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.

Trending Dystopia Anime You might like

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

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

8.29

Description:

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. (Source: Crunchyroll)
Type

special

Episodes

1

Ep.Length

85 Min

Rating

17+ (violence & profanity)

Status

finished

Aired

2023-11-04

Attack on Titan: The Final Season

(Attack on Titan: The Final Season)

8.5

Description:

4 years after the Survey Corps reached the shore beyond the walls, Falco Grice and Gabi Braun are among Marley's "Warrior Candidates" who wish to inherit the power of the Titans. After emerging victorious in a hard-fought war, they continue their military training when Marley shifts its focus on invading Paradis once again. Nevertheless, in the midst of this announcement, Reiner has an unexpected encounter with a key person from his past... one who brings along terror and chaos. (Source: Anime News Network)
Type

TV

Episodes

16

Ep.Length

23 Min

Rating

Violence, Profanity

Status

finished

Aired

2020-12-07

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

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

8.3

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

Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 2

(Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 2)

8.27

Description:

The war for Paradis zeroes in on Shiganshina just as the Jaegerists have seized control. After taking a huge blow from a surprise attack led by Eren, Marley swiftly acts to return the favor. With Zeke’s true plan revealed and the military forced under a new rule, this battle might be fought on two fronts. Does Eren intend on fulfilling his half-brother’s wishes or does he have a plan of his own? (Source: Funimation)
Type

TV

Episodes

12

Ep.Length

24 Min

Rating

Violence, Profanity

Status

finished

Aired

2022-01-09

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

(CYBERPUNK: EDGERUNNERS)

8.25

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)
Type

ONA

Episodes

10

Ep.Length

24 Min

Status

finished

Aired

2022-09-13

Kenpuu Denki Berserk

(Berserk)

8.21

Description:

Born from the corpse of his mother, a young mercenary known only as Guts, embraces the battlefield as his only means of survival. Day in and day out, putting his life on the line just to make enough to get by, he moves from one bloodshed to the next. After a run-in with the Band of the Hawk, a formidable troop of mercenaries, Guts is recruited by their charismatic leader Griffith, nicknamed the "White Hawk." As he quickly climbed the ranks in order to become the head of the offensive faction, Guts proves to be a mighty addition to Griffith's force, taking Midland by storm. However, while the band's quest for recognition continues, Guts slowly realizes that the world is not as black-and-white as he once assumed. Set in the medieval era, Berserk is a dark, gritty tale that follows one man's struggle to find his own path, while supporting another's lust for power, and the unimaginable tragedy that begins to turn the wheels of fate. (Source: MAL Rewrite)
Type

TV

Episodes

25

Ep.Length

25 Min

Rating

Mild Nudity

Status

finished

Aired

1997-10-08

Psycho-Pass

(Psycho-Pass)

8.2

Description:

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. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Type

TV

Episodes

22

Ep.Length

23 Min

Rating

17+ (violence & profanity)

Status

finished

Aired

2012-10-12

Shinsekai yori

(From the New World)

8.15

Description:

Following a sudden outbreak of psychokinesis in 0.1% of the population, a rapid transformation swept the world. The godlike ability to manipulate matter remotely turned many power wielders to violence, inciting a long period of upheaval. Finally, after a chaotic era shaped by the rise and fall of oppressive regimes, the psychic humans were able to achieve a fragile peace by isolating their society, creating a new world bound by complex rules. In the town of Kamisu 66, 12-year-old Saki Watanabe has just awakened to her powers and is relieved to rejoin her friends—the mischievous Satoru Asahina, the shy Mamoru Itou, the cheerful Maria Akizuki, and Shun Aonuma, a mysterious boy whom Saki admires—at Sage Academy, a special school for psychics. However, unease looms as Saki begins to question the fate of those unable to awaken to their powers, and the children begin to get involved with secretive matters such as the rumored Tainted Cats said to abduct children.Shinsekai yori tells the unique coming-of-age story of Saki and her friends as they journey to grow into their roles in the supposed utopia. Accepting these roles, however, might not come easy when faced with the dark and shocking truths of society, and the impending havoc born from the new world. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Type

TV

Episodes

25

Ep.Length

22 Min

Rating

17+ (violence & profanity)

Status

finished

Aired

2012-09-29

Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World

(Kino's Journey)

8.13

Description:

Based on a hit light novel series by Keiichi Sigsawa, the philosophical Kino's Journey employs the time-honored motif of the road trip as a vehicle for self-discovery and universal truth. Deeply meditative and cooler than zero, the series follows the existential adventures of the apt marksman Kino along with talking motorcycle Hermes as they travel the world and learn much about themselves in the process. Imaginative, thought-provoking, and sometimes disturbing, Kino's journey is documented in an episodic style with an emphasis on atmosphere rather than action or plot, though still prevalent.
Type

TV

Episodes

13

Ep.Length

24 Min

Rating

Violence, Profanity

Status

finished

Aired

2003-04-08

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

Love, Death + Robots

(Love, Death + Robots)

8.04

Description:

Sentient dairy products, werewolf soldiers, robots gone wild, garbage monsters, cyborg bounty hunters, alien spiders and blood-thirsty demons from hell - all converge in eighteen NSFW animated stories. (Source: Netflix)
Type

ONA

Episodes

18

Ep.Length

12 Min

Status

finished

Aired

2019-03-15

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

Sakasama no Patema

(Patema Inverted)

8

Description:

Patema is a plucky young girl from an underground civilization boasting an incredible network of tunnels. Inspired by a friend that mysteriously went missing, she is often reprimanded due to her constant excursions of these tunnels due to her royal status. After she enters what is known as the "forbidden zone," she accidentally falls into a giant bottomless pit after being startled by a strange creature. Finding herself on the surface, a world literally turned upside down, she begins falling towards the sky only to be saved by Age, a discontented student of the totalitarian nation known as Aiga. The people of Aiga are taught to believe that "Inverts," like Patema, are sinners that will be "swallowed by the sky," but Age has resisted this propaganda and decides to protect his new friend. A chance meeting between two curious teenagers leads to an exploration of two unique worlds as they begin working together to unveil the secrets of their origins in Sakasama no Patema, a heart-warming film about overcoming differences in order to coexist. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Type

movie

Episodes

1

Ep.Length

99 Min

Rating

Teens 13 or older

Status

finished

Aired

2013-11-09

Eve no Jikan

(Time of Eve)

8

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

Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts

7.97

Description:

Kipo Oak, a thirteen-year-old girl, is searching for her father after being forced to flee from her underground city. To do so, she travels through an overgrown post-apocalyptic urban wasteland ruled by sentient mutant animals ("mutes"), together with her new friends Wolf, Mandu, Benson and Dave. (Souce: Wikipedia)
Type

ONA

Episodes

10

Ep.Length

22 Min

Rating

Status

finished

Aired

2020-01-14

Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts Season 2

7.94

Description:

Second season of Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts
Type

ONA

Episodes

10

Ep.Length

25 Min

Rating

Status

finished

Aired

2020-06-12

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

Vampire Hunter D (2000)

(Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust)

7.88

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

Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita

(Humanity Has Declined)

7.86

Description:

For years, declining birth rates have forced what's left of the human race to cede more and more territory to other beings who have appeared to take advantage of the emptying ecological niche. Now, only a handful of humans remain among the remnants of civilization and Earth is dominated by fairies —tiny, ten-inch tall creatures of surprising intelligence. But humanity's importance isn't over quite yet, as young Watashi learns as she makes the decision to return to her hometown and assume her grandfather's position as an arbitrator between the races. Unfortunately, the job isn't going to be anywhere near as simple as she expected, and it's going to take a wisdom far beyond her years to achieve her most important mission. (Source: Sentai Filmworks)
Type

TV

Episodes

12

Ep.Length

23 Min

Rating

Teens 13 or older

Status

finished

Aired

2012-07-02

Ergo Proxy

(Ergo Proxy)

7.84

Description:

Thousands of years after Earth's atmosphere was destroyed, adventure blooms in the strangest of places. The domed city of Romdo is supposed to be perfect, but Re-l Mayer, a young female inspector from the Civilian Intelligence Office, knows better. In this place where humans and robots coexist, she receives a strange message: something is awakening! (Source: Funimation)
Type

TV

Episodes

23

Ep.Length

25 Min

Rating

Violence, Profanity

Status

finished

Aired

2006-02-25

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