No Source In The Vicinity: Ten Anime Original Shows With Interesting Premise

Currently, the majority of anime shows released are adaptations of either a manga or a light novel. There was, however, a quite bountiful time when lots of series were completely original: the idea was not based on anything specific and didn't share a name with a work in another medium. And sometimes these shows turn out to be pretty interesting.

We made a list of ten anime series like that — both well-known ones that became classics of their own and some more obscure ones.

Serial Experiments Lain

This series was considered risky by its own producers, mostly because of the controversial approach of the producer himself, who positioned the series as one that embodied traditional Japanese values and fears instead of the American ones that were prevalent after World War II. The authors were primarily influenced by horror movies, and dived deep into philosophical concepts of collective consciousness, citing Proust and Rushkoff. This series has a non-linear story dealing with technology, theology, and psychology in the ever-changing digital landscape of a rapidly modernizing world.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

We talked about what makes Madoka special: it's a unique series that was specifically designed by the team at SHAFT to destroy the stereotypes of mahou shoujo. It was inspired by these tropes, sure: you need to know your enemy to deal with them effectively. But the origins of Madoka are pure spite and the striving for creative freedom: these are the reasons why they decided to go with the original script. The team just wanted to create a high-quality entertaining thing, and the nearly limitless creative freedom sure helped the story blossom.

Odd Taxi

The word "Odd" in the name of this series perfectly describes the general vibe. In this show mystery unravels in an odd way, the episodes are constructed in an odd way, the characters are odd, and the events are odd. Everything is odd, even the animation style is odd. Yet this oddity works so well, combining these irregularities together into a cohesive and engaging story.

Samurai Champloo

The idea of Samurai Champloo is centered around the themes of death, its portrayal, prevalence, and acceptance. Watanabe Shinichiro, the director of the series, previously explored these topics in his other original works, like Macross Plus and Cowboy Bebop. But Samurai Champloo was not a science fiction like those shows; it's a mix of historical aesthetics with contemporary stylistic choices and dialogues, heavily influenced by hip-hop. And what an eclectic yet organic mix it is.

Death Parade

Technically, Death Parade is based on a short film Death Billiard that was produced by Madhouse — but it's an original work that introduced the themes that would later be deeply explored in the show. The concept of bartenders doing the jobs of the reapers and deciding the fate of the souls is quite fresh and introduces a lot of interesting viewpoints on morality, life, and death.

Mononoke

The funny thing is Mononoke shares one of the writers with Serial Experiments Lain: Chiaki J. Konaka worked on both of these stories. Yet they are extremely different. Mononoke is a deep dive into Japanese folk tales with a darker tint, exploring the folklore through unique stylization. Medicine Seller, the main character of the series, quite often is torn between various choices in his adventures, dealing with the gray morality and inevitable losses.

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

The team behind Gurren Lagann did their research, and that's one of the reasons why the series spent a lot of time in the pre-production stage: Nakashima Kazuki, the writer of the series, and Takeda Yasuhiro were quite dedicated to creating a realistic depiction of certain events despite the general absurdity and grandiosity. The series was influenced by Getter Robo and some works from the studio Gainax that did the show: they just wanted robots, more robots, as epic as they could be.

Kyousougiga

A girl named Koto ends up in a parallel, mirror world, where she ends up being a central part of a very convoluted plot. It's a mess, this ONA, but in a good way. It's jumbled and chaotic and all over the place, and that's what makes it entertaining. In a way, this show can be considered an isekai — but a very unique one. It's a short trip consisting of only one episode, but one that can rival in acidity even the longest, most brain-wrenching shows.

Eureka Seven

This epic romantic mecha adventure was influenced by the music and subculture of the 80s-90s but set far in the future. Yet the themes and the vibe were translated into this futuristic world perfectly; the personal problems are still relatable to the audience, and the grander scale conflicts are hyperbolic versions of the ones we actually face. The theme of environmentalism, of the relationship between humanity and nature, of this deeper connection are paired with cool robots — and it's a nice and refreshing mix of topics.

Yuri on Ice!!

It's surprisingly wholesome. The sports show also has a lot of romance poured into it, but ultimately follows the story of finding your own footing, finding people who are going to be by your side when you need it, finding those who would inspire you to become a better version of yourself and who will be willing to share all the ups and downs of this journey with you. This anime original from Mappa is uplifting and nice, and it's a shame that Mappa's plans to expand the story were shelved.