With the hundreds and thousands of anime being released through the years, a good many gets lost in the cracks and are never heard of or talked about, let alone watched. Anime has been a booming genre for the past two decades, starting with the boom of Dragon Ball, and then the follow-up with the Big Three: One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach. While these animes, in particular, deserve the recognition they received from the get-go, a good deal of anime from the early 2000s has been missed, be it due to inaccessibility or a lack of general interest due to its lack of popularity.
Some such anime that fall in the cracks include horror anime like Hell Girl and sports anime like Hikaru no Go, which is a real shame because these animes have such interesting premises that if they had been given a shot today, they may have had a better chance at surviving the global popularization of anime. Likewise, even anime released in the 2010s and up have struggled to garner the appropriate recognition they deserve, including whole slice-of-life shows like My Roommate Is a Cat and action-packed anime like Plunderer. Whatever the reason, here are the anime that deserve recognition for their brilliant stories, beautiful animation, and entertaining character development.
10 ‘Owarimonogatari’ (2015)
Tomoyuki Itamura
Koyomi Araragi is introduced to new transfer student Ougi Oshino by mutual friend Kanbaru Suruga. Ougi reveals to Koyomi a discovery she has made: a classroom appears in the empty space in the school layout. Though it shouldn’t be possible, the room holds a memory long forgotten.
The story of
Owarimonogatari
is a beautiful one, full of meaning.
The story of Owarimonogatari is a beautiful one, full of meaning. Not only does the anime have beautiful visuals, but it has a more-than-interesting premise that will hook viewers almost immediately. With good humor and a lovable cast, Owarimonogatari follows on the same stead as its predecessors.
Watch On Crunchyroll
9 ‘Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits’ (2018)
Directed by Yoshiko Okuda
College student Aoi Tsubaki can see Ayakashi, supernatural creatures and/or entities. However, after feeding a hungry Ayakashi one day, she is kidnapped by an orge where she is taken to their realm due to a debt owed by her deceased grandfather. She is to marry him as a result, but she negotiates to work at Tenjin’ya, the inn owned by the ogre.
It’s not fast-paced nor slow-paced; rather, it moves at a comfortable pace that allows for the story to grow and relationships between characters develop.
An anime that does not deserve to be slept on, Kakuriyo is an intriguing concept for a romance. It’s a breath of fresh air in the anime world, and for those who love blossoming relationships, Kakuriyo does an exceptional job at the development. It’s not fast-paced nor slow-paced; rather, it moves at a comfortable pace that allows for the story to grow and relationships between characters develop. A wonderful anime from start to finish, viewers will not be disappointed by Kakuriyo.
Watch on Crunchyroll
8 ‘Eden of the East’ (2009)
Directed by Kenji Kamiyama
Saki meets Akira by chance encounter. Though Akira seems like a semi-ordinary guy, he doesn’t have a recollection of his past. After evading police, they both head back to Japan together despite being strangers. Watching Saki trying toi piece together his past is what makes this anime a true underrated gem.
While the series can provide viewers with thrills, Eden of the East can also be a lighthearted anime.
Eden of the East is a thrilling anime, one that is full of mystery and deceit. While the series can provide viewers with thrills, Eden of the East can also be a lighthearted anime, one that viewers can simply enjoy and laugh at. It’s a laid-back anime that is full of color and humor.
Watch on Crunchyroll
7 ‘Mushi-Shi’ (2005)
Directed by Hiroshi Nagahama
Ginko investigates cases involving Mushi, a supernatural lifeform, and protects humans from them. Though he’s already familiar with Mushi, each case leads him to learning more about them, which, in trun, creates an impressive storyline for our protagonist.
An episodic anime, Mushi-Shi is rich in worldbuilding, creating an impressive world that brings the story to life right in front og the viewer’s eyes. The stories of the characters viewers meet are interesting, and Mushi-Shi is one of the more interesting sci-fi anime to exist.
Watch on Crunchyroll
6 ‘Plunderer’ (2020)
Directed by Hiroyuki Kanbe
Every person has a count on their body, and if their count reaches zero, they are sent to the abyss. Meanwhile, those with higher counters maintain a certain superiority in society. Hina is a young girl who is looking for the supposed Legendary Ace after her mother was dragged to the abyss. Then she meets him when she needs him the most.
Though a somber start, Plunderer really picks up the pace, immersing the viewer into the world while simultaneously providing a good laugh. Plunderer is a hilarious anime that has been slept on for far too long, and for those who enjoy action-packed anime, it is worth the watch.
Watch on Crunchyroll
5 ‘Sonny Boy’ (2021)
Directed by Shingo Natsume
Cold and distant middle school student Nagara is transported to an alternate world, along with his classmates. In this world, they all have supernatural abilities and powers, and as the students try to return home, conflict rises within this group.
A beautiful anime, Sonny Boy is known to teach lessons in its storytelling, creating an anime that is relatable to many viewers. Though it can be a little confusing at first, this gives a good reason to watch Sonny Boy again and catch all the things missed upon the initial first viewing. With an interesting cast of characters, Sonny Boy is filled with such depth and complexity that viewers will want to come back for multiple watches.
4 ‘Hell Girl’ (2005-2006)
Directed by Takahiro Omori
Emna Ai is Hell Girl; when a name is entered into a mysterious website, she drags that person into hell. However, there is a large price to pay to enter someone’s name, and that is eternal suffering in Hell after they live out their life.
The stories within the anime are self-contained for the most part, focusing on the various themes and characters within each episode.
Hell Girl has such an interesting and horrifying premise, it’s no surprise that this anime is actually really good. The stories within the anime are self-contained for the most part, focusing on the various themes and characters within each episode. Eventually, Hell Girl does develop a connecting plot, one that will both intrigue and satisfy viewers.
Buy On Amazon
3 ‘Hikaru no Go’ (2001-2003)
Directed by Susumu Nishizawa, Jun Kamiya, Tetsuya Endo
Hikaru Shindo discovers a haunted Go board inside his grandfather’s shed. The spirit that haunts this board is none other than famous Go player Fujiwara-no-Sai. Sai then merges partly with Hikaru so that he can attain the Divine Move.
The rivalries, the premise, and the character development make the show worth the watch.
Extremely underrated, Hikaru no Go is a sports anime with a beautiful soundtrack and excellent storytelling. The rivalries, the premise, and the character development make the show worth the watch. It’s hard not to grow attached to the characters, and it’s definitely hard not to fall in love with the story being told. Hikaru no Go is definitely a hidden age of old-gen anime that all viewers should give a shot.
Watch on Apple TV+
2 ‘My Roommate Is a Cat’ (2019)
Directed by Kaoru Suzuki
Author Mikazuki believes the world to be absolutely miserable. At least, that is until he finds a cat at his parents’ grave who looks just as angry as he feels. He takes the cat home, deciding to dedicate his next story to the idea of a murderous cat.
A wholesome slice-of-life anime, My Cat Is a Roommate explores a friendship between cat and owner. More interestingly though, the anime is split into two parts: one part explores Mikazuki’s perception of the cat and its actions; meanwhile, the cat shares its own perspective of its own habits and actions.
Watch on Crunchyroll
1 ‘Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari’ (2023)
Directed by Ryuichi Kimura
Hyouma Kunato is a Saenome that seals away tsukumogami, which are spirits that enter the human realm by possessing objects. Though Saenome are encouraged to seal away spirits peacefully, Hyouma struggles to do so due to some past trauma. So in order to learn to cooperate with the tsukumogami, Hyouma is sent to live with a family of them.
Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari is a visually beautiful anime that involves an interesting take on the supernatural and the possession of supernatural entities such as spirits. The idea that the world actually gets along with some tsukumogami is fascinating, as most anime tend to portray spirits as more evil than anything else. With well-choreographed fight scenes, a fun cast, and plenty of character development, viewers will be glad to immerse themselves in the Mononogatari world.
Watch on Crunchyroll
