Look. I know anime gets a bad rep. Before I jump into the few series itself, let me explain a few things. Anime isn’t for nerdy kids. It certainly is bizarre & (get this drilled deep in your brain)- not just for kids. Look at these pictures & tell me if it’s appropriate for children-

(she’s eating human flesh)

No? Perhaps this?-

Listen, I can show you more & more of these gifs but the point is this- anime comes in a large variety. Just like cartoons do. You’ve got Pokemon & then the ones shown above. You’ve got Paw Patrol & then Rick & Morty.

So why watch these gory, intensely violent shows? Well, that’s what I’m here for! Let’s start with first two gifs.

Tokyo Ghoul-

There are two subsets of human beings in the world- ghouls & humans. Ghouls are humanoids who need to eat human flesh to survive. They have superhuman powers & have been fighting with the governmental authorities to resist the extermination effort of ghouls. This isn’t your average person’s cup ‘o tea, add some laxative as well as some cayenne & you’ve got this show summarized in an unnecessary metaphor. The story follows Kaneki Ken, an orphan who attends college. One day, while out on a date, this guy is bit by his date (as shown in the second gif). The only way to save him was to convert him into a ghoul (yes, that is possible). So he becomes a half ghoul (as shown by the mismatched eyes in the first gif). Throughout this series, Kaneki is faced with the challenged of being hunted & treated like vermin. He has to question his own identity & human morality.The story goes on & on (4 seasons, 12 episodes each), but the main question the story poses, is this (& I want to be as clear as possible in this, so I’m not gonna skimp on the words)- is there a good & evil? No. Think about it. Is there a good & evil? Are there any rules when it comes to morality?
No matter what your opinion, the truth is this- in the grand scheme of the universe, there is no morality, just events. Events that happen & those that follow them. The ghouls eat human flesh because if they don’t, they die. & what is the fundamental job of all living things? To survive. That’s our purpose. There is no ulterior motive behind our existence, no “creator” who gave us a job to do. We were born, we guzzle resources with abandon, not thinking about the repercussions on the planet. All to fulfill one main goal- survive & reproduce. The facts are indisputable- the theory of evolution states this. What you think to be true on this matter is just belief, bias & speculations not facts. All of these events are just actions & the events following them are reactions.

Face the facts- each one of us is selfish. We care for our own.

If you want your morals questioned, great graphics & cocaine levels of addiction, This is it.

Warning though- the first parts of the first season are very idyllic (kinda). Only towards the end will you reach the promised land of gore & torture.

Parasyte (3rd gif)-

Basic story summary- Aliens who take over the human body reach the earth they follow the theory of evolution & natural law- take over all of the humans. The protagonist stops the parasyte from reaching his head, thus resulting in this-

(ik creepy right? there’s your scary halloween costume for next year. you’re welcome.)

The question of this series compels you to think about why humans have emotions. The aliens themselves are a race of very rational thinkers with no emotions (except for sass & impatience). Human emotions are often a hindrance & some of them, like love as well as certain facets of life like humor are almost inexplicable in an evolutionary standpoint.

So I say to you this- challenge yourself, watch these shows because contrary to social stigma, Anime is a very engaging source of entertainment.

A few more suggestions (most of them are long except for the last one)-

1. Naruto (read the manga/comic. anime has too many fillers)
2. One Piece (again, read the manga. very, very, very, very, very long. though the patience is worth it, trust me)
3. Fairy Tail (It’s not that bad)
4. Bleach (don’t watch anime. Becomes really bad at the end. read the manga)
5. Attack on Titan (great one)
6. Terror in resonance (Highly recommended if you are a beginner. Short Anime with an engaging message especially in the current post 9/11 world)