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Thriller anime recommendations.


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Kruszer



Joined: 19 Nov 2004
Posts: 7981
Location: Minnesota, USA
PostPosted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 6:04 pm Reply with quote
This is the new official thriller recomendation thread. If you're having trouble locating thriller anime try here. Also as is always the case with these, they thrive on the recomendations of all of us so post away.

For Reference:
Quote:
thriller (race against the clock)
Story characterized by a thrilling, nearly unbroken sense of urgency and suspense, where the hero seems outclassed by the villain or at his mercy. There is often a race against the clock to thwart the villain.



Some Examples are:

Perfect Blue-Pop idol Mima quits singing for an acting carreer, to the dismay of her fans. However, things do not go smoothly as soon the people involved with the movie are murdered, one by one, and Mima begins having a psychological breakdown.

Kara no Kyoukai-Maybe more of supernatural thriller actually but what looks to be an excellent series of 7 feature films. A string of suicides is the topic of much speculation of the local media but police are left baffled. However, after Shiki Ryogi's friend Mikiya falls into a coma around the same time, she takes a personal interest in the case. Something more supernatural is to blame, however, the cold and distant Shiki isn't exactly normal herself. (Yes I copied the description from it's page but I was the one who wrote it in the first place Wink ) Also that's just the first film, the rest have different plots.

Back to Recomendations Home


Last edited by Kruszer on Thu Dec 04, 2008 3:06 am; edited 3 times in total
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dtm42



Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 14084
Location: currently stalking my waifu
PostPosted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 6:48 pm Reply with quote
Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade

After witnessing the suicide bombing of a terrorist girl, Constable Kazuki Fuse becomes haunted by her image, and is forced to undergo retraining for his position in the Capital Police's Special Unit. However, unknown to him, he becomes a key player in a dispute between Capital and Local Police forces, as he finds himself increasingly involved with the sister of the very girl he saw die.

Paprika

In the near future, a revolutionary new psychotherapy treatment called PT has been invented. Through a device called the "DC Mini" it is able to act as a "dream detective" to enter into people's dreams and explore their unconscious thoughts. Before the government can pass a bill authorizing the use of such advanced psychiatric technology, one of the prototypes is stolen, sending the research facility into an uproar. In the wrong hands, the potential misuse of the device could be devastating, allowing the user to completely annihilate a dreamer's personality while they are asleep. Renowned scientist, Dr. Atsuko Chiba, enters the dream world under her exotic alter-ego, code name "PAPRIKA," in an attempt to discover who is behind the plot to undermine the new invention.

Kite Liberator

Years after the events that transpired in Kite, Sawa's whereabouts are a mystery. During this time, rumors of a new killer have begun to circulate the city. They call her the Angel of Death, an unfeeling assassin who eliminates her targets with grace and precision, leaving only a flurry of feathers as her calling card.

Kaiba

One day a man, Kaiba, wakes up in a broken room. He has no memories, only a pendant with a picture of an unknown woman. Outside of the room are grotesque floating electrical clouds of disjointed memories. Kaiba is suddenly assaulted, and escapes into space. He travels to various planets, encountering various people and retrieving his memories. Memories of an inconsistent and decaying world, of his own agony and of Niero, the woman in the picture.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Went off the Encyclopedia.


Last edited by dtm42 on Fri Nov 07, 2008 10:30 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Kruszer



Joined: 19 Nov 2004
Posts: 7981
Location: Minnesota, USA
PostPosted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 9:38 pm Reply with quote
Good suggestions but remember the no lists rule. You've got to add descriptions or opinions as well otherwise TK will have made me make all these threads for nothing. Wink
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dtm42



Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 14084
Location: currently stalking my waifu
PostPosted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 9:47 pm Reply with quote
Is it okay if I just copy and paste the blurbs from the Encyclopedia? You see, I haven't actually watched any of them, so I can't exactly give a summary of my own......
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Kruszer



Joined: 19 Nov 2004
Posts: 7981
Location: Minnesota, USA
PostPosted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 10:17 pm Reply with quote
I'm not a mod but I'd say go ahead. If you want to be safe just change a few words here or there.
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JacobC
ANN Contributor


Joined: 15 Jan 2008
Posts: 3728
Location: SoCal
PostPosted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 10:24 pm Reply with quote
Uh...if you haven't seen them, how are you supposed to recommend them, dtm42? I mean, just because they have high ratings doesn't mean you can "recommend" them. That requires having seen them and knowing what you liked about them yourself.
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Murasakisuishou



Joined: 22 Jun 2006
Posts: 1469
Location: NE Ohio
PostPosted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 10:39 pm Reply with quote
As someone who's actually seen Kaiba, I don't think it at all qualifies as a thriller. It's got action, but it's also very soothing and introspective and lacks the tense atmosphere one usually associates with thriller series. I don't even know if it counts as 'psychological', even - it's abstract, certainly, but fairly easy to figure out.

My two cents.
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dtm42



Joined: 05 Feb 2008
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 10:41 pm Reply with quote
You're applying an overly-strict definition of "recommend" there.

The main purpose of threads like these is to provide an easily accessible list of high-quality, like-minded (same genre) movies/OVAs/series to those who want to watch a certain type of Anime. In doing so, we help out our fellow fans, while hopefully keeping the forums free of the clutter newcomers make when they are trying to find titles from specific genres.

I don't have to have watched the shows I "recommend" so long as I have faith in the Encyclopedia. Surely many people's opinions are worth more than just my own.

@Murasakisuishou:

Hmmm, well you have seen it, and I haven't, so I'll keep it in mind. The Encyclopedia has been known to be wrong. If other people have the same opinion, then by all means I'll edit it away.
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Tony K.
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Joined: 18 Nov 2003
Posts: 11265
Location: Frisco, TX
PostPosted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 10:50 pm Reply with quote
dtm42 wrote:
Is it okay if I just copy and paste the blurbs from the Encyclopedia? You see, I haven't actually watched any of them, so I can't exactly give a summary of my own......

Right now, I don't care. But if anyone has seen a title and wants to back it up with commentary, feel free to do so. Otherwise, it's pretty pointless to recommend something without, oh, I don't know, some bias.
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Kruszer



Joined: 19 Nov 2004
Posts: 7981
Location: Minnesota, USA
PostPosted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 10:51 pm Reply with quote
I would tend to agree on pricipal that the more series listed and described the better for topics like these. (Remember these are the official ones that many people will look through, linked in the stickied master recomendations thread up top.) I think having seen something personally would add weight to the plugs for them though.
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valondar



Joined: 29 Oct 2008
Posts: 19
PostPosted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 11:18 pm Reply with quote
Murasakisuishou wrote:
As someone who's actually seen Kaiba, I don't think it at all qualifies as a thriller.


I'd agree and say the same thing for Paprika and Jin-Roh. They're good, they're worth watching, but they're not really thillers. Paprika is a rather peculiar mind-screw and Jin-Roh is a brooding affair. Only the former is really psychological.

Monster's a pretty decent psychological thriller, though relatively slow-paced.
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MaiL0MaN



Joined: 22 Apr 2008
Posts: 5
PostPosted: Sat Nov 08, 2008 7:50 am Reply with quote
Higurashi no naku koro ni.

Just about the Best piece of horror/thriller/murder mystery anime to come out since well...... ever! Its like starts off with the typical moe fun and then has you sweating with fear and the transition is like a person dying in a hospital and the machine is like beep beep.........beep beep...............beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep and its like the moe slowly fades away and it all turns into a bone chilling masterpiece. Its one of those things that makes you go "yes, Yessssss kill, Kill, KILL" and "go! go! hurry! escape! the murderer is coming!" and "awwwwwwwwwww" and " ooooo that must have hurt..."

I'd recommend it to anyone who likes thrillers.
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Prede



Joined: 17 Sep 2009
Posts: 388
PostPosted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 2:21 am Reply with quote
WoW this genre sure didn't fair well. Very few recommendations here. Mind if I add a few? Thriller/Suspense is one of my favorite genres!

Sadly I think many recommendations here are a little off the mark. There's no way Paprika is a thriller, although it is amazing. Same goes for Kite Liberator Haven't seen all of Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, but I guess it could very losely be called a thriller. More of a drama/sci-fi in my eyes.

Anyway my recs!

Spiral - In this anime Ayumu Narumi attempts to unravel the mystery of the "Blade Children" who were somehow involved in the disappearance of his brother. Narumi is a very smart student, but has a lot of self doubt he must overcome. He is like a chessplayer, who seems to never fail at predicting what moves his oppents will make, and knwoing exactly what step/move/choice to make next. Hiyono Yuizaki is a classmate and friend of his, who also ends up getting entangled into this huge conspiracy of the "Blade Children" She is also smart, but more interested in the "hard facts" and her data then guessing what will happen next, probally because she is a journalist after all. Anyway these two get involved in a lot of mind games, and psychological battles. There's enough drama to hold anyone , but all the great twists and turns, fast paced deductions, and dramatic scenes will have the suspense fan in you jumping with excitement. This is a very smart, very good psychological thriller. And although I haven't seen the ending yet (I hear it's kind of bad...) this is easily worth a watch just for the journey. And true to the name, everything and everyone is caught in a spiral, going down and down, and it gets worse and worse. And don't be thrown off by the light color pallete, or sub-par artwork and animation. This is acutally kind of a dark show, and very smart. Highly recommended.

Ergo Proxy - This anime involves Re-l Mayar, an inspector of the domed city of Romdeau and Vincent Law, an immigrant, on a journey to learn more about the world around them, and themselves. Everything is not what it's cracked up to be, and there are more then enough mysterious for these two to tackle. As the story unfolds we slowly learn what the lies are, and what the truths are. And slowly we watch the characters understand themselves a little more. There's some great, believable plot twists thrown in the series at good points, although you may see them coming. But since you can see them coming, they don't see so far streched. This series isn't exaclty fast paced, but all it's red herrings, interesting mysterious, unraveling secrets, and perfect cliffhangers make me add it to the this list. Plus it will keep you guessing right up until the end ("WTF is going on?" even though you can follow the story, it's told in a linear way, you still won't understand exactly). It's a dark, Cyberpunk/Thriller, meant only for more mature audiences. And it will take more then one watch to understand it all. But it's a very good series. Highly recommended.

Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo - This show is a re-telling of the classic novel by Dumas. It's about Alberta a young nobel who ends up almost faithfully meeting the The Count of Monte Cristo. The Count seems eager to help Alberta and his friend, and even become their friend. And then he springs a sick game on the two. He will place three cards face down on the table, and they will pick one of them. Each card represents a man about to be executed. Whichever card is chosen is the man who will be saved. Their proclaimed innocence or purpose of their crimes is meaningless. Their lives will be left up to chance. And this doesn't even begin to explain a fraction of the story many would call, "the best revenge tale ever told". There's so much layers to this, so much detail it's crazy. This is actually probally a better watch if you didn't read the novel as many things are left a mystery here, which were not meant to be in the novel orignally. It's more of a Drama set in a Sci-Fi setting, but I think it has enough suspense and mystery to be listed here too. It's a excellent, dark, refined, and mature series. I've onnly recently started watching, but if it keeps up this quality I may rank it a 10/10, or at the very least 9/10. Highly recommended.


Death Note - How can we not list what is perhaps the best suspense anime ever made? Probally because everyone already saw it. But still if you have not seen this it must be watched. I won't even bother explaing it, since you all probally know about it. Just be sure the suspense in this is amazing, and it's a very intellegent show. VERY Highly recommended.


Last edited by Prede on Tue Nov 10, 2009 7:15 pm; edited 3 times in total
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arachneia



Joined: 20 Mar 2009
Posts: 415
Location: On the wings of Bob Lennon
PostPosted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 7:29 am Reply with quote
I second Gankutsuou and Death Note (although I would stay away from the former if you have any attachment to the Dumas book).

I wouldn't necessarily classify Monster as a thriller (not as its primary genre, anyway), but it does have a good many twists and turns that will shock, mystify, and surprise you. But what the hell is Paprika doing on this list?
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FLMikeATT



Joined: 17 Mar 2008
Posts: 58
PostPosted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 2:47 am Reply with quote
Higurashi and its successor(?) Umineko no Naku Koro Ni are probably the best examples of the genre, in my opinion.

Hmm...would Mnemosyne count?
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