(risky trope) A show changes genres mid way

[u/ErlikHan6]

The 100: the show starts as a somewhat grounded post apocalypse where humans who have taken refuge in a space station return to earth after it has become inhabitable again and resources on the space station run out. At first the show is about survival in a hostile environment. It slowly introduces more and more sci fi elements. At first, it's an Aİ that wants control over humanity. Towards the end of the show, the main characters have traveled throughout the galaxy, met humans from other planets, some of which have settled among ruins of ancient alien species, where they try to contact more advanced alien species in order to achieve "transcendence": rid humans of their physical bodies and become a more advanced lifeform.

AOT: this one is less gradual than the 100 and the change comes after a massive plot twist. The first 3 seasons of the show are about a relatively primitive society of humans who live inside humongous walls. Outside the walls are titans: giant monstrous creatures which hunt and devour humans. After a big plot twist and reveal, the society finds out that there is a whole bigger world out there, and the rest of the world is plotting to genocide them. They quickly industrialize after this discovery and wage war against other countries.

[u/Revolutionary_Ad9093]

For extra fun, it only fully switches genres in the back stretch, so if you watch it through in a few batches, you'll go from a rather dark mecha show to psychological horror to experimental film in a single sitting

[u/Karkava → u/Revolutionary_Ad9093]

Then you watch the movie for clarity, and it becomes a cosmic horror story where it turns out the government is being manipulated by an apocalypse cult that gets to conduct their ritual without a hitch.

[u/sanghelli → u/Karkava]

Sounds familiar