Propose anime

[Wraith]

--"I have to give a HUGE recommendation to Monster. Since it has not been licensed in the US"

The manga has been, but I guess it doesn't matter at this point ^_^

--"and does not seem to be much about psychology, at least not in a subtle way.."

Not sure exactly what you're looking for here, then. If you could give me some other examples, not limited to just anime/manga, it might help.

Taking some guesses, though, you might like Neon Genesis Evangelion. Don't let the mecha-combat look scare you off, it's much more about the pilots than the mecha. And essentially the entire cast is pretty messed up psychologically. Rumor has it that the director was using it to work through a mountain of personal issues, and it's believable enough to have stuck around.

Death Note might also work, since the entire story is basically a couple people trying to outwit the other.

Any of Mamoru Oshii's works might fit the bill. Jin-Roh is usually a good start, although he didn't direct it he was greatly involved in it. The first Ghost in the Shell movie might work as well. Angel's Egg is probably closest to what you're looking for, but hasn't been licensed (and is extremely unlike to ever be).

If you were more willing to go for longer series, I'd have to recommend Revolutionary Girl Utena, which is about as symbolism packed as it gets. Not exactly psychology, but it's there in spades as well.

Maybe Alien Nine. Lots of people hate how much the main character cries, but it's a perfectly reasonable response for a girl in her situation, so if you're in it for the psychology it shouldn't bother you.

Anyway, I'll wait for more referents to work from before I continue. Not sure how much of the above will actually be what you're looking for at the moment.

Wraith
"A man should envision such a lifetime once. A life spent as a martyr to the god named "Dream"."
-- Griffith ("Berserk")

[Varwnos]

Ty, i will have a look at them ^_^

Ideally i would want to find a series/film which was about the emotion of horror, and with the central character(s) being reclusive.

[monolith94]

Any thoughts on Paprika, wraith? I thought it was quite the experience!

[Varwnos]

I have seen Paprika. It was about dreams and a machine that enabled access to them by people other than the one dreaming them.

[Wraith]

--"Any thoughts on Paprika, wraith?"

Just that I can't wait for it come out on DVD here so I can see it ^_^ The only theater around here that showed it is far away and has a screen barely larger than my non-big-screen TV.

--"Ideally i would want to find a series/film which was about the emotion of horror, and with the central character(s) being reclusive."

Fairly specific. Can't think of too many that would fit that. Vampire Princess Miyu OVA is probably your best bet, and Boogiepop Phantom would fit fairly well.

Elfen Lied and Higurashi no Naku Koro ni are also probably worth examining, but I haven't seen enough of either to guarantee they'd be what you're after.

Alien Nine would probably still work for you, since one of the central drives of the story is the main character's phobia. She's completely freaked out by aliens but has to wear one as a symbiont, which is the reason for her crying. The other characters aren't as badly off, but aren't exactly free of them either. You'll have to read the manga as well if you like it, though, but it's only four volumes.

Evangelion and Berserk are both likely worth checking out as well, although the length of Berserk (30+ volumes in Japan, with over 100 expected by the end) works against it from what you say. Still, fatalism and despair are big parts of the series.
For Evangelion, the general level of neurosis should be up your alley. Another case with a fraidy-cat main character, which gets a lot of people ticked at him, but he tends to chant "musn't run away" rather than just cry.

On a completely separate note, since I'm already posting about anime, I want to mention "Sayonara, Zetsubou Sensei" ("Good bye Mr. Despair"). Hilarious dark comedy about a teacher who is quite possible the most negative person in the world (he carries a suicide kit with him everywhere he goes) who ends up as a teacher. His constant attempts to teach his students the true meaning of life (despair, naturally) are always interrupted by one of his students. Kafuka Fuuka (not her real name), who is quite possibly the most positive person in the world. Tons of dark humor, word play, and satire skewering everything around.

Wraith
"In this world, is the destiny of mankind controlled by some transcendental entity or law? Is it like the hand of God hovering above? At least it is true, that man has no control, even over his own will."
-- Berserk

[Nanimo]

I remember reading a manga called "Domu (A Child's Dream)" a while ago, and from what I remember, that might be up your street.

I also liked "Noiseman Sound Insect" which is not particularly horror/psycho-drama but it's also very different to the typical anime show. Koji Morimoto also has a number of other short animated clips that might be worth seeking out:-
Extra (Ken Ishi Music vid)
Dimensional Loop / Jigen Loop
Survival (Glay music vid)

Hmmm... apparently his animation studio has a film called "Mind Game" I don't know anything about it, but it might be interesting?

I also enjoyed a show called "Welcome to the N.H.K.!" The ending sequence is mind-bending enough in itself. :P

Apparently "Paranoia Agent" is good... it's created by the same guy who did "Perfect Blue" and "Millennium Actress" so I'd be interested in seeking this out myself.
(Edit: D'oh, by the time I got round to writing my post, I'd forgotten what the OP had written.)

"FLCL" was good... I'm not sure if it counts? Although it's also a really good comedy show, I think there's enough for you to construe a reasonable psychological drama out of it...

[monolith94]

Originally posted by Wraith
--"Any thoughts on Paprika, wraith?"

Just that I can't wait for it come out on DVD here so I can see it ^_^ The only theater around here that showed it is far away and has a screen barely larger than my non-big-screen TV.

Ah. I myself had to drive an hour into Boston to catch it, and on the very last night it was playing. Totally worth it though. It was interesting - when the credits rolled, I thought it was very good... but then a minute later when I was exiting the theater the full weight of the story kind of hit me. It was like a euphoric drug! Satoshi Kon brews some strange stuff.

[Nanimo]

Hmmm... Paprika sounds interesting... except, the first linke of the wikipedia article says this:

"Paprika (パプリカ, Papurika?) is a Japanese animated science fiction film, based on Yasutaka Tsutsui's 1993 novel Paprika, about a female research psychologist involved in a project to develop a device that will permit therapists to help patients by entering their dreams."

And for some reason, that instantly reminded me of a film with Jennifer Lopez in it...

[Varwnos]

Personally i didnt like Paprika. The plot seemed to be quite unclear, both inside and outside the dreams. In great contrast to Perfect Blue, another of Kon's animated films, the characters in Paprika were more numerous and there was no clear lead so to speak.
Also imho the film is anti-climactic.

In general it seems like Kon tried to include a much larger plot-line (one more useable in a tv series) in a film, and some of his ussual themes (for example double personality) appear in Paprika as well, but only in tiny bits and pieces.
And i did not find the idea that many dreams were combined to have been well executed. Afterall this is a realm of unknown possibilities, for all one knows if you combined two dreams you would not get a third, but something very different, and what was presented as the over-dream was in itself not that developed..

[Ellestar]

Originally posted by Wraith
Elfen Lied and Higurashi no Naku Koro ni are also probably worth examining, but I haven't seen enough of either to guarantee they'd be what you're after.

Elfen Lied isn't exactly about horror IMHO, it's more like a Harem/Drama/Horror, but there will be some blood. Ok, there will be a lot of blood Well, it won "Best Thriller/Mystery/Horror 2004" anyway http://anidb.info/perl-bin/animedb.p...anime&aid=1544

Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni - that one is a Horror/Detective/Mystery/Drama, it won "Best Thriller/Mystery/Horror 2006" award with ease (it was almost unopposed in a voting) http://anidb.info/perl-bin/animedb.p...anime&aid=3574
This one is in my top 5 IMHO it's much better than Elfen Lied.

***

You can also check Cossette no Shouzou / Le Portrait de Petite Cossette. It's a short Dementia/Drama/Horror/Mystery. I don't like Dementia but Paranoia Agent is Dementia too so maybe you'll like it.

[ghen]

Death Note is the most recent good Anime I've watched. If you haven't seen old stuff, Hellsing and Witch Hunter Robin are great.

For more comical super-hero type, I recommend The GetBackers and Read or Die.

[Q Classic]

I do recommend both Read or Die and R.O.D the TV...

...but I will disagree vehemently on the quality of Hellsing and Witch Hunter Robin. I think both are trite and quite unspectacular; the former was (I have been told) unfaithful to the source material, as well as being poorly written with a convoluted, unremarkable plot

The latter was just utter ****e--the universe doesn't hold up to much scrutiny, and the huge, shocking "plot twist" was hardly shocking (and relatively expected), and too many "Freak of the Week" filler episodes.

(On the other hand, the new Hellsing is supposed to be much, much, much better, though the first one destroyed any interest I have in this new series.)

[DaShi]

Actually, I preferred the freak-of-the-week episodes of Witch Hunter to the arc episodes.

[Q Classic]

Originally posted by DaShi
Actually, I preferred the freak-of-the-week episodes of Witch Hunter to the arc episodes.

Which should tell you how bad this series was. Amongst "popular" anime, I'm struggling to think of one that was worse, in terms of hype v. reality.

Oh, here's one. Wolf's Rain. Even KANNO's soundtrack couldn't keep that one afloat.

[Varwnos]

I had a look at Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni.
The drawings are exactly what i do not like about anime; too ideal/cute & not that different from each other (if all the characters had the same hair you could probably not even tell them apart)
Also how many episodes is this? Since i read there is at least a second season, it probably has a lot of them :/