Anime that Made You ... Think?

[~darkelfgirl~]

What anime did you watch that had:


--in-depth concepts

--a serious plot

--well thought-out, mature characters (or young characters in serious situations)

--few anime cliches (you know, talking cute critters, spunky main-character girl who does nothing but cheer on the guys, damsel-in-distress)

--left you wanting more?



I apologize if this thread topic was already discussed!

I've been reading reviews and so on, came across that meme thread "What I expected" and saw some pics of anime that seemed great and relevant to this topic (their names were in Japanese =( )...

[Peanut]

Hmmm, several off the top of my head:

-Ergo Proxy

-Monster (though I didn't finish it...)

-Paranoia Agent (though, as I remember this did have some anime cliche's...but it was sort of done on purpose for the whole thinking process...thing...)

-Death Note

[Radical Dreamer]

Hmmm, several off the top of my head:

-Ergo Proxy

-Monster (though I didn't finish it...)

-Paranoia Agent (though, as I remember this did have some anime cliche's...but it was sort of done on purpose for the whole thinking process...thing...)

-Death Note

All of the ones I was going to say are in this post. XD

Oh, and Haibane Renmei.

[Sheol777]

Neon Genesis Evangelion - ya know

Serial Experiments: Lain - many red herrings and conspiricy theories, with a little 'who done it?' thrown in the mix

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - odd that a show like this would raise so much discussion over the nature of reality.

Grave of the Fireflies - the nature of war and those effected buy it.

Paranoia Agent - phycological thriller with fantastic character studies

Ghost in the Shell - where does the body end and the mind begin?

Death Note - nature of right and wrong questioned, who has the final say?

Bokurano - different children face life and death in every way imaginable

Perfect Blue - a japanese pop idol decides to change her image, was it the right choice? Or did it all lead to a cascade of mistakes and life threatning problems (mature scenes)

[ShiroiHikari]

Millennium Actress kept my gears turning the entire time, and understanding it was well worth the effort.

Overman King Gainer definitely left me wanting more. The characters are deep in that Tomino way-- he doesn't beat you over the head with the character development; he just kinda lets things speak for themselves. I love it.

Space Runaway Ideon kept me guessing as to what the crap was going on with the Ideon. Finding out was heartbreaking.

In First Gundam, the lines between "good guys" and "bad guys" aren't always clearly drawn. I find this fascinating.

[pikmintaro]

Pretty much any Anime I have ever watched even including ones like Naruto, Dragonball, and Bleach all of them have made me think much more than any American animations I have watched.


But the ones that made me think the most? probably most recently Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex I guess.

[Htom Sirveaux]

Ghost in the Shell and GitS 2: Innocence. Both were more intellectually challenging than I'd expected.

[Yamamaya]

[quote="ShiroiHikari (post: 1341548)"]Millennium Actress kept my gears turning the entire time, and understanding it was well worth the effort.

Overman King Gainer definitely left me wanting more. The characters are deep in that Tomino way-- he doesn't beat you over the head with the character development]

I bought the first DVD for King Gainer. Does it get better as it goes along? The first episode is absolutely horribly paced.

[steenajack]

Anything by Hayao Miyazaki. As well as Haibane Renmai-This one made me think of forgivness and our relationship with God. One scene reminded me of if you want to be saved you got to receive Jesus' love, ask him into your heart and believe he is God's son and our savior. He already loves us and is ready to help us, we just gotta ask and receive it. At least that is what I got. There is more, but I can't say anything without spoiling the ending for anyone.

[S.M.O.G.]

Death note. Ironically that is somthing Obaha tried to avoid.

[RobinSena]

-Ergo Proxy

-Death Note

Serial Experiments: Lain - many red herrings and conspiricy theories, with a little 'who done it?' thrown in the mix

Grave of the Fireflies - the nature of war and those effected buy it.


Death Note - nature of right and wrong questioned, who has the final say?

Millennium Actress kept my gears turning the entire time, and understanding it was well worth the effort.

+1.
Also, Witch Hunter Robin, Barefoot Gen 1 and 2, Metropolis, and most Miyazaki / Ghibli stuff.. =)

[ShiroiHikari]

I bought the first DVD for King Gainer. Does it get better as it goes along? The first episode is absolutely horribly paced.

It does get better. I had a hard time getting through the beginning too.

[rocklobster]

Serial Experiments Lain
Gundam Seed
Gundam 00
Ghost in the Shell
Galaxy Express 999
Big O
Haibane Renmei
Trigun
Code Geass
Death Note

[Maokun]

First three posters got it totally right. We cannot discuss evangelion but it is definitely going to make you think. I would add:

Wolf's Rain: A reflection on following your dreams, the meaning of freedom and faith (understood as holding fast to what you believe in even if you have no rational ground to do so and the rest of the world opposes). Also, amazing character development.

Tokyo Godfathers: A refreshing reminder than even among what we normally qualify as the scum of society, there's a chance for all the basic goodness and love left in us as the fingerprint of the creator, to shine.

5cm/s: A bit cold but realistic approach to the development of one's feelings as one grows up.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time: "What if you could go back in time to fix the stupid mistakes you commit daily?" Answer: you would end messing it all up much worse. An amazing metaphor on the importance of taking responsability for your actions and choices.

[LadyRushia]

Code Geass
Naruto (sometimes)
Cowboy Bebop
Most Miyazaki films
20th Century Boys, even though that's a manga

When I really think about it though, all anime I've seen has made me think in one way or another. That's one thing I really like about anime.

[Etoh*the*Greato]

Paprika did a lot for me.

Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei is definitely a thought provoking one. It's apparently about nothing more than what is wrong with Japanese culture. It's horrifying when you realize what it is, exactly, that you're laughing so hard at.

I've been on a Nausicaa And the Valley of the Wind kick lately. The movie was good, but I've been reading the Manga and it goes so much deeper. It ends up extending beyond a simple environmental film. It becomes a constant discussion on human compassion, coexistance with nature, and the meaning of war.

[RobinSena]

I've been on a Nausicaa And the Valley of the Wind kick lately. The movie was good, but I've been reading the Manga and it goes so much deeper. It ends up extending beyond a simple environmental film. It becomes a constant discussion on human compassion, coexistance with nature, and the meaning of war.

Yeah, the Nausicaa manga is incredible. I have the complete set, but I'm ashamed to say that I haven't read it through yet. I think it's because the volumes are so big, it's harder to just take it somewhere to sit down and read.

[NarutoAngel221]

I guess its Nodame Cantabile since it has tackled a lot about music and their desire to excel in this field .

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

Code Geass:How far can one go before the means no longer justifies the end
Fullmetal Alchemist:What truly constitutes a human?

[sdzero]

Gundam Wing...I totally didn't understand that show. I know what it's suppose to be about, but the plot is so confusing. I've watched it for years and I still don't have a clue about what's going on.

[ShiroiHikari]

Yeah, Gundam Wing is one of the only Gundam shows where the "bad guys" change all the time. First there was OZ, then there was, uh...the Romefeller Foundation I think? And then White Fang or something? I don't know, I haven't seen the whole series in years but I do remember being kinda confused even though I liked it a lot. XD

[the_wolfs_howl]

Well, the first anime that comes to mind is definitely Full Metal Alchemist. It has very in-depth concepts like what it means to be human, when (if ever) it's okay to go against your conscience, what you're willing to give up for someone important to you, working hard to get the results you want, and deep brotherly love. It's one of the most serious animes I've seen, despite being hilarious at the same time. It has all this death and desperation and pain and intense emotions all around; I've cried or got emotional more times for that story than any others. The characters are all very well fleshed out, with failings and weaknesses but great strengths as well, and even though the main character is only fifteen, he comes up with some amazing insights throughout the story. There are few cliches that I can pinpoint, except maybe that Ed is your typical brash, arrogant male lead - but even then, if you look under the surface you see that there's more to him than that, and really he's incredibly selfless. And FMA definitely left me wanting more. I think that FMA is one of the few series that could have over a 100 episodes and it would still be as riveting in episode 150 as it was in episode 1.

Haibane Renmei has already been mentioned, and I heartily agree. Again, intense and real emotions like identity, grief, and guilt. And many people have remarked on possible analogies that can be drawn to Christian faith, which adds that extra depth to the story. The characters are all distinct, and the closest any of them comes to being cliche is Hikari, who doesn't come all that close. I remember that Haibane was the first anime series I ever saw that left me completely satisfied at the end. It would have been lovely to have more time with those great characters in that great setting, but I really don't see how that would have worked without ruining the whole thing.

Death Note is obviously thought-provoking, with its being rather ambiguous about who's the "good guy" and who's the "bad guy". (As unexciting as he is most of the time, I'd almost say that Chief Yagami is the "good guy".) Light and L are both very unique characters, and it's just so fun to watch everything play out. If a certain character hadn't ended up a certain way, I would have loved to see more of it.

And as someone mentioned above, Monster is also really really good for provoking deep thoughts. There's too much to even scratch the surface, especially since I've only read the manga, but it really made me think about things like how far you should go to stop injustice, or how despair affects people. (It's practically a candy store for someone interested in psychology like me.) A really dark story, Monster. And the characters are so real too. Definitely a great series.

[KhakiBlueSocks]

[font="Trebuchet MS"][SIZE="4"][color="RoyalBlue"]I love the anime "Planetes" because it forces you to think about how things are going to be in the future. It shows how, even though technology may advance, literally, by light-years, giving man the ability to travel to vast distances, things like social class, business titles, and racial profiling are still around. On the flipside, things like compassion, respect, honor, dignity, and of course love are still attributes that we are still capable of possessing.

I also think "Mushi-Shi" is quite thought provoking. Here you have these creatures called mushi that, at first glance are an annoying pest to those that encounter them, but then Ginko comes along and explains (in no uncertain terms) "Hey, hold up: we're both sharing this world, just go on and live your normal lives; you don't bother them, they don't bother you." In a way, he brings a balance to those who he encounters not favoring one over the other.[/color][/SIZE][/font]

[airichan623]

oh boy.... here are some with what I thought~

Naruto & Naruto Shippuden:
-Using evil for good can backfire (Naruto using the Kyuubi's power)
-Love can stop evil from spreading (Sakura and the !st appearance of the curse mark)
-Revenge corrupts all goodness (Sasuke)
-Loneliness draws people to evil (Kabuto)
...thats just a few.

Tsubasa:
-predestination (is the future set in stone?)

xxxHOLIC:
-does your outlook on life affect outcome of situations?

Chobits:
-Do we rely on technology too much?
-Is it OK to end a marriage when the spouse begins love someone/thing else?
-What makes a human a human?

Fruits Basket:
-Parental decisions always affect the child
-Children understand more than you think

Shugo Chara:
-Dreams are very important

Kitchen Princess:
-Death and trauma

....yeah i get pretty deep when it comes to manga.

[ilikegir33]

Neon Genesis Evangelion - ya know

Serial Experiments: Lain - many red herrings and conspiricy theories, with a little 'who done it?' thrown in the mix

Grave of the Fireflies - the nature of war and those effected buy it.

Paranoia Agent - phycological thriller with fantastic character studies

Ghost in the Shell - where does the body end and the mind begin?

Agreed. Also, for me:

SaiKano/She, The Ultimate Weapon - a man's girlfriend becomes a weapon of mass destruction, and their love is the only shred of humanity she has left. If you ended up slowly becoming a WMD, would you still have the desire to live? The final episode is extremely thought-provoking.

[Makachop^^128]

ergo proxy
all the way lol

[rocklobster]

Agreed. Also, for me:

SaiKano/She, The Ultimate Weapon - a man's girlfriend becomes a weapon of mass destruction, and their love is the only shred of humanity she has left. If you ended up slowly becoming a WMD, would you still have the desire to live? The final episode is extremely thought-provoking.

I can't believe I forgot this one. I really enjoyed it! It was so sad, but so enjoyable at the same time.

[AngelicTotoro]

airichan623: I agree with you about Fruits Basket, also if I may add...
-Love and forgiveness can heal deep pain.

Detective Conan- It goes in here because I have to think about who did it and then a few of the characters make me smile almost everytime they appear.
-It also teaches you to think things through.
(I mean some of the murders they have could have been avoided if the murderer would have just asked the victim a few things before bumping them off. >>)

[theanimeguy]

--in-depth concepts Kino's Journey,and Haibane Renmei. Maybe Mushishi at times too.

--a serious plotSamurai X: Trust & Betrayal, Planetes.

--well thought-out, mature characters (or young characters in serious situations)Haibane Renmei. Honey & Clover (seems odd but they are portrayed very well behind the jokes and antics) and Planetes for sure!


--left you wanting more?Samurai X: Trust & Betrayal, Eureka Seven, Honey & Clover, and Planetes.

[airichan623]

and code geass