Top Denpa Anime Recommendations

Koe no Katachi

Also known as A Silent Voice.

Studio: Kyoto Animation
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance , Slice of Life

After transferring into a new school, a deaf girl, Shouko Nishimiya, is bullied by the popular Shouya Ishida. As Shouya continues to bully Shouko, the class turns its back on him. Shouko transfers and Shouya grows up as an outcast. Alone and depressed, the regretful Shouya finds Shouko to make amends.



Tags: Disability , Bullying , Rehabilitation , Language Barrier , Coming of Age , Suicide , Denpa , Tragedy , Male Protagonist , Primarily Teen Cast , School , Time Skip , Heterosexual , Female Protagonist , Urban , Shounen

Steins;Gate

Also known as Steins;Gate.

Studio: White Fox
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Psychological , Sci-Fi , Thriller

Self-proclaimed mad scientist Okabe Rintarou lives in a small room in Akihabara, where he invents "future gadgets" with fellow lab members Shiina Mayuri, his air-headed childhood friend, and Hashida Itaru, an otaku hacker. The three pass the time by tinkering with their latest creation, a "Phone Microwave" that can be controlled through text messages.

The lab members soon face a string of mysterious incidents that lead to a game-changing discovery: the Phone Microwave can send emails to the past and thus alter history. Adapted from the critically acclaimed visual novel by 5pb. and Nitroplus, Steins;Gate takes Okabe to the depths of scientific theory and human despair as he faces the dire consequences of changing the past.

Tags: Time Manipulation , Alternate Universe , Conspiracy , Time Loop , Tragedy , Memory Manipulation , Denpa , Male Protagonist , Dystopian , Urban , Primarily Adult Cast , Dissociative Identities , Philosophy , Chuunibyou , Tsundere , Otaku Culture , Heterosexual , Kuudere , Suicide , Amnesia , Ensemble Cast , Transgender , War , Gender Bending , Post-Apocalyptic , Maids , Shrine Maiden , Cosplay , Trains

Shin Seiki Evangelion

Also known as Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Studio: Gainax , Tatsunoko Production
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Mecha , Mystery , Psychological , Sci-Fi

In the year 2015, the Angels, huge, tremendously powerful, alien war machines, appear in Tokyo for the second time. The only hope for Mankind's survival lies in the Evangelion, a humanoid fighting machine developed by NERV, a special United Nations agency. Capable of withstanding anything the Angels can dish out, the Evangelion's one drawback lies in the limited number of people able to pilot them. Only a handful of teenagers, all born fourteen years ago, nine months after the Angels first appeared, are able to interface with the Evangelion. One such teenager is Shinji Ikari, whose father heads the NERV team that developed and maintains the Evangelion. Thrust into a maelstrom of battle and events that he does not understand, Shinji is forced to plumb the depths of his own inner resources for the courage and strength to not only fight, but to survive, or risk losing everything.



Note: Later releases include edited versions of Episodes 21-24 called the "Director's Cut" with some visual editing and adding extra scenes that appeared in the theatrical recap 'Death'.

Tags: Philosophy , Psychosexual , Coming of Age , Tragedy , Denpa , Super Robot , Dystopian , Post-Apocalyptic , Angels , Primarily Teen Cast , Suicide , Kaiju , Conspiracy , Male Protagonist , Aliens , Body Horror , Religion , Mythology , Military , Clone , Tokusatsu , Kuudere , Tsundere , Politics , Bisexual , Gore , Trains , Boys' Love , Espionage , Nudity , LGBTQ+ Themes , Episodic

Another

Also known as Another.

Studio: P.A. Works
Status: Finished
Genres: Horror , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural , Thriller

When Kouichi Sakakibara transfers to a new school, he senses a frightening atmosphere in his new class, a secret none of them will talk about. At the center is the beautiful Mei Misaki. Kouichi is immediately drawn to her mysterious aura, but he begins to realize that no one else in the class is aware of her presence. Soon after his arrival, what is known as the Calamity begins, and it claims the lives of many students.



Tags: Tragedy , Gore , School , Primarily Teen Cast , Memory Manipulation , Survival , Rural , Ghost , Kuudere , Urban Fantasy , Female Protagonist , Twins , Denpa , Male Protagonist , Philosophy , Seinen , Suicide , Teacher , Death Game , Asexual

Bakemonogatari

Also known as Bakemonogatari.

Studio: Shaft
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Mystery , Psychological , Romance , Supernatural

First season of the Monogatari Series, part 1/6. Contains the arcs Hitagi Crab, Mayoi Snail, Suruga Monkey, Nadeko Snake, and Tsubasa Cat from the Bakemonogatari light novels.

Thanks to Meme Oshino, Koyomi Araragi, a high school student, is able to remain a human after coming across a female vampire... However, since the incident, Koyomi seems to meet girls who have an apparition-related issue. Hitagi Senjougahara doesn’t weigh anything, Suruga Kanbaru’s right arm becomes like that of a monkey’s, and a young girl, Mayoi, cannot find her way home no matter how many times she tries. Koyomi, a Mr. Nice Guy, ends up helping each and every girl solve her problem with the help of Meme Oshino.



Tags: Ensemble Cast , Youkai , Urban Fantasy , Surreal Comedy , Male Protagonist , Kuudere , Philosophy , Primarily Female Cast , Denpa , Vampire , Coming of Age , Psychosexual , Satire , Meta , Heterosexual , Primarily Teen Cast , Dissociative Identities , Monster Girl , Yandere , Love Triangle , Tomboy , Parody , Gore , Nekomimi , Female Harem , LGBTQ+ Themes , Tsundere , CGI , School , Amnesia , Rehabilitation , Aliens

Fruits Basket: 1st Season

Also known as Fruits Basket (2019).

Studio: TMS Entertainment
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Romance , Slice of Life , Supernatural

Tohru Honda thought her life was headed for misfortune when a family tragedy left her living in a tent. When her small home is discovered by the mysterious Soma clan, she suddenly finds herself living with Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure Soma. But she quickly learns their family has a bizarre secret of their own: when hugged by the opposite sex, they turn into the animals of the Zodiac!



Tags: Found Family , Female Protagonist , Family Life , Shoujo , Fairy Tale , Mythology , Coming of Age , Primarily Teen Cast , Urban Fantasy , Ensemble Cast , Orphan , Shapeshifting , Rehabilitation , Animals , Primarily Male Cast , School , Episodic , Slapstick , Bullying , Heterosexual , Male Harem , Unrequited Love , Denpa , Kuudere , Memory Manipulation , Tsundere , Love Triangle , Homeless , Yandere , Agriculture , School Club , Nekomimi , Kemonomimi , Femboy , LGBTQ+ Themes , Crossdressing , Body Horror , Gangs , Gender Bending , Delinquents , Amnesia , Suicide , Nudity , Chibi , Card Battle

Wonder Egg Priority

Also known as WONDER EGG PRIORITY.

Studio: CloverWorks
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Fantasy , Mystery , Psychological , Sci-Fi , Thriller

This is the story of Ai, an introverted girl whose fate is forever changed when she acquires a mysterious “Wonder Egg” from a deserted arcade. That night, her dreams blend into reality, and as other girls obtain their own Wonder Eggs, Ai discovers new friends—and the magic within herself.



Tags: Tragedy , Female Protagonist , Primarily Female Cast , Urban Fantasy , Suicide , Bullying , Coming of Age , Alternate Universe , Primarily Teen Cast , Denpa , Philosophy , Ensemble Cast , Hikikomori , Afterlife , Transgender , LGBTQ+ Themes , Artificial Intelligence , Body Horror , School , CGI , Episodic , Tomboy , Age Gap , Kuudere , Isekai , Guns , Idol , Gore

[Oshi no Ko]

Also known as Oshi No Ko.

Studio: Doga Kobo
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural

When a pregnant young starlet appears in Gorou Amemiya’s countryside medical clinic, the doctor takes it upon himself to safely (and secretly) deliver Ai Hoshino’s child so she can make a scandal-free return to the stage. But no good deed goes unpunished, and on the eve of her delivery, he finds himself slain at the hands of Ai’s deluded stalker — and subsequently reborn as Ai’s child, Aquamarine Hoshino! The glitz and glamor of showbiz hide the dark underbelly of the entertainment industry, threatening to dull the shine of his favorite star. Can he help his new mother rise to the top of the charts? And what will he do when unthinkable disaster strikes?



Note: Episode 1【推しの子】Mother and Children was pre-screened in advance in Japanese theaters on March 17, 2023. The regular TV broadcast began on April 12, 2023. The first episode has an extended runtime of ~82 minutes.

Tags: Acting , Tragedy , Idol , Revenge , Twins , Male Protagonist , Reincarnation , Urban , Seinen , Detective , Female Protagonist , Coming of Age , Anti-Hero , Time Skip , Orphan , Age Regression , Ensemble Cast , Tsundere , Bullying , Filmmaking , Love Triangle , Family Life , Denpa , Urban Fantasy , Primarily Female Cast , Heterosexual , Fake Relationship , School , Suicide , Otaku Culture , Female Harem , Bowling

Shin Seiki Evangelion Movie: Air / Magokoro wo, Kimi ni

Also known as Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion.

Studio: Gainax , Production I.G
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Mecha , Psychological , Sci-Fi

NERV faces a brutal attack from SEELE, but with Asuka in a coma, and Shinji in a nervous breakdown, things soon turn into the surreal. This movie provides a concurrent ending to the final two episodes of the show Neon Genesis Evangelion.



Tags: Philosophy , Tragedy , Dystopian , Coming of Age , Post-Apocalyptic , Denpa , Meta , Gods , Body Horror , Conspiracy , Male Protagonist , Gore , Super Robot , Afterlife , Mythology , Kaiju , Robots , Cosmic Horror , Female Protagonist , Religion , Psychosexual , Primarily Teen Cast , Guns , Kuudere , Nudity , Masturbation , Clone , Tsundere , Politics , Space

serial experiments lain

Also known as Serial Experiments Lain.

Studio: Triangle Staff
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Psychological , Sci-Fi , Supernatural

We're all connected... There is the world around us, a world of people, tactile sensation, and culture. There is the wired world, inside the computer, of images, personalities, virtual experiences, and a culture all of its own. The day after a classmate commits suicide, Lain, a 14-year-old girl, discovers how closely the two worlds are linked when she receives an e-mail from the dead girl: I just abandoned my body. I still live here...

Has the line between the real world and the wired world begun to blur?



Tags: Denpa , Virtual World , Philosophy , Dissociative Identities , Augmented Reality , Female Protagonist , Memory Manipulation , Artificial Intelligence , Software Development , Cyberpunk , Gods , Cosmic Horror , Conspiracy , Cult , Video Games , Suicide , Religion , Urban , Meta , Tragedy , Primarily Female Cast , Amnesia , Afterlife , Adoption , POV , Orphan , Anti-Hero , Drugs , Trains , Aliens , School , Isekai , Death Game , Age Gap , Bullying

PERFECT BLUE

Also known as Perfect Blue.

Studio: MADHOUSE
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Horror , Psychological , Thriller

Rising pop star Mima has quit singing to pursue a career as an actress and model, but her fans aren’t ready to see her go... Encouraged by her managers, Mima takes on a recurring role on a popular TV show, when suddenly her handlers and collaborators begin turning up murdered. Harboring feelings of guilt and haunted by visions of her former self, Mima’s reality and fantasy meld into a frenzied paranoia. As her stalker closes in, in person and online, the threat he poses is more real than even Mima knows, in this iconic psychological thriller that has frequently been hailed as one of the most important animated films of all time.



Note: The film received an early premiere at the Fantasia Film Festival on August 5, 1997.

Tags: Dissociative Identities , Denpa , Female Protagonist , Acting , Idol , Otaku Culture , Primarily Adult Cast , Meta , Work , Philosophy , Tragedy , Gore , Nudity , Filmmaking , Noir

Steins;Gate 0

Studio: White Fox
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Psychological , Sci-Fi , Thriller

The eccentric, self-proclaimed mad scientist Rintarou Okabe has become a shell of his former self. Depressed and traumatized after failing to rescue his friend, he has decided to forsake his mad scientist alter ego and live as an ordinary college student. Surrounded by friends who know little of his time travel experiences, Okabe spends his days trying to forget the horrors of his adventures alone.

While working as a receptionist at a college technology forum, Okabe meets the short, spunky Maho Hiyajo, who later turns out to be the interpreter at the forum's presentation, conducted by Professor Alexis Leskinen. In front of a stunned crowd, Alexis and Maho unveil Amadeus—a revolutionary AI capable of storing a person's memories and creating a perfect simulation of that person complete with their personality and quirks. Meeting with Maho and Alexis after the presentation, Okabe learns that the two were Kurisu's colleagues in university, and that they have simulated her in Amadeus. Hired by Alexis to research the simulation's behavior, Okabe is given the chance to interact with the shadow of a long-lost dear friend. Dangerously tangled in the past, Okabe must face the harsh reality and carefully maneuver around the disastrous consequences that come with disturbing the natural flow of time.

Tags: Alternate Universe , War , Time Manipulation , Artificial Intelligence , Tragedy , Dystopian , Post-Apocalyptic , Dissociative Identities , Urban , Time Skip , Age Regression , Male Protagonist , Philosophy , Amnesia , Denpa , Kuudere , Memory Manipulation , Military , Fugitive , College , Chuunibyou , Otaku Culture , Shrine Maiden , Gore , Primarily Adult Cast , Disability

FLCL

Also known as FLCL.

Studio: Gainax , Production I.G
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Mecha , Sci-Fi

Naota is a detached sixth grader afflicted by the pangs of puberty. He's fooling around with his brother's ex-girlfriend when a crazed girl on a motor scooter runs him over, brains him with a bass guitar, and moves into his house. This pink-haired girl, Haruko - who claims she's an alien - hurls Naota into the middle of a mega-corporation's secret agenda. Oh, and now giant battling robots shoot from his skull. Mix in mind-bending animation and tunes that echo through your cerebellum to top off the trip that will have you falling hard for FLCL.



Tags: Coming of Age , Surreal Comedy , Male Protagonist , Age Gap , Psychosexual , Meta , Philosophy , Robots , Slapstick , Primarily Teen Cast , Denpa , Love Triangle , Aliens , Parody , Heterosexual , Mopeds , Vore , Amnesia , Guns , Female Protagonist , Kaiju , Urban , Gods , Episodic , Super Robot , Body Horror , Real Robot , Nudity , Baseball , CGI

Summer Time Render

Also known as Summer Time Rendering.

Studio: OLM
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Mystery , Supernatural , Thriller

A sci-fi, summer story filled with suspense set on a small island with Shinpei Aijiro, whose childhood friend Ushio Kofune died. He returns to his hometown for the first time in two years for the funeral. Sou Hishigata, his best friend, suspects something's off with Ushio's death, and that someone can die next.

A sinister omen is heard as an entire family next door suddenly disappears the following day. Furthermore, Mio implicates a "shadow" three days before Ushio's death.



Tags: Time Loop , Time Manipulation , Shapeshifting , Urban Fantasy , Reincarnation , Super Power , Rural , Tragedy , Mythology , Alternate Universe , Body Swapping , Religion , Ensemble Cast , Dissociative Identities , Cosmic Horror , Primarily Teen Cast , Coastal , Survival , Male Protagonist , Heterosexual , Gore , Body Horror , Amnesia , Aliens , Ghost , Guns , Shounen , Denpa , Tanned Skin , Love Triangle , Unrequited Love , Nudity

NHK ni Youkoso!

Also known as Welcome to the N-H-K.

Studio: GONZO
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Psychological , Romance , Slice of Life

Satou’s life – or what’s left of it – is a paranoid mess of conspiracy theories and social anxieties. He’s terrified of the outside world; his apartment is overflowing with the remnants of cheap take-out food; and his retinas have been permanently scarred by a steady diet of internet porn. But maybe it’s not all his fault. After all, the nefarious N-H-K is out there, and they’re determined to turn society’s fringe-dwellers into a brainwashed lot of jobless, hopeless, futureless recluses.

Enter Misaki – a mysterious girl-next-door type who is Satou’s last chance to beat down his inner demons and venture out into the light of day. She’s ready to help him overcome his crippling phobias, but Satou would rather cower in his existential foxhole and pretend to work on the demo for his virtual sex game.

He’s afraid to face the world. She’s strangely desperate to fix a total stranger. Maybe together they can be normal.



Tags: Hikikomori , Rehabilitation , Otaku Culture , Male Protagonist , Conspiracy , Philosophy , Denpa , Suicide , Primarily Adult Cast , Coming of Age , Psychosexual , Tragedy , Video Games , Software Development , Heterosexual , Disability , Politics , Yandere , Trains

Tengoku Daimakyou

Also known as Tengoku Daimakyo.

Studio: Production I.G
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Mystery , Sci-Fi , Thriller

In the year 2024, the world has collapsed. Grotesque monsters lurk amongst the ruins of Japan, while remaining people scrape together what they can to survive. Kiruko, an odd-job girl in Nakano, accepts a mysterious woman's dying wish to take a boy named Maru to a place called Heaven.



Tags: Dystopian , Post-Apocalyptic , Survival , Achronological Order , Travel , Tragedy , Seinen , Body Swapping , Conspiracy , Male Protagonist , Gender Bending , Orphan , Super Power , Gore , Denpa , Demons , Body Horror , Artificial Intelligence , Female Protagonist , Guns , Unrequited Love , Coming of Age , Heterosexual , Nudity , Suicide , LGBTQ+ Themes , Kuudere , Cyberpunk

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni

Also known as When They Cry.

Studio: Studio DEEN
Status: Finished
Genres: Horror , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural , Thriller

After moving into the quiet town of Hinamizawa, Maebara Keiichi spends his days blissfully in school often playing games with his local friends. However, appearances can be deceiving. One fateful day, Keiichi stumbles upon news of a murder that had occurred in Hinamizawa. From this point on, horrific events unfold in front of Keiichi, as he soon learns his close friends may not be all that they seem. Based on the amateur mystery game by 07th Expansion, the story is told in a series of different scenarios.

Tags: Denpa , Alternate Universe , Time Manipulation , Ensemble Cast , Tragedy , Rural , Conspiracy , Achronological Order , Gore , Time Loop , Chibi , Body Horror , Bullying , Torture , Male Protagonist , Yandere , Twins , Urban Fantasy , Mythology , Pandemic , Primarily Female Cast , Cosmic Horror , School Club , Primarily Teen Cast , Shrine Maiden , Police , Female Protagonist , Historical , Board Game , Crossdressing

Monogatari Series: Second Season

Also known as Monogatari Series Second Season.

Studio: Shaft
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Mystery , Psychological , Romance , Supernatural

Second season of the Monogatari Series, part 1/2. Contains the arcs Tsubasa Tiger, Mayoi Jiangshi, Nadeko Medusa, Shinobu Time, and Hitagi End, from the Nekomonogatari White, Kabukimonogatari, Otorimonogatari, Onimonogatari and Koimonogatari light novels, respectively.

These stories take place after the end of the summer vacation when the apparition of the bee had left and the apparition of the phoenix avoided any consequences… Now that Koyomi Araragi and the girls were entering their new school terms, they were once again about to encounter supernatural beings…but this time, they may not be so easy to deal with.

Tsubasa Hanekawa, Mayoi Hachikuji, Nadeko Sengoku, Shinobu Oshino, and finally Hitagi Senjougahara. The girls’ loneliness, their confessions, and their departures… 5 new “stories” begin now.



Notes:
Includes 3 recap episodes from the TV version (Ep. 6, 11, 16).
The recap episodes were not included in the Blu-Ray version of the anime.

Tags: Urban Fantasy , Coming of Age , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Teen Cast , Youkai , Philosophy , Yandere , Primarily Female Cast , Achronological Order , Anti-Hero , Denpa , Gods , Love Triangle , Male Protagonist , Vampire , Tragedy , Heterosexual , Time Manipulation , Ghost , Female Protagonist , Dissociative Identities , Meta , Alternate Universe , Nekomimi , Post-Apocalyptic , Female Harem , Nudity , Zombie , Tomboy

Ergo Proxy

Also known as Ergo Proxy.

Studio: Manglobe
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Mystery , Psychological , Sci-Fi

Something is wrong in the perfect domed city of Romdo. Between the sudden rash of murders and a virus affecting all AutoReivs-cyborg companions and workers who assist the people of Romdo - all is not right in their dome home. Detective Re-l Meyer begins to investigate, seeking answers to the weird occurrences that are happening more and more around her. But when she begins to uncover the truth, her world is turned upside down.

First, the strange immigrant Vincent Law goes missing and then a monster appears before her, shaking her to her core. But this monster is something more, something dangerous and sinister. With each question and mystery, she is led back to the creature. But what is it really? What purpose does it serve? A sign of the end or a sign of a new beginning? Whatever it is, it repeatedly brings her back to Vincent and soon, alongside his journey back to another dome world called, Mosk. As they make their way across scarred and deserted Earth, Re-l and Vincent will learn more about the monster and the "awakening"-which could be more of an ending than a beginning.



Note: Episode 1 received an advanced broadcast on channel WOWOW on February 5, 2006. The start date reflects the start of the regular series broadcasting.

Tags: Post-Apocalyptic , Philosophy , Dissociative Identities , Dystopian , Cyberpunk , Primarily Adult Cast , Robots , Amnesia , Conspiracy , Noir , Clone , Artificial Intelligence , Fugitive , Female Protagonist , Memory Manipulation , Travel , Lost Civilization , Male Protagonist , Tragedy , Found Family , Denpa , Kuudere , Anti-Hero , Detective , Revenge , Pandemic , Angels , Heterosexual , Gods , Aviation , Survival , Police , Unrequited Love , Guns , Coming of Age , Meta

Paprika

Also known as Paprika.

Studio: MADHOUSE
Status: Finished
Genres: Fantasy , Mystery , Psychological , Sci-Fi , Thriller

Prepare to enter the realm of fantasy and imagination where reality and dreams collide in a kaleidoscopic mindscape of sheer visual genius. The magical tale centers on a revolutionary machine that allows scientists to enter and record a subject's dream. After being stolen, a fearless detective and brilliant therapist join forces to recover the device before it falls into the hands of a dream terrorist.



Note: The film received an early premiere at the 63rd Venice International Film Festival on September 2, 2006.

Tags: Dissociative Identities , Female Protagonist , Primarily Adult Cast , Body Horror , Meta , Crime , Denpa , Software Development , Conspiracy , Terrorism , Philosophy , Detective , Police , Mythology , Heterosexual , Circus , Unrequited Love , LGBTQ+ Themes , Nudity , Cyberpunk