History MindScrew / AnimeAndManga

* ''Anime/{{Noein}}'' is based ([[TechnoBabble loosely]]) on quantum mechanics and the plot revolves very heavily around TheMultiverse. The main character's RealityWarper powers allow her to jump freely between the many dimensions, and since a new dimension is created [[WhatIf whenever somebody makes a decision]], there are a ''lot'' of them, with [[ForWantOfANail outcomes ranging from slightly off to outright dystopian]]. Also there's a lot of interaction [[MyFutureSelfAndMe between characters from the present dimension and dimensions in the future]]. Naturally, the series gets confusing.

* What happens when some {{Hentai}} such as ''Issho ni H Shiyo!'', ''Betsu ni Anta no Tame ni Ookiku Natta ja Nai Dakara ne!!'' and ''Tsunpri'' effectively wrote the [[FirstPersonPerspective POV]] part in such a way to make ''you'' have sex with characters like Yui, Hina, Aoi, Haruka and so on and [[NoFourthWall just completely disregarded the fourth wall altogether]], as if a good [[MaleGaze look at]] [[{{Fanservice}} the characters' voluptuous bodies with nicely-shaped breasts and nipples]] [[MindScrew isn't enough]]? Well, even if you're a veteran {{Hentai}} fan, the POV segment ''will'' catch you off guard, since most hentai do ''not'' enact the POV segment that bizarrely, or at least put a large emphasis on that. Not with ''Issho Ni H Shiyo!'' and others though, these hentai puts you, the viewer, in direct sex scenes with the characters. The FakeInteractivity was well-exploited on this one.

* ''Anime/YuriKumaArashi'', by [[Creator/KunihikoIkuhara the same creator]] as ''Utena'' and ''Penguindrum'' above, is about bears who can disguise themselves as humans. While this concept, and a few others, are explained at the very beginning of the series, a large amount of details regarding the setting have to be learned through observation -- and, just like the creator's other works, said setting is a WorldOfSymbolism. In the end, it ended up being easier to understand than his previous shows, but that's not to say it was a [[JustForPun straight]] story either.

* ''Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena''. The anime is screwy enough, but the movie rivals ''End of Evangelion''. ''Utena'''s director Ikuhara has expressed particular, almost sadistic, delight in the despair fans have shown over figuring things out. Some of his more famous [[TheWalrusWasPaul replies to fans]] have been "Miki keeps timing things because his watch contains the secret of the universe" and "The reason Utena turns into a car in the movie is because I really wanted to turn a cute girl into a car."

* Surprisingly for an episodic ScienceFiction FilmNoir anime that's packed with pop culture references and driven entirely by its music, ''Anime/CowboyBebop'' ''loves'' this. This is especially apparent in "Pierrot Le Fou" and "[[PathOfInspiration Brain Scratch]]".

** The [[WhamEpisode second-to-last episode]] of [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist the 2003 anime adaptation]] has strong elements of this.

* ''Anime/HaibaneRenmei'' is a much gentler version of this; while the plot itself isn't all that ridiculous, the {{backstory}} and setting are never explained. It, ''Lain'', and ''Texhnolyze'' all have one thing in common: Creator/YoshitoshiABe. Thankfully, this is probably his gentlest work. Most of the mind screwing is in the nature of little mysteries left unexplained to everyone... including the characters, making it less of a shock and more of a curiosity that accentuates the surreal setting.
* ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya''. The AnachronicOrder will mess you up, since you cannot relate half of the stuff being said.
** The time where we enter an endless recursion of time. Reading/watching Endless Eight for the first time will have anyone trying to figure out what in the world is actually going on.
** It gets hard to follow in the 4th novel ''Disappearance'' and its continuance in another novel, where [[TimeTravel time travelling]] is combined with [[AlternateUniverse alternate universes]]. It may take you 2 times to read just to understand ''how'' they actually managed to [[StableTimeLoop solve it]].
** The 9th novel features two realities, ''for no apparent reason'', in which different stuff happens. To be fair, the more surreal of the two phone calls in the 9th novel is obviously made by someone who knows more than they really should, and as it's the first point of difference, it's likely the cause of the split. Who they are and what they want is unclear. And in the 10th novel it solved out to be [[spoiler:that there were two realities, one of which a backup, and the mysterious sixth member of the club is Haruhi's subconscious.]] Yes, you didn't misread this, no need to reread the sentence.

%%* The "Land of Books" episode of ''LightNovel/KinosJourney''.

* ''Manga/MurasakiiroNoQualia'' is absolutely full of this. From philosophy to quantum mechanics, the series has a field day with it. Perception is troublesome, after all.

* ''Biorg Trinity'' is more of a sequence of non-sequiturs than an actual manga with a plot. It's written by Otaro Maijo, the man responsible for the infamous [[LightNovel/JorgeJoestar Jorge Joestar]], and it's exactly as crazy as one would expect. The unnatural dialogue, bizarre plot twists and surreal yet amazingly drawn art make it hard to tell WTF is ever going on. This trope gets taken to literal levels when a girl wearing an outfit made of strung together bikinis gets skull-fucked in the back of her head by a Louis Vuitton panda bear.

* ''Anime/TekkonKinkreet'' starts out pretty straightforwardly. The ''ending'', on the other hand...

* ''Franchise/JoJosBizarreAdventure'' may be the ultimate mind screwing anime, with [[JigsawPuzzlePlot completely crazy plots]]. [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders One part]] you have to beat some steamroller-summoning [[TimeStandsStill time-stopping]] [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampire that stole your ancestor's body]] (and [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean later]] find out that he had plans to create another universe), and [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureSteelBallRun the other]] you have to fight dinosaurs and [[PresidentEvil stop the President of the United States from taking over the world]] [[spoiler: using [[RuleOfSymbolism the power of Jesus' body parts]].]] Some powers are absurd even by ''[=JoJo=]'' standards; the greatest offender is probably the stand Heavy Weather, who has the power to "alter the atmosphere and hence the projection of light, creating various rainbows to fill a vicinity. If someone were to gaze at the projected light, [[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs their bodies would morph into snails due to subliminal messages.]]
** And that's not even getting into the insanity of Diavolo's Stand, King Crimson. Its power is described as "[[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext erasing time]]", but it's somewhat vague about it. Fans have been trying to figure out how King Crimson works ([[MemeticMutation don't question it, it just works]]) ever since it was first introduced. The fact that its power is portrayed somewhat inconsistently definitely doesn't help.

* ''Manga/AfterSchoolNightmare'' is rather hard to explain. At first it seems like a normal manga with an intersexed protagonist... then it quickly changes into a psychological manga full of Freudian influence, similar to ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''.