7 best noir anime series you should try

Noir anime refers to anime with dark, gritty themes and visuals. Often set in dystopian futures or dealing with moral ambiguity, noir anime provides a uniquely mature viewing experience. Noir anime covers a wide range of shadowy subjects, from cyberpunk tales to supernatural mysteries.

Noir anime is an engaging entry point for anime fans looking to branch into more hard-boiled stories. Combining stylish animation with neo-noir sensibilities, these series provide edge-of-your-seat entertainment. To get you started, here are seven of the best noir anime series you should add to your watch list.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the writer's opinion and is not ranked in any particular order.

7 noir anime masterpieces you need to watch

1. Death Note

The hugely popular Death Note series exemplifies classic noir anime. It follows brilliant high school student Light Yagami, who finds a supernatural notebook that allows him to kill anyone by writing their name. Believing he can create an ideal world free of criminals, Light takes on the persona "Kira" and begins judging criminals globally.

Death Note explores the corruptive nature of power through Light's descent into megalomania. With its cat-and-mouse games between Light and enigmatic detective L, along with stylish Shinigami gods of death, Death Note is essential viewing. The complex moral dilemmas posed will leave you pondering well after the credits roll.

2. Psycho-Pass

This cyberpunk psychological thriller is set in a dystopian future where a citizen's likelihood of committing crimes is constantly monitored. Psycho-Pass follows police detective Akane Tsunemori as she tracks brutal criminals alongside field officers known as Enforcers. Akane discovers the dark underside of a seemingly perfect society, where the "Sibyl System" ruthlessly judges all.

With its gritty future setting, violent crime cases, and exploration of justice and societal flaws, Psycho-Pass incorporates classic noir elements. The stylish animation and crime drama structure will appeal to both sci-fi and mystery fans. It's a cerebral anime that will leave your pulse pounding.

3. Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom

Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom (Image via Bee Train)

This tragic tale of two assassins demonstrates the shadowy nature of noir anime. Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom follows Zwei, a young man indoctrinated into becoming an assassin for the Inferno crime organization. While carrying out high-profile killings, Zwei crosses paths with fellow assassin Ein.

They develop an intense but ultimately doomed romance as Inferno exploits them as tools for murder. With mature themes of identity, mind control, and violence, Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom embodies the neo-noir style. Its dark plot and jaw-dropping action scenes make it a memorable if emotionally devastating, viewing experience.

4. Gangsta

For a gritty tale of gang violence, look no further than Gangsta. Set in a squalid town teeming with mob factions, it follows deaf mercenary/gigolo Nic and his partner, modified mercenary Worick. They take on dangerous, odd jobs while navigating their corrupt surroundings.

When they accept bodyguard work for the rising new mob figure, Alex, more and more factions target them for assassination. Gangsta delivers brutal action, complex characters, and plenty of intrigue as gang politics spiral out of control. With its seedy setting and stylized violence, Gangsta captures the noir spirit.

5. Baccano!

While less grim than typical noir anime, Baccano! still incorporates key elements like moral ambiguity and grit. The story ingeniously weaves between various timelines and characters during Prohibition-era America. A motley collection of mobsters, thieves, mad scientists, and immortals intertwine around a search for mystical immortality formulas.

With its jazz-influenced style, a charismatic rogues gallery of characters, and plenty of gangland action, Baccano! makes a fun noir entry. It manages comedy and suspense in equal measure, with healthy doses of violence befitting a mob tale. From start to finish, Baccano! entertains with panache.

6. Darker Than Black

This sci-fi/action series ticks all the noir anime boxes. Darker Than Black is set in a world where select humans called contractors gain strange abilities but lose their emotions and morals. Protagonist Hei is a contractor who can manipulate electricity while working as a spy and assassin wrapped in intrigue.

With its shadows-within-shadows plotlines, stylish action scenes, and antihero characters like Hei, Darker Than Black nails the neo-noir aesthetic. From uncovering conspiracies to Hei wrestling with his nature as a contractor, the series keeps tension high. For relentless excitement with a dark sci-fi edge, put Darker Than Black on your must-see list.

7. Gungrave

For mob drama loaded with bullets and betrayal, Gungrave delivers gritty noir storytelling. The series follows Brandon Heat and Harry MacDowel, two friends climbing the mafia ranks until greed and tragedy tear them apart. With nonlinear storytelling flipping between the past and present, Gungrave reveals how far the duo fell in pursuing power.

Now, in the present day, the undead gunslinger Beyond the Grave hunts down Harry's crime syndicate. He cuts a swath through their ranks with his twin handguns and supernatural abilities. With its themes of honor among thieves gone wrong and stylish gun-fu action, Gungrave captures noir's essence. The bonds of friendship and the inevitability of fate make it a haunting mob tale.

Conclusion

In conclusion, noir anime's unique blend of gritty style, moral complexity, and suspenseful stories makes it perfect for mature anime fans.

From global conspiracies to tragic assassins and cyberpunk futures to supernatural crime cases, noir anime runs the gamut of shadowy subjects. Series like Death Note, Psycho-Pass, Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom, Gangsta, Baccano!, and Darker Than Black demonstrate why noir anime deserves a place in any anime watch list.