Let’s be real: anime fans love an underdog, whether it’s the protagonists of our favorite series or the series themselves. There’s just something special about discovering a show that’s doing quiet brilliance while everyone else is arguing over the latest battle shonen or recirculating the same “best anime” recommendations. If you’re exhausted from seeing Attack on Titan, Demon Slayer, and the rest at every turn, maybe it’s time you dove deeper. Here are 10 underrated anime series that deserve so much more love, and might just change how you think about anime in the first place.
10. Sonny Boy
Imagine a group of teenagers who, out of nowhere, have been cast into some sort of ruleless dimension. It’s one in which they must work their way through strange powers, shifting realities, and their own inner turmoil. At the helm is Shingo Natsume, and Sonny Boy is his surreal, atmospheric take on adolescence, full of striking visuals and layered storytelling. Releasing without much fanfare, this series might be a niche gem for anyone who loves a good, abstract, mental journey.
9. School Babysitters
It might appear to be just a slice-of-life anime, but School Babysitters actually contains a lot of emotional depth. After their parents die, brothers Ruichi and Kotaru are taken in by the rather stern school chairwoman, and Ruichi starts helping out at the school daycare. Beneath all the cuteness lies a heartfelt story about grief, healing, and building new connections. It’s wholesome without being cheesy-and surprisingly moving.
8. Air Gear
Launching during the mid-2000s shonen boom, Air Gear was bound to get overshadowed by giants like Naruto and Bleach. Still, those who like fast-paced action with over-the-top energy will definitely find something to enjoy here. It follows a group of teens in their advanced motorized skates as they battle, race, and chase their ambitions. Wild and stylish, full attitude is a perfect watch when one is in the mood for something fun and kinetic.
7. AnoHana: The Flower We Saw That Day
When you’re ready for a tearjerker, go straight to AnoHana. It’s a story of childhood friends who grew apart after a tragedy and were suddenly faced by the ghost of the girl they lost. It’s raw and honest about guilt, growing up, and unresolved emotions weighing heavily on one’s conscience. By the end, you’ll feel like you lived their grief right alongside them.
6. Serial Experiments Lain
Long before cyberpunk entered the mainstream, Serial Experiments Lain was already deconstructing the fuzzy line between digital identity and reality. After getting a weird email from a classmate who apparently died, Lain gets tangled up in conspiracies and parallel universes. It’s creepy, philosophic, and well ahead of its time. If you want a show that makes you question everything, then this is it.
5. Rave Master
Rave Master, created by the same mind as Fairy Tail, is an old-school action adventure that, for some reason, never quite received the recognition it deserved. Haru Glory’s quest to take down the Dark Bring features zany allies, big battles, and classic shonen charm by the bucketload. It might not be perfect, but it’s overflowing with heart-and the soundtrack still rips.
4. Ushio and Tora (2015)
This remake brings a classic manga to life with crisp animation and plenty of personality. Ushio, an ordinary boy with a big destiny, teams up with Tora, a fearsome yokai who’d like nothing more than to eat him. The unlikely partnership between the two is humorous, chaotic, and even touching. With its mix of episodic monster hunts and larger emotional arcs, this show is one supernatural adventure that shines bright.
3. Welcome to the NHK
Welcome to the NHK follows Satou, a shut-in convinced that some kind of giant conspiracy is turning people into hikikomori. What unfolds is a darkly comical, brutally honest look at loneliness, anxiety, addiction, and the messy process of trying to rejoin society. It’s uncomfortable at times, but also strangely hopeful, and deeply human.
2. X/1999
With X, CLAMP’s apocalyptic drama, the characters are thrown into a struggle for the survival of humanity and are forced to take sides in a war pitting destiny against personal beliefs. It’s dramatic, stylish, and heavy with emotion, with plenty of complex characters and moral conflict. If you enjoy stories where the stakes are cosmic and the emotions run deep, this one is worth your time.
1. Full Metal Panic!
Part mecha thriller, part school comedy, part action-romance, Full Metal Panic! resists easy categorization. Sousuke Sagara is a soldier raised on the battlefield and assigned to protect Kaname Chidori, a sharp-tongued high school girl with mysterious importance. Their dynamic is chaotic and charming, and the series’ blend of grounded military worldbuilding and character-driven humor sets them apart from typical mecha anime. And yes, the Fumoffu spinoff is every bit as funny as its fans say it is.
What makes these shows particularly meaningful isn’t just their animation or their storytelling-it’s their perspective. Anime has long resonated with Black audiences in the West because it often highlights struggle, resilience, and the need to be seen, ideas that reflect real lived experiences far more than the clean, privileged power fantasies of Western superheroes. As RZA famously said about Dragon Ball Z, these stories speak to anyone who’s ever felt overlooked or underestimated.