Underrepresented anime masterpieces. Evangelize here!

[HurricaneHige]

Hmm...One Piece has an unorthodox artstyle (often times more lackluster than just "special") but the story has been pretty good. I'm not sure if u r not a fan of One Piece or just the "adventure" type anime in general, but in terms of the group adventure, its probably one of the best i've seen. O_o

Isn't not getting the attention it deserves = "underrepresented"? It doesn't have to be a masterpiece to be underrepresented....but nevertheless i think One Piece is indeed a masterpiece for its genre.

[Khaos]

Some of my personal favorites:
- Dennou Coil (complex and beautiful story in a very unique cyber-SF-setting)
- Noein (another very unique SF-setting, lots of quantum stuff here, great music, too)
- Welcome to the NHK (hilarious tragicomedy, a must see)
- Da Capo (romance series, first season is beautiful beyond words)
- Demonbane (ok, this one is a really plain series, but it's one of the best plain series, I've ever seen, and you need those as well )
- Bokusatsu Tenshi Dukoro-chan (hilarious insane splatter angel comedy with a godly and twisted sense of humour)

Originally Posted by WanderingKnight

If you want to see a true, honest piece of animation, go catch Chikyuu Shoujo Arjuna.

Agree, you're absolutely right!!

[Skyfall]

Originally Posted by HurricaneHige

Hmm...One Piece has an unorthodox artstyle (often times more lackluster than just "special") but the story has been pretty good. I'm not sure if u r not a fan of One Piece or just the "adventure" type anime in general, but in terms of the group adventure, its probably one of the best i've seen. O_o

Isn't not getting the attention it deserves = "underrepresented"? It doesn't have to be a masterpiece to be underrepresented....but nevertheless i think One Piece is indeed a masterpiece for its genre.

Oh, i have nothing against adventure/action or general shounen shows at all. One would be hard pressed to find a genre i don't like. And i have been following the 3 shows (though Bleach is the only one that has preserved up until now), but i would not call neither of them close to the pinnacle said genre can offer. Your mileage might wary of course

Personally, first thing i would name in genre would be Erementar Gerad. Scryced can, probably, be also considered a shounen cheeze masterpiece in its own right And i believe that neither of those three big titles are lacking in popularity. While One Piece might be less popular than Bleach/Naruto, i don't think it is anywhere close to being underrepresented

[SeijiSensei]

"Masterpiece" is a very difficult title to endow anything with. For one thing, one feature of a "masterpiece" is that it stand the test of time. If we're talking about recent "underrepresented" shows that deserve a wider following, my list would include:
Bartender
Dennou Coil
Mononoke
Oh! Edo Rocket
These shows strike me as ones that people might still be watching a decade from now.

[tripperazn]

Originally Posted by HurricaneHige

Hmm...One Piece has an unorthodox artstyle (often times more lackluster than just "special") but the story has been pretty good. I'm not sure if u r not a fan of One Piece or just the "adventure" type anime in general, but in terms of the group adventure, its probably one of the best i've seen. O_o

Isn't not getting the attention it deserves = "underrepresented"? It doesn't have to be a masterpiece to be underrepresented....but nevertheless i think One Piece is indeed a masterpiece for its genre.

One Piece is by no means "underrepresented" by any definition of the word. When it has it's own sub-board on the "Currently Airing" board, you really can't pin that description on One Piece. I personally haven't seen One Piece, but shounen titles almost never come close to being called "masterpieces".

One series I haven't seen mentioned is Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu. A lot of people simply dismiss it as a rip-off of Saikano, but the way the familiar premise is developed is significantly different and IMO leaves a more lasting emotional impact. While it's fairly popular in Japan, with a manga and two recent games to it's name, it is largely ignored by the fansub community internationally. Half the posts on it's board are about how underrepresented this series is.

The "fireside dance" is one of the best scenes ever. Pretty much sums up the entire story with it's symbolism.

[3:16]

Comedy.10 minutes of pure pleasure.I can't really say why,but really,that is such a great anime!

[Kempis Curious]

I remember watching the first episode of Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu, and then feeling like I wanted to see more of it. Y'all have convinced me to go get the rest... fortunately there are only 6 episodes, and seeders are present. That definitely makes it easier to watch.

I had to think about whether I've seen Comedy or not... it took me a while to remember that anime short. 'Twas the dreamy anime about the young girl trying to bribe a local vampire into fighting some mounted English knights. If I remember correctly, "Ave Maria" was playing as BGM the whole time. One thing I certainly remember is that I downloaded it twice, since I had forgotten that I had already watched it.

Another underrepresented anime masterpiece is Hanada, Shounen no Shi. If you can look past the OP and ED being sung by the Backstreet Boys, you'll find a wonderful anime about life in 1960s Japan... and a boy who can see ghosts. The main character is as sassy, energetic, and happy as Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes... he's one of my favorite characters in anime. The animation quality is really high in this series too.

The last couple of story arcs were really, really good. If you put this anime down due to some dull middle episodes, you should pick it up again for the ending. After many years, the fansubbers recently finished the final episodes.

-k

curious

[3:16]

Originally Posted by Kempis Curious

I had to think about whether I've seen Comedy or not... it took me a while to remember that anime short. 'Twas the dreamy anime about the young girl trying to bribe a local vampire into fighting some mounted English knights. If I remember correctly, "Ave Maria" was playing as BGM the whole time. One thing I certainly remember is that I downloaded it twice, since I had forgotten that I had already watched it.

That's exactly the story.But I think that the BGM during the battle against the English knight is "Der Erlkönig",from Franck Schubert.

[NoSanninWa]

Ah, Comedy. I freakin' love that short. It was the first show I ever saw by Studio 4°C and after that I couldn't get enough of their work.

In case anyone want to see it, it is one of the many items in JR's Big Batch of Everything. That collection of all the anime subbed by the defunct group Jolly-Roger is way too huge, but any decent BitTorrent client like µTorrent will allow you to download only the video you want to see. Everyone should download Comedy. It is only 10 minutes long, but they are 10 amazing minutes.

[Solace]

Originally Posted by WanderingKnight

Talking about underrepresented anime series, I'll never understand why most fans never get past the pro-environmentalist shell of Chikyuu Shoujo Arjuna. Regardless of any disagreement with the basic premise, the series is a beautiful piece of artwork, from the stunning character designs and animation, the soundtrack (composed by none other than Yoko Kanno herself), the fact that characters speak like people and not like anime characters... to the point that, in the end, it's not as blatantly hypocritical as most pro-green activists tend to be. Arjuna goes beyond the pro-environmentalism stance, though, and makes you think in more ways than in a simple "Mankind's the root of all evil!". It's a series that always gives me a tearjerk or two in the final episode.

If you want to see a true, honest piece of animation, go catch Chikyuu Shoujo Arjuna.

My opinions differ from yours (mine are a bit more negative), but I agree with you. The art and music are amazing, the direction is eye catching. It is certainly not a show everyone is going to like, but it is one you should see if you are in the mood to think. The theme song is hauntingly beautiful.

I also recommend Asatte no Houkou. It's about a girl and a woman, one wishes to be older and one wishes to be younger....and it actually happens. Very slice of life, a bit of comedy and drama, and wonderful every step of the way.

[Demongod86]

GRENADIER--take Trigun, add in far too much gratuitous fanservice and you have a show that can't take itself seriously (and you shouldn't either). Just sit back, relax, and laugh.

[NoSanninWa]

I've never been able to figure out if Grenadier is brilliant or moronic. It is however insanely fun in a brilliantly moronic way. One more thing, I'm also not sure if this is a negative or a positive, but it needs to be mentioned: "boobie reloads." Nobody should ever discuss Grenadier without mentioning those two words.

[MGBelfyRogue]

Originally Posted by Vagrant0

Second, Aria. As a series, Aria is a masterpiece. From the artwork to the storylines, to the whole relaxing feel to the anime, it is about as perfect as you could ever hope for. Sure, it may be a bit too slow paced for some, and may even be a bit girly at times, but once you give it a chance, you won't regret it. Just the scenery alone makes it a work of art. If you ever need help unwinding after a hard day of work, Aria will do it. It's just that damn soothing.

Yes! Aria is by far the best work of the last few years. Everything about it from storyline to characters to art is perfection.

[LionsMane]

Originally Posted by WanderingKnight

Talking about underrepresented anime series, I'll never understand why most fans never get past the pro-environmentalist shell of Chikyuu Shoujo Arjuna. Regardless of any disagreement with the basic premise, the series is a beautiful piece of artwork, from the stunning character designs and animation, the soundtrack (composed by none other than Yoko Kanno herself), the fact that characters speak like people and not like anime characters... to the point that, in the end, it's not as blatantly hypocritical as most pro-green activists tend to be. Arjuna goes beyond the pro-environmentalism stance, though, and makes you think in more ways than in a simple "Mankind's the root of all evil!". It's a series that always gives me a tearjerk or two in the final episode.

If you want to see a true, honest piece of animation, go catch Chikyuu Shoujo Arjuna.

I have to agree with everything you said.

Many say Arjuna is too preachy to be enjoyable but I disagree entirely. I love how eveything was dealt and played out. It is personally a favorite of mine. Something that many to push away because of its enviromental message but there is so much more to it than that. There aren't too many series that I find completely original and compelling as Arjuna. Plus it was based of the Bhagavad Gita which is an amazing poem.

Definitely a series that is not appreciated as much as it should be.

[zoot]

Originally Posted by DanielSong39

You might also want to try "Heidi" and "Anne of Green Gables", a couple of 70's anime adaptations from the same director. The animation may be dated, but the storytelling still holds up.

I don't know if I'd call Anne a masterpiece (tough word), but it was definitely an interesting show--and the production is better than you'd expect from 1979.

Spoiler:

It's also the only show I can think of that, in gradual form, followed the character as she grew up, which was neat. You don't notice her growing up day-to-day (episode-to-episode, until near the end, anyway), but she turns from a little kid who asks too many questions to a teenager moving off to school, making you go "when did that happen?" ... a question I suspect every parent has asked.

In my opinion, Takahata's best work--and Ghibli's, and my favorite movie to date--is Tonari no Yamada-kun. Fundamentally believable, relatable slice-of-life (Dad daydreams, too!) balanced with some fun fantasy segments. There's also a lot more humor in this one than most Ghibli shows (all great movies, but few that I'd watch for a laugh).

Originally Posted by physics223

Koi Kaze is another underappreciated anime masterpiece. Yes, it's about incest. So what? Life isn't all about fairy tales and lolis, you know.

Personally, I didn't care for it as a show, but its serious, believable treatment of its subject matter makes it nearly unique (related).

I seem to remember watching another show around the same time with a similar premise--but without the age gap that Koi Kaze had--but I can't remember the title.

[zoot]

Originally Posted by zoot

I seem to remember watching another show around the same time with a similar premise--but without the age gap that Koi Kaze had--but I can't remember the title.

I was thinking of "Boku wa Imouto ni Koi wo Suru", an OAV released about a year after Koi Kaze. I think I unsuspectingly watched these two shows closely to each other ...

[GreatTeacherKen]

I really love Manabi Straight. I guess it's sort of been overshadowed by other strong shows made in 2007 like Gurren Lagann, darker than black, CLANNAD, etc. but this is honestly my favorite show made this year. The show managed to make me care deeply about the main characters within the short timeframe of 12 episodes and I feel it had a great mix of quirky comedy and more lower-key character drama moments, though episode 4 was a bit more emotionally intense. I also think the show also does a great job of telling a story through visuals. Some of my favorite scenes in the show have no dialogue like in episode 4 where one character's sudden emotional breakdown is portrayed very well through visual distortion (you'll know what I mean if you've watched it) and another great moment occurs in episode 7 when Manabi 'tells' the student council president of another school her vision of the school festival (the imagery in this scene is strangely beautiful).

Seto no hanayome: Possibly the funniest work of fiction I've ever seen. The show's sense of humor does seem to be polarizing for people (some people find it tiresome, while others find it absolutely hysterical) but it worked perfectly for me. It really amazes me how the show can keep the comedy going at a fast pace for 26 episodes, usually I find that shows with similar pacing and style of humor tend to grow tiresome after a while, but not this show. This anime knows how much it can exploit one joke and when to stop, so the comedy essentially evolves along with the cast. The seiyuus also do a great job of acting out the humor as well.

Hidamari sketch: While I don't think the show is a masterpiece, I do like this show a lot. It really creates a nice relaxing atmosphere with some very cute and lovable characters. Not to I like the visual style. It's distinctive, but it doesn't feel like it's gimmicky. I think it really enhances the mood of the show. The surreal imagery during the fever episode really stands out.

[Zu Ra]

I dont remember if I have mentioned this before

I was about to write a few word on Sakon but Laziness got the better of me . So I will quote my reaction after watching Sakon

I really felt bad today watching the last episode of Sakon … my magical journey into the world of mystery and puppetry has come to an abrupt end . The last episode was really heart wrenching and touching . I can believe we won’t get our fix of Sakon anymore .Though the mystery and who dun it factor was not there in this arc it was volumes in terms of character development . If Sakon had continued he would have possibly gotten a girl friend . Also the relationship between Sakon and Ukon has further developed and insightful …

Though I decided to dwell on the good points of the serial I can’t believe it’s finally over. My knowledge into performing arts was minimal but after this show its been enriched . Now I too can brag a thing or two about Japanese arts thanks to Sakon . This arc was a full circle in terms of understanding Sakon his fears and inhibitions , this arc also felt biographical ….

Summary : http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/ency...ime.php?id=937

Download : http://www.animesuki.com/series.php/304.html

[Reckoner]

I don't think I have seen this anime even mentioned in this thread which goes to show you how little people know about it.

Lain: Serial Experiments is the most underrepresented masterpiece of anime ever. I have yet to see a more intelligent anime than this. This has even been reviewed by college professors.

[KholdStare]

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is one I will recommend. Of course it was once very popular, but the new generation of anime watchers don't know much about this Ghibli masterpiece, so I would just like to mention it again.