Psychological media delve into mental or emotional states of a character in the midst of a difficult situation, letting you observe them change as tension increases. Internal monologues are a key feature, allowing narration to delve into a character's mind, revealing their innermost ideas and motivations - even as they may be driven to the brink of sanity.
Top 16 Psychological Anime to watch
- 1. Death Note
- 2. Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu 3
- 3. Yakusoku no Neverland
- 4. [Oshi no Ko]
- 5. Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu
- 6. Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen
- 7. Monster
- 8. Jigokuraku
- 9. Made in Abyss
- 10. Death Parade
- 11. Psycho-Pass
- 12. Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e
- 13. Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Ultra Romantic
- 14. Neon Genesis Evangelion
- 15. Kakegurui
- 16. Pluto
1. Death Note

A shinigami, as a god of death, can kill any person—provided they see their victim's face and write their victim's name in a notebook called a Death Note. One day, Ryuk, bored by the shinigami lifestyle and interested in seeing how a human would use a Death Note, drops one into the human realm.
High school student and prodigy Light Yagami stumbles upon the Death Note and—since he deplores the state of the world—tests the deadly notebook by writing a criminal's name in it. When the criminal dies immediately following his experiment with the Death Note, Light is greatly surprised and quickly recognizes how devastating the power that has fallen into his hands could be.
With this divine capability, Light decides to extinguish all criminals in order to build a new world where crime does not exist and people worship him as a god. Police, however, quickly discover that a serial killer is targeting criminals and, consequently, try to apprehend the culprit. To do this, the Japanese investigators count on the assistance of the best detective in the world: a young and eccentric man known only by the name of L.
Death Note is finished and has 37 Episodes. It is also Known as: デスノート, DN
2. Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu 3

The third season of Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu.
A year has passed since Subaru’s victory at the Sanctuary. He savors a life of fulfillment while Emilia’s camp stands united for the royal selection—until a fateful letter arrives. Anastasia, a royal selection candidate, has invited Emilia to the Watergate City of Priestella. But as the party begins its journey, crisis stirs beneath the surface and Subaru meets a cruel fate once again.
Notes:
The first episode has an extended runtime of ~90 minutes, and received an early premiere at Anime Expo on July 5, 2024.
Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 3 is finished and has 16 Episodes. It is also Known as: Re:ゼロから始める異世界生活 3, Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu 3
3. Yakusoku no Neverland

The orphans at Grace Field House have only ever known peace. Their home is nice, their bellies stay full, and their caretaker, Mom, loves them very much. But their world turns upside down when the smartest children of the bunch—Emma, Ray, and Norman—learn what horror awaits them on adoption day. Now, their cultivated wit may be their only chance of survival.
The Promised Neverland is finished and has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 約束のネバーランド, Yakusoku no Neverland
4. [Oshi no Ko]

When a pregnant young starlet appears in Gorou Amemiya’s countryside medical clinic, the doctor takes it upon himself to safely deliver Ai Hoshino’s child so she can make a scandal-free return to the stage. But no good deed goes unpunished, and on the eve of her delivery, he finds himself slain at the hands of Ai’s deluded stalker — and subsequently reborn as Ai’s child, Aquamarine Hoshino! The glitz and glamor of showbiz hide the dark underbelly of the entertainment industry, threatening to dull the shine of his favorite star. Can he help his new mother rise to the top of the charts? And what will he do when unthinkable disaster strikes?
Note: Episode 1【推しの子】Mother and Children was pre-screened in advance in Japanese theaters on March 17, 2023. The regular TV broadcast begins on April 12, 2023. The first episode has an extended runtime of ~90 minutes.
Oshi no Ko is finished and has 11 Episodes. It is also Known as: 【推しの子】, 【OSHI NO KO】, [Mein*Star], Favorite Girl, My Idol's Child, เกิดใหม่เป็นลูกโอชิ, Anak Idola, 【推しの子】Mother and Children, [Oshi no Ko] Mother and Children, 【MOJA GWIAZDA】, 我推的孩子
5. Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu

All of a sudden, they arrived: parasitic aliens that descended upon Earth and quickly infiltrated humanity by burrowing into the brains of vulnerable targets. These insatiable beings acquire full control of their host and are able to morph into a variety of forms in order to feed on unsuspecting prey.
Sixteen-year-old high school student Shinichi Izumi falls victim to one of these parasites, but it fails to take over his brain, ending up in his right hand instead. Unable to relocate, the parasite, now named Migi, has no choice but to rely on Shinichi in order to stay alive. Thus, the pair is forced into an uneasy coexistence and must defend themselves from hostile parasites that hope to eradicate this new threat to their species.
Parasyte -the maxim- is finished and has 24 Episodes. It is also Known as: 寄生獣 セイの格率, Parasite, Parasitic Beasts, Parasyte
6. Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen

Known for being both brilliant and powerful, Miyuki Shirogane and Kaguya Shinomiya lead the illustrious Shuchiin Academy as near equals. Everyone thinks they’d make a great couple. But with pride and arrogance in ample supply, the only logical move is to trick the other into instigating a date! Who will come out on top in this psychological war where the first move is the only one that matters?
Kaguya-sama: Love is War is finished and has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: かぐや様は告らせたい~天才たちの恋愛頭脳戦~, Kaguya Wants to be Confessed To: The Geniuses' War of Love and Brains
7. Monster

Dr. Kenzou Tenma is a renowned brain surgeon of Japanese descent working in Europe. Highly lauded by his peers as one of the great young minds that will revolutionize the field, he is blessed with a beautiful fiancée and is on the cusp of a big promotion in the hospital he works at. But all of that is about to change with a grave dilemma that Kenzou faces one night—whether to save the life of a small boy or that of the town's mayor. Despite being pressured by his superiors to perform surgery on the mayor, his morals force him to perform the surgery on the other critical patient, saving his life and forfeiting the mayor's. A doctor is taught to believe that all life is equal; however, when a series of murders occur in the surgeon's vicinity, all of the evidence pointing to the boy he saved, Kenzou's beliefs are shaken. Along his journey to unravel the true identity of his little patient, Kenzou discovers that the fate of the world may be intertwined with the mysterious child.
Monster is finished and has 74 Episodes. It is also Known as: モンスター, Monster
8. Jigokuraku

The Edo period is nearing its end. Gabimaru, a shinobi formerly known as the strongest in Iwagakure who is now a death row convict, is told that he will be acquitted and set free if he can bring back the Elixir of Life from an island that is rumored to be the Buddhist pure land Sukhavati. In hopes of reuniting with his beloved wife, Gabimaru heads to the island along with the executioner Yamada Asaemon Sagiri. Upon arriving there, they encounter other death row convicts in search of the Elixir of Life... as well as a host of unknown creatures, eerie manmade statues, and the hermits who rule the island. Can Gabimaru find the Elixir of Life on this mysterious island and make it back home alive?
Hell's Paradise is finished and has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: 地獄楽, Heavenhell, Paradition, Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku
9. Made in Abyss

The enormous cave system, known as the Abyss, is the only unexplored place in the world. Nobody knows how deep down goes this titanic pit, inhabited by strange and wondrous creatures and full of mysterious ancient relics which purpose in unknown to modern man. Generations of bold adventurers have been drawn by the cryptic depths of the Abyss. In course of time those bold enough to explore the dangerous pit came to be known as "Cave Raiders."
In Oosu, the town at the edge of the Abyss, there lives a little orphan named Rico, who dreams of becoming as great a cave raider as her mother was and solving the great mystery of the pit. One day exploring the murky depths she stumbles upon a little boy, who turns out to be a robot...
Made in Abyss is finished and has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: メイドインアビス, Made in Abyss
10. Death Parade

After death, there is no heaven or hell, only a bar that stands between reincarnation and oblivion. There the attendant will, one after another, challenge pairs of the recently deceased to a random game in which their fate of either ascending into reincarnation or falling into the void will be wagered. Whether it's bowling, darts, air hockey, or anything in between, each person's true nature will be revealed in a ghastly parade of death and memories, dancing to the whims of the bar's master. Welcome to Quindecim, where Decim, arbiter of the afterlife, awaits!
Death Parade expands upon the original one-shot intended to train young animators. It follows yet more people receiving judgment—until a strange, black-haired guest causes Decim to begin questioning his own rulings.
Death Parade is finished and has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: デス・パレード, Death Parade
11. Psycho-Pass

Justice, and the enforcement of it, has changed. In the 22nd century, Japan enforces the Sibyl System, an objective means of determining the threat level of each citizen by examining their mental state for signs of criminal intent, known as their Psycho-Pass. Inspectors uphold the law by subjugating, often with lethal force, anyone harboring the slightest ill-will; alongside them are Enforcers, jaded Inspectors that have become latent criminals, granted relative freedom in exchange for carrying out the Inspectors' dirty work.
Into this world steps Akane Tsunemori, a young woman with an honest desire to uphold justice. However, as she works alongside veteran Enforcer Shinya Kougami, she soon learns that the Sibyl System's judgments are not as perfect as her fellow Inspectors assume. With everything she has known turned on its head, Akane wrestles with the question of what justice truly is, and whether it can be upheld through the use of a system that may already be corrupt.
Psycho-Pass is finished and has 22 Episodes. It is also Known as: サイコパス, Psychopath
12. Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji has just enrolled at Tokyo Koudo Ikusei Senior High School, where it's said that 100% of students go on to college or find employment. But he ends up in Class 1-D, which is full of all the school's problem children.
What's more, every month, the school awards students points with a cash value of 100,000 yen, and the classes employ a laissez-faire policy in which talking, sleeping, and even sabotage are permitted during class.
One month later, Ayanokoji, Horikita, and the students of Class D learn the truth of the system in place within their school...
Classroom of the Elite is finished and has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: ようこそ実力至上主義の教室へ, Welcome to the Classroom of the Elite
13. Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Ultra Romantic

The elite members of Shuchiin Academy's student council continue their competitive day-to-day antics. Council president Miyuki Shirogane clashes daily against vice-president Kaguya Shinomiya, each fighting tooth and nail to trick the other into confessing their romantic love. Kaguya struggles within the strict confines of her wealthy, uptight family, rebelling against her cold default demeanor as she warms to Shirogane and the rest of her friends.
Meanwhile, council treasurer Yuu Ishigami suffers under the weight of his hopeless crush on Tsubame Koyasu, a popular upperclassman who helps to instill a new confidence in him. Miko Iino, the newest student council member, grows closer to the rule-breaking Ishigami while striving to overcome her own authoritarian moral code.
As love further blooms at Shuchiin Academy, the student council officers drag their outsider friends into increasingly comedic conflicts.
Note: The first episode had an advanced screening on April 2, in both New York & Los Angeles.
Kaguya-sama: Love is War - Ultra Romantic - is finished and has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: かぐや様は告らせたい-ウルトラロマンティック-, Kaguya-sama: Love is War Season 3, 辉夜大小姐想让我告白~天才们的恋爱头脑战~ 3, 辉夜大小姐想让我告白~天才们的恋爱头脑战~ 第三季, Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen 3
14. Neon Genesis Evangelion

In the year 2015, the world stands on the brink of destruction. Humanity's last hope lies in the hands of Nerv, a special agency under the United Nations, and their Evangelions, giant machines capable of defeating the Angels who herald Earth's ruin. Gendou Ikari, head of the organization, seeks compatible pilots who can synchronize with the Evangelions and realize their true potential. Aiding in this defensive endeavor are talented personnel Misato Katsuragi, Head of Tactical Operations, and Ritsuko Akagi, Chief Scientist.
Face to face with his father for the first time in years, 14-year-old Shinji Ikari's average life is irreversibly changed when he is whisked away into the depths of Nerv, and into a harrowing new destiny—he must become the pilot of Evangelion Unit-01 with the fate of mankind on his shoulders.
Written by Hideaki Anno, Neon Genesis Evangelion is a heroic tale of a young boy who will become a legend. But as this psychological drama unfolds, ancient secrets beneath the big picture begin to bubble to the surface...
Neon Genesis Evangelion is finished and has 26 Episodes. It is also Known as: Shinseiki Evangelion, 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン, Neon Genesis Evangelion
15. Kakegurui

Hyakkaou Private Academy. An institution for the privileged with a very peculiar curriculum. You see, when you're the sons and daughters of the wealthiest of the wealthy, it's not athletic prowess or book smarts that keep you ahead. It's reading your opponent, the art of the deal. What better way to hone those skills than with a rigorous curriculum of gambling? At Hyakkaou Private Academy, the winners live like kings, and the losers are put through the wringer. But when Yumeko Jabami enrolls, she's gonna teach these kids what a high roller really looks like!
Kakegurui: Compulsive Gambler is finished and has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 賭ケグルイ, Kakegurui
16. Pluto

A murder occurs in an orderly world where robots are unable to kill humans. The robotic Europol investigator Gesicht takes the case, but the mystery deepens when he finds no trace of a human at the scene of the crime. As he pursues the truth, Gesicht uncovers the most evil manifestation of hate that history ever seen, one that is bent on bringing destruction to the world ...
PLUTO is finished and has 8 Episodes. It is also Known as: プルートウ, Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka