Anime, which is often considered to be Japanese animation, is a diverse artistic form. There are action-packed dramas with plot twists at the conclusion of every episode and heartbreaking slice-of-life programmes. The average length of an episode is 20 minutes, which is shorter than the average television programme but densely packed for maximum emotional impact.
There are many anime series with dark and sombre themes that are aimed for adult viewers, despite the fact that some people link anime with the shows we watched as children and abandoned at a younger age. In reality, many of the choices on this list are probably not appropriate for kids.These programmes all have English subtitles, and the majority also have English dubbing.
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Death Note
Light Yagami aspires to become a deity. The high school kid discovers that anyone whose name is inscribed in “Death Note,” a notebook that a genuine god of death slipped into the world of humans, dies. He starts writing down the names of criminals right away to build an evil-free society. International law enforcement agencies quickly begin their search for whoever is responsible for the unexplained run of fatalities.
They work together with a well-known but unidentified detective who goes by “L,” and as the plot develops, Light and L try to outsmart one another at every turn. The concept of Death Note are immediately apparent: What is justice, and how are Light’s deeds different from those of the criminals he kills? Beyond societal critique, the show also engages viewers with cunning plots Light and L come up with to reveal one another’s identities while keeping their own secret.
Attack on Titan
Humanity endured a century of peaceful coexistence within a 50-meter (165-foot) wall that served as defence against anthropomorphic, man-eating giants known as “titans.” When a titan that is unusually enormous unexpectedly comes and breaches the wall, allowing the horrible creatures to stream into civilization, that peace is completely ruined. Eren Yeager enlists in the Scout Regiment, the unit of the military tasked with taking on the titans, after seeing his mother die. Attack on Titan rushes through each arc at top speed, giving you little time to catch your breath. It’s a tale about clinging to the determination to live freely rather than just to survive. The Scout Regiments’ cool-headed ace Captain Levi Ackerman, who is unquestionably one of the most stan-worthy characters in anime, is also introduced in the series.
Erased
Satoru Fujinuma has never really grasped the purpose of his “Revival” power, which allows him to travel back in time just before a catastrophe is about to occur. After discovering his mother dead in his apartment, he is suddenly thrust into the last 18 years, which only adds to his confusion and grief. 1988 finds Satoru returning to elementary school.
After quickly realising that his mother’s murder might be related to a kidnapping case from that year that resulted in the death of a classmate, he makes an effort to stop both of them from happening. The stakes are great in both timeframes, which heightens the mystery surrounding this murder. Nevertheless, more than the mystery and time travel aspects, Erased captures the interest of the audience with its portrayal of a character who is first reclusive but gradually finds meaning via friendship and family.
One Punch Man
Saitama put so much effort into his training to become a hero that he is now so strong that he can defeat any foe with a single blow. Although this situation may seem ideal, it is not in One Punch Man. Saitama no longer enjoys or finds excitement in combat due to his quick triumphs.
He makes the decision to join the Hero Association out of a desire to face off against powerful and deserving foes who will get his heart racing once more and a want to be recognised by the public for his brave actions. The way One Punch Man approaches the superhero genre avoids and frequently parodies common cliches. Saitama’s quest to fulfil his heroic potential is the focus of the programme, and while he makes progress, his inner monologue and peculiarly blank expression will entertain you much.
The Promised Neverland
Although though The Promised Neverland is about children, it’s not really a show for children. Several dozen orphans reside in the Grace Field House and are looked after by “Mother” Isabella. On the surface, everything appears to be going well. The kids get along well with their friends and play outside frequently until they are adopted. Emma, Norman, and Ray, the three oldest children, who are 11 years old, come up with a plan to flee “Mother” and the house after learning the horrifying truth about what actually occurs during the “adoptions.” The Promised Neverland keeps you on the edge of your seat with its dark and intriguing content. The friendship between the three leads is very endearing in this show. The portrayal of Sister Krone, the Black woman who works as Mama’s helper, that seems to be based on racial prejudices, is the series’ most significant problem. Discussions over the portrayal of Black characters in anime have been sparked by this aspect of the show.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Everyone who is knowledgeable about anime will probably give you Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood as one of their first recommendations. Thankfully, Netflix has all 64 episodes of this adventure classic available. The plot centres on brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric, who began studying alchemy at an early age with the intention of reviving their mother. There is only one issue: “Human transformation” is forbidden in alchemy and is quite expensive.
Elrics lost parts of their bodies after failing to restore their mother; Alphonse’s body completely vanished, and Edward was able to save his younger brother only by fusing Alphonse’s soul to a set of armour. The brothers start out on a journey to recover their former human selves together. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood excels in creating a diverse cast of characters that each play a crucial role in their emotional adventure, in addition to its dramatic plot and intricate world-building.
Monster
Although the animation is a little outdated, the direction compensates for it. All of the action takes place in and around the former Czechoslovak Republic and Germany. The backgrounds’ depiction of the buildings and culture is highly thorough and accurate. The historical accuracy of the show’s portrayal of real-world history is astounding. Although the soundtrack is nothing exceptional, it is occasionally used in a way that makes you shiver. Every episode is packed with unexpected turns.
The overall mood is rather gloomy, and situations are extraordinarily realistic. 1986, the year the Berlin Wall fell in Germany, is when the story is set. But occasionally it even dates back to the 1960s. The narrative centres on Kenzou Tenma, a young, gifted, and compassionate Japanese neurosurgeon practising in Germany who risks his career to save the life of a small kid. He runs into the mysterious Monster ten years later. An epic chase connecting several individuals, locations, and stories comes next. Take my word for it; the finale is one of the nicest. And the villain, who is the show’s genuine treasure, is superior to the two most well-known popular antagonists, Hannibal and the Joker.
Naruto
Masashi Kishimoto’s Japanese manga series Naruto was first published in Japan, and in 2002 it underwent an anime adaptation. The show centres on the exploits of Naruto Uzumaki, a teenage member of the Hidden Leaf Village’s ninja community who aspires to be respected by his peers and promoted to the position of village Hokage—the strongest ninja and head of the community.
My first encounter with Naruto involved a very gradual introduction to the show. In the first few episodes of the show, Naruto Uzumaki was first introduced as a brattish and disobedient young ninja who was acting out to get attention. In addition to Naruto, the other characters I was exposed to also struck me as irritating. Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto’s adversary and the most gifted ninja-in-training at the school, was just too annoying with his bad boy attitude, and Sakura Haruno, the cherry blossom-haired kunoichi (female ninja), was just too much of an obsessed teen.
Altogether, the trio truly turned me off, but after watching a few more episodes, I realised that the anime was much more than just silly antics for young people. I heartily urge all anime enthusiasts to watch Naruto. In the same vein as One Piece and Dragon Ball Z, it’s virtually a cult classic. Certainly watch this series.
One Piece
Now that you’ve seen Naruto, you realise that it’s arguably the best anime ever created. And I wanted my next anime to be of that standard. So, like any other anime enthusiast, I searched online for the best shows to watch. And after doing extensive research, I decided on One Piece.
The animation was terrible. Sincerely, it is horrible. I found myself wondering how this had made the best list. When One Piece had, I believe, 600 or so episodes, I decided to give myself 30 episodes to decide whether or not to stop. That is also when the Arlong Arc begins. Even though I was still not persuaded, I decided to at least finish the arc. Then the One Piece craze was brought home to me in a single episode. If you ask me, I believe there are several reasons why you should think about watching One Piece. The characters, The backstories, The villains, The Fight scenes, The Epic Scenes, Dialogues and so on.
Haikyu
Shoyo Hinata has dedicated many hours to his training in the hopes of one day defeating “King of the Court” Tobio Kageyama, who humiliated him in a middle school volleyball match. On his first day of high school, he didn’t expect to see Kageyama, who had just transferred to the same school and was now his teammate.
The unlikely duo set out to become Karasuno High School the top high school squad in Japan by eradicating their reputation as “fallen champs.” For good reason, Haikyu is recognised as one of the best sports anime and coming-of-age tales: the action on the court catches the viewer’s interest right away. The ties that develop with Hinata and Kageyama at the core, however, as each of the main characters gradually puts aside his ego and pride to become a better teammate and, more importantly, a friend, are what capture the audience’s attention.
