Recommend me some depressing/dark themed Anime

[D.I.Y Death]

Lately Ive been really into dark and depressing anime such as Ergo Proxy, Serial Experiment Lain, Elfen Leid, Saikano: She, the Ultimate Weapon even Gantz was pretty bleak (poor guy never got a break)you know stuff that doesn't really have a happy ending and the journey to the end is full of pain and sorrow.
So can anyone recommend me some anime with a good plot, character development, really well drawn animation with some decent action? it doesn't need to be action filled but its preferred.
Please don't recommend Grave of the Fireflies or that hide and seek "movie"
I didn't find either of them very depressing.

[law~]

try Death Note
I'm pretty sure you would like it <3

DN has great characters <3 great story <3 cool music <3 and a very interesting plot <3<3<3

I found the ending shoking and really cool I think you won't be disappointed

[D.I.Y Death]

try Death Note
I'm pretty sure you would like it <3

DN has great characters <3 great story <3 cool music <3 and a very interesting plot <3<3<3

I found the ending shoking and really cool I think you won't be disappointed

Ive definitely seen it (I liked it quite a bit and was surprised on how good it was for such a hyped up anime.)
I'll just list the ones that I know about/have watched.

Boogiepop Phantom
Death Note
Darker than Black
Gantz
Serial Experiment Lain
Elfen Leid
Ergo Porxy
Gunnm
soultaker
Some Big O
BlueSub6
X-1999
Angel Sanctuary
gungrave
saikano-a must
cyborg 009
Galaxy Express 999
Samurai 7
3 x 3 eyes
The Guyver
Devil Man
Barefoot Gen
wings of hominase
Texhnolyze
Now and Then, Here and There
Saurai X
Rumbling Hearts
Serial Experiment Lain
Vampire Princess Miyu
Chrno Crusade
Gankutsuou
Kite
Watership Down
Wolf's Rain
Berserk
Voices of a Distant Star
The Place Promised in Our Early Days

[law~]

:0 lots of sad animes there I loved Saikano <3 was really interesting ans shoking ^^

AIR was kindda sad...left me depressed for about a week lol. (not true... my feeling aren't that deep...>.>)

Full Metal Alchemist (sorry.. I always recomen this anime) the end was is sad =(

Honey and Clover... it's more like a college student anime type.... but the end it's quite different from other animes... it's kindda sad too </3

you have watched pretty good animes you got good taste ^^

[D.I.Y Death]

:0 lots of sad animes there I loved Saikano <3 was really interesting ans shoking ^^

Yeah I loved that Anime, the ending was a little unexpected to say the least.

AIR was kindda sad...left me depressed for about a week lol. (not true... my feeling aren't that deep...>.>)

I'll have to watch that later on, thanks for the recommendation.

Full Metal Alchemist (sorry.. I always recomen this anime) the end was is sad =(

Thats the first anime I ever watched and porbably the only one I can stand dubbed. Amazing anime and is easily on my top 5 list.

Honey and Clover... it's more like a college student anime type.... but the end it's quite different from other animes... it's kindda sad too </3

I might check that out a bit later, or maybe I'll read up on it and see what its like from there.

you have watched pretty good animes you got good taste ^^

Thanks

[Datenshi]

The recent most depressing anime I have ever seen is Bokurano. Here's the OP ( . Most people seem to either love it to death or regret ever watching it, so you might be interested in checking it out. It's a very engaging series in any case and I definitely recomment it.

I'm surprised A Kite is on your list but not Mezzo Forte, it's sequel(-ish). And if you haven't seen:

Akira (the mother of apocalyptic anime)
Ninja Scroll
Vampire Hunter D (beautiful gothic atmosphere and a bleak world view)
Blood the Last Vampire (the OVA, not the series)
Ghost in a Shell (the original movie and it's sequel)

I'd recommend them as classics.

Some recent anime I've watched with dark themes are:

Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni
School Days (the infamous "nice boat" anime... they almost didn't air the last episode because it was too sick)
Black Lagoon
Shigurui (takes gore to another level in a good way, very cinematic)
Blass Reiter
Code Geass (personally I could do without the second run)

[D.I.Y Death]

The recent most depressing anime I have ever seen is Bokurano. Here's the OP ( . Most people seem to either love it to death or regret ever watching it, so you might be interested in checking it out. It's a very engaging series in any case and I definitely recomment it.

I'm surprised A Kite is on your list but not Mezzo Forte, it's sequel(-ish). And if you haven't seen:

Akira (the mother of apocalyptic anime)
Ninja Scroll
Vampire Hunter D (beautiful gothic atmosphere and a bleak world view)
Blood the Last Vampire (the OVA, not the series)
Ghost in a Shell (the original movie and it's sequel)

I'd recommend them as classics.

Some recent anime I've watched with dark themes are:

Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni
School Days (the infamous "nice boat" anime... they almost didn't air the last episode because it was too sick)
Black Lagoon
Shigurui (takes gore to another level in a good way, very cinematic)
Blass Reiter
Code Geass (personally I could do without the second run)

Seen Code Geass and still follow it to this day, Vampire Hunter D was the first animated movie I had seen, although I liked the original for lack of the annoying talking hand I preferred the second for everything but the talking hand.
Ghost in the Shell, all of them are pretty bloody good as well, but I have yet to finish one of the seasons yet or watch any of the movies (not sure if there is more than 1)

Thanks for the other suggestions, that first one I'll be reading up on right away.

Checked it out and it looks pretty good, thanks for the recommendation.

[Crippe]

All I can say is....Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni.
It is one of the best animes I've seen, and it is dark and depressing.
You should really check it out ^^

[Amray]

I found Gunslinger Girl really deppressing and sad.
Chrno Crusade had an extremely upsetting ending, 'really' sad.
Then Full Metal Alchemist. It's a thriller with a really dark theme and some really sad scenes and episodes.

[Akihiko Yamamoto Hozagaki]

Akira - You have to give this one a go. It's bloody, dark, creepy, and just incredible.

Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni - It doesn't seem it when you look at the characters, but this show is pretty dark.

Texhnolyze - Not very well known, but this show was pretty scary... in my opinion XD!

Wicked City - This has to do with dark magic and demons, but it still kicks butt. If you like classic anime movies, this is also good, for it was made in the 80's.

Paranoia Agent - This was a just crazy, but pretty brilliant.

[daft]

First of all D.I.Y. Death, that list of anime that you've seen... is AWESOME! >_< You sure have seen some very good titles, kudos for that.

Hmmm, dark and depressing... With what you've seen and what everybody has mentioned, it's hard to recommend something else. But one that I liked and hasn't been mentioned yet is Le Portrait De Petite Cossette. I'm not sure how to describe it to you, I guess it's somewhat of a twisted ghost story. But it sure is dark and has very gorgeous animation too. I hope you find it to your liking. ^ ^

[StabWound]

Jin-Roh
Genocyber (Makes Elfen Lied look like a childrens show)
Perfect Blue

[Archaic Devices]

Chrno Crusade

Blood+

All I can think of. I really don't watch that many dark and depressing anime. And what you consider dark and depressing, I may not.

[Amray]

I agree with "Blood+". 100%.
Also the movie "Blood: The Last Vampire". 40 minute movie with a really dark atmosphere and mesmirising music. You don't have to see the movie first though, they have nothing to do with eachother exept they are both about vampires. I highly recommend it.

[Kojack]

I actually found the back half of Welcome to the NHK depressing. For a couple days afterward a cloud hung over my head and I really didn't feel like doing anything. I don't know if it was just me (maybe it struck a cord or something) but I found it depressing.

[M.X.]

Lately Ive been really into dark and depressing anime such as Ergo Proxy, Serial Experiment Lain, Elfen Leid, Saikano: She, the Ultimate Weapon even Gantz was pretty bleak (poor guy never got a break)you know stuff that doesn't really have a happy ending and the journey to the end is full of pain and sorrow.
So can anyone recommend me some anime with a good plot, character development, really well drawn animation with some decent action? it doesn't need to be action filled but its preferred.
Please don't recommend Grave of the Fireflies or that hide and seek "movie"
I didn't find either of them very depressing.

You....are the most awesome member on this forum....
All that stuff rocks...Elfen Lied and Ergo Proxy are two of my favorite anime ever.

It's not as depressing or dark as those, but it's still pretty shady: Gungrave. Full of death, sorrow, and everyone pretty much dies except for one major character, and all the characters are pretty deep. Good action, great drawing, and a cool opening too.