Top 20 Psychological anime you should watch right now. [2024 List]

Psychological anime you should watch right now.

What is this genre all about? Psychological media delve into mental or emotional states of a character in the midst of a difficult situation, letting you observe them change as tension increases. Internal monologues are a key feature, allowing narration to delve into a character's mind, revealing their innermost ideas and motivations - even as they may be driven to the brink of sanity.

We present you the list of Psychological anime you should watch right now.

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20. Death Note

Death Note

A shinigami, as a god of death, can kill any person—provided they see their victim's face and write their victim's name in a notebook called a Death Note. One day, Ryuk, bored by the shinigami lifestyle and interested in seeing how a human would use a Death Note, drops one into the human realm.

High school student and prodigy Light Yagami stumbles upon the Death Note and—since he deplores the state of the world—tests the deadly notebook by writing a criminal's name in it. When the criminal dies immediately following his experiment with the Death Note, Light is greatly surprised and quickly recognizes how devastating the power that has fallen into his hands could be.

With this divine capability, Light decides to extinguish all criminals in order to build a new world where crime does not exist and people worship him as a god. Police, however, quickly discover that a serial killer is targeting criminals and, consequently, try to apprehend the culprit. To do this, the Japanese investigators count on the assistance of the best detective in the world: a young and eccentric man known only by the name of L.

Death Note has finished airing and it has 37 Episodes. It is also Known as: デスノート, DN

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19. [Oshi no Ko] Season 2

[Oshi no Ko] Season 2

The second season of [Oshi no Ko].

Aqua’s desire for revenge takes center stage as he navigates the dark underbelly of the entertainment world alongside his twin sister, Ruby. While Ruby follows in their slain mother’s footsteps to become an idol, Aqua joins a famous theater troupe in hopes of uncovering clues to the identity of his father — the man who arranged their mother’s untimely death, and the man who once starred in the same troupe Aqua hopes to infiltrate.

Oshi no Ko Season 2 has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: 【推しの子】第2期, [Oshi no Ko] Season 2

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18. Uzumaki

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

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17. Yakusoku no Neverland

Yakusoku no Neverland

The orphans at Grace Field House have only ever known peace. Their home is nice, their bellies stay full, and their caretaker, Mom, loves them very much. But their world turns upside down when the smartest children of the bunch—Emma, Ray, and Norman—learn what horror awaits them on adoption day. Now, their cultivated wit may be their only chance of survival.

The Promised Neverland has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 約束のネバーランド, Yakusoku no Neverland

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16. Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu

Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu

All of a sudden, they arrived: parasitic aliens that descended upon Earth and quickly infiltrated humanity by burrowing into the brains of vulnerable targets. These insatiable beings acquire full control of their host and are able to morph into a variety of forms in order to feed on unsuspecting prey.

Sixteen-year-old high school student Shinichi Izumi falls victim to one of these parasites, but it fails to take over his brain, ending up in his right hand instead. Unable to relocate, the parasite, now named Migi, has no choice but to rely on Shinichi in order to stay alive. Thus, the pair is forced into an uneasy coexistence and must defend themselves from hostile parasites that hope to eradicate this new threat to their species.

Parasyte -the maxim- has finished airing and it has 24 Episodes. It is also Known as: 寄生獣 セイの格率, Parasite, Parasitic Beasts, Parasyte

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15. [Oshi no Ko]

[Oshi no Ko]

When a pregnant young starlet appears in Gorou Amemiya’s countryside medical clinic, the doctor takes it upon himself to safely (and secretly) deliver Ai Hoshino’s child so she can make a scandal-free return to the stage. But no good deed goes unpunished, and on the eve of her delivery, he finds himself slain at the hands of Ai’s deluded stalker — and subsequently reborn as Ai’s child, Aquamarine Hoshino! The glitz and glamor of showbiz hide the dark underbelly of the entertainment industry, threatening to dull the shine of his favorite star. Can he help his new mother rise to the top of the charts? And what will he do when unthinkable disaster strikes?



Note: Episode 1【推しの子】Mother and Children was pre-screened in advance in Japanese theaters on March 17, 2023. The regular TV broadcast begins on April 12, 2023. The first episode has an extended runtime of ~90 minutes.

Oshi no Ko has finished airing and it has 11 Episodes. It is also Known as: 【推しの子】, 【OSHI NO KO】, [Mein*Star], Favorite Girl, My Idol's Child, เกิดใหม่เป็นลูกโอชิ, Anak Idola, 【推しの子】Mother and Children, [Oshi no Ko] Mother and Children, 【MOJA GWIAZDA】, 我推的孩子

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14. Jigokuraku

Jigokuraku

The Edo period is nearing its end. Gabimaru, a shinobi formerly known as the strongest in Iwagakure who is now a death row convict, is told that he will be acquitted and set free if he can bring back the Elixir of Life from an island that is rumored to be the Buddhist pure land Sukhavati. In hopes of reuniting with his beloved wife, Gabimaru heads to the island along with the executioner Yamada Asaemon Sagiri. Upon arriving there, they encounter other death row convicts in search of the Elixir of Life... as well as a host of unknown creatures, eerie manmade statues, and the hermits who rule the island. Can Gabimaru find the Elixir of Life on this mysterious island and make it back home alive?

Hell's Paradise has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: 地獄楽, Heavenhell, Paradition, Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku

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13. Psycho-Pass

Psycho-Pass

Justice, and the enforcement of it, has changed. In the 22nd century, Japan enforces the Sibyl System, an objective means of determining the threat level of each citizen by examining their mental state for signs of criminal intent, known as their Psycho-Pass. Inspectors uphold the law by subjugating, often with lethal force, anyone harboring the slightest ill-will; alongside them are Enforcers, jaded Inspectors that have become latent criminals, granted relative freedom in exchange for carrying out the Inspectors' dirty work.
Into this world steps Akane Tsunemori, a young woman with an honest desire to uphold justice. However, as she works alongside veteran Enforcer Shinya Kougami, she soon learns that the Sibyl System's judgments are not as perfect as her fellow Inspectors assume. With everything she has known turned on its head, Akane wrestles with the question of what justice truly is, and whether it can be upheld through the use of a system that may already be corrupt.

Psycho-Pass has finished airing and it has 22 Episodes. It is also Known as: サイコパス, Psychopath

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12. Monster

Monster

Dr. Kenzou Tenma is a renowned brain surgeon of Japanese descent working in Europe. Highly lauded by his peers as one of the great young minds that will revolutionize the field, he is blessed with a beautiful fiancée and is on the cusp of a big promotion in the hospital he works at. But all of that is about to change with a grave dilemma that Kenzou faces one night—whether to save the life of a small boy or that of the town's mayor. Despite being pressured by his superiors to perform surgery on the mayor, his morals force him to perform the surgery on the other critical patient, saving his life and forfeiting the mayor's. A doctor is taught to believe that all life is equal; however, when a series of murders occur in the surgeon's vicinity, all of the evidence pointing to the boy he saved, Kenzou's beliefs are shaken. Along his journey to unravel the true identity of his little patient, Kenzou discovers that the fate of the world may be intertwined with the mysterious child.

Monster has finished airing and it has 74 Episodes. It is also Known as: モンスター, Monster

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11. Death Parade

Death Parade

After death, there is no heaven or hell, only a bar that stands between reincarnation and oblivion. There the attendant will, one after another, challenge pairs of the recently deceased to a random game in which their fate of either ascending into reincarnation or falling into the void will be wagered. Whether it's bowling, darts, air hockey, or anything in between, each person's true nature will be revealed in a ghastly parade of death and memories, dancing to the whims of the bar's master. Welcome to Quindecim, where Decim, arbiter of the afterlife, awaits!

Death Parade expands upon the original one-shot intended to train young animators. It follows yet more people receiving judgment—until a strange, black-haired guest causes Decim to begin questioning his own rulings.

Death Parade has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: デス・パレード, Death Parade

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10. Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen

Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen

Known for being both brilliant and powerful, Miyuki Shirogane and Kaguya Shinomiya lead the illustrious Shuchiin Academy as near equals. Everyone thinks they’d make a great couple. But with pride and arrogance in ample supply, the only logical move is to trick the other into instigating a date! Who will come out on top in this psychological war where the first move is the only one that matters?

Kaguya-sama: Love is War has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: かぐや様は告らせたい~天才たちの恋愛頭脳戦~, Kaguya Wants to be Confessed To: The Geniuses' War of Love and Brains

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9. Made in Abyss

Made in Abyss

The enormous cave system, known as the Abyss, is the only unexplored place in the world. Nobody knows how deep down goes this titanic pit, inhabited by strange and wondrous creatures and full of mysterious ancient relics which purpose in unknown to modern man. Generations of bold adventurers have been drawn by the cryptic depths of the Abyss. In course of time those bold enough to explore the dangerous pit came to be known as "Cave Raiders."

In Oosu, the town at the edge of the Abyss, there lives a little orphan named Rico, who dreams of becoming as great a cave raider as her mother was and solving the great mystery of the pit. One day exploring the murky depths she stumbles upon a little boy, who turns out to be a robot...

Made in Abyss has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: メイドインアビス, Made in Abyss

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8. Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e

Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji has just enrolled at Tokyo Koudo Ikusei Senior High School, where it's said that 100% of students go on to college or find employment. But he ends up in Class 1-D, which is full of all the school's problem children.

What's more, every month, the school awards students points with a cash value of 100,000 yen, and the classes employ a laissez-faire policy in which talking, sleeping, and even sabotage are permitted during class.

One month later, Ayanokoji, Horikita, and the students of Class D learn the truth of the system in place within their school...

Classroom of the Elite has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: ようこそ実力至上主義の教室へ, Welcome to the Classroom of the Elite

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7. Attack on Titan: The Final Season - Final Chapters Part 1

Attack on Titan: The Final Season - Final Chapters Part 1

The fate of the world hangs in the balance as Eren unleashes the ultimate power of the Titans. With a burning determination to eliminate all who threaten Eldia, he leads an unstoppable army of Colossal Titans towards Marley. Now a motley crew of his former comrades and enemies scramble to halt his deadly mission, the only question is, can they stop him?

Attack on Titan: The Final Season - Final Chapters Part 1 has finished airing and it has 1 Episodes. It is also Known as: Shingeki no Kyojin: The Final Season Kanketsu-Hen (Zenpen), 進撃の巨人 The Final Season 完結編 (前編), Shingeki no Kyojin: The Final Season Final Edition, Shingeki no Kyojin: The Final Season Part 3, Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 3, Attack on Titan The Final Season Final Arc, Attack on Titan Season 4 Part 3, Attack on Titan Season 4 - Final Edition (Part 1), Attack on Titan: The Final Season - Final Edition (Part 1), Attack on Titan Final Season THE FINAL CHAPTERS Special 1

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6. Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e 2nd Season

Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e 2nd Season

The second season of Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e.

Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School seems like a paradise, but in reality, it is an extreme meritocracy. In the class of underachievers, Kiyotaka has begun working with Suzune, who seeks to ascend higher. After a survival test on an uninhabited island, they get to enjoy a luxury liner, but a new class-scrambling test will begin.

Classroom of the Elite 2 has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: ようこそ実力至上主義の教室へ (続編), You-Zitsu, Youjitsu, Classroom of the Elite, You-zitsu

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5. Kakegurui

Kakegurui

Hyakkaou Private Academy. An institution for the privileged with a very peculiar curriculum. You see, when you're the sons and daughters of the wealthiest of the wealthy, it's not athletic prowess or book smarts that keep you ahead. It's reading your opponent, the art of the deal. What better way to hone those skills than with a rigorous curriculum of gambling? At Hyakkaou Private Academy, the winners live like kings, and the losers are put through the wringer. But when Yumeko Jabami enrolls, she's gonna teach these kids what a high roller really looks like!

Kakegurui: Compulsive Gambler has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 賭ケグルイ, Kakegurui

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4. Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Ultra Romantic

Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Ultra Romantic

The elite members of Shuchiin Academy's student council continue their competitive day-to-day antics. Council president Miyuki Shirogane clashes daily against vice-president Kaguya Shinomiya, each fighting tooth and nail to trick the other into confessing their romantic love. Kaguya struggles within the strict confines of her wealthy, uptight family, rebelling against her cold default demeanor as she warms to Shirogane and the rest of her friends.

Meanwhile, council treasurer Yuu Ishigami suffers under the weight of his hopeless crush on Tsubame Koyasu, a popular upperclassman who helps to instill a new confidence in him. Miko Iino, the newest student council member, grows closer to the rule-breaking Ishigami while striving to overcome her own authoritarian moral code.

As love further blooms at Shuchiin Academy, the student council officers drag their outsider friends into increasingly comedic conflicts.



Note: The first episode had an advanced screening on April 2, in both New York & Los Angeles.

Kaguya-sama: Love is War - Ultra Romantic - has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: かぐや様は告らせたい-ウルトラロマンティック-, Kaguya-sama: Love is War Season 3, 辉夜大小姐想让我告白~天才们的恋爱头脑战~ 3, 辉夜大小姐想让我告白~天才们的恋爱头脑战~ 第三季, Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen 3

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3. Attack on Titan: The Final Season - Final Chapters Part 2

Attack on Titan: The Final Season - Final Chapters Part 2

Eren, as the Founding Titan, advances on Fort Salta with countless other Titans. Appearing before the refugees, who stand on the brink of despair, are Mikasa, Armin, Jean, Conny, Reiner, Pieck, and Levi, who narrowly escaped from the rumbling. The battle between former comrades and childhood friends with Eren concludes here.

Attack on Titan: The Final Season - Final Chapters Part 2 has finished airing and it has 1 Episodes. It is also Known as: Shingeki no Kyojin: The Final Season Kanketsu-Hen (Kouhen), 進撃の巨人 The Final Season 完結編 (後編), Attack on Titan Season 4 Part 4, Attack on Titan Season 4 - Final Edition (Part 2), Attack on Titan: The Final Season - Final Edition (Part 2), Attack on Titan Final Season THE FINAL CHAPTERS Special 2, Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 4

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2. Tokyo Ghoul:re

Tokyo Ghoul:re

Haise Sasaki has been tasked with teaching Qs Squad how to be outstanding investigators, but his assignment is complicated by the troublesome personalities of his students and his own uncertain grasp of his Ghoul powers. Can he pull them together as a team, or will Qs Squad first assignment be their last?

Tokyo Ghoul:re has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 東京喰種トーキョーグール:re, トーキョーグール:re, Tokyo Kushu:re, Toukyou Kuushu:re

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1. Pluto

Pluto

A murder occurs in an orderly world where robots are unable to kill humans. The robotic Europol investigator Gesicht takes the case, but the mystery deepens when he finds no trace of a human at the scene of the crime. As he pursues the truth, Gesicht uncovers the most evil manifestation of hate that history ever seen, one that is bent on bringing destruction to the world ...

PLUTO has finished airing and it has 8 Episodes. It is also Known as: プルートウ, Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka

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