Animeisn’t shy about sticking to the tropes of its genres, andfans can generally tell what kind of story they’re in for at just a glance. When a series looks like shōnen action, it’s expected that some stylish, fast-paced combat and an innately good protagonist will take the spotlight. Romance is expected to feature, as the name implies, a wholesome love story packed with drama and feels, while a slice of life series is meant to be a cozy, sometimes comedic snapshot of a group of characters' daily lives.
Often a series will reveal all its secrets in just a promotional image or trailer, and is guaranteed to deliver the experience a viewer was after. However, there are also shows that aredetermined to subvert their audience’s expectations. What might appear to be a wholesome romance might just become a gorefest, or a series that advertises itself as a mecha or magical girl story could just take a turn into psychological horror. It’s often a thrilling experience when an anime does something unexpected, and certain shows do it better than others.
Oshi no Kocaused quite a stir within the anime community when it premiered in 2023.Opening with a 90-minute episode, the audience was greeted with what appeared to be a slice of life drama series centered around a doctor and an idol who happened to become pregnant. Over those 90 minutes, however,Oshi no Koshowed signs of something darker lurking underneath the surface, until a sequence of murders flipped what appeared to be the premise on its head.
Suddenly, the doctor and one of his past patients are reincarnated as the twin children of the idol they worshiped, and if that wasn’t unexpected enough, the idol then gets killed as well.All within the very first episode ofOshi no Ko, the plot takes what might have surprised an audience and turns up the dial to max. The story that follows becomes a sort of supernatural mystery that shines a light on the darker aspects of the entertainment industry.
When the series begins,Attack on Titandoesn’t pull its punches. The cold, post-apocalyptic world and excessive violence immediately let viewers know that they’regoing to get into some darker themes, though to what degree isn’t exactly revealed. Following the destruction of the village and death of Eren’s mother,Attack on Titanappears to be setting up its somewhat typical hero’s journey, in which Eren joins the Survey Corps, becomes an elite soldier, and sets out on an adventure to eliminate the titans that ruined his life.
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While that may technically be true, no one expected Eren to be eaten during the very first conflict, or to then rise as a Titan himself shortly after.The entire scope of the series changes at this event, and Eren’s downfall, which defines the series, is largely unexpected of the sort of narrativeAttack on Titanbuilds in its earliest sections.
School Days, based on the visual novel of the same name, has become one of the most infamous anime series ever in the years since its initial airing. Advertised as another run-of-the-mill harem anime, the show slowly devolves into an attempt at deconstructing the genre,before entering a free fall into degeneracy towards a shocking finale. Like watching a train wreck in which the trains continuously spawn and smash into each other in an unending cycle,School Dayscloses out its story in brutal fashion.
While its finale is one of the most unexpected developments in anime history, what holdsSchool Daysback from competing with other series is the simple fact that it isn’t a very enjoyable viewing experience, and culminates in an endingthat comes off like a thin attempt at shocking an audience, rather than offering much substance. Nevertheless, the series is incredibly successful in taking its viewers by surprise.
School-Live!is a 12-episode anime series based on the original manga of the same name by Norimitsu Kaiho and Sadoru Chiba. Everything about the series, from its title, character designs, promotional material, and official illustrations are meant to convince the viewer that they’re about to embark ona slice of life series following a cheerful group of school girls. However, the series quickly communicates that not all is as it seems, and eventually reveals that main character Yuki Takeya is living in a delusion of a happy school life.
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In reality, Yuki and her group of friendsare the last survivors of a zombie apocalypse, and the girls must struggle to keep their friend safe as she continues on in her delusion. Unfortunately, despite being one of the more creative plot twists in the genre,School-Live!doesn’t quite receive the sort of fanfare other similar shows enjoy. The anime concluded well before the manga came to an end, which has contributed to its divisive reception.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, from whereSchool Dayscontinues leaving viewers in disgust,Steins;Gateis commonly regarded as one of the greatest anime series of all time. Another visual novel adaptation, as many shows which intentionally subvert expectations happen to be,Steins;Gatebegins as a seemingly innocent sci-fi series with a hint of comedy, following the enigmatic scientist Rintaro Okabe.
However, when Okabe stumbles upon the dead body of another scientist and realizes he’s able to send text messages to the past through a microwave,the series takes a number of dark turns.One of the rare instances of a time travel series following a largely coherent plot,Steins;Gatetakes what appears to be a lighthearted experience in its earliest sections, and slowly unravels itself into a psychological thriller with a gripping final act.
Once upon a time, it would have been rather difficult to find an anime fan who didn’t know the name Haruhi Suzumiya. Once a powerhouse of the industry,The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiyaushered countless viewers into the world of animeand helped popularize Otaku culture in the west. In fact,Chainsaw Manauthor Tatsuki Fujimotoattributed the beginning of his love for anime and manga to Haruhi. These days, however, it seems Haruhiism is a fading religion.
What markets itself as another slice of life classroom comedy quickly turns into a supernatural seriesin which the world is shaped around the boredom of a singular high school girl. The adventures of the main cast that follows offer twists and turns at every intersection, making the series an incredibly enjoyable watch, even through eight episodes covering the same sequence of events.
Nearly twenty years after its premiere, it might be a bit more difficult forHigurashi When They Cryto keep its secrets hidden. However, the series does its best to bombard any potential viewer withvisuals of an innocent-looking cast and scenic countryside views. What begins like any other almost overly-cliche slice of life anime very rapidly turns into a nightmare.
Main character Keiichi Maebara, after moving to his small, countryside town, is quickly adopted into the quintessential group of school girls,before his life spirals into a harem from hell. He and his friend group are forced into cycles of disturbing violence, each ending in some different traumatizing tragedy. It’s likely that very few anime fans are unaware ofHigurashi’s brutality, though its shocking turn remains impactful today, regardless of how prepared a viewer thinks they are for it.
Made in Abyssuses everything in its power to ensure its audience drops their guard, before unleashing one of the most harrowing stories in modern anime. Its character design and marketing might suggest an innocent adventure series lies ahead, thoughMade in Abyssshows no hesitation in diving to the bottom of a giant hole towards dark and disturbing content.
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The series follows an orphaned girl named Riko, who lives in a town that surrounds a seemingly bottomless abyss. In an effort to find her mother, she enters the giant hole with a half-robot companion named Reg. Viewers deserve a warning before diving intoMade in Abyss,as the series does not show any restraint in its depictions of violence. Given its main cast consists mainly of children, the show can be a difficult watch. However, its strong themes of perseverance make the haunting experience worthwhile.
There are few more jarring changes of direction in anime thanNeon Genesis Evangelion’s deep dive into the human psyche. Beginning as a standard monster-of-the-week mecha series,Evangelionslowly starts to change course with the introduction of Evangelion Unit 02’s pilot, Asuka. Over the following 18 episodes, the audience is taken on a journey that examines trauma, human connection, and giant robot fights.
Culminating in one of the most divisive endings in anime history,Evangelionhas managed to remain incredibly successfulover the three decades since its premiere. Rather than focusing on its iconic mechs and terrifying angels, the series turns inward towards the characters stuck in a battle for humanity’s survival, and is able to keep viewers in the dark until the final credits roll.And in many cases, they remain in the dark long after the anime’s original finale.
Pulla Magi Madoka Magicais commonly regarded asone of the most influential anime series ever. Following the titular Madoka Kaname, the series appears no different from any other magical girl show, before revealing something a bit darker lurking underneath. Met with the opportunity to become an incredibly powerful magical girl, Madoka quickly learns of the tragedy a life with such responsibility holds.
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From its ambitious, experimental visuals to the devastation its characters must endure,there is nothing typical aboutMadoka Magica. Permanently altering the magical girl subgenre, the series remains the best example of an anime pretending to be something it’s not. One of the art form’sgreatest plot twists ever, which makes its shocking reveal towards the end of the series, is just the cherry on top.
