Underrepresented anime masterpieces. Evangelize here!

[hobbes_fan]

Martian Successor Nadesico: Absolutely hilarious, loved the characters and a really of intriguing plot. Shame 2nd season never got done for NO GOOD REASON. (Explain yourself Mr Sato!) One f the few times where the dub is superior to the subbed.

801 TTS airbats: 7 ova's. Not the prettiest thing you'll ever see, but there are some really hilarious characters and scenes. Sgt Sakura the gambling/karaoke addict is quality entertainment. Not a masterpiece but worthy of watching

The irresponsible Captain Tylor: parodied by nadesico (sort of). Some retro character designs, but some real offbeat humour and silliness that make the Soyokaze a riot

Mospeada and Southern Cross Cavalry: most have seen this as part of Robotech but Southern Cross in particular is mangled. The original storyline is better

12 kingdoms: A real epic. A bit tough to get through in the beginning but gets better as it goes on. One of the better fantasy animes out there. The terminology is a bit tough to get used to but it's explained well enough

Bubblegum Crisis 2040: A must for cyber punk fans. If you enjoy GITS you'll probably like this

[xxanimefan4_ever]

Originally Posted by Geta Boshi

Rec is one of those shows which is not that popular compared to its quality and content . Its a really good story with a strong manga backing . The concept is unique and its well edited it utilizes the short time frame given to it in each episode .

eh I didn't it was that great, some ecchi thrown in there and the romance/characters bleh but it was 9 eps so I guess i cant critcize to much but I think it's gotten enough attention from sheer number of downloads plus youtube

anyhoo thread is called anime "masterpieces"

[Skyfall]

Originally Posted by xxanimefan4_ever

anyhoo thread is called anime "masterpieces"

Yes, and what one considers a masterpiece is a subjective view, no ? And the title also contains "Underrepresented", which Rec definitely is.

Has been a while since i watched it, but i don't recall it having much of ecchi in it (if at all)... even if it had that alone doesn't make it worse imo.

[harukamae]

Oh man, I feel so old reading this thread. I second Whispers of the Heart and a lot of the Ghibli mentioned - I ADORED Whispers and I showed it to a lot of family members and friends who don't like anime (including things like Spirited Away) but they really enjoyed it. It seems like it was dubbed under the radar here in the states though.

I also second Super GALS! Very goofy and reminiscent of Clueless, but it's so fun and something light you can watch! I rarely hear abut this one.

One I don't know if anyone remembers is E.Y.E.S. of Mars (can't remember the Japanese title). It is THE reason I started liking anime. I saw it and Tenchi Muyo in Love (also good) on Sci-Fi one time when they used to show anime movies, but unlike the Tenchi movie, I never heard about it again. It's a movie about a polluted, dying Mars and a group of psychic children being raised in a synthetic forrest with the hope of sending them to start a new world on Earth. If you can find it, I HIGHLY reccomend it!

[Jazzrat]

Hataraki Man

It's pretty popular in Japan, scoring very high viewer's rating (as much as Nana and Death Note). It's one of Noitamina's slice of life series that focus on the working life of the white collar folks in japan.

I don't think of it as an anime masterpiece but it's entertaining as such and did an excellent job in portraying a "slice of life" to the viewers. Even the humor in the anime is done subtly without resorting to the usual manga/anime slapstick humor.

I think the reason why so few people watch this (outside Japan) is because the majority of the anime watcher are college/uni students or younger.

[archanfels]

Originally Posted by wontaek

I used to be fan of Legend of Galactic Heroes, but I have became less a fan after realizing that this series can be skewed to be a glorification of Nazi and Imperial Japan of World War II. The series is a very good space opera and OVAs had excellent music. Its scenaries were memorable and the Germanic names gave strange weight to the whole series: yet, it is disheartening to know that many Jews shudder at the name, Reinhardt.

No offense but have you finished the whole anime, or read the original novel?

IF the author took a side, he was with the Free Planet Alliance and Democracy.

I'm not a worshiper of the series, but I do believe it's underrated and deserves more attention. Calling it a "Glorification of Nazi and Imperial Japan of WWII" is, uninformed to say the least.


To stay on topic, 2 other series I'd like to mention:

One Piece Regarding its status in the US really. 4Kids butchered it and this masterpiece does not have nearly the attention it deserves outside Japan.

Guyver Talking bout the manga version of this series. As a SciFi and one of the longest running manga series it manages to be Shonen-ish yet quite unique and creative at the same time.

[shoggoth80]

I'll throw another vote in for Ping Pong Club. That show had my side hurting more often than not. Sure, it's a bunch of trash humor most of the time, stuff a lot of people would find offensive. Oh well... sometimes my sense of humor is pretty crass. I think I can live with that.

Orguss is one that I have heard of, and am interested in... so I'll have to look that up. Same goes for Alien 9.

Dokuro Chan is hilarious, but makes only marginal sense from time to time. The insanely gratuitous violence and gore is what makes this show worth watching. Occasionally silly circumstances , or odd ball side effects (like removing the halo) also add to the overall appeal. Story? There's a story?!

Another anime that I think is very under rated is Dagger of Kamui/Revenge of the Ninja/Kanui no Ken. This is a feature length animated film from around 1985 that deals with conspiracies, hidden treasure, and vengeance. Overall very good for its time, and often overlooked. The animation isn't too bad either. Some parts are a little generic in terms of animation...but that happens. There are some historical snippets here and there as well.

[hideFan]

What is, in your opinion, the most under-rated anime(s) ever and why?

5. Giniro no Olynsiss - From what I gathered on the net, most people passed this up due to it's generic looking male lead and 'poorly designed' mecha... Well I found this anime to be quite good despite those faults, especially the ending.

4. Sorcerer Hunters TV - So they dont have thier original costumes (IE from the manga). People should get over that. I did. I realize that for it to air on TV in the 90s it had to obide by certain rules, one being that thier outfits were far to risky. Besides, most people who toss it aside for that reason alone havent seen -all- of it. >.>

3. Geisters - Now we all know that Koreans arent the best at making animation, and sure, this wasnt the best example, but seeing people not even bother with it because its not Japanese just pisses me off to no end. I picked up a copy of volume one not long ago, and Im not ashamed what so ever that Im ordering volume two this weekend.

2. Munto (1 and 2) - I'd have to say that Munto did dig its own grave by starting you out smack dab in the middle of the plot line with no introduction to the characters (on the magical side at least), and by having two rather unrelated plots going at once, but the plot is pretty solid and its a rather unique take on things, especially her reaction to meeting King Munto.

1. Cyber City Oedo 808 - This one is not so much as it's under-rated, as it 1. came out at a bad time for it's genre and 2. has gotten lost in the mix of the vhs-dvd cross over. There were few dvds made, but they have long since been out of production. I personally found some VHS of this, and Ive got to say that MadHouse did a wonderful job. Im really surprised that there arent alot of people into this. Sure its cheesey and the plot is a bit rushed but it -is- a 90s OVA... Its bound to be one of the two... It just so happens to be both XD!

[Vagrant0]

First off, Urusei Yatsura. Sure it's old, but it pretty much defines a genere and still has references to it in newer anime. I would be tempted to say that it should be required viewing for anyone who watches anime simply because it is such a unique and almost groundbreaking series. In addition to that, it has it's moments of pure gold, and even with some of the dated references, can be rather entertaining once you stop watching it in hopes of a progressive storyline. It does to anime what the Simpsons did for western cartoons almost a decade later, it provides an unchanging backdrop where bizzare events and situational humor can be used without lasting effects. It's also a fairly long series, so can be used to cut through the bordom of season breaks and enrich your understanding of where some things began. Everyone knows Ranma 1/2, not many know its predecessor and the basis for several characters. Just don't take it seriously, like other harem style anime's there is no plot development outside new characters being introduced. It does however touch on several aspects of Japanese culture, and offers a few special episodes that are really just out there.

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.

Third, I would probably say Ergo Proxy. It's an anime that isn't well known, and isn't easily understood. There isn't much else to say really, it's just a good plot driven anime with some intelligence.

I'm probably off a bit from others standards, but going off what I remember seeing, these three have stood out as being the most all around enriching.

[DazarGaidin]

The Third: Girl with the Blue Eye. I didn't even know about this till about a month ago, and it toppled Full Metal Panic as my favorite series. Like FMP, it doesn't just combine multiple genre, it does it well and seamlessly. Amazing animation, action/battle scenes (probably one of the best battle scene i have seen is near the end), well developed characters, character interaction, romance, comedy, drama, villians that are complex/driven by different motives (that shift), deep plot and subplots that tie into a conclusive ending.

[DragoonKain3]

Just to add something new to the mix...
Noein - Speaking of sci-fi shows, this is THE series to watch. LoGH might be better on the epic/soapy side, but the character development is just top notch, the plot direction unpredictable, and the insight to the depths of humanity (particularly the dark side of love) makes this series a highly recommended series for me.

Upon my rewatching of the series, I think its the best anime of 2006 (sure it first aired 2005, but it was in december). And that's saying something coming from a Haruhi-tard lol.




Certainly agree with a lot of people here.

Ocean Waves - Second best Ghibli film I've seen.

Kiki's Delivery Service - Yes, it's the third best Ghibli film I've seen. XD First one would be Princess Mononoke, but everyone already knows that's great.

Legend of Galactic Heroes - I thought this was getting licensed? Which is a shame I haven't heard about news of it since, since I'd love to own the series in R1.

Escaflowne - Shoujo romance meets Shounen mecha. Terrific execution IMO.

Infinite Ryvius - Less popular than even Nadesico, but certainly better than almost any mecha/sci-fi shows I've seen. And yes, even LoGH.

Princess Tutu - At the beginning you'd think its just another mahou shoujo anime, but as it goes on the plot goes on a different direction. Like Twelve Kingdoms (which most people already know its great, at least where I come from), you have to get into it a few episodes before it sinking in.

Ghost Hunt - And speaking of Twelve Kingdoms, from the same maker, and the characters are no less fantastic.

Boys Be - A non-harem romance geared towards males that's actually serious? Perish the thought!

To Heart - THE anime that got me into bishoujo/eroge adaptions.

Kanon 2002 - A much better tear jerker than Kanon 2006 ever will be. Sure it massacres some of the characters and it has some of the fugliest chara designs, but the way they handled the plot in the last 3-4 episodes is IMO much better than Kanon 2006.

Hataraki Man - Not a masterpiece in terms of plot (it's somewhat ordinary), but the characters are very interesting. So much so that the entire series is very enjoyable to watch, from beginning to end.



Kodocha, Perfect Girl Evolution, Kimagure Orange Road, Touch and Please Save My Earth are all anime I think the manga are far superior on. The anime adaptations, I find, are just above average and not masterpieces at all.

Heck, I think all of Adachi's adaptations are inferior to the manga, mainly because Adachi's humor is lost in the transition between the two mediums. Something about the way he paces, I dunno.

[Terrestrial Dream]

Now there are some anime that are pretty bad that are have huge popularity and while many great anime do get the fame it deserved I think some great animes are missed out. I think that those anime are need to be noticed, so list all the anime that great and yet are unnoticed many people.
These series I might mention are not really hidden gem, but I think among most of the AS member it's very unknown.

Yusha Series in general especially GaoGaiGar- Truly pinnacle of super robot genre. I really have to say that GaoGaiGar is a must watch and I think for people who watched Gurren Lagann will love GaoGaiGar. Of course other Yusha series were awesome as well and I think more people needs to notice this show.
Cyber Formula OVA (yeah the TV show was pretty good but I thought there were too many unnecessary stuff)
Irresponsible Captain Tylor (I watched this really long time ago but I started watching it again recently and I must say that this is a awesome anime)

[Kaioshin Sama]

Originally Posted by Terrestrial Dream

Now there are some anime that are pretty bad that are have huge popularity and while many great anime do get the fame it deserved I think some great animes are missed out. I think that those anime are need to be noticed, so list all the anime that great and yet are unnoticed many people.
These series I might mention are not really hidden gem, but I think among most of the AS member it's very unknown.

Yusha Series in general especially GaoGaiGar- Truly pinnacle of super robot genre. I really have to say that GaoGaiGar is a must watch and I think for people who watched Gurren Lagann will love GaoGaiGar. Of course other Yusha series were awesome as well and I think more people needs to notice this show.
Cyber Formula OVA (yeah the TV show was pretty good but I thought there were too many unnecessary stuff)
Irresponsible Captain Tylor (I watched this really long time ago but I started watching it again recently and I must say that this is a awesome anime)

I remember Tylor. The guy who gets the command of a UPSF (or something) spaceship purely by luck and accident and is sent to fight an empire that turns out to be ruled by a young girl he falls in love with. Although he has absolutely no idea what he's doing so he just spends most of his time hitting on women and let's the mech crew run amok and everybody can't decide whether he's a complete moron with a streak of luck a mile wide or a nutty genius.

[Forbin]

I loved tylor, except he didn't fall in love with her, he has the hots for the commander.

[Zenemis]

GaoGaiGar itself is quite niche, and essentially for younger viewers - nothing amazing.

FINAL is a different case, I think, but I'm still unsure whether its the retro-style courage spouting and over-the-top Super Robot-ness which adds the primary entertainment value, or whether it's story is to be taken as-is.

[Terrestrial Dream]

Originally Posted by Zenemis

GaoGaiGar itself is quite niche, and essentially for younger viewers - nothing amazing.

FINAL is a different case, I think, but I'm still unsure whether its the retro-style courage spouting and over-the-top Super Robot-ness which adds the primary entertainment value, or whether it's story is to be taken as-is.

For me GoaGaiGar was amazing, I love the show for what it was pure epic super robot show, without all the complexity that is being thrown out by most anime recently and during that time. And come on, how can you say that EI-01 vs GGG crew was not amazing, and the whole battle against the four machine kings was also amazing. And the rest of the series against the primevals were also damn amazing, and the final battle in GaoGaiGar was so freaking epic and I would say that it was more epic then any part in Gurren Lagann.

And well Final was also amazing and to me both are equally awesome. Then again I do see your point saying that GaoGaiGar was for young viewers, as myself watched the show when I was ten and I loved it back then, perhaps love of the show from the past is still within me. So I suppose that could be the reason why I love the show much, but even after I watched the show again I still think that it's the greatest anime.

[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.

[Kempis Curious]

Another vote for Irresponsible Captain Tylor. I was not impressed with the first episode of the series, but I later came back to it when I didn't have anything else to watch. I couldn't stop watching it, it was great!

Caveat: This was around 10 year ago, when anime was really hard to get. It's possible that starvation made a mediocre anime seem awesome.


-k

curious

[HurricaneHige]

One Piece in the NA anime market- due to some irresponsible company the popularity of this series can't even match Bleach or Naruto when it comes to popularity in the US market. But in my honest opinion it's definitely way better than both of them (for Bleach- SS arc was better but its completely gone to junk after that arc). Don't get me wrong, the series is still relatively popular compare to the really niche animes, but it's nowhere near the where it deserves to be.

[Skyfall]

^ We might go around arguing which of the the titles is more popular for whatever reason, but popularity does not equal quality though. Personally, i don't think any of the titles deserve to be mentioned here. (almost insulting to the word "masterpiece" ...never mind "underrepresented")