Forum - View topicPhilosophical/Psychological recommendations.
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Ryvius213
Posts: 291 |
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Planetes is a pretty good philosophical series. It explores how space travel has affected mankind, mostly focusing on character relationships and how the characters deal with the loneliness of space while working in dead-end jobs.
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tonytnnt
 Posts: 4 Location: Boston, MA |
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I'm surprised I didn't see Serial Experiments Lain mentioned here. It's VERY cerebral with a cyberpunk twist. Set in "present day, present time" it explores the influence of the Wired (sorta like the Internet) on society. One of the most intriguing shows I've watched. Many many details in both the script and imagery, a good look down the rabbit hole.
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.::Lain::.
 Posts: 47 Location: playing games on my (+.[____]·:·) |
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I love philosophical and psychological anime and I've seen some titles I love to recommend and those are: Serial Experiments Lain, Haibane Renmei, Kino's Journey, Monster, Paranoia Agent, Mind Game and I'd love to add Mushi-Shi.
Serial Experiment Lain: This anime deals directly with the definition of reality. The story is complex it's hard to summarize but I love the idea of consensus reality... Haibane Renmei: What I love about this series is its unique and original plot. The story is just simple - there is this place where all haibanes (people with halos and wings similar to an angel) are born. How they're born is from a large cocoon. Haibane's are generally young children or teenagers. They always have a sense that they used to live in another place and were someone else, but they cannot remember where or who they were. Once a haibane's born they'll be summoned by the Haibane Renmei, a council which connects the citizens of Glie and the Haibanes. They'll be living like a normal person and work where they like. Eventually Haibane's main purpose is to achieve "Day of Flight" where their halo begins to flicker and dim, and finally they depart, alone and unannounced. This day approaches when the Haibane in question has overcome certain internal trials and is ready to move on however there are Haibanes who are sin-bound where they cannot remember properly the dream they had when they're still inside the cocoon. Haibanes who are sin-bound can be recognized by the black stains that appear on their wings. If they remain sin-bound after a certain amount of time they cease to be Haibane. These Haibane in turn lose their wings and halos, and are required to live apart from humans and Haibane. Mainly tackles reincarnation... Kino's Journey: Based from the title itself this series is about a traveler. Travelling alone together with a talking motorrad they discover places and meet new people. Aside from the thrill of meeting new people and discovering places there's also the danger of breaking traditional rules which might cause you your life. Monster: Eugenics experiments during 70s 80s causes to form the new-aged Hitler. What should a foreign doctor do after saving the life of Johan, the nameless monster. Watching this seems like watching CSI and shows like that... Paranoia Agent: You might want to check out titles from Satoshi Kon if you love psychological anime. Animes like Paprika and Perfect Blue came from the same director so what can I say... ^^ Mind Game: The title says it all. Scenes like arguing with God, time travelling, getting swallowed by a whale are just few of what this show can offer. During the symbolic and metaphorical time inside the whale, they experience personal development and growth and have to face their problems and insecurities. Mushi-Shi: Due to episodic nature of the series it's really hard to summarize but since some of the stories are fable-based psychological touch of this anime is inevitable. Most of the time it deals with how humans react in a particular situation. The story features ubiquitous creatures called Mushi that often display supernatural powers. Mushi are described as beings in touch with the essence of life, far more basic and pure than the grotesque creatures we are accustomed to. Due to their ephemeral nature most humans are incapable of perceiving Mushi and are oblivious to their existence, but there are a few who possess the ability to see and interact with Mushi. One such person able to percieve them is Ginko (the main character of the series). He employs himself as the mushi master travelling from place to place to help people suffering from problems caused by a mushi. The story is simple, superb sceneries, calming background music... ^^ |
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ShadowTrader
 Posts: 231 Location: NJ |
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I'm sorry, but I will have to denounce Haibane Renmei, Serial Experiments Lain, and Kino's Journey, as possibly the worst psychological/philosophical anime of all time. It's just my opinion, but you are welcome to watch it.
As for recommendations, obviously Monster is the best, but it might be too intense for some, so for the more teen oriented side there is Infinite Ryvius. This show is amazing, there are at least four different characters who express strong philosophical ideals and stride to achieve them through any means possible. Although I'm not big on the sci-fi anime this one really stood for me and I highly recommend to anyone to put it up there on their watch lists. |
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loraen
Posts: 12 |
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TomBalbino already mentioned the Ghost in the Shell movies, but I'll recommend checking out the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex series. SAC is based on the same manga as the movies but is a "parallel universe" and there's no connection between the two, except a few similar plot points along the way.
The series is set in 2030 or so and it's about a paramilitary unit known as Section 9 (of Public Peace), so it's a mix of action, detective work and some political intrigue. It has 2 seasons and a movie (set about 2 years after season 2). |
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Dorcas_Aurelia
 Posts: 5344 Location: Philly |
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Why? It's you're opinion so there's no right or wrong, but it's not helpful to other people as they don't know how your opinion compares to their own. |
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Kirkdawg
 Subscriber Posts: 742 Location: California, USA |
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I've noticed thus far that responses such as Paranoia Agent and if I might add Texhnolyze may be legitimate responses to the topic, but I have some commentary to add to these shows.
Do not watch either of these shows unless you are seriously looking for what appears to be at first the biggest mind trip in your life. Both of these shows require a critical mind and analysis to understand their messages-each episode should leave you thinking about them off and on for the rest of the day. These are shows that you shouldn't rush. I wouldn't expect someone whom is interested in these kinds of genres to rush through the episodes like CRACK, but these go above and beyond my taste for philosophical and psychological shows. I prefer these shows with moderate amounts of "behind the scenes" commentary with a value also placed on the entertainment aspects. I'm not going to lie. I watch anime for both entertainment and provoking themes. If one is lacking, I'll probably lose interest and move down the list. Now that you know what kind of taste I have in these kinds of shows, it's up to you to decide whether or not you're interested in reading the rest of my opinion. I'm not going to go on a tangent about Ergo Proxy or Neon Genesis Evangelion unless you're genuinely interested in reading what I have to say. I assume you might be if you've read my post this far, so as proof of your interest I want you to quote this part and specifically request my opinion. And that's that. 
EDIT: Fixed some typos. Last edited by Kirkdawg on Tue Jul 22, 2008 5:55 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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egoist
 Posts: 7762 |
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My recommendation would be Kurozuka, but it's more on the psychological side rather than philosophical.
It's a great anime and was able to get me a bit psychologically confused while watching it. It's short and you might get lost in the plot so I recommend you to read a bit about it or at least the plot summary. |
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zawa113
 Posts: 7358 |
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Cool, might as well list some ones I didn't see. I think it's possible to find some sort of philosophical or psychological meaning in most anime (except Eiken of course), so what you'll find as philosophical or psychological will vary from person to person, but here are some that I feel need to be listed:
Princess Tutu actually deals quite a lot with the themes of free will vs fate, one of the repeated lines in the series is "To those who accept their fate, happiness. To those who defy it, glory". So this series deals with fate vs free will in a number of ways, but it's often against someone who actually has control over fate (whom is quite evil, I won't say who it is) and how each character reacts to the cards they are dealt regarding their fate is quite interesting. Most Osamu Tezuka stuff is quite philosophical too, his robot series like Astro Boy and Metropolis deal with humanity vs science quite subtly most of the time as well as racial issues. His ideas used are quite timeless actually, they still hold up shockingly well today (so long as you can ignore the future as being 2003). Phoenix is another big one as it deals with life cycles and karma between them. Each story has many similarities in the Phoenix saga, namely that the human characters always seem to go back to being capable of good or evil within them and that they can change (the Karma chapter is one of the better examples). They Were 11 might be another one to consider, here we have 11 people, which was supposed to be 10, put into a situation in which you get the idea if they had met in a cozy bar, they'd all be hitting it off as friends. But the sudden presence of an 11th member (the reason is kinda painfully obvious to guess truth be told, but at least who it is isn't) sends the group into being suspicious of each other and seeing how the groups acts while all being somewhat secretly suspicious of each other the whole time and not knowing why the 11th member is there is interesting. |
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sailorsarah08
 Posts: 471 Location: Houston, Texas |
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I will second Haibane Renmei and Princess Tutu, those were both excellent shows.
I want to add a few shows that have not been mentioned but have some really nice Psychological aspects. Loveless. Now bewarned this is not for kiddies. We start the show with Ritsuka who has transfered schools because of the death of his seventeen year old brother. His mother is not the kindess and frequently abuses him. At age eleven he is seeing a therapist and has made a friend who claims to be his brothers friend, Soubi. It turns out that Soubi wants Ritsuka to fight with him. The story really spins out from there and a lot of the show's emphasis is on the important of virginity (represented by animal ears.) Gunslinger Girl Season One. I am really suprised that this hasn't been recommended yet. Little girls are given a second chance at life but they are turned into fighting machines for the goverment. I would recommend Gunslinger Girl if you are not squemish and Loveless if you are "open minded," because there are a lot of WTF moments. Hope to have helped  .
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eyeresist
 Posts: 995 Location: a 320x240 resolution igloo (Sydney) |
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I think a lot of these recommendations don't really address the OP's requirements, i.e. strongly philosophical/political anime with prominent military/strategic aspects. Here are my recommendations.
FLAG I haven't actually seen this, but from what I've read it suits your purposes. Gasaraki In the present-day real-robot genre, this involves political and military factions fighting over Japan's future. Warning: it doesn't really get good until halfway through, but then it gets very good. You might find the last episode a bit of a let down. Berserk Set in a violent Conan the Barbarian-esque world, this deals with the exploits and ambitions of a crew of mercenaries. A lot of political machinations as the show progresses. Be prepared for the ending, though - you will say "Whuh?!" Planetes Starts as a slice-of-life show set in orbit, about a crew of space debris collectors. As it goes on, the underlying plot develops with very strong political and sociological themes, about ambition, the plight of less developed countries, and the human cost of space exploitation. This show has a very satisfying ending. Wolf's Rain I'm amazed this hasn't been mentioned yet! This is serious anime at its best. A group of wolves who pass for human travel through a dying land in search of Paradise. An air of melancholy prevails, with themes of acceptance/denial of death, guilt versus hope, and search for identity. There are four episodes of filler in the middle of the series, but this is by no means a deal-breaker (the ending OVA brings non-recap episode count up to normal levels). Boogiepop Phantom A very dark horror show, with fragmented, elliptical storylines, and themes of denial/acceptance of change. |
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yuna49
 Posts: 3804 |
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Let me second Ghost Hound especially as it's about to be released in R1 by Sentai Filmworks. Despite it being muddled at times, I liked this show much more than other works by Shirow that I've seen including GitS, Appleseed, and Real Drive. The characters in Ghost Hound have more depth than one usually finds in a Shirow anime.
I'm a bit surprised no one has yet mentioned Welcome to the NHK! where all the characters have substantial psychological problems. Perhaps it's because NHK is usually characterized as an otaku parody and often compared to Genshiken, with which it actually has little in common. All of the characters in NHK are finding the transition to adulthood quite daunting and are trying to escape in a variety of generally unhealthy ways. The upcoming Kuuchuu Buranko ("Flying Trapeze"), by the same team that made Bakeneko and Mononoke, will probably make this list eventually since the main character is an eccentric psychiatrist. |
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LordRedhand
 Posts: 1472 Location: Middle of Nowhere, Indiana |
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Actually when you boil it down any series that can make you ask questions can be a "philosophical" series. It's a matter of knowing what questions to ask and then trying to answer them as the series presents the answers, not your own (that comes in later.)
The best way I could think of it is putting it in action with an example, let us take a more longer running and honestly "simple" series, Case Closed/Detective Conan. One question we could ask ourselves comes straight from metaphysics, the question of the self or who am I? So with that in mind we can envision one character from Case Closed where that line of questioning applies. Jimmy Kudo and Conan Edogawa, the question then becomes are they one self or are they two? From there we can field similar questions like how does one identify the self, is it possible to have two selves in one body, and if so how would it work and what would be the causes? Moving on from metaphysics one can look at Virtue ethics of the moral exemplar idea, so again taking Jimmy Kudo and Conan Edogawa do they live up to the standards of their exemplar, Sherlock Holmes? And is Sherlock Holmes even good/virtuous enough to be a moral exemplar. Then we can ask is Jimmy/Conan a good moral exemplar or not? So it's not a matter of finding a "philosophical" series although some are more forward with their dilemmas and philosophy than others, but a matter of asking the right kinds of questions. |
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eyeresist
Posts: 995 Location: a 320x240 resolution igloo (Sydney) |
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I think maybe you are overcomplicating Detective Conan! Conan is a role played by Jimmy, who is not confused about his identity. And Sherlock Holmes isn't a moral exemplar, except in that solving crime is a moral act. Holmes is chiefly a methodological exemplar, i.e. the application of observation and reason to problems.
All this stands unless there was a radical shift in the show's nature after the first couple of seasons. |
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Zin5ki
 Posts: 6680 Location: London, UK |
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Presuming one rejects the notion that the individuation of persons is distinct from the individuation of bodies, then it seems problematic. There appear to be two qualitatively and/or psychologically distinct states, each one being temporally discontinuous due to each one 'taking over' from the other at different times. There are probably several solutions to this problem, perhaps requiring some causal relationship between the psychological state of "being Conan" existing at T1 and again at Tn, even though such a state may not exist at certain intermediate times/time-phases between them. Although I have no interest in detective anime series, I'd be very interested in how this title answers the issues it raises without either sidestepping the issue, providing an insufficient answer or becoming an academic slog.
Actually, that'll do nicely. Nothing more to see here, chaps. Perhaps Birdy the Mighty is a more fruitful subject matter. |
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