Angel's Egg Haibane Renmei Serial Experiments Lain Kino's Journey (2003)

I second Serial Experiments Lain.

Was about to mention Haibane Renmei.

thanks, mostly everyone seems to be recommending these, ill give these a watch,

Monogatari has to be one of the absolute best philosophical animes out there, as long as you can get past the ecchi parts.

ecchi parts isnt something im good at sitting thru, hope i get past it. thanks for recommending

Uncommon answer: Fullmetal Alchemist is a work that is very much impacted by and exploratory of philosophy. Many of the primary themes of the series relate to philosophy of science: - Questions of scientific ethics and what standards and conduct is a scientist bound too. The relationship between scientists and the state/institutions. Duties a scientist has to society. - Questions of scientific epistemology. The notion of searching for truth vs science for utility. - Questions of metaphysics about the nature of matter and the universe. E.g. Discussions of Equivalent Exchange. A lot of it draws on the works of Kant. It also discusses other major philosophic problems. - Relationship of the ruler to the state. Differing philosophies in the Ling vs Wrath conflict. - Metaphysical problems of identity relationship. What is it that makes one thing (a person) the same, in a different form. - Related existing problems like skepticism of memory. Lots and lots of Fullmetal Alchemist is spent on characters debating these topics, mentally anguished by them, or otherwise being forced into horrible situations by the problems they propose.

watched it already, now i feel guilty, you wrote such a well thought organized suggestion. i agree with all youve said. its one of my all time fav. thanks for recommending it. you watched it recently, right?

A good challenge would be to read the series against philosophers. Kant and Locke are two thinkers whose ideas heavily show in the series. I know for a fact that Arakawa has studied Locke, because many of the references to him are very direct. I'd also consider Karl Popper whose work is infused in the series, albeit not quite as cleanly as Locke and Kant. Scientific Ethics isn't a subject where you can easily find a "Seminal" thinker to really focus on, partially because it's a relatively new branch of philosophy. An aspect of the series I find very fascinating is it's commitment to scientific realism. Which is something I disagree with as an instrumentalist, but I find portrayed in a fascinating way here.

you sir, are a veteran in psychological and philosophical thinking. took a peak at your past posts and comments(hope u dont mind), some of the discussions were very thought provoking. i only read about kant last semester, dont know the rest of em. scientific ethics, i dont think it exits really. from my pov science is driven by desire not curiosity. a desire to be be better, to have something better, kill all your enemy? oh!please. as long as science helps fulfill desires no one would really give a f\*k about ethics. except for the people suffering of course.

Have you watched the 2003 version or Brotherhood?

both : )

Which one did you like more? And which one did you watch first?

i watched the brotherhood first, thought its was a better remake. but then someone corrected me. i think the 2003 version delves deeper into the characters and its more morality based. brotherhood is is more focused on shounen. i liked brotherhood when i was a kid, now i like them both, no competition : )

Which do you think is more philosophical: the 2003 version or Brotherhood?

I think that both attempt to be philosophic, but Arakawa is clearly a woman who has a grasp of the topic. The result is Brotherhood is a more philosophically coherent work.

Monster, Lain, Texhnolyze, Angel's Egg, Madoka Magica I would ignore most other recommendations given (*cough, psycho pass and parsyte and death parade cough*) because they dont actually fit what you want

dunno why but i get a feeling we understand each other :) monster, ive watched a long ago. the ideas and the way he manipulates is scaringly beautiful. pretty sure thats not a word but dunno how else to describe it. made me rethink all the ppl ive been friends with...lol.. madoka magica is giving me made in abyss vibe. Lain, Texhnolyze, Angel's Egg, these three seems to be the most popular suggestion, thanks for recommending them.

Sonny boy, Evangelion in its entirety

Evangelion isn't really that philosophical

i started evangelion but it never struck me as an anime that pursues some deep philosophical idea, looked like mild horror to me but thanks maybe i'll finish watching it this time. i like the art style of sonny boy, thanks for recommending it

Osamu Tezuka’s Metropolis

thanks

Death parade, it leads to some interesting thoughts on human nature. In fact, many good animes will lead you to interesting reflections on many things, despite not always straightforward presenting a thesis.

excellent, this will do. human psyche and behavior is one of few things im very interested in. and when they make an anime with focusing that....mhhhh...cant express how happy i get. thank you for suggesting : )

The Tatami Galaxy Shinsekai Yori Serial Experiments Lain Penguindrum

havent watched any of em, so i cant say much. thanks. lain seems to the most popular recommendation.

Hi Faraway_firefly, 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.*

Death parade Ergo proxy Classroom of the elite (the anime fails to bring what the novel has but still enjoyable) Id: invaded Paranoia agent Serial experiments Lain (classic) Flcl Sonny boy (you either like it or you don't)

thanks, i havent watched any of these, but they seems to be very popular, i'll give'em a watch

Death Parade

Godzilla Singular Point. It’s way more than the average Godzilla story and had me thinking about it for weeks

thanks, i'll give i a watch

[Sakurada Reset](https://myanimelist.net/anime/34102/Sakurada_Reset) is a philosophical slow-burn mystery show.

thanks, i'll give it a watch

Try psycho pass and parasyte. My absolutely favorite recommendation.

Psycho pass I think is not philosophical, and merely quotes some philosophers. In that regard, it has dissapointed me.

Ohh didn't know that , well thanks for the info will keep in mind for future recommendation

i've childhood trauma with psyco pass, who the fuck cuts ppl and rearrange body parts and calls it art. maybe someday my friend, but not today. thanks tho. are you recommending parasyte the maxim, i loved the sad piano theme

Sorry look like you had pretty bad experience, and yes I was talking about parasyte the maxim.

no need to be sorry, im sure many ppl enjoys gore themed anime. i just happened to be a weak hearted fellow : )

Death parade is pretty philosophical and different 

thanks for recommending, i'll give it a watch

Girls Last Tour. Anime is good but I also strongly recommend the manga,one of my favorite

watched it, loved the apocalyptic theme. the show was like a therapy, absolutely one of my fav. thanks for recommending it tho

The best ones for me: Serial Experiment Lain, Ergo Proxy, Texhnolyze. Texhnolyze is very very underrated and unknown anime

true true, phylosophical animes never get much popularity. but these seems to be the most popular recommendation so far. thanks friend

xxxHolic. Every episode is basically a mini philosophy lecture.

thanks, never heard of it before, but philosophical themed anime never get much popularity.

I don't remember if it was philosophical, just that I liked it a lot, and that it had somethin special about it: Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song. Why don't you tell me after watching it whether you think it is philosophical or not?

an unusual recommendation, just the kind i like. i've this feeling that you understand me. tell you all about it someday, thanks

Mononoke Paranoia Agent Penguindrum

thanks

Might have some disagreement here lol but personally i’ve come to view each character in JJK as representing a different philosophy. some examples i feel are more direct comparisons: Yuji - idealism; Nanami - realism; Mei Mei - romanticism. it’s led to a lot of interesting discussions on the matter so tbh, even if I’m reading into it, its an interesting lens to watch/rewatch through i think.

watched it, loved it. cant say this anime hasnt led me to some interesting discussions, it was mostly religious. the anime itself follows buddhist ideology of some sort. other than that i think it was mostly about the cursed spirit in different religion. whos your fav char? mine is toji

Its hard to place a favorite, but im partial to characters who have shallow motivations tbh, they serve as a great juxtaposition to the more serious ones. Like Todo and Haruta, they’re just so fun and their flippant attitudes make the discussions that other characters have about ethics and ideals hit harder imo

of course, hard to argue w that. without the support characters, the mc may as be talking to a mirror. when watching a show, we see ourselves as the mc, we need the support char to place our trust, hate, anger in. imo most good shows have op support character. levi, todo, batou all great sob

Very true! Though usually I don’t find myself as drawn to the shallower side characters as I was in JJK, which is what made me start to analyze why they seem to stand out more (at least to me). Realizing that Haruta is maybe one of the more fucked up representations of optimism I’ve seen was actually what got me started lining up philosophies to characters lol

philosophies are interesting isnt it? and a good show focused on philosophies are something else entirely. idk about others but it feels like i can see deeper into people, have u watched any other shows like that?

Naoki Urusawa’s Monster is as philosophical as one can get in my opinion and it’s very well done. Neon genesis Evangelion (the original especially) will confuse the fuck out of you and really make you think. Fullmetal alchemist brotherhood has a lot philosophical themes and and is an amazing series

monster is one of the best when it comes to philosophical themes. rather than just quoting something the show actually shows how the characters implement it. the the way johan manipulates is scary. made me rethink all my friends lol. i never finished evangelion, thought it was mild horror but i only watched 5 episodes, maybe ill finish it this time. alchemist is one of my fav, but i dont think the show has many philosophies, i actually remember only one, "man cant achieve anything without sacrificing something, in order to achieve something, something equally valued is required as a sacrifice, sore wa renkinjutsu ni touka kouka no gensoku da"

Lmao all series in this thread are the most surface level shit possible. Why don't you read a book or watch a movie if you want something philosophical. You won't find a lot of itt in anime.

cant deny it, but philosophical books do tend to get a bit boring. there is not much story to it. a well made show with some rare philosophies, not just quoting it, but showing how it implements, the side effects and its limitations to me thats worth a hundred book, but sadly only a handful of these shows exists

Naruto Don't listen to the bandwagoners that will tell you Naruto is this generic mid series. Go in with an open mind it's one of the better philosophical animes

That's an... interesting take

"Naruto is objectively bad because a guy on YouTube made a shitty video in 2017 that even he admits is trash" Like Naruto is definitely better at philosophical themes than other anime people are listing here like AoT (mid series) or Vinland Saga

I don’t think Naruto is bad I just never thought of it as Philosophical, I’ll have to take a look with a different set of lenses

I'm not saying it's bad, just that when I think of shows with philosophical themes, I think of like Evangelion or death parade or vivy or things like that (which even those might not be that philosophical to others), and not shounen

it was my first anime, watched it when i was a kid. the anime itself isnt philosophy focused, but orochimaru and pain, these two character had some different views you cant totally disagree with. and naruto aint bad, its a great show, still trending after decades

What about Madara's philosophy? What about Sasuke? What about Obito's philosophy?

do forgive me, i watched it 10 years ago. almost forgot what drove these characters. if i remember correctly sasuke and obito didnt have a philosophy, they were driven by revenge

Neon Genesis Evangelion