10 best serious anime that you should watch

The anime medium has plenty of serious anime series that tackle genres ranging from psychological thriller to science fiction drama—showcasing provocative themes tailored for discerning adult viewers.

Within these serious anime lie intricately woven plots filled with moral ambiguities, fallible characters, and profound existential questions reflective of the human condition. For those seeking deeper stories, anime offers many dramatic series that showcase the medium's true potential.

Going beyond superficial entertainment, these serious anime feature suspenseful narratives and intellectual commentary on complex philosophies related to ethics, identity, and purpose. Prepare for impactful storylines conveyed through stunning visuals and atmospheric soundtracks in these serious anime.

Disclaimer: The article contains the author's opinion.

10 must-watch serious anime that you should try

1. Death Note

Death Note immediately immerses the audience into its "cat-and-mouse" detective fiction premise. Protagonist Light Yagami is a brilliant high school student who discovers a mysterious supernatural notebook with a deadly power—writing any person's name in it while picturing their face causes them to die.

Initially, Light uses the lethal book to systematically punish high-profile criminals that the legal system cannot touch. But law enforcement soon catches up in the form of an enigmatic master detective known only as "L." What follows is a tense battle of wits with intricate schemes to expose each other's identity.

This sets the stage for intellectual clashes about crime, justice, power, and ethics. Both protagonist and antagonist display cunning manipulation masked under polite mannerisms, making viewers constantly conflicted on who to side with.

2. Attack on Titan

Attack on Titan (Image via Wit Studio/MAPPA)

Few anime establish a foreboding atmosphere right from the opening scene as effectively as Attack on Titan. Humanity faces near-extinction in a world where mysterious gigantic humanoid “Titans” have overrun the land and driven survivors to hide behind concentric walls.

Eren Yeager, the protagonist, joins the military hoping to fight back when the Titans breach one of the walls and cause death and destruction in his hometown. What follows is a dark mystery surrounding the origins of the Titans as Yeager and allies uncover conspiracies related to the apocalypse while battling the horrors.

Despite its outlandish premise involving man-eating giants, this serious anime grounds emotional resonance in human relationships strained by trauma. Gripping action and gory brutality also showcase the terrifying realities of living within confined spaces, fearful of predatory external forces.

3. Monster

For a suspenseful thriller without supernatural elements, Monster weaves fiction with uncomfortable realism through its morally ambiguous characters and grim subject matter.

Japanese neurosurgeon Kenzo Tenma's decision to save the life of a young sociopathic boy named Johan Liebert results in tragic consequences as Johan becomes a manipulative serial killer driving others to destruction. Haunted by guilt over enabling Johan’s crimes, Dr. Tenma dedicates his life to stopping Johan.

Monster maintains intrigue through grey ethical areas related to Tenma’s obsession, Johan’s intricate planning to outwit identification, and the police’s own questionable methods. With no clearly defined heroes, the anime provokes debate over concepts of evil and moral duty through its disturbing cat-and-mouse game.

4. Steins;Gate

Disguised as a zany time-travel sci-fi, Steins;Gate crafts an emotionally charged narrative about relationships, grief, and the moral quandaries of changing fate. Eccentric self-proclaimed "mad scientist" Rintaro Okabe accidentally discovers time manipulation technology, initially leading to moments of comedy.

However, altering past events drastically impacts the present in tragic ways for Okabe and friends. What unfolds is a rollercoaster between joyful moments of the group's bonding mixed with dark trauma involving death and loss.

By highlighting unforeseen consequences of actions through time travel, this serious anime provokes introspection about struggle and atonement in audiences. Entertainment and solemnity combine to create a resonating package cementing Steins;Gate as one of anime's most impactful dramatic stories.

5. Texhnolyze

For fans of stark, avant-garde storytelling, Texhnolyze is a visually unique, thematically dark standout. Set in the underground city of Lux, the serious anime depicts a man named Ichise who loses an arm and a leg and receives experimental texhnolyzation surgery to replace them with cybernetic parts.

He gets unwillingly dragged into the city’s warring factions and swirling conspiracies. Filled with graphic violence and disturbing imagery, Texhnolyze presents a bleak view of human nature—tackling themes such as poverty, despair, deprivation, and humanity’s self-destructive tendencies.

While difficult to digest, fans of arthouse and experimental anime consider Texhnolyze a seminal work that pushes the artistic boundaries of the medium through its tone, messages, and visual presentation.

6. Paranoia Agent

From the legendary director Satoshi Kon, Paranoia Agent initially appears to be a weird but standard crime procedural anime. Investigators look into attacks around Tokyo by a mysterious juvenile assailant nicknamed “Lil’ Slugger” who strikes victims with a bent golden baseball bat.

But surreal visuals, shifting animation styles, and dreamlike storytelling reveal the anime’s deeper psychological and societal themes. Beneath the surface, Paranoia Agent critiques issues like social pressure, misery, and the false personas people construct to cope.

Strange and shocking plot twists subvert expectations, keeping the viewer disoriented about the nature of victims, assailants, and reality itself. A one-of-a-kind serious anime that warrants repeat viewings, Paranoia Agent stands as a thought-provoking, complex work.

7. Serial Experiments Lain

Serial Experiments Lain (Image via Triangle Staff)

A trailblazer in exploring connections between psychology and technology, Serial Experiments Lain focuses on an isolated, introverted girl who discovers powerful links between a virtual network called the Wired and the physical world.

The layered cyberpunk serious anime came out during the early mainstream adoption of the internet, envisioning concepts like interconnected digital networks and online personas preceding real life.

Trippy visuals, existential themes about consciousness and reality, and open-ended storytelling requiring deep analysis exemplify Lain’s status as a cult classic anime tailored towards intellectual audiences. This series passionately tackles relatable feelings of loneliness and alienation with contemporary resonance.

8. Ergo Proxy

Ergo Proxy takes place in a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk future in a domed city inhabited by humans and androids called AutoReivs. While starting out as a sci-fi noir murder mystery, the series quickly evolves into a darker, philosophical examination of self-identity and purpose.

This serious anime follows characters on a journey beyond the domed city into the wasteland outside, paralleling an internal quest toward self-discovery that leads to profound conceptual questions.

Visually stunning imagery combined with psychological tension and arcs focused on personal revelation rather than plot make Ergo Proxy a uniquely introspective, serious anime.

9. Vinland Saga

Vinland Saga (Image via Wit Studio/MAPPA)

Based on a popular manga, Vinland Saga deconstructs heroism and violence through a dramatic tale of revenge set in 11th-century England during the wars between the Danes and Saxons.

Protagonist Thorfinn seeks vengeance against the mercenary leader Askeladd who killed his father, while getting embroiled in the chaos of more battles for power. Brutal fight scenes reveal the ugly realities of combat, deepened by Thorfinn’s tragic past and the human side of enemies.

Astute viewers can read deeper into many metaphors and themes around morality within Vinland Saga, though the compellingly delivered historic fiction stands out on its own merits.

10. Welcome to the N.H.K.

While frequently comedic on the surface, it tackles the lonely and difficult psyche of young adults struggling with modern life. The protagonist Tatsuhiro Sato is an unemployed shut-in who dropped out of college and blames his hikikomori lifestyle on an imaginary conspiracy he attributes to the N.H.K. organization.

He ends up with an unusual girl named Misaki who wants to help cure his extreme social anxiety. Through poignant character writing enhanced by relatable real-world experiences, Welcome to the N.H.K. insightfully covers the Japanese phenomenon of hikikomori.

However, its themes around depression, isolation, and escapism effectively connect with audiences worldwide. Beneath its offbeat comedy lies one of the most serious anime out there.

Conclusion

For anime fans searching for serious anime series beyond fluffy mainstream favorites, the above list provides ideal starting points. These dramatic anime boast intricate plots, multi-dimensional characters, thought-provoking themes, and production values aimed at mature audiences.

Some of these may require more than one viewing to fully appreciate their complex ideas. From dark thrillers to philosophical science fiction, all these serious anime represent pinnacles of storytelling in anime.