Underrated Anime?

[KhakiBlueSocks]

Not sure how popular Planetes is / was, but I thought it was a series well worth watching.

[font="Trebuchet MS"][SIZE="4"][color="RoyalBlue"]Agreed. "Planetes" is an awesome yet sadly overlooked series. I found the first three DVD's in a $5 sales bin at FYE, and when I finished it, I knew I just had to finish the collection and see the rest of the series. The story was excellent, the characters were easy to relate to, the animation was very well done, and the acting in both the Japanese and English was done flawlessly.

I personally think that "Mushi-Shi" is an often overlooked and underrated series. Granted it's a very slow moving series with only one main recurring character (Played brilliantly by Travis "Roy Mustang" Willingham) but the journey that he takes and the people and creatures he encounters and how they affect his life is very interesting to watch and quite beautiful.
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[bakura91]

Blue Seed, Ive been watching that and thinking "Why wasnt this more popular"? Its got action, romance, comedy and japanese folklore elements. Its really entertaining! More People should check it out!

[AngelicTotoro]

Kemono no souja Erin is sadly underrated, along with Planetes.
And while I'm not sure if Kimagure Orange Road is underrated or not, I'm tired of people comparing it with Maison Ikkoku
(at least that's been my experience.),
they weren't made by the same person, so please don't pit them against each other. >< Just watch both since both are really good.

Also, I can't tell you how sad I am that Toshokan Sensou doesn't get a better rating then most give it. It's a really short, really good series. It needs much more love.

[rocklobster]

Blue Seed, Ive been watching that and thinking "Why wasnt this more popular"? Its got action, romance, comedy and japanese folklore elements. Its really entertaining! More People should check it out!

Just stay away from the disappointing OVA sequel.

[bakura91]

Just stay away from the disappointing OVA sequel.

Were The OAVs bad?, I was gonna rent them but they weren't on netflix when I checked

[battletech]

Yu Yu Hakusho just because I think Dragon Ball Z over shadowed it.
More people remember DBZ then Yu Yu Hakusho. I do not like that because I think Yu Yu Hakusho is better.

Elemental Gelade Yes it has simply drawn back grounds and it uses a lot of cliché's but I enjoyed watching it.

[TheSubtleDoctor]

Robot remakes directed by Yasuhiro Imagawa OTHER THAN Giant Robo.

[ShiroiHikari]

Yuu Yuu Hakusho wasn't that great anyway if you ask me, and it was also pretty popular in Japan so I dunno if that counts as "underrated".

Also I need to see me some Shin Mazinger Z.

[Agloval]

I suppose G Gundam might fall into the 'Imagawa remake' category, in a way -- especially when it was first broadcast.

And I'd say it's a good example of something more underrated than overlooked, in that it was broadcast on Cartoon Network and had a Region 1 DVD release, but is sometimes more remembered for its flaws than for its legitimately good emotional axes, refreshing ludicrousness and quiet inclusion of traditional Gundam elements in disguise. (That, at least, is how I think of it!)

[ShiroiHikari]

G Gundam is well-liked by certain people but I think it definitely gets unfairly criticized by a lot of people. Personally, I thought it was pretty great.

[Wallachia]

Astro Fighter Sunred needs more love.

The story revolves around the Tama River area, based mostly in Kawasaki City Kanagawa where battles are fought between the evil organisation Florsheim and the ally of justice Sunred. The twist is that Sunred (referred to most characters familiar with him as Red-san) is a rough-talking, violent and rude hero while the villains of Florsheim (led by General Vamp) are for the most part polite, conscientious and easy-going.

Despite this, both sides still stay true to their roles, with Florsheim dedicated to destroying Sunred and taking over the world while Sunred battles against them. Other evil organisations and heroes are also mentioned from time to time.

Each episode is divided into various shorts of varying length. Most of the humour comes from the interactions of the characters, especially the main trio of Sunred, his girlfriend Kayoko and General Vamp. Kayoko and Vamp, for example, get along very well and she occasionally consults him about housework or cooking. In contrast, she and Sunred often argue like a long married couple.

In fact, go read Archaeon's review (second from the top at the time of this writing) and decide whether you should go watch it or not.

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

G Gundam is well-liked by certain people but I think it definitely gets unfairly criticized by a lot of people. Personally, I thought it was pretty great.

From what I can tell, a lot of people used to be really harsh on G Gundam because it wasn't a Gundam show, but now people have realized that Imagawa is a genius and it was an awesome show all along.

Oh, another show I love that I don't know very many people that watch is Natsume Yujincho. On the surface it has a very shonen premise, a boy who can see spirits while no one else can, but in terms of actual content it's a very interesting show both about the youkai and people Natsume helps and about his own growth as he learns to be with other people, who have previously treated him with mistrust and cruelty. The second season is better than the already great first season, and the third season seems to be even better than that. It's kind of like Mushishi but with a larger set of recurring characters.

[Atria35]

^ I don't watch it because I read the manga. Does that count? Other than that, I can honestly say it's one of my favorite series! ^.^

[TheSubtleDoctor]

I suppose G Gundam might fall into the 'Imagawa remake' category, in a way -- especially when it was first broadcast.

And I'd say it's a good example of something more underrated than overlooked, in that it was broadcast on Cartoon Network and had a Region 1 DVD release, but is sometimes more remembered for its flaws than for its legitimately good emotional axes, refreshing ludicrousness and quiet inclusion of traditional Gundam elements in disguise. (That, at least, is how I think of it!)

By "remake" I specifically meant a re-imagining of the original story/characters of an already existent property...but I do take your point =). G was a pretty radical departure from Gundam as the fans knew it: not only was this Gundam show not set in the UC timeline, but it was a blatant, over-the-top super robot show! Gasp!

I also think that Hatter's correct in pointing out that a lot of fans are coming around to giving G Gundam a chance after seeing that Imagawa's other work is just so good.

I still would very much like to see G. I want to buy it, but it's s'pensive!

[Mouse2010]

Oh, another show I love that I don't know very many people that watch is Natsume Yujincho.

By really odd coincidence, I just watched the first episode this morning, before reading this thread today. I haven't made up my mind about it yet, but I liked it enough that I wanted to watch at least a couple more episodes. I suspect that even if I keep watching, by the time I get caught up with the first and second seasons, the third season will have finished airing, but we'll see.

Really silly thing that irritated me: that "Lucky Cat" is a dilute tortoiseshell (gray, orange, and white). TORTOISESHELLS ARE ALWAYS FEMALE! IT SHOULD NOT BE A MALE! I guess since the goofy cat-form is not Madara's true form, I ought to give it a pass, but it irritated me at first. LOL.

[AnimeGirl]

Black Cat This show, in my opinion, is amazing! (As well as the manga). It's got awesome action sequences and plenty of humor, with an interesting enough storyline to back it up! Plus, the main characters are just plain awesome!

Heroic Age A great Space Opera that isn't too over the top and has a pretty satisfying ending. Everything is wrapped up pretty nicely and the animation is GORGEOUS! It's bright, clear, and shiny.

Ramen Fighter Miki The randomness in this series is what makes this comedy anime HILARIOUS! Though the animation is a bit dated, it's still pretty decent in terms of character designs. Each character is unique, with interesting skills, and each episode they get into pretty unpredictable situations. To think a show about a kick-butt ramen delivery chick could be so funny!

[Gojira]

Just remembered about an anime movie named Tottoi (1992), a.k.a. "The Secret of the Seal." It's based on a book of the same name, and I still own it on VHS. It's not widely known, but it's a lovable anime.

[hey]

Yu Yu Hakusho just because I think Dragon Ball Z over shadowed it.
More people remember DBZ then Yu Yu Hakusho. I do not like that because I think Yu Yu Hakusho is better.

Elemental Gelade Yes it has simply drawn back grounds and it uses a lot of cliché's but I enjoyed watching it.

I agree. I watched all of Yu Yu Hakusho in about 3 weeks, and I would have watched it faster had life not gotten in the way. I haven't finished the first season of DBZ in over a year.

[Avari Craven]

Air TV

i dont know how popular that was/is. but i hardly ever hear anyone talk about it.

[Frodolives]

Seemingly no one has ever heard or seen the best shoujo anime ever (and one of the very few I'll willingly watch): Lovely Complex. It's hilarious, realistic despite all its exaggeration, and the romance is one of the most refreshing ones I've ever seen, and I'm pretty hard to please XD

I just finished reading the manga! Loved it - very cute. ^_^ Did not know there was an anime...good to know! I will check it out. Thanks!

[Neane]

Neo Ranga.

One anime that I love that is really underrated.

[Juliannesan]

G Gundam is well-liked by certain people but I think it definitely gets unfairly criticized by a lot of people. Personally, I thought it was pretty great.

I LOVED G GUNDAM! I still haven't finished watching the WHOLE series, but what I saw of it was great.

Also, I can speak for Lovely Complex. It's definitely great and underrated.

[Atria35]

Also, I can speak for Lovely Complex. It's definitely great and underrated.

One of the most popular shoujo out there? Are you sure?

I'm gonna go with Tamayura. 4 episodes long, but it feels like an alternative version of Aria. Really sweet.

[Juliannesan]

One of the most popular shoujo out there? Are you sure?

I'm gonna go with Tamayura. 4 episodes long, but it feels like an alternative version of Aria. Really sweet.

Well, in Japan it's true that it could be more popular. But I hadn't really heard of it until coming on here.

[rocklobster]

Can we add Mushi-shi to this list? I'm only on episode 10, and I'm loving this show! It's just so beautiful. What I like best is how quiet the show is. There's very little music and its visuals just snare you right in. There's no overarching storyline, and only one main character. It's just great!

[Makachop^^128]

Can we add Mushi-shi to this list? I'm only on episode 10, and I'm loving this show! It's just so beautiful. What I like best is how quiet the show is. There's very little music and its visuals just snare you right in. There's no overarching storyline, and only one main character. It's just great!

Mushishi is amazing one of my favorites, its sad more people don't know of it :/

[Wallachia]

Can we add Mushi-shi to this list? I'm only on episode 10, and I'm loving this show! It's just so beautiful. What I like best is how quiet the show is. There's very little music and its visuals just snare you right in. There's no overarching storyline, and only one main character. It's just great!

I was under the impression it wasn't quite underrated, but I suppose I hardly ever hear people talk about it.

Mushishi is indeed a masterpiece and more people should watch it. It's... calm... and it pulls you in with its interesting, episodic stories.

[Atria35]

Well, in Japan it's true that it could be more popular. But I hadn't really heard of it until coming on here.

That and Toradora! are the ones I hear of the most- on any site- when people ask for romantic comedies. Maybe it's the forums I'm on...

[Rocketshipper]

Totally agree about Yu Yu Hakusho. It has its flaws (I'd say mostly in the Deus Ex Machina realm) But its a lot better than the DB franchise.

I know this would probably be kind of a controversial suggestion, but I'm going to say...Macross. Yeah I know its hugely popular in Japan and everything, but I'm more specificly thinking about the general US market. In America Macross is kinda overshadowed by Robotech, which was popular enough to get its own original sequals. I still meet a lot of anime fans who think of Robotech if I mention anything Macross related, even if its a later show like Macross 7, and some don't even know Robotech was created from three other anime series. And while I'm at it, should probably add Mospeada and Southern Cross.

To make a few other suggestions...

Digimon Frontier: I really think this season needs more love. It seems to be the most disliked Digimon season of all, but I really don't get it, and I think it had a lot of great points. I thought the characters were all pretty cool; Junpei/JP is my fave Digimon character ever!, the arc concerning Koji and Kouichi was dark and well written, it had some cool battles, and the japanese music is freakin AWESOME!! With the Will is the best battle music ever!

Happy Lesson: A pretty bizare and hilarious "harem" anime that really isn't a harem anime at all, but seems to have fallen through the cracks in comparison to other shows in the genre, like Love Hina (-_-).

Macross 7: Yeah, its pretty silly (song energy!!!) and Basaara's kind of a huge Jerk, but its got an amazing soundtrack (Totsugeki Love Heart!!!!) and a lot of great moments through out.

Photon The Idiot Adventure: By the guy who created Tenchi Muyo, Photon is absolutely insanely HILARIOUS! I haven't laughed so much watching an anime in a long time, and like all of the guy's work, the world of the series is incredibly rich and detailed with intriguing political elements and cool technology. Pretty fanservicey and has some crude jokes (so avoid if that bothers you) but still great. Any Tenchi fans would probably love it.

Isekai no Seikishi Monogatari: Another show from the creator of Tenchi: this series stars Tenchi's half Brother Kenshi (son of Noboyuki and Rhea) having been sucked into an alternate universe that may or may not be the same world as the one in Photon. I hadn't even heard of this 13 episode OVA until I accidently stumbled upon it on tvtropes; I tried it out...and I ended up loving it. Its got a large cast of hilarious characters, tons of insane off the wall humor, and a pretty complex politically tinged plot with lots of mecha combat later. Definitly enjoyable, and its a surprise it hasn;t been licenced yet, considering its connection to Tenchi Muyo.

[Neane]

It wounds me that [color="Red"]Now and Then, Here and There[/color] has not appeared on this thread yet.