The 5 Best Anime About Lucid Dreaming

Lucid dreaming is knowing you are dreaming while sleeping, so there is full awareness of your state.

Some anime series feature this theme and are very deep and often aesthetic. We are talking about shows that are not light and require some level of attention during their viewing.

We remind you that this listicle is based on our personal experience.

5. Ghost Hound

A 2007 supernatural anime by Masamune Shirow, the creator of the Ghost in the Shell series. The story follows in Suiten, a small town where reality and the spirit realm meet.

The three protagonists, Tarō, Makoto, and Masayuki, experience strange things in the town, as they still carry the weight of past traumas.

It’s one of the best anime about ghosts and occult entities, with a ghost town setting that is not so common for anime.

Ghost Hound is a clear example of lucid dreaming as the entire experience is very close to a delusion.

4. Paprika

The last movie by Satoshi Kon, released in 2006 and acclaimed as a worldwide success.

The story gravitates around the so-called DC Mini, an innovative tool that allows entering people’s dreams.

Atsuko Chiba, the head researcher of the project, starts using this tool to help patients affected by psychiatric problems, even though this would break the rules.

Atsuko takes on the form of Paprika, her virtual alter ego to enter the dreams. The plot then thickens as more mysteries appear and dreams and reality merge together.

This movie is all about the subtle distinction between dream and reality, as Satoshi Kon claims they are homogeneous.

Another must-watch that you can’t miss in your personal collection.

3. Flip Flappers

A niche anime released in 2016 by Studio 3Hz with strong Studio Trigger vibes.

Flip Flappers is a hidden gem with just 13 episodes but a lot to show. The story follows Cocona and Papika, two young girls that explore a fictitious world called Pure Illusion, where they get access to powerful transformations.

They work for the Flip Flap organization and their goal is to look for some magic crystals, but they are not alone…

Pure Illusion can be considered a form of lucid dreaming, as they are aware what they see it’s not from the real world and can be a dream as well.

This is also reinforced at another point of the show towards the end, it’s quite hard to distinguish reality from a dream in some cases.

2. Perfect Blue

There is no doubt that Satoshi Kon is the master at representing how reality and fiction interact.

Perfect Blue is one of its most famous works, as it examines the idol theme from a different perspective.

The protagonist Mima Kirigoe is an idol who decides to switch careers and become an actress. She gets stalked by an obsessed fan and goes through heavy psychological stress after her decision.

If you watch this movie, you won’t be always able to distinguish between what’s real and what’s not. That’s what makes Perfect Blue so charming, there are multiple interpretations and the direction is pure art.

The entire production is a big lucid dream and you really have to watch this anime movie because it’s one of the best out there.

1. Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer

This entry is a cult romance comedy movie by Mamoru Oshii, one of the most famous anime directors ever. Don’t be fooled by the themes of the main series, this movie is very philosophical and deep, and it doesn’t even require you to watch the other entries.

Ataru and Lum are preparing for the student fair but something is odd, days keep repeating and it feels like time is frozen.

The answer is that they are trapped in a dream and while they are fully aware of it, they don’t know how to break free of it.

This production was so distant from the original Urusei Yatsura because Oshii wanted to make this setting the entire theme of the movie.

Needless to say, you need to watch this cult even if you are not a fan of the series. It’s the best example of lucid dreaming and addresses interesting themes.