Anime fans are aware that the medium has increasingly adopted a trend of focusing on dark, gritty shows that delve into heavier topics and themes. Tropes such as traumatic backstories, dead parents, tragic romances, and unhappy endings have become increasingly prevalent in popular series over the past decade. Some of the biggest series of the last five years include Demon Slayer, Attack on Titan, and Chainsaw Man, none of which hide the copious amounts of violence, death, and trauma that make up their plots.
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A good chunk of anime presents darker material exactly as it is, with art and animation that enhance the solemn atmosphere or graphic sequences; however, there are a few series that lean in the complete opposite direction, utilizing cutesy art to mask the depressing story being told. Going into an anime expecting a fun, lighthearted watch based on the art, color scheme, and animation, only to receive despair is such a fun and unique viewer experience, which doesn’t happen enough. This list will explore some of the cutest anime ever put to screen that also have unforgettably deep, dark narratives that can’t be forgotten.
7) Ranking of Kings
Ranking of Kings is an adorably animated series that combines royalty with one of the most poignant character-driven plots of the last decade. Released in 2021, the series has a total of 23 episodes in its singular season, along with a series of shorts, Ranking of Kings: Treasure Chest of Courage. The show has a rounded, soft art style that is enhanced by pleasant colors that are light and airy to the eye. Despite this, the series is far from laid-back or made of fluff, dealing with heavy themes such as self-realization and identity, the pursuit of dreams, and the power of kindness.
The plot of Ranking of Kings follows Prince Bojji, a young boy who is set to inherit a powerful kingdom. His only setback is the kingdom’s view of Bojji as incapable of being a good ruler because of the fact that he’s deaf and physically weak. Despite the scorn and mockery thrown his way, Bojji dreams of one day becoming the greatest king ever. This dream sets Bojji on a journey, accompanied by a shadow assassin, to traverse the land and become the competent, strong ruler his people need.
6) School-Live!
One of the classic examples of a deceptively depressing anime has to be School-Live!, a show that subverts the typical schoolgirl trope depicted in most anime series. The series was first released in 2015 and had a total of 12 episodes before coming to an end. It embraced the soft, bright art that many schoolgirl anime tend to have, leaning into a lighter color scheme that feels like the show’s focus will be on slice-of-life troubles; instead, we get to witness the slow breakdown of a group of young girls’ minds as they attempt to survive the reality of a zombie outbreak.
School-Live! addresses themes such as mental health, trauma, survival, and the death of innocence. The plot of the show follows the lives of the School Living Club, a group of four girls who are the only survivors of a zombie apocalypse that claimed the lives of everyone they loved. In an effort to shield their friend Yuki, who lives in a complete delusion to cope with her reality, the girls pretend they’re living a normal life by engaging in everyday things to provide the illusion of safety and happiness.
5) Wonder Egg Priority
Wonder Egg Priority takes a spin on the magical girl genre by offering a deep dive into trauma, depression, and mental health. The series was initially released back in 2021, with a single season containing 12 episodes before wrapping up. It’s known for having colorful, vibrant art that brings the character designs to life, along with fluid animation and a unique, dark concept not addressed in many other modern anime. While Wonder Egg Priority gives the initial vibe of a typical fantasy-action series, its exploration of the effects of suicide was a sobering effect on the otherwise upbeat feel of the series.
In the vein of similar titles such as Sailor Moon and Puella Magi Madoka Magica, the show is a take on the magical girl trope, complete with alternate worlds and fantastical powers. The show follows Ai Ohto, a young girl who has become a shut-in after the death of her best friend by suicide. Ai is given the chance to potentially save her friend by purchasing a Wonder Egg from a claw machine in a mysterious arcade. This kick-starts Ai’s journey as a protector, forced to protect young girls from their trauma manifestations in her dreams, in an effort to resurrect her own best friend.
4) Girls’ Last Tour
It’s not often that anime takes a direct approach to post-apocalyptic tales that don’t focus on supernatural elements that cause the world’s destruction. Girls’ Last Tour is a breath of fresh air, combining science fiction with iyashikei (healing or comforting) to create an introspective look at surviving in a destroyed world. The show was released in 2017 and wrapped up after 12 episodes. While the anime boasts a chibi-adjacent art style, the cuteness only enhances the suffering the main characters go through, sharply highlighting their age and innocence, which feels out of place in the harsh environment they have to live in.
Girls’ Last Tour follows the journey of Yuuri and Chito, two young girls who have managed to survive a global catastrophe that left the remaining world in a post-apocalyptic winter. The girls traverse the vast landscape together on their motorbike, scavenging for food and supplies to ensure they survive another day. On the way, the girls meet numerous other survivors doing their best to make it in the new, brutal world they inhabit. While the nature of Girls’ Last Tour is bleak, the beauty of the anime is the hope both girls exhibit in the face of certain doom, instead focusing on the small marvels of their situation.
3) Your Lie in April
One of the top anime of the last decade, widely recognized by anime fans for its devastating conclusion, has to be Your Lie in April. The anime series first aired in 2014 and had a single season containing 22 episodes. Perfect for fans of series such as Clannad or A Silent Voice, the series has a specific focus on the unifying power of music that can connect the lives and hearts of individuals. It handles tough themes like loss, grief, healing from trauma, and accepting painful truths to move on.
The plot of Your Lie in April follows the story of Kōsei Arima, a young pianist who loses the drive and inspiration to play when his mother dies. His life becomes a dull, subdued affair until a chance meeting allows him to meet Kaori Miyazono, a violinist whose bright outlook on life allows Kōsei the chance to heal. The two become music partners, performing together and building a close relationship that gives Kōsei the chance to regain his love of music and drive to interact with life again, instead of merely enduring it.
2) Made in Abyss
Made in Abyss is easily one of the best science fiction anime among modern titles, with touches of fantasy and horror that bring its unique setting to life. Released back in 2017, the series has a total of two seasons, along with a film trilogy that recapped and expanded on the main plot. Fans specifically praise Made in Abyss for the show’s inclusion of brutality, violence, and gore, juxtaposing the adorable art style and animation. Addressing themes such as the loss of innocence, sacrifice, and exploration, the series is a gorgeous depiction of the bonds that drive us all.
In the anime, the world is characterized by the Abyss, a massive chasm that has opened up in the ground, extending down numerous layers and containing an array of environmental biomes and ancient relics. Riko, a young orphan whose mother disappeared years ago when exploring the Abyss, dreams of becoming a Cave Raider and descending into the Abyss herself. After a chance encounter with a robot boy named Reg, the duo makes their journey down into the Abyss, passing the decaying and strange remnants of people, civilizations, and nature while fighting to survive the horrors they uncover.
1) Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Puella Magi Madoka Magica has a cult following due to the anime’s groundbreaking, trope-subverting qualities that defined a new era of the magical girl genre. The show was released in 2011 and had only one season containing 12 episodes; it would later spur numerous manga spin-offs, video games, and anime adaptations. It features all the charm and cuteness of early magical girl shows, which only serves to contrast the bleak fates of the main cast of girls as they encounter the harsh reality of being a magical girl. Puella Magi Madoka Magica navigates themes of loss, the link between hope and despair, and loss of innocence.
The anime series follows middle-school student Madoka Kaname, an average, friendly girl who is approached by the alien-being, Kyubey, with an offer to become a magical girl. In exchange for any wish, Madoka will be expected to fight supernatural forces known as witches to protect humankind. This powerful choice is thwarted by Madoka’s fellow, mysterious classmate who Homura Akemi, who insinuates that the price of being a magical girl is too great to pay. Puella Magi Madoka Magica leans into the predatory nature of Kyubey’s deal, showcasing how the team of girls suffer in numerous ways, slowly plagued by the darkness they fight.
Have you seen any of these anime series? Tell us which anime surprised you with its plot in the comments below.
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