Dark anime to watch that are almost true to real-life situations

Dark anime to watch that are almost true to real-life situations 

1. Neon Genesis Evangelion

In a list filled with dark animes, it's only expected that we start out with a classic choice.

In a futuristic world where half the human population on Earth have died, 15-year-old Shinji Ikari is recruited by his father into the shadowy organization NERV to pilot a giant mecha called "Evangelions" to combat monstrous alien beings called "Angels."

If you haven't heard the absolute bop that is A Cruel Angel's Thesis performed by Yoko Takahashi, literally one of the best anime openings to have ever been made, please go to which ever streaming service you use and listen to it right now. Trust me, you won't regret it.

Neon Genesis Evangelion is known to be one of the most influential animes ever, having span 26 episodes of its original series followed by a 1997 feature film. 10 years later, a four-part series of movies reinventing the series have been screen with the fourth and final film scheduled to be released mid-2020 but has since been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This series in a summary:

Ever wanted a series that summarizes what it's like to have to cope being a teenager in a post-apocalyptic world while dealing with mental illnesses? No? Well, that's what this series basically is.

2. Death Parade

Originally screened as a short film in 2013 as part of an animator training project, Death Parade takes its original premise and expands on it even further.

When you die, you're either sent to reincarnation or enter the eternal void. But sometimes, there isn't a clear answer to where a soul belongs. Welcome to Quindecim, where you'll be challenged by bartender and arbiter Decim, as well as his mysterious black-haired assistant, in a game where you can wager your life against another person to determine your ultimate fate.

Death Parade is a show worth watching, even if it's only for its banging opening song.

This series in a summary:

If you enjoy getting your feelings cheated from you and getting semi-attached to characters you'll never see again, Death Parade is for you. On a more serious note, its humor in contrast to its heavy topics of death and morality is perfect for anyone looking for a series that will leave you with something to think about.

3. The Promised Neverland

In the year 2045, 11-year-old orphan Emma lives in Grace Field House along with her 37 "siblings." Every day, they have clean clothes, delicious food, lots of playtime, and plenty of love from their "Mom," caretaker Isabella. Accompanied by her two best friends Ray and Norman, Emma does wonder why Mom has always told them not to go beyond the gate but her peaceful life doesn't bother her. But when one of her siblings is sent away to be adopted, Emma finds out that peaceful life was a lie and the Grace Field House exist as a human butcher house to feed a species known as demons. Determined to save their family, Emma, Norman, and Ray begin their game to find a way to escape without leaving anyone behind.

A second season for The Promised Neverland has been greenlit and is set to premier on January 2021, so if you begin watching the series now you won't have to wait long to see the continuation of the Grace Field House escapees' adventures.

This series in a summary:

The Promised Neverland could be described as 'if grim fairy tales were made into a single anime series.' If you enjoy seeing kids outsmart evil adults in a game of literal life and death, give this series a try.

4. Death Note

It's fair to say that the longtime cult favorite anime has a certain status among anime enthusiasts, and is considered one of the ultimate series that everyone should try at least once in their life.

Genius teen high schooler Light Yagami lives an ordinary life. That is, until he stumbles across a mysterious black notebook known as the "Death Note," which grants the user the supernatural ability to kill anyone whose name is written on its pages. Accompanied by Shinigami (a Japanese God of Death) Ryuk, Light begins his vigilante mission as "Kira" to rid society of individuals he deems morally unworthy to create the utopian society of his dreams. But Light's crimes soon catch up with him and he must thwart the efforts of an elite law enforcement task force led by the enigmatic detective L.

Although the series ended 14 years ago, a one-shot chapter was released earlier this year featuring a new "Kira" in place of Light. And though it doesn't beat the original, it was a damn good sequel.

But whatever you do, do not watch the Netflix 2017 life action adaptation.

This series in a summary:

When people starting to make memes that state "We live in a society," they were probably thinking about Death Note. The series is the ultimate example that self-righteousness, even if started with good intentions, can quickly go downhill.

5. Monster

If you're a true crime fanatic and you love reading about psychopaths like Ted Bundy, then do I have the series for you.

Kenzou Tenma is an elite neurosurgeon rising in the ranks in the hospital hierarchy. But after realizing the political biases of the hospital, Tenma develops a guilty conscious for giving importance to one patient at the cost of another's life. When a massacre occurs, Tenma is forced to determined whether to save the life of young Johan Liebert over the life of the mayor. But the ramifications of his actions leads Tenma to lose his social position in the hierarchy. Many years later, mysterious deaths begin to occur around Tenma and he must now face the consequence of his actions of saving a young psychopath's life.

This series in a summary:

In a nutshell, Monster emphasizes one thing and one thing only: Don't judge a book by its cover. Yea, that person may be physically attractive but that don't mean shit if they're a freaking psychopath who enjoys watching people suffer and mass destruction as a side hobby.

Unless you want to end up regretting all your life decisions. In which case you do you, boo.

6. Beastars

You would think that a story about humanoid animals would be one filled with comedy, but Beastars subverts all the tropes.

In a modern world where anthropomorphic animals live together, carnivores and herbivores must struggle against nature to live alongside each other. This is where Legosi, a large but timid gray wolf, spends his time alongside his friends and as a stagehand for his school's drama club. But when an alpaca classmate is brutally murdered and devored during the night, distrust and discord begins to spread among the two groups of students. And Legosi finds himself thrust into the spotlight as the main suspect of the murder.

This series in a summary:

Beastars has been compared one too many times as a darker version of Disney's Zootopia, and for valid reasons given the whole predator-prey relationship within their settings.

However, I would argue that Beastars does it better by delving deeper into the "us vs them" mentality that reflects the state of mind today's society has developed.

7. Serial Experiments Lain

For fans of conspiracy theories and cyberpunk literature, you may find yourself interested in this series.

Lain Iwakura is an awkward, reclusive 14-year-old. And she's just one of the many girls in her school to receive a disturbing email from a classmate who had died through suicide. But while others deemed the emails to be a cruel prank, Lain questions the meaning behind the message that states of an existence within "The Wired," a pervasive computer network within their world. And as Lain discovers more about these cryptic mysteries, the boundaries between Lain's reality and cyberspace begin to blur.

Although Serial Experiments Lain is admittedly slightly outdated considering the progress in technology that have been made since it aired in 1998, its themes of questioning the nature of reality and the 'truth' remains constant to this day and the series remains an underground cult favorite.

This series in a summary:

Remember when your parents said that too much time on the Internet would rot your brain? This series is very much like that but also if you obsessed over your online persona, got way too high, and consumed too many conspiracy theories within a single night.

8. Berserk

Ah yes. How can you have a list of "dark" animes without including what could very well be the ultimate "dark" anime.

Berserk follows lone mercenary Guts, who wanders around the fantasy world inspired by medieval Europe, as he battles against grotesque demons who are attracted to a demonic mark on his neck. Accompanied by his gigantic sword, an iron prosthetic left hand, and an elf named Puck, Guts travels a blood-stained path for vengence.

Berserk is known to be one of the darkest animes, exploring a wide range of topics from human nature and morality as characters struggle to maintain their humanity or succumb to murderous rampages, to betrayal and revenge. It's definitely a series that ponders upon the "grey zone" of morality and fans are all of differing opinions on whether each action was right or wrong. But one thing all Berserk fans can agree on is that newcomers to the series should stay far away from the 2016 anime adaption.

This series in a summary:

.whether that's in an attempt to purify himself from the dark themes of the series or just because he has an addiction to gaming, however, is an entirely different issue. But it's become a well-known meme within the fandom.