We get hundreds of fantastic anime shows each year, but it's nearly impossible for every new release to get the spotlight. Fans usually end up watching popular shows like Attack on Titan, Demon Slayer, Mob Psycho 100, and One Piece. However, the anime industry has given us countless underrated gems that deserve the community's attention.
There are several remarkable anime shows that went unnoticed by most anime fans. In this list, we've talked about the underrated anime series that you shouldn't skip. No matter how you want your anime platter to taste, this list has something great to offer everyone.
Updated by Daksh Chaudhary on December 15th, 2022: We've updated this list to include five more underrated anime series. Besides that, we changed the article's formatting and uploaded more relevant images to make it more fun to read.
15 Gugure! Kokkuri-san
Gugure! Kokkuri-san is a spectacular comedy and supernatural anime series that came out in 2014. The TV show features countless unexpected humorous and heartfelt moments, so it's definitely worth watching, especially if you're in the mood for something sweet and simple.
The series revolves around the life of Kohina Ichimatsu, an elementary school girl who lives by herself and leads an unhealthy lifestyle. Once, while playing a game, Kohina accidentally summons Kokkuri-san, a fox spirit who later decides to take care of the little girl. The show then takes Kohina on a thrilling journey where she encounters several other spirits, like her guardian.
14 Hell Girl
Hell Girl is one of those horror anime shows that stays entertaining until the very end. It brings the concepts like bullying, injustice, hatred, and revenge in a beautiful yet horrifying way. The show was created by Hiroshi Watanabe, who also worked on fantastic projects like Elfen Lied and The Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok.
The unique and dark story of the series introduces you to Hell Girl, a.k.a; Ai Enma. A mysterious website goes online on the dark web, and people with a strong sense of revenge start using it to summon the Hell Girl. People ask Ai Enma to kill someone they hate, and the Hell Girl brutally eliminates every target and sends their soul to hell, but she also asks the requester to pay a hefty price.
13 Kemonozume
Studio Madhouse never fails to impress us with its great animation and choice of projects. It has been the animation studio for some of the most renowned series like Death Note, Monster, and Claymore. But, some of its projects never got much appreciation, and that includes Kemonozume.
Kemonozume is about the conflict between humans and Shokujinki, a flesh-eating alien race that sees humans as its prey. To wipe out these monsters, the Momota family creates a unique martial arts school known as Kifuken. But, Toshihiko, the next heir of the Momota family, and Yuki, a Shokujinki, fall in love, introducing a traditional yet entertaining twist to the story.
12 Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou
'His and Her Circumstances' or 'Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou' is a romantic comedy that ran from October 1998 to March 1999. It is a beautiful anime that was overshadowed by other rom-com anime series. Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou was received well by the critics for its lighthearted story and relatable characters.
The story of Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou is relatively straightforward. It will walk you through the lives of young high-school teenagers and their day-to-day problems. In fact, some fans even said that it is "probably the most disarmingly honest shoujo romance ever made." So, it's about time we revisit this classic underrated anime series and cherish its beauty.
11 91 Days
91 Days was a huge hit when it came out in 2016. However, over the years, fans have forgotten about this masterpiece, and now the show is hardly a topic of discussion in the anime community. Still, it doesn't change the fact that 91 Days is a brilliant anime that should be on your watch list.
The story of 91 Days is set in the fictional town of Lawless, the most prominent black market for selling illicit materials. Avilio, the main character of the series, returns to Lawless after a long time to take down the mafia gang responsible for the murder of his family. The tone and animation style of the anime reminds you of Cowboy Bebop. So, you have more than enough reasons to watch 91 Days if you are a fan of classic anime.
10 Daily Lives Of High School Boys
As the name of the series suggests, Daily Lives of High School Boys shows the day-to-day adventures of Tadakuni (the protagonist of the series) and his friends, Yoshitake Tanaka and Hidenori Tabata. Every day is a struggle for Tadakuni and his gang as they interact with their fellow students.
Unlike recent anime shows, Daily Lives of High School Boys doesn't feature a linear or complex storyline. You can start watching the show from any episode and enjoy the main characters' cartoonish coming-of-age experiences. The humorous plot of this anime's every episode will leave you asking for more.
9 Last Exile
If you're a fan of adventure and steampunk anime series, you should definitely give Last Exile a try. The original anime series ran for 26 episodes between 2011 and 2012, followed by a sequel series and an anime film.
In a world dominated by an endless war, Claus Valca and his best friend, Lavie Head, work as couriers and excel in their work. However, their lives take an unexpected turn when they encounter an orphan girl named Alvis Hamilton. The duo decides to keep the girl safe while participating in a deadly mission.
8 Paranoia Agent
Paranoia Agent is an anime show with an intricate storyline that exceeds most fans' expectations. The 13-episode TV show features unexpected twists and gives you a thrilling experience with its psychological tale.
People of Tokyo fall victim to a mysterious boy who enjoys assaulting his targets with a golden baseball bat. While that weird killer terrorizes the city, two detectives, Ikari and Maniwa, try to solve the case by studying the statements of different victims.
7 Darker Than Black
Darker Than Black is one of the finest mystery, science fiction, and thriller anime shows ever created. Honestly, it's a shame that the series never got much attention from fans despite being a masterpiece. The series comes from the mind of Tensai Okamura, who worked on legendary anime like Cowboy Bebop, Sword Art Online, Soul Eater, and The Seven Deadly Sins.
The story of Darker Than Black revolves around the mysterious "Hell's Gate" that suddenly appears in Tokyo. Several Psychics with supernatural powers try to solve the mystery of the gate. However, the story mainly follows the journey of Hei and his blind companion Yin, the most powerful Psychics the world has ever known.
6 FLCL
FLCL's efforts to bring science fiction with comedy and surrealism seem to have worked perfectly for the writer, as it gained immense popularity when it was released in 2000. But it seems to have lost its charm over the years. Well, it's time to wipe off the dust from the masterpiece and relish the spectacular six-episode series.
Naota Nandaba lives a boring life with his father and grandfather. But his mundane life is interrupted and changes when he meets a maniac named Haruko Haruhara who rides a Vespa and wields a giant guitar. Together with Haruko, Naota becomes part of a galactic war to save the earth.
5 Serial Experiments Lain
Serial Experiments Lain comes from the mind of Chiaki J. Konaka, a well-known writer for his contribution to cyberpunk and psychological works. And among several of his underrated works, Serial Experiments Lain tops the list. The story takes some time to develop, follows a narrative path, and is quite tricky to understand. So if you are fond of a fast-paced story and a straightforward ending, then this might not be the show you're looking for.
Following a bizarre event, fourteen-year-old Lain finds herself as a part of the virtual world known as Wired. From that moment, her life changes completely, and strange incidents start to occur as she increasingly indulges with the Wired.
4 Moribito: Guardian Of The Spirit
Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit is a series based on the 1996 Japanese novel by Nahoko Uehashi. This series surpasses several great "Sword and Sorcery" anime shows in terms of animation, story, and character arcs. But still, fans hardly talk about Moribito, making it one of our generation's most underrated anime series.
An empress hires a spear-wielding mercenary named Balsa to save her son from the emperor. The empress believes her son is under the water demon's control and will soon bring a lethal drought upon the whole nation.
3 Neon Genesis Evangelion
Mecha might not be the most popular anime category, yet it consists of some of the forgotten masterpieces, and Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of them. While a few elements in the series have a mixed bag of reactions, there are many reasons why mecha and psychological fans should add it to their watch list.
The celestial beings known as the Angels are strong enough to overpower the advanced weaponry developed by humans. Humanity's only hopes to defeat the Angels remain in the hands of NERV, an advanced group that uses robots known as Evangelions. Shinji Ikari is the main protagonist of the series, who joins the organization to fight the Angels.
2 Mushi-Shi
With an IMBD rating of 8.5, Mushi-Shi is undoubtedly one of the best adventure and supernatural anime -- but also one of the most underrated ones. It's a thought-provoking slow-growing anime with no violence, no intimacy, simple language, and nothing of the sort which we usually find in anime. So it's a class of anime which might not fill everyone's cup.
The world of Mushi-Shi centers around the lifeforms known as Mushi, which exist in the world without fulfilling any purpose. They are capable of imitating things and concepts around them, and most people are not even aware of their existence. But Ginko continuously wonders about these strange beings and tries to know more about them.
1 Ping Pong The Animation
Sports genre anime don't usually get much attention, so it's understood why Ping Pong the Animation remains an underrated anime despite being a gem. Ping Pong is just a medium used by the creators to bring forth the psychology of the characters and their struggles with life. It's an anime with ordinary animation and visuals, yet it outranks most sports genre anime with its unique setup.
This series is a tale of two best friends, Peco and Smile, who share their love for table tennis. On their visit to the Katase High School, Peco clashes with the Chinese player, Kong Wenge, who defeats him badly and breaks all his hopes. While Peco stops practicing, ping pong coach Jo Koizumi trains Smile and help him overcome his hesitation while playing.