Most underrated animes [Archive]

ape2020

01-11-2006, 07:51 PM

Well I guess my list for now would be:

1) Sakura Diaries: Not much like it thats not straight up hentai, as too many other relationship shows get either too mushy or light-hearted.

2) Photon: All the characters are perfect and it has the absolutely funniest villians around. Plus the lead is really cool stud.

3) Blue Gender: Gritty and dark in a hardcore scifi way. Its a mech show that use the tech in a semi realistic way. But the biggest thing for me was the character development.

4) Koihime: This is how a harem show should be done as if a boy was presented with hot babes why wouldn't he go with it. Plus it had a conclusion that most don't.

5) Kuragone Communicaton: Most see the short format as only good for slap stick or high energy shows. But unlike Neo Ranga KC showed if you pace the story right and its good then it will work too.

-chimp1010

DKL

01-11-2006, 07:53 PM

TOUGH *Shootfighter Tekken*

... actually, it's more like... no one has SEEN it >_>

balthier2012

01-11-2006, 07:53 PM

I second Twelve Kingdoms. It's a masterpiece, not just of anime, but all media that dares to delve into the realms of fantasy, adventure, and culture. This show is beyond any epic ever created. By far it has the most character developement, not because the main character starts out as a typical concieted selfish high school student, but because of the great depths and intellect her journey brings her to.

If the president of the United States recommend this show to all citizens. It would still be underated. This show has the answers to all the unanswered mysteries of the universe.

Watch and let your soul be overcome with the nirvana and true purpose of life! /images/graemlins/cool.gif

mattsh

01-11-2006, 07:55 PM

Shin Getter Robo (ADV released one) + New Getter Robo (Geneon released one) - Mecha isn't a big genre with american fans from what I can tell, and super robots even less so. These two series are just flat out awesome. Pure, concentrated ass-kicking. (I actually like Neo Getter vs. Shin Getter OAV better than these two, but no US release /images/graemlins/cry00000.gif )

And Princess Tutu. Everyone who claims to be an anime fan should at least try it out, even the "ew, shoujo/magical girls" crowd.

One Piece: Flat out THE best epic shonen adventure series ever. It's very depressing that most anime fans won't ever experience it, either due to the godawful american version (and no original version available), or due to being written off because of it's length.

pianocello

01-11-2006, 07:58 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Chimp1010 said:

4) Koihime: This is how a harem show should be done as if a boy was presented with hot babes why wouldn't he go with it. Plus it had a conclusion that most don't.

[/ QUOTE ]

Me thinks that Shuffle! would have been better had it followed this route.

GetterBeam

01-11-2006, 08:01 PM

....

Sexy Commando Gaiden Sugoiyo! Masaru-san: I never shut up about it....or Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo....but each are largely ignored by the fan community....especially SC. Truly excellent humo and parody....fans of HnK and Jojo should theoretically base some part of their life around it at least.

Ushio and Tora: Hyou owns us all. Tora owns...hmmm....Luxembourg. Still impressive.

Crying Freeman: So messed it up deserves more acclaim. Awkward.....awkward sex FTW!

Legend of the Fierce Fighting God Oni: I dream of this coming to R1....if for nothing else than the op/ed

Tekkaman Blade: So...freaking...good...lack of....admiration....boggles the mind!

Judeau

01-11-2006, 08:15 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Chimp1010 said:
2) Photon: All the characters are perfect and it has the absolutely funniest villians around. Plus the lead is really cool stud.

[/ QUOTE ]
I'll second Photon. Definitely fun and can be picked up for under $10.

Now & Then, Here & There was pretty good. Especially for the price of around $8 if Best Prices is still honoring that misprice.

I don't think Legend of Black Heaven gets enough love.

Ping Pong Club is really funny IMO and has a great dub.

Risky Safety is a really cute show that I hadn't heard much about before seeing it.

ibby

01-11-2006, 08:20 PM

I would say Planetes, because most people in general think that it's a boring drama show, but it's not. It is a well crafted story that tells a story of the dreams and hopes of people, and the extras on the dvd are also quite good also.

something

01-11-2006, 08:31 PM

Hmmm. Popotan is probably one. Narutaru is definitely one. I'd actually say the Miyu TV series is underrated, but the people who complain about that generally do seem like they've actually watched it at least. Spiral is pretty underrated, but the ending turns many off, though not without some justification >_>

[ QUOTE ]
yumy said:
4) nurse witch komugi - can't believe they dragged this over 3 DVDs though.

[/ QUOTE ]

ADV's release is only two (I know, I have it), unless you mean the R2s or something, which I would have imagined were six (but maybe not).

Captain Impulse

01-11-2006, 08:34 PM

There have been some great suggestions already, that I will second (or third):

Now and Then, Here and There
Twelve Kingdoms
Photon
Planetes

...and some that I will add:

Haibane-Renmei (I still don't believe this show got enough attention)
Divergence Eve
Golden Boy
Maison Ikkoku
Princess Nine

cairber

01-11-2006, 08:40 PM

Sometimes I try to think of the anime fans "outside of AoD" because I have found them to be VERY different. So that is the way I'm thinking here when answering (tho I know many on this list have been recognized by this community for their greatness!)

- Figure 17
- Kino's Journey
- Maison Ikkoku
- Infinite Ryvius
- Niea_7

Captain Impulse

01-11-2006, 08:47 PM

How could I forget Maison Ikkoku? I should be shot.

maxanime

01-11-2006, 08:58 PM

Princess Nine - Cus I had to do alot of pushing years ago to get ppl to pick it up

chloes_fork

01-11-2006, 09:36 PM

I'll second NieA Under 7. Certainly it's the least discussed show on my faves list, but what a silly-sad, warmly human, cheerfully ramshackle series it is.

Eric

01-11-2006, 09:44 PM

- Kino's Journey
- Argentosoma (I'm one of maybe two or three people out there that absolutely loved this show)
- Heat Guy J (fun and stylish show with a good ratio of standalone episodes and arcing stories)

redxxii

01-11-2006, 09:48 PM

Right now I'd have to vote Kino's Journey, mainly because it's one of my favorite anime series and nobody watched it. I must point out though that I'm currently watching The 12 Kingdoms and its impressing the hell out of me.

ohtori_akio

01-11-2006, 09:51 PM

Based on the fact I rarely see these mentioned in most topics, I will go with:

Wedding Peach
Saint Seiya
Saint Tail
Golden Boy
Magic User's Club
Scrapped Princess
Utena movie
City Hunter
Cat's Eye

Mr. Nail Bat

01-11-2006, 10:05 PM

Most Underrated: All the anime I like.

Most Overrated: All the anime I don't like.

something

01-11-2006, 10:10 PM

[ QUOTE ]
shounen kakumei akio said:
Scrapped Princess

[/ QUOTE ]

Heh, as much as Ilove it (favorite show), it's rather a popular show, and probably selling quite well.

Of course, I guess I could say it's underrated in that it can't possibly be overrated but =P

martod

01-11-2006, 10:20 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Geoduck said:
Most Underrated: All the anime I like.

Most Overrated: All the anime I don't like.

[/ QUOTE ]

What he said. /images/graemlins/sdsmiley.gif

Seriously, this thread is not complete without mention of Petite Princess Yucie

2old2care

01-11-2006, 10:22 PM

A Little Snow Fairy Sugar - Cute that cuts to the heart.

macross011a

01-11-2006, 10:27 PM

[ QUOTE ]
GetterBeam said:
Tekkaman Blade: So...freaking...good...lack of....admiration....boggles the mind!

[/ QUOTE ]

Until Disney decides to release Saban's anime titles to R1 DVD, I'm not holding my breath. But yeah, it's one of Saban's serious dubs, second to Digimon.

What I missed from Saban's dubbed anime are...

Samurai Pizza Cats: It's like MST3000 and breaking the fourth wall at once, as the comedy itself rolls by itself.

Mon Colle Knights: Awww... Despite being based on a CCG, I miss some of its humour and sometimes makes up some dialogue ala SPC, such as the launch sequence scenes. And I miss my favorite girl-with-glasses character, Gluko.

Transformers: Robots in Disguise: Despite its anime-style writing, the dub fixes some of that to be enjoyable. And one of the G1 actors, Michael McConniche (sp?), help out in making the dub sound like G1.

Suwako Moriya

01-11-2006, 10:32 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Geoduck said:
Most Underrated: All the anime I like.

Most Overrated: All the anime I don't like.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ah and I was going to say "Your favorite anime is the most overrated and your least favorite anime is the most underrated" or something to that effect. Still it's certainly true half the time overrated/underrated topics become favorite/Least Favorite topics instead.

In any case even if I were to make a personal list, I'm not sure what to say. In fact I think many of the titles I like are not so much underrated as the people who watch them are just not vocal about it. Ie I'm sure there are quite a few that like Ashita no Nadja, but it's not like you'll see a ton of posts on it. Of course that could be for other reasons. Such as no one having the heart to license it.

JackProton

01-11-2006, 10:34 PM

[ QUOTE ]
ibby said:
I would say Planetes, because most people in general think that it's a boring drama show, but it's not. It is a well crafted story that tells a story of the dreams and hopes of people, and the extras on the dvd are also quite good also.

[/ QUOTE ]
You forgot to mention funny.

Lego

01-11-2006, 10:36 PM

I have a one show at the moment that seems to be "underrated":

Requiem from the Darkness(Hundred Stories)- Great horror and story telling show. It has great atmosphere and a good use of animation.

macross011a

01-11-2006, 10:37 PM

Here's some I find underrated:

Super Dimension Fortress Macross: No matter how many times it tries to get an audience to the ordinary layman, it often gets outshinned by the Robotech dub.

Space Carrier Blue Noah (a.k.a. Thunder Sub): Basically a Star Blazers season 1 in reverse and made by Westcape, a crew of a space battleship must fight on Earth's oceans and find the ship's missing warp engines, so they can fight the aliens in space.

Thunderbirds 2086: Without this anime, I'll wouldn't had heard of Gerry Anderson and his TV shows.

Stratos 4: A quartet of young girls tries to earn the dream to be in outer space. Also, it features one of my favorite airplanes, the BAC TSR-2, a cancelled British supersonic fighter.

Super Dimension Century Orguss: It's the only "Super Dimension" show not licensed on DVD. Where is it???

Gunbuster: A very early sci-fi anime with loaded fanservice. Where is it???

seca

01-11-2006, 11:03 PM

I'm shocked that no one has put Keroro Gunso in their lists. There needs to be more Keronian love.

Also Yakitate! Japan, which I'm honestly stupified that despite everyone I know who's watched this series completely adore it, why there aren't more people watching it.

doink-chan

01-11-2006, 11:29 PM

Twin Spica: A wonderful series about a girl, Asumi, who goes to astronaut school because she has wanted to be an astronaut ever since she was young. It has a great story and great characters and great art, although the ending is a bit doinky. And yet no one ever talks about it.

Mizuiro Jidai / Aqua Age / The Blue-Green Years: a good coming-of-age story. It used to be a favorite of many but again, no one talks about it anymore.

Aria: I know some people here don't like it (or the anime version of it at least), but I do like it and I'm happy it's getting a second season. doinkies loves the relaxing mood of this series and of the original manga as well.

And doinkies seconds The Twelve Kingdoms and Princess Tutu. And Planetes as well.

Suwako Moriya

01-11-2006, 11:38 PM

[ QUOTE ]
doink-chan said:
Aria: I know some people here don't like it (or the anime version of it at least), but I do like it and I'm happy it's getting a second season. doinkies loves the relaxing mood of this series and of the original manga as well.

[/ QUOTE ]

Soon very soon, we'll have enough fans of Aria the animation to form an army the size of a Baker's Dozen! I get to be the leader. Seriously yeah I also happen to enjoy Aria the animation over all. It provides a nice relaxing change of pace.

Shiro Akuma

01-11-2006, 11:44 PM

I'll second Black Heaven. An awesome show that very few have seemingly seen.
You never hear much of Master Keaton talked about.
Hmm, Saber Marionette J doesn't get spoken about as often as it should. Lime, Cherry and Blooberry are just so damn lovable.
Gunsmith Cats is just unknown to so many and forgotten about by others.
The only anime that makes me really believe that mechas are possible in the near future, Patlabor. Also one of the few animes that gets political(mostly the movies).
One that I find myself constantly going back and watching is New Dominion Tank Police. Another one of Masamune Shirow's awesome works but is nowhere near as popular as another one of his works, coughGitScough.
And one that I didn't think I would like at first but ended up really enjoying was L/R.
Probably the only anime about music(at least what I like)that deals with it realistically is BECK. And it's great, I just hope it gets licensed sometime. With the manga out there's always that small bit of hope.
Oh and I don't want to forget about Rune Soldier. Only Louie is seemingly dumb enough to always get by with nothing but sheer force.

And sure it's popular amongst us car folk, but most people won't give it a chance or think it'll be boring. But Initial D is really exciting once you realize and learn that it's very realistic when you take in account everything. The handling capabilities of a mid 80's Corolla are much better than one would like to believe. Especially once tuned and driven by a skilled driver(there's video proof of 2 AE86es out handling a R34 in one of Option Video's Best Motoring series DVDs). And every bit of car jargin in the anime is dead on. And for good reason, they have Keiichi Tsuchiya aka the "Drift King" giving supervision. Now if only TokyoPop wasn't doing a terrible job on the R1 release(both anime & manga)that would really help.

EDIT:

[ QUOTE ]
seca said:
I'm shocked that no one has put Keroro Gunso in their lists. There needs to be more Keronian love.

Also Yakitate! Japan, which I'm honestly stupified that despite everyone I know who's watched this series completely adore it, why there aren't more people watching it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Saw that and had to edit my post. I love the manga and have only gotten the chance to watch the first episode or two of the aninme of Keroro Gunso. And Yakitate! Japan is truely awesome. Who would've thought that bread could be so exciting, and funny!

01-11-2006, 11:55 PM

Limiting my thinking to just the current season, I think Nanoha gets passed up by lots of people because they see what appears to be a cutesy magical girl show and move along. Nanoha hits that magical formula that makes a show engrossing even it's not exceptionally deep plot-wise. So long as you like cute, that is. /images/graemlins/happy.gif

guyverfanboy

01-12-2006, 12:03 AM

Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor is a grea anime. I hope it gets licensed for the R1 market. /images/graemlins/happy.gif

EmperorBrandon

01-12-2006, 12:26 AM

In the sense of "not as bad as many claim to be", then I'll say Tenchi in Tokyo, and even Pokemon to some extent (I don't follow it anymore, but it was actually a pretty decent show for the most part, far from being the worst anime ever).

In the (more common as far as this thread is concerned) sense of being "overlooked", then a few I'll mention:

Magic User's Club - This is my favorite series, and since akio mentioned it, I should too. There are always more people that need to see Magic User's Club. /images/graemlins/sdsmiley.gif

Magical Project S - Far more than being a hollow spinoff of the Tenchi series or even a typical magical girl series, this series is really something else. The parody humor here is some of the best in anime, and it has lots of entertaining moments. I think people might also tend to pass this one up because of its monolinguality, which is a shame (as much as I am disappointed it didn't get a dub track)

Outlaw Star - Yes, yes, this one was once on Cartoon Network, but that's long in the past. Don't really see it get mentioned much these days, but I still love this series. Out of any shounen action/adventure series, it is my favorite, period (nothing has topped it so far for me, with everything higher than it is mainly mahou shoujo and romantic comedies)

Nuriko

01-12-2006, 12:36 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Shiro Akuma said:

And sure it's popular amongst us car folk, but most people won't give it a chance or think it'll be boring. But Initial D is really exciting once you realize and learn that it's very realistic when you take in account everything. The handling capabilities of a mid 80's Corolla are much better than one would like to believe. Especially once tuned and driven by a skilled driver(there's video proof of 2 AE86es out handling a R34 in one of Option Video's Best Motoring series DVDs). And every bit of car jargin in the anime is dead on. And for good reason, they have Keiichi Tsuchiya aka the "Drift King" giving supervision. Now if only TokyoPop wasn't doing a terrible job on the R1 release(both anime & manga)that would really help.

[/ QUOTE ]

Have you seen Cyber Formula GXP? If so, how does it compare to Initial D in terms of action and tension? Even though they are both about driving, I LOVE Cyber Forumula's elements with the AI built in cars. It's by no means realistic but I have a blast watching the TV series and OVA. In fact I think I might get disappointed with Initial D since GXP set the bar so high, lol.

Suwako Moriya

01-12-2006, 12:39 AM

[ QUOTE ]
EmperorBrandon said:
In the (more common as far as this thread is concerned) sense of being "overlooked",

[/ QUOTE ]

Ah that's the word I was looking for. Seriously several of these choices being mentioned fall under the category of "overlooked" and not "underrated" if anything. Then again you could say some series are overlooked because people underrate them to the point of not even giving them a chance...

populuxe

01-12-2006, 12:52 AM

[ QUOTE ]
marko said:
[ QUOTE ]
Geoduck said:
Most Underrated: All the anime I like.

Most Overrated: All the anime I don't like.

[/ QUOTE ]

What he said. /images/graemlins/sdsmiley.gif

Seriously, this thread is not complete without mention of Petite Princess Yucie

[/ QUOTE ]

Shut 'er down, this thread is now complete.

SoopyKun

01-12-2006, 01:18 AM

Another vote for Yakitate Japan!

cartman414

01-12-2006, 03:17 AM

Duel Masters is another great MST3K/fourth wall breaking, pop culture laden humor anime. If it isn't the card aspect, it's the "Yu-Gi-Oh! ripoff!" misconceptions that turn people off. And hey, Wendee Lee's on board with the voice direction!

I second the Pokemon nod. It's quite funny and even touching at times, and has battles superior to those in any of the games (and before you counter that they're RPGs, don't forget that there are more action based RPGs like Namco's Tales games).

Battle Athletes Victory doesn't get a whole lot of mention either, apparently because it came so soon to the anime DVD scene, not to mention long before Adult Swim. Even though you could make a drinking game based on how many times Akari put on the waterworks, it's hard to resist her or any of the other characters. I was compelled to revisit the first couple volumes after being reminded of the Akari/Jessie relationship/rivalry by Sora and Layla of Kaleido Star. Except that at least Sora never failed half as spectacularly as Akane did in the first 5 episodes.

Tora-chan

01-12-2006, 05:09 AM

Dai-Guard and Generator Gawl are less underrated and more ignored. They're both great fun!

I'd also add Ushio and Tora, but then I'm biased... /images/graemlins/sdsmiley.gif

Kevinroc

01-12-2006, 05:23 AM

Well, under whose definition? What is underrated to me might be seen as overrated to others.

And AoD has a number of members who love less popular series such as Galaxy Angel and Kaleido Star in comparison to the series that air on Cartoon Network.

Answering such a question is very difficult to truly explain.

naiera

01-12-2006, 05:46 AM

[ QUOTE ]
mattsh said:
Shin Getter Robo (ADV released one) + New Getter Robo (Geneon released one) - Mecha isn't a big genre with american fans from what I can tell, and super robots even less so. These two series are just flat out awesome. Pure, concentrated ass-kicking.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. Everybody seems to rag on Armageddon, but I actually liked it, especially the second half. Shin Getter Robo was well received, but it just seems that WAY too few people buy it, even though it's some of the best you can get in the genre.

Shingu also seems kind of underrated. The ANN score is far too low and it just seems that way too few people have seen it. I also think that Gravion has to take more shit than it should.

Captain Impulse

01-12-2006, 06:05 AM

Ahh Shingu...I have such a love/hate relationship with that show. I agree that it's underrated, but I have my gripes about it too. With as intriguing of a backstory as there was with the Stellar Wars and the numerous Federation agents with special powers, I just felt that far too much time was focused on the student's school activities. Many times I wanted to yell, <span style='color:#dddddd;background:#dddddd'>"No one cares about your damn Culture Fest! Tell us more about the aliens and the Federation, damn you!" </span>

naiera

01-12-2006, 06:57 AM

You're entitled to feel that way, but the whole "we go on with our daily lives" is a big part of the show, hence the importance of including what you spoilerfied.

guyver83

01-12-2006, 08:23 AM

There are a few MB has released that doesn't get much love.. anyway many know my #1

Ippo - This show is just plain great. By far one of my top animes I've ever seen. I've rewatched this more times its not even funny.

Shura no Toki - This show is just plain amazing. Great fighting and also a great story that is thru three generations. Once I saw vol 1 I was hooked.

others...
wild arms
Sadamitsu the Destroyer

Jarred

01-12-2006, 08:34 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Nuriko said:
Have you seen Cyber Formula GXP? If so, how does it compare to Initial D in terms of action and tension?

[/ QUOTE ]
Oh, Initial D is by far the superior show, and I like CF GPX. Some balk at the art style and let that distract them, but Initial D is almost, ALMOST up there with Fighting Spirit (Ippo) in terms of crack addiction. I got hooked on Initial D through Netflix and couldn't stop watching. Then after finishing it I had to run out and buy it all and watch it again. However, if you do pick up the R1 discs, I'd recommend watching it in JP with subs. The English version changes the music and tries to make it all hip and trendy, and it doesn't work.

ape2020

01-12-2006, 09:10 AM

[ QUOTE ]
guyver83 said:
There are a few MB has released that doesn't get much love.. anyway many know my #1

[/ QUOTE ]

Thinking about MB I almost forgot Gokudo, the show has more energy, more comedy, fearless writting, and sharper characters then huge fan favorite Slayers TV. Maybe its overlooked or maybe its just underrated as a lot people see Slayers the end all, be all of fantasy comedy. Sorta like Eva as the end all, be all of dramatic mecha shows.

-chimp1010

Nuriko

01-12-2006, 10:14 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Jarred said:
[ QUOTE ]
Nuriko said:
Have you seen Cyber Formula GXP? If so, how does it compare to Initial D in terms of action and tension?

[/ QUOTE ]
Oh, Initial D is by far the superior show, and I like CF GPX. Some balk at the art style and let that distract them, but Initial D is almost, ALMOST up there with Fighting Spirit (Ippo) in terms of crack addiction. I got hooked on Initial D through Netflix and couldn't stop watching. Then after finishing it I had to run out and buy it all and watch it again. However, if you do pick up the R1 discs, I'd recommend watching it in JP with subs. The English version changes the music and tries to make it all hip and trendy, and it doesn't work.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks, I plan to buy R3 in Cantonese dub, heard from a friend that it was very good and addictive as well. I do recall the Tokyopop trailer for Initial D and lets just say that they didn't do a good job inspiring me to go out and get it, lol.

Mateo_home

01-12-2006, 10:23 AM

I'll throw in another vote for:

Twelve Kingdoms
Planetes
Stratos 4
Kare Kano
Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha (1st and 2nd)

I'll add Grenaider. It's not the best anime, but it's worth a watch. (funny voice work too). /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

01-12-2006, 10:27 AM

Planetes
Kino's Journey
Blue Gender

..for reasons that have already been stated. These are great shows that very few people discuss.

some underrated shows that I need to watch/buy:

The Legend of Black Heaven
Armored Trooper Votoms (already preordered /images/graemlins/happy.gif )
Kuragone Communication
Figure 17
Niea_7

Shiro Akuma

01-12-2006, 10:38 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Nuriko said:
[ QUOTE ]
Shiro Akuma said:

And sure it's popular amongst us car folk, but most people won't give it a chance or think it'll be boring. But Initial D is really exciting once you realize and learn that it's very realistic when you take in account everything. The handling capabilities of a mid 80's Corolla are much better than one would like to believe. Especially once tuned and driven by a skilled driver(there's video proof of 2 AE86es out handling a R34 in one of Option Video's Best Motoring series DVDs). And every bit of car jargin in the anime is dead on. And for good reason, they have Keiichi Tsuchiya aka the "Drift King" giving supervision. Now if only TokyoPop wasn't doing a terrible job on the R1 release(both anime & manga)that would really help.

[/ QUOTE ]

Have you seen Cyber Formula GXP? If so, how does it compare to Initial D in terms of action and tension? Even though they are both about driving, I LOVE Cyber Forumula's elements with the AI built in cars. It's by no means realistic but I have a blast watching the TV series and OVA. In fact I think I might get disappointed with Initial D since GXP set the bar so high, lol.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I've seen Cyber Formula GXP. Loved it, and really wish the rest of it would get a R1 release. But when it comes to action and tension I'd have to say Initial D edges out GXP by just a bit more. Especially when you take in the current 4th Stage of Initial D. Also if your interested in more car related anime/manga then check out the manga Over Rev, scanlations can be found on the net. It's alot like Initial D but with a female lead that starts from the beginning of learning how to drive.

But speaking of Cyber Formula GXP, easily one of the animes that's underrated.

Ebonsword

01-12-2006, 02:57 PM

I'll throw in a second vote for Magical Project S. The fact that the show functions as both a magical girl parody and, at the same time, one of the most touching magical girl shows of them all is truly amazing. Plus it's hilarious, has terrific music, and some of the best attack names in anime history (Pretty Coquetteish Bomber!!).

I'll also give a nod here to Maze. I, serously, never see anyone mention this show, yet it is very funny and features a great voice cast (Ai Orikasa and Sakura Tange are the highlights). Fans of the Slayers should really check it out.

Ebonsword -|---

AmericanBeauty

01-12-2006, 07:30 PM

Human Crossing - More people should be watching this.

Chloe

01-12-2006, 07:30 PM

Underrated is tough to say; overlooked I am more comfortable with. A lot of the shows I might mentiona are older and probably had their day in the discussions and now people have moved on to the newer titles. Happens all the time. Still, I'll add:

Dragon Half- funniest thing I've seen in a LONG time, and it doesn't seem to make half of the threads on comedy anime. This show makes Slayers! seem dull by comparison.

Venus Wars- One of the better action/war movies in anime, actually has a strong anti-war theme overall. Very gritty,and occasionally gut-wrenching. Good stuff.

Dirty Pair Flash- Most people seem to pan it in favor of the older OVA/movies, but I enjoyed this as much, if not more then the others.

Night on the Galactic Railroad- Probably just old. But I am amazed that it hardly ever gets mentioned even. As surreal as Cat Soup(there's another one...) at times, and a low-key story that can sneak up on you and grab your emotions and shake them.

Nightwalker- One of the better vampire shows, ridiculously cheap, with some truly nasty stories. Some of these stories make me twitch just thinking about them. Throw in some good characters and it is well worth it, but it definitely gets overlooked a lot.

Doyen

01-12-2006, 09:20 PM

A lot of the titles being put out here I would not call under rated because those of us who have seen them know how great they are. Perhaps under performing or under appreciated would be a better term to use because these show just don't have the large audiences they deserve. Here's my list of shows more people should watch:

1.) Figure 17 - a flat out fantastic show, a wonderful slice of life with a dash of sci-fi.

2.) Najica Blitz Tactics - not just an ecchi panty fest, it has a solid story behind it.

3.) ex-Driver (OVA) - good action and an amazing attention to detail on the exotic cars.

4.) Jubei-chan 2: Siberia Yagyu Counterattack- a sequel better than the original, fantastic sword fighting scenes.

5.) Starship Operators - a great character drama and it shows how real space battles would be fought, taking days not minutes.

Captain Impulse

01-12-2006, 09:42 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Air Of Benevolence said:
Human Crossing - More people should be watching this.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll second that, and also raise you a Rumiko Takahashi Anthology for similar (although more comedic) reasons.

ape2020

01-12-2006, 11:19 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Kingmole said:
Dirty Pair Flash- Most people seem to pan it in favor of the older OVA/movies, but I enjoyed this as much, if not more then the others.

[/ QUOTE ]

Totally agree with you here. It was actually one of the first anime I collected back in the VHS days. Looking for Tenchi and ended up getting these for half off. Yuri is a fav of my and one of my top 5 episodes was the Flowershop Girl. Not that it was some big surprise but how the characters all reacted during the show. I still get a warm fuzzy inside.

-chimp1010

yumy

01-13-2006, 12:03 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Ebonsword said:
I'll also give a nod here to Maze. I, serously, never see anyone mention this show, yet it is very funny and features a great voice cast (Ai Orikasa and Sakura Tange are the highlights). Fans of the Slayers should really check it out.

Ebonsword -|---

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Ya Maze wasn't great, but it was definately amusing...and considering it's like impossible to even find the DVDs of the Megaburst series i think it's very underrated.

[ QUOTE ]
Doyen said:

2.) Najica Blitz Tactics - not just an ecchi panty fest, it has a solid story behind it.

[/ QUOTE ]

ya but sadly every scene is interrupted by panty shots (of which they ALL wear white underwear throughout the whole series?), it really annoyed me and it distracts from the story. Besides that i think Najica is definately a top anime in its genre (the genre where a human tries to teach a non-human basic culture - it should get it's own genre name its becoming so popular)

fractured78

01-13-2006, 12:42 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Doyen said:
5.) Starship Operators - a great character drama and it shows how real space battles would be fought, taking days not minutes.

[/ QUOTE ]

Umm, real space battles wouldn't be fought. The velocities involved in anything approaching real space battle would be impossible to match. (Newtonian physics and all that stuff.) If two planets really had a "war" they'd just lob asteroids at each other from miles upon miles away and end up annihilating both planets environments. If two ships saw each other they'd be firing lasers at each other from lightseconds away...which is like a bajillion miles. /images/graemlins/happy.gif

Space fights are for fiction, nothing else. They're fun that way. Anyone who pretends or thinks that space fights are "realistic" is lost in space. /images/graemlins/happy.gif

meganly_chan

01-13-2006, 12:24 PM

I'm Gonna Be An Angel: People almost never talk about this show, when it's one of my all time faves. I blame Synch-Point for taking their sweet time releasing it, if they're even going to finish!

Princess Tutu: Everyone I've showed this to has loved it, so I don't know why it's not popular.

jaylee

01-13-2006, 04:19 PM

Planetes
Stratos 4
The Venus Wars
Rune Soldier
NTHT
Galaxy Angel
Pretear
Puni Puni Poemi
Popotan

Nozmo

01-15-2006, 02:20 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Kingmole said:
Underrated is tough to say; overlooked I am more comfortable with. A lot of the shows I might mentiona are older and probably had their day in the discussions and now people have moved on to the newer titles.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think the issue with some of the titles you mention is that they tend to be rather good but short series (or one-shots) that are quite good stories, but were either OVAs that got missed by a lot of people or didn't run long enough to build up as much interest as longer series. (There's also a certain amount of this that can be put down to the amount of promotion they got when they first came out, either in Japan or outside. They just weren't the "next big thing"...)

A couple other I'd suggest off the top of my head are:

Phantom Quest Company, a four-episode OVA set with an offbeat supernatural theme that probably ran just about as long as the idea could sustain it (and, besides, I like just about anything Rica Matsumoto is in /images/graemlins/sdsmiley.gif ) ;

and Irresponsible Captain Tylor (which I've always felt has been underappreciated because, despite the space-military setting, it is really about the challenges and difficulties of pursuing the non-violent path).

[ QUOTE ]

Dirty Pair Flash- Most people seem to pan it in favor of the older OVA/movies, but I enjoyed this as much, if not more then the others.

[/ QUOTE ]

There is definitely something of a generational divide in DP fandom -- most of them either like or hate DPF. A lot of "Classic" fans were very unhappy when Sunrise announced there was going to be a new DP series in '94 and this is what they got. But it is Takachiho's own reconception and it does still follow the essential "DP concept". It is also in keeping with the new styles in anime that developed in the '90s, so it did catch on with younger fans. (And I do know a fair number of DP fans who like both versions...) I particularly like DPF for being more character-oriented than the older series and for tracking the evolution of its main characters through the full set of stories* (something that's easy to overlook if you're only watching it for the action sequences...).

*The 1985 TV series also does this somewhat (but who knows when most of you are going to get to see it?)...

In a way, DPF is also a victim of the genre's overall success. When DP first appeared on TV in 1985, there wasn't much else out there in anime like it. It has inspired so many female fighting duos since that DPF just seemed like one more in the crowd scarcely ten years later...

[ QUOTE ]

Night on the Galactic Railroad- Probably just old. But I am amazed that it hardly ever gets mentioned even. As surreal as Cat Soup(there's another one...) at times, and a low-key story that can sneak up on you and grab your emotions and shake them.

[/ QUOTE ]

...and it is based on an enduring story written by the still-beloved Kenji Miyazawa (gone for about 70 years now...). I can imagine it won't be popular with anime fans who are used to fast, loud, action-oriented series. BTW, the story is available in English translation as Night on the Milky Way Railway, translated by Sarah Strong (1991), in a main version and with an alternate ending (Miyazawa never completed a final revision), along with notes of the history of this story.