This has been my favorite Japanese show for years. I haven't really watched anime lately. I'd really like to find more shows that are existential like Lain, but I sadly do not think there are any left which I have not seen.
I'm a fan of the following:
Niea_7
Texhnolyze
Paranoia Agent
FLCL
Boogiepop Phantom
Haibane Renmei
Um, anything I'm missing?
I've seen the must-watch stuff too such as Evangelion, Akira, and Cowboy Bebop.
Well... I don't think FLCL really counts so to speak, but...
You might want to pick up the Boogiepop light novels- they're excellent, and reading the first one means that the anime finally makes some bloody sense.
Also, try Ghost In The Shell. It's not as existential, but it's quite good, and very philosophical at some points.
Check out MONSTER. Not as far out existential as Lain, but still able to pose really deep questions in every day events. Only these every day events are lived by a man hunting down a serial killer whose life he previously saved. It raises really good questions about morality, good, bad, etc and is extremely addictive. There´s about 74 episodes. I sat through them in very little time to other activities ratio. like 3 weeks. Sooo MMM. Yeah. Ive read other imdb users comment on a similar experience.
If you liked Lain, I don´t think you´ll be disappointed. You can find it on surf the channel or megavideo in japanese with english subs.
Movies: Tekkon Kinkreet and Paprika.
OH MY GAA, I totally didn't even think of Monster. Yes, Monster is excellent, and well worth the time it takes to watch it.
shareErgo proxy
Haibane Renmei
If it's not too late to recommend it, "Angel's Egg" is another good one along the same lines. I prefer it, personally.
http://www.youtube.com/show?p=bYPdeqBaYDg&feature=fvsp
Best thing ever.
One of my favorite aspects of this show is that it is very accessible to a western audience, so what are some good, philosophically deep animes that are as accessible as "lain"? Also, I have to say that, even though I'm not a huge anime fan, this has to be my favorite.
shareSadly, none.
I looked and looked and looked... and... Lain is one of a kind.
There's just nothing else like it.
I've gotta say that Boogiepop Phantom came close, but it was terrible. It just wasn't any good, but the atmosphere was kind of similar at times.
I wouldn't recommend it, though.
That kind of sucks. I wish someone would make another show in general like this. I don't think that i've ever seen another series that addressed such a large amount of philosophy so well. On top of that the questions it asks are as relevant today as they were 13 years ago. It is truly an amazing show.
shareHey guys, there is an anime from the same director of lain (ryutaru nakamura) and writer of lain (chiaki konaka) and mangaka of ghost in the shell (masamune shirow) called "ghost hound". It was made in 2007 and it is as philosophical as lain but focusing on spiritual matters. It is without yoshitoshi abe though.
And to say lain is the best of all time is an exagerration imho. Even two of abe/ueda other works top it (im reffering to haibane renmei and texhnolyze)/
as for other works, what about satoshi kon (r.i.p) works. And mamoru oshii works (epecially angel's egg and twilight q), what about wolf's rain and denno coil, what about vampire princess miyu (the old one, the new one i didn't see), what about koji yamamura's "franz kafka, a country doctor", what about mizuho nishikubo's otogi zushi, what about tamala 2010, what about konaka's other works. I am sure there is more i don't know about/ don't remember right now.
though some say shigurui also answer to the category of psychological stuff, i don't sure about it (it is from the same director of texhnolyze).
MIDORI (1992)
Love almost all the anime on your list, btw. Have you seen Aeon Flux? Not an "anime", perse, but dark/weird/atmospheric..
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Shuji Terayama forever.
Evangelion is all you need.
I'm not sure I totally get the hype around Evangelion. I watched about 15 episodes. I think I stopped around the point where it started getting surreal. I think the main character pissed me off and the whole thing leaned a little too heavy on the melodrama. I've been meaning to get back around to it though.
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