Summary
- Hulu, Funimation, Crunchyroll
- Kaleido Star is an underrated gem in the world of anime. It follows a young girl, Sora, as she pursues her dream of becoming a performer in the prestigious Kaleido Stage. With its vibrant animation and inspiring story, Kaleido Star deserves more recognition.
- Overall, the article discusses several underrated anime series that deserve more acclaim. From Sonny Boy to Kaleido Star, these shows offer unique and compelling stories that should be discovered and enjoyed by fans.
Anime has exploded in popularity recently, and after fans finish the most well-known series, it’s only natural to wonder what the most underrated anime series of all time are. Not every anime show can achieve the mainstream success of the most popular anime like My Hero Academia or Attack on Titan, even if some shows deserve it, which means that 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 some underrated series to slip through the cracks. The most underrated anime series are all shows that deserve just as much acclaim as anime mega-hits like Dragon Ball.
25 Sonny Boy
Year Released |
2021 |
Number of Episodes |
12 |
Where to Stream it |
Crunchyroll, Funimation, Hulu |
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. Though Sonny Boy did get some hype during its run, it didn’t develop nearly the same following as 2021’s other big anime hits such as Ranking of Kings and Odd Taxi. Holding up just as well as those two other beloved series is no small achievement, easily making Sonny Boy one of the most underrated anime series ever.
24 Kaiba
Year Released |
2008 |
Number of Episodes |
12 |
Where to Stream it |
Amazon Prime |
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 is a beautiful exploration of identity and class disparity as Kaiba travels around an imaginative science-fiction universe. While Kaiba might not have received as much acclaim as it deserved, it’s truly a masterpiece that more anime fans should watch.
23 Wolf’s Rain
Year Released |
2003 |
Episodes |
26 + 4 OVAs |
Where to Stream it |
Crunchyroll, Funimation |
Adult Swim is famous for turning more than a few anime into major hits for Western fans, but unfortunately, that’s not true for every anime the block aired. Though Wolf’s Rain aired on Adult Swim and did generate a decent-sized fandom, it hasn’t been nearly as well-remembered as many of its contemporaries such as Cowboy Bebop and Neon Genesis Evangelion. The series is about the last group of wolves trying to find paradise before the world ends. With a bleak premise and a bleaker plot, it’s easy to see how the series got lost in the shuffle. Despite the series’ darker elements though, Wolf’s Rain is ultimately about hope in the face of impossible odds. With beautiful animation and a compelling cast, Wolf’s Rain is easily one of Adult Swim’s most underrated anime.
22 Yuri Kuma Arashi
Year Released |
2015 |
Episodes |
12 |
Where to Stream it |
Funimation |
Yurikuma Arashi is a wild anime series from Sailor Moon Kunihiko Ikuhara. Following up on the sapphic themes found in Ikuhara’s much-beloved series Revolutionary Girl Utena, Yurikuma is all about exploring what it means to be a lesbian in Japan. The series has an absolutely wild plot about a society where a race of alien bears who can transform into people are separated from society for fear of the danger they pose to the social order. Despite how goofy the series often is, Yurikuma explores many serious issues in its short 12-episode run. Fans of LGBTQ anime will definitely want to give Yurikuma Arashi a try!
21 RahXephon
Year Released |
2002 |
Episodes |
26 |
Where to Stream it |
HIDIVE |
Many mech anime made in the wake of Neon Genesis Evangelion attempted to replicate that series’ mix of mech action and deep psychology, but few made that combination look better than RahXephon. The series follows a young man named Ayato whose normal life in Tokyo is disrupted by a sudden invasion of aircraft. What follows is a whirlwind as Ayato comes into contact with the series’ titular mech, and pilots it to take down giant beings made of clay named Dolems. What makes the series stand out from many of the other mech anime released in Evangelion’s wake is its beautiful animation and unique focus on music. In many ways, RahXephon exceeds Evangelion, making it a highly underrated mech anime.
20 Hell Girl
Year Released |
2005 |
Episodes |
90 |
Where to Stream it |
Currently unavailable to stream in the US |
Hell Girl is an underrated supernatural/horror anime full of self-contained episodes of characters suffering at the hands of those around them. After reaching their limits, they use a website to summon the mysterious Hell Girl, Enma Ai. Enma Ai offers to send their tormentors to Hell if they enter into a contract with her, though the price is steep, as they also condemn their own souls to Hell once they die.
Hell Girl is an amazing series that shows the hold vengeance can have on a person. There’s some dark satisfaction seeing some genuinely evil people getting “what they deserve,” but it also questions one morality and the nature of revenge.
19 AnoHana: The Flower We Saw That Day (2011)
Year Released |
2011 |
Number of Episodes |
11 |
Where to Stream it |
Crunchyroll, Funimation |
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. Jinta, Menma, and the rest of the “Super Peace Busters” are all well-written characters whose individual experiences of grief are just as heartwrenching as their collective experience. It may be underrated, but AnoHana is one of the best anime of all time.
18 Skip Beat!
Year Released |
2008 |
Episodes |
25 |
Where to Stream it |
Crunchyroll |
Kyoko Mogami lives to support her boyfriend, an up-and-coming pop star. However, once his stardom begins to manifest, he betrays Kyoko, abandoning her in spite of her years of total support. She then vows revenge and embarks on a quest to become a star renowned enough to eclipse her former lover. While the anime is relatively short, Skip Beat! also has Drama CDs that continue the story, but if the show had been less underrated these could have been additional seasons. An interesting tale of love, loss, and revenge, Skip Beat! deserved more attention than it got.
17 Haganai
Year Released |
2011 |
Episodes |
24 |
Where to Stream it |
Crunchyroll, Funimation |
A group of wayward, socially inept high school students comes together to form a club with the goal of teaching one another how to make friends. Full of fanservice and dark humor, it’s not exactly the most approachable series, but it’s maintained a passionate fanbase over the years, and it’s way more underrated than it deserves to be. Haganai features a dry, sarcastic sort of humor that contrasts strongly with many of its very loud, in-your-face contemporaries. It’s certainly not for everyone, but those who value humor above all else may want to give Haganai a go.
16 Hikaru No Go
Year Released |
2001 |
Episodes |
75 |
Where to Stream it |
Hulu |
Anime series based on card games are pretty common—series Yu-Gi-Oh! and the more niche but still compelling Chihayafuru spring to mind—but there are few based on things like board games. Hikaru no Go is one of those few and is based on the ancient Chinese board game of Go. This series puts an interesting and entertaining spin on the game, as it follows middle schooler Hikaru as he enters the world of professional Go players under the guidance of a ghost from the Heian era. This series, all about the surprisingly competitive nature of professional Go players, is illustrated by the artist of Death Note Takeshi Obata.
15 The Twelve Kingdoms
Year Released |
2002 |
Episodes |
45 |
Where to Stream it |
Crunchyroll, Retro Crush, Tubi |
Inuyasha is certainly one of the most popular anime series in the fantasy/historical genre, but it’s far from the only one. The 12 Kingdoms is an underrated gem that’s based on the manga with the same name. While the manga follows various characters, the anime focuses on Yoko Nakajima, a red-haired girl who discovers that she’s an empress after she finds herself transported from Japan to another world. Inspired by Chinese mythology, this underrated isekai anime series is a bit on the eccentric side, but it’s great for fans of high fantasy. Yoko is an admirably strong female protagonist who perseveres to earn her title of Emperess of the Kingdom of Kei.
14 Kaleido Star
Year Released |
2003 |
Episodes |
51 |
Where to Stream it |
Funimation, Tubi |
Everyone has a dream, and Sora Naegino, a teen from Japan, dreams of being a top performer at the world-famous Kaleido Stage. Though she dreams big, she finds that realizing her ambitions of becoming a world-renowned performer will take blood, sweat, and tears. While Kaleido Star has the vibrance of a typical shoujo anime, it has a fairly down-to-earth story that really makes fans empathize with all the trials and tribulations Sora and the other characters endure. For fans of Oshi no Ko wanting something less dark, Kaleido Star is a perfect pick.
13 Mushi-shi (2005 – 2006)
Year Released |
2005 |
Number of Episodes |
46 + 2 Specials |
Where to Stream it |
Crunchyroll, Funimation, Hulu |
Mushi-shi is a slow-paced anthology series following the travels of a man named Ginko. The world is inhabited by a kind of ethereal spirit called Mushi that interact with humans just trying to go about their daily lives. Ginko can see these Mushi, and he makes it his occupation to help people besieged by their negative effects. There isn’t much of an overarching plot, and the series instead focuses on the lives of the people Ginko helps. It trades action and suspense for beautiful animation and small-scale storytelling, and the series proceeds at an unhurried pace that lets fans soak in the atmosphere. Its unique style may make it underrated, but this is exactly why anime fans should watch it.
12 School Rumble
Year Released |
2004 |
Episodes |
26 |
Where to Stream it |
Hulu, Funimation |
This is a two-season romantic comedy series starring two main protagonists, Tenma and Kenji, who are entangled in a love triangle involving their enigmatic classmate Oji. It’s told in a series of short sketch-like sequences, and it follows not only the main characters but also a variety of relatively minor characters and their ridiculous exploits, as well. It’s been described by reviewers as both shounen and shojo, so it appeals to a wide variety of audiences with its content. Most fans agree that School Rumble‘s fast and fun energy and slightly surreal brand of humor succeed, and it’s got a stellar soundtrack, furthering its status as an underrated anime masterpiece.
11 Tsuritama (2012)
Year Released |
2012 |
Episodes |
12 |
Where to Stream it |
Currently unavailable to stream in the US |
Ostensibly a sports anime, Tsuritama focuses on a pretty underappreciated activity of fishing. It also deviates from the norm of the genre in several other ways, as it doesn’t really focus on the bombastic drama and action sequences other popular sports anime like Blue Lock favor. Instead, the main storyline has a narrow, personal focus. It follows high school student Yuki, who has been moved around all his life and has a terrible time making friends. When he and his grandmother settle in Enoshima, a transfer student named Haru shows up claiming to be an alien and insists on living in their house. The zany setup gives way to an underrated but heartfelt series about friendship and dealing with anxiety.
10 Yakitate!! Japan
Year Released |
2004 |
Episodes |
69 |
Where to Stream it |
Funimation, Retro Crush |
A food-based comedy series from 2004, Yakitate!! Japan is vastly underrated compared to anime titles like Food Wars! The main character, Kazuma, is pursuing his dream to make the national bread of Japan and secure a spot at the most prestigious bread bakery in the country. Kazuma also has a special power called “Solar Hands” which makes his hands slightly hotter than a normal person. Useless as that sounds, it does help his bread to ferment faster. It’s a sweet, funny series all about making and enjoying food, and it features tons of over-the-top food tasting reactions for fans’ viewing pleasure.
9 Monster (2004 – 2005)
Year Released |
2004 |
Number of Episodes |
74 |
Where to Stream it |
Netflix |
A critically acclaimed yet tragically underrated anime series, Monster is a dark and realistic thriller about brain surgeon Dr. Kenzo Tenma following his decision to save the lives of two young twins instead of the mayor of his town in Germany. Nine years after this fateful decision, Tenma discovers one of the twins, Johan, has grown up to be a monstrous serial killer, while the other lives an oblivious life with her foster parents. The plot chronicles Tenma’s attempts to undo the mistake he made when saving Johan’s life. The anime is committed to reproducing the highly-praised manga it’s based on in every way, from its dark cinematic art to its sophisticated storyline.
8 Samurai Flamenco
Year Released |
2013 |
Episodes |
22 |
Where to Stream it |
Funimation |
Samurai Flamenco follows the journey of male model Masayoshi Hazama as he undertakes his lifelong goal of being a superhero. Unfortunately for Masayoshi, he doesn’t have any superpower or any special abilities at all. Instead, he runs afoul of both the city’s rougher elements and the police over and over again until a young officer named Hidenori Goto gets involved and ends up supporting his cause.
It starts as a light-hearted superhero-themed comedy before it abruptly pivots genre halfway through, ramping up in intensity with each new episode until you can’t look away. A forerunner to the extremely popular superhero anime My Hero Academia, Samurai Flamenco is an underrated anime adaptation that deserves more love.
Year Released |
2008 |
Episodes |
12 |
Where to Stream it |
Currently unavailable to stream in the US |
Failed musician Soichi Negishi dreams of rising to pop stardom, but, in order to pay the bills, he becomes the frontman of a notorious death metal act Detroit Metal City. As his popstar ambitions continue to flounder, his metal alter-ego grows in popularity, something he secretly resents. Desperate to escape his new role as a metal legend, Soichi’s attempts to quit Detroit Metal City only result in further fame. Despite its low budget, Detroit Metal City manages to be a hilarious celebration of music of all sorts. With the recent success of Bocchi the Rock, another music anime, it is now a perfect time to revisit this underrated series.
6 Hamatora
Year Released |
2014 |
Episodes |
32 |
Where to Stream it |
Currently unavailable to stream in the US |
Hamatora also touches on aspects of the superhero genre. The two seasons of its anime take place after the events of the manga of the same name, but fans don’t necessarily have to be familiar with the source material to enjoy the series. The two main characters, Nice and Mursaki, run a private investigative agency, and the two of them use special powers called Minimums to solve their cases. Primarily a supernatural mystery series, it keeps the tension high through many unpredictable twists and turns. It’s easy to get swept up in the plot, but the series never loses sight of the likable characters that probably drew fans in the first place.