10 best R-rated anime, ranked
In the U.S., we have a relatively short history with “adult animation.” Kicking off in the ’90s with the likes of Beavis and Butthead and South Park, it’s taken an exasperating amount of constant effort to convince Hollywood execs that adults like animation, too.
Hell, that’s a huge reason many of us got into anime in the first place. We saw a guy get impaled in Attack on Titan, or a highly philosophical narrative like Ghost in the Shell, and went, “WHOA, they don’t make ’em like that over here!” Because they often don’t. Adult-targeted animated dramas like Scavengers Reign are still very much the exception rather than the rule, and that show in particular had to move networks and face an uncertain future.
So if you want some decidedly “adult anime,” here’s where to start.
10. Vinland Saga
Vinland Saga is a period anime about Vikings. Of course, it’s gory and bloody as hell. It also stands to reason that it’s a tale of revenge. Vinland Saga is jaw-dropping, unfiltered, addictive, and epic. What more can I say?
9. Attack on Titan
Attack on Titan is the first anime many people might think of when they think of an “R-rated anime.” Hell, it helped create the current tsunami of Western pop cultural interest in anime we’re currently riding. That’s in part because it has one of the best cold opens in the history of television.
At the onset of Attack on Titan, humanity is sheltered behind three all-enclosing walls to protect themselves from the human-eating titans outside. But that all changes when, one day, a colossal titan shows up and tears down the outside wall, unleashing carnage. If you want a deeply binge-able show that will have you screaming at your television and feeling bad about humanity, watch Attack on Titan.
8. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
When was the last time that an adaptation of a game was arguably better than the game itself? Admittedly, that’s not entirely accurate: Cyberpunk: Edgerunners takes place in the same world as Cyberpunk 2077, but features a completely new, different cast of characters. Specifically, it explores the grimy, futuristic Night City from the POV of a street kid who falls in with a group of mercenary outlaws known as edgerunners.
7. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is arguably the hottest series in all of anime-dom at the moment. One look at Ufotable’s jaw-dropping animation, and you can start to understand why. Demon Slayer is also a curious study: in Japan, it’s widely considered a series for kids (though I’d say 95% of adults have also watched or read it). In the U.S., the Mugen Train film was rated R. Then again, I know someone who struggles with the question of letting her seven-year-old watch Demon Slayer.
Either way, this epic tale of a boy whose life is changed overnight when his entire family is killed by demons—and his lone remaining sister is turned into one—is worth your time.
6. Devilman Crybaby
Last year, Science Saru got a lot of much-deserved love and attention for Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. They’re about to get even more for their much-hyped adaptation of DAN DA DAN. But Science Saru’s back catalog is just as filled to the brim with incredible series, especially when co-founder Masaaki Yuasa was still at the studio. Case in point: Devilman Crybaby, the highly gory and terrifying adaptation of Go Nagai’s classic manga Devilman.
The series follows Akira, a sensitive crybaby boy living in a world where demons are taking over people’s bodies. Akira’s supposed best friend leads him down a path that ends up with him becoming a half-demon. This series is dark and grim and gory, and you will cry.
5. Chainsaw Man
Gore comes in many flavors. Personally, my favorite kind of gore is campy gore—and Chainsaw Man is about as close to campy gore as anime gets. The series takes place in a world where fears are manifested into devils, who are constantly attacking cities and whose power is scaled by how much people are afraid of them. The sea cucumber devil? Not scary. The gun devil? Terrifying.
Enter Denji, a guy who spent most of his life working to pay off his father’s debt to the yakuza, but who now is the human-devil hybrid known as Chainsaw Man (similar to Devilman, yeah?). It’s worth noting at this juncture that Denji’s “co-worker,” Power, is influenced by South Park‘s Eric Cartman.
4. Berserk
You won’t get far in any discussion of dark, gory, R-rated (or R-rated coded) anime before you inevitably hit on the (very) dark fantasy series Berserk. Just a glance at the biography of the main character will immediately tell you why: his name is Guts, he was born from a corpse, his foster father abused him, and he’s been fighting ever since he was little. If you want a hardcore fantasy anime, here you go.
3. Ghost in the Shell
Major Motoko Kusanagi is simply one of the coolest anime heroines we ever got. While there are a lot of (good) Ghost in the Shell films and series for you to sift through, very little can beat the original 1995 film. Ghost in the Shell begins as a police investigation film but morphs into a highly philosophical exploration of machine consciousness. What is a human? What is a machine? What’s the difference? Those questions are even more haunting now than they were in 1995.
2. Cowboy Bebop
Cowboy Bebop is commonly referred to as “the gateway anime.” The impeccable score, colorful cast of characters, and space Western vibes make it easy for new Western viewers to latch onto. Cowboy Bebop follows a group of bounty hunters in the future as they travel around the solar system. Come for Spike Spiegel’s effortless cool, stay for Ed’s antics.
The Cowboy Bebop movie was rated R, so we can safely assume the anime would be rated similarly.
1. Akira
Katsuhiro Otomo’s 1988 Akira is not only the best anime film—it’s simply one of the best films, period. Without giving too much away, the film chronicles a back-of-the-pack teenage delinquent who suddenly develops obscenely strong psychic powers. There are also a bunch of cool motorcycles.
The gorgeous animation, the stunning choreography, the tantalizingly concrete-but-elusive story that rewards multiple viewings, the “KANEDAAAAAAAA” / “TETSUOOOOOOO” of it all … Akira is nothing short of a masterpiece. It’s also absolute nightmare fuel for children.
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