The Edgy Animes of the Late ‘90s-2000s: Will it Make a Comeback?

There was a time in anime, approximately late ’90s to early 2000s, when it wasn’t just trying to be edgy. It was bathing in it. Blood was everywhere, trauma was the default, and fan service felt both gratuitous and oddly melancholic. If you were like me growing up at this time then anime felt like it was maturing with you… just in the most unhinged way possible! But this wasn’t just an anime thing. Music had Eminem spewing raw angst and controversy. Video Games gave us Devil May Cry and Resident Evil , all style, horror, and cool-factor. Comics had CyberSix and Witchblade , dripping with violence and latex. Wrestling hit its Attitude era, swapping our favorite cartoonish heroes for rated R crotch chops and beer-soaked chaos. Anime during this era was riding that same wave, but part of a wider movement. Almost as if to ditch its reputation of being seen as a “Japanese cartoon for kids.” Sometimes it was brilliant. Some titles didn’t stand the test of time, but they most definitely left a mark. Sex, Violence, and Trauma Sells This era felt like anime’s adolescence. It was experimenting, pushing boundaries, and blurting out all its unresolved emotions by way of a flurry of gore and provocative display. You could point to Hellsing , Boogiepop Phantom , and Berserk (you already know with the MC being named “Guts”) as being a common influence. Shows where characters didn’t just suffer — they suffered stylishly! RELATED: A Look Back at the Anime Clubs of the '90s But this wasn’t always for shock value alone. These anime often tried to grapple with bigger ideas: what it means to be human, how far you’ll go to protect someone, and where violence and innocence intersect. The mood of these shows often felt grim and melancholic. At the same time, they were appealing to the same angsty teenage audience who also wanted to make their parents mad by the type of media they were engaging with. What Followed The gritty legacy of Berserk and Hellsing echoed throughout the early 2000s, inspiring a wave of anime that leaned into darkness, ambiguity, and stylized violence. Here are just a few favorites: Afro Samurai – Hyper-stylized revenge anime with samurai duels, hip-hop swagger, and existential angst, starring a stoic swordsman haunted by his past. Elfen Lied – A deceptively sweet-looking, pink-haired girl unleashes psychic dismemberment in a blood-soaked tale of trauma, and the fragility of innocence gone violent. Notably, the inspiration behind Stranger Things! Witch Hunter Robin – A moody, slow-burn supernatural thriller mixing corporate conspiracy with witchcraft, identity, and quiet emotional weight. Ergo Proxy – Dystopian cyber-noir exploring selfhood, memory, and post-human philosophy in a ruined future thick with atmosphere and existential dread. GANTZ – Ultra-violent sci-fi survival horror where the dead are revived to fight grotesque aliens, wrapped in nihilism, moral chaos, and erotic shock value. These series weren’t just trying to entertain — they wanted to challenge, unsettle, and peel back the glossy veneer of anime’s mainstream appeal. A Stand Out: Basilisk (2005) If you weren’t around for this era and if you’re looking to dive into this golden age of edgy anime, Basilisk has always been my go-to recommendation. It feels like a successor to classic titles like Ninja Scroll with its insanely brutal, beautifully dark ninja saga that really cuts through the noise of its peers. Unlike something like Naruto , which leans into hope and heroics, Basilisk drags you into this relentless clan war where there are no good or bad guys. Everyone here is just fighting for their family, their clan. You as the viewer decide what’s wrong or right, who to hate or sympathize with. RELATED: Turn of the Century: The Classic Anime Getting Modern Makeovers For me, Basilisk isn’t just edgy for shock’s sake; it’s edgy with purpose. All the while carrying a powerful Romeo and Juliet -esque love story. Edgy Y2K Anime Revival Anyone? As a lifelong anime fan and growing up in this era, there’s just something about the edge in its raw, unfiltered form that I’m forever fond of. Sure, sometimes that meant watching a pink-haired girl explode people with invisible arms, and other times it was drowning in soul-crushing tragedy and heartbreak. But underneath all that chaos, anime was figuring out how to grow up, attempting to be noticed for its shockingness and over-the-top drama that comes with it. Now, with Y2K nostalgia booming everywhere, it feels like some of that raw edginess could be on the comeback trail as well. We’re already seeing it in recent hits like Chainsaw Man and Re: ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- , which blends brutal gore with deep emotional turmoil. Maybe we’re ready for a new generation of anime that isn’t afraid to be bold, imperfect, and deeply human again. And as a horror-obsessed anime fan, I’m here for it!

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