Man has always been obsessed with creating a utopia on earth, where potentially everyone could live happily forever, however the idea of a utopian society is often times a facade used by people of power to impart their ideologies on other people. Over the years, a good deal of anime have dealt with the subject of creating or living in a perfect utopian world, only for it to crumble later on.
At first glance, these worlds presented a society that on paper seemed perfect for everyone, but a deeper look revealed their true and dangerous natures, meant only to keep people in check and stop them from retaliating. Here are some of the best anime that take place in fake utopias that are in reality quite terrifying to live in.
5 The Promised Neverland
The first season of The Promised Neverland showed so much potential as a great sci-fi horror series with its utopian setting. Written by Kaiu Shirai and illustrated by Posuka Demizu, The Promised Neverland stars three young orphans, Emma, Norman, and Ray,who live in an orphanage that provides them with great care until the day comes for them to be adopted. However, things turn for the worse when Emma and Norman discover that instead of being adopted the children in the orphanage are being sent to their doom.
The show soon reveals that the orphanage is actually controlled by demonic predators who raise children until they are ripe and then devour them to stop their own deterioration. The heroes then spend the rest of the season trying to figure out a way to escape their hoax of a paradise. The Promised Neverland's first season was received exceptionally well. The second season of this show, however, is one that fans should avoid at all costs.
4 From The New World
Written by Yusuke Kishi, From the New World is a dark mystery show set in a future where humans have the ability to use psychic powers. The show follows a girl named Saki Watanabe and her group of friends in their perfect little utopian town Kamisu 66. As Saki begins to awaken her psychic abilities and come to terms with her responsibilities, she discovers that all is not what it seems to be.
At the Sage Academy, where Saki and her friends get their schooling, the fate of the children who are unable to awaken psychic abilities begins to raise a lot of questions among the group. Soon, they find themselves uncovering dark secrets of their societies and learn of what transpired before their time. They also come face to face with a breed of humanoid Mole-rats enslaved by the human race which raises more questions about their perfect world. From the New World tackles a lot of dark themes and portrays them in a terrifying manner. The show has a rating of 8.29 on MyAnimeList.
3 Ergo Proxy
Ergo Proxy is an underrated gem that tackles many dark themes. Written by Dai Sato, the show is set in a post-apocalyptic future where the majority of the planet has become inhabitable, except for large dome-like utopian cities that still hold life in them. Humans and androids called AutoReivs live together in these futuristic cities and work to preserve the peace within their society. However, a virus outbreak causes AutoReivs to become self-aware and go on a murderous rampage, which ends up threatening the safety of the society.
Inspector Re-L is tasked with investigating these strange cases which leads her to meet a man named Vincent Law who appears to have a deeper connection with the strange occurrences regarding the AutoReivs. The two soon discover a much larger conspiracy behind the virus attack and learn the truth about their utopian society. Ergo Proxy has a rating of 7.9 on MyAnimeList.
2 Psycho-Pass
Psycho-Pass is a cyberpunk thriller set in a futuristic Japan, governed by a powerful biomechatronic computer network known as the Sibyl System. The Sibyl System is a program capable of measuring a person's murderous intent which makes it possible to single out dangerous people from within the society, thus paving way for a utopia where crime is almost non-existent.
Written by Gen Urobuchi, the show follows the rookie inspector Akane Tsunemori, as she works to carry out justice with the aid of the Sibyl System. However, her belief in the system begins to shake after meeting an enforcer named Shinya Kogami, who shows her its flaws. The two soon find themselves at the center of a government conspiracy, while also going up against a mysterious terrorist who has found a way to escape the system. The first season of Psycho-Pass has a rating of 8.3 on MyAnimeList.
1 Attack on Titan
Attack on Titan is a dark fantasy and action show written by Hajime Isayama that follows a young boy named Eren Yeager, as his grasp on reality begins to shatter following a life-changing and catastrophic event. For a hundred years, humanity had survived and thrived within the boundaries of three gigantic walls, that for the longest time had kept the monstrous titans at bay. Even with the threat of the titans outside the walls, peace was still maintained within them, paving way for the creation of a peaceful society.
However, the fragility of the walls is soon revealed within the first few episodes of the show, as a giant Titan, as tall as the walls themselves, appears and breaks a hole within the first wall. What follows is a horde of Titans entering the human village inside the wall, destroying everything in their path and devouring every person they see. As viewers progress through the show, more and more secrets about the fake utopian society of the Paradi Island come into light. Attack on Titan is one of the most popular anime series ever created, with its first season retaining a rating of 8.5 on MyAnimeList.