Anime is usually a relaxing way to spend your time, from watching an engaging romance drama unfold or watching the most hyped fight of the show, it has always been a way for people to chill. However, there are certain shows that are so hard to understand that finding explanations on the internet is the next thing you do after you finish it. In this article, I will list the Top 5 most complicated Anime to watch, shows that are guaranteed to give you a brain workout.
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Top 5 most complicated Anime to watch
Ergo Proxy
- Studio:Â Manglobe
- Episodes:Â 23
Set in a dystopian future, earth has become inhabitable for humans. Humans are able to survive by living in a dome, where they are assisted by humanoid-like robots called AutoReivs to facilitate their recovery. However, the robots start catching a disease called the Cogito Virus which gives them awareness and consciousness. Re-I Mayer, the granddaughter of the ruler of Romdo, is tasked with investigating the matter. As she navigates through the cases, she finds herself upon sentient beings called Proxies. What more will she find?
Ergo Proxy finds itself exploring the grounds of “what would happen if robots gained consciousness.” With the difficult theme it has taken up to execute, it follows that the story is simply a bit complicated to understand at the first go. The anime requires your complete attention or you would find yourself lost in the narrative.
Serial Experiments Lain
- Studio:Â Triangle Staff
- Episodes:Â 13
Lain Iwakura is a noobie when it comes to technology, but when Chisa Yomoda, her dead classmate, sends her a mail, she finds herself compelled to open it. As she does, she is thrown into the world of the Wired [Internet]. She finds herself in many weird and cryptic mysteries in there. She keeps encountering the Men in Black, who happen to know more about her than herself. Navigating through all that’s happening, she has to make crucial choices as the line between the two worlds blurs every passing day.
Serial Experiments Lain is a rollercoaster of brain cells. It is a story based around the early perceptions of the Internet and the fear that one’s identity is lost within their Internet persona, that one will forget who they really are because of who they show to be. The show requires not only a few rewatch but also a few Google searches to fully understand what happened.
FLCL
- Studio:Â Gainax
- Episodes:Â 6
Naota Nandaba is a young teenage boy, who is left to take care of his brother’s ex-girlfriend as he leaves for America to play basketball, finds himself in a battle of supremacy when he gets hit by a girl with her scooter. Cue in Haruko Haruhara, with unknown origins, trying to get Naota to fight in this battle. As days went on with the duo fighting unnatural beasts, Naota has to grow up and become his own role model.
The show is confusing because nobody knows what’s happening at all. The actual plot is hidden deep within the multi-layered interactions between the characters. The anime is fun, exciting, and an artistic show if you simply watch it, however, a mature tale of conquest lies dormant within.
Garden of Sinners
- Studio:Â ufotable
- Episodes:Â 8
Garden of Sinners is a series of 8 movies revolving around Shiki, the possessor of the Mystic Eyes of Death, a supernatural ability that allows its user to see the path to kill their target. Shiki wakes up from a two-year coma, feeling detached from her past. She decides to move on with her life, as she continuously tries to find ways to bring back her past.
The anime is a wonderful series of movies that is both exciting and enthralling. The only downside to it is that the viewer would not be able to make sense of it the first time they watch it. It has two orders for the viewer to watch it as – either chronologically-wise or release-wise. Watching it in release order would surely confuse the viewer as to what is happening and why it’s happening. However, watching it chronologically does not guarantee that you won’t be confused. It is pretty confusing.
Kaiba
- Studio: Madhouse
- Episodes: 13
MyAnimeList synopsis:
“In a world where memories exist in memory chips separate from the body, death of the body no longer means death of the soul. It is possible for memories to be viewed, altered, and transferred between bodies. These memory chips are used by the rich to obtain eternal lives in carefully selected bodies, while for the poor, selling their own bodies and conserving their souls in the chips often become the only way to earn a living. An electrolytic cloud in the sky serves as a barrier between the heavens of the fortunate and the underworld of the destitute, making this social division impregnable.
One day, a man named Kaiba wakes up in an empty room with no memories, a mysterious hole in his chest, and a locket holding the picture of an unknown woman. After escaping an attack and stumbling upon a decrepit village of underworld residents, he begins his adventure across the different planets of this strange universe to find out more about his own identity and the woman he once knew.
Through a journey of self-discovery and acceptance, Kaiba weaves together tales of souls and spirits and explores the importance of memories. ”
The show is so confusing that I am sorry but I had to rely on MyAnimeList for this one. Similar to Ergo Proxy, you have to pay full attention to the narrative to understand what the story really is. Truly a mesmerizing piece, however, easy to get lost in.
Conclusion
All the shows in the list are complicated in one way or another, some have deeper levels to unfold while some are simply too confusing to understand. Nonetheless, all of them are brilliant shows that everyone must watch. What do you think? Is there any other show that is equally complicated? Let us know by commenting below!