and things one should really not watch after eating lunch since it's quite explicit. ^^;; there are also implied sexual scenes, just a warning. it takes a good level of maturity to understand it, and it's not typical your gothic adventure-action sort of thing.

and of course, Boogiepope Phantom is very dark too. it's not so action-y, but it's way up there in the horror and disturbing genre.

From what I saw of Betterman, it was pretty dark too. Too dark for my tastes.

I tottally suggest Hellsing. I also would suggest Berserk from what I've heard of it.

Samaurai X: Trust and Betryal isn't nesscary "dark" or "gothic" but's depressing and very bloody if thats what you're looking for.

Serial Experiments Lain.^^ although its more techie than action packed.^^;; involves a girl who's life is completely submerged into the world of PC's,internet,00101010100's whatnot, and later on, finds herself being one with it. sometimes eerie at some parts of the series.^^;;;

Hmm... Dark is a broad term. Like batman? You mean half-gothic? Or like underworld, which is "slick" Gothic? Boogiepop Phantom is very dark, isn't stereotypically gothic, and it's an excelent brain teaser show. It takes a lot of effort to understand, and it can be quite slow, but it has a very specific style and is very psychological (much like the Silent Hill games) It's NOT an action show like Batman or {movie} like "Underworld."

Lain is pretty dark, but it's probably too slow for most people's tastes. It's very far from being an action show, but it's good to see that not all anime has to be action... (that's the stereotype that Cartoon Netowork is trying to push) It requires a lot of contemplating and several viewings to understand, and then you will have your own interpretation of the show that will be much different than other people's interpretations... Lain is most DEFINATELY for older audiences only, though. Not for content necissarily (I.E violence, sexuality, language) but for subject matter, really... Actually, that doesn't describe it actually... I wouldn't reccomend it to anyone under the age of 16 and no one under the maturity of an 18 or 19 year old. (I saw age 16 because there are some pretty mature 16 year olds, but for people younger than that, even if you THINK you're mature enough, there's no need to test the waters with this one...) Lain should not be watched by people with any sort of social problems or emotional disorders. You must be "sober" when you watch this show... If you're in a depression, this can certainly make it worse, and if you're in despair, you will probably interpret this show to fit your mood, and it will only work to amplify it... Basically, while I love Lain, I have reservations about reccomending it openly because of how strongly it plays with your head. NOT EVERYONE is affected by it like that, but a lot of people are... If you're mature and if you're in a good mood and not under a lot of stress, then I would heartily recommend Lain... It's well worth the effort.

A lot of these "darker" anime have some mature sexual themes. Lain has [spoiler=age warning]ventures into a cyber-sex chat room and one quick (undetailed) shot of masturbation... You just see where her hand was, but you don't actually see the act or anything...[/spoiler] Boogiepop has a stalker who is living out a delusion based on a hentai game he had played, where the girls he sees are toys for him to play with... That is a particularly disturbing episode. I've heard about some stuff in Hellsing, and as for Berserk, I've only seen the first ep, but I heard that it gets VERY explicit after that. This show is put in the "X" rated section by the parent's guide to anime.

Now And Then, Here And There.

I haven't seen much yet, but it is very dark. It starts out seeming like a kid show but then the main charecter a 13 year old gets brutally interrogated and later tortutered...It is very heavy because the characters really seem to feel the pain. But it is definately a really awesome show.

Noir is also a pretty good dark action one. Quite slow at times though.

Escaflowne has some pretty dark stuff also.

Some other recommendations have been said already though...Such as Witch Hunter Robin and Lain.

Personally, I think anything Ghost in the Shell fits the bill.

I don't remember the scene from Lain that bobtheduck mentions, but I don't really focus on that kind of thing. One of the more disturbing aspects, though, is the part about "killing god". It's a very bleak series, and I would say that it's good to know real joy before watching something deliberately designed to be depressing like that. (Serial Experiments Lain is one of the few anime that I could get for free and feel it wasn't worth the price - just find a depressive's livejournal and it's about the same.)

Hellsing is fun if you don't mind blood and vampires (I rather enjoyed it), but a couple of parts are a little tedious (not nearly as much as Lain, though). Still, I'd think Hellsing would fit the bill a lot more than Lain.

Lain definately isn't much of an action anime. I've never been depressed by it...The saddest thing to me was the last ep after the reset. I found this anime very intruiging. In fact I just recently bought it. It's good if you want a weird mind trip.

I would have to suggest Berserk, there is a ton of violence, and some sexual content, but it is not glorifried, but treated as part of human life. Also, gungrave is very much like batman, with the dark city feel and gangster life.

I will second the ghost in a shell recommendation as well. I have heard silent mobius is like that,but that is second hand, i have not seen it.

lastly, if you saty with, say past eps 30, Full metal alchemist will fit the bill nicely. maybe not qute as dark as though mentioned above, but pretty close., again, not til the latter half though. which in my opinion makes it more dark becasue you see their archetypes collapse and the defined lines of their lives blur. I guess the contrast of the innocent children they stqart out as and the adults they end up being is dark.

Lastly, Batman TAS has come out on dvd, it was a great series so that may also fit the bill.

hope this helps!

Jordan