Not every anime show can achieve the mainstream success of some of the most popular anime like One Piece, My Hero Academia, or Attack on Titan, even if they truly deserve it. As a result, there are a lot of underrated anime gems waiting for fans to discover and enjoy them. There seems to be an almost constant stream of highly acclaimed anime series these days, more than anyone interested in the art form will have enough time to consume, in fact.
This inevitably causes a lot of anime to slip through the cracks and go unnoticed, even though there are a good deal of niche anime that are more than worth someone's time due to their writing, animation, or a combination of the two. Those types of anime often end up being the best shows a person can watch, and there are plenty of them worth highlighting.
40 Full Metal Panic!
Produced by Gonzo, Based on the Light Novels by Shoji Gatoh
Not your average mecha series, Full Metal Panic! follows Sousuke Sagara, a child soldier from Afghanistan who now works for a supranational military agency known as Mithril. His latest assignment is to protect a young girl named Kaname Chidori, who happens to be a “whispered”-- a special kind of person who intuitively understands futuristic technologies thanks to a bizarre incident at her birth. The story is as much about Kaname and Sousuke’s developing relationship as it is about mechs and action, giving it a great balance of drama and action.
Full Metal Panic! is an extremely realistic take on the mecha genre, despite the use of supernatural elements such as the Whispered. It runs off a fascinating alternate history, and has several follow-up seasons, if viewers just can’t get enough of the series’ action. The comedic spinoff Full Metal Panic Fumoffu is also worth a watch for those who love the characters.
39 X/1999
Produced by Madhouse, Based on the Manga by CLAMP
Also known simply as X, this apocalyptic series follows Kamui Shirou, a boy who must choose whether to save the world as it is, or destroy it and begin anew. As the Dragons of Heaven (who seek to save the world) and the Dragons of Earth (those who hope to destroy it) are drawn by destiny to Tokyo, Kamui must choose a side. Guided by a dreamseer, the Dragons of Heaven and Earth do battle for the fate of mankind.
X/1999 is an exciting series, pitting friends against one another for reasons beyond their understanding or control. Kamui is an interesting hero in that he’s rather misanthropic, yet eventually sides with the Dragons of Heaven, if only to save his love Kotori. Both sides are full of interesting characters with diverse motives, and the series ties in to another CLAMP series, Tokyo Babylon.
38 Welcome to the NHK
Produced by Gonzo, Based on the Novel by Tatsuhiko Takimoto
Welcome To The NHK!
- Release Date
- December 17, 2006
- Episode Number
- 24
- Season
- Welcome to the N.H.K. - Season 1
- Runtime
- 24 minutes
Welcome to the NHK follows Satou, an anxious young man who has become a “Hikikomori,” a kind of shut-in who hardly interacts with anyone. Satou believes in a conspiracy theory that Japan’s national TV broadcaster, the NHK, is responsible for turning young men into hikikomori for some unknown reason. Satou then encounters a girl named Misaki, who tries to help him return to a normal life, and Satou is subjected to a variety of darkly comedic situations as he attempts to free himself from being a hikikomori.
The series is both dramatic and funny, although it can get surprisingly dark, such as when Satou finds himself involved in a suicidal cult. It’s a surprisingly sympathetic look at the cultural phenomenon of the hikikomori, a trend which has only grown more prominent in the years since the series’ release.
37 Rave Master
Produced by Studio Deen and Based on the Manga by Hiro Mashima
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Rave Master
- Release Date
- 2001 - 2002-00-00
- Directors
- Takashi Watanabe
- Writers
- Nobuaki Kishima, Hiro Mashima
- Franchise(s)
- Rave Master
Cast
Yuri Lowenthal-
Michelle Ruff
Rave Master follows Haru Glory as he embarks on a quest to find the Rave Stones, which hold the power to vanquish the Dark Bring, stones that bring chaos and destruction. Alongside his friends, Haru aims to restore peace to the world, facing numerous adversaries and challenges on his journey. The series combines elements of fantasy, adventure, and action, set within a richly detailed world.
- Main Genre
- Fantasy
- Creator(s)
- Hiro Mashima
- Seasons
- 1
Rave Master is a series by Fairy Tail creator Hiro Mashima, which follows young Haru Glory, a boy who aims to finish the job that a great hero started 50 years earlier and destroy the evil force known as Dark Bring which threatens his world. Haru meets up with Plue, a weird “dog” who carries the power known as Rave, which was previously used by the hero to fight the Dark Bring. Together with Elie, a girl with amnesia and a crush on Haru, they set out to make more allies and save the world.
For those who already enjoy Fairy Tail, Rave Master is an obvious choice that’s often overlooked. The anime has its issues compared to the manga, including a lack of a definitive ending, but it’s still a good time, and its amazing English theme song by Reel Big Fish is absolutely worth a listen.
36 Serial Experiments Lain
Original Anime Series by Triangle Staff
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Serial Experiments Lain
- Release Date
- 1998 - 1998
Cast
-
Kaori ShimizuLain Iwakura
-
Bridget HoffmanLain Iwakura (English)
WHERE TO WATCH
Serial Experiments Lain is a Japanese anime series directed by Ryūtarō Nakamura, following teenager Lain Iwakura as she becomes increasingly entangled in the enigmatic virtual world called the Wired. Through confronting various psychological and philosophical dilemmas, the series delves into themes of identity, reality, and consciousness, challenging viewers with its layered narrative and complex visuals.
- Creator(s)
- Yasuyuki Ueda
is a psychological thriller anime series that follows a young girl, Lain, who receives a mysterious email after a classmate of hers commits suicide. The email claims to be from her classmate, who insists she’s alive and well in “The Wired,” a futuristic version of the Internet (at the time). This prompts Lain to begin experimenting with the Wired and learning about, leading down a rabbit hole of insane conspiracy theories, beings claiming to be gods, and split personalities.
The series is intense and weird, but incredibly captivating and memorable at the same time. It incorporates real conspiracy theories, such as Majestic-12, as well as its own creations. It’s an incredibly influential series that isn’t well known about these days, and is a seminal work in the cyberpunk genre, as far as anime is concerned.
35 AnoHana: The Flower We Saw That Day
Original Anime Series By Mari Okada
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Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day
- Release Date
- 2018 - 2011
- Directors
- Kei Oikawa
- Writers
- Keiichirō Ōchi
Cast
-
Jarrod Greene
WHERE TO WATCH
Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day is an anime series that follows a group of childhood friends who drifted apart after the death of one of their , Menma. Years later, the friends are brought back together when Menma's spirit appears to Jinta, the group's former leader, seeking to fulfill her unfulfilled wish so she can on to the afterlife. The series explores themes of friendship, loss, and healing.
- Franchise(s)
- Hinamatsuri
- Seasons
- 1
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
- Main Genre
- Comedy
After the tragic death of their friend Menma when they were kids, Jinta Yadomi and his friends have grown apart. Jinta himself has become a recluse until the ghost of an older Menma comes to him one summer day, asking for his help in granting her "wish."
AnoHana is a touching coming-of-age story that deals with grief and growing up, and the Super Peace Busters are all well-written characters whose individual experiences of grief are just as heartwrenching as their collective experience.
34 Air Gear
Based on the Manga by Oh! great
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- Creator(s)
- Hajime Kamegaki
Air Gear is a case of a fun anime concept saddled with debuting at the wrong time, due to facing industry heavy-hitters like the Shonen Big Three, Naruto, One Piece, and Bleach. Despite this, Air Gear is a high-octane stunt extravaganza where Itsuki "Ikki" Minami feels the call to adventure with the revolutionary new extreme sports tech, "Air Treks" or A-Ts, which are the next evolution of inline roller skates. Ikki soon finds himself encountering more and more gangs who use their A-Ts for competitive sports as well as carry out fights.
Fanservice moments that range from saucy to silly.
But Ikki's adventures are more than action and stunts. He's also ed by four adoptive sisters secretly part of the notorious Sleeping Forest A-T gang, along with numerous gorgeous love interests. Air Gear is one of the most underrated anime of the mid-2000s, but it's more intended for mature audiences due to fanservice moments that range from saucy to silly.
33 Sonny Boy (2021)
Original Anime Series By Shingo Natsume
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Sonny Boy is an enigmatic anime series created by Shingo Natsume. It follows a group of high school students who are mysteriously transported to another dimension, where they discover they possess unique powers. As they navigate this unfamiliar world, the students face challenges that test their understanding of reality and their place within it. The series combines elements of science fiction and psychological drama to explore themes of identity and existence.
- Seasons
- 1
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
- Main Genre
- Mystery
- Creator(s)
- Shingo Natsume
Few anime are as beautiful to watch in motion as Sonny Boy. The series is ostensibly about a class of high schoolers who are one day transported to a featureless world. While the students bicker and form hierarchies, the series' main character Nagara shuts himself off to everyone except for his only friend, Nozomi.
Sonny Boy didn't receive as much attention as other anime released in 2021 like Odd Taxi and Ranking of Kings, but with Sonny Boy's engaging story and stellar animation and direction, it's more than worth any anime fan's time. The series was directed and created by acclaimed One-Punch Man director Shingo Natsume, so anyone impressed by the animation in that or Space Dandy should give Sonny Boy a try.
32 Kaiba
Original Anime Series By Masaaki Yuasa
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Kaiba is a science fiction anime series directed by Masaaki Yuasa. Set in a dystopian future where memories can be transferred between bodies, the story follows a young man named Kaiba who awakens without any memories and embarks on a journey across different worlds to uncover his identity. The series explores themes of identity, love, and social inequality through its unique visual style and narrative approach.
- Seasons
- 1
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Amazon Freevee
- Main Genre
- Adventure
- Creator(s)
- Masaaki Yuasa
Coming from acclaimed animator Maasaki Yuasa of The Tatami Galaxy and Devilman: Crybaby fame, Kaiba is a profound series that deserved more attention when it was released. The series follows a young man named Kaiba who wakes up one day with a hole in his chest and his memories missing. What follows in Kaiba is a beautiful exploration of identity and class disparity as Kaiba travels around an imaginative science-fiction universe.
Fans of Kaiba may want to check out Masaaki Yuasa's Five Film Collection.
Yuasa is a masterful animator whose unique style is always incredible. Though Kaiba might not be his earliest work, it is a hallmark title that contains many of the themes Yuasa has explored constantly throughout his work. While Kaiba might not have received as much acclaim as it deserved, it's truly a masterpiece that more anime fans should watch.
31 Kakuriyo -Bed & Breakfast for Spirits-
Based on the Light Novel and Manga by Midori Yuma
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Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits
- Release Date
- 2018 - 2017
Cast
-
Yuma UchidaAkatsuki
-
Mitsuki NakaeKasuga
WHERE TO WATCH
Aoi Tsubaki is no ordinary college student, as she is able to see Ayakashi, essentially yokai who live above water. However, this leads to her being kidnapped by one particular Ayakashi, an ogre innkeeper of Tenjin-ya named Odanna, who reveals that her grandfather, from whom she got her abilities, promised him Aoi's hand in marriage. What starts as an arrangement rife with friction, lightens into an entertaining romantic comedy in Kakuriyo -Bed & Breakfast for Spirits-.
However, despite the Ayakashi's initial distrust of Aoi, their connections deepen as the series continues. Most significant of all is Odanna's bond with Aoi, growing more romantic as episodes proceed, progressing from wanting to devour her for her spiritual abilities, to wishing to be her protector. It doesn't hurt that Odanna is among the most lovable ogres not voiced by Mike Myers.
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