15 Best Emo Anime: Diving Into the Darker Side of Japanese Animation

While there are still members of this subculture even today, the emo subculture had “flourished” during the early 00s, when it was one of the most popular subcultures in the world. Derived from a subgenre of rock music, the emo subculture became a well-known phenomenon roughly 20 years ago, and many children, especially teenagers, found solace within this subculture’s aesthetical and ideological ideas.

As Wikipedia defines it, emo “was stereotypically associated with social alienation, sensitivity, misanthropy, introversion, and angst,” with some commentators wrongly associating the subculture with depression, self-harm, and suicide; the latter had led to a significant backlash, even though it wasn’t true. The emo subculture actually focused on emotions; in that aspect, we don’t see anything wrong with it.

Now, while there is no “emo” subgenre in the world of manga and anime, there are many such works that embody the ideals or the aesthetical approaches of the emo subculture, which is why we have decided to compose a list of the 15 best emo anime series that you will definitely love. The titles will not be ordered in any specific way, as this is not a ranked list.

1. Death Note

What it’s about: Light Yagami is a gifted high school student who judges the current world as criminal, rotten, and corrupt. The day he accidentally picks up a mysterious notebook called Death Note, his life changes completely. Light decides to use the Death Note to exterminate criminals, to build a perfect world in which he will be the god. His crimes soon attract the attention of Interpol and the mysterious L, a particularly talented detective whose identity no one knows. L decides to investigate the serial killer, nicknamed Kira, by the general public.

Why you should watch it: Well, Death Note doesn’t really need an introduction… it is one of the best anime series in history and, in many ways, embodies the emo subculture’s aesthetical ideals.

2. Nana

What it’s about: In contemporary Japan, two young women meet on the train taking them to Tokyo. Their destination is not their only point in common because they are the same age (20 years old) but also have the same first name: Nana. They finally separate when they get off the train. Later, they meet again by chance while they are both looking for an apartment. Finding it advantageous to share the rent costs, they decide to live together in apartment 707.

Why you should watch it: If you like an approach that is more realistic and is part of the slice-of-life genre but also embodies a lot of the aesthetical ideals of the emo subculture and has emo characters, then Nana is one of the best series you can pick.

3. Another

What it’s about: In 1972, a 3rd grade student in Yomiyama died in a fire. After her mysterious death, in full denial, they decided to act as if she was still among them until the end of high school. In 1998, a young boy named Koichi Sakakibara transferred to this class. His curiosity is aroused by a strange and very beautiful teenage girl wearing an eyepatch and to whom no one speaks Mei Misaki. As the months pass, students in the class and those around them die one after the other.

Why you should watch it: Another is a very strange and bizarre anime series that has a lot of emo elements, but it is also much darker and bolder in that aspects than many other series on this list, so while we do recommend it, it is not for those with a weak heart.

4. Elfen Lied

What it’s about: The story revolves around the Diclonius. Deemed dangerous to the normal human race, Diclonius children are killed at birth or locked up in research laboratories and subjected to terrible torture and extremely violent experiments. One of them, Lucy, however, manages to escape towards the sea, massacring anyone who comes her way. She is found on the beach by two boys in a complete state of amnesia and double personality, caused by a shot fired in her head during her escape.

Why you should watch it: A brutal and complex story with more darkness than an average viewer can take, Elfen Lied is a tragedy that is so beautifully complex that you absolutely need to watch it.

5. Tokyo Ghoul

What it’s about: The story of Tokyo Ghoul is about student Ken Kaneki, who falls in love with a young woman named Rize. After meeting her and almost dying, he transforms into a so-called rare half-ghoul. Because he has no one else to turn to, he is taken in by a group of ghouls who run the Café Anteiku. They teach him how to live his new life as a half-ghoul.

Why you should watch it: Although a seinen work with many horror elements, Tokyo Ghoul is a modern-day classic and is in many ways an embodiment of emo culture, so we recommend it for you.

6. Black Butler

What it’s about: Count Ciel Phantomhive is a 19th-century English aristocrat with a troubled past. He is the “watchdog” of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, a private agent responsible for unraveling the occult plots brewing in the kingdom with his butler. He is also very insightful and self-confident (for his age) when it comes to carrying out an investigation, often overtaking Scotland Yard in their investigations because the missions can be supernatural, which is beyond them.

Why you should watch it: Although it has a lot of supernatural elements, Black Butler is a truly great emo piece that you will undoubtedly enjoy, as the series will satisfy all your basic needs.

7. Death Parade

What it’s about: The story consists of a succession of two people who wake up in a bar with a dark atmosphere. Unsuspecting, they do not know they have entered a deadly game. In fact, they don’t know how they ended up here. Decim, the bartender, and his assistant then explain to them that they will have to play a bar game (darts, bowling, billiards, etc.) and put their lives in play to perhaps understand what happened to them. But things don’t go as planned.

Why you should watch it: The aesthetics of Death Parade are something that emo fans will absolutely enjoy, and the intriguing philosophical plot is something that adds to the flavor.

8. Shiki

What it’s about: The story opens during one particularly sweltering summer in the nineties. A string of unexplained fatalities starts to occur in the village. However, as the investigations go on and the body count rises, he comes to believe that “Shiki,” a type of vampire that is rumored to be running wild in the castle, is to blame. The mystery comes together when Natsuno Yukki, a young man, moves to the town.

Why you should watch it: Shiki will freak you out, absolutely, but it will also satisfy all your emo needs, as it is an embodiment of emo aesthetics that we definitely recommend you see.

9. Hell Girl

What it’s about: Every evening, at the stroke of midnight, it is possible to access a website called jigokutsushin.net. Anyone who wants revenge on someone can write the name of their enemy on this site. Hell Girl will then come to avenge the person, but the price of this transaction is the person’s soul. Rumors about the site spread among high school students like an urban legend.

Why you should watch it: Much like many other titles on this list, Hell Girl is more of an aesthetical thing than anything else, but it will satisfy emo fans without a doubt, so we recommend you see it.

10. Hellsing / Hellsing Ultimate

What it’s about: The Hellsing anime tells the fight of the Hellsing foundation, in particular its best element, Nosferatu Alucard (anacyclic of Dracula), as well as Victoria Seras (a policewoman transformed into a vampire by Alucard), against ghouls, vampires, and even the Vatican. The organization attempts to combat and eradicate an abnormal vampire surge and discover its origin.

Why you should watch it: Both these shows are good, and we recommend you watch both of them. The gothic aesthetics, the supernatural story, and the mysteries of Hellsing are sure to entertain you.

11. Colorful

What it’s about: The soul of a dead person (whose identity is unknown and his original appearance and voice, speaking in Japanese texts) arrives at the death train station. There, a strange boy named Pura Pura informs her that she is lucky: she has won the great celestial lottery and will, therefore, have a second chance among the living. The soul is reincarnated in the body of a young 14-year-old boy, Makoto Kobayashi, who had just committed suicide but then miraculously wakes up in the hospital.

Why you should watch it: Colorful is a wonderful slice-of-life story that tackles some complex life issues and might help many people cope with their troubles, which is why we recommend it.

12. Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei

What it’s about: Nozomu Itoshiki is a particularly pessimistic high school teacher, distressed by the absence of positive values of the modern era and who often attempts suicide. One of his pupils, the ultra-charismatic Kafuka Fūra, who is so optimistic that she even seems stupid, notices this. The girl will try in every way during the series to find the positive side of everything to lift the professor’s morale.

Why you should watch it: Don’t let the visuals fool you. The satiric approach of Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei is truly special, and the story is very complex, which you’ll definitely enjoy.

13. Now and Then, Here and There

What it’s about: On an ordinary day, a boy, Shuzo Matsutani, sits on top of a chimney and sees a girl who is admiring the sunset. Shu tries to establish contact with this mysterious girl and asks her name. The sound that comes out of her mouth is inaudible, and he can read the sound of Lala-Ru on her lips. Suddenly, an explosion happens, and time stops. Robots and a woman named Abelia are looking for the girl. In an attempt to rescue her, Shu and Lala-Ru are transported to Hellywood, a country controlled by the leader Hamdo, in a desolate and militarized world.

Why you should watch it: An isekai classic (which has nothing to do with what modern-day isekai look like), Now and Then, Here and There is a truly wonderful story that we definitely recommend.

14. Welcome to the NHK!

What it’s about: A young man, Tatsuhiro Satō, painfully emerges from several years of self-inflicted seclusion: he is a hikikomori. After these years of isolation, he meets a very cute young girl (Misaki Nakahara) who, to his great surprise, does not despise him for his condition. On the contrary, she is interested in him and offers him her help through a project that she has developed.

Why you should watch it: Dealing with issues often experienced by young people (especially emo people), Welcome to the NHK! is a lesser-known pearl that you’ll be able to relate to.

15. Neon Genesis Evangelion

What it’s about: In 2000, an enormous explosion happened in Antarctica. Fifteen years later, humanity has overcome this dramatic event known as the “Second Impact” but mysterious giant creatures, the Angels, appear and attempt to destroy Tokyo-3, the new fortress capital of Japan. To combat them, the secret organization NERV has developed the “Evangelion” (or “EVA”), humanoid giants with a mechanical appearance.

Why you should watch it: Neon Genesis Evangelion is a classic, absolutely, and it is a science-fiction/mecha series, but emo fans will find so much to relate with, especially the characters, that you definitely need to see it.

Have emo anime to add to the list? Let us know in the comments below!