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Discover 8 underrated anime to start your new year. Additionally, explore what makes these series so good.
The new year is the perfect time to experience hidden gems in the anime world. Popular series help make anime as a medium more mainstream but also cause several layered stories to be overshadowed. Many of these offer unique storylines with stunning visuals and unforgettable characters. However, it would not be termed underrated if they were easily found.
We’ve helped make your job easier by listing 8 underrated anime to start your new year in true otaku fashion.
1) Kono Oto Tomare!
If you’re a fan of music anime, especially those introducing you to a lesser-known instrument, Kono Oto Tomare! is the perfect show for you. The series revolves around a high school koto club that attempts to revive their reputation and share their appreciation for the koto.
This is much easier said than done, as each member of the club faces their own demons that prevent them from moving forward. However, with each new connection and the valuable bonds they make throughout the series, their skills as well as their overall character grow.
Kono Oto Tomare! is a deeply engaging series filled with dynamic music, inspiring stories, and plenty of drama. It perfectly displays traditional Japanese music in a way where it can resonate with global audiences.
2) Golden Kamuy
Golden Kamuy is one of the most peculiar but entertaining shows ever made, and it takes pride in this description. The series centers around Sugimoto and Asirpa, an unlikely pair who join the hunt for a legendary treasure.
They soon find that despite hints of the treasure’s locations being tattooed onto the bodies of specific individuals, several powerful groups are already in search. When these competing parties finally come together, sparks are bound to fly.
Golden Kamuy finds the perfect balance between cultural exposition, clever historical references, hilarious comedy, and exhilarating action. This makes for a deeply enjoyable watch.
3) Kingdom
Have you ever wished for an expansive series covering the exciting history of a country’s wars? If so, then you need not look any further than Kingdom. Set in China’s Warring States period, Kingdom follows an orphan named Xin as he takes on a mission to protect the heir to the throne, Ei Sei.
Ousted by a conspiracy in the palace, Ei Sei has very few allies and is under threat from the opposition. Xin, whose close friend lost his life for the sake of Sei, takes it upon himself to protect the young lord and rise to become a Great General.
Kingdom is an anime with its foot inside all genres, be it political drama, intense battles, or even romance. It doesn’t hold back in showing the brutality of war but still focuses on themes relatable to modern audiences. While the first season received mixed reviews due to its animation, the series has quickly improved to do its source material justice.
4) Ranking of Kings
At first glance, Ranking of Kings may seem like an anime geared more towards a younger audience. It features easy-on-the-eyes animation, a young protagonist, and a fairly simple story. However, as we take a closer look at it, we find that the series is extremely profound and emotionally charged. This makes it a tale deserving of being watched by all ages.
Ranking of Kings follows Bojji, a prince who is looked down on for his inability to hear or speak. Nevertheless, Bojji doesn’t let this hold him back and sets out on an epic journey to prove naysayers wrong and conquer his own fears. Joined by the shadow creature, Kage, the pair challenge the norms laid by society.
Ranking of Kings is an adaptation that tremendously improves upon its manga. It is motivational, features amazing character development, and has its fair share of spectacular fight sequences.
5) Land of the Lustrous
Very few anime out there can boast the visual and narrative uniqueness of Land of the Lustrous. Set in the future where mysterious Gem-like beings live in harmony, the series focuses on a troublemaker called Phos.
Inherently different from the rest, Phos spends their days interacting with all kinds of Gems while looking to find their purpose in this society. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, as the Gems are under threat from the Lunarians, who attack and abduct them. As Phos undertakes a task to document and compile an encyclopedia of their surroundings, they soon find that the truth behind the Gems and Lunarians is far more complex than it seems.
Land of the Lustrous used a unique 3D style to create a visual marvel and bring its characters to life. Its designs are one of a kind and its plot keeps evolving while generating more curiosity from viewers.
6) Blue Period
Anime with themes of Visual Arts can help in making some of the most impactful stories ever created. Blue Period is one of these cases, where it captures a detailed account of the protagonist’s journey as an artist.
Yatora is an unmotivated boy who whiles his time away with friends. After coincidentally running into the world of art, he finds himself thoroughly captured by the pictures on a canvas. What starts as a hobby soon turns into an obsession as he aims to join an extremely competitive university for art.
Blue Period portrays a very realistic depiction of the struggles and sacrifices of a boy chasing his dream. It beautifully crafts a tale that immerses the viewers into the world of art just like the protagonist. Blue Period is relatable, inspiring, and hooks you right from the first episode.
7) Pluto
Pluto is a story created by Naoki Urasawa, the maker of Monster, but it failed to gather as big a following as his most popular work. It reimagines the great Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy while offering a dark, introspective take on humanity and robots.
The story follows Detective Gesicht as he investigates the deaths of well-known robots all around the world. This takes him into a string of mysteries and a conspiracy that could destroy society as they know it. As the protagonist attempts to prevent this nefarious scheme, he comes into several questions of morality, identity, and the blurred lines between man and machine.
Pluto may not be as popular as Monster, but that does not speak of its quality itself. The series is a masterclass in storytelling, gradually building up mystery and engrossing us through emotional character arcs. Combining these with its gripping plot makes it an extremely underrated anime in need of a larger audience.
8) Rainbow
Rainbow is not an anime that we’d recommend to all age groups, simply because it is that brutal and dark. The series is a raw and emotional journey tackling the darkest aspects of human nature, one that may be too much for some viewers to handle.
However, if you are the kind of person who loves mature stories that tug at your heartstrings and are meticulously crafted, we cannot suggest this series enough. Rainbow is set in a prison where a group of juvenile delinquents are housed together. Regardless of their circumstances, these young kids form an unbreakable bond in the harshest atmosphere. While put through physical and mental strain by their sadistic guard, the main characters act as crutches for each other and face the injustice inflicted upon them.
Rainbow is a heart-wrenching series with plenty of tragedies but an equal balance of touching camaraderie. With its narrative depth and gritty atmosphere, this will be one anime you won’t forget any time soon.
Conclusion
To conclude, these are 8 underrated anime from a variety of genres that fans from all demographics will be interested in. Right from heartfelt drama to thrilling adventures, they are sure to bring a fresh perspective to your anime-watching journey this new year.
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