What is Dystopia anime?

A dystopia (from Ancient Greek: δυσ-, "bad, ill", and Ancient Greek: τόπος, "place, landscape"; alternatively cacotopia, or anti-utopia) is, in literature, an often futuristic society that has degraded into a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian. Dystopian literature has underlying cautionary tones, warning society that if we continue to live how we do, this will be the consequence. A dystopia, thus, is regarded as a sort of negative utopia and is often characterized by an authoritarian or totalitarian form of government. Dystopias usually feature different kinds of repressive social control systems, a lack or total absence of individual freedoms and expressions and constant states of warfare or violence. Dystopias often explore the concept of humans abusing technology and how humans individually and collectively cope with technology that has evolved too quickly such as the car, the flamethrower or the microwave. A dystopian society is also often characterized by widespread poverty and brutal political controls such as a large military-like police.

Random Dystopia Anime You might like

Eve no Jikan

(Time of Eve)

7.99

Description:

In Eve no Jikan, The Three Laws of Robotics are held above all else in a world where android housekeepers have become commonplace. Although they look human, they are treated the same as lesser technology such as toasters and alarm clocks. Not everyone feels this way, however. Android sympathizers, known as "android-holics," have been labelled as heretics and problematic members of society. Rikuo Sakisaka was raised to believe and uphold society's tenets about androids, and is perfectly aware they are not human. Then one day, he finds abnormal data in his family android's activity logs. This leads him to a café that has only one rule that its clientele must follow: there must be no discrimination between humans and androids inside. Curiosity drives Rikuo to discover more about this strange place and its regulars, even though he has no desire to befriend machines.
Type

ONA

Episodes

6

Ep.Length

18 Min

Rating

Teens 13 or older

Status

finished

Aired

2008-08-01

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

(CYBERPUNK: EDGERUNNERS)

8.28

Description:

An original anime series set in the universe of Cyberpunk 2077. In a dystopia riddled with corruption and cybernetic implants, a talented but reckless street kid strives to become a mercenary outlaw — an edgerunner. (Source: Netflix) Note: The first episode received a pre-screening at Anime Expo on July 2, 2022. The first 3 dubbed episodes were streamed on Twitch as part of a co-stream promotion on September 12, a day before the show’s premiere.
Type

ONA

Episodes

10

Ep.Length

24 Min

Status

finished

Aired

2022-09-13

Eve no Jikan (Movie)

(Time of Eve)

8

Description:

The movie version is the complete version of the story. It includes all the OVAs and completely new scenes giving details on the background story of some characters. Sometime in future Japan, androids have been involved in every aspect of people's lives. One day, upon checking his android's behavioral log, Rikuo, a student, noticed his android's returning times have been odd recently. With his friend Masaki, they found out the place where his android, Sammy, have been visiting: a small cafe called Eve no Jikan where androids and human are not seen as different. Upon talking with the "people" in the cafe and discovering more of Sammy's behavior, Rikuo changed his view about androids and treat them as friends rather than tools. At the same time, elsewhere in Japan, the Ethics committee is trying to impose policies to reduce the involvement and use of androids in society. (Source: ANN)
Type

movie

Episodes

1

Ep.Length

106 Min

Rating

Teens 13 or older

Status

finished

Aired

2010-03-06

Kujira no Kora wa Sajou ni Utau

(Children of the Whales)

7.13

Description:

Chakuro is the 14-year-old archivist of the Mud Whale, a nigh-utopian island that floats across the surface of an endless sea of sand. Nine in ten of the inhabitants of the Mud Whale have been blessed and cursed with the ability to use saimia, special powers that doom them to an early death. Chakuro and his friends have stumbled across other islands, but they have never met, seen, or even heard of a human who wasn't from their own. One day, Chakuro visits an island as large as the Mud Whale and meets a girl who will change his destiny. (Source: Batoto)
Type

TV

Episodes

12

Ep.Length

24 Min

Rating

13 - Teens 13 or older

Status

finished

Aired

2017-10-08

Akudama Drive

7.65

Description:

Many years ago, a Great Civil War ravaged Japan, leaving the country fragmented between two regions: Kansai and Kanto. In Kansai, a group of six Akudama carry out missions given to them by a mysterious black cat, while evading the police. But a dangerous journey is about to unfold when a civilian girl becomes twisted into the Akudama’s way of life and witnesses their criminal drives. (Source: Funimation)
Type

TV

Episodes

12

Ep.Length

23 Min

Rating

17+ (violence & profanity)

Status

finished

Aired

2020-10-08

Cross Ange: Tenshi to Ryuu no Rondo

(Cross Ange: Rondo of Angels and Dragons)

7

Description:

The royal life of Princess Angelise Ikaruga Misurugi was as idyllic as the life of a sixteen-year-old princess could be. Beautiful, talented, athletic, loved by her people, and soon to be baptized in honor of her ascension to the throne of the Misurugi Empire, Angelise had everything. Even her kingdom was in a blissful age of peace and prosperity thanks to the utilization of an extremely advanced technology materialization force known as "mana." However, everything Angelise has come to know soon crashes to the ground around her after she is revealed to be a "norma," a member of society resistant to the effects of mana and unable to use it herself. Just like the rest of the norma, Angelise is arrested and removed from society. Now she's being forced to work as a soldier based out of the prison camp, Arzenal, and fly a transforming robotic vehicle called a "Paramail." To survive, Angelise will have to adapt to several different aspects of her new life in Cross Ange: Tenshi to Ryuu no Rondo, coping with prison society, relationships with other "norma" women, and piloting her Paramail against giant beasts known as DRAGONs. Will revenge be a great enough motive to encourage her to overcome these challenges? Or will the hate for those that betrayed her tear her apart in the process?
Type

TV

Episodes

25

Ep.Length

23 Min

Rating

17+ (violence & profanity)

Status

finished

Aired

2014-10-05

Kaiba

(Kaiba)

7.93

Description:

A boy with no name awakens with a hole through his chest, a strange marking on his belly, and no memories. The one link to his past is a locket containing a picture of a girl whose name he does not know. Within moments he meets Popo, who unlike the memoryless boy has a purpose. Through Popo, the boy learns that where he is a body without memory, in this world there are many who are only memories with no body. The rich harvest the choice bodies, leaving only the dregs for those down below. And yet even though he has no memories, there are many who seem to want his life. How does he fit into this world where not even memories might be real? (Source: Discotek Media)
Type

TV

Episodes

12

Ep.Length

24 Min

Rating

Mild Nudity

Status

finished

Aired

2008-04-11

Gungrave

(Gungrave)

7.76

Description:

Brandon Heat and Harry MacDowel, two friends so close they could be called brothers, receive an abrupt and violent reminder one fateful day of how appallingly merciless the world around them can be. Their whole lives before then were simple and easygoing, consisting largely of local brawls, seducing women, and committing petty theft to make a living and pass the time. What they failed to realize is that in this cruel world, happiness is fleeting, and change is inevitable. Enter Millennion, the largest and most infamous mafia syndicate in the area, which accepts Brandon and Harry into their ranks and starts them at the bottom of the food chain. Harry has ambitions to ascend the ranks and one day replace Big Daddy as the supreme leader of Millennion, while Brandon only wishes to support his friend and appease Big Daddy who has taken custody of the woman Brandon loves. Based off the third-person shooter video game under the same name, Gungrave is an epic story of friendship, betrayal, and avarice that spans the course of several years, ultimately tying back to the gripping and foreboding first episode, all the while building up to the story's thrilling conclusion. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Type

TV

Episodes

26

Ep.Length

25 Min

Rating

17+ (violence & profanity)

Status

finished

Aired

2003-10-07

Coppelion

(Coppelion)

6.11

Description:

In 2016, a meltdown of a nuclear power plant creates a big catastrophe in Tokyo. 20 years later, the city has become a ghost town due to the high levels of radiation. From that area a distress signal is received. The Self Defense forces dispatch three girls from the special unit Coppelion to search for survivors. But why aren't they wearing any protection against radiation? (Source: MU, edited)
Type

TV

Episodes

13

Ep.Length

24 Min

Rating

Teens 13 or older

Status

finished

Aired

2013-10-02

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

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

8.34

Description:

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? (Source: Crunchyroll)
Type

special

Episodes

1

Ep.Length

60 Min

Rating

17+ (violence & profanity)

Status

finished

Aired

2023-03-03

Now and Then, Here and There

(Now and Then, Here and There)

7.56

Description:

Shu is a typical Japanese boy, but has an unbeatable, optimistic and determined attitude. However, when he sees a mysterious girl with strange eyes named Lala-Ru up on a smokestack, he is soon pulled into a strange desert world. Shu soon discovers the true terrors of war, which includes genocide, brutal torture, hunger, thirst, and child exploitation. Now Shu is trying to save Lala-Ru, as well as his hard earned, and often reluctant, new friends from the insane dictator, Hamdo. Whether Shu can possibly accomplish saving those he cares about while still holding up to his values remains to be seen. (Source: ANN)
Type

TV

Episodes

13

Ep.Length

25 Min

Rating

17+ (violence & profanity)

Status

finished

Aired

1999-10-14

Vampire Hunter D (2000)

(Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust)

7.89

Description:

The story revolves around D, the infamous "dunpeal" (born of a vampire father and a human mother) outcast and renowned vampire hunter. His prowess at hunting the creatures of the night allowing his acceptance among humans, he is called upon to locate Charlotte Elbourne, the lovely daughter of an affluent family who has been mysteriously kidnapped. When the sun sets, the hunt goes on! Charlotte`s father offers a rich bounty, be she dead or alive, a task D willingly accepts, even with notorious Markus brothers and their gang of bounty hunters seeking the prize as well. Amidst the chase and unknown to all lurks a sinister evil which has been secretly manipulating their every move and has set a chilling trap that none will expect and few will survive. With the tables turned and the secrets revealed, the hunters could quickly become the hunted! (Source: AniDB)
Type

movie

Episodes

1

Ep.Length

97 Min

Rating

17+ (violence & profanity)

Status

finished

Aired

2000-08-25

Psycho-Pass RE:Start

8.09

Description:

"New Edit Version" of the 1st TV anime series with newly-produced footage. The series takes place in the near future, when it is possible to instantaneously measure and quantify a person's state of mind and personality. This information is recorded and processed, and the term "Psycho-Pass" in the anime's title refers to a standard used to measure an individual's being. The story centers around the "enforcement officer" Shinya Kōgami, who is tasked with managing crime in such a world. (Source: ANN)
Type

TV

Episodes

11

Ep.Length

43 Min

Rating

Violence, Profanity

Status

finished

Aired

2014-07-10

Psycho-Pass 3

7.52

Description:

"Justice" opens up a new world. In the near future, the Sybil System, a surveillance network that quantifies human souls, maintains public order. In a changing world, detectives with Dominators, guns that measure "Crime Coefficients," pursue "latent criminals" before they commit crimes. The third series of PSYCHO-PASS follows two inspectors seeking the truth: Arata Shindou and Kei Mikhail Ignatov. (Source: Amazon)
Type

TV

Episodes

8

Ep.Length

45 Min

Rating

Violence, Profanity

Status

finished

Aired

2019-10-25

No Guns Life

(No Guns Life)

6.9

Description:

Ex-soldier Inui Juuzou has one question - who turned him into a cyborg and erased his memories? After the war, cyborg soldiers known as the Extended were discharged. Inui Juuzou is one of them, a man whose body was transformed, his head replaced with a giant gun! With no memory of his previous life - or who replaced his head and why - Inui now scratches out a living in the dark streets of the city as a Resolver, taking on cases involving the Extended. When a fellow Extended showed up in Inui's office - on the run from the Security Bureau with a kidnapped child in tow and asking for help - Inui should have just thrown the guy out. But Inui's loyalty to a brother Extended makes him take the job. Keeping the child safe won't be easy, since everyone seems to want to grab him, from street punks to the megacorporation Berühren, who have sent out a special agent that knows exactly how to deal with the Extended... (Source: VIZ Media)
Type

TV

Episodes

12

Ep.Length

24 Min

Rating

Violence, Profanity

Status

finished

Aired

2019-10-11

The Big O

(The Big O)

7.63

Description:

Paradigm City is a place without a past. 40 years ago, something happened that wiped the memories of everyone in it. Unfortunately, the people of Paradigm City were very busy before then, making Megadueses (giant robots) and monsters. People who were born after the memory wipe are gaining/recovering memories of the past and using them to build newer threats. With the help of The Big O (a faithful giant robot), his butler Norman and the android Dorothy, Roger Smith keeps Paradigm City safe. As problems mount and more memories surface, Roger's past and Paradigm's future begin to become suspect...
Type

TV

Episodes

26

Ep.Length

24 Min

Rating

Teens 13 or older

Status

finished

Aired

1999-10-13

Heroic Age

(Heroic Age)

7.39

Description:

When the Golden Race invited other races to join them in the stars, three sentient races answered their call. The Goldens called them the Bronze, Silver and Heroic Tribes. Just before the Gold Tribe left to travel to another Universe, a fourth race appeared, traveling to the stars on their own accomplishments. The Golds named the human race the Iron Tribe. During the passing of time, humanity suffers at the hands of the more dominant races and is now facing extinction. Following a prophecy left by the Gold Tribe, Princess Deianeira sets out to search for the powerful being who might be able to save humankind. She meets a wild haired boy on an abandoned planet—a fateful encounter that will not only change the fortunes of Humanity, but also the fate of the universe. (Source: AniDB)
Type

TV

Episodes

26

Ep.Length

23 Min

Rating

Teens 13 or older

Status

finished

Aired

2007-04-02

Fractale

(Fractale)

6.77

Description:

The story takes place on an island, where a "Fractale System" is beginning to collapse. One day, Clain finds an injured girl called Phryne under a cliff. She disappears leaving a pendant. Clain sets out for a journey with the girl-shaped avatar Nessa to look for Phryne and discovers the secret of the Fractale System.
Type

TV

Episodes

11

Ep.Length

23 Min

Rating

Teens 13 or older

Status

finished

Aired

2011-01-14

Kurozuka

(Kurozuka)

6.75

Description:

Adaptation of Takashi Noguchi's manga, which itself adapts Baku Yumemakura's supernatural romance novel. The original novel is about a 12th-century man named Minamoto no Yoshitsune (Kurou). Kurou flees into the mountains after losing to his brother Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first Shogun to rule all of Japan. History records that he committed suicide, but instead, Kurou meets a strange, beautiful woman named Kuromitsu in her mountain hermitage. Eventually, Kurou falls in love with Kuromitsu, but then realizes she conceals a dark secret. He learns that he is unable to die and continues to live for a thousand years as Japan evolves into a future society. (Source: ANN)
Type

TV

Episodes

12

Ep.Length

23 Min

Rating

17+ (violence & profanity)

Status

finished

Aired

2008-10-07

Hataraku Saibou Black (TV)

(Cells at Work! Code Black)

7.51

Description:

In this new spin-off, a newbie Red Blood Cell is one of 37 trillion working to keep this body running. But something's wrong! Stress hormones keep yelling at him to go faster. The blood vessels are crusted over with cholesterol. Ulcers, fatty liver, trouble (ahem) downstairs... It's hard for a cell to keep working when every day is a CODE BLACK! There are trillions of cells in the human body, and they all have to work hard to keep that body alive. But what if that body isn't taking great care of itself? This new take stars a fresh-faced Red Blood Cell and his friend, the buxom White Blood Cell, as they struggle to keep themselves and their world together through alcoholism, smoking, erectile dysfunction, athlete's foot, gout. It turns out the same immune cells that fight off the common cold also have to deal with troubles of a distinctly more adult nature... (Source: Kodansha Comics, edited)
Type

TV

Episodes

13

Rating

Teens 13 or older

Status

finished

Aired

2021-01-10

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