AnimeSuki Forums

BWTraveller · 2017-10-27, 20:55

OK, with the recent "King's Game" anime, I have to say my one big problem is not the concept but the deliberate extremity. Every character is or goes insane, with violence and frenzy growing quickly and the deaths jumping back and forth between what I can only call death porn and simple despair bait. I mean, even Higurashi wasn't this bad with its crazy freak-outs.

So, I'm basically looking for a story with a similar concept on the most basic level, meaning you know there's someone doing these things, probably someone you know, but you have no clue who; and I want one that's not all about death or excess like King's Game or Another. In these series I wasn't able to really develop a real attachment to the characters. For one thing, their characters were often relatively thin and/or dominated by things like fear, obsession, and excess. For another, anytime one was given some characterization they were killed off immediately. The entire tone was different from series like Higurashi and Danganronpa, where more time was given to get to know the characters and more effort to ensure they managed to generally endear themselves to the audience.

As the two positive examples I mentioned above, Higurashi and Danganronpa, demonstrate, it's OK for there to still be freak-outs, bloody and gory scenes, and other such extreme content. It just needs to have more moderation and better characters than stuff like King's Game and Another. And it doesn't matter whether we're dealing with a pure mystery where there's ultimately a natural explanation for everything or a supernatural one where things are happening that can't be explained. It can even be OK if one isn't 100% certain the "culprit" is a person, as long as the core objective is the same: figure out who or what is causing this hellish situation and put an end to it.

LKK · 2017-10-27, 21:27

Have you tried Rokka no Yuusha? Comes in anime, manga, and light novel forms.

Spoiler for basic story premise:

The tension is more psychological than physical, but there are action sequences as well.

Sackett · 2017-10-28, 02:07

Does Shiki count?

It's a mysterious "illness" that strikes a village, and turns out to be vampires...

Haak · 2017-10-28, 06:15

I'll give a whole hearted second to Rokka no Yuusha. I think it's perfect for what you're after.

BWTraveller · 2017-10-28, 13:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sackett

Does Shiki count?

It's a mysterious "illness" that strikes a village, and turns out to be vampires...

I'd have to say Shiki is a little dark for me. I watched it, but it was just a tad on the grim side.

Rokka was indeed awesome. Even more so if what I read on Wiki is true, that

Spoiler:

AntonKutovoi · 2017-10-28, 16:04

Have you thought about straight detective stories, like Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo? It's full of such stories.

kitten320 · 2017-10-29, 12:30

Baccano! in a way. There are lots of different story lines connecting into one and there is a legend about a Rail Tracer whose identity is a mystery so you get a chance to guess who it is. It is gory though.

Boku dake ga Inai Machi - someone is kidnapping and killing children for years. MCs mother seems to find out who it is and gets killed off. Now MC travels in past to discover who it was and prevent certain events from happening.

Joker Game is all about spies but it's episodic series that focus on different spy and story every time. I liked it.

Mai-HiME in a way. There are no real culprits but there are 12 girls with powers who are hiding their identities and at on point start attacking each other in secret so kinda like a small type of mystery.

Zetsuen no Tempest maybe? No moles but whole premises is about finding a murderer of main characters girlfriend/sister.

larethian · 2017-11-07, 20:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by BWTraveller

I'd have to say Shiki is a little dark for me. I watched it, but it was just a tad on the grim side.

Rokka was indeed awesome. Even more so if what I read on Wiki is true, that

Spoiler:

You should read the books since it's licensed by Yen Press and because anime only covered 1 volume in 12 episodes!
This book also got into top rankings in "This Light Novel Is Amazing" not because of popularity but because of industry insiders and interest groups' push. The layers of intrigue continue to deepen with each successive volume.

2017-10-27, 20:55	Link #1
BWTraveller Born to ship Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Texas	"Find the Mole" type stories that arent too extreme OK, with the recent "King's Game" anime, I have to say my one big problem is not the concept but the deliberate extremity. Every character is or goes insane, with violence and frenzy growing quickly and the deaths jumping back and forth between what I can only call death porn and simple despair bait. I mean, even Higurashi wasn't this bad with its crazy freak-outs. So, I'm basically looking for a story with a similar concept on the most basic level, meaning you know there's someone doing these things, probably someone you know, but you have no clue who; and I want one that's not all about death or excess like King's Game or Another. In these series I wasn't able to really develop a real attachment to the characters. For one thing, their characters were often relatively thin and/or dominated by things like fear, obsession, and excess. For another, anytime one was given some characterization they were killed off immediately. The entire tone was different from series like Higurashi and Danganronpa, where more time was given to get to know the characters and more effort to ensure they managed to generally endear themselves to the audience. As the two positive examples I mentioned above, Higurashi and Danganronpa, demonstrate, it's OK for there to still be freak-outs, bloody and gory scenes, and other such extreme content. It just needs to have more moderation and better characters than stuff like King's Game and Another. And it doesn't matter whether we're dealing with a pure mystery where there's ultimately a natural explanation for everything or a supernatural one where things are happening that can't be explained. It can even be OK if one isn't 100% certain the "culprit" is a person, as long as the core objective is the same: figure out who or what is causing this hellish situation and put an end to it.

2017-10-27, 21:27	Link #2
LKK Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Age: 62	Have you tried Rokka no Yuusha? Comes in anime, manga, and light novel forms. Spoiler for basic story premise: Six heroes chosen by legend gather to defeat the demon king. Seven people claiming to be the chosen ones show up at the meeting site. Who's the liar? The tension is more psychological than physical, but there are action sequences as well. __________________ Avatar: Hazuki of Natsuyuki Rendezvous / Signature: flowers from Natsuyuki Rendezvous Last edited by LKK; 2017-10-28 at 10:17. Reason: Grammar

2017-10-28, 02:07	Link #3
Sackett Cross Game - I need more Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: I've moved around the American West. I've lived in Oregon, Washington, Utah, and Oklahoma Age: 44	Does *Shiki* count? It's a mysterious "illness" that strikes a village, and turns out to be vampires... __________________ Cross Game - A Story of Love, Life, Death - and Baseball. What more could you want?

2017-10-28, 06:15	Link #4
Haak Me, An Intellectual Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: UK Age: 33	I'll give a whole hearted second to Rokka no Yuusha. I think it's perfect for what you're after. __________________ MAL \| AnimeSuki Choice Awards 2020 Winners

2017-10-29, 12:30	Link #7
kitten320 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007	Baccano! in a way. There are lots of different story lines connecting into one and there is a legend about a Rail Tracer whose identity is a mystery so you get a chance to guess who it is. It is gory though. Boku dake ga Inai Machi - someone is kidnapping and killing children for years. MCs mother seems to find out who it is and gets killed off. Now MC travels in past to discover who it was and prevent certain events from happening. Joker Game is all about spies but it's episodic series that focus on different spy and story every time. I liked it. Mai-HiME in a way. There are no real culprits but there are 12 girls with powers who are hiding their identities and at on point start attacking each other in secret so kinda like a small type of mystery. Zetsuen no Tempest maybe? No moles but whole premises is about finding a murderer of main characters girlfriend/sister. __________________ My anime list

2017-10-28, 16:04	Link #6
AntonKutovoi Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Vladimir, Russia Age: 30	Have you thought about straight detective stories, like Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo? It's full of such stories.