There are a lot of underrated anime that can rival some mainstream anime. And there are some of the best underrated anime that one must see to know their actual worth. After watching these underrated anime we are certain that you will also want these anime to get the success and recognition like every mainstream anime.
Our team of experts has picked these hidden gems to satisfy your needs. We have mentioned various anime from different genres so that you can watch these anime according to your liking. But we would like to suggest that if you have time, do watch all these hidden gems so that you can suggest some of the best underrated anime to your friends.
10 Best Underrated Anime
Here is a list of some of the best underrated anime that you must watch so that you can appreciate these hidden gems:
1. Sonny Boy (2021)
Released in 2021, Sonny Boy is the most aesthetic isekai anime on this list. Known for its aesthetic animation, this series is about a class of high schoolers who are surprisingly transported to another world. The world in which they are transported is quite different from the real world because that world is featureless.
The story’s main character Nagara cuts himself from his friends except for one girl Nozomi. This story portrays the value of friendship so that it will blow your mind.
If this series gets the recognition that it deserves then we are pretty sure that this will surpass some of the best isekai anime in the community. After watching this decide for yourself whether this anime deserves to be one of the best underrated anime or not.
2. Wolf’s Rain (2003)
We all know that most anime that get popular are shonen anime, but that doesn’t mean that adult swim anime isn’t good. There are a lot of adult swim anime that got the success they deserve. But there are also some of the best underrated anime like Wolf’s Rain. This anime is basically about a group of friends who are trying their best to find peace before the world ends.
Wolf’s Rain has a dark theme which might be triggering for some people, despite this dark theme the main theme of this anime is about finding hope in difficult times. Not just the storyline but the animation of this series is so beautiful that it will make you fall in love with this amazing series. All these things make Wolf’s Rain one of the best underrated anime.
3. Silver Spoon (2013)
Various authors are known for their work in shonen jump anime, but only a few artists are known for their work in both shonen and slice-of-life anime series, one such artist is Hiromu Arakawa who is widely known for her smash-hit shonen series Fullmetal Alchemist.
She also has one of the best underrated slice-of-life anime series, Silver Spoon. This slice-of-life anime is based on the life of Yugo Hachiken, who travels daily to a rural high school for study. This anime showcases the day-to-day struggle of Yugo Hachiken and how he blends with the rural lifestyle.
This anime series highlights some of the major issues of society like the difference between the living standards of urban and rural areas. If you have a keen interest in farming then you must watch this anime once and decide for yourself that if this anime deserves to be one of the best underrated anime or not.
4. AnoHana: The Flower We Saw That Day (2011)
If you’re a fan of watching slice-of-life anime series then Anohana is worth watching. Based on the life of Jinta Yadomi this anime showcases the true essence of friendship with grief and growing up together. After the tragic death of Menma, Jinta Yadomi, and his friends have grown apart.
But one day Jinta comes face to face with an older ghost of his dead friend Menma, who wants his wish to get fulfilled. So to fulfill Menma’s wish Jinta and his friends make efforts to fulfill their friend’s wish. Those who have seen this anime appreciate it for having one of the written characters, as well as the storyline of this anime series, is something else.
If you like slice-of-life anime series then you must give this anime a try and decide for yourself whether it is one of the best underrated anime series or not.
5. Kaiba (2008)
Some directors are so versatile with their direction that their fans sometimes find it hard to accept that they can do something like that. The best example of such a director is Masaaki Yuasa, whose name you’ve probably heard because of his work in Devil Man Crybaby. What if we say he has one of the best underrated anime under his name as well?
“Kaiba” is one of the best underrated anime that is produced by Madhouse. This anime aired in 2008 and it consists of only 12 episodes. This anime is based in a distant future world where people’s memories can be digitalized, and these digitalized memories can be transferred from one body to another. This is how people can now live as long as they want.
This story revolves around a guy named Kaiba who wakes up with no memories of his past life so he goes on a journey to know about his true identity. If you want to binge-watch an anime then you can consider watching Kaiba as this is one of the best completed anime that you’ll see ever.
6. The Twelve Kingdoms (2002)
“The Twelve Kingdoms” is one of the best underrated anime series which is based on the light novel series which Fuyumi Ono wrote and illustrated by Akihiro Yamada. In 2002 this was adapted into an anime series produced by Studio Pierrot. The best part of this anime is that it contains only 45 episodes which means that you can finish this anime in 1-2 days.
This anime follows the story of a young high school girl named Yoko Najima who is suddenly transported to a mysterious world which is known as Twelve Kingdoms. Here she found out that she was chosen as the ruler of the kingdom kei and she now has to fulfill her duties as its queen. So she set foot on a journey where she navigates through the complexities of politics.
This is one of the best isekai anime that you can watch enjoy the world-building in this anime. This story also received a lot of praise from critics because of the detailed fantasy setting in this anime. We are certain that you will fall in love with how the protagonist in this story tackles every situation. If you love isekai anime series then you must give this anime a try and decide whether it is one of the best underrated anime series or not.
7. Death Parade (2015)
Death Parade is one of the best underrated anime which is specifically made for people who have a penchant for dark anime series. This anime is written by Yuzuru Tachikawa who is known for creating dark anime series. As the name suggests this anime is related to death, let us now dig deep so that you can have an idea of why this anime is one of the best underrated anime series.
This story follows the adventure of Decim, currently working as the bartender at the Quindecim Bar. But he is no normal bartender, he serves as a gatekeeper of a mysterious realm between the afterlife and reincarnation. In this realm, those who are dead get a chance to reincarnate by participating in a series of games.
But if these deceased souls lose in these games, they are thrown into the void for complete eternity. This story follows various themes such as the complexities of human nature, judgment, and morality. If you’re a fan of dark anime series then you must give this anime a try and decide if it is one of the best underrated anime series or not.
8. Monster (2004)
“Monster” is one of the most critically acclaimed anime series which Naoki Urasawa created. if you’re a fan of psychological anime then you must give this anime a try. This is one of the best underrated anime that you can watch under this category. This story revolves around the life of Dr. Kenzo Tenma.
He is a skilled neurosurgeon who is currently working in Germany. But one day he has to face a moral dilemma in which he has to choose between the life of a mayor and a young boy, and he decides to save the young boy. But that young boy later becomes a sociopathic and manipulative serial killer.
This makes Kenzo go into deep regret and he decides to kill that boy himself. There are a lot of twists and turns in this journey of Dr. Kenzo Tenma. This story follows various themes such as the nature of evil, morality, and identity. After watching this anime you’ll say for yourself that this is one of the best underrated anime that you have ever seen.
9. Eden Of The East (2009)
“Eden of The East” is the kind of anime that will leave you speechless for sure. It is one of the best psychological anime with only 11 episodes. It also contains two films with the name: “Eden of the East: Paradise Lost” and “Eden of the East: The King of Eden” which serve as sequels to this anime. This anime was produced by Production IG and it was aired in 2009.
This anime follows the life of Saki Morimi who one day encounters a strange man in front of the white house in Washington DC. The man she met there was known as Akira Takizawa. He lost his memories and he had a cell phone with him that contained ¥8.2 billion in digital currency. Another feature of his cellphone is that it has been equipped with an AI named Juiz.
This anime is praised for having an engaging plot. But the psychological twist in this anime comes so fast that sometimes it becomes confusing for some viewers that’s why it is still one of the best underrated anime in this genre.
10. School Rumble (2004)
If you love romantic comedy anime series then you must give School Rumble a try because it is one of the best underrated anime that you should watch if you want to die of laughter. Jin Kobayashi created this hilarious manga and anime series.
This anime is set in a high school and follows the lives of various students but majorly focuses on the lives of Tenma Tsukamoto, and Kenji Harima. They both have different personalities from each other. This series explores their comedic misunderstandings and misadventures and attempts to confess their true feelings to their respective crushes.
This anime covers various themes of love, confession, and friendship. If you need something to lighten up your mood, you can try this anime. If you love high school love stories, then you must try this and decide whether it is one of the best underrated anime series.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some frequently asked questions.
Q1. Which Is the Best Underrated Anime?
A1. The answer to this question solely depends on the viewer’s choice and taste in anime. Hence it is quite difficult for us to answer which is the best underrated anime. Still, you can consider watching Monster and other anime which are mentioned in our list.
Q2. Is Gintama an Underrated Anime?
A2. Sadly this statement is true but only for people in the West because in Japan this is one of the OG anime but if we talk about the States then yes Gintama is underrated there because of its mediocre animation.
Q3. Are There Any Underrated Good Anime Series That Have 12-24 Episodes?
A3. Yes, there are a few anime series that contain only 12-24 episodes and are underrated too. You can consider watching “Kaiba” which is one of the best underrated anime and it contains only 12 episodes.
Wrapping Up!
Watching mainstream will surely make you cool in your friend circle but you know what will make you more cool than that? Let us tell you, watching some of the best underrated anime will make you even cooler because these anime are not known by many in the anime community.
There are various plus points of watching underrated anime such as they are short and crisp, they have amazing animation and storyline. But every coin has two sides, these underrated anime have some drawbacks as well such as the story might be repeating sometimes. But one thing that is assured in these underrated anime is that they are full of entertainment.
If you like our recommendation list then do tell us in the comments if you have some queries or suggestions on how we can improve our list then you can tell us that in the comments as well. Make sure to bookmark this article because we will keep on updating our list so that you can get to know about some of the best underrated anime that will surely kill your boredom.