What is this genre all about? Stories that have mind-destroying plots. The goal of dementia stories is to mess with the audience's mind through the characters progress into insanity.
We present you the list of Dementia anime you should watch right now.
Try our anime quiz: Anime Characters Guessing Quiz/Game
Top 19 Dementia anime you should watch right now. [2026 List]
- 19. Neon Genesis Evangelion
- 18. Serial Experiments Lain
- 17. Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion
- 16. Perfect Blue
- 15. FLCL
- 14. Uzumaki
- 13. Angel's Egg
- 12. Boogiepop wa Warawanai: Boogiepop Phantom
- 11. FLCL Progressive
- 10. Shoujo Kakumei Utena: Adolescence Mokushiroku
- 9. Cat Soup
- 8. Yami Shibai
- 7. AD Police
- 6. A Log Day of Timbre
- 5. PUPARIA
- 4. FLCL Alternative
- 3. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Sotsu
- 2. RE:cycle of the PENGUINDRUM: Zenpen - Kimi no Ressha wa Seizon Senryaku
- 1. Iro wo Kuu Akuma
19. Neon Genesis Evangelion
In the year 2015, the world stands on the brink of destruction. Humanity's last hope lies in the hands of Nerv, a special agency under the United Nations, and their Evangelions, giant machines capable of defeating the Angels who herald Earth's ruin. Gendou Ikari, head of the organization, seeks compatible pilots who can synchronize with the Evangelions and realize their true potential. Aiding in this defensive endeavor are talented personnel Misato Katsuragi, Head of Tactical Operations, and Ritsuko Akagi, Chief Scientist.
Face to face with his father for the first time in years, 14-year-old Shinji Ikari's average life is irreversibly changed when he is whisked away into the depths of Nerv, and into a harrowing new destiny—he must become the pilot of Evangelion Unit-01 with the fate of mankind on his shoulders.
Written by Hideaki Anno, Neon Genesis Evangelion is a heroic tale of a young boy who will become a legend. But as this psychological drama unfolds, ancient secrets beneath the big picture begin to bubble to the surface...
Neon Genesis Evangelion has finished airing and it has 26 Episodes. It is also Known as: Shinseiki Evangelion, 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン, Neon Genesis Evangelion
18. Serial Experiments Lain
Lain Iwakura, an awkward and introverted fourteen-year-old, is one of the many girls from her school to receive a disturbing email from her classmate Chisa Yomoda—the very same Chisa who recently committed suicide. Lain has neither the desire nor the experience to handle even basic technology; yet, when the technophobe opens the email, it leads her straight into the Wired, a virtual world of communication networks similar to what we know as the internet. Lain's life is turned upside down as she begins to encounter cryptic mysteries one after another. Strange men called the Men in Black begin to appear wherever she goes, asking her questions and somehow knowing more about her than even she herself knows. With the boundaries between reality and cyberspace rapidly blurring, Lain is plunged into more surreal and bizarre events where identity, consciousness, and perception are concepts that take on new meanings.
Written by Chiaki J. Konaka, whose other works include Texhnolyze, Serial Experiments Lain is a psychological avant-garde mystery series that follows Lain as she makes crucial choices that will affect both the real world and the Wired. In closing one world and opening another, only Lain will realize the significance of their presence.
Serial Experiments Lain has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: シリアルエクスペリメンツレイン, Serial Experiments Lain
17. Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion
With the final Angel vanquished, Nerv has one last enemy left to face—the humans under Seele's command.
Left in a deep depression nearing the end of the original series, an indecisive Shinji struggles with the ultimatum presented to him: to completely accept mankind's existence, or renounce humanity's individuality. Meanwhile, at the core of a compromised Nerv, Gendou Ikari and Rei Ayanami approach Lilith in an attempt to realize their own ideals concerning the future of the world.
The End of Evangelion serves as an alternate ending to the polarizing final episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion. With the fate of the universe hanging in the balance, the climactic final battle draws near.
Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion has finished airing and it has 1 Episodes. It is also Known as: Shinseiki Evangelion Gekijouban: The End of Evangelion, 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン劇場版 THE END OF EVANGELION, Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion
16. Perfect Blue
Perfect Blue revolves around the main protagonist, Mima Kirigoe, a member of a pop idol group named “CHAM!”. After evaluating her situation, she decides to give up her idol status to pursue a career as an actress, what she believes to be the next step in making a name for herself in the industry. However, one of her most hardcore fans, Me-Mania, is less than happy about the path she has decided to take.
Now reborn as an actress, Mima accepts an interesting role, ignoring her manager, Rumi Hidaka's reservations about it. While on set, strange things begin to happen to people who are involved with the film. As time goes on, Mima begins to break down mentally, struggling to distinguish fantasy from reality.
Will Mima be able to escape the grip of her stalker and turn in a break out performance, or will she descend into madness?
Perfect Blue has finished airing and it has 1 Episodes. It is also Known as: パーフェクト・ブルー, Perfect Blue
15. FLCL
Nothing interesting happens in Naota's life since his brother left for America, leaving him with his grandfather and father in their boring little town. On his way home with Mamimi—his brother's ex-girlfriend—a pink-haired, crazy woman riding a Vespa, named Haruko, suddenly slams into him, kisses him, and then bashes him in the head with her guitar before riding off. The next thing he knows, the crazy girl is working as his housekeeper, two robots sprout from his forehead to do battle, and the surviving one starts living with him as well. I think it's fair to say that Naota has parted ways with his old mundane life.FLCL is a kooky coming-of-age story with surprisingly deep undertones as the twelve-year-old Naota develops through the wild antics of Haruko and matures along the way into adulthood.
FLCL has finished airing and it has 6 Episodes. It is also Known as: フリクリ, Fooly Cooly, Furi Kuri
14. Uzumaki
Kurozu-cho, a small fogbound town on the coast of Japan, is cursed. According to Shuichi Saito, the withdrawn boyfriend of teenager Kirie Goshima, their town is haunted not by a person or being but by a pattern: uzumaki, the spiral, the hypnotic secret shape of the world. It manifests itself in small ways: seashells, ferns, whirlpools in water, whirlwinds in air. And in large ways: the spiral marks on people's bodies, the insane obsessions of Shuichi's father, the voice from the cochlea in your inner ear. As the madness spreads, the inhabitants of Kurouzu-cho are pulled ever deeper, as if into a whirlpool from which there is no return...
Uzumaki has finished airing and it has 4 Episodes. It is also Known as: うずまき, The Spiral, Uzumaki: Spiral into Horror
13. Angel's Egg
In a desolate and dark world full of shadows, lives one little girl who seems to do nothing but collect water in jars and protect a large egg she carries everywhere. A mysterious man enters her life... and they discuss the world around them.
Angel's Egg has finished airing and it has 1 Episodes. It is also Known as: Tenshi no Tamago, 天使のたまご, Angel's Egg
12. Boogiepop wa Warawanai: Boogiepop Phantom
Five years ago, a string of grisly murders shook the city to its core and now the rumors have begun once more. Boogiepop... Everyone knows about Boogiepop: meet her one dark night and you are taken. People tell each other the stories and laugh: no one believes that she can possibly exist in this day and age. Still, strange things appear to be going on and the darkness is taking on many forms. Something is out there. Are you safe?
Boogiepop Phantom has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: ブギーポップは笑わない Boogiepop Phantom, Boogiepop Never Laughs, Boogiepop Doesn't Laugh
11. FLCL Progressive
In the new season of FLCL, many years have passed since Naota and Haruhara Haruko shared their adventure together. Meanwhile, the war between the two entities known as Medical Mechanica and Fraternity rages across the galaxy. Enter Hidomi, a young teenaged girl who believes there is nothing amazing to expect from her average life, until one day when a new teacher named Haruko arrives at her school. Soon enough, Medical Mechanica is attacking her town and Hidomi discovers a secret within her that could save everyone, a secret that only Haruko can unlock.
But why did Haruko return to Earth? What happened to her Rickenbacker 4001 she left with Naota? And where did the human-type robot "Canti" go?
FLCL: Progressive has finished airing and it has 6 Episodes. It is also Known as: フリクリ プログレ, Fooly Cooly 2, Furi Kuri 2, FLCL Progressive, FLCL 2, Fooly Cooly Progressive, Furi Kuri Progressive
10. Shoujo Kakumei Utena: Adolescence Mokushiroku
In a loose retelling of the Revolutionary Girl Utena TV series, Utena Tenjou arrives at Ohtori Academy, only to be immediately swept up in a series of duels for the hand of her classmate Anthy Himemiya and the power she supposedly holds. At the same time, Utena reunites with Touga Kiryuu, a friend from her childhood who seems to know the secrets behind the duels. Utena must discover those secrets for herself, before the power that rules Ohtori claims her and her friends, new and old.
Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Adolescence of Utena has finished airing and it has 1 Episodes. It is also Known as: 少女革命ウテナ アドゥレセンス黙示録, Revolutionary Girl Utena: Adolescence Apocalypse
9. Cat Soup
The main character, a cat named Nyatto, embarks upon a journey to save his sister's soul, which was ripped in two when Nyatto tried to save her from Death. She trails after him, brain-dead. They encounter many brilliant, mind-bending situations, beginning with a disturbing magic show.
Cat Soup has finished airing and it has 1 Episodes. It is also Known as: Nekojiru-sou, ねこぢる草, Cat Soup
8. Yami Shibai
The mysterious, yellow-masked Storyteller is a man whose true name and origin are both unknown. He appears at dusk where children gather and recites sinister tales based on Japanese urban legends, to which his young audience eerily intakes. However, the Storyteller is no ordinary teller of tales. He incorporates a kamishibai, a traditional paper-scrolling device, to add visuals to his already demented narration.
A series of short horror stories, Yami Shibai begins with a bachelor who, after moving into a new apartment, immediately starts sensing a malevolent glare being pressed into him. A single talisman rests on his ceiling, but he has no way of knowing it is one of the few safeguards that separate him from a bottomless pit of suffering. Each story is more terrifying, more appalling, and more sickening than the last as the Storyteller's audience find themselves being sucked into the vicious world of his words.
Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: 闇芝居, Theater of Darkness
7. AD Police
The year is 2027 in MegaTokyo, six years before the Knight Sabers will make their debut. Boomers (artificial humans) are still a relatively new advancement, and the implementation and integration of boomers into society is still a bit buggy -- sometimes fatally so. Whenever a boomer incident occurs, though, there is the Advanced Police, a special force trained to deal with boomer crimes.
Leon McNichol is a rookie in the AD Police, and is just starting to become exposed to the horrors and tragedies one finds every day in MegaTokyo. He and his veteran partner, Gina Marceau, slowly learn about the ever-fading line that separates man from machine.
AD Police Files has finished airing and it has 3 Episodes. It is also Known as: ADポリス, A.D. Police
6. A Log Day of Timbre
A special follow up version of Mizue Mirai's Timbre A-Z.
A Log Day of Timbre has finished airing and it has 1 Episodes. It is also Known as: A Log Day of Timbre
5. PUPARIA
Independent Short by Shingo Tamagawa
PUPARIA has finished airing and it has 1 Episodes. It is also Known as: PUPARIA
4. FLCL Alternative
Life seems to drift by for Kana Koumoto and her friends in their small Japanese town. Every day is just like the last, and it feels like every new day will be the same. Kana goes to school, hangs out with her friends, and likes to paint her nails and listen to music, but it feels like nothing special is ever going to happen.
As a change of pace, Kana and her friends decide to design a bottle rocket and launch it into space, even though it might not get there at all. However, just when the rocket is completed, a robot suddenly crashes into and destroys it, shortly followed by a pink-haired woman claiming to be a "Galactic Investigator." Kana's life quickly becomes more exciting than she ever imagined, dealing with new feelings, changing friends, and even boy troubles. It turns out life can go by in the blink of an eye, fast enough to even miss it, so what's with these weird robots that seem to show up at the worst times?!
FLCL: Alternative has finished airing and it has 6 Episodes. It is also Known as: フリクリ オルタナ, FLCL 3, Fooly Cooly Alternative, Furi Kuri Alternative
3. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Sotsu
Sequel to Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou.
Higurashi: When They Cry – SOTSU has finished airing and it has 15 Episodes. It is also Known as: ひぐらしのなく頃に卒, The Moment the Cicadas Cry, When the Cicadas Cry
2. RE:cycle of the PENGUINDRUM: Zenpen - Kimi no Ressha wa Seizon Senryaku
The first film in a duology compiling the Mawaru Penguindrum anime with new elements.
Re:cycle of Penguindrum Part 1: Your Train is the Survival Strategy has finished airing and it has 1 Episodes. It is also Known as: RE:cycle of the PENGUINDRUM ［前編］ 君の列車は生存戦略, 劇場版 RE:cycle of the PENGUINDRUM, 輪るピングドラム
1. Iro wo Kuu Akuma
Anthology produced by Adobe Creative Cloud's Japan division to promote their software suite. It showcases the talents of various Japanese experimental animators.
The Color Eater has finished airing and it has 1 Episodes. It is also Known as: 色を喰うアクマ, The Colour Eater
