Summary
Despite some misconceptions, anime never shies away from darker topics. Even in the shonen genre, the themes are often existential and deal with trauma and the horrific consequences of one’s actions. The characters frequently have to go through multiple growth stages, making them relatable and engaging to the audience. The change often comes from tragedies and difficulties in their lives.
One of the mature, grim themes of many anime iswar.Many anime depict war in countless settings, be it in the real world or a fantasy setting, with different messages and pictures to portray in each. Many of them also touch onhow societies are affected following a war,as it inevitably creates cycles of violence and hatred and forces future generations to deal with the residual animosity in their struggle to build a better world.
Neon Genesis Evangelionpresents a world that has survived a terrifying war that led to an apocalypse which changed humanity forever. Humanity’s enemies are mysterious creatures called Angels. They are massive in size and possess supernatural abilities that can level entire cities, but despite this, the anime shows that humans were able to resist their onslaught.
The setting the anime presents shows people trying to live in war-torn Japan, with regular attacks from the Angels being a part of everyday life. The only ones who can resist the Angels aremechanical suits named Eva’sand their teenage pilots. The show explores how piloting an EVA affects the pilot’s psychology, and how the constant strain can wear them down and bring them to the lowest point in their life.
1997-1998
Berserk
In his quest for revenge, Guts confronts sinister forces, including violent criminals, evil spirits, and a devout adversary. Despite the immense personal cost, he fights relentlessly, relying solely on his human strength and swordsmanship to face enemies with unnatural powers.
Berserkis an anime with a far darker tone and story than most fantasy anime, putting the vilest sides of humanity on display. It portrays a medieval world with multiple kingdoms fighting between themselves, driven by their power-hungry leaders who gladly throw their men’s lives away. However, the main story focuses on the outsiders in the war.
The protagonist, Guts, and his former comrades, the Band of the Hawk, have no nation or place they call home, even though their leader, Griffith, seeks to create a place like this. This leads to them fighting as mercenaries for other kingdoms, always moving from one place to another as they traverse their merciless world.
While the main focus ofFrierenislove, friendship, and mentorship, it also explores the post-war state in a fantasy world. This time, the protagonist is among the heroes who once helped defeat the evil forces and save the kingdom, and now she has to search for a new purpose in a peaceful world.
Frieren follows her pursuit of magical knowledge, yet she often encounters people on her way. Many of them are among those she once helped; now, she can see them trying to move on and rebuild. Frieren herself tries to better understand humans in a post-war setting, leading to her character’s development.
Vinland Sagahas the cycle of war and peace at its very heart, showing multiple characters who either try to escape war and find some solace, or get swallowed by it entirely.This is shown by the story of the protagonist, Thorfinn, who starts out motivated by vengeance and goes on to fight in a bloody war.
This experience completely drains him, and the fact that he is unable to kill the man he wanted to breaks him completely. The second season of the show explores how a soldier can live after a war while still burdened by trauma and loss. The story shows Thorfinn regaining some hope and returning home in search of a better future.
Violet Evergardenis defined by war and its aftermath, even though the story’s premise includes no military action. The main heroine, Violet, has known nothing but war, suffering, and killing since her childhood, but now shetries to move on and find a new purposeas a typewriter.
People she frequently comes into contact with have lost their friends or loved ones due to war, and this allows her to come to terms with her own past and let go of the man who once saved her and trained her to be a soldier. In the end, she can start her life anew and move past the devastating traumatic experiences she suffered.
Code Geasstakes place in an alternate version of the real world where the Empire of Britannia has become a dominant superpower and conquered Japan, which they designated Area 11. The people of Japan have to live under oppression and suffer second-class citizen treatment, but this war eventually sparks a rebellion.
It is led by Lelouch Lamperouge, a former Britannian prince who wants revenge against the royal family and to create an ideal world where the strong protect the weak. To this end, he launches a revolution and leads an army named Zero, teaming up with the oppressed people who wish to fight for their freedom.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
WhileBrotherhoodmay seem like a story about the journey of two brothers at the start, it quickly evolves into a tale with a far bigger scope. The protagonists have to partake in a conflict that goes deeper the more they explore it, unveiling forces that manipulate multiple countries and countless people for their own gain.
Thetheme of war and its consequencesis central toBrotherhood.Many important characters are a part of the military and have committed atrocities during the war, as they were following the orders of their tyrannical leader. Many of them have to grapple with this burden and choose whether to continue the cycle of hatred or break it.
Attack on Titanis another anime thatexplores the cycles of hatred and how generational warfare affects people. Despite starting off as a story about humanity’s survival against mysterious giant creatures that seek to eat them, certain revelations about the world turn the story on its head, revealing it as a far more human conflict than it seems at first.
Attack on Titanexplores the forces that can drive a war, such as one nation having considerably more power than another or considering people of a specific race to be inferior. Most of all, it focuses on how humans end up fearing each other and blaming others for the sins of their ancestors, which causes the violent cycle to repeat without end.
