Dark / Story Driven / Action based Animes

[Tentorium]

Hey all. I've been watching anime for the past 6-7 years and I feel like there is nothing 'good' (of my taste) left to watch. In fact, over the past year the only anime that I have watched is full metal alchemist brotherhood. I'm not very familiar with the animes that I have come out over the past 2-3 years.. so I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to what I might enjoy?

Thanks!

Here are my favorite animes (in order):

1. Berserk
2. Full Metal Alchemist & Brotherhood
3. Last Exile
4. Claymore
5. Evangelion
6. Death Note
7. Twelve Kingdoms
8. Wolf's Rain
9. Gungrave
10. Gurren Lagann
11. Kenshin OVA
12. Ergo Proxy
13. Monster
14. Gankutsuoh


I have also watched and mostly enjoyed the following:
Black Lagoon
Darker than Black
Full Metal Panic
Gantz
Trigun
Ghost in the Shell
Elfen Lied
Code Geass (first season)
Gundam Wing & Seed/Destiny
Hajime no Hippo

[Patchy]

B.Lagoon is ongoing right now if you haven't watched it yet, it's called Roberta's Trail and it's a really must-watch for those who liked the tv series.

Have you tried Garei-zero? it's also a nice dark action series IMO, with a good storyline and good characters involved, I think if you liked claymore you'll also like this one.

Durarara is also a good try IMO, it's kinda darkish either I think, also try this one, I think it's worth your time.

Tokyo magnitude ~ this one doesn't have action, but for the story and portrayal itself, it's a underrated gem IMO.

[Arbitres]

Texhnolyze


You want dark and story driven action based anime? That's a requirement to watch.

[Haak]

It's more character based but I recommend Kara no Kyoukai.

[DragoZERO]

• Ga-Rei: Zero - Awesome series. I had to watch it all within two days, I couldn't pace myself at all. Best first episode, ever!
• Kurozuka - Good luck getting your head around this one. The action is awesome too.
• Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom - A simply amazing series. It starts off a little slow but I was itching for every week for the new episodes soon enough. Astounding ending as well.

[Guardian Enzo]

Based on the fact that you like Twelve Kingdoms but also the rest of your list, I recommend Seirei no Moribito. I also think you would enjoy Baccano, which is from the same author as Dhurarara, and IMHO the better series.

[Fevvers]

Check out Shigurui and Serial Experiments Lain for some craaaaazy shit. Of course, seconding Texhnolyze.

[thevil1]

Higurashi No Naku Koroni
Number of episodes in first season: 26
Number of episodes in second season: 24
Number of episodes in third season (OVA): 5

Plot Summary for first season: On one hot summer day in 1983, a transfer student named Maebara Keiichi comes to a peaceful rural village in Hinamizawa. There, he befriends his classmates Rena, Mion, Rika, and Satoko. Accepted as a full-fledged member of the "club," Keiichi and the gang plays all sorts of activities ranging from card and board games to hide-and-seek. But just as Keiichi was beginning to be assimilated in simple rural life, he stumbles upon the dark history of Hinamizawa. As Keiichi dives deeper into the mystery, he finds that his new found friends may not be all what they claim to be.

Plot Summary for second season (Higurashi no Naku Koroni Kai): The endless cycle of hatred and death that befell the small village of Hinamizawa continues. Rika Furude, who is the sole witness of all those tragedies, tries to find a way out of it with her friends' help, without knowing if there is one after all.
The village of Hinamizawa has a population of 2000. Here, the sounds of cicadas can be heard in the late evening. Though at a first glance the village seems normal, however, here is where lies a horrible secret which the villagers try to keep secret from newcomers. The curse of Oyashiro-sama. Unusual murders have been occuring ever since the dam construction plan. Is it a coincidence or part of a plot taken place.

Plot Summary second season (Higurashi no Naku Koroni Rei (OAV)): At the start it would appear that this story will only be about fun and good moments for the "club" members, but after a brief fun during the first ova, the story turns out to be more deep and tense. Rika now feels strange and distant. And even feels that the same tragedies of the "past times" will occur, feeling that destiny is something that can't be changed in the end. She thinks about getting involved and try to solve those mistakes or just giving up to that tragic destiny.


My thoughts on it: Well I'm currently making my way through the second season (Higurashi No Naku Koroni Kai), I recommend this since you seem to be looking for a dark anime. The story line is very gripping, but can be very complicated at times since it does seem to jump around a lot. They do sum it up pretty well at the end of the first season, and then move on from there in the second season.
My overall rating of this anime would be 9.5/10.

If you do end up watching it, or starting it at least, PM me your thoughts on it. I'm curious as to what others think.