Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo. Buu Human emotion, pain, hatred, terror, etc. are all themes that both these real people type anime share in common.
The Count of Monte Cristo and Johan are portrayed as mysterious monsters capable of manipulating other humans to do their bidding. Both these animes use elements of darkness and dramatic irony throughout the plot to hook the audience into wanting more. These are humanistic shows that delve into the human emotions and allow us to see another reflection. If you are looking for a story driven anime without the fanservice and humor; then these are a good place to start. tasanime Monster is a fantastic anime if you're looking for the interesting plot or character development you found in Gankutsuou. JayGee Each series is completely different in subject matter and tone, but if you enjoyed the well-executed story of one, you'll surely love the other. MugiwaraMarius VivisQueen LilMayar.
Grave of the Fireflies. Abunai Though Barefoot Gen and Grave of the Fireflies both present a Japanese view of the finale of WWII, with special focus on the plight of the children, they also function as the antithesis of each other, in terms of protagonists.
The protagonist of Barefoot Gen is exemplary and selfless, whereas Grave of the Fireflies shows us the experiences of a selfish, far-from-exemplary boy. In both cases, though, we are prevented from harsh judgement and are brought up short by the realization that these are children, suffering the most dreadful imaginable circumstances. Whether they behave well or badly, they are ultimately victims, suffering in the cruellest possible way, and any blame lies with the adults who stole away their right to an innocent childhood. Mononoke. Tbkba If you like a person who looks like a medicine seller, if you like a main character with charisma so big that it can kill an elephant, and if you think that there should be special people which hunt/destroy different [evil] spirits as well, these two anime are a good match.
Mr. Medicine Seller and Ginko are twins in my mind. Sure, Mononoke and Mushishi have drastic differences in their drawing and story-telling styles, and they accent different parts of people whose lives suffer from fighting with spirits; but the result is the same, while the techniques vary. If you liked one of these anime, I'm sure you will like the other too. ZenithAstrali At first glance Mushishi and Mononoke seem quite different, but if you liked the story of the know-it-all medicine seller turning out to be an exorcist in one, then the other is a perfect match. Le Portrait de Petit Cossette. Sothis The similarities between these two series is based almost solely on mood and animation style, but a very good recommendation at that.
Both have extremely dark, confusing, and moody styles, with bouts of violence, yet also a very high form of beauty. Confusing? Yes. Worth it? Caitlin. Pet Shop of Horrors. Freakzilla Your punishment will not be forgotten; if you sin, there are people out there that will make sure you'll pay the price!
Both Pet Shop of Horrors and Hell Girl provide a few examples of the rotten parts of the human character. Nocturnalgloria These two series feature a mysterious supernatural entity that preys on human flaws. Both Pet Shop of Horrors and Jigoku Shoujo deal with passing judgment and convey a very dark and depressing mood through the anguish-filled situations that desperate people have to face. MugiwaraMarius Both shows are about granting wishes to people that are in total despair. Hamletsmage Buying a pet from Count D can be equated to making a contract with Ai Enma. Deideiblueeyez. Studio Ghibli. FLCL. Endo FLCL is a strange series and if you enjoy strange things then watch Excel. mindlesspuppet To be honest I'm not quite sure why I would recommend Excel Saga for FLCL fans.
It's much more hyper than FLCL, which some may not like. Elfen Lied. Danrondstat If you're not so crazy about the violence factor of Elfen Lied, but you loved the Nyu storyline and budding romance between the simple, abandoned girl and the bumbling Kouta, you'll certainly find Chobits appealing.
Substitute an amnesiac mutant for an amnesiac robot, get rid of Lucy and the government conspiracy, and you'll have Chobits, a light romance series about a guy who finds a robot who can only say "Chi," is completely helpless, yet loves him unconditionally (sound familiar?). Elfen Lied is Chobits' bipolar, psychotic cousin. MrSpoon Both series are about a cute, naive girl with a secret who falls into the care of a kind guy. Wolfangel87 The main heroine characters, Chii in Chobits and ‘Nyuu' or Lucy from Elfen Lied, are very similar to each other and act the same way when they first appear. TheVampireLastat. Comedy. Sothis Although Princess Tutu is considerably longer, with a more in depth plot, both it and Comedy both have a very interesting fairy-tale like feel, with unusual animation and a beautiful orchestral soundtrack.
An odd pairing, perhaps... but still with meaning behind it. TheBurningCrow Considering both of these tell a story as though it were a book, that makes them similar, but the really dark feel in Comedy is similar to the mysterious 'dark' feel in Princess Tutu. Nocturnalgloria. Cat Soup. NekoRocket Both Atama Yama and Cat Soup are one-shot anime with a dark and twisted theme to them.
The imagery in each is nothing short of surreal, and the portrayal of the characters' emotions borders on the comical. Both of these are excellent if you like watching anything that makes you think "Oh my god, what WAS that? " :) sothis Wacky randomness abounds in both of these OVAs. Tasanime Both are a magical and surreal outlook on an abstract world revolving solely around one character and the journey or discovery they must make. Sangokagome Looking for something different than what you're used to? Aritentd. Angel's Egg.
Moric As Angel's Egg is leaving a lot to the spectator to think about so does SEL, a lot of philosophical questions pop up when u watch this series Rar While less surreal, Lain also enjoys playing with abstract concepts and possibilities.
Also, if you managed the extremely slow pace of Angel's Egg, Lain will seem positively action packed in comparison. neilworms Serial Experiments Lain and Angel's Egg are both not typical anime. Tasanime Actions speak louder than words in Lain & Angel's Egg, two thought provoking anime that take their time to unravel into philosophical stories, ultimately attracting any fan of abstract/surreal type anime.