Much like western media and entertainment, anime covers a wide variety of genres and subgenres. There's something for everyone regardless of one's demographic or age, even for people as picky or as meticulous as INTJs. INTJs tend to be rare, according to the Myers & Briggs Foundation, and thus, art forms that suit their preferences tend to also be rare.
Still, certain anime have proven to be INTJ magnets, especially ones that explore philosophical themes, big ideas, and complex plots or protagonists. At the same time, certain anime will likely repulse or even bore INTJ for their lack of mental stimulation. Here are five examples of each from both ends of the INTJ's (somewhat snobbish) preferential spectrum.
10 Love: Death Note
The sad part about having to watch Death Note again is knowing all the twists and turns and not being surprised anymore. It's jam-packed with suspense and intellectual acrobatics between the two INTJ main characters (Light and L) that it's perfect for INTJ viewers.
More than that, Death Note boldly explores morality and justice in a way that most anime never did before it existed. It became a controversial playground of ideas with frequent bouts of crime drama and suspense.
9 Hate: One Piece
Hate is a strong word and in One Piece's case; it might not be applicable for INTJ. Some would simply just stop continuing the series after the first few dozen episodes given how blunt and simple the protagonists and characters can be.
Most of them are aimed for children, which is why they're either just one-dimensional or lack apparent flaws other than being weaker than the most powerful villains or the protagonist. As for the plot and the story, there's nothing of major substance here that'll inspire an INTJ. Besides, the fan service has gotten more frequent lately.
8 Love: Code Geass
If viewers can look past the plot holes and the teen angst, Code Geass is actually a serviceable anime for INTJs. It gets a lot of comparisons with Death Note, even though Code Geass is primarily a mech anime.
That's because the protagonist, Lelouch, is also an INTJ whose mind is constantly thinking of ways to outsmart everyone and be resourceful with his Geass. The alternate history take, as well as more mature subject matters, are also welcome aspects of this anime.
7 Hate: Most Sports Anime
Sports anime are pretty much like every other Shonen anime, except the protagonist doesn't have any powers. If they're not slice-of-life, then they tend to be comical caricatures of the sport.
The plot and story are then predictable; the protagonist just wants to be the very best like no one ever was, and they'll only be able to achieve it through the power of friendship and perseverance. That kind of simplicity can be monotonous.
6 Love: Steins;Gate
Here's something more complicated than Death Note's rules, Steins; Gate is one of the best sci-fi anime to ever exist. It tackles time travel to a certain extent, since the protagonist was able to invent a device that allows messages to be sent across time.
The implications of such a device are a lot larger than fruits that give powers or a notebook that can kill people. For that matter, Steins; Gate to anime is what Inception is to western movies. It explores huge ambitious backdrops larger and more important than the characters themselves, and that's one surefire way to attract INTJs.
5 Hate: Deadman Wonderland
Speaking of big and wild ideas, Deadman Wonderland could have been amazing. The manga was certainly imaginative and insanely atmospheric despite the lack of depth. The anime, on the other hand, just didn't do the source material any justice.
Deadman Wonderland was not only visually disappointing compared to the manga, which is bad enough for an anime. but the pacing and how the show just rushes from action to action gets repetitive and dull. Moreover, it's hard to like Ganta Igarashi, the protagonist.
4 Love: Psycho-Pass
For a good discourse about society and the human mind, Psycho-Pass ought to trigger some analytical questions. A lot of fans refer to it as the anime version of Minority Report, except it's less about a personal crime drama conspiracy and more about humanity.
Psycho-Pass explores this notion through the guise of a crime-drama though. It follows the story of a rookie police inspector and her jaded colleagues along with the equally jaded world.
3 Hate: High School Of The Dead
No one's complaining about fan service, necessarily. Yet, fan service without a plot or something substantial to distract from it is just cheap softcore pornography. High School of the Dead is too guilty of this.
Remove the fan service, and the whole anime is just a generic zombie apocalypse shooting gallery that's been done to death. Every once in a while this kind of dumb fun might be welcome to an INTJ, but treating it as the main course instead of just a snack is just poor taste. Viewers deserve better.
2 Love: Neon Genesis Evangelion
Here's an example of a deep anime peppered with fan service. The creators can remove all the slashy posteriors and bosoms as well as the suggestive themes, and Neon Genesis Evangelion will still be an iconic mech anime.
It explores the philosophy of individuality, depression, and even responsibility in the guise of psychologically unstable teens piloting killer sentient mechas. In fact, one episode even references Soren Kierkegaard's book. That's when you know that the creators love their work enough to pour their creative juices into it.
1 Hate: Classroom Of The Elite
If there's one thing INTJs hate more than cheap, low-quality media, it's media trying to look intelligent. Classroom of the Elite is one such anime; the main character is an insufferable edgy and underrated "genius" whose goal is to get to the top class in the country.
Not only does he misuse his smarts for something so petty, but the anime also keeps trying to tell instead of show the philosophical themes it wants to convey. As a result, it feels forced, and, suddenly, the main character is suddenly proficient in martial arts, too, on top of being smart. It's one thing to copy Death Note's Light Yagami, but, making him a "good guy" protagonist is questionable.