Before we start our list, let us first define what underrated means. According to Meriam Webster, the word underrated means something that is rated, valued or appreciated low. In the case of anime, underrated anime means shows that did not get the recognition they deserve.
These are shows that could’ve gotten the spotlight but weren’t able to. It could be because the competitors are too tough or it was a lack of promotion. Either way, we wanted to give this chance for underrated anime to shine.
Moribito
Moribito tells a story of a female warrior named Balsa who wanted to atone the deaths of the people from her past by saving people. In her journey, she encounters Prince Chagum. She becomes his bodyguard and protects him from his own father who wanted to assassinate him.
Hell Girl
The series is about a mysterious Hell Girl named Emma Ai. People who were suffering would summon her through a website, and she would offer the tormentors to Hell, if and only if, the victims make a contract with her. The victims would have to pay a high amount and condemn their souls the moment they die.
Hikaru no Go
Avid anime fans might be familiar with Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokemon as these are sensational series. Other than trading games, there are anime based on board games like Hikaru no Go, which focuses on the Chinese board game named Go. A middle schooler was sent into a world of professional Go players. With the guidance of a ghost from the Heian era, Hikaru will move his way to the top.
Kaleido Star
Kaleido Star might have the vibe of typical shoujo anime since Sora wanted to become the top performer at Kaleido Stage but the series has an interesting plot that will make viewers enjoy the show. Sora will face different challenges that will test her determination to reach her dream. She will give her tears, blood, and sweat just to reach the top.
School Rumble
The series centers on Tenma and Kenji with an added love triangle with Oji. The anime is a romantic comedy that has shorter scenes showing the daily lives of these characters and their other friends. Fans will like the ridiculous exploits made by the characters themselves.
Tsuritama
Ever heard of a fishing-themed anime? That’s Tsuritama for you! The show takes a unique approach to sports anime as it does not only focus on fishing alone. It has drama and even action. Yuki, the main protagonist, isn’t good at making friends because his family keeps on moving places all the time. So when they decided to settle down in Enoshima, Yuki became friends with Haru and eventually led them to have more friends.
Samurai Flamenco
Samurai Flamenco might have the same gist like My Hero Academia: both have protagonists who wanted to be a superhero but are powerless. The difference is Masayoshi Hazama won’t get powers even at the end of the series. He even runs afoul with the police and other rougher elements in the city.
Hamatora
Unlike Samurai Flamenco, Hamatora really touched the superhero genre. Nice and Mursaki, the main characters of the anime, have a private investigative company where they use their special powers to solve the cases. The series has a mystery vibe as well to keep fans watching.
Kaiba
Kaiba, aside from being the title, is also the name of the lead protagonist of the story. He wakes up in a distant future where consciousness and memory are externalized into chips. He notices that his chest has a hole and he has a pendant with a photo of a mysterious woman. With this, he decides to start his journey to find his memory.
Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories
This is the perfect series for those who love horror. It has over 91 episodes with less than 5 minutes runtime each, making it an ideal show to watch when going home or eating lunch. Another great thing about the anime is that each episode has a standalone story and character.
Death Parade
At some point, we believed that in order to go to heaven or hell, we need to undergo a test to weigh our souls. Death Parade tackles exactly that. It focuses on Decim, a psychopomp who works as a bartender. His main job is to weigh the worth of each soul by asking them to do a series of trials.
Den-Noh Coil
The series is about a group of children who live in Daikoku. They use special AR glasses to find disappearances around the city and complete odd jobs. The plot twist is that it is a fictional city and the mysterious tech that maintains it will encounter viruses and glitches, pushing the main characters to find a solution for it.