What makes Berserk great isn't the grimdarkness itself, but how the grimdarkness is used to make the moments of tenderness and triumph stand out all the more starkly. The darker the night, the brighter a light within it will shine.

I wish we could go back to the good old days when both haruhi suzumiya and Fullmetal alchemist can exist at the same time without one getting hate on by everyone

I’ve learned that good writer doesn’t write a story as dark and edgy because they want it to be, they write it dark and edgy because that’s how it should be. Don’t force it, let it flow. That’s why some stories like Vagabond or Hunter x Hunter can take a turn for the better. Because it makes sense!

Personally, I think that no matter what type of series one watches or reads, as long as it is interesting and entertains you that matters. That of course also has to know how to have a competent writing and cast of characters.

I think watching/reading only dark themed content would get boring, there are too many well written light hearted stories out there.

That thumbnail is crazy🤣🤣🤣🤣

Great video once again! My take about "Dark Anime is Better" is that the dark themes are able to elevate character for better or worse, character development. Take One Piece for example, it looks all giddy and all, and it is, until the darker themes are explored and is able to elevate different characters, Sanji, Nami, Chopper and the list can go on for how they have progressed as characters because of their dark past, and dark moments. But with the bright smile leading them to a better path, Luffy made their past as their past, and the future and the present with Luffy their goal, leaving their past behind instead of having it on their shoulders as burdens or something detrimental in the future. That is character development, the dark and the light is character development, none can't exist without the other. Short answer: Both is good

Mugen my man, this is your best video to date! The script, humor and editing is absolutely amazing. You've explained everything in such great detail. I'm looking forward to more videos like these!!! Keep it up!

Mark my words!!!!! If you continue this format, and keep grinding out videos, you WILL blow up!

2 bangers back to back?! Hell yeah

I just like a great story! Can’t have the dark without the light!

cant wait for another banger

My boyfriend and I are currently rotating between Goblin Slayer and Yuru Camp. We love them both. It's not about feeling one emotion over the other, it's about engaging with media that makes us feel, period! There are so many shows on television today that we could enjoy that would make us simply feel entertained and nothing more. They don't resonate. Dark and feel-good shows should both be experienced as often as possible!

I think enlightenment is finding a balance between light hearted and dark media. its important to have.a pallets cleanser every so often. Also I lean towards dark stories with a lot of comedic elements like Chainsae man or Black lagoon

3:57 Y'know, I was actually hoping/expecting to find a mention to BrBa in this video, since it's what I'm currently watching. It just goes to show how important of a series it's been and its cultural impact on the media.

I've never done the things Casshan or Thorfinn had done in their past to feel guilty, but the feelings of wanting to die, feeling as if you're existence just causes tradgedy for others or that you're a mistake or that you're life feels meaningless and painful that you wish to end that suffering just hits home for me. The emotions themselves are relatable. I obviously come from a different background from Thorfinn and Casshan . One of them being non human and being the cause for the world going into ruin but I digress. I love both characters, since they're complex with alot of layers. They both feel human and real . But it's also scary how human they feel as well. Because they reflect myself . It's a weird position I'm in . Also to clairfy , I haven't personally hurt anyone, or destoryed an entire world so my life situation is obviously quite different.

really enjoying your style man!

I think It’s contrast that makes it interesting, the happy go lucky story turning a sharp turn into dark story makes it surprising just like how we like interesting plot twists and in everything else. The flavor of salt hidden in a mainly sweet food, the big colorful and small letters on a graphically designed billboard, difference between good and bad. We always want what we don’t have. Humans loves contrast. This is coming from an artist with 6 years of experience. Sorry for weird grammar English isn’t my first language.

Also I'm not perfect nor the greatest person, but I haven't done anything criminal in my life to anyone, and won't ever. Just clearing the air. I definitely need to self improve and I'm not easiest person to be around. I know that. I'm more likely to hurt myself. I hate myself more than anyone else . Idk why I try, for some reason I'm just trying to force myself to live. And for some reason I gravitate towards dark series or dark Anime/ dark Manga. I don't necessarily romantize negativity or the worst experiences in life, I more so , find solace in it and see it as a means to vent artistically. It's weird I know . Not trying to be edgy or anything . Just how I feel personally.

Love the new editing style

16:08 I just fucking LOVE air gear, amazing music choice

There are a lot of bad dark and mature anime and manga, they are just broadly forgotten.

bro when overkooled started playing at the end i got mad excited and looked up from my sketchbook. thought he was gonna start talking about air gear

The issue isn't that people like dark stories. The bigger issue is that writers think dark equals better without realizing the quality of dark stories. The type and degree of anguish and torture the characters are put through is only useful if it contributes to the story in a meaningful way that could nit be replaced by another alternative aspect of the story. For instance, Vinland Saga's first part is quintessential to the 3rd part as the motivating factor for the majority of the action of the story and, had it been changed, the 3rd part would be different entirely but some of the tragic backstories for say MHA or Bleach could be easily changed some else darker or better for that matter without it impacting many of the later events of the story.

Casshern Sins I relate to in someway due to Casshan the main character, displaying feelings and emotions that I still feel and experience that are negative. It's kinda crazy that a character like him , the main one, from Casshern Sins , made me cry. I felt as if my own negative feelings were displayed on screen. Which is a surreal experience.

in short. Different folks, different strokes. that was nice

Very eloquently put my man. Me personally I feel like my attention is a sliding scale, when I get to used to something I need to change it up. Not greatly fond of most upbeat or slice of life stuff. The darker stuff seems to have more on the line usually giving more depth to the characters and their situations. Not saying other character aren't deep or well thought out. Vegging out to some serialized shonen stuff is awesome too. Love your videos, thanks for all the effort.

mugen upload makes my night 🙏

Well its literally can be applied on Vanilla and NTR medium too! because so many Vanilla fans bullied NTR fans like "they psycho, weird and etc." but reality they are the same only the differences is in which part they are and shouldn't be judge by anyone.

This makes me think about when do I start liking dark fantasy thing? I remember watching disney princesses movies as a kid and I always find maleficent scenes really cool and fascinating. Not terrifying at all. And then I watch Anastasia with all of those Rasputin scenes. It's probably what makes me interested in darker stories but I don't realize that yet. Not until I'm an adult. I'm the shadow person. For me, dark art style is just more beautiful. I've never been into anime before I discovered some of the less cheerful and hopeful anime. Things doesn't need to be dark for me to like it but it needs to have a peaceful or serene vibe. Idk why but darker art style gave me that peaceful and serene vibe. I'm not really into fast paced things and I find happy anime has too much energy for me. I'll enjoy it every once in a while but I doubt it would go into my favorite list. This doesn't only apply to anime. I prefer quieter and calmer everything and dark art usually use those quiet and calm (before the storm) setting.

A great story has a mix of both because it makes the characters feel real love is war is a very goofy and fun story and characters that never fails to make me laphe but moments were the series drops in some heaver and darker topics that help make it great or a story like vinland saga that despite it being in a world of just murder, destruction, slavory, and disregard for life were a character who gets caught up in all of that turns a 180 and rejects all of it to build a world that he can bring about more lives and homes then he destroyed. Of course there are great storys that just do one of the other but labeling things as "dark" or "happy" doenst really work because often times both are mixed and equally important to make a great story.

underrated channel

Would ecchi or harem stories count as light themed? I guess depending on how the waifu wars end, you could say it could be either light or dark. ITs most likely a spectrum of its own.

Great video my dude. Im also sliver(i dont understand the reference)

Trigun has a great balnce and play between the fun fun and the sad sad. its awesome do watch and read

I had a similar experience with Thorfinn from season 2 of Vinland Saga. That also made me ugly cry.

Some Anime I recommend: Zankyou No Terror, Now and Then , Here and there , Gunslinger Girl, Kiba , Legend of The Galatic Heros, Haibane Renmei, Boogiepop Pop Phantom both the newer version and the older one, Eden of The East, Casshern Sins, Yugo The Nagotiator , Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust , Key The Metal Idol, Shigurui, Red Garden, ID: Invaded, Rahxephon,Rainbow: Nisha Rokubō no Shichinin, Kaiji , Hajime No Ippo, Ashita No Joe, Ghost Hound , Bokurano, Death Parade, Heavely Delusion, Mushishi, Mononoke, Dororo (Mappa version) Hourou Musuko, Sonny Boy , Bare Foot Gen, Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, gungrave, Hell Girl, Devil man and Devil Man Crybaby, Wolf's Rain, Jin-Roh, Shinsekai Yori , Tenshi No Tamago , Alien 9 , Shiki , Kino no Tabi , Time of Eve, Pale Cocoon, Inuyashiki, Aoi Bungaku, Texhnolyze , Ergo Proxy, Genocidal Organ, The sky crawlers, Serial Experiments Lain Moblie Suit Gundam Zeta , Mobile Suit Gundam The Witch From Mercury, Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt and unicorn , Turn A Gundam, The original 1979 Mobile Suit Gundam , Gundam Hathaway, Gundam char counterattack, Gundam The Origin, Gundam 00, Noein , Darker Than Black, Kids on the Slope, Paranoia Agent, Paprika, Tokyo God fathers, Millennium Actress , Vivy , Welcome To The N.H.K, Pandora Hearts, Shadow Star, Anime Pet [2020], Captain Harlock , Hellsing/ Hellsing Ultimate, Dorohedoro, Anime movie memories 1995,Robot Carnival 1987, Childern of The sea, Kite 1998, Maquia : When The Promised Flower Blooms, Banana Fish, Mawaru Penguindrum, Anime movie Colorful .

Outro song goes hard

Banger vid!!!!

I don’t think I’m only into “dark” stories by any means, but I do find it difficult to vibe with the more lighthearted stuff. It feels inauthentic to my own experiences. I’m happy that people gel with it, I *wish* I could but it just doesn’t work for me. At the same time, many darker works feel just as inauthentic with how horrifically cynical they get. AoT and Berserk are both dark, but that’s mostly aesthetic. AoT is graphic and depressing, and at the end of everything the “point” of it all is that everything was worthless and humanity will never change… Berserk is the same, and tragically incomplete, but the point of the struggle is to show that it can be overcome. Chainsaw Man is the best example of my kinda “darkness”. The last chunk of part 1 has you run the spectrum of human emotions from sad to numb and confused to laughing your ass off back to being even sadder than before, then being absolutely disgusted before finally having a really wholesome ending. It’s everything that life is both good and bad but for some reason most people consider that kind of story to be “dark”.

ME:OH! I see... hollow Mask....let's GET IT! I wonder what he thinks of bleach.. -_- Me at: 16:00....but...wht.why.l.......no ichigo is in the thumbnail he has to bring it it. ...😑😢. Good video

Great video man! I think I'm a Shadow...

@Mugen Great video man! :) Sorry for my long comments .

I love both! They make a well-rounded anime library to hurt/comfort your friends with 😂 (Spy x Family is my official comfort show and I've watched it several times now lol)

Mannnn why no mention of ippo man? If you haven’t read it I highly suggest you read it, its so good

anor londo lore goes deep asf no cap

MY DRESS U DARLING WUT WUT!!!! Ki...ti...ga....wa!!!!!!

Take Azumanga Daioh, it may seem like a light-hearted school comedy, and it is, but when I recall Azumanga Daioh I remember it as an anime that had a historic impact on school comedies of the 2000s such as Lucky Star, Minami-ke or even way further in the future with Nichijou and I still remember my younger self laughing and enjoying pretty much every joke that was told. As much I love Berserk, Punpun and the Monogatari Series; these experiences were, in my opinion, no better than being able to watch Azumanga Daioh, March Comes In like a Lion or Sweetness and Lightning.

Cant forget about Sopranos opening the door for Breaking Bad

Mugen, what was the song used in 14:20? Also thank you for making this video, i never even thought about this sort of topic!!

More Anime recommendations: In corner of this world , Beck, Parasyte The Maximum, Patlabor, Nana , One Outs, Acca: 13 -ku Kansatsu-Ka, Juubee Ninpuucho 1993 , Metropolis Movie , Record of Lodoss War 1990-1991, Pet Shop of Horrors , Mouryou No Hako, Chuukan Kanriroku Tonegawa , Manie-Manie :Meikyuu Monogatari, Cyber City Oedo 808, Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu, Gankutsuou, Last Exile , Shangri-la, Ao No 6-gou, Kara No Kyoukai, Mugen No Ryvius, Planetes, Space Brothers, Escaflowne, (etc)

Seeing this video reminds me of Metal Gear, a franchise that is neutral. It has its positive moments and dark moments even if the tone of the series is mostly positive yet realistic at the same time. Even Solid Snake who suffered a lot was able to leave his job as a soldier and enjoy life in his last months. Unfortunately the same can't be said for Venom Snake though.

@Mugen Also if you want a wholesome series, Sweetness and Lighting is the way to go. There's a Manga for it as well.

I love dark and gritty Seinen Skip & Loafer and K-On!

I feel kinda called out. Guess I am the Shadow from Sonic lol. Jesus Christ . I really like darker Manga And Anime more. For me it's preference. But that dosen't mean I don't watch an upbeat Anime every once in awhile. Sweetness and Lighting is my case my point. Love that Anime. I just prefer more experimental and darker Anime & Manga. Every since I read Beserk, and watched the Anime Vinland Saga and Technolyze , I started gravitating towards said Anime like that more over other series that are more light hearted . It's complicated. I enjoy both but I lean towards the darker, sadder and even experimental Anime more for some reason.

👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾

It's crazy how bad shows affect us. For example, I watched a normal number of stories and created a stereotype - a good story will not do without murder and violence... Just look at Puss in Boots 2 and how people rejoiced at the blood of the main character. And in all the works, the characters die on the battlefield - remember any children's show without the deaths of the characters. But then I read the Homunculus manga- there is very little violence there, but the author created the Killer Ichi, so don't expect anything good. But what surprised me was the number of deaths (about 3) and disabled people (at most 2 disabled people in history).In short, this manga is absolutely brilliant, because the main character has the ability to look into the soul of people, and his friend does not believe him and says that any hallucination can be explained with the help of psychology. This is not a Berserker or anything more violent, but there are moments more terrible than most Seinen

11:05 If you unraveled a depressed persons dna in a single cell it would stretch to the moon and back

Mugen we miss you 🙏

Mugen, are you aware of the kodiak bear?

I used to love dark genres but not anymore. I rarely watch anime now and only watch wholesome one.

I don’t know, One Piece has quite a bit of genocide too😂

its really funny using one piece as just a lighthearted story example since while its funny and goofy its pretty dark in general, the world its set in is deceptively pretty but below that its ugly and broken.

Anyways sorry for the rambling. Good video btw.

Also, I agree with video. A media being dark doesn't mean its better. Just read bad Garth Ennis comics like the Pro or The Boys. Being edgy for the sake of being edgy

I’m just saiyan, I love spy x family and Saiki K and I also love jujutsu kaisen and AOT so ig I’m a grey wolf lmao (this comment was made at the beginning of the video)

12:03 I gotta call cap on that whole Dragon Ball section. Goku literally already did what he did against Frieza in Dragon Ball. Krillin was already killed in Dragon Ball by Tambourine and that angered Goku to the point where he tracked down Tambourine and murdered him in cold blood. The first SSJ isn't iconic because it was a change for Goku we've never seen before.

Because it's rarer and has greater depth.

Cuz its real

I feel like I'm being called out..

turned my ad-blocker off for this one

I Love edgy movie's

jin > mugen

90 Dbz was dark when come to blood and yu yu yuske show

He has legs.

Kinda how I feel about gore artwork or body horror artwork. It's just a means to cope and vent about my own personal negative feelings towards myself . I have really bad gender dysphoria so yeah. Sorry for oversharing. Just felt compelled to comment for some reason.

13:33 guts is the furthest thing from a selfish asshole, that’s griffith 😐

having a story be dark doesn't make it good. what makes it good is the light at the end of the tunnel. If a story from start to end is dark, then that isn't a story - that's a depression-flavored nothing burger. Same for the opposite: that's not a story, that's loony toons. what makes a story good is the fact that, even in the night, the moon and stars still shines.

where is bleach

I have two sides; edgelord/Moe lover

Honestly, Sonic (Especially the comic series (Archie + IDW)) is far better in terms of writing quality than most (80%) of anime. Espceially the ones being released today. Mangakas are artists, not writers. Stories in the west use more refined and developed principles when they write.

_Why you only like Ecchi Anime_

I like both Oyasumi PunPun and Kaguya Sama 🗿