Ask John: What Are Some Good Psychological Anime?

Question:
I just finished watching the entire Neon Genesis Evangelion series and movies, and it moved me deeply. I love the philosophical, existential and psychoanalytical perspectives depicted, especially how the main weakness of each character is exposed, challenged and picked apart in the last episodes. The psychology of this felt very real and relatible. What other anime series are this well made from a psychological point of view?

Answer:
Part of the reason Evangelion is so widely respected is because of its conscious, incisive illustration of complex human psychology. Anime prior to Evangelion typically didn’t delve so deeply into character motivation and anxiety. Practically speaking, that particular variety of literary development simply wasn’t ever seriously attempted in anime prior to the mid 1990s when Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno introduced it to anime. Evangelion introduced new possibility into anime construction, informing creators that anime could be far more ambitious and narratively complex than it had been before. While many anime since Evangelion have included more focus on complex character psychology, a handful of anime series stand out as examples of particularly fascinating illustrations of multi-faceted, complex and interwoven psychology.

1997’s Berserk is primarily a visceral action story, but its unusual degree of insight into its character’s motivations and anxieties really brings the show to life and gives it an exceptional depth. Unlike shows such as Dragon Slayer Densetsu, Fullmetal Panic, or Black Lagoon that similarly feature mercenary action, viewers really get to know why the characters of Berserk fight, what they emotionally search for, and how they physically and emotionally support and even betray each other.

2005’s Akagi and 2008’s similar One Outs are fascinating and compulsively watchable anime about psychologically manipulative gamblers. The stars of both shows may be called villains. Akagi is simply the most devious and insightful devil in a criminal underworld. Toua Tokuchi, the star of One Outs, is a master of psychological manipulation and interpretation. Both of the exquisite shows revolve around mind games; characters outsmarting, psychologically intimidating, and manipulating others. Viewers get inside characters’ heads to see their schemes and mental analysis, then also see these characters fall prey to doubt, anxiety, and outright terror as their psychological quirks and confidence are undermined, twisted, and turned against them.

2006’s Death Note uses a similar technique but in different measure. The art design and animation quality of Death Note are superior to both Akagi and One Outs, but the psychological insight is reduced. While in Akagi and One Outs, viewers are allowed into the minds of both the manipulator and victims, Death Note largely limits the viewer’s insight into just what villain Light Yagami thinks, excluding viewers from detective L’s mental analysis. As a result, Death Note is a wonderful and fascinating suspense tale, and while it’s much more focused on character psychology than most anime, it’s still not quite as psychologically deep as either Akagi or One Outs.

The little known and highly under appreciated 2007 suspense drama Shion no Ou stars a teen girl shogi champion rendered mute by the psychological trama of witnessing the murder of her parents and playing a shogi game against their killer, with blood fresh on his hands. Since Shion cannot speak, viewers get to hear her thoughts and insights. Furthermore, the show devotes great effort to making its supporting characters psychologically complex characters with multi-faceted personalities and complex motivations.

Last year’s Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai is a tearjerker drama about five teens each still emotionally coming to grips with the accidental death of their mutual childhood friend. Although “AnoHana” doesn’t put viewers literally into the minds of each character, much like Evangelion, viewers can apprehend and interpret each character’s anxieties, hopes, resentments, and sense of guilt through dialogue and actions. All of the characters in AnoHana are thoroughly believable, psychologically complex characters whose personalities and behaviors are shaped by their experiences and thoughts. Recognizing and understanding all of those motivations and feelings, and watch the characters themselves come to recognize and deal with their own and each other’s mental and emotional scars is deeply affecting and ultimately gratifying.

When asked for recommendations of psychological anime, countless otaku will cite titles including Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, Perfect Blue, Serial Experiments Lain, Monster, Code Geass, NHK ni Youkoso, Bokurano, Shinreigai ~ Ghost Hound, Mirai Nikki, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, and Shoujo Kakumei Utena, among many others. In certain respects, these are all good and even excellent anime, and any Evangelion fan will probably enjoy most or all of them. However, I do think that some distinction should be made between rationally engaging and absorbing anime, anime which employ psychology and character motivation or thought process as a narrative component, and titles like I’ve highlighted which actually make analysing character psychology itself a Raison d’être for the anime, a basis for the substance of the anime, not necessarily a device used to advance the story.