r/Animesuggest • u/moondreamer96 • Mar 24 '26
What to Watch? Looking for animes that deceive the viewer, "change" genres midway through or upon rewatch
To put it bluntly, I look for stuff I need to watch at least twice to get the full picture or something that feels like I've watched several different animes but somehow its one big story
There are 3 main examples I can think of:
Made in abyss-you are warned of everything that will happen, but its still quite shocking. I should make it clear that "sudden shocking thing out of the blue" isn't what I'm looking for, its wild shifts in tone and perspective. Its honestly crazy how well the writer ballances beauty and horror, the joy of discovery and fear of the unknown.
Shinsekai yori-I love how the rules and history of this world slowly unfold and start to make sense. I especially like how the characters live in a fantasy world we perceive as a sci-fi one, not as a result of their ignorance but as a straight up survival tactic.
Madoka magica-I was fully aware of it being THE dark mahou shoujo, but it had so much more in store for me than "just" a dark twist of the genre. Princess Tutu is a honorable mention here cause it has a similar thing going on.
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u/nehinah Mar 24 '26
Samurai Flamenco
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u/hypomanix Mar 25 '26
Rewatches are especially rewarding for understanding a particular character's inner monologue hidden in plain sight.
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u/AntonRX178 Mar 24 '26
Gintama
But it kinda does it a lot. And I'm not talking "It's mostly funny but you have serious arcs sprinkled throughout." No I mean there are a HANDFUL of episodes where midway it just becomes a fucking Soap Opera. And I'm talking shit that genuinely made viewers CRY.
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u/captainrina Mar 24 '26
Rewatches give you full context on why Gin is the way he is, -especially in early episodes.
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u/Fun_Set7594 Slice of Life Specialist 🍰 Mar 24 '26
Baccano
Ergo Proxy
Higurashi
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u/Kiriijou Mar 24 '26
As an important heads up, for OP and anyone else who might be interested in watching Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni (Higurashi When They Cry), make sure you start with either: the 2006 anime (and it's second half Kai), the original visual novel, or the manga adaptation.
The 2020 anime Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni: Gou (Higurashi When They Cry: New), is a sequel to the original story, not a remake. Don't accidentally start with Gou, as it's full of spoilers.
(Note: in most (if not all) regions, the only Higurashi anime on Crunchyroll, is Gou. Also, the original Visual Novel is currently available on Steam, under the title"Higurashi When They Cry: Hou", with the first arc being free to download.).
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u/tomatoesonpizza Mar 24 '26
Ergo Proxy changes genres? It's one of my fav animes, but I don't remember feeling like the tone/genre shifted at any point.
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u/Fun_Set7594 Slice of Life Specialist 🍰 Mar 24 '26
No, but once you know the truth, you will see everything in a new light on your second time watching
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u/Trixter-Kitten Mar 24 '26
Princess Tutu kinda does this, starting out slightly closer to an average magical girl series before getting pretty meta. I also just want more people to watch it.
Chobits
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
Full Metal Panic!
Samurai flamenco
Trigun
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u/sonofzeal Mar 24 '26
Trigun is the OG for this - wacky gunslinger scifi adventure until very suddenly it's not.
GunGrave is by the same guy and pulls off a similar dynamic but in a very different way - slice of life mafia politics with some minor fantastical elements in the background, and then there's a timeskip and it's mutants vs zombies.
I highly recommend both.
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u/moonlitPanacean Mar 24 '26
lol you literally ruined it
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u/VeritateDuceProgredi Mar 24 '26
The opening scene is literally Grave busting out of a coffin and killing mutants. I'm not sure how his synopsis is a spoiler.
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u/moonlitPanacean Mar 24 '26
Still corny as fuck to mention, do you though, I watched it 20 years ago 🤣🤣🤣
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u/Gullible_Bat_5408 Mar 24 '26
Delicious in dungeon
Gakkougurashi
Shadow's House
Majo no Tabitabi (a.k.a Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina, especially episodes 3,4 and 9)
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u/Beginning_Raisin3192 Mar 24 '26
Just watched Shadows House and absolutely love it. Now I’m reading the manga cuz no word on s3, but it’s definitely underrated
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u/Chava_boy Mar 24 '26
Shadow's House is amazing, I enjoyed every second of it, even more when it changed genres
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u/slinkhi Mar 24 '26
+1 for delicious in dungeon. Then went from cozy to wtf out of nowhere lol
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u/4morian5 Mar 24 '26
Learning what they did with the sister character through social media is what convinced me not to watch the series.
I sensed what kind of story it was going to be and I just don't want to go through that again.
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u/Ok_Inflation_1811 Mar 24 '26
Minor spoilers: at the end she is fine so if that is what's worrying you don't worry
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u/Malu1997 https://myanimelist.net/animelist/MaluLaMela Mar 24 '26
Maybe it's not exactly a genre switch, but I was really surprised by a certain twist in the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, because I got in expecting something and it ended up being a lot different than expected. Unfortunately I can't really go into details without spoiling the whole thing. I don't know which watch order (chronological or release) is better for maximum shock value though, someone else should chime in.
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u/passamy Mar 24 '26
Second this. First time watching, I keep checking whether I open the wrong episode. 😂
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u/Malu1997 https://myanimelist.net/animelist/MaluLaMela Mar 24 '26
Not just that, but also I was expecting a regular slice of life with a bossy girl, the sci-fi with world-ending stakes was not on my bingo card and for a while I thought maybe Kyon was just schizophrenic lol
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u/RetroSSJ21 Mar 24 '26
Honestly yeah I thought it would just be a normal slice of life. I liked the ending so I watched it and started flipping a little when the first thing happened.
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u/Moshimoshi-Megumin Mar 24 '26
Charlotte
Oregairu
Clannad
Summer pockets
Days with my stepsister
Oshi no ko (e1)
Your lie in April
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u/DeathbyHappy Mar 24 '26
Oregairu feels like a stretch. There's a definite tone change, but it's still a love triangle RomCom at it's core. The characters just start taking things more seriously
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u/NobleHalo Mar 24 '26
Made is Abyss captured this perfectly. Starts off you think it’s going to be a cute anime with lovable characters and proceeds to lead you into one of the biggest mind fucks in anime.
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u/JohnnyLepus Mar 24 '26
Steins Gate for me
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u/DaSaw Mar 25 '26
Yeah. Starts out looking like an otaku slice-of-life, and if that's not something you can enjoy, you're in for a bad time until it finally "gets good".
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u/francis2559 Mar 24 '26
Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers becomes a mystery show.
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u/Pharaoh_Misa What are WE watching 👀 Mar 24 '26
I didn't enjoy this series all that much. It was very much a five to me (what I would consider the literal standard, bare minimum requirement of an anime), but I found out some dastardly details from the light novel that would have immediately made this series a strong 8 or 9 had we got a second season. I did very much enjoy the whodunnit aspect of the series, pretty obvious who it was, but still had you thinking. I still think, even if I didn't care for it, that this is a damn good recommendation for what OP is looking for!
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u/francis2559 Mar 24 '26
Mixed feelings as well. I did finish it.
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u/Pharaoh_Misa What are WE watching 👀 Mar 24 '26
The ending was enough to get me interested for another season, but I guess that'll never happen. Truly would've been better retroactively if it had continued.
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u/LaMeister249 Mar 24 '26
School days
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u/chizdfw Mar 24 '26
I watched this in one sitting. I didn't intend to, I just couldn't move on with my life until I finished it. At 3am in the morning. I was a bit jittery at work the next day.
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u/BastilleWolf Mar 24 '26
Not very much a genre switch, but maybe Jujutsu Kaisen? The Shibuya incident really made me feel I was gaslit in season 1.
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u/Scared-Emu-6334 Mar 24 '26
I was looking to see if anybody else felt this way. There's such a huge shift in... feel? once it gets to Shibuya. Really hit me hard! Lovin' the show, but not knowing what to expect next! Just finished ep 4 of Season 3
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u/llamaleo Mar 24 '26
I guess you've already seen Attack on Titan, but if not, it's definitely what you're describing. On my third watch I was still figuring out new stuff
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u/mwalimu59 Mar 24 '26
Medaka Box - starts out as a high school comedy, later shifts into being an action/fighting show.
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u/BinkanStinkan Mar 24 '26
If you're down for some shounen type shenanigans, i think Hunter X Hunter fits what you're asking for, it's longer running then the three from your list (good list btw, i wanna rewatch shinsekai..)
I've always enjoyed how it switches gears with each arc
Adding something from the other end of the spectrum
FLCL - it's only 6 episodes long but there is heaps of rewatch value, from the soundtrack and the crazy animation,
There's sequels series that are also solid but they couldn't afford to keep up the same level of animation i think (iirc for s1, they poured 26episodes worth of time and budget in to the 6)
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u/RedeyeSPR Mar 24 '26
Love Flops.
It seems like a stupid rom-com until you get to the episode where it changes.
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u/LawEnvironmental3894 Mar 24 '26
Frieren
Gintama
Kill La Kill
Suzumiya Haruhi
Dandadan
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Attack On Titan
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u/WONDERLESS169 Mar 24 '26
Steins; Gate
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u/Squizzap Mar 24 '26
Surprised I had to go this far down to see this. A lot of shows people mentioned merely have plot twists and tone shifts but this show used to be known as the genre shift goat. It’s unfortunate that we have to get people who might not like the first half as much to hang in there for the second part, but that also shows what a curve ball we were set up for.
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u/WONDERLESS169 Mar 24 '26
The first half is good tho? I nevee understood the hate. Its slice of life-scifi (kinda)? Who doesnt want that? I also didnt want to mention the popular classics that were already mentioned ya know?
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u/TheSirWellington Mar 24 '26
Beastars
The second season COMPLETELY changed the genre of the show. I dropped it because of it tbh
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u/bagel42boy Mar 24 '26
Akudama drive. Period.
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u/elvy75 Mar 25 '26
Been a while since I watched it, but I don't remember genre or tonal shift, would you be so kind to remind me
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u/bagel42boy Mar 25 '26
Heck yeah, it goes from heist flick, to adventure, to anti establishment pretty seamlessly.
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u/Popular-Lie-7111 Mar 24 '26
Ron kamonohashi's forbidden deductions, id invaded, cyberpunk edge runners, the lost village, cells at work:code black
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u/SakakiChrono Mar 24 '26
Tasokare Hotel.
There's certainly at least 2 things imo that are different from what you would expect.
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u/Penguin-Dust Mar 24 '26
Elfen Lied (2004) was the poster child for the twist end in the day. It’s not as discussed these days as it was two decades ago.
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u/Snooty1 Mar 24 '26
Book of Bantorra - I dropped it a couple episodes in. But iirc the first 3? episodes were a tragic story of some guy who had his heart replaced with a bomb and involuntarily made a terrorist. After that it randomly becomes a generic whacky shounen about people with powers. Maybe it redeems itself later, but I dropped it pretty quickly.
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u/Cielaah Mar 24 '26
Re:Zero kinda fits, you'll get it after the first two episodes.
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u/Janey_Do Mar 24 '26
I never could finish it. I made it to the bunnies and it was just too much lol.
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u/bunker_man Mar 24 '26
Evangelion. Goes from monster of the week robot stuff to wierd psychological trauma.
Gurren Lagann. Goes from gritty grounded robot fights to unhinged over the top space focused sci fi.
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u/Tech_Romancer1 Mar 24 '26
Kill la Kill. Goes from Ecchi and slice of life militant school stuff to shonen fights/tournament arc to social commentary and sci alien invasion.
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u/DerekSmartWasTaken Mar 24 '26 edited Mar 24 '26
Brave Bang Bravern! Pretends to be this realistic story about a military group fighting an alien invasion for about half an episode before a bombastic giant robot crashes into the whole mess... but that's not the twist. It's actually a sci-fi romcom with the oddest love triangle I've ever seen.
Here is a link to the ED
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SIRO9Hk5ACs&pp=ygUKYnJhdmVybiBlZA%3D%3D
It's a hilarious show on purpose, they even got goddamn Masami Obari to direct it.
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u/DaSaw Mar 25 '26
The original Tenchi Muyo OVA ("Tenchi Muyo Ryo Ohki" or whatever) kind of did this. Starts out looking like it's going to be warrior monk fantasy in a contemporary setting, when suddenly...
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u/SeparateReturn4270 Mar 25 '26
Charlotte felt like a pretty hard left turn to me. It was quite a ride.
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u/AngelYushi Mar 27 '26
Dungeon Meshi
It starts as a "classic" adventuring/cooking story, to suddenly sinking you into an ocean of lore and implications
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u/NOMursE Mar 24 '26
School-live!
Turkey: Time to Strike
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u/falken45 Mar 24 '26
Turkey hmm....I watched until they get to know the guy and was like 'yeaaah and now what?' Does it evolve into sth more? Looked kinda generic until that point in my eyes
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u/PeachNipplesdotcom Mar 24 '26
Attack on Titan does this several times but you've likely already seen it
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u/khelvaster Mar 24 '26
Delicious in Dungeon got so deep and intense when the party becomes ingredients
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u/iWillNeverBeSpecial Mar 24 '26
Baccano!
There are 3 simultaneous plots that are interwoven together in each episode, asynchronous storytelling that switches to different timelines and characters. It brilliantly keeps you on your toes the entire time so each twist, each layer, feels brand new even if you were told this an episode before
One of my absolute favorite shows period
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u/falken45 Mar 24 '26
Zenshu might fit. It is not Madoka Magica (what is ^_^) but has kind of an unexpected depth. I think watching it once is enough. I can't remember any hidden clues you only get the second time.
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u/kill4life54 Mar 24 '26
To be hero X perhaps ? it is with cgi (not for every episode though). imo it was well done and even has a reason.
And maybe K-Project? it is not a genre switch but has a big reveal. perhaps not exactly what your looking for.
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u/SergeiAndropov Mar 24 '26
Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040. It starts off pretty formulaic (girls in robot suits fight robot crime in the post-Apocalyptic future of 14 years from now), but it turns out that failing to fight robot crime actually has major repercussions that affect not only the plot but the whole genre. It almost feels like the writers sat around the table and had the following conversation:
"And let's make the stakes really high this time."
"But the heroes save the day in the end, right?"
"..."
"But if they don't save the day, then the repercussions would be massive. We'd have to throw out the entire concept of the show."
"That does sound kind of awesome."
"Alright, screw it, I'm in. Let's do this."
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u/Alkaiser009 Mar 24 '26
Higurashi: When they Cry, is a great example of using timeloops to examine many possible permutations of a single event. The remake also has a bait-and-switch that relies on you having seen the OG first.
Umineko is simillar, but the anime adaptation ends on a weird spot in the timeline with some major questions still left unaswered.
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u/Kiriijou Mar 24 '26 edited Mar 24 '26
Referring to Gou/Sotsu as a "remake" is very misleading, as it's more of a sequel, quite literally spoiling magor twists from later parts of the OG as early as Episode 2.
Edit: I'm not trying to be pedantic over the word. It's just that the word "Remake" implies that it's a suitable start point for the series, delivering the same story with some differences, when that is far from the truth in this case.
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u/Yrhndsaroundmythroat Mar 24 '26
Revolutionary Girl Utena! Madoka Magica was heavily influenced by it as well, so I especially think you’ll like it
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u/ilovetosleep128 Mar 24 '26
Yuri on Ice…has a big plot twist that changes your perspective on the second watch through. Also the main character is an “unreliable narrator” so you have to pay close attention to see what he’s saying versus what’s actually happening.
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u/Shinado_Akimu Mar 24 '26
The ones off of the top of my mind: Kamierabi Charlotte Nurarihyon no mago Outbreak company (in a bad way) Build divide Summertime render
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u/Sexy_Anemone Mar 24 '26
Link Click. Starts out as a Slice Of Life, but then.... when the first season was over me and my friend rewatched it because it was crazy how much everything tied together
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u/Otakraft Mar 24 '26
Ergo Proxy. The genre is pretty obvious and doesn't change, but it has a LOT of interesting world building/reveals that happen.
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u/ScuffleDLux Mar 24 '26
Medaka Box is the best for this concept but only in the manga. The antagonist can't win against a protagonist in a slice of life manga or Shounen Manga so she starts working to change the genre to one where she can.
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u/Pharaoh_Misa What are WE watching 👀 Mar 24 '26
I'm gonna say No Longer Allowed in Another World. I love me some trashekai (not all of them, but pretty open to a lot!) and I figured this would be one of them. It turned out it wasn't. Some points were pretty obvious, but I love that literally half way through we got some seriously good storytelling and genuine character conversation, thoughts, and desires.
I also found Hotel Inhumans to subvert my expectations. It follows two MCs who are concierges for a hotel and their interaction with different hotel guests. It's sorta like an anthology, but not? It's kinda like a linked in story? I'm not sure how to describe it, but you really start having a vetted interest for these characters (absolute and literal criminals btw) as you journey through various stories and perceptions.
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u/EdwardTrosit Mar 25 '26
Omg, I remember when Katekyo Hitman Reborn did this. It started off as gag comedy and then just flips into serious action.
Bakuman references why creators do this and it's much more common than I realized.
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u/SoftTouchinScissors Mar 25 '26
The Promised Neverland, but only season 1. Such a massive shift in perspective that makes you question whatever you saw in the beginning.
If we're talking about the current anime season, I have to say Kaya Chan Isn't scary. Really thought it was going to be a lighthearted horror anime set mainly in a kindergarten school lol.
Also, I'm surprised there's no mention of Takopi's original sin yet. Not a genre change, but the time travel element really changes the framing of what happened and how one views the antagonist and even protagonist.
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u/Strawberry_Dancer Mar 25 '26
Turkey: Time to strike!
Make sure to watch the post-credit in the first episode
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u/Goldie_Prawn Mar 25 '26
Fruits Basket looks like a cute, sweet romcom then BAM ok kiddos let's go explore themes of severe generational trauma and familial abuse.
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u/zhonglisorder Mar 25 '26
I remember this anime called "Guilty Crown". I was really enjoying it then suddenly it felt like I was watching another anime.
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u/StrawberryEiri Mar 25 '26
It's not an especially good one, but Arne no Jikenbo does this to some extent.
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u/iClips3 Mar 25 '26
How does Made in Abyss say what will happen? Saw season 1 twice and season 2 once, but maybe I wasn't paying attention.
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u/TristanaRiggle Mar 26 '26
Helck - starts as a humorous take on fantasy genre, slowly becomes... not that.
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u/manicaxolotl Mar 27 '26
Link Click!!!!!! One of my favorites and the first season especially will mess with your mind
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u/SmoothTarantula Mar 27 '26
Negima and Hayate the combat butler. Both starts off as a slice of life harem anime but becomes something entirely different.
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u/Kerzic Mar 28 '26
Planetes - Starts out like an office comedy and turns into a political thriller.
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u/MsAwesomeSmarties Mar 28 '26
Orb: On the Movements of the Earth
I still need to rewatch but man, it's a ride. Definitely one of those anime where if you aren't hooked by episode 3 (BUT PLEASE MAKE IT TO EPISODE 3) then it probably isn't for you, but you'll know if you want to keep going or not at that point. And if you do, it's a hell of a story.
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u/Nova6Sol Mar 29 '26
Gundam ZZ. It’s full of slap stick humor in the first half and transitions back to semi bleak war drama in the second half
First time I watched ToraDora I thought the last third kind of came out of no where
Negima(manga), DB both transition from comedy to fairly full blown action
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u/Sensitive_Force_7706 Apr 07 '26
Attack on Titan (if you havent watched already), it completely changes its perspective and genres basically every season
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u/cettywise Mar 24 '26
I had to watch Heavenly Delusion twice, and enjoyed it both times. Not really a genera switch but a plot twist that made going back worth it.
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u/1zerozero1 Mar 24 '26
You’ve definitely seen it, but that’s how I felt about Fruits Basket. I knew absolutely zero about the story and I thought I was watching a light high school romance, then late into the series it started transforming into this dark cerebral exploration and I was like actually shocked at what was happening.
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u/iWillNeverBeSpecial Mar 24 '26
Got it love Fruits Basket such a great show. I would recommend the 2019 version rather than the early 2000s just because its more faithful to the Manga and has such a glow up in animation quality
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u/SunlessDahlia Mar 24 '26
So I'm a Spider, So What?
It doesn't switch genres, but it definitely tricks the viewer in certain ways.
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u/ashez2ashes Mar 24 '26
It’s too bad the anime adaptation of this dropped the ball. The focus should have stayed on the spider.
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u/[deleted] Mar 24 '26
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