Most *rare* anime you've ever seen?

[solomon]

Hols, the Prince of the Sun, saw it on you tube once. Good old Toei movie

Then there is Only Yesterday, known as Omoide Poro Poro. Isao Takahata film from Ghibli. I only saw it once on cable tv, was never released in America........WONDERFUL FILM (still remember it very well).

[Envy]

Everything that I have watched is licensed in America in some fashion so I don't really have a rare anime I've seen.

I'd say the rarest is Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl. Checking MAL there are titles that less have seen but they don't really count, one of them's a short 2 episode "second season" and another is Hourou Musuko that hasn't been out anywhere near as long as Kashimashi.

If this was rare manga I'd actually have a title to say. =/

[Tactics]

- Kamichu
- Zettai Shounen

It's not easy looking for anime with such a rare quality like those two.

[Soliloquy]

Pretty much most of classic anime I had watched a very long ago. There are other ones I can't remember the name of.

Anpanman
Slam Dunk
Speed Racer
Rose of Versailles

[Jeffry2009]

- Kiddy Grade
- Blassreiter (most underrated anime ever made by GONZO)
- Kurokami (Black God)
- Zaion: I wish you were here (my 1st OVA before he directed FMA: Shambala & Gundam 00)

[amasposu]

- Bomberman B-Daman Bakugaiden
- GeGeGe no Kitaro (2007)
- Mashin Eiyuden Wataru

The funny thing is, I never finished any of these series. >_>;

[wigglypuff]

panty and stocking with garterbelt...
because of the art, but their transformation scene is awesome!!

[Melpomene]

Niea_7 - I was able to be exposed to this because of a friend who had an interest in it. It's a zany slice of life story that I found mildly entertaining. It's done by the same people that did Haibane Renmei.

[bhl88]

Mr. Ajikko (no one has translated it but those Hong Kong subbers like those who write: "He is in my behind." instead of "They came from.... behind! *crash*")

[MidoriHiME]

Memories Off 2nd
Ar Tonelico OVA
Magical School Lunar
Triangle Heart 3 -Sweet Songs Forever-
One: Kagayaku Kisetsu e
Garzey's Wing (yes, the whole thing, not just the hilarious clips)

[DontForget311]

Don't know that I've seen many truly rare (maybe the original Tetsuwan Birdy or Trava Fist Planet OVAs qualify?) anime, but I have stumbled across a few under-appreciated gems in my time:

Now and Then, Here and There
Planet of the Beast King
Blue Submarine Number 6
Dead Leaves
Trava Fist Planet
Giant Robo
Jin Roh and the Wolf's Brigade
Neo Tokyo OVA
Tetsuwan Birdy OVA
Wings of Honneamise
Noein
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0
Garden of Sinners
Spirit of Wonder
Rescue Wings
Ocean Waves
Nineteen OVA
Monster
Lovely Complex
Legend of Galactic Heroes
Irresponsible Captain Taylor
Daughter of 20 Faces
Battle Programer Shirase

[zrdb]

I'd say Spirit Of Wonder-Miss China's Ring.

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

I wonder if anyone here has seen these anime ^_^ :

Time Quest
Kabuto
Popolocrois
Dragon League
Fuuma no Kojiro
Minky Momo (I believe there are 2 version/season of this)
Shurato
Ronin Warriors/Yoroiden Samurai Troopers
Ninja Boys
Yonkuro
Tokyo Babylon

[Digital]

This is a rather interesting thread. Am I the only one that noted that some of the shows that are mentioned as "rare" aren't as old as the thread itself (nearly 7.5 years)?

It just goes to show you that what's rare seems to change over time. A lot of it has to do with the age and length of time someone has been into anime. One show I haven't seen here, Riding Bean, is probably rare these days, though it's one of the earliest licensed titles in the US (by Animeigo). For a while it was on every anime shelf in every video store that carried anime, though that's not saying much since the section was one foot wide and it was pretty much Suncoast and nothing else. Then it seemed to disappear, then it got a re-release on DVD, and now I think it's getting to be rare again. Same thing with Gunsmith Cats, which was the follow-up anime for Kenichi Sonoda, the character designer from the original Bubblegum Crisis.

These days, I look at something like Haibane Renmei as somewhat rare. It's an amazing show with a beautiful soundtrack, but with the exit of Pioneer from the US market, it's getting hard to find. Hopefully Funimation will re-release it on Blu-Ray and bring it back out of obscurity.

[Archon_Wing]

Originally Posted by Mushi

Lucky Star "rare"? I think some people need to look up the definition of "rare."


Some say bland, others think unconventional. I found Uta-Kata very intriguing. Not your every day Mahou Shoujo story.

As the wiki entry states, "this series deviates from more conventional magical girl themes in that it addresses topics that are for a more mature audience, such as child abuse, eating disorders, and possibly misanthropy."

I was drawn to Uta-Kata because I stumbled upon an image of Minatsu and she captivated me.



But, I found Ichika to be one of the most brutally honest and endearing protagonists I've ever seen. Her inner conflicts makes the series stand out from the oh-so-cliche typical offerings.

Uta kata was definitely something. It was indeed slow and boring in some parts, but the story was a bit different, and the characters quite moe. Ichika's pretty notable as a character.

I consider it a pre-Madoka of a kind.

[Triple_R]

Uta Kata was indeed one of a kind.

Interestingly, so was Kiddy Grade, and the artistic similarities between the two are notable.


Archon_Wing recommended Uta Kata to me this past June, IIRC, and it was indeed a fascinating watch. There were a couple moments where its melodrama turned into unintentional comedy, but for the most part, I found it an interesting take on the magical girl genre. It was an earlier, subtler Madoka Magica in some ways.

And Ichika was indeed a very endearing protagonist, and I honestly liked the supporting cast for the show too. The last couple of episodes did weird me out a bit, but on the whole, a good watch.


Kiddy Grade is a fun, action-packed, and thought-provoking sci-fi tale that starts off episodic and slow, but really takes off like a rocket near the midpoint of the anime. From that point on, its an tremendous thrill ride, and loads of fun with some of the best plot twists I've ever seen.


I heartily recommend either of these shows to someone looking for an older anime treat that can spur the imagination and captivate the mind.

[LifeILL]

Ganbare Genki

One of the best boxing animes out there

[Red Shoulder]

Probably Nobara no Julie. It aired in '79 and watched the first couple episodes raw (obviously). It was strange as it would actually use live footage of things during the episodes.

[Krunkalla]

rare anime ive seen that hasnt been listed is shadow skill. Anybody heard of it?

[Ithekro]

I'm pretty sure I've not watched any (or many) rare anime, since most of the things I've seen have been translated into English and sold in North America.

About the hardest thing I've had to get was Endless Road SSX, and that isn't rare.