EquitasInvictus (Level 15)

Another is shaping up to be an excellent horror anime. I absolutely loved the buildup leading to Episode 3's conclusion - that was perfect.

followed by

The Twilight Zone - 5 of the Most Profound Anime Series I've ever watched.

"There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call... the Twilight Zone."

As a child, I was always mystified in a mix of both trauma and enlightenment resulting from watching old Twilight Zone reruns. I'll never forget some of the most profound twists in perspective that were forced upon me due to its amazingly written scenarios. The very uncanny cognitive dissonance I would experience - the conflict of moral ambiguity - shaped me into an individual especially mindful of actions and consequences as well as the value of life in the continued struggle for existence.

Because of this, I am especially intrigued when I watch an anime that triggers such feelings. To this day (predominantly because I just came out of watching the first listed entry on this) I am still plagued by the cognitive dissonance of how I feel about the scenarios these works bring up - it is humbling and even instructive. It teaches me not to think one way about dilemmas and understand there are just so many factors in the big picture to consider than what is black and what is white. Unfortunately, our universe is not very simple. But its complexity is also what makes it beautiful, as demonstrated by the following anime:

	1. Shiki There is no greater monster than mankind itself. This exceptional light novel-adapted 22-episode series starts off as your seemingly average horror-mystery but unfolds into one of the most profound, complex conflicts I have ever experienced in an anime.
	2. Monster Is a doctor always obligated to save a life, even if that life is that of the Antichrist? For a hefty 72-episode anime, this manga-adaptation poses the question of whether or not an individual has the right to choose if another lives or dies. It is an engaging anime that keeps the tension building throughout its ambitiously long run and delivers all the way through!
	3. Kara no Kyoukai This light novel-based, 7 feature-length anime movie series is a supernatural thriller presenting the most beautifully weaved murder mysteries I have ever seen. There is a pervading "killing instinct" that exists in the heroine that makes one question her motives for involving herself in helping solve such mysteries. Beyond this, the motives behind the murders in these films are psychologically fascinating!
	4. Aoi Bungaku Series These six Japanese literature adaptations even lend themselves to the formula of The Twilight Zone in their format. The actual anime episodes are preceded with a live-action narrator discussing the authors' state of mind relative to the themes of the works discussed - which are profound to the extent of getting me interested in actually reading them for myself.
	5. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya To be quite honest, this series put me in the verge of an existential crisis. Being a confused high schooler facing some misguided angst towards everyday life, I sympathized with Haruhi's wish to meet those who were "not ordinary humans." At the same time, her ability to unconsciously shape the world around her scared me half to death. I mean the world is what your mind makes of it, but seeing it done so literally and by a mind at around same age range as mine made me very afraid of my own thoughts for a while. (Also, that recent Disappearance movie could have been even more so traumatizing for me if it were released while I was back in high school.)