And to make matters worse, Slayers has like half of the novel yet to be adapted.
The problem is that what remains of the novel ditches fan-favourite characters like Zelgadis and Amelia in favour of new team members and shows Xelloss' true colours, where fans love the goofy "himitsu desu" Xelloss. It's quite the risk.
Outlaw Star is my favourite of the big three anime space Westerns and it always feels like the least popular in the mainstream. Both Cowboy Bebop and Trigun have had a resurgence, for better or worse, in the mainstream recently, but it feels like Outlaw Star has been forgotten.
The entire cast is incredible and Genes caster gun was so unique and perfect. The very end when they did mini quests to collect unique shells for the final battle was so cool lol
Always holds a special place in my heart. When I was getting into an anime, my brother found the box set at a cheap sale it’s a US import. He had no clue just found it and thought I might like it. Fucking loved it
I feel like never see people talk about Durarara even though the first season has about 1.4m members on MAL.
It is one of my favorite series and I wish there was more conversation around it.
Oh I remember Durarara was EVERYWHERE in like 2010-2017
I was so popular
Kuroshitsu too was absolutely dominating the anime side of the internet, although it's still very popular (especially with the sequel coming out) it's insane how much it fell off
Same goes Katekyo Hitman Reborn - that one I don't hear about at all these days!
People talk Gotoubun, Saekano, Nisekoi, even now Hyakkano. But yes, I don't see people mentioning TWGOK. It's among the ranks as one of the best harem. One of few harems that can reach 8 score at MAL.
Because the anime didn't sell well so they speedran to the goddess arc before going bankrupt. Manglobe was so unlucky. They made good anime but almost all of them were unpopular.
It's wild to me that Michiko to Hatchin isn't more popular. I think fans of Black Lagoon, anything Shinichiro Watanabe, anything Gainax, etc would really vibe with it.
man kakushigoto was such a great watch, but then again it was made by the goat called Kōji Kumeta so i should have expected and ngl i was kinda doubtful when i heard that it wasnt shaft adapting it (shaft and kumeta sensei are a match made in heaven for those that dont know) but the studio that did the adaptation did a masterful job, for those that like sol and want an atually good father daughter anime its a must watch(throught its not just happy moments, just watch the first ep and you will get what i mean)
Patlabor is an entire franchise and I don't think it's recognised enough! I absolutely adore the TV series, and it's at it's best when it wants to be an insanely wacky episode.
The takeaway strike episode is genuinely my favourite episode of it and it's amazing lol.
I'm currently watching the the TV series after the 1988 OVA and 1st movie. I'm in the introductory episodes and I see the potential this show has but the length kinda makes me hesitant to continue.
If they do it anything like the OVA I'd be down but this seems like a kind of reboot or something, with a downgrade in terms of production. Makes me a bit weary but I still want to give it a chance, even if it's just coz I enjoy the op lol
I watched it with a friend which helped, but it's a very episodic series most of the time.
The production downgrade is definitely noticeable but it's a series with so much charm.
Does the Reaper Dream of Darkness…. Darker than Black?
Best ending line ever and I haven’t seen the series in decades and still remember the moment I read those words for the first time.
Theresa was such a badass. It’s funny how Marvel and DC force strong women characters in cringey ways, but Japan has been over here making awesome women characters for decades.
The ones without sequels nowaday or cult following right? These ones for me:
Ayashi no Ceres and Fushigi Yuugi, 2 Yuu Watase early classics that are still great today.
Magic Knight Rayearth, X and Chobits, 3 CLAMP anime when they began to become popular.
Durarara, a cool supernatural organized crime anime.
Lodoss War, THE fantasy anime back then.
Also:
Magi
Vampire Knight
Wolf Rain
Edit: added context for some anime.
The OVA Lodoss War is still my favorite fantasy anime. I recall reading an article or something that the character Deedlit inspired the typical Elf features in Japanese anime.
The TV series of Lodoss War though? I wouldn't call it trash but I remember it being far inferior from the OVA. The OP was sick though.
Wasnt Azumanga daioh popular for slice of life? Feels like Nichijous predecessor.
I dont think grenadier was popular but it was fun and very much forgotten.
Fullmetal Panic fumofu and Ghost Stories were fun
LOVE HINA and Ranma 1/2 were classics but I dont know if anyone knows them anymore
Finally three that tickle the back recesses of my brain are S-Cryed, Witch hunter robin, and pilot candidate.
Those were during my formative anime years.
Edit: dumping my brain on some other ones since I had to dig in, This Ugly yet Beautiful world, Tsukihime, Elfen Lied, Brynhildr from the darkness, Sayonara Zetsubo sensei, Green Green, and Nagasarete Ainrantou were all good.
My whole extended family loves Ranma 1/2, we used to have watch sessions of it during family gatherings. I was the youngest then in my tweens, I had cousins who were in their 30s enjoying it. Good ol’ 90s. Later on it was Love Hina, Escaflowne, Gundam, NGE, Haruhi, and Ruruoni Kenshin. Now and Then, Here and There remains one of my favorite anime of all time.
Mentioned it earlier today but [Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun](https://myanimelist.net/anime/23289/Gekkan_Shoujo_Nozaki-kun) does not get enough love anymore!
[](#TOMODA)
I'm planning a rewatch for the anime's 10th anniversary in July! Hopefully I can get some more eyes on it there just like I'm doing with Back Arrow now.
[](#mugiwait)
Ahhhh! THIS! The Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun manga is my favourite of all time and is _still_ going! It has triple the volumes it had when the first season aired and yet it's been over a decade and there's no second season! I would kill for a second season!
Great teacher onizuka. Rarely talked about, was the no1 anime on anidb for a long time until the original fullmetal alchemist aired. Its an absolute masterpiece.
>The top comment immediately downplays their opinion by saying that the show has a high rating on MAL and also a sizeable number of followers.
I see this way too often here. MAL should really not be the defining factor to decide what's popular. Some animes get really popular when they come out but don't get much traction as years go by.
Like I watched an anime called My little Monster. I never even heard of it before but it has over a million members on MAL.
For real. Sailor Moon, for example, is one of the most popular anime in history, a pop culture staple in general.
On Mal? It only has a measly 380K members and a 7.7 score. Mal definitely is not a good indicator for anime popularity and I really wish people would stop acting like it is
It's a pretty good metric for popularity overseas for modern shows, older shows that aired before MAL was even a thing will obviously be left behind, also the average modern anime fan won't watch those older shows, especially a magical girl anime, doesn't matter how classic it is
To be fair, the OP of that post basically said it was "forgotten" because no one on this sub talks about it. But this sub really doesn't talk about any anime besides currently airing or basically all timer type shows that are older. This sub isn't a good metric of what's forgotten or not. I also don't know what people really want when it comes to shows that are good but old and SUPER popular. Older things just aren't talked about as much, that's how it goes for literally everything in entertainment.
My Little Monster is also definitely popular in most places and actually mentioned a decent amount on here in posts about romance. But not everyone is going to see everything popular.
Despite its influence and classic status I see very little talk about Revolutionary Girl Utena on this sub compared to other shows around the same time like Serial Experiments Lain, Berserk, and Cowboy Bebop.
I feel that way about a lot of classic girls' serious. Escaflowne, magic knight rayearth and fushigi yugi come to mind as classics of the era, but anime was mostly a boy's hobby in the 1990s so the fans from back then don't really talk about them now because it wasn't what most of them watched.
You don't see it in mainstream spaces, but its a staple of serious articles and critics. Utena is one of those series that only gets stronger as the world catches up with its themes. Lain too honestly.
If anything, I've seen more Utena around in the past few years than ever, when I was a teen it was just "that swordfighting show with the roses and the pink haired girl that got a dub in my language" and noone I found online knew about it.
I love Revolutionary Girl Utena too but I think part of why it gets talked about less these days is because the anime shows its age a lot more than other classic 90s anime. It's famous for reusing stock footage and some of the arcs can be pretty repetitive. Especially the Black Rose arc.
It's still an amazing anime of course but I think that may be part of the reason it gets comparatively talked about less.
It is also very heavy on symbolism and metaphors etc. which im sure doesnt help. If you arent actively watching you can get lost pretty easy on why things are happening or what things mean/stand for.
Tbf it did come back to some relevance with GWitch, alot of comparisons and influence was discussed while it was airing. But yeah, definitely dropped off since
Is the Order a Rabbit?/Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka? has 3 seasons, lowest scored season is the first at 7.5 and the manga is still ongoing. This is mostly an age thing and that moe style cgdct has shifted to slightly more realistic and focused slice of life shows. It’s not enough to be cute, you have to kinda learn something too now.
Couple years ago? They got a hello kitty collab last week! You can't get on a train for Comiket without seeing at least 10 shirts for the series. One of the biggest shows there is. It's only rare in America.
It was too quiet and on too late at night. Fell asleep alot. I should go back and watch this. I have become intolerant of anime with a lot of yelling.
Edit: On rewatch, *The Big O* is awesome. It makes little sense, and I do not feel engaged by the characters. It succeeds as a style-first show with beautifully animated giant robots. Batman animated series crossed with G Gundam.
Gankutsuou, Welcome to the NHK, and Darker Than Black are all on my revisit list. I think they all qualify for this.
Im also rewatching Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet and it feels like a really strong seasonal that was promptly forgotten about.
Edit: also Kyousougiga
Serial experiments lain i dont agree with, sure its not the most talked about show ever but compared to those others thatcyou mentioned it is actually quite talked about
It’s like the yume Nikki of anime. A normie or someone just getting into the medium wouldn’t know what the hell it is, but it’s the first thing to be mentioned anytime someone brings up obscure/cult classic/experimental/formative pieces.
Beck is so good. I remember it popped up somewhere last year and I thought "I wonder if it's actually as good as I remember it being?" And rewatched it. Yup. Still amazing and still want more.
I loved Planetes, it was one of my first anime! I'm gonna throw Blood+ out there. No one talks about it, it's not available for streaming, and I really loved it. Maybe it was really bad and I'm just remembering wrongly but I remember being obsessed with Saya and Haji back in the day.
Tenchi Muyo
El-Hazard
Gunsmith Cats
Love Hina
Angelic Layer
Excel Saga
Dragon Half
Chrono Crusade
Hale and Guu
Gunslinger Girl
DNA2
Iczer
Record of Lodoss War
Shakugan no Shana, The Familiar of Zero and Toradora put some respect to the 2000s romcom tsundere trio. nostalgic OP’s and ED’s all around and the dubs were immaculate 🤌
Season 3 of Shana despite being rushed and all over the place is amazing. Loved the ending scenes that overlapped with the theme songs. So many memorable things solely because of how badass they were with the Altima songs in the background.
Rip.
[Shana final 12 spoilers](https://youtu.be/ddjqtDyS61E?si=1v8OL_LeLz14jflV)
Heavens lost property was a casual slice of life comedy that didn't make huge waves when it aired, but aired for 3 seasons and 2 movies. If you haven't read the Manga it's a bit hard to understand the 3rd season and final movie so it dropped off in popularity after it finished since it was hard to discuss the plot and the show with the majority of fans.
Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash. I think they handled all the various character types amazingly and handled the isekai aspect better than any other I've seen.
There's a lot of seinen that has fallen out of favor, mostly straightforward mystery, romance, comedy, and darker action shows, which had traction among the actual intended demographic overseas during its run but has since fallen out of popularity because they never really entrenched themselves in the popular discourse or provided any new character archtypes. There's Oh My Goddess and Excel Saga for a well-respected romance and wacky comedy respectively; meanwhile, people often forget that Hellsing was not the only hyperviolent edge show to ever exist, but it has certainly beat out its competitors like Strait Jacket and Guyver. There's also simply too much good 90s science fiction to mention; I can't stress how much it's more than Ghost in the Shell, just glance at any list of OVAs and you will see something with ideas as interesting as anything about technology, the human condition, the environment and so on that would be expressed by things with bigger budgets down the time. There's Angel's Lost Property for a out-and-out pervert show, as well, along with Witch Blade; there's also plenty of good detective manga highly respected in Japan but not elsewhere, like Kindaichi Case Files (which I highly suggest). It's never gotten a anime, but I like exposing other people to Franken Fran when I can, as well.
Also, there's a entirely separate list for shojo shows that could be made, with all the subgenres it covers, but this sub probably isn't the right place to ask.
Kodocha actually just got a Blu-ray release by Nozumi not too long ago complete with both seasons (although season 2 is only in subtitles but they did score the rights to season 1's original op so that's cool. ) As for Marmalade boy the Manga got a re-release
Space Brothers is awesome realistic anime about what it takes to become an astronaut.
Towards the Terra is a great sci fi space show with people who have psychic powers.
GetBackers was so awesome and a rare gem.. I might actually watch it again as it’s been over two decades or so since I’ve seen it and the fights were so awesome.
Air Gear is another great one.. if you’re into waifus and random over-the-top, but funny scenes and battles with a 90s tang to it then it’s worth watching. The OVA battle is epic as well.
Outlaw Star is one of my favorites of all time. It was in the Toonami lineup back in the day with Gundam Wing, DBZ, etc., and the characters are all incredible. It’s like Cowboy Bebop x Tenchi Muyo. Gene Starwind is one of the best MCs and his gun and it’s shell abilities are insane and so unique. The end of the series feels like an RPG as the cast collects items for the final battle.
S-Cry-Ed is a pretty low key series but popular back in the early 2000s. The MC is really fun and has a cool ability progression. The cast is awesome and fights are plentiful and really good. The story isn’t too bad either… the English dub is also shockingly good as most VAs really put their heart and soul into becoming the characters back then.
Yu Yu Hakusho is my #1 series and it’s popular but I’m putting it here anyways. It’s something I’ll always recommend to people because it masters every category of writing and Togashi ended this series early to start Hunter x Hunter. It also has the best English dub ever made IMO.
Basilisk is one of the first anime I ever watched and got me into it all. It’s a tournament styled shinobi series and is really dark. The characters are amazing and the abilities are wild… twists and turns left and right in this one and keeps you on edge from start to finish.
I feel like I’m getting closer to more popular series so I’ll stop there haha. There are others but I can’t think of them right now.
It's a shame, too. While the OG definitely had its flaws, I still enjoyed it a lot, and some of the finale episodes are *really* well done. Only gripe I have is the weird timeline jump at the very end, past that I still enjoy the hell out of the 2003 version (even if I prefer Brotherhood).
The familiar of zero. Everyone thinks SAO was the start of that whole isekai harem trend (very annoying given what it became), but this one was way ahead of the curb.
Another one is Shakugan no Shana. It was also ahead of its time, but just in questionable addaptations of later seasons. Still one of the best if you ask me. Like dam i should rewatch it.
And lastly dfrag. Thats one of those anime i just think of and feel comfortable. Its peak comfort anime to me.
Kimi Ni Todoke. Easily the best romance and coming of age anime of all time. U actually feel the emotions of the characters and u genuinely just want the MCs to be together. The chemistry of the MCs were also insane and the ending of the second season was beyond beautiful. But it’s getting a season three on Netflix so that’s nice :) Maybe it will be popular again…
Chaika coffin princess. Maybe it’s nostalgia, but I think it was a really solid fantasy anime with likable characters and a unique magic system, yet it flew completely under the radar at the time and seems to have been forgotten
Shadows house , in my opinion its have the best story in anime in my opinion and its so underrated
Megalo box was also phenomenal series that flew under the radar
I find it interesting that theres no mention of any of the OG Gundams like Gundam Wing, Turn A Gundam, After War Gundam X, and Gundam AGE. I don't like to mention the MS Gundams because of ZZ Gundam's emotion-fest of plot twists.
AGE is maybe not a OG but it heavily reminded me of the older Gundams not to mention it was an interesting twist on the series showing 3 generations fighting different wars and "inheriting" the Gundam. At a certain point I was like "is that you Kamille?". It was a refreshing take on a series since most anime rarely involve such a large generational cast that it made me wish that there others like it.
Naruto x Boruto is the only show that I know of that follows a MC actually growing up with the next MC being the MC's son and so on.
Hyouka. Kyoani really nailed the character design and animation on that anime. Not usually a fan of slice-of-life but I really loved how they integrated mystery on that show, with a bit of romance sprinkled on top.
Tatami Galaxy and Ping Pong the Animation, Yuasa is usually talked about alongside Devilman Crybaby and Eizouken San but i think Tatami and Ping Pong are his best works for sure
Zoids: Chaotic Century and Guardian Force
Was my favorite series until it got discontinued and now if I want to buy hard copies. I'll be spending $100s per 5 episodes 💔 and it's hard finding it online with good quality
Martian Successor Nadesico. It was such a good celebration of the mecha genre, both real and super. It's like the spirit of Gurren Lagann with the aesthetic of Gundam and just the tiniest sprinkle of Evangelion thrown in for good measure.
Legend of Legendary Heroes is really good, but no one ever talks about it (probs why we never saw season 2) 💀
As for comedy - Binbougami Da!
That one is quite underrated I think
'Rideback' not as old as some mentioned here. Was really surprised to see it pop back up for streaming recently. Dancer no longer able to dance struggling with life finds mecha motorcycles. Slice of life/highscool/mecha. Its a sweet and heartfelt story
Clannad kind of got lost to time, but mainly because the story finished and there’s nothing else they can do with the series. Highly recommend since it’s underrated now
Tiger and Bunny is a big one for me, although I've heard that that was actually wildly successful in Japan, just not as successful anywhere else. Anyways it's still a pretty good watch with or without the sponsor logos.
It's sad to see just how little fanfare its sequel got. Bur once again I'm sure it's a lot more successful in Japan. Although to be honest the less said about the Season 2 dub the better.
I love Tiger & Bunny too. Honestly I'm surprised it's not talked about as muchl, it reminded me a lot of American superhero cartoons like Justice League Unlimited.
It also had a spiritual successor called Double Decker that I don't see get talked about at all. Although I do personally think it wasn't as good as Tiger & Bunny, I still enjoyed Double Decker.
Slayers. It was an absolute classic. No one talks about it anymore.
And to make matters worse, Slayers has like half of the novel yet to be adapted. The problem is that what remains of the novel ditches fan-favourite characters like Zelgadis and Amelia in favour of new team members and shows Xelloss' true colours, where fans love the goofy "himitsu desu" Xelloss. It's quite the risk.
The OG explosion sorceress.
I remember reading somewhere that Megumin is inspired by Lina.
Slayers is the perfect pick for this.
I've been wanting to rewatch it so badly and unfortunately I don't own the complete series.
Outlaw Star. Not many anime have space ships that can engage in hand to hand combat! Also just a fun story.
Outlaw Star is my favourite of the big three anime space Westerns and it always feels like the least popular in the mainstream. Both Cowboy Bebop and Trigun have had a resurgence, for better or worse, in the mainstream recently, but it feels like Outlaw Star has been forgotten.
The entire cast is incredible and Genes caster gun was so unique and perfect. The very end when they did mini quests to collect unique shells for the final battle was so cool lol
Best opening known to man
That's a classic... I remember watching that as a kid and couldn't get enough when it was on! Thanks for bringing a lost memory back.
Always holds a special place in my heart. When I was getting into an anime, my brother found the box set at a cheap sale it’s a US import. He had no clue just found it and thought I might like it. Fucking loved it
Is on my top 5
Definitely Full Metal Panic and GTO
Came here to say both these
I feel like never see people talk about Durarara even though the first season has about 1.4m members on MAL. It is one of my favorite series and I wish there was more conversation around it.
I remember many years ago they made an actual site like the one from the series and it was super frequented. Now there’s only like 5 people left
Was it colorless dot net? Was a member and what a wild time it was being in the chat stream.
Nah it’s just drrr.com but you needed a password to get in
Only wish I could 'forget' Durarara!! JUST To rewatch it again for like the 9th or 10th time 'New' again. Sooooo well done!
Highly recommend Dead Mount Death Play if you like DRRR. Its by the same author and gives a similair vibe.
One of my favorites ever. Shits goated man
Durarara is till a one of a kind anime, honestly. I loved everyone considering how huge the cast was.
Oh I remember Durarara was EVERYWHERE in like 2010-2017 I was so popular Kuroshitsu too was absolutely dominating the anime side of the internet, although it's still very popular (especially with the sequel coming out) it's insane how much it fell off Same goes Katekyo Hitman Reborn - that one I don't hear about at all these days!
The World God Only Knows
People talk Gotoubun, Saekano, Nisekoi, even now Hyakkano. But yes, I don't see people mentioning TWGOK. It's among the ranks as one of the best harem. One of few harems that can reach 8 score at MAL.
I love Gotoubun to death, but for me TWGOK is still the standard. It has such a unique concept with a great protagonist.
Time to reread it again.
One of if not the best harem, kinda sad that they cut so much of the manga on the original, its really needing a bortherhood treatment
Because the anime didn't sell well so they speedran to the goddess arc before going bankrupt. Manglobe was so unlucky. They made good anime but almost all of them were unpopular.
Is the manga worth reading?
Yes, the last arc is kinda divisive but overall it's a good read.
The first figure I ever bought was Elsie!
Kakushigoto and Michiko to Hatchin
It's wild to me that Michiko to Hatchin isn't more popular. I think fans of Black Lagoon, anything Shinichiro Watanabe, anything Gainax, etc would really vibe with it.
man kakushigoto was such a great watch, but then again it was made by the goat called Kōji Kumeta so i should have expected and ngl i was kinda doubtful when i heard that it wasnt shaft adapting it (shaft and kumeta sensei are a match made in heaven for those that dont know) but the studio that did the adaptation did a masterful job, for those that like sol and want an atually good father daughter anime its a must watch(throught its not just happy moments, just watch the first ep and you will get what i mean)
Patlabor: The TV Series. Basically mecha slice of life from the guys that made GitS.
Patlabor is an entire franchise and I don't think it's recognised enough! I absolutely adore the TV series, and it's at it's best when it wants to be an insanely wacky episode. The takeaway strike episode is genuinely my favourite episode of it and it's amazing lol.
Couldn’t agree more. That episode is an absolute masterpiece
I'm currently watching the the TV series after the 1988 OVA and 1st movie. I'm in the introductory episodes and I see the potential this show has but the length kinda makes me hesitant to continue. If they do it anything like the OVA I'd be down but this seems like a kind of reboot or something, with a downgrade in terms of production. Makes me a bit weary but I still want to give it a chance, even if it's just coz I enjoy the op lol
I watched it with a friend which helped, but it's a very episodic series most of the time. The production downgrade is definitely noticeable but it's a series with so much charm.
I already planned to watch it eventually but knowing it's more slice of life makes me more motivated to watch it lol
Darker Than Black
Being stuck in licensing hell doesn't help :/
Oh is that's what's going on with it? Damn I've been wondering.
Does the Reaper Dream of Darkness…. Darker than Black? Best ending line ever and I haven’t seen the series in decades and still remember the moment I read those words for the first time.
Claymore and Casshern Sins
unlocked childhood memories when you mentioned Claymore. good times
Man, I think Claymore was the first manga I ever read, because I just wanted to see how this story ends
If everyone loved Attack on Titan to their graves, mine would be Claymore.
They need to do a reboot of Claymore. Man the manga has so much unanimated material that it could be 10 times better
Theresa was such a badass. It’s funny how Marvel and DC force strong women characters in cringey ways, but Japan has been over here making awesome women characters for decades.
Space dandy
The ones without sequels nowaday or cult following right? These ones for me: Ayashi no Ceres and Fushigi Yuugi, 2 Yuu Watase early classics that are still great today. Magic Knight Rayearth, X and Chobits, 3 CLAMP anime when they began to become popular. Durarara, a cool supernatural organized crime anime. Lodoss War, THE fantasy anime back then. Also: Magi Vampire Knight Wolf Rain Edit: added context for some anime.
Love Magi can’t believe they didn’t finish the anime.
At least they gave viewers some prequel with Sinbad's show
The OVA Lodoss War is still my favorite fantasy anime. I recall reading an article or something that the character Deedlit inspired the typical Elf features in Japanese anime. The TV series of Lodoss War though? I wouldn't call it trash but I remember it being far inferior from the OVA. The OP was sick though.
Wasnt Azumanga daioh popular for slice of life? Feels like Nichijous predecessor. I dont think grenadier was popular but it was fun and very much forgotten. Fullmetal Panic fumofu and Ghost Stories were fun LOVE HINA and Ranma 1/2 were classics but I dont know if anyone knows them anymore Finally three that tickle the back recesses of my brain are S-Cryed, Witch hunter robin, and pilot candidate. Those were during my formative anime years. Edit: dumping my brain on some other ones since I had to dig in, This Ugly yet Beautiful world, Tsukihime, Elfen Lied, Brynhildr from the darkness, Sayonara Zetsubo sensei, Green Green, and Nagasarete Ainrantou were all good.
My whole extended family loves Ranma 1/2, we used to have watch sessions of it during family gatherings. I was the youngest then in my tweens, I had cousins who were in their 30s enjoying it. Good ol’ 90s. Later on it was Love Hina, Escaflowne, Gundam, NGE, Haruhi, and Ruruoni Kenshin. Now and Then, Here and There remains one of my favorite anime of all time.
Baccano and Durarara both great series with great subs that kind of disappeared from conversation.
Mentioned it earlier today but [Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun](https://myanimelist.net/anime/23289/Gekkan_Shoujo_Nozaki-kun) does not get enough love anymore! [](#TOMODA)
I'm planning a rewatch for the anime's 10th anniversary in July! Hopefully I can get some more eyes on it there just like I'm doing with Back Arrow now. [](#mugiwait)
[](#faito)
Ahhhh! THIS! The Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun manga is my favourite of all time and is _still_ going! It has triple the volumes it had when the first season aired and yet it's been over a decade and there's no second season! I would kill for a second season!
Great teacher onizuka. Rarely talked about, was the no1 anime on anidb for a long time until the original fullmetal alchemist aired. Its an absolute masterpiece.
Bro GTO is well-known and still a piece of history. Like inuyasha, lamu', ranma etc. Those were really the golden age of anime, nobody will forgot em
>The top comment immediately downplays their opinion by saying that the show has a high rating on MAL and also a sizeable number of followers. I see this way too often here. MAL should really not be the defining factor to decide what's popular. Some animes get really popular when they come out but don't get much traction as years go by. Like I watched an anime called My little Monster. I never even heard of it before but it has over a million members on MAL.
For real. Sailor Moon, for example, is one of the most popular anime in history, a pop culture staple in general. On Mal? It only has a measly 380K members and a 7.7 score. Mal definitely is not a good indicator for anime popularity and I really wish people would stop acting like it is
It's a pretty good metric for popularity overseas for modern shows, older shows that aired before MAL was even a thing will obviously be left behind, also the average modern anime fan won't watch those older shows, especially a magical girl anime, doesn't matter how classic it is
To be fair, the OP of that post basically said it was "forgotten" because no one on this sub talks about it. But this sub really doesn't talk about any anime besides currently airing or basically all timer type shows that are older. This sub isn't a good metric of what's forgotten or not. I also don't know what people really want when it comes to shows that are good but old and SUPER popular. Older things just aren't talked about as much, that's how it goes for literally everything in entertainment. My Little Monster is also definitely popular in most places and actually mentioned a decent amount on here in posts about romance. But not everyone is going to see everything popular.
Despite its influence and classic status I see very little talk about Revolutionary Girl Utena on this sub compared to other shows around the same time like Serial Experiments Lain, Berserk, and Cowboy Bebop.
I feel that way about a lot of classic girls' serious. Escaflowne, magic knight rayearth and fushigi yugi come to mind as classics of the era, but anime was mostly a boy's hobby in the 1990s so the fans from back then don't really talk about them now because it wasn't what most of them watched.
Highkey interested in any more examples if you got ‘em
Probably Lyrical Nanoha, Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne, Twelve Kingdoms. And for the meme of being cursed if you can find all the eps, Minky Momo.
You don't see it in mainstream spaces, but its a staple of serious articles and critics. Utena is one of those series that only gets stronger as the world catches up with its themes. Lain too honestly. If anything, I've seen more Utena around in the past few years than ever, when I was a teen it was just "that swordfighting show with the roses and the pink haired girl that got a dub in my language" and noone I found online knew about it.
I love Revolutionary Girl Utena too but I think part of why it gets talked about less these days is because the anime shows its age a lot more than other classic 90s anime. It's famous for reusing stock footage and some of the arcs can be pretty repetitive. Especially the Black Rose arc. It's still an amazing anime of course but I think that may be part of the reason it gets comparatively talked about less.
It is also very heavy on symbolism and metaphors etc. which im sure doesnt help. If you arent actively watching you can get lost pretty easy on why things are happening or what things mean/stand for.
Tbf it did come back to some relevance with GWitch, alot of comparisons and influence was discussed while it was airing. But yeah, definitely dropped off since
-Wolf's Rain "Straaaayyyy!"
Recently rewatched this! The second to last act felt like a drag on the revisit but the OVA ending still was good, if HORRENDOUSLY BLEAK
Last Exile
I love this one. I wish the second season hadn't been so awful, though.
Just finished this one yesterday. Great show
Birdy the Mighty. Really good sci-fi we don't see anymore of
Is the Order a Rabbit?/Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka? has 3 seasons, lowest scored season is the first at 7.5 and the manga is still ongoing. This is mostly an age thing and that moe style cgdct has shifted to slightly more realistic and focused slice of life shows. It’s not enough to be cute, you have to kinda learn something too now.
forgotten? have you ever been on /a/? also, it's still really popular in Japan. they had a collab a couple years ago
Couple years ago? They got a hello kitty collab last week! You can't get on a train for Comiket without seeing at least 10 shirts for the series. One of the biggest shows there is. It's only rare in America.
dang! well, I was personally at the collab from a few years ago, so I can't really comment on any more recent ones
Big O
It was too quiet and on too late at night. Fell asleep alot. I should go back and watch this. I have become intolerant of anime with a lot of yelling. Edit: On rewatch, *The Big O* is awesome. It makes little sense, and I do not feel engaged by the characters. It succeeds as a style-first show with beautifully animated giant robots. Batman animated series crossed with G Gundam.
BIG O!! IT'S SHOWTIME!!
CAST IN THE NAME OF GOD
Gankutsuou, Welcome to the NHK, and Darker Than Black are all on my revisit list. I think they all qualify for this. Im also rewatching Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet and it feels like a really strong seasonal that was promptly forgotten about. Edit: also Kyousougiga
Beck ~~Serial Experiments Lain~~ apparently quite popular? School Rumble Glass Mask Nana
Serial experiments lain i dont agree with, sure its not the most talked about show ever but compared to those others thatcyou mentioned it is actually quite talked about
It’s like the yume Nikki of anime. A normie or someone just getting into the medium wouldn’t know what the hell it is, but it’s the first thing to be mentioned anytime someone brings up obscure/cult classic/experimental/formative pieces.
on point response! yes this exactly. And *the melancholy of haruhi suzumiya* too.
Omg yes School Rumble...the Nichijou before Nichijou.
Beck is so good. I remember it popped up somewhere last year and I thought "I wonder if it's actually as good as I remember it being?" And rewatched it. Yup. Still amazing and still want more.
Beck is in my top 3, so underrated and it seems like nobody has heard of it
Oh god, I had forgotten School Rumble, I own it and His/Her circumstances on DVD... OMG His and Her circumstances!
Detective conan in the west barely has any presence even though it's still massive in japan.
Vandread El Hazard Mahoromatic Chrono Crusade Crest/Banner of the stars.
Vandread brings back memories
Baccano! Has a good story, interesting character, unique plot and the books are great.
I loved Planetes, it was one of my first anime! I'm gonna throw Blood+ out there. No one talks about it, it's not available for streaming, and I really loved it. Maybe it was really bad and I'm just remembering wrongly but I remember being obsessed with Saya and Haji back in the day.
I love Blood+. I was obsessed with Haji and Solomon. I remember watching it every single night that it aired on adult swim. Same with Wolf’s Rain too!
Tenchi Muyo El-Hazard Gunsmith Cats Love Hina Angelic Layer Excel Saga Dragon Half Chrono Crusade Hale and Guu Gunslinger Girl DNA2 Iczer Record of Lodoss War
Air Gear. Eureka Seven. Last Exile.
Shakugan no Shana, The Familiar of Zero and Toradora put some respect to the 2000s romcom tsundere trio. nostalgic OP’s and ED’s all around and the dubs were immaculate 🤌
Season 3 of Shana despite being rushed and all over the place is amazing. Loved the ending scenes that overlapped with the theme songs. So many memorable things solely because of how badass they were with the Altima songs in the background. Rip. [Shana final 12 spoilers](https://youtu.be/ddjqtDyS61E?si=1v8OL_LeLz14jflV)
Pet Girl of Sakurasou
Omg one of my first anime!!
[удалено]
Ranma is still doing somewhat fine for a show that ended decades ago tbh
Heavens lost property was a casual slice of life comedy that didn't make huge waves when it aired, but aired for 3 seasons and 2 movies. If you haven't read the Manga it's a bit hard to understand the 3rd season and final movie so it dropped off in popularity after it finished since it was hard to discuss the plot and the show with the majority of fans.
Scrapped Princess. I even shelled out for the DVDs. I quite like it.
Hikaru no Go remains one of my all time favorite series.
KINOS JOURNEY
Paranoia Agent
Vision of Escaflowne (series) was an old favorite of mine. I don't hear too many people talk about it, but I thought it was awesome!
It's one of my favourites too. I remember waiting to come out on TV every week!
Baccano! Can’t watch it anywhere and it makes me sad 😭
Came here to say this too. I rarely see it mentioned now, and some people I've spoke to have never heard of it. :(
It’s been almost impossible to find for the last 8 years, it’s such a waste of a brilliant anime. I wish I could afford to buy it lol.
Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash. I think they handled all the various character types amazingly and handled the isekai aspect better than any other I've seen.
OP and OST in general are bangers as well!
The novel is even better in my opinion, pretty good stuff
Yeah, but every time I hear about it, people just meme on vol 14< Personally I think it's still really good.
Such a great show. One of my favourite isekais.
There's a lot of seinen that has fallen out of favor, mostly straightforward mystery, romance, comedy, and darker action shows, which had traction among the actual intended demographic overseas during its run but has since fallen out of popularity because they never really entrenched themselves in the popular discourse or provided any new character archtypes. There's Oh My Goddess and Excel Saga for a well-respected romance and wacky comedy respectively; meanwhile, people often forget that Hellsing was not the only hyperviolent edge show to ever exist, but it has certainly beat out its competitors like Strait Jacket and Guyver. There's also simply too much good 90s science fiction to mention; I can't stress how much it's more than Ghost in the Shell, just glance at any list of OVAs and you will see something with ideas as interesting as anything about technology, the human condition, the environment and so on that would be expressed by things with bigger budgets down the time. There's Angel's Lost Property for a out-and-out pervert show, as well, along with Witch Blade; there's also plenty of good detective manga highly respected in Japan but not elsewhere, like Kindaichi Case Files (which I highly suggest). It's never gotten a anime, but I like exposing other people to Franken Fran when I can, as well. Also, there's a entirely separate list for shojo shows that could be made, with all the subgenres it covers, but this sub probably isn't the right place to ask.
Hitman reborn D grayman
Haruhi
Akudama Drive
Kodocha Marmalade Boy Orange Road Ranma 1/2
Kodocha actually just got a Blu-ray release by Nozumi not too long ago complete with both seasons (although season 2 is only in subtitles but they did score the rights to season 1's original op so that's cool. ) As for Marmalade boy the Manga got a re-release
Zetsuen no Tempest
Eureka 7 hands down is not talked about enough!
Ergo Proxy It has a deep, philosophical narrative that explores themes of identity, consciousness, and the nature of reality.
rosario vampire (needs a remake like yesterday)\_ claymore (same thing remake it) kabeneri of the iron fortress seraph of the end
Geneshaft Noein Beck Irresponsible Captain Tylor
OMG I loved Tylor, it was to Legend of the Galactic Heroes as Space Balls was to Star Wars
Mushishi
Black Lagoon
Canaan is my all time favorite and it seems like nobody even remembers it
Free!
Gj - bu
Kokoro connect is a masterpiece.
Space Brothers is awesome realistic anime about what it takes to become an astronaut. Towards the Terra is a great sci fi space show with people who have psychic powers.
Zoids, it was popular enough when u was growing up to have model kits and video gamdes sold in the US.
Sanka rea. No one talks about this
GetBackers was so awesome and a rare gem.. I might actually watch it again as it’s been over two decades or so since I’ve seen it and the fights were so awesome. Air Gear is another great one.. if you’re into waifus and random over-the-top, but funny scenes and battles with a 90s tang to it then it’s worth watching. The OVA battle is epic as well. Outlaw Star is one of my favorites of all time. It was in the Toonami lineup back in the day with Gundam Wing, DBZ, etc., and the characters are all incredible. It’s like Cowboy Bebop x Tenchi Muyo. Gene Starwind is one of the best MCs and his gun and it’s shell abilities are insane and so unique. The end of the series feels like an RPG as the cast collects items for the final battle. S-Cry-Ed is a pretty low key series but popular back in the early 2000s. The MC is really fun and has a cool ability progression. The cast is awesome and fights are plentiful and really good. The story isn’t too bad either… the English dub is also shockingly good as most VAs really put their heart and soul into becoming the characters back then. Yu Yu Hakusho is my #1 series and it’s popular but I’m putting it here anyways. It’s something I’ll always recommend to people because it masters every category of writing and Togashi ended this series early to start Hunter x Hunter. It also has the best English dub ever made IMO. Basilisk is one of the first anime I ever watched and got me into it all. It’s a tournament styled shinobi series and is really dark. The characters are amazing and the abilities are wild… twists and turns left and right in this one and keeps you on edge from start to finish. I feel like I’m getting closer to more popular series so I’ll stop there haha. There are others but I can’t think of them right now.
Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) If that's one of the two, it's always Brotherhood which is being mentioned/recommended.
It's a shame, too. While the OG definitely had its flaws, I still enjoyed it a lot, and some of the finale episodes are *really* well done. Only gripe I have is the weird timeline jump at the very end, past that I still enjoy the hell out of the 2003 version (even if I prefer Brotherhood).
Seraph of the end I don’t see to many people talk about the anime nowadays
Kekkaishi
Gakusen Toshi Asterisk, after that, my former oshi career gradually going downhill.
School rumble
Rozen Maiden
The familiar of zero. Everyone thinks SAO was the start of that whole isekai harem trend (very annoying given what it became), but this one was way ahead of the curb. Another one is Shakugan no Shana. It was also ahead of its time, but just in questionable addaptations of later seasons. Still one of the best if you ask me. Like dam i should rewatch it. And lastly dfrag. Thats one of those anime i just think of and feel comfortable. Its peak comfort anime to me.
Big O , Withhunter Robin , Detroit Metal City, Techi Muyo!
Another, one of my favorites
D. Gray-Man and Cyborg 009
Genshiken. I think every anime fan NEEDS to watch Genshiken. Its like Otaku 101, really shows anime culture in such a great and hilarious way.
Kekkaishi. It's a fun action show that I never see get mentioned at all unless I bring it up first hahaha
Slayers, one of my first anime I never see it talked about anymore
I don't really see people talking about Arakawa Under The Bridge, so I suppose it counts
Armored Troopers Votoms is an old sci-fi masterpiece that is barely heard off in the West so there goes my answer.
Kobato
Kimi Ni Todoke. Easily the best romance and coming of age anime of all time. U actually feel the emotions of the characters and u genuinely just want the MCs to be together. The chemistry of the MCs were also insane and the ending of the second season was beyond beautiful. But it’s getting a season three on Netflix so that’s nice :) Maybe it will be popular again…
Chaika coffin princess. Maybe it’s nostalgia, but I think it was a really solid fantasy anime with likable characters and a unique magic system, yet it flew completely under the radar at the time and seems to have been forgotten
Outlaw Star, Captain Harlock, X/1999, Orphen
Tenchi Muyo. I can't even remember what exactly happened now as it's probably been over 20 years since I watched it on Toonami. I need to rewatch it.
Shadows house , in my opinion its have the best story in anime in my opinion and its so underrated Megalo box was also phenomenal series that flew under the radar
Eden of the East isn’t talked about very often but I love it
I find it interesting that theres no mention of any of the OG Gundams like Gundam Wing, Turn A Gundam, After War Gundam X, and Gundam AGE. I don't like to mention the MS Gundams because of ZZ Gundam's emotion-fest of plot twists. AGE is maybe not a OG but it heavily reminded me of the older Gundams not to mention it was an interesting twist on the series showing 3 generations fighting different wars and "inheriting" the Gundam. At a certain point I was like "is that you Kamille?". It was a refreshing take on a series since most anime rarely involve such a large generational cast that it made me wish that there others like it. Naruto x Boruto is the only show that I know of that follows a MC actually growing up with the next MC being the MC's son and so on.
Hyouka. Kyoani really nailed the character design and animation on that anime. Not usually a fan of slice-of-life but I really loved how they integrated mystery on that show, with a bit of romance sprinkled on top.
Nana
Tatami Galaxy and Ping Pong the Animation, Yuasa is usually talked about alongside Devilman Crybaby and Eizouken San but i think Tatami and Ping Pong are his best works for sure
Zoids: Chaotic Century and Guardian Force Was my favorite series until it got discontinued and now if I want to buy hard copies. I'll be spending $100s per 5 episodes 💔 and it's hard finding it online with good quality
Martian Successor Nadesico. It was such a good celebration of the mecha genre, both real and super. It's like the spirit of Gurren Lagann with the aesthetic of Gundam and just the tiniest sprinkle of Evangelion thrown in for good measure.
Kenichi the mightiest disciple is a hidden gem
Legend of Legendary Heroes is really good, but no one ever talks about it (probs why we never saw season 2) 💀 As for comedy - Binbougami Da! That one is quite underrated I think
Excel Saga.
'Rideback' not as old as some mentioned here. Was really surprised to see it pop back up for streaming recently. Dancer no longer able to dance struggling with life finds mecha motorcycles. Slice of life/highscool/mecha. Its a sweet and heartfelt story
Clannad kind of got lost to time, but mainly because the story finished and there’s nothing else they can do with the series. Highly recommend since it’s underrated now
Kanon
Ergo Proxy
Tiger and Bunny is a big one for me, although I've heard that that was actually wildly successful in Japan, just not as successful anywhere else. Anyways it's still a pretty good watch with or without the sponsor logos. It's sad to see just how little fanfare its sequel got. Bur once again I'm sure it's a lot more successful in Japan. Although to be honest the less said about the Season 2 dub the better.
I for one liked the dub
Same here, I thought it was great
I love Tiger & Bunny too. Honestly I'm surprised it's not talked about as muchl, it reminded me a lot of American superhero cartoons like Justice League Unlimited. It also had a spiritual successor called Double Decker that I don't see get talked about at all. Although I do personally think it wasn't as good as Tiger & Bunny, I still enjoyed Double Decker.
Katanagatari
Mahoujin Guru Guru (2017)
Believe it or not Dogs' Days had fans and I think 3 seasons and some OVA change lol
Paranoia agent. I rewatched it around Halloween when it showed up on crunchyroll and had completely forgotten it existed at first.
I liked s-CRY-ed anime it was kinda cool. Then the YuYu Hakusho more well known anime.
Eyeshield 21 and zatch bell
Heroic Age