Anime that show ugly realities of our world?

I’m looking for anime that show the “evil realities of our world, (ex; violence, bullying, scamming, lusting etc) how they exist in our world, the psychology/reason behind them or just explaining them in general (both are fine).

I once saw one where it had a part showing how (some) men view women passing by lustful, explaining their thoughts on them and then went deeper on how that view results to sexual assault, etc..( sorry I don’t remember the anime).

Another example, is from Monster (peak), the scene unfolding after Johan’s conversation with a child (when he was dressed as a woman), how the child went to the city, the way people there treated it badly, he slowly came to realise how terrible the world is.

Come to think of it, the scene with sayaka (from puella magi madoka magica) finding out the truth of the world she was protecting was also rather admirable and I would count it.

I understand that the anime I’m looking for is most likely non-existent, but still, anime that include parts like the ones mentioned above would be fitting.

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AutoModerator2026-01-11 23:17

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Nomar_952026-01-11 23:19

Texhnolyze

I_BEAT_JUMP_ATTACHED2026-01-12 01:13

not exactly our world, but it definitely shows ugly realities

XZFireY2026-01-11 23:20

If you watched Monster, watch Pluto.

I would also suggest Golden Kamuy and Dororo. Moriarty the Patriot is nice aswell

Sharp-Ad-94232026-01-11 23:26

Zom 100

Magma_Dragoooon2026-01-11 23:28

Welcome to the NHK is exactly what you are looking for

ActualRound76992026-01-11 23:30

* Takopi’s Original Sin
* Perfect Blue
* Higehiro
* Ergo Proxy
* psycho-pass

Kelthuzard12026-01-12 04:06

Fate Grand Order.

cracklemuffin2026-01-12 06:40

good damn list. I'd add Evangelion and Big O. Maybe Ghost in the Shell.

ExtraPicklesPls2026-01-12 06:51

Tapoki's Original Sin is the one. Followed by Perfect Blue. Such a wonderful encapsulation of anime then and now.

cracklemuffin2026-01-12 06:54

Perfect Blue hits hard.

Humble_Holiday_21372026-01-12 08:50

Came here to say number 1 but damn instantly want to cry

n0tathrowaways2026-01-12 12:01

I LOVE Takopi's original sin

Cute_Concentrate55832026-01-12 19:52

Higehiro mentioned. Yay

mira_poix2026-01-11 23:31

Golden Kamuy

Former-Magician-48092026-01-11 23:38

Psycho pass - about law and order

Code Geass - about oppression and freedom

JJK Movie not the series

One Piece - I feel morality is challenged on every arc about freedom vs security vs desire to change.

Pluto - Machine and human empathy

Knee_High_Cat_Beef2026-01-12 00:11

I love Psycho-Pass, especially the conflict between law and free will, versus the greater good and stability.

H0r0sha2026-01-11 23:40

Rainbow (Bad Society)

Silent Voice (Loneliness)

Scum's Wish (Fake relationships)

Fisonnra2026-01-12 06:20

For fake relationships, I would also want to recommend Oregairu. This anime doesn't show the cruelty on an extreme level, but the anime does dive deeply into genuine and superficial relationships.

NTolegna2026-01-12 08:50

I think silent voice is too sweet for what op is looking for. Very unrealistic

Aromatic-Scratch34812026-01-12 14:17

Silent voice has so much more to it than that. Ego, accountability, self worth, self image, suicide,forgiveness,bullying, grudges, blame. I could probably keep going for a while.

Mixer-30072026-01-11 23:40

Bubblegum Crisis / AD Police / Parasite Dolls

Raddish30302026-01-11 23:42

Psycho Pass

PerceptionOk85432026-01-11 23:45

Dead Dead Demons shows ugly side of politicians when the world is on the brink of destruction

Also Shinsekai Yori is a show about a hidden society where kids discover truth about the world

SP3_Hybrid2026-01-12 00:37

Dead dead demons was so good. The airplane scene was shocking.

PerceptionOk85432026-01-12 00:46

Yep it’s a shame I don’t see people talking about it, probably because it came out of season with a weird episode 0. I didn’t even know it was coming out and I’m a fan of the mangaka, stumbled upon it by chance one day lol

FortnitePapi2026-01-12 02:31

From the same author as goodnight pun pun

SouekiSennoSTM2026-01-11 23:46

- Banana Fish

Steppewulf2026-01-11 23:50

Vinland Saga

Ok-Strawberry-42152026-01-11 23:52

I think Apothecary Diaries touches on this pretty firmly, how a few people deciding to commit evil or selfish acts can destroy hundreds to tens of thousands of lives. It’s subtle but is really the whole point of the show

Promised Neverland technically isn’t set in reality, and I have only watched some of it, but it shows how readily people will prey on the weak and children in order to benefit themselves as much as possible

Princess Mononoke and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind show some (relatively censored) realities of war, and survival

abandoned_idol2026-01-11 23:59

Trillion Game shows our deuteragonist (overshadowing the protagonist) lying, omitting, misleading, swindling, networking, etc for the sake of quickly creating new companies.

He then uses people and companies as stepping stones for his next venture/company.

Basically "in order to succeed in business, you have to LIE!!!".

Lying requires being handsome. Outfit, confidence, and all kinds of mimicry. It's a skill like any other.

jacowab2026-01-11 23:59

Gundam, it's one of the few anime that completely acknowledges that the characters are 12-18 in a war and treats them as such, they oftentimes will run away or emotionally shut down when faced with having to kill people and there is even an infamous scene where a soldier realizes it was a child in the mech that killed his friends and he kills himself because he can't handle a war where children are fighting and killing.

The character growth is also incredible the characters become completely unrecognizable but in a natural way.

Knee_High_Cat_Beef2026-01-12 00:14

The entirety of Gundam IBO was an escalating series of FAFO.

willwstewart2026-01-12 01:57

Iron Blooded Orphans.

NamerNotLiteral2026-01-12 13:44

One season of fuck around

One season of find out

No-Detail-63612026-01-12 05:21

I've been meaning to watch Gundam for a while. Can you start from any of the series or is it best to watch them in chronological order?

Glockwise2026-01-12 05:40

For the Universal Centuries with the exception of the OG-Zeta-ZZ (+GQuuuuuux), you can start anywhere even Unicorn and the Hathaway movie.

Any of the alternative universe titles (Wing, X, G, SEED, etc) are also great for first time entry.

Shoutout to anyone who got into the franchise from the wild west that is SD Gundam shows.

Aware_Step_61322026-01-12 05:46

He's probably referring to the original 1979 series, in the same way that when people say Star Wars they mean the 1977 film.

_Kaanu2026-01-12 08:56

Just watch them in release order tbh

jacowab2026-01-12 11:06

Tldr- Gundam 1979-Zeta Gundam-ZZ Gundam-Chars Counter attack all need to be watched in that order, and Gundam Gquuuuuux-Gundam Unicorn-Gundam Narrative-Gundam Hathaway can be watched whenever but have minor to major spoilers for those previous ones, any of the other 30ish series can be watched with no issues.

There are 3 types of series,

main UC is the main "plot" and should be watched in order, you could technically jump into any of them except for ZZ Gundam and chars counter attack and be able to follow the plot and the character though

Then there are the UC spinoffs these are all stand alone series that happen during the events of the UC series and you can watch almost any of these with no spoilers.

And then all the rest are alternate universes which basically means they are unique anime that just borrow the terminology, like the main mech is called a Gundam and there are some references to the UC series but other than that it's something completely different.

blackcrow1842026-01-12 06:54

War in the Pocket

timpkmn892026-01-12 00:02

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei

WeakEntrepreneur70082026-01-12 00:02

Erased: Abuse and serial killing

cracklemuffin2026-01-12 06:41

probably the best example of what op is talking about, imo

AppropriatFly5170new2026-01-12 00:04

Cocoon, grave of the fireflies, and children of the whales all give some very insightful commentary on war and genocide

Cosmic_Coconut9992026-01-12 00:29

Every Mobile Suit Gundam series does a good job at this.

Innocent-Bystander942026-01-12 00:30

Maquia

A silent voice

NoHead17152026-01-12 00:33

3-gatsu no Lion (school bullying)

The_Sedgend2026-01-12 00:35

If you include gambling/addiction Kaiji fits

__Bankai_2026-01-12 00:46

Vinland saga!
It explores a lot of primal themes and I definitely think it can change one’s perspective about many things in life.

FartsGracefully2026-01-12 00:50

chikyuu shoujo arjuna came to mind immediately

Agitated_Example_8682026-01-12 00:52

Devilman

Animenforever2026-01-12 01:04

That's OSHI NO KO for you 😌

Capital-Builder-48792026-01-12 01:13

Speedgrapher
it's dark and made me lose my faith in humanity. 😆

Whycomike2026-01-12 01:15

Takopi.
Happy Sugar Life

Melton_032026-01-12 01:19

Kinda diff but the promised never land makes u realize just how bad we treat the animals used for meat by turning the tables and showing u a world where humans are the one farmed. The manga goes more in depth on it

ComfortablePhase922026-01-12 01:29

Still waiting on the second season 🙄 😒 lol

Reasonable_Exit_32682026-01-12 01:23

Gachiakuta

ComfortablePhase922026-01-12 01:28

86

my home hero

91 days

Your lie in April

common_dreamer882026-01-12 01:47

Kotoura-San (bullying, isolation)

willwstewart2026-01-12 01:56

It’s crazy this came up on my feed, I started watching “Tougen Anki” and I couldn’t believe the parallels to the fight between “good” and “evil” and persecution and lack of rights for people solely based on who they were when they were born…the prejudice and bigotry that happens on a daily basis. It literally is the entire story beat and lasts the whole of the show that has been aired thus far.

tdm17mn2026-01-12 02:07

Jigoku Shoujo, Death Note

Cyberblood2026-01-12 02:26

If we are mentioning Jigoku Shoujo, we could also add Death Parade, though death parade has a mix of good and bad, where Hell girl is always bad (or unjust, in some of the worst cases)

storm_zr12026-01-12 02:20

Nana show toxic relationships.

BasileusBasil2026-01-12 02:32

Black Lagoon.

Gilldo132026-01-12 03:30

grave of the fireflies

CultureDTCTV2026-01-12 04:13

Flowers of Evil

Pluto

necle02026-01-12 04:23

> I’m looking for anime that show the “evil realities of our world, (ex; violence, bullying, scamming, lusting etc) how they exist in our world

Vinland Saga

Banana Fish

Angel Beats (main setting is purgatory but the backstories about how they get there)

91 Days

Moriarty The Patriot

> the psychology/reason behind them or just explaining them in general (both are fine).

Including series where the main genre isn’t grim or dark but do going into what you are taking about:

Sket Dance (later seasons)

IDOLiSH7 (S2 and onwards)

Fruits Basket

kekehippo2026-01-12 04:28

The recent secret Gacha skill anime had how bad racism was in on full display.

Grass-Monkey332026-01-12 04:37

Grave of the Fireflies

FleaBagMogul2026-01-12 04:42

The Great Pretender : Schemes and heists

Michiko to Hatchin: Escaping from your past searching for a better future.

_WrongKarWai2026-01-12 05:26

Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu Legend of the Galactic Heroes - benevolent dictatorship vs. incompetent democracy etc, dirty politicians, cults, zealotry

Grave of the fireflies

86

Promised Neverland

Made in Abyss

Tasty-Cobbler74902026-01-12 05:32

Spec ops Asuka. Muv Luv. Jormungand.

Left-Night-11252026-01-12 05:41

Cross Ange

Now some see the fanservice cause that the obvious part to see, but it also show how far racism can go it doesnt sugar coat it.

kaiser_kerfluffy2026-01-12 06:09

Gundam for war and its effects on child soldiers
Evangelion for similar but with adults abusing kids being more prevalent sorta( the grooming and shinji's dad)
One piece for people with too much power dividing humans along racial and economical divides, suppressing knowledge and history as well as genocides, slavery, racism.
Death note for the narcissist hero complex
Kaiji the ultimate survivor for economic exploitation

Lulink2026-01-12 06:11

Surprised no one said Paranoia Agent yet!

SaintHuck2026-01-12 06:16

Higurashi. The visual novel goes even deeper. *(Edit) Good advice from the commenter below about where to start and where not to. I forgot to specify.*

Galaxy Express 999 can be quite dark and incisive when it comes to dissecting the human condition. It's poetic, moving and quite wistful even with bleak topics, but it doesn't hold back.

Kino's Journey. Saw the 2003 version and found it enthralling. Incredible sense of tone and atmosphere.

Kiriijou2026-01-12 08:38

As an important heads up, **for OP** and anyone else who might be interested in watching Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni (Higurashi When They Cry), make sure you start with either: the [2006 anime](https://myanimelist.net/anime/934/Higurashi_no_Naku_Koro_ni) (and it's [second half Kai](https://myanimelist.net/anime/1889/Higurashi_no_Naku_Koro_ni_Kai)), the original visual novel, or the manga adaptation.

The 2020 anime Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni: Gou (Higurashi When They Cry: New), is a sequel to the original story, not a remake. **Don't accidentally start with Gou**, as it's full of spoilers.

(_Note: in most (if not all) regions, the only Higurashi anime on Crunchyroll, is Gou. Also, the original Visual Novel is currently available on Steam, under the title"Higurashi When They Cry: Hou", with the first arc being free to download._).

RewindSwine2026-01-12 06:16

Shinsekai Yori

It’s been a long time since I watch this anime but I think this is definitely the feeling you’re going for. Really explores the characters and reveals the truth of the world they’re living in.

witchywater112026-01-12 06:18

Now and Then, Here and There

Bokurano

Zioreth2026-01-12 06:21

Earth Girl Arjuna

Borne2Run2026-01-12 06:22

On the movements of the earth (ORB).

ninja_mummy2026-01-12 06:24

Ive been watching this one called, To Your Eternity. Its not exactly what your referring to but the mc has to learn about the world and deals with a lot of violence and hardship, they need to learn how to navigate the complexities of the world.[](https://www.crunchyroll.com/series/GG5H5XMWV/to-your-eternity)

MeMorphoKnight2026-01-12 06:41

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure does that quite well, but only after part 3, the first three parts are simplistic in good and villainy, but then you get a terrifying written lustful serial killer, a paranoid short-sighted mob boss, a religious fanatic who worships evil while believing he's just, a nationalist who's willing to kill anyone for the idea of a prosperous nation, a manipulative psychopath who's exploiting the weakness of the masses through the medical industry, (I'm not reading part 9), including many well written side and antagonistic characters if you don't mind looking deeper than the bizarreness of their personalities.

sumnsumnfruit562026-01-12 06:42

Great Pretender

PinoBrahman2026-01-12 06:44

Castlevania

cracklemuffin2026-01-12 06:45

Promised Neverland, maybe...made in abyss? I feel like even tho both are based in fantasy, something about them parallels our understanding of things.

cracklemuffin2026-01-12 06:46

honestly OG sailor moon. always had good life lessons. I'm partial to the DIC dub. Sailor Moon says!

ExtraPicklesPls2026-01-12 06:52

Takopi's Original Sin. This is the answer.

cracklemuffin2026-01-12 06:53

honestly, the whole Name arc of DBZ. it may not be for everyone, but it is pretty humbling for me. Frieza is literally an evil real estate developer, and the people of Namek are fighting for their culture and lives. Frieza only sees profit and opportunity.

cracklemuffin2026-01-12 06:56

Maybe Terror in Resonance. Japan Sinks 2020 (Netflix).

Nate8482026-01-12 07:03

Cowboy Bebop. Samurai Champloo. Angel beats. Charlotte. Erased. Death Parade. Psycho Pass. Gosick. Even Sword Art Online.

Quite contrary to your idea that this kind of anime is almost nonexistent, this is exactly why I love anime. Pretty much everything I watch always has some exploration of the “evil realities of our world,” and is also able to explore it in ways much of modern western shows just can’t (or maybe don’t?)

iamthedevill2026-01-12 07:15

This one's a bit obvious but Naruto

Trashpanda_Witch892026-01-12 07:22

Shiki

ElliotAlderson20242026-01-12 07:47

Erased is pretty brutal.

4lipapi2026-01-12 07:51

Heavenly delusion and dororo

eunyoungpk2026-01-12 07:55

I thought Attack on Titan did a great job at showing the realities of humanity.

a-nun-ee-moose2026-01-12 08:04

Texhnolyze.

Minute_Pepper_80762026-01-12 08:12

Going downtown to hate my family this a good anime .

ComfortableReason7962026-01-12 08:13

Attack on Titan

LittleLostDoll2026-01-12 08:22

nana

hellgirl

ManMarmalade2026-01-12 08:59

Elfen Lied

Tog_the_destroyer2026-01-12 09:32

Akudama drive is a fun futuristic one!

Snarfsicle2026-01-12 16:47

March comes in like a lion

Commercial_Ideal_5272026-01-12 17:04

Devilman : crybaby

darkcyde_2026-01-12 17:25

Dunno how everyone missed it so far:

**Cyberpunk Edgerunners**