Top 10 Psychological Anime You Need To Watch
Top 10 Psychological Anime You Should Watch
Top 10 Anime That Everyone NEEDS To Watch
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we are counting down our picks for the Top 10 Psychological Anime You Should Watch. For this list, we’re going to be looking at anime sure to mess with your mind and make you question everything about your life. Which anime wormed inside your brain and changed your perspective? Let us know in the comments!
#10: “Death Parade” (2015)
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Turns out that when you bite the big one, the journey isn’t over, first you need to take a quick dive to the Quindecim bar to see whether or not you’re headed for the void or are lucky enough to be reincarnated. Presenting us with a dark yet somewhat quirky take on the judgment of human souls, through the eyes of a mysterious barman we see various humans come face to face with their demise, and how they truly act when the damnation of their souls is on the line. If that doesn’t interest you, that ice-skating sequence will!
#9: “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” (2011)
“Madoka Magica” taught us that just because a show has magical girls front and centre, doesn’t mean it can’t also be twisted into something much more monstrous. Focusing on a group of young girls, what appears to be a once in a lifetime chance to be granted one wish in exchange for becoming magical heroines becomes a fight for survival when the truth regarding magical girls, witches and their wishes comes to light. Moral of the story, never trust cute anthropomorphic animals that promise you the world.
#8: “Wonder Egg Priority” (2021)
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Very much in the spirit of Madoka, this latest hit is unrelenting with its portrayal of the trauma, expectations and inner conflicts that come with being a young woman. In exchange for freeing the spirits of those closest to them, Ai and her new friends are tasked with saving other girls who have taken their own lives; who are now in a purgatory of their own making, often having to fight against the manifestations of their abusers. Amazing how something so bright and dazzling can also be unrelentingly grim.
#7: “Serial Experiments Lain” (1998)
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Spoiler alert, there’s a lot of scary stuff on the internet. Social withdrawn from her friends and family, Lain finds herself drawn into the world of the Wired – a digital network that soon starts to invade every aspect of her life. The series isn’t only prophetic in the way it portrays the online landscape as dangerous, addictive and invasive, but also presents a compelling mystery when Lain finds herself dealing with missing classmates, murderous messages, and little grey men randomly showing up in her room.
#6: “Kaiji” (2007-11)
There’s always a risk when it comes to gambling, especially when you start betting against the wrong people. After falling into financial hell, Kaiji is forced to face a gauntlet of do or die gambles, with the ever-present threat of death and dismemberment should his winning streak crumble. Kaiji’s position as the ultimate underdog paired with the complexities of each new game does a marvellous job of racking up the tension. Even if you aren’t a betting man, it’s impossible not to be enthralled with his escalating attempts to earn himself some of that green!
#5: “Perfect Blue” (1997)
Arguably Satoshi Kon’s masterpiece, very few anime films can come close to the kind mind-trip that this thriller presents. As she transitions from an idol to a wannabe actor, Mima’s psyche slowly starts to unravel as her real life seems to blend with that of the characters she’s playing. This Is made infinitely worse by the presence of a crazed stalker, the dregs of the film industry, as well as the personification of her old idol life coming back to haunt her. It’s brilliant on every level, though unafraid to make you feel wholly uncomfortable, as Mima’s plight takes one sinister turn after the next.
#4: “Steins;Gate” (2011)
Not only does this series excel as a sci-fi epic that presents the concept of time-travel in a unique and compelling manner, but uses it to craft a no-hold barred romp of an anime. One that somehow succeeds in balancing nefarious organisations, microwaves that can alter timelines, and the consequences of changing the past, even for the noblest of causes. It might seem like a bit of a mountain to newcomers, but with someone like Okabe helming it, it's more akin to the most radical science lecture, complete with assassins, world war three, and what it means to sacrifice everything.
#3: “Monster” (2004-05)
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There a million anime out there that deal with tracking down killers, police procedurals, murder mysteries, all that good stuff. What makes this a cut above the rest? Simple. Those series didn’t have Johan Liebert – the scariest, most charismatic, calculating, unemphatic, yet undeniably human villain to ever grace the medium. With a few words he can warp the mind of any sane individual to commit the most atrocious act, and is so committed to his own philosophies that not even the Nazis can handle him! Johan is so sinister yet utterly compelling that he demands your attention all throughout, even as he moves onto his next scheme.
#2: “Death Note” (2006-07)
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A battle of wits between the two greatest minds in the world, both with polar views on justice and what it means to make a better world. Light and L’s mental duel is legendary in the anime scene, akin to a chess match between two masters, every move pushing the other to outwit their way out of a corner. Between L’s unorthodox intuition and Light’s growing god complex, their dynamic is what sells this much celebrated occult detective superstar, especially given the extent that the two go to either uncover or conceal the identity of Kira.
#1: “Neon Genesis Evangelion” (1995-96)
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By this point, “Evangelion” franchise is just being greedy. Not only is it the definitive anime sci-fi series, but its philosophy, symbolism and character tragedies will also break your brain. Just when you think you’ve finally got to grips with a traumatised teen piloting a giant robot against alien angels, then you find out more about the previous impacts, the true nature of the EVA Units, the horrific implications with Rei, it all equates to the best kind of mental meltdown!
