Anyone who has watched five or ten anime series will probably notice a prevalent pattern in their respective genres. The protagonist being an orphan, wanting to save the world, or wanting to be the very best through the power of friendship gets old fast. Some conventions are simply too standard or overplayed already.For many fans, trying to find a refreshing change of scenery or some subversive gems in a sea of clones can reignite that love for anime again. At the very least, anime that defy their usual genre tropes tend to make the whole medium more exciting. It just so happens that the very best of them aren't easy to copy, which is great since that means they won't get too saturated by derivatives anytime soon.Updated January 18th, 2022: 2022 is looking great already for anime as a whole. Some things are ending such as Attack on Titan while others like Chainsaw Man are taking their chance in the wild west. Some certified classics are also making their comeback in the form of belated new seasons and some anime are heating up well above red-hot, looking to fill the void left behind by the likes of Naruto. Speaking of which, while many anime are sticking to some established formula, others are going bold and veering off from their genre's usual path. Heck, some old anime have already done this and as a result, have made a name for themselves and become unforgettable in a sea of clones and derivatives. Here are more anime that defy genre conventions for viewing pleasure.
15 FLCL
It's hard to categorize FLCL since it only has six episodes in its original season and there's also the fact that the story is rather trippy. What initially starts out as a boy-meets-girl slice-of-life story quickly spirals out of control when space police with a weird Vespa bike start appearing. Oh, and the space police girl with an odd Vespa also has a bass guitar which she uses to smack Naota, the aforementioned boy.
Something similar also happens to the "normal" characters of the anime. So at its core, FLCL is a surrealist dramedy that's best viewed as a pizza with all the available toppings sprinkled in. It's still edible — tasty even, which makes the trip to the bathroom afterward totally worth it.
14 Higehiro
Some anime romance sub-genres are quite notorious for tiptoeing the line between taboo and illegal adult grooming. That is why Higehiro steps in to show everyone how to handle such situations when a young and underage person decides to live with a working adult who's been lonely for too long.
At times, there are moments when Higehiro appears to be setting itself up for those alarming ecchi situations, but it quickly fires back at expectations with its straight-laced and law-abiding male protagonist with morals stronger than steel. It's refreshing to see someone like that for a change.
13 Dr. Stone
If one goes by Dr. Stone's poster alone, it might appear like a run-of-the-mill shonen battle anime that's been done to death before. However, it sets itself apart as soon as the first episode. That's because Dr. Stone's protagonist is a rational and highly-capable genius with little to no physical capabilities — at times he's even bordering pathetic.
Senku is a scientist and has vowed to bring his primitive world up to speed after an apocalyptic event plunged everyone back to the Stone Age. In this shonen anime, brains triumph over brawn and is actually one of the first in its genre to give nerds a fighting chance — even if they don't know how to actually fight.
12 Revolutionary Girl Utena
Shoujo anime usually don't like subverting their own tropes and prefer to maintain the genre' dreamy formula that always works. Revolutionary Girl Utena, on the other hand, deconstructs the whole thing and makes its supposed boy band partners for the female protagonist as a cold-hearted and dysfunctional villain.
The anime starts off with Utena whose goal is even peculiar and almost shonen-like. She wants to be a prince, so she disguises herself as a boy and tries to fight for that ambition. Utena thus embraces the shoujo and magical girl anime genre tropes to later turn them around in a blend of surrealist and political series.
11 Yuri!!! On ICE
Speaking of other anime that can't be pinned down into one genre as they keep incorporating other elements or banking into the other side of the spectrum, Yuri!!! On ICE is a prominent one. At its core, one can consider the anime as a mainstay of the sports genre as it's an ice-skating story, after all.
However, it starts shifting into "boys love" territory as the protagonist Yuuri commences a romantic liaison with his male coach. Before turning itself into a fully-fledged yaoi anime, it stops on its tracks and gives its characters more nuance and dignity rather than making them out as caricatures, thus giving them better complexity. Regardless, this anime is quite a success in representation, particularly for the LGBTQ community.
10 Jujutsu Kaisen
Initially, it might appear as if Jujutsu Kaisen will commit to the standard shonen pitfalls, however, the show quickly reverses its cards. Despite taking cues from Naruto by putting a demon in the protagonist's consciousness, Sukuna will never become the hero's friend. In fact, a clear line is drawn between the demon and his host hero's interaction.
Moreover, Jujutsu Kaisen has no qualms about making its underdog victim characters die humiliating and horrid deaths. It pays good respect to its power hierarchies, meaning the main character just can't double his fighting skills by shouting too hard or having some nostalgic flashbacks.
9 One Punch Man
One Punch Man's existence is a gentle and humorous spit at the face of all other anime protagonists striving to become the strongest or the best. Saitama, the anime's protagonist, is already at the apex of his own show, making the whole "become powerful" narrative moot.
Instead, Saitama's own show throws weaker opponents at him most of whom are self-proclaimed top-dogs. Yet somehow, Saitama still manages to defeat all of them and with just one punch needed most of the time. He's a shonen joke that went too far and got a little bit too serious.
8 Konosuba
Isekai anime are all the rage these days. The idea that a normal and typically powerless person can be someone special and heroic in another world appeals to a lot of people. Too bad Konosuba simply had to satirize all fan expectations by making the protagonist a perverted narcissist.
Kazuma from Konosuba is a lovely case study of how most people will probably act in the Isekai world of their choice. Paired with Kazuma's equally useless and dysfunctional party members, Konosuba turns plenty of failed adventures into hilarious spectacles.
7 Death Note
So far, not many anime have been able to score the same level of cultural impact that Death Note did. At most, many simply try to copy the formula but end up failing because Death Note is one of a kind. It's an anime where the antagonist is also the protagonist of the series and one of the first mainstream shonen anime to challenge viewers with grey areas.
Furthermore, the main character is a far cry from most protagonists who are benevolent and have straight morals. Light Yagami is a chillingly intelligent lead who relies mostly on intellect. The result is an anime with no cheesy positive message or overplayed stereotypes.
6 Attack On Titan
One of the most popular anime right now, Attack on Titan is on a roll when it comes to dramatic storytelling. Some fans might even be surprised at how this one managed to squeeze itself in the shonen category with all the gruesome deaths and political themes.
While other shonen anime are busy imparting the importance of friendship, perseverance, or staying optimistic, Attack on Titan is a full-blown war drama. More than that, it's unapologetic and not concerned with turning its character into stereotypes or symbols.
5 Steins;Gate
On top of being one of the most mind-bending anime of all time, Steins;Gate is also notorious for breaking normal narrative conventions. This mystery anime toys with the concept of time to propel its plot. Hence, it's not your average slice of life drama.
Steins;Gate's protagonist a scientist who scrambles around in the show trying to fix his mistakes after sending too many text messages to the past, therefore messing up the timeline. That's a rare thing to do to a lead character.
4 Neon Genesis Evangelion
Back in the height of mecha anime popularity with Gundam titles appearing left, right, and center, Neon Genesis Evangelion sought to shake up the mecha genre. It did so by giving its viewers irreversible psychological trauma served through the eyes of the show's teenage pilot characters.
Neon Genesis Evangelion tackled issues more abstract yet damaging than the typical mecha anime. Really, the mechas mostly served as pretexts. The meat of the plot lies in the flawed character's interactions and how they set up a paradise for Freudian scholars.
3 Psycho-Pass
Psycho-Pass is commonly known as the anime version of Minority Report but regarding it as such would be discrediting its deeper characterization. That's because the anime tends to defy common anime personalities to provide more varied and unique psyches for its characters.
For a crime anime that revolves around a system of detecting crime before it happens, that approach is the show's bread and butter. This same system also went as far as controlling the lives of everyone around it because no one wants to be a criminal. Such an exploration of free will has never been done before in a crime anime.
2 Redo Of Healer
Revenge stories are about as overused as overzealous heroic protagonists in anime but Redo of Healer completely flips its lead character. Instead of seeking revenge in a destructive but still morally upright way, Keyaru, the lead character, turns himself into the most diabolical and deplorable protagonist ever.
It's not done in a humorous way either unlike in Konosuba. Redo of Healer is more offensive than Goblin Slayer and has no qualms in including taboo subject matters in anime. For a dark fantasy title, it's on the more extreme end.
1 School Days
This seemingly warm and lovely school romance drama anime might catch the viewers off-guard once its conclusion starts setting in. School Days' characters also become violently unhinged.
After that, the run-of-the-mill love dynamics quickly descend into a horror show complete with a bloodbath. That's what happens when one throws in teenage hormones and cheating in an anime. At that point, art probably just mimicked life.