Have you ever finished an anime and felt conflicted about the moral of the series or who to root for? Anime with complex moral themes throw viewers into scenarios where the right choice isn’t always clear.
Prepare to have your preconceptions challenged and your mind blown as the Epicstream team shares their favorite anime with nuanced moral issues.
Monster
When it comes to anime that explores complex moral themes, Madhouse’s adaptation of Naoki Urasawa’s Monster is definitely the first that comes to my mind.
This psychological thriller has a dark story that’s hard to sum up because of how many themes it presents.
It’s fair to say though that this anime is a journey that explores the darkest aspects of people, though it is balanced by moments of humanity that are uplifting.
Vinland Saga
Another anime that comes to mind regarding complex moral themes is Vinland Saga, the adaptation of Makoto Yukimura’s ongoing Monthly Afternoon manga.
This series is a bit more straightforward in that its main theme is the cycle of revenge and violence and how people can hopefully escape it.
Sure, it may not present all the answers given how difficult of a topic it is, but it explores this theme incredibly well, especially in the second season.
Wonder Egg Priority
The one anime that still haunts me to this day is Wonder Egg Priority, which starts with a somewhat magical girl premise and quickly spirals into psychological horror.
The tonal shift was ridiculously bizarre as I was expecting Wonder Egg Priority to be a lighthearted and fun show. And, I was so wrong!
The core of the anime revolves around girls confronting their past traumas and suicidal thoughts.
It doesn’t shy away from showcasing these themes in a serious and emotional way.
Wonder Egg Priority deals with heavy subjects such as bullying, suicide, mental health, and trauma.
Each installment of the anime unravels the struggles of the characters, particularly the protagonist Ai Ohto, who is trying to cope with the death of her best friend.
Psycho-Pass
I found it difficult to think of anime with complex moral themes. Many popular anime series struggle with moral complexity and end up just trying to justify why this bad character wasn’t so bad after all.
One series that sprung to mind is Psycho-Pass. While the sci-fi setting isn’t particularly unique – a world in which people are judged for criminal intent through technology as a way to prevent crime – it does offer an interesting moral question.
There is a memorable scene early in the series (which I won’t spoil for those who haven’t seen it) that essentially involves our naive protagonist meeting the main villain face-to-face for the first time.
In this moment, we see the villain undermine the fabled security system; beyond being hugely dramatic, it also sets up the show’s moral argument going forward – how much can we trust technology as a judge of human intent or emotion?
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
The first thing that comes to mind is Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, a timeless anime rich in complex moral and philosophical themes such as the meaning of existence, the ethics of using forbidden knowledge, and the consequences of war that are sometimes disturbing and heavy to process.
The series weaves a narrative rich with ethical dilemmas and philosophical questions that challenge me to think deeply about the consequences of the characters’ actions, the importance of ethical boundaries, and the nature of one's soul.
These aspects combine to create a series that is both deeply fascinating and thought-provoking but also requires tremendous emotional and intellectual engagement from viewers.
Steins;Gate
Steins;Gate is one of the first anime that comes to mind regarding complex moral themes.
One thing I really enjoyed about the series is how well it portrayed the consequences of the characters' choices when they changed things in their past or other "world lines".
This was especially apparent in Ruka Urushibara's story arc when they became female in one world line, which inadvertently caused another character, Mayuri's, life to be in danger.
Eventually, Rintaro Okabe resolves to revert the changes caused by the previously sent D-Mails, which includes changing Ruka's gender back to male.
This is just one instance in which the anime shows the nuances of getting what you want but at a significant cost, making it a memorable and thought-provoking watch until now.
What is your favorite anime with complex moral themes? Let us know your picks in the comments below.