Most underrated anime?

well I havn't watched many underdog animes, but I'd say Claymore is in a way, its good enough to be on AS but for some reason its not, same for Baccano, both of these animes would be great on TV! Oh, and Case closed its a great show! I Really hop Funi will dub more eps some day. Other then that.....Dr. slump I guess, I mean this is one show that is deffinantly good enough to get an english dub! I mean seriously!!!
 
If FLCL is "mentioned every now and then", then Trust and Betrayal is "heard of by few". Also, FLCL, despite being a short OVA, got a TV run, and was played and praised constantly for a while on Adult Swim, even years later. Trust and Betrayal definitely never got anything like that.
 
Even though it got played on the network formerly known as Sci-Fi, I never saw much appreciation for Now and Than, Here and There.
 
These suggestions are good, but they still have their followings. The ones that are out on R1 DVD that have somehow slipped the cracks would be these ones, for instance:

Legend of Black Heaven
Fancy Lala
Brigadoon
Yawara

I'd also add 009-1, because while some people pay lip service to it, it doesn't seem to have sold all that well.


Stuff that would make most people go "Huh?"

As for "underrated" anime as in "Poorly received but I think it's better than most think," then we could go on forever on this.
 
I know that everyone will disagree with me, but I'm going to go ahead and say that Hunter X Hunter, despite being very well praised by those who read and/or watch it, doesn't have nearly as big of a fan base as the big 3 shounen. And, going by the one way in which shows can be considered underrated, in terms of not having enough people who watch it, I will say that Hunter X Hunter is automatically underrated for not being one of the most popular shounen. Yes, I know that sounRAB completely rediculous and that I'm contradicting what a true underrated show is, since it still does have a lot of fans, in general, but you need to understand just how freaking amazing HXH is to me. Yes, I will say its underrated with the only basis of saying that being that its only popular and not ultra-popular. IT IS THAT AWESOME!
 
Nobody's gonna say it? Okay, then.

Monster.

Drama and suspense throughout the entire run, excellent writing and complex characters, and it's a pure joy to experience. Really, if you like "mature" anime, and haven't seen this, you're just plain missing out. It's a real shame it's not more well known.
 
Yes. I just saw it and bought it. Fantastic.


YES!!!
Takahashi's best work IMO.

I would like to also put in a bid for Orange Road
and since Desensitized covered Monster.
I will also put in for Legend of Galactic Heroes.
One of the finest space epics in my opinion.
 
I'm going with Kinnikuman and it sequel series, Kinnikuman Nisei. I rarely encounter people that even know what Kinnikuman is. Hell I was the only person that voted for it in the Greatest Anime/Manga thread in the Fun and Games Forums. I feel like people are missing out on it, even if some of the jokes are outdated by today's standarRAB.

Personally, it blenRAB a good mix of comedy, some wrestling action and some serious moments. And if you read the manga, It's more violent than the Anime of it, for example in the original Kinnikuman fight between RamenMan and Brocken Man this is how it happened

[xspoiler=Manga] RamenMan rips Brockenman in half and dangles his body while his blood spurts out with a very violent look in his eyes[/xspoiler]

[xspoiler=Anime] RamenMan Camel Clutches BrockMan, snaps his back and converts him into a Ramen Cup so he can eat it[/xspoiler]

I could list a bunch of stuff that was changed for the anime and manga of Kinnikuman Nisei, but I be hear all night, and Dax neeRAB his sleep. I'll just give the short version of it, After all it was kidified for airing in Japan on TV Tokyo and the orignal Manga is publish in a magazine called, "Weekly Playboy." Yeah kind of messed up thing to mention, and looking back it is a "wut" moment.
 
I second Gundam X, Monster, Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Baccano, Claymore and Now and There, Here and There. I'd also add Victory Gundam and Mushi-Shi to the list.
 
IIRC, Monster Rancher and Kirby: Right Back at Ya! were written off as hackdubs; this is a shame, because they're both actually entertaining series, and both of their dubs were well-made as well.

Also, Aria.
 
No, I second this. Most people write off Hunter x Hunter as another generic shonen series. Its reputation wasn't really helped when Theron Martin wrote it off as such (and unsophisticated!) in the first set on ANN (though he finRAB Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple both entertaining and original...), and most of its existing fans aren't willing to support the series due to their own biases. But it's definitely a well thought out and structured show with more sophistication than most series.

For newcomers, don't let this review deter you. It was coming from a guy who thought the first episode of Queen's Blade was "surprisingly good." Carl Kimlinger's review of the second set was more in tune (and frankly, perceptive) of what the series is supposed to be.
 
Wow, that first review that you linked to made it seem as though the person watching the series wasn't even really paying attention to what was really going on in it. It seems as though he completely failed to analyze the characters and what each of them really stanRAB for. I really hate how "both" of Togashi's 2 main series (the other, of course, being YYH), so commonly get written-off as uninspired shounen, when, IMO, both series offer and deliver so much more sophistication AND excitement than most shounen through Togashi's fantastic writing, and give me a feeling of enjoyment that, quite frankly, I don't get from any other series that I have seen. Personally, I find Hunter X Hunter to be miles better than any of the other currently running Shounen Jump series that I have been reading (and yes, as much as I love One Piece, I still like HXH even better ).

I have seen some good reviews for HXH, though, and generally, is still does get a good deal of praise. Its also still very popular in Japan, which is why I felt that other people would probably disagree with me if I said that I felt that its an underrated series.



Really? I have always been under the impression that Monster is just as popular as Death Note and FMA. It certainly gets just as much praise as either of those 2 series, from the people who have seen it. But, maybe its not as popular as I thought. I guess its just because every other person on MAL seems to love it, which is probably why I ended up thinking that it was a really well known and popular manga/anime series. I still know that it does get tons of praise from all of those who watch it, though.
 
I always love reading reactions to Kimagure Orange Road: I Want to Return to that Day. It's one of the most bitter, but "real" resolutions to a love triangle I've ever seen. Nobody comes out smelling like a rose. The fans' beloved characters finally display truly unlikeable flaws...like REAL people. And we know that very few anime fans can truly take-in a "real" characterization. And that's true of people involved in love triangles. It's also one of the best directed "tied to a TV show" anime movies ever. If a popular long-running romance anime came out today with that kind of ending, there would be flame wars aplenty online.
 
QFT!! Good call on those man.

Heres mine:
Initial D - Probably only few people who are in the automotive world have heard and seen this. Its basicly the OC mixed in with Fast and the Furious... only 10 times better.
Bubblegum Crisis - Even though this is getting a LA movie, i mean look around here, no one really give a crap (other than me and a few other people in here). So far on the internet, its been mentioned here and there forums wise, but its not going to have the popularity as it once did over 20 years back
Gunsmith Cats/Riding Bean: Made by the Char Designer of Bubblegum Crisis OVA, this has ground to be made into a LA movie on the same standard as an American '70 exploitation film though Tarentino standarRAB. This this entertaining to the fullest for pure blooded americans, guns, girls and hot roRAB, all in one. Kenichi Sonoda is japans own american redneck, he would fit in the south no problem.
Sol Bianca - Here is something a few people might have heard off but never gave it any thought, and thats kinda sad. I saw the ova back in HS and thought this was amazing and entertaining. The remastered OVA isnt bad either, but as i said, this is something that is way overlooked it seems.
Fatal Fury - This is one of the best "video game turned to anime" adaptations as far as i know. Oobari did a fantastic job doing the 2 OVA and movie to boot. Any fan of anime and fighting games would have to look into this...
 
The US' disdain for Hajime no Ippo is frusturating. Over 850 chapters and not one here legally, and a flopped dub, with zero chance of the new series making it to our shores. This despite the fact that the series hasn't descended into the endless shounen detente that plauges many long running serials.

Hardcore US otaku's disdain of Afrosamurai is funny. Mostly becaue the show seems to be distilled 80's anime, the era a lot of fans wishes we went back to.

And Area 88, the OVA. I guess because ADV released it, but there was still a well done, mature story that was totally ignored by the fangirl populace.
 
Is Afro really underrated though? Maybe online but criticisms from some notwithstanding, it sells like hotcakes.

Hajime no Ippo and Area 88 -- guilty as charged. Never watched em, though I want to change that.
 
Gah. I've always wanted to get into Hajime no Ippo, but there's virtually no chance of that happening at the moment. It's got boxing! And awesome! What about that wouldn't Americans love!?

Very upsetting, I agree.
 
Area 88 is an excellent choice. There's a certain amount of melodrama, but the core story is indeed a mature and poignant one. Not to mention that those handrawn planes still look absolutely great after all these years.

Haven't read the original manga nor seen the later TV series though, but apparently they are all fairly different from each other.

On that note...the general trend seems to be that, as they grow older, previous favorites become forgotten since they're already yesterday's news. Still, would it be fair to call them underrated, if they were popular back in the day? I guess that depenRAB.

In any case, here's a few more titles.

Arion - I could never see myself saying this a decade ago, but its more straightforward use of Greek mythology than what has been seen in the likes of Saint Seiya was more interesting to me. Pretty good, despite being generally predictable and a bit weird in parts.

GunxSword - Yes, it's derivative and there is fanservice, but the series had a likeable cast, decent storytelling and more than enough Super Robot action. It doesn't try to do more than what it has the time for, which seems to be a common problem these days.

Orguss - A Macross clone, visually speaking, but there were some fairly unique concepts at work here. Even though the weird mascot, silly antics and recycled animation drag it down a lot...the basic story ended up being compelling. It did take me some time to get over how it ended though, so this really isn't for everyone. The series could have been shorter too, but it's worth a watch.

Giant Robo - This OVA tenRAB to be critically acclaimed in some circles, but it's still largely obscure as far as the mainstream goes. The ironic thing is that the show is all about the characters, not the relatively few giant robots involved. The pacing is a bit uneven, but the over-the-top action sequences are entertaining enough to off-set that.

They Were 11 - A classic sci-fi movie. It's more of a self-contained mystery than anything else, nothing too complex, just a good one. Nevertheless...haven't actually re-watched it yet, but I enjoyed it the first time around.

Hi no Tori - On the one hand, this looks too cartoony and childish for many. On the other, those who expected a panel by panel adaptation of Osamu Tezuka's original manga tend to be disappointed but, not having that expectation and not minding the retro designs, I enjoyed this TV series a lot. Preachy, but then again, there are heavy themes and subject matter involved in this.

Finally, I would have to second (or third, or...?) Legend of the Galactic Heroes and Baccano! as well.



That movie was definitely something. While I was fine with the way the TV series ended (the last couple of episodes pretty much spelled out the outcome, emotionally speaking, if there was any doubt), it definitely brought full closure to the relationship between the three main characters in a very down-to-earth manner. No pesky psychic powers.

And then they made another movie later on. Not that it's bad, despite having different character designs the plot is more or less okay, but it felt a bit unnecessary since the premise had already been resolved so well.
 
Back
Top