15 Anime That Are Hard To Understand

Neon Genesis Evangelion is listed among 15 anime that are hard to understand.Fans have written entire essays because Neon Genesis Evangelion is so difficult to understand.People write entire essays trying to break down all of Neon Genesis Evangelion's content.The show demands viewers follow the conflict between NERV and the Angels. It also brings Freudian concepts, religious allusions, and complex metaphors.

This is not a straightforward mecha show. If you want a brain workout, watch it.Evangelion.

FLCLFLCL is one of thetrippiest anime ever made.While you enjoy FLCL whether you get it or not, it is not an easy watch. The show is a coming-of-age story thematically. Literally, it follows a pink-haired alien who opens a portal in a 12-year-old's forehead and pulls robots out of it. Understanding this insane anime's actual meaning is hard.

Serial Experiments LainSerial Experiments Lain is notorious for not making sense. When 14-year-old Lain gets an email from a seemingly dead classmate, she findsthe Wiredthe Wired is a mix of the internet and virtual reality. As Lain spends more time there, the lines between the Wired and her real life get blurry.LainLain questions reality's nature, but the show never gives viewers clear answers.

MonogatariMonogatari is a dense series of anime. All series focus on the nearly immortalKoyomi AraragiAraragi deals with many basic conflicts easily. He tries to help people avoid curses, hexes, and other magic problems.

However, the details surrounding these issues are not simple. Every image, every spoken word, every text scrolling on screen has a symbolic meaning. You need multiple viewings to grasp it all; still, it is a challenge.

WhileHigurashi: When They CryHigurashi: When They Cry certainly makes an impression with its gory torture scenes. The reasons behind them are not always clear. Some characters hurt others due to child abuse; some are forced into weird religious rituals; others suffer fromHinamizawa syndromeHinamizawa syndrome is a fictional mental condition that causes murderous urges.

It is hard to track who attacks whom and why. This happens because of the complexity itself, and later, your brain might shut down from all the blood.

The thing aboutRevolutionary Girl Utena is thatyou do not need to know what is happening. What matters is not each plot point; those aremostly irrelevant.Instead, the series uses abstractions, metaphors, and allegories. None of these make sense without the viewer thinking hard.

ThoughSteins;GateSteins;Gate does eventually start to make sense. The beginning totally bafflesits audiencea huge portionof its audienceof Steins;Gateof its audienceThe first episode of Steins;Gate presents unanswered questions. Some viewers want answers; others get lost and stop watching.

After episode one, tracking timelines becomes hard because the show uses time travel a lot.

Mawaru-PenguindrumThis anime is one of the most abstract. Shouma and Kanba, brothers, try to save their sister, Himari, from a terminal illness. A magical being in a penguin hat brings her back after she dies. The brothers must find the penguin drum, a mysterious object the being tasks them with getting.Penguin drumThey seek the penguin drum, a mysterious object the magical being tasks them with acquiring.

Because this anime uses many metaphors and symbols found in English finals, watch it after sleeping well and eating breakfast.

If you want an easy-to-follow anime, do not watch The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.TheMelancholy of HaruhiSuzumiyaThis story features a girl with godlike powers who can restart the universe if bored. The structure makes it confusing, not the content.

HaruhiThe show aired episodes out of order, baffling fans about the correct viewing sequence. Season two is worse; it repeats episode eight times, with tiny differences fans cannot track without extreme patience.

Imagine a cocaine addict traveling at the speed of sound. This anime's pace matches that feeling. Pandy and Retro kill nearly everyone they meet, leaving viewers stunned. This anime movie ride features excessive violence, crude moments, and no explanations for anything.

Do not watch this anime for the plot; it lacks substance. Watch it for the Technicolor, blood-soaked insanity it provides.

Pop Team EpicThis anime suits viewers who ignore the lack of plot. Two main characters, Pipimi and Popuko, have few differences except Popuko is slightly more aggressive than Pipimi. The anime jumps between increasingly bizarre sketches involving the two.bizarre sketchesinvolving the two.

One sketch shows them as mob bosses; another shows them as Pokémon. Most jokes reference Japanese pop culture too obscure for Western viewers, so specifics often escape them.

Baccano!Baccano! is an amazing anime. Tracking the many simultaneous storylines proves difficult. These stories do not connect until the end. Viewers spend much of the show with no idea what happens.

KyousougigaKyousougiga started life as a series of ONAs.These ONAs became a full anime series.The new series offers more space to clarify its storyline. However, many viewers still get lost.Many viewers still get lost.Events appear out of order. This causes trouble for viewers trying to grasp the story.

Several characters share the same name, increasing the confusion.

Excel SagaExcel Saga avoids a traditional narrative. It instead mocks almost every aspect of Japanese and Western pop culture from the late '90s.Excel Saga parodies Japanese andExcel Saga parodies Western pop culture that occupied people's minds in the late '90s.The main character, Excel, is one of the most hyperactive anime characters viewers will see.Excel is one of the most hyperactive anime characters viewers will ever encounter.

This program uses a meandering structure. It mirrors other entertainment forms. It presents opinions on those shows. It keeps viewers invested. The series is totally incoherent. This makes it more enjoyable.

Perhaps Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei would make more sense to a viewer who knows Japanese culture and language well. But many anime viewers lack that knowledge. Good shows bridge cultural gaps, but some target a specific group. This makes viewing confusing outside Japan.Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei A viewer with deep Japanese culture and language knowledge finds more sense. Many anime viewers lack this knowledge. Great shows connect viewers from all cultures. Some shows target only a specific group. This causes confusion outside Japan.