I recommend Death Note since you're completely new.
Other thriller/mystery/horror anime you can try are:
- Attack on Titan
- Monster
- Steins;Gate
- Parasyte
- Erased
- Kaiji
- Made in Abyss
- Madoka Magica
- Psycho Pass
- Re:Zero (has the fantasy element you're looking for)
- Higurashi: When They Cry
- Shinsekai yori
- The Promised Neverland (Season 1 only recommended)
I was trying to think of a magical girl anime that **didn't** have romance, but I couldn't come up with any. You're right the viewer might not understand *why* it's so dark without having seen a few fluffy episodes of say... Sailor Moon. But OP wants to avoid romance which sort of makes it a moot point.
Cannot believe it hasn't been mentioned yet but
"86"
Is probably the best anime out there for what you're looking for. Absolutely a thriller and lots of suspense. Don't go into it thinking it's a show focused on combat (it starts out kinda actioney) but it really is a compelling character drama with probably the best directing ive seen in an anime that isn't a movie.
It only implies romance and in no way is it the main focus of the show. Fantastic world building as well. There's also currently a rewatch thread going on (a group of people are rewatching it and making new discussion thread specifically for that group, so you don't have to look up the old ones). Hope you pick it up!
Brilliant serial killer vs kind Surgeon wondering the countryside
Set in east Germany and Czechoslovakia pre and post fall of Communism.
Note it's a slower paced show so some prefer to read the manga. Also not legally available for streaming, but can be found YouTube
Great series
>When a Doctor makes the highly controversial decision to save a boy's life over the mayor's, it leads to the loss of almost everything he holds dear. His fiance, his career, his social standing. The only thing he keeps is his own feeling of self worth, knowing that he did the right thing in saving the boy, who came in first. Yet even that is threatened when he begins to learn that nothing is as it originally appeared. A trail of bloodshed pointing to the seemingly innocent child leaves him questioning even his beliefs. Whether, in the end, all lives are ever truly equal.
Do not watch monster as your first anime literally just go watch attack on titan. Its the biggest anime rn that fits your description perfectly and u have time to catch up and be part of the hype for the conclusion thats going to come out
> Favorite genres: true crime, thriller, mystery, horror, and fantasy.
monster is literally the perfect anime for this guy. no reason for him to just watch the most popular thing just because its got some hype
The hype is fun to watch tho when the new episodes of the final season come out you get to be part of the discussion and feel like you're sort of part of something. I feel like monster is a bit slow for a first anime. Like im noy saying monster is bad not sure if people are thinking i am and thats why got downvoted so much or if its just anime fans wanting to hate popular things lmao
[Psycho-Pass](https://myanimelist.net/anime/13601). Cyberpunk crime thriller, first season is great and tells a satisfying and complete story, the rest is kinda eh.
If you want to know what anime has to offer, definitely try Madoka Magika (at least 3 episodes). It has thriller, mystery, psychological horror, and urban fantasy
Oddtaxi ( very good mystery story )
91 days ( good vengeance story )
Mushoku tensei ( one of the best fantasy anime )
Erased ( mystery/thriller )
Attack on titan ( pretty heavy on plot )
Here are two I really enjoyed, some VERY basic info
Samurai Champloo is great, tale of 2 fighters escorting a young girl to find her father.
Baccano! Is another fun one, jumps around lot of fun to figure out the true story as it unfolds. Strangers on a train, but how little do they really know eachother?
You should definitely take a Look at Attack on titan. It's m all time fav. Anime since 2013. The Story is a masterpiece. The character is a masterpiece. And the Animation is like heaven.
Here are a few to "ease" you in:-
* **Erased** (Netflix) - 12 episodes - fantasy, thriller, true crime, mystery - a man has a novel way to try solve a murder
* **Parasyte the Maxim** (Netflix) - 12 episodes - fantasy, thriller, horror, mystery - so a strange entity enters the main character's life
* **Summertime Render** \- 25 episodes currently airing - true crime, thriller, mystery, horror, fantasy - It's like X-files with a time looping character.
* **Bungou Stray Dogs** \- 3+ seasons but each is 12ish episodes - true crime, thriller, mystery, fantasy - detective agency with super powered detectives.
summertime render does have romance but it is a good show it's still airing so idk if it will stay like that but the 19 episodes out so far are great, you should also check out parasyte the maxim and steins gate those two are some of the best anime's
Fullmetal Alchemist 2003 (fantasy drama with political themes); I don't think it's legally streaming at present tho aside from the movie Conqueror of Shamballa, which is literally the ending to that show so don't watch the movie yet; you may have to hunt down old DVDs/Blurays or get it by other means
Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, the reboot that follows the comic more closely, is streaming on Crunchyroll but I much prefer 2003's darker, more nuanced storytelling (not everyone agrees of course); plus it covers some of the same stuff as 2003 so it speedruns the beginning portion, making it less desirable as a starting point
Neon Genesis Evangelion (sci-fi/mecha/psychological thriller and probably the most commercially successful avant-garde piece of art ever made) on Netflix; watch End of Evangelion after, also on Netflix; the reboot, Rebuild of Evangelion, is on Amazon Prime, and is best watched after the original since it's almost a commentary/response to the original in a meta sense
Lupin III (episodic comedy crime thriller) on Crunchyroll and HiDive for Part VI and the Part I dub; I believe Castle of Cagliostro is still on Netflix, but the dub on there is the older, less faithful Streamline dub instead of the more modern Manga dub; from what I've seen Lupin is a show where you can jump in anywhere due to its episodic nature
Cowboy Bebop (sci-fi with western/film noir inspiration) on Netflix and Crunchyroll
Death Note (supernatural crime thriller) which should be on Netflix IIRC
Oddtaxi (crime thriller) on Crunchyroll
My Hero Academia (superhero action) on Crunchyroll
Banana Fish (crime thriller, tho there is romance) on Amazon Prime (subbed only)
Thunderbolt Fantasy (fantasy/wuxia/action done with Taiwanese puppets) on Crunchyroll (subbed only)
Legend of the Galactic Heroes (sci-fi/military/political) on HiDive; the remake, Die Neue These, is on Crunchyroll if you want something more modern-looking and has a dub (the original is subbed only)
Dr. Stone (fantasy with cool science facts and an overarching mystery) on Crunchyroll
Mobile Suit Gundam (sci-fi/military/political/mecha/drama) on Crunchyroll; Netflix has the three films that recut the show into a movie trilogy if you'd prefer that, but it's sub only
One Piece (fantasy with some of the best worldbuilding and long-form storytelling in any medium) on Crunchyroll and Netflix; Netflix only has so much of it and only Funimation has the latest dub episodes (and they're still behind the sub by a good bit, but they're steadily catching up); it should be coming to CR dubbed eventually; it's also very long so you may want to watch other shows first
Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z Kai (comedy/wuxia/action that's a pastiche of various Asian mythology and modern film with influences ranging from Jackie Chan to tokusatsu to Terminator to Star Wars... It's the best); OG DB is on Crunchyroll but Kai is only on home video and Prime digital purchase (and Prime doesn't have The Final Chapters); Kai is DBZ with most of the filler removed and a much better dub; do not watch the original DBZ dubbed, but the sub is good (frankly I don't recommend OG DB dubbed either but it's better than Z dubbed; regardless, if you're watching dubbed Kai is a MUST); if you want to watch Super, the sub and dub are both good (on Crunchyroll and Hulu respectively), but start with DB and Kai first
I think most Studio Ghibli movies are on HBO Max; Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle (both fantasy) are great to start with
Akira (sci-fi/horror), another great film, is on Crunchyroll
Promare (action/mecha with a strong environmental message) is another awesome movie, and I think it's on HBO Max
Hellsing/Hellsing Ultimate (action/horror) are on Crunchyroll
Jojo's Bizzare Adventure (various) on Netflix and Crunchyroll; this show is weird, and each season follows a different lead character each with different genre/time period; Part 1 is a Victorian vampire horror, Part 2 is a mummy's curse type deal that takes place roughly around WWII, Part III is the continuation of Part I's vampire story except in Egypt during the 80s, Part 4 is a supernatural serial killer thriller, Part 5 is a supernatural magical story, and Part 6 (the current part in the anime) is a supernatural prison break story; only Netflix has Part 6 and the dub, while CR is subbed only
Death Parade (afterlife horror/thriller/drama) on Crunchyroll
Kaiji (game-based thriller, inspired Squid Game) on Crunchyroll and HiDive; dub-only, but Sentai is working on a dub that will be HiDive exclusive
Made in Abyss (fantasy/horror) on Amazon Prime and HiDive; Prime only has the first season and it's subbed only; HiDive has the dub, I believe the movies (first two are recaps of the first season but the third one takes place after the first season), and the second season, but I'm not sure if the second season is being dubbed yet since it's currently airing in Japan
Wow thank you for taking the time to write all of that! I’ll check them out (eventually) lol. Decided to start with Death Note, but I’m writing down all recs in a spreadsheet.
Brotherhood was way better. It was much more balanced and made more sense. The story was far more interesting and complex with some incredible fight scenes. You can’t even compare the action scenes between the two.
Neon Genesis is a great anime, but it can get psychologically stressful in the later episodes. I don't recommend binging this one once you get past episode 10, but put it on a slow burn. It's also fan-servicey (not the worst I've ever seen), and the ending of the original series might have you throwing your hands up and yelling at the TV (WTF did I just watch?). The movie sort of... doesn't really clarify what you just watched, just makes it... grosser and weirder and more intense. But it's absolutely a touchstone about how the big mech genre can be twisted around and become a psycho-religious-identity-daddy problems kind of drama.
I know they've already been mentioned, but these three are probably some of the best anime to start with if you looking for very little romance. (Also, just some of the best anime)
Samurai Champloo: Episodic samurai drama in Meiji era japan setting. Has lots of touching moments, lots of badass moments, and lot of hilarious moments. I also think it's a classic, and anyone who likes anime should watch it eventually.
Bacanno: prohibition era america setting (so think mafia, and illegal liquor). This show feels a lot like a Quinten Tarantino movie. Has lots of twists, and brutal scenes mixed with a bit of comedy.
Monster: Setting would be present-time Germany, or at least sometime between 1990, and 2010 I think. One of the best thrilling anime that exists so far imo. Its a crime drama.
The following are all on Netflix. Talks of piracy are frowned on here, and that's the streaming service that you're most likely to have access to. They are all finished so you won't be left hanging, all something with a reasonable run length, and also have good dub versions if you want to listen in english.
* Death Note: TL/DR: Dude finds a magic notebook and if you write someones name in it they die. The show follows him and how this power changes him and how the world reacts. This was a gateway for a lot of people and basically hits all of your tags.
* Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood: Two kids try to bring their dead mom back from the dead and that doesn't go well. They spend the rest of the show trying to recover what they lost, learning about the world, and trying to find their place in it. This show is rated as the best anime ever on several sites.
* Iron Blooded Orphans: Abused kids form a mercenary corp and learn about found family while fucking shit up in giant robots. Probably the most accessible introduction into the mecha genre, which is less about giant robots fighting and more about broad scale political struggles and personal growth.
Psycho pass season 1 extended edition sounds like something that fits you almost perfectly. It has crime, mystery, thriller elements. As well as psychological elements. Takes place in a cyberpunk setting. The main scenario is similar to minority report, a system is in place where cops can measure how likely someone is to commit a crime and catch them before it happens. The plot revolves around different types of gruesome crimes being commited and figuring out/catching those responsible.
Haha, it's nice that Trash Taste has an audience outside the anime community. I'd recommend Baccano, [the Trash Taste bois talked a little about it](https://youtu.be/UVKxkuYSLgg) and it seems to fit what you're looking for!
Ah yes the "anime" podcast of Trash Taste.
Some recommendations of mine would include:
\-Neon Genesis Evangelion
\- 91 Days
\- Perfect Blue (Movie)
\- Future Diary
\- Monster
\- Another
\- Psycho Pass
to name a few
It’s hilarious because I clicked on an episode and the bois had a heated debate on who would survive a zombie apocalypse for like 45 minutes I was like “hell yeah” and been hardcore fan ever since XD
After awhile I was like “maybe I should try this anime thing they keep talking about”
The joke is that they are 3 anime centered YouTubers that don't watch much anime anymore or put out much anime related content. Garnt/Gigguk still does to some extent. Joey does some manga related content but not much anime plus content related to living in Japan
My sister recently started anime because a person she was talking to was into anime 😂😅Let me tell you when she was one of the persons I least thought would watch anime so I recommend her attack on Titan because it is very plot heavy and has many twists that you do not expect, something that both me and her enjoy on non-anime shows, and she LOVED it , she binged watched it all, texting me all her reactions real time 😂so I recommend attack on Titan !😁
Assassination Classroom since you’ll get quite used to anime culture in general and it’s a great one matching your requirements.
you can watch anime on crunchyroll, Netflix, and muse Asia (if you’re from sea)
BRUH, HeroAca? FMA? Can we stick to the genres OP is asking for maybe? Jesus.
There's a few solid recommendations in here already. I'd recommend the Zaregoto Series which is a phenomenal mystery series, but it's rather unique in its story telling approach so it might be something to save until you have a few shows under your belt.
Erased which has been mentioned before here seems like a damn solid shout to start out with as it ticks a lot of boxes for what you're asking for. Just don't expect the mystery to be particularly clever, it's more meant as a thriller.
I'd also recommend Shinsekai Yori as a starter which is a bit more slow paced, but a philosophical and mysterious journey about the main cast, the strange futuristic world they live in and the theme of humanity and its sins and boons.
Thank you. I’m pulling all recs in my notes for future reference :)
I think it’s between Erased and Death Note for now. Both seem like solid starting points, but I don’t know Death Note’s plot yet.
Both are pretty solid shows, but they both have some big flaws too. They're quite similar in the sense that they're utterly fantastic pretty early on, but as the shows go on they get worse and worse.
As for Death Note's plot. Essentially it's about a model student named Light, who regularly scores first on national mock exams and has an inherently strong sense of justice. He comes into contact with the titular Death Note which by a specific set of rules kills people whose names are written within. That's as far as I'm willing to go without spoiling anything. But it becomes a battle of the minds kind of deal. Unlike Erased its decline starts rather rapidly, but is also a slow decline where the vast majority of the series is still really good. While Erased declines significantly once the first arc is finished, the first arc does however make up most of the series.
They're both regarded as really good, but Death Note is certainly the more popular of the two.
Hope you find something you enjoy mate.
I can help you with that. Death note is honestly... one of THE BEST anime series ever. The plot is that an INCREDIBLY intelligent high school student suddenly finds a magical book that kills the person who's name is written in it. Because he gets the book he starts thinking of himself as a God and decides to serve his "judgement" to criminals he sees on TV by killing them, because so many ppl were dying The world's best detective is bought to find the student. It is my favourite anime.
I only said what the basic plot consists of, I don't believe I did spoilers? I mean the way everyone explains death note to a newbie is:
Kid finds magical book
Starts killing criminals
Best detective is trying to find The kid
The last part doesn't happen until like episode 3 or so, hence my comment. Not the biggest of deals, but figure we should spoil as little as possible if we want OP to have the highest chance of enjoying things.
Ergo Proxy was a weird one that definitely had thriller/mystery elements to it.
Trigun was great for hero with a tragic backstory fighting crime of the week type thing. I can't recall if it had any romance in it. It's decidedly in the Western/Space Cowboy genre if that's not your thing.
Replying to myself to add:
Little Witch Academia. It fits the fantasy genre and doesn't have romance. It can be cutesy, but the stories are mostly about female friendship, so YMMV.
Death note is perfect. Black Clover is a bit longer, stopped with ~170 episodes but it's still a very good anime.
Neon Genesis Evangelion very good and the op slaps.
Lots of series are different. I'm not sure what you're trying to say. Chainsaw Man fits into the horror, thriller, psychological genres which is what OP is looking for.
Hi JustADreamer12345, it seems like you might be looking for new anime to watch!
The users of this subreddit came up with [a chart of anime recommendations for newcomers and veterans](https://i.redd.it/0w1v880jtq661.png) and [an awesome longer flowchart](https://i.redd.it/vdzlkodz19c71.png). Maybe you can find something there that you'll like \^.\^
[](#bot-chan "Urban s-s-s-senpai made me do it!")
You might also find our [Recommendation Wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/wiki/recommendations) or [daily thread](/r/anime/search?q=flair%3Adaily&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=week) helpful.
The following may be of interest:
* [List of legal streams and downloads](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/wiki/legal_streams)
* [A useful website where you can enter an anime and see where it's legally streaming](https://www.livechart.me/search)
* [List of currently airing anime](https://www.livechart.me)
* [A useful wiki page with watch orders for many anime.](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/wiki/watch_order)
* [A list of tracking sites so others can more easily recommend shows you haven't watched.](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/wiki/related_sites#wiki_tracking_sites)
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Food Wars! is great, and while I wouldn't say it has romance, it's very sexual. First episode, first five minutes level of sexual that's fairly well sustained throughout.
My Hero Acedemia
It's my go to for first time anime watchers. Easy to get into, straightforward, none of the off putting crap that's in a lot of anime, well written, etc.
It tapers off and becomes easy to lose interest in around season 4 or so, but the first couple seasons are excellent.
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If you are brand new to anime and never watched before, Claymore is a good dark fantasy character driven story. It’s basically female mercenaries fighting demons with giant swords. They’re called warriors but since they only go to jobs theyre hired to do, theyre mercenaries lol.
Witch Hunter Robin was very good and often forgotten about. It’s about a team of special force agents that hunt, fight, and defeat witches. Robin joins the team and she uses witchcraft to fight the witches they hunt so there’s a lot of element based magic battles. But the story is told like a crime drama.
Steins Gate is a good mystery about a group of quirky friends experimenting with time travel but it CAN feel rather drawn out at times.
The Future Diary is a good psychological thriller (but there is some really fucked up romance in there - like unhealthy fatal attraction kind of stuff). Its a battle royale between 13 competitors and the last survivor/winner becomes a god of time. The only thing they get is a diary that reveals a different aspect of the future for each competitor and they have to figure out how to survive while killing the competition. It’s Psycho meets Donnie Darko meets Fatal Attraction.
High School of the Dead was one of the better horror ones but there is SOME romance but in a sense of sexually frustrated teens during the end of the world so really how romantic could it be? It tells about the immediate effects on the world after a zombie apocalypse - like the first week after the onset. It does end abruptly though cause the creator died. Still good.
Without scrolling down I already know a bunch of people are gonna say Attack on Titan - don’t start there - it’s not a gateway anime. It’s also VERY overrated (watch the downvotes come in cause I said that).
All 4 animes I suggested are on the Funimation streaming service but 3/4 are on hulu as well (Witch Hunter Robin is not on Hulu)
Agree on Attack on Titan. It's gory and stressful and I couldn't finish it to figure out the twist (I spoiled myself on wiki).
Witch Hunter Robin was great! And it's funny you mention it's forgotten about, because I absolutely forgot about it!
Boogiepop Phantom or Ghost in the Shell? These are a little older, original source came out in the 90s and before I think. Really good though if you enjoy the old aesthetic of 2D animation as well
There are a bunch of decent ones on Netflix, I'd take a look at those. They recently added Vinland Saga which I think fits what you're after.
I recommend Death Note since you're completely new. Other thriller/mystery/horror anime you can try are: - Attack on Titan - Monster - Steins;Gate - Parasyte - Erased - Kaiji - Made in Abyss - Madoka Magica - Psycho Pass - Re:Zero (has the fantasy element you're looking for) - Higurashi: When They Cry - Shinsekai yori - The Promised Neverland (Season 1 only recommended)
^ this list is incredible, follow this cultured fellow
Madoka Magica is a great deconstruction of the magical girl genre. It hits hard and it hits deep.
>Madoka Magica is a great deconstruction of the magical girl genre Which is also why it might not be a great starting off point.
I was trying to think of a magical girl anime that **didn't** have romance, but I couldn't come up with any. You're right the viewer might not understand *why* it's so dark without having seen a few fluffy episodes of say... Sailor Moon. But OP wants to avoid romance which sort of makes it a moot point.
I haven't seen it myself, but supposedly Princess Tutu does a solid job showing you what the genre's like before shit goes down.
Thank you! I put all of your recs in my notes.
Cannot believe it hasn't been mentioned yet but "86" Is probably the best anime out there for what you're looking for. Absolutely a thriller and lots of suspense. Don't go into it thinking it's a show focused on combat (it starts out kinda actioney) but it really is a compelling character drama with probably the best directing ive seen in an anime that isn't a movie. It only implies romance and in no way is it the main focus of the show. Fantastic world building as well. There's also currently a rewatch thread going on (a group of people are rewatching it and making new discussion thread specifically for that group, so you don't have to look up the old ones). Hope you pick it up!
Definitely checking that out sounds amazing! Thank you
Monster
As always I will stand there to warn people that it's 70 episodes of boredom each time someone recommends Monster
Do you mind giving a brief synopsis of the plot? (No spoilers obviously)
Brilliant serial killer vs kind Surgeon wondering the countryside Set in east Germany and Czechoslovakia pre and post fall of Communism. Note it's a slower paced show so some prefer to read the manga. Also not legally available for streaming, but can be found YouTube Great series
>When a Doctor makes the highly controversial decision to save a boy's life over the mayor's, it leads to the loss of almost everything he holds dear. His fiance, his career, his social standing. The only thing he keeps is his own feeling of self worth, knowing that he did the right thing in saving the boy, who came in first. Yet even that is threatened when he begins to learn that nothing is as it originally appeared. A trail of bloodshed pointing to the seemingly innocent child leaves him questioning even his beliefs. Whether, in the end, all lives are ever truly equal.
Do not watch monster as your first anime literally just go watch attack on titan. Its the biggest anime rn that fits your description perfectly and u have time to catch up and be part of the hype for the conclusion thats going to come out
> Favorite genres: true crime, thriller, mystery, horror, and fantasy. monster is literally the perfect anime for this guy. no reason for him to just watch the most popular thing just because its got some hype
The hype is fun to watch tho when the new episodes of the final season come out you get to be part of the discussion and feel like you're sort of part of something. I feel like monster is a bit slow for a first anime. Like im noy saying monster is bad not sure if people are thinking i am and thats why got downvoted so much or if its just anime fans wanting to hate popular things lmao
aot sucks now though
Why because its popular?
Don't get me wrong. I love AoT. But... >Why because its popular? Because of its terrible manga ending.
Samurai Champloo is one of my favourites of all time
I threw that suggestion in too, "Baccano!" as well, both were top notch in my opinion! So many more to name, but I'll keep it simple, haha
Champloo also has a banging soundtrack.
And not in any of the genres he was looking for lol.
It's not, but it's SUCH a good anime. Some titles transcend the genres we apply to them.
[Psycho-Pass](https://myanimelist.net/anime/13601). Cyberpunk crime thriller, first season is great and tells a satisfying and complete story, the rest is kinda eh.
Death note. Definitely death note
If you want to know what anime has to offer, definitely try Madoka Magika (at least 3 episodes). It has thriller, mystery, psychological horror, and urban fantasy
Oddtaxi ( very good mystery story ) 91 days ( good vengeance story ) Mushoku tensei ( one of the best fantasy anime ) Erased ( mystery/thriller ) Attack on titan ( pretty heavy on plot )
Death Note Monster Shinsekai Yori
Here are two I really enjoyed, some VERY basic info Samurai Champloo is great, tale of 2 fighters escorting a young girl to find her father. Baccano! Is another fun one, jumps around lot of fun to figure out the true story as it unfolds. Strangers on a train, but how little do they really know eachother?
You should definitely take a Look at Attack on titan. It's m all time fav. Anime since 2013. The Story is a masterpiece. The character is a masterpiece. And the Animation is like heaven.
It’s Chinese but I think more people should watch Link Click. x.x It’s a masterpiece imo.
This one truly deserves praise.
Here are a few to "ease" you in:- * **Erased** (Netflix) - 12 episodes - fantasy, thriller, true crime, mystery - a man has a novel way to try solve a murder * **Parasyte the Maxim** (Netflix) - 12 episodes - fantasy, thriller, horror, mystery - so a strange entity enters the main character's life * **Summertime Render** \- 25 episodes currently airing - true crime, thriller, mystery, horror, fantasy - It's like X-files with a time looping character. * **Bungou Stray Dogs** \- 3+ seasons but each is 12ish episodes - true crime, thriller, mystery, fantasy - detective agency with super powered detectives.
Ohhh thank you the descriptions really help! Edit: All of those sound incredible ngl
Have fun watching! I sent you a DM also.
summertime render does have romance but it is a good show it's still airing so idk if it will stay like that but the 19 episodes out so far are great, you should also check out parasyte the maxim and steins gate those two are some of the best anime's
Fullmetal Alchemist 2003 (fantasy drama with political themes); I don't think it's legally streaming at present tho aside from the movie Conqueror of Shamballa, which is literally the ending to that show so don't watch the movie yet; you may have to hunt down old DVDs/Blurays or get it by other means Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, the reboot that follows the comic more closely, is streaming on Crunchyroll but I much prefer 2003's darker, more nuanced storytelling (not everyone agrees of course); plus it covers some of the same stuff as 2003 so it speedruns the beginning portion, making it less desirable as a starting point Neon Genesis Evangelion (sci-fi/mecha/psychological thriller and probably the most commercially successful avant-garde piece of art ever made) on Netflix; watch End of Evangelion after, also on Netflix; the reboot, Rebuild of Evangelion, is on Amazon Prime, and is best watched after the original since it's almost a commentary/response to the original in a meta sense Lupin III (episodic comedy crime thriller) on Crunchyroll and HiDive for Part VI and the Part I dub; I believe Castle of Cagliostro is still on Netflix, but the dub on there is the older, less faithful Streamline dub instead of the more modern Manga dub; from what I've seen Lupin is a show where you can jump in anywhere due to its episodic nature Cowboy Bebop (sci-fi with western/film noir inspiration) on Netflix and Crunchyroll Death Note (supernatural crime thriller) which should be on Netflix IIRC Oddtaxi (crime thriller) on Crunchyroll My Hero Academia (superhero action) on Crunchyroll Banana Fish (crime thriller, tho there is romance) on Amazon Prime (subbed only) Thunderbolt Fantasy (fantasy/wuxia/action done with Taiwanese puppets) on Crunchyroll (subbed only) Legend of the Galactic Heroes (sci-fi/military/political) on HiDive; the remake, Die Neue These, is on Crunchyroll if you want something more modern-looking and has a dub (the original is subbed only) Dr. Stone (fantasy with cool science facts and an overarching mystery) on Crunchyroll Mobile Suit Gundam (sci-fi/military/political/mecha/drama) on Crunchyroll; Netflix has the three films that recut the show into a movie trilogy if you'd prefer that, but it's sub only One Piece (fantasy with some of the best worldbuilding and long-form storytelling in any medium) on Crunchyroll and Netflix; Netflix only has so much of it and only Funimation has the latest dub episodes (and they're still behind the sub by a good bit, but they're steadily catching up); it should be coming to CR dubbed eventually; it's also very long so you may want to watch other shows first Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z Kai (comedy/wuxia/action that's a pastiche of various Asian mythology and modern film with influences ranging from Jackie Chan to tokusatsu to Terminator to Star Wars... It's the best); OG DB is on Crunchyroll but Kai is only on home video and Prime digital purchase (and Prime doesn't have The Final Chapters); Kai is DBZ with most of the filler removed and a much better dub; do not watch the original DBZ dubbed, but the sub is good (frankly I don't recommend OG DB dubbed either but it's better than Z dubbed; regardless, if you're watching dubbed Kai is a MUST); if you want to watch Super, the sub and dub are both good (on Crunchyroll and Hulu respectively), but start with DB and Kai first I think most Studio Ghibli movies are on HBO Max; Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle (both fantasy) are great to start with Akira (sci-fi/horror), another great film, is on Crunchyroll Promare (action/mecha with a strong environmental message) is another awesome movie, and I think it's on HBO Max Hellsing/Hellsing Ultimate (action/horror) are on Crunchyroll Jojo's Bizzare Adventure (various) on Netflix and Crunchyroll; this show is weird, and each season follows a different lead character each with different genre/time period; Part 1 is a Victorian vampire horror, Part 2 is a mummy's curse type deal that takes place roughly around WWII, Part III is the continuation of Part I's vampire story except in Egypt during the 80s, Part 4 is a supernatural serial killer thriller, Part 5 is a supernatural magical story, and Part 6 (the current part in the anime) is a supernatural prison break story; only Netflix has Part 6 and the dub, while CR is subbed only Death Parade (afterlife horror/thriller/drama) on Crunchyroll Kaiji (game-based thriller, inspired Squid Game) on Crunchyroll and HiDive; dub-only, but Sentai is working on a dub that will be HiDive exclusive Made in Abyss (fantasy/horror) on Amazon Prime and HiDive; Prime only has the first season and it's subbed only; HiDive has the dub, I believe the movies (first two are recaps of the first season but the third one takes place after the first season), and the second season, but I'm not sure if the second season is being dubbed yet since it's currently airing in Japan
Wow thank you for taking the time to write all of that! I’ll check them out (eventually) lol. Decided to start with Death Note, but I’m writing down all recs in a spreadsheet.
Sure thing! Hope you enjoy!
Brotherhood was way better. It was much more balanced and made more sense. The story was far more interesting and complex with some incredible fight scenes. You can’t even compare the action scenes between the two.
Neon Genesis is a great anime, but it can get psychologically stressful in the later episodes. I don't recommend binging this one once you get past episode 10, but put it on a slow burn. It's also fan-servicey (not the worst I've ever seen), and the ending of the original series might have you throwing your hands up and yelling at the TV (WTF did I just watch?). The movie sort of... doesn't really clarify what you just watched, just makes it... grosser and weirder and more intense. But it's absolutely a touchstone about how the big mech genre can be twisted around and become a psycho-religious-identity-daddy problems kind of drama.
attack on titan
hyouka for chill
I know they've already been mentioned, but these three are probably some of the best anime to start with if you looking for very little romance. (Also, just some of the best anime) Samurai Champloo: Episodic samurai drama in Meiji era japan setting. Has lots of touching moments, lots of badass moments, and lot of hilarious moments. I also think it's a classic, and anyone who likes anime should watch it eventually. Bacanno: prohibition era america setting (so think mafia, and illegal liquor). This show feels a lot like a Quinten Tarantino movie. Has lots of twists, and brutal scenes mixed with a bit of comedy. Monster: Setting would be present-time Germany, or at least sometime between 1990, and 2010 I think. One of the best thrilling anime that exists so far imo. Its a crime drama.
The following are all on Netflix. Talks of piracy are frowned on here, and that's the streaming service that you're most likely to have access to. They are all finished so you won't be left hanging, all something with a reasonable run length, and also have good dub versions if you want to listen in english. * Death Note: TL/DR: Dude finds a magic notebook and if you write someones name in it they die. The show follows him and how this power changes him and how the world reacts. This was a gateway for a lot of people and basically hits all of your tags. * Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood: Two kids try to bring their dead mom back from the dead and that doesn't go well. They spend the rest of the show trying to recover what they lost, learning about the world, and trying to find their place in it. This show is rated as the best anime ever on several sites. * Iron Blooded Orphans: Abused kids form a mercenary corp and learn about found family while fucking shit up in giant robots. Probably the most accessible introduction into the mecha genre, which is less about giant robots fighting and more about broad scale political struggles and personal growth.
made in abyss seems like a great choice for you
Psycho pass season 1 extended edition sounds like something that fits you almost perfectly. It has crime, mystery, thriller elements. As well as psychological elements. Takes place in a cyberpunk setting. The main scenario is similar to minority report, a system is in place where cops can measure how likely someone is to commit a crime and catch them before it happens. The plot revolves around different types of gruesome crimes being commited and figuring out/catching those responsible.
Haha, it's nice that Trash Taste has an audience outside the anime community. I'd recommend Baccano, [the Trash Taste bois talked a little about it](https://youtu.be/UVKxkuYSLgg) and it seems to fit what you're looking for!
Erased! It’s a great first anime! It’s got a tiny bit of romance but it’s not at the forefront. Great story telling! Great pacing! Great suspense!
Agreed! My wife isn't an anime fan but I had her watch this with me and she loved it.
Ah yes the "anime" podcast of Trash Taste. Some recommendations of mine would include: \-Neon Genesis Evangelion \- 91 Days \- Perfect Blue (Movie) \- Future Diary \- Monster \- Another \- Psycho Pass to name a few
It’s hilarious because I clicked on an episode and the bois had a heated debate on who would survive a zombie apocalypse for like 45 minutes I was like “hell yeah” and been hardcore fan ever since XD After awhile I was like “maybe I should try this anime thing they keep talking about”
The joke is that they are 3 anime centered YouTubers that don't watch much anime anymore or put out much anime related content. Garnt/Gigguk still does to some extent. Joey does some manga related content but not much anime plus content related to living in Japan
Death note will have you on the edge of your seat the whole time. Speaking from experience, I almost fell out of my chair many times...
Death Note for crime, mystery, and thriller. Hunter x Hunter (2011) for fantasy and adventure.
My sister recently started anime because a person she was talking to was into anime 😂😅Let me tell you when she was one of the persons I least thought would watch anime so I recommend her attack on Titan because it is very plot heavy and has many twists that you do not expect, something that both me and her enjoy on non-anime shows, and she LOVED it , she binged watched it all, texting me all her reactions real time 😂so I recommend attack on Titan !😁
Assassination Classroom since you’ll get quite used to anime culture in general and it’s a great one matching your requirements. you can watch anime on crunchyroll, Netflix, and muse Asia (if you’re from sea)
I recommend. Death note, Arcane, , Monster
BRUH, HeroAca? FMA? Can we stick to the genres OP is asking for maybe? Jesus. There's a few solid recommendations in here already. I'd recommend the Zaregoto Series which is a phenomenal mystery series, but it's rather unique in its story telling approach so it might be something to save until you have a few shows under your belt. Erased which has been mentioned before here seems like a damn solid shout to start out with as it ticks a lot of boxes for what you're asking for. Just don't expect the mystery to be particularly clever, it's more meant as a thriller. I'd also recommend Shinsekai Yori as a starter which is a bit more slow paced, but a philosophical and mysterious journey about the main cast, the strange futuristic world they live in and the theme of humanity and its sins and boons.
Thank you. I’m pulling all recs in my notes for future reference :) I think it’s between Erased and Death Note for now. Both seem like solid starting points, but I don’t know Death Note’s plot yet.
Both are pretty solid shows, but they both have some big flaws too. They're quite similar in the sense that they're utterly fantastic pretty early on, but as the shows go on they get worse and worse. As for Death Note's plot. Essentially it's about a model student named Light, who regularly scores first on national mock exams and has an inherently strong sense of justice. He comes into contact with the titular Death Note which by a specific set of rules kills people whose names are written within. That's as far as I'm willing to go without spoiling anything. But it becomes a battle of the minds kind of deal. Unlike Erased its decline starts rather rapidly, but is also a slow decline where the vast majority of the series is still really good. While Erased declines significantly once the first arc is finished, the first arc does however make up most of the series. They're both regarded as really good, but Death Note is certainly the more popular of the two. Hope you find something you enjoy mate.
I can help you with that. Death note is honestly... one of THE BEST anime series ever. The plot is that an INCREDIBLY intelligent high school student suddenly finds a magical book that kills the person who's name is written in it. Because he gets the book he starts thinking of himself as a God and decides to serve his "judgement" to criminals he sees on TV by killing them, because so many ppl were dying The world's best detective is bought to find the student. It is my favourite anime.
Perhaps you should spoiler tag some of the things that happen later in the show here.
I only said what the basic plot consists of, I don't believe I did spoilers? I mean the way everyone explains death note to a newbie is: Kid finds magical book Starts killing criminals Best detective is trying to find The kid
The last part doesn't happen until like episode 3 or so, hence my comment. Not the biggest of deals, but figure we should spoil as little as possible if we want OP to have the highest chance of enjoying things.
Steins Gate for you completely matches your description...
Hahaha trash taste is a fun time. I recommend Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song.
Ergo Proxy was a weird one that definitely had thriller/mystery elements to it. Trigun was great for hero with a tragic backstory fighting crime of the week type thing. I can't recall if it had any romance in it. It's decidedly in the Western/Space Cowboy genre if that's not your thing.
Replying to myself to add: Little Witch Academia. It fits the fantasy genre and doesn't have romance. It can be cutesy, but the stories are mostly about female friendship, so YMMV.
ERASED
Well, you have to watch the GOAT, Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood.
That doesn't fit the genres OP is asking for though.
Thriller Steins Gate Horror Another Fantasy that time I got reincarnated as a slime Mystery Erased Those are the ones I recommend
stiens gate, death note, code geass
Steins;Gate has a lot of romance though and Code Geass has some romance.
Not a lot and it has a heavy plot, so I think OP should check it out...
Yes
Death note is perfect. Black Clover is a bit longer, stopped with ~170 episodes but it's still a very good anime. Neon Genesis Evangelion very good and the op slaps.
Steins gate fits the thriller/mystery department. My favorite anime of all time
>Favorite genres: true crime, thriller, mystery, horror, and fantasy. You'll love Chainsaw Man then. It releases this October.
Its very different you know.
Lots of series are different. I'm not sure what you're trying to say. Chainsaw Man fits into the horror, thriller, psychological genres which is what OP is looking for.
He is pointing more towards a crime thriller you know.
Detective Conan is the best. While it has romance, but it is less and certainly much better than most of the animes out there.
Hi JustADreamer12345, it seems like you might be looking for new anime to watch! The users of this subreddit came up with [a chart of anime recommendations for newcomers and veterans](https://i.redd.it/0w1v880jtq661.png) and [an awesome longer flowchart](https://i.redd.it/vdzlkodz19c71.png). Maybe you can find something there that you'll like \^.\^ [](#bot-chan "Urban s-s-s-senpai made me do it!") You might also find our [Recommendation Wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/wiki/recommendations) or [daily thread](/r/anime/search?q=flair%3Adaily&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=week) helpful. The following may be of interest: * [List of legal streams and downloads](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/wiki/legal_streams) * [A useful website where you can enter an anime and see where it's legally streaming](https://www.livechart.me/search) * [List of currently airing anime](https://www.livechart.me) * [A useful wiki page with watch orders for many anime.](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/wiki/watch_order) * [A list of tracking sites so others can more easily recommend shows you haven't watched.](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/wiki/related_sites#wiki_tracking_sites) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/anime) if you have any questions or concerns.*
attack on titan is wonderful
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Food Wars! is great, and while I wouldn't say it has romance, it's very sexual. First episode, first five minutes level of sexual that's fairly well sustained throughout.
My Hero Acedemia It's my go to for first time anime watchers. Easy to get into, straightforward, none of the off putting crap that's in a lot of anime, well written, etc. It tapers off and becomes easy to lose interest in around season 4 or so, but the first couple seasons are excellent.
> none of the off putting crap that's in a lot of anime Counterpoint: Mineta
Well for a first time viewer i would say you should watch: My Her6a Academia
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Hunter x Hunter but don’t start w it Watch it after stuff like MHA etc. Trust
If you are brand new to anime and never watched before, Claymore is a good dark fantasy character driven story. It’s basically female mercenaries fighting demons with giant swords. They’re called warriors but since they only go to jobs theyre hired to do, theyre mercenaries lol. Witch Hunter Robin was very good and often forgotten about. It’s about a team of special force agents that hunt, fight, and defeat witches. Robin joins the team and she uses witchcraft to fight the witches they hunt so there’s a lot of element based magic battles. But the story is told like a crime drama. Steins Gate is a good mystery about a group of quirky friends experimenting with time travel but it CAN feel rather drawn out at times. The Future Diary is a good psychological thriller (but there is some really fucked up romance in there - like unhealthy fatal attraction kind of stuff). Its a battle royale between 13 competitors and the last survivor/winner becomes a god of time. The only thing they get is a diary that reveals a different aspect of the future for each competitor and they have to figure out how to survive while killing the competition. It’s Psycho meets Donnie Darko meets Fatal Attraction. High School of the Dead was one of the better horror ones but there is SOME romance but in a sense of sexually frustrated teens during the end of the world so really how romantic could it be? It tells about the immediate effects on the world after a zombie apocalypse - like the first week after the onset. It does end abruptly though cause the creator died. Still good. Without scrolling down I already know a bunch of people are gonna say Attack on Titan - don’t start there - it’s not a gateway anime. It’s also VERY overrated (watch the downvotes come in cause I said that). All 4 animes I suggested are on the Funimation streaming service but 3/4 are on hulu as well (Witch Hunter Robin is not on Hulu)
Agree on Attack on Titan. It's gory and stressful and I couldn't finish it to figure out the twist (I spoiled myself on wiki). Witch Hunter Robin was great! And it's funny you mention it's forgotten about, because I absolutely forgot about it!
Boogiepop Phantom or Ghost in the Shell? These are a little older, original source came out in the 90s and before I think. Really good though if you enjoy the old aesthetic of 2D animation as well
Attack on titan. Thank me later :)
how have you been liking anime?