Art is intrinsically subjective, and, while some can grasp the message behind an art-piece instantly, others might need to mull over it more than once to truly appreciate its beauty. Anime is no different, as viewers often need to watch a series more than once to understand it.
While there is plenty of commercial anime that can be viewed easily without having to think much about it, there exists a special batch that deals with complex subjects and requires more than one viewing for absolute appreciation. These anime might deal with a setting that lovers of the genre have come across multiple times before. However, the way these anime deal with these settings, using symbolism, allusions, psychological implications, and a warped narrative structure, is what forces viewers to think deeply about them.
Ergo Proxy
Set in a post-apocalyptic future where 85% of the human population has been wiped after an ecological disaster, Ergo Proxy tells the story of a utopian world where humans and androids live together in harmony—that is until the latter achieve sentience. Spread across 23 episodes, the story of this anime is narrated in a manner that is quite different from most anime, contributing to its complexity.
Furthermore, it deals with a number of philosophical themes and presents the viewers with complex religious symbolism that are not easy to comprehend at first glance. It's an anime like no other for enthusiasts who really want to experience something mind-boggling, and Ergo Proxy needs to be watched at least twice to be fully grasped.
Durarara!!
In the commercial district of Ikebukuro, there exists a sprawling underworld and a dullahan out in search of her stolen head. Chaos unfolds when the most unsavory characters from the district come in contact with each other. Durarara!! might have a basic plotline, but that is not what confuses most viewers.
Told at a frantic pace, this anime conveys the story from the perspectives of at least eleven characters existing in this fantastical world. The characters telling the story change almost every episode, and sometimes even in a single episode. This creates a nonlinear narrative which can, at times, prove to be difficult when keeping track of the finer aspects of the anime. Highly enjoyable when understood, this anime sometimes deserves a second viewing to comprehend what is actually going on in Ikebukuro.
FLCL
Kazuya Tsurumaki and Yōji Enokido’s FLCL, also known as Fooly Cooly, is one of the most iconic anime that has ever been created, inspiring many future projects by other artists. Tackling with the concept of puberty, FLCL makes sure that it does not follow the common tropes used to deal with such topics and rather creates a world of chaos and bewilderment to best reflect the protagonist’s emotional and confused state of mind as he enters adolescence.
Furthermore, the anime chucks all rules that govern traditional anime right out of the window, creating a flexible and fluid world that makes even the characters in the anime wonder as to what is going on. Having only six episodes, it can still prove to be quite confusing. Therefore, a second viewing is never a bad idea.
Steins;Gate
Amongst the many underrated anime series of the last 20 years, Steins;Gate deserves a special mention. A series that deals heavily with the concept of time travel, confusion and non-linearity are a given.
While the basic plot of a global conspiracy and a self-proclaimed mad scientist Hououin Kyouma seems quite simple, the fact that it deals with time travel makes it compulsory for viewers to maintain keen attention. However, it can still cause viewers to miss something that the protagonist had altered in time and consecutively be confused by the butterfly effect it has caused. A highly entertaining anime adapted from 5pb’s popular video game, Steins;Gate also has an equally mind-boggling sequel known as Steins;Gate 0.
Paprika
Satoshi Kon rarely creates something that would not force viewers to stop and think, and Paprika is no different. Adapted from Yasutaka Tsutsui's eponymous novel, Paprika deals with the complex theme of a device that can aid in entering the dreams of another person.
Being set in a dream world, the theme is explored magnificently by the use of extravagant visuals and a complicated philosophical narrative structure. Being an anime that inspired a Hollywood movie, as well as being the final work from Kon before his death, Paprika deserves a second viewing if not for anything else.
Neon Genesis Evangelion & The End Of Evangelion
A psychological masterpiece, Neon Genesis Evangelion is an anime that paved the way for other series to become mediums for delivering complex psychological and philosophical messages. Featuring a mind-altering plot of a dystopian future where Evangelion pilots must battle creatures known as Angels, the series deals with the emotional experiences of the pilots and the driving forces behind human action—or inaction.
Having a complex and meandering plot and narrative structure, a convoluted ending, and an equally confusing alternate ending in The End of Evangelion, both these anime series nearly demand a rewatch.
Texhnolyze
Imagine living in a nihilistic world where resources are getting scarce and human evolution seems to have been stunted. Texhnolyze is an anime that presents such a world to its viewers. Told at an unforgiving pace, it hardly stops to elaborate aspects of the story, and, unless a close watch is kept on the series of events, it can soon prove to be incomprehensible. While it can be a pretty brutal series to get through, those who didn't quite get it may want to give it another shot.
Monogatari Series
There are simple anime series, and then there are anime series like Monogatari. Sprawled across many episodes, the entire series is as confusing as it gets, dealing with the complex theme of mental health and human perception to the same.
The most confusing aspects of this series have to be its multilayered narrative, haphazard episodes, as well as the complex psychological issues it deals with, oftentimes replacing them with something supernatural. Owing to there being a confusing chronological order to follow, most viewers give up on the series, thinking it does not make any sense. However, a second viewing may change this perception.
Perfect Blue
An anime that has shaped and influenced the development of many future animes and movies, Perfect Blue is one of the greatest to have ever been created. However, it cannot be denied that the intellectual nature of the anime also makes it hard to understand at times.
While the basic premise can easily be grasped, the slim distortions between reality and fantasy that this masterful work of Satoshi Kon creates can sometimes cause viewers to question whether a scene was real or imagined. The fact that Darren Aronofsky bought the rights to this anime to recreate scenes and narratives of his movies Black Swan and Requiem for a Dream proves why this anime deserves a second viewing, if not understood in the first attempt.
Serial Experiments Lain
Comprising of a challenging narrative as well as an experimental visual technique, Serial Experiments Lain is unorthodox from each and every angle. The anime is deviously well-made and tackles a complex plot that conveys a similarly complex philosophy and spiel.
Watching this anime can prove to be hugely challenging and seem like a psychological trip to the uninitiated. Often thought to be one of the most complex anime of all time, Serial Experiments Lain is something akin to an anime version of Homer's Odyssey, and it definitely requires a second viewing to completely appreciate.