The Best Anime That Few People Know About

In the world of anime, there are certain works that shine with a unique light, but unfortunately go unnoticed by most audiences. A topic recently discussed on a popular anime forum has shed light on these hidden gems: "Anime that you confidently consider a masterpiece, but aren't widely known or popular in the community."

Members of the forum have passionately shared their choices, highlighting series that they consider true works of art, but have not achieved widespread fame or recognition. The most recurring mentions are acclaimed for their deep narrative, complex characters, and masterful execution, but they have not achieved the same popularity as other more commercial titles.

So why do these series go unnoticed by the rest of the public? There are several factors that can contribute to this. First of all, marketing plays a crucial role in promoting an anime. If a series doesn't receive a solid advertising campaign or isn't backed by a reputable studio, it's likely to go unnoticed by many viewers.

In addition, the genre and style of a series can influence its popularity. Some masterpieces focus on dark or mature themes that may not appeal to a wider audience. Similarly, a unique animation style or complex narrative may be less accessible to those looking for lighter or easier-to-consume entertainment.

Despite these challenges, forum members are determined to highlight these hidden gems and share their love for these lesser-known masterpieces. Their hope is that through discussions like this, more people will be able to discover and enjoy these series that deserve to be recognized as anime masterpieces.

"The Girls Last Tour anime and manga was the masterpiece I didn't know I was looking for when I first started reading it on a whim. After finishing a few chapters, I found out that I also had an anime. So I started it from the first episode. As it turned out, the anime was diligently faithful to the source. They also added some original scenes from the anime, which enhanced the experience. After watching the 5th episode, I realized how much I longed for something so provocative and immensely creative. The anime ends at a point in the manga where the story gets deeper and deeper and touches on some very, very interesting topics. I can't recommend this masterpiece enough."
"Steam Boy: A film from the creators of Akira that has fallen into oblivion. Even more epic than Akira and with a great story."
"Paranoia Agent: From the creators of Paprika, it gets a little lost towards the end, and it's a procedural, which isn't that popular. But the topics it includes are very relevant and brilliantly addressed. Second only to Mushi-shi."
Pom-Poko: Yes, it's Studio Ghibli, but it's very overlooked. It looks light in appearance and is easy to dismiss. But she's very tough on her subjects. Completely unflinching and seriously brutal underneath its literally fluffy exterior. I love this movie."
"Space Dandy: Takes its place alongside his spiritual trilogy with Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo. It's overlooked because it's a comedy, unlike the other two. But it's just as moving, heartfelt, and provocative if you pay attention. With a great ending at the end that makes you want to watch it in its entirety again. If you've seen the other two Watanabe series, don't skip this one."
"Fune wo Amu (The Great Passage) was everything I could have asked for for a slow, grown-up work drama with little at stake and a very relatable and interesting protagonist (to me)."
"Seirei no Moribito. It's an absolute tragedy that they didn't adapt more of the novel."
"Aria. It's the gold standard of Slice Of Life, and the anime that takes the "Life" part of the entire genre more seriously."
"Yuri Kuma Arashi. I just finished it and I wish I'd heard of it sooner."
"Well, I've only seen the first season, but for me Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei was a masterpiece. I rated it a 10, I just haven't gotten to watch the other seasons. I don't know if it's very popular, but what I do know is that I don't see it mentioned very often anywhere."
"Kyousougiga is one of my all-time favorites. It's a beautiful and incredibly unique series. I love how the series is structured, with a more episodic beginning to get to know all the circumstances and characters, and a second half more focused on the overall narrative. All the characters are likeable and the themes of the series are very enjoyable. Not to mention the satisfying ending. It's also one of the most visually beautiful series I've ever seen. I also support the guy who said WataMote. The direction of that series is brilliant and makes you feel. He carries the "like me, seriously" and makes one of the most painfully realistic characters I've ever witnessed on screen."
"Sakurada Reset. It's a beautifully written, slow-action mystery series that involves time loops. It uses time travel in complex and unpredictable ways. The plot is very well written, with no obvious gaps. The character development is also very well done, with one of the most emotional scenes I've ever seen in anime. The characters also regularly engage in interesting and thought-provoking philosophical debates. It's a very intriguing, thought-provoking series that can be rewatched given the complexity of the plot."
"Alice in Borderland. I don't know how popular the manga is, but the series is live-action, so it's probably not on that many radars. The show is fucking brilliant."
"Anime: Mushi-Shi, it's such a strangely beautiful thing to watch and its premise is very different from most other anime."
"Blame! Always deserves more love, atmospheric manga (like Girls Last Tour) are fantastic."
"I don't like to use the word masterpiece very often, but Girls' Last Tour is also 10/10 for me. Ikoku Nikki was the first time with manga that I had the impression that I was reading a serious work of literature rather than a nice piece of entertainment."
"Sangatsu no Lion deserves more love, it's the best slice-of-life and narrative masterpiece I've ever seen."
"From the New World. I don't see a lot of people talking about it. If it's a popular series, I haven't noticed. I thought it was a phenomenal series and I finished it in two days."
"I'm not sure how widely popular or well-known it is because it's getting old at this point, but: Watamote. I still think Watamote is a masterpiece and painfully familiar at times to people who were (or maybe still are) socially awkward during their high school days. Bocchi the rock, today's most popular shy and awkward teen series, wishes I could capture that feeling like Watamote did."
"I will always support Inuyashiki. Not many people liked it, but I think it's one of the best of all time. When she discovers that she can heal people and heads to the hospital, I cry, even when I see her again. And the description of evil as "the utter lack of empathy," where the slightest whim of a person will be carried out without any regard for the misery it causes, not even able to comprehend the misery it causes, this is brilliant. And the slow, incomplete redemption of the bad guy, who goes from being a complete psychopath to developing at least some empathy, is powerful. I always have the feeling that I'm watching a 'nuclear white vs. abyssal black' show, the contrast between the two protagonists is so unbelievably enormous."
"The Five Star Stories manga. It's a pioneering work of science fiction that lives up to Gundam and Macross in terms of influence in Japan. Manga sells like hotcakes when a volume comes out every few years. The English scans stop at volume 10 and no one has picked it up in 15 years to continue it."
"Shinsekai Yori; I see it mentioned here when people ask for certain recommendations, but other than that it seems almost forgotten."
"I don't know if I would use the word 'masterpiece', but Anime-Gataris and Artiswitch are two of my favorite anime and I've never seen anyone talk about either of them."
"91Days: Dark revenge story where the protagonist has literally no filter when it comes to dealing with those he hates and it's a great mafia story with Baccano. I wish there were more. The ending is emotional but not surprising, but it leaves you open for you to guess as follows. Many original anime aren't always very good, especially when they have less than 20 episodes, but 91Days isn't one of them. They were lucky."
"Witch Hat Atelier (manga). The art is absolutely beautiful, the characters and the world is really deep and well thought out. In addition, the story goes a long way. My only problem is that there are not enough volumes (13)."
"As far as anime goes, I'll stick with Patlabor 2: The Movie. It is a fantastic political-military thriller by Mamoru Oshii (Angel's Egg, Ghost in the Shell) that tackles the ambiguous nature of the Japan Special Defense Forces (JSDF) and Japan's post-war role as an instrument of Western imperialism. I think a lot of Westerners don't touch it because (1) it's "old"; (2) it's a real mecha robot franchise; (3) It's at least the third installment in the franchise, so you have to look at other older materials before you get to it."
"Probably a lot of the older ones, like 08th MS team, Mugen Rasen and Patlabor 2. As for the most recent ones, I'd probably say Gundam Thunderbolt."