There's no way you haven't seen Mononoke, but... holy shit Mononoke. Edo period-ish and then a time skip to 1920-ish. Synopsis: a travelling medicine seller investigates and banishes spirits. Vibes: like an acid trip through kabuki hell. I'm rewatching it for the first time in ages and goddamn it's still a masterpiece of art horror, 100% gorgeous 100% grisly. Absolute miracle that something as fresh and sharp as this was produced during the moe boom era. (3 + 12 episodes)
The Photo Studio is a wonderful animated short about a girl getting her photo taken over the years and the photographer who tries to get her to smile for the portraits. Spans most of the 20th century. (16 mins)
Not really a rec since it only just started (3 episodes so far), but if you want some Epic History in your historical anime then there's a Heike Monotagari adaptation. Personally, I think the show is all over the place, but it's by Science Saru so the design has that exceptionally clean, stylized quality and it will probably make all the Best Of lists at the end of the season.
Re: Canon Recs - short anime
The Photo Studio is a wonderful animated short about a girl getting her photo taken over the years and the photographer who tries to get her to smile for the portraits. Spans most of the 20th century. (16 mins)
Not really a rec since it only just started (3 episodes so far), but if you want some Epic History in your historical anime then there's a Heike Monotagari adaptation. Personally, I think the show is all over the place, but it's by Science Saru so the design has that exceptionally clean, stylized quality and it will probably make all the Best Of lists at the end of the season.