Explore Your Mind: Top 5 Psychological Anime
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Explore Your Mind: Top 5 Psychological Anime
by MvRaM Mon Jul 15, 2013 5:42 pm
Much like other forms of entertainment, anime has a wide variety of genres. From action, comedy, all the way to romance, there is something for everyone. But what if you want something a little deeper? Something to explore your mind and to engage you on an intellectual level? One of my favorite sub-genres is pyschological. If you think anime is just filled with hot-blooded heros and moe school girls, look no further than these five shows to prove you wrong.
Ergo Proxy
Ergo Proxy is one crazy ride. What can easily be described as a mix of X-Files and Blade Runner, nothing is as it seems in the world of Ergo Proxy. Re-I is an insperctor for the Citizen Intelligence Bureau in Romdeau, which is an utopian domed-city. In order to make life easier for the last remaining humans, AutoReivs are created. Fast forward to 7207, and a virus starts to affect the AutoReivs, giving them self-awarness. The whole series blends the existential theme of what is oneself with a thrilling crime drama. You will come for the sci-fi action, but once Ergo Proxy ends, you will be left thinking.
Higurashi: No Naku Koro Ni
Psychological horror is a tough genre to master, but when it is done right, the experience will stay with viewers for years to come. Do not let the beginning episodes of Higurashi fool you, this series is heavy with mind games and gore. What starts out as a light and fluffy harem quickly devolves into a Groundhog Day type horror story. The tranquil, rural town of Hinamizawa may seem like a nice place to live, but it houses a strange and grisly mystery. Higurashi can confuse viewers, especially with its multiple arcs and perspective changes, but if you stick with it, the mystery of Hinamizawa will slowly reveal itself, and it will have a lasting affect on you.
Elfen Lied
Do not let the moe art style, extreme gore, and frequent nudity throw you off, Elfen Lied is a lot smarter than it looks. The series is one of the few out there that uses symbology to add depth to the narative, and the tramatic backstories of the characters will make you sympathize with every one of them. Racism, alienation, abuse, and the human nature are some of the themes that Elfen Lied touches on. Add in some great action scenes and some off-beat humor, and you have one of the most addicting shows that you will want to watch over and over again, despite it playing with your emotions.
Monster
Monster is a very rare treat. It is a series that runs for 74 episodes, and every single one is a joy to watch. Kenzou Tenma is an accomplished, young brain surgeon whom has everything a man could ask for, until a fateful event happened to him. Tenma chose to save the life of a young boy that was shot in the head instead of the dying mayor, and his life went in a downward spiral. Everyone connected to Tenma dies and the children he save disappeared, making him the prime suspect. What follows is an expertly crafted game of cat-and-mouse. Monster is a true psychological thriller masterpiece that should be watched.
Serial Experiments Lain
Serial Experiments Lain is one of the most influential anime from the late '90s, going on to influence such works as The Matrix. The series features Lain, a young girl who has discovered the Wired, a communication system similar to the internet. Every one can communicate wirelessly in this connected world, and what follows is an existential masterpiece. Themes of loneliness, reality, identity, theology, and even communication is all touched on. Lain features complex writing and a non-linear story, and a fantastic art direction that has not been matched to this day. If there is one show that you watch from this list, make it Serial Experiments Lain.
Each of the five shows mentioned above are great in there own right, and if you were to watch them all, you will be surprised with how different they are, despite being in the same genre. However, with every list like this, its natural to miss a few great works in the psychological genre. What do you readers say? What other series would you recommend, and which of the mentioned above is your favorite? Please let us know in the comments below!
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Re: Explore Your Mind: Top 5 Psychological Anime
by Bato Mon Jul 15, 2013 6:33 pm
Lain was boring and Higurashi is a fail. Seriously, i don't think Higurashi belongs here. It's horror, not psychological. It has those very girls that the text states. Those annoying boring ones.
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Re: Explore Your Mind: Top 5 Psychological Anime
by MvRaM Mon Jul 15, 2013 7:10 pm
Bato wrote:Lain was boring and Higurashi is a fail. Seriously, i don't think Higurashi belongs here. It's horror, not psychological. It has those very girls that the text states. Those annoying boring ones.
Its actually both.
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Re: Explore Your Mind: Top 5 Psychological Anime
by Ovyda Mon Jul 15, 2013 7:50 pm
Not that much psychological to me as well (higurashi)...
Death Note and Code Geass were more psychological for me. Shinsekai Yori probably still too new to join this list.
Death Note and Code Geass were more psychological for me. Shinsekai Yori probably still too new to join this list.
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Re: Explore Your Mind: Top 5 Psychological Anime
by MvRaM Mon Jul 15, 2013 9:53 pm
I don't think Code Geass is Psychological... Also Shinsekai yori is not either.
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Re: Explore Your Mind: Top 5 Psychological Anime
by Ovyda Mon Jul 15, 2013 11:19 pm
Seems we have different opinion what psychological stands for.
All the mind games to me is psychological and the utopia itself.
Utopia in Shinsekai Yori too. All that slavery and confrontation with that ending was definitely psychological to me.
All the mind games to me is psychological and the utopia itself.
Utopia in Shinsekai Yori too. All that slavery and confrontation with that ending was definitely psychological to me.
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Re: Explore Your Mind: Top 5 Psychological Anime
by MvRaM Tue Jul 16, 2013 1:37 am
Ovyda wrote:Seems we have different opinion what psychological stands for.
All the mind games to me is psychological and the utopia itself.
Utopia in Shinsekai Yori too. All that slavery and confrontation with that ending was definitely psychological to me.
Our opinions don't differentiate much, I'm just going by what MAL says about each of the genders the anime fall into. All of the anime in the list fall into the psychological gender, the ones you guys provided except for Death Note don't.
http://myanimelist.net/anime/13125/Shinsekai_yori
http://myanimelist.net/anime/1575/Code_Geass:_Hangyaku_no_Lelouch
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Re: Explore Your Mind: Top 5 Psychological Anime
by Ovyda Tue Jul 16, 2013 5:08 pm
MAL never was the best one with genre's.
Check ANN.
Check ANN.
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Re: Explore Your Mind: Top 5 Psychological Anime
by MvRaM Tue Jul 16, 2013 8:57 pm
And I thought MAL was a good anime indexing site.. I always thought MAL was a good site for looking for new anime, now I know ANN is much better.
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Re: Explore Your Mind: Top 5 Psychological Anime
by Bato Tue Jul 16, 2013 10:55 pm
I have no problems with MAL O.o
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Re: Explore Your Mind: Top 5 Psychological Anime
by Ovyda Tue Jul 16, 2013 11:32 pm
lol, I referred to MAL not adding all genre's. Otherwise it's a great website that I love to use it for information. ANN gives more info tho
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Re: Explore Your Mind: Top 5 Psychological Anime
by MvRaM Wed Jul 17, 2013 7:26 am
Ovyda wrote:lol, I referred to MAL not adding all genre's. Otherwise it's a great website that I love to use it for information. ANN gives more info tho
I was talking about the genders as well, I know the site is good for reviews, etc. I only use MAL for researching anime. I thought they kept an updated database. But now that I see that they don't update their genders like they should. I will use ANN from now on. Sometimes I look up to an specific gender and I want to get all of the anime that fall into that category.
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Re: Explore Your Mind: Top 5 Psychological Anime
by Ovyda Wed Jul 17, 2013 4:37 pm
You keep saying gender, so I am not really sure if you are mistyping for genre or you mean something by gender that I have no clue 
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Re: Explore Your Mind: Top 5 Psychological Anime
by MvRaM Wed Jul 17, 2013 6:17 pm
Ovyda wrote:You keep saying gender, so I am not really sure if you are mistyping for genre or you mean something by gender that I have no clue
I'm sorry my bad, yes I meant genre. Hopefully you get what I mean now.
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Re: Explore Your Mind: Top 5 Psychological Anime
by Ovyda Wed Jul 17, 2013 6:58 pm
yeah I do 
Just you said gender so many times that I started wondering if it's really a mistype lol
Just you said gender so many times that I started wondering if it's really a mistype lol
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Re: Explore Your Mind: Top 5 Psychological Anime
by Kisser Thu Jul 18, 2013 7:22 am
Man I really want to watch monster.
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Re: Explore Your Mind: Top 5 Psychological Anime
by Ovyda Thu Jul 18, 2013 4:56 pm
I've heard great things about Monster. However, after Cowboy Bepop I still have to watch other classics like Trigun before Monster (many eps)
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Re: Explore Your Mind: Top 5 Psychological Anime
by Bato Thu Jul 18, 2013 7:33 pm
I will watch it someday too. Can't say when though. Right now busy with Bakuman, Gurren Lagann and Code Geass. After those 3 i will watch Cowboy Bebop.
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Re: Explore Your Mind: Top 5 Psychological Anime
by Ovyda Thu Jul 18, 2013 7:46 pm
Great choices!!! Beastly line up you have
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