8 Of The Best Seinen Anime That Are Too Good To Ignore

By Rachel Torgerson

You’ve come to the right place if you’re looking for anime with stories that have much more to say than the cliché Shounen high school dramas!

The anime industry is known for the numerous genres – Shounen, Shojo, Harem, Hentai – all targeting different demographics. But the Land of the Rising Sun has not forgotten about the adult anime audience and it has come up with the amazing Seinen category with the accent on more adult content and genre. While some anime still borrow from everyday life and keep it on the brighter side of the category, others heavily rely on psychological drama, psychological thriller, fantasy and even horror. 

The list could be endless, thus a cut had to be made and some amazing pieces didn’t make it. Still, here are 8 incredible Seinen anime that you shouldn’t ignore!

Joker Game (2016)

The whole series is imbued with mystery, manipulation and twists. 

At the dawn of World War II, in 1937, the Japanese army created a secret spy organization called D-Agency recruiting civilians. There are two conditions of becoming a spy: one must be a male and he must not have any military training prior to becoming a spy. The organization’s rule is simple: don’t die and don’t kill. By the end of the training, there were only 8 left in the organization who operate all around the world under the leadership of the mysterious Colonel Yuuki. They work in Russia, Germany, France, even in Japan to steal state secrets, military reports, and uncover other foreign spies.

The Perfect Insider (2015)

The anime makes one thing clear for us: what is beautiful from the outside has deteriorated from the inside to the core.

Saikawa Souhei is a researcher who has been honoured several times and is highly regarded by the scientific world and works as a professor. His assistant is Nishinosono Moe from a wealthy family, who is also the daughter of Saikawa’s deceased mentor. When members of the seminar take part in a study trip to the island of Himaka, where the also brilliant scientist Magata Shiki lives in retreat, Saikawa and Nishinsono find a corpse and try to find out what led to the murder and who might be the killer?

Erased (2016)

Another murder mystery with a fantasy twist to the story.

Fujinuma Satoru Satoru is a grim, stoic, antisocial, and constantly dissatisfied young man. His monotonous everyday life is disrupted by the death of his mother, which triggers some special ability in him as he gets upset for being suspected of his mother’s murder. These events transfer him 18 years into the past when a similar murder occurred in his school. He’s able to sense unexpected deaths and thus prevent them. The déjà vu feeling is uncomfortably overwhelming him but in turn, gives him a sense of some kind of mission to try and save lives. 

B: The Beginning (2018)

A very interesting anime, as it combines two genres: criminal cop drama for the adult audience and self-finding, teen Shounen.

The protagonist of the story is Detective Kazama Flick Keith, who seems to be a careless, whimsical Sherlock who is reluctant to share what he knows with others. After many years, he returns to the island nation of Cremona, where a serial killer who has just become known as B is taking its victims – only criminals! Twisting the story even further, genetically modified super mutant teens appear on the streets to commit terrorist acts on behalf of a mentally ill person.

Psycho-Pass (2012)

I never would have thought that the year 2012 would seem like yesterday, yet almost a decade has passed. That being said, Psycho-Pass is one of those series that marked a milestone in the anime industry.

The story is set in a seemingly utopian future, where crime is almost but eradicated. Humanity developed a technology that enables the immediate estimation of a person’s psychological condition. In this world, even thought is a sin. The anime revolves around the flaw that the Sybil system is – a person can’t have pure thought all the time, our subconscious can’t be controlled by our thoughts. Is there a way to manipulate the system, though? 

Tokyo Ghoul (2014)

Tokyo Ghoul outlines the cruel reality between humans and ghouls and for a twist, it’s represented by both, humans and ghouls. 

Humans see ghouls simply as something to be destroyed, as they kill humans in order to feed on them. From a ghoul’s perspective, on the other hand, it’s not that simple. They admit most ghouls want to feed on humans, but exceptions exist among this race as well. Some renounced feeding on live humans, so they feed – well, on dead ones, specifically, ones that have committed suicide or were in an accident. The problem lies with the fact that they can’t consume any other food, besides water and coffee, without consequences. 

Steins;Gate (2011)

Most scientists say time travel is impossible. You guessed it, the central theme of the series is time travel. 

Okabe Rintaro is a self-proclaimed mad scientist who gathers a small group by his side to try and prove that time travel is possible. Not long after, strange things start happening, among them, a girl that was killed in front of the main character reappears in the land of the living. Their experiments lead them to the discovery of the possibility of sending messages to the past. This is the way the group diverted their fates that led to numerous tragedies, putting even their lives at stake with no hope of fixing what they’ve done. 

Attack on Titan (2013-)

Probably among the best-known anime out there, for a very good reason. It has captivated and mortified both fans and critics.

Humans believed they were safe behind the walls surrounding the city that they’ve built to protect the remaining populations from the Titans. However, one day a giant bigger than ever appears and breaks through the protective walls. Eren and his friends survive the bloodshed and this is the turning point in Eren’s life, vowing to eradicate the giants. Eren’s father’s cellar holds a secret that might help end the war once and for all, and Eren holds the key to it around his neck. 

 

Author Bio: I may not always watch the most popular anime on the shelf, but I’m watching what intrigues me and I think that’s the beauty of anime – there’s something for everyone. I came to anime and manga late in the game. While I had occasionally dabbled here and there, I really didn’t start watching with any conviction until I was older. Suddenly, I had the desire to begin consuming more anime. The good ones and the bad ones. New series and classic series. It didn’t matter what it was or it’s notoriety, if the synopsis seemed interesting, I was bound to watch. Please check out my blog:- https://www.nofilleranime.com