The Tatami Galaxy
I’ve watched a fair amount of anime that caused me to rethink my life and have an existential crisis. Though the stories are fantastic and alluring, I would always regret watching it for a few days. (After the existential period passes, I’m always happy I watched it.) So if you’re looking to avoid these, or you’re into deep stuff and want to watch some — then I got your back.
The Tatami Galaxy
One of my favorite series of all time, The Tatami Galaxy, follows the story of a nameless main character (formally called Watashi, which just means “I” in Japanese) as he tries to find blooming romance upon entering college. Each episode or so covers him joining a new school club: baseball, apprenticeships, film-making and so on. However, his plans constantly fail because of his own mistakes as well as the plots of others he runs into. Each time his plan fails, time rewinds and he gets to choose from the plethora of clubs again. Hilarity ensues when he continuously fails. However, as the last few episodes roll around, the protagonist is trapped in a galaxy of tatami rooms as he’s forced to think about his life and realize that the greatest opportunities are always dangling in front of his face.
Aku no Hana
Based on a popular manga, Aku no Hana (The Flowers of Evil) has gotten its reputation for being pretty messed up. Set in a high school Takao, the main character, steals the gym clothes from the girl of his dreams, Saeki. However, he was spotted by the outcast Nakamura, who tries to force out Takao’s devious and evil side. Nakamura has quite a mouth, causing her to be ostracized by the rest of her class. She continuously blackmails Takao into doing her bidding, using the gym clothes. Takao finally makes a realization as the two try to cross over a hill that surrounds their town, finally understanding why Nakamura behaves the way she does. The realistic style of the anime throws some people off though.
Oyasumi PunPun
Though it technically an anime, this comic is the most messed up on the list. The story follows a young boy named Onodera Punpun, who’s depicted as a simplified bird. (The other characters see him a relatively good-looking guy.) The readers follow him as he grows up in his very dysfunctional life. He has to deal with cultists, domestic abuse, rape and other graphic issues. As a boy his uncle taught him that he could summon God by praying, “Dear God, dear God, tinkle tinkle holy.” However, the “God” that Punpun imagines is cynical and works against him most of the time. Punpun’s life continues to spiral downward as he gets older and his thoughts grow darker as he tries to pursue his childhood love, Aiko. The writer, Asano Inio, is known for his strange genre of manga with adult themes, but Punpun is the weirdest and most successful of them all. The manga is slated to end this December.
Maybe none of these take your interest? Give Neon Genesis Evangelion, Bakemonogatari, or Welcome to N.H.K. a try instead. If these scare you too much, maybe you’re better off sticking to Naruto and K-On.
Did you watch these and they had no effect on you? Got an anime that’ll keep me up at night? Comment below or e-mail me at dahrae@terpmail.umd.edu!
