While some generic anime become globally popular, other exceptional series can get lost among the vast number of titles released each season because their stories don’t immediately resonate with viewers. Some of the best anime go unnoticed after their release or are forgotten over time.
Some anime lack the widespread reputation or appeal of the industry’s biggest names, but they boast innovative premises, thought-provoking themes, and distinctive visual styles, making them hidden gems that definitely deserve to be seen. Here are some lesser-known and obscure anime for fans looking for something different that might just become their new favorite.
Key Highlights
- Cromartie High School: This series features a diverse cast of delinquents and a unique comedic charm.
- Sagrada Reset: A time-travel anime with a complex narrative that requires viewers’ attention to grasp its mysteries.
- Somali and the Forest Spirit: A heartwarming tale of a golem and a human girl navigating a post-apocalyptic world.
- The Fable: An assassin’s struggle to adapt to normal life while maintaining his deadly skills offers both humor and action.
Cromartie High School
While comedy anime like Gintama and Nichijou are still remembered despite the passage of time, others have gone unnoticed, such as Cromartie High School. This school houses a diverse cast of delinquents thanks to its ridiculously low admission standards, since if you know how to add and subtract, you can get in.
Although its animation is simple, it uses transitions effectively for punchlines, giving the series a comedic charm enhanced by its eccentric cast, from a high school student whose true humanity is questionable to a gorilla. Cromartie High School celebrates surreal humor and parodies delinquent culture with many references to Western rock, becoming a must-watch comedy with only 11 minutes per episode.
Sagrada Reset
Sagrada Reset didn’t have the same impact as Steins;Gate, as it doesn’t follow a chronological order, making it difficult for some viewers to follow the story at first. However, Sagrada Reset is one of the best time-travel anime, with a dark atmosphere and a clever and refreshing story whose mysteries are established from the very beginning.
In Sagrada Reset, the characters possess special abilities, including Misora Haruki, who can rewind time, known as “reset.” Despite its slow start and seemingly monotonous characters, Sagrada Reset brilliantly resolves its mystery as it constantly plays with time leaps, becoming an anime where you have to pay close attention to pick up on the clues, full of thought-provoking themes and plot twists.
Somali and the Forest Spirit
Although action isekai often grab the headlines, there are noteworthy fantasy anime that deserve more attention, like Somali and the Forest Spirit. After humanity was brought to the brink of extinction due to relentless persecution, Somali and the Forest Spirit depicts the journey of an emotionless golem and a human girl as they try to find her place to belong.
The anime reflects the cruelty of the world in the relationship between humans and other races, and as Somali travels alongside the Golem, the two awkwardly forge a kind of parent-child bond despite not being related by blood. This premise makes Somali and the Forest Spirit gradually become one of the most heartwarming fantasy anime, which will stir viewers’ emotions.
The Fable
The Fable follows a legendary assassin who is ordered to take a sabbatical year and live under an alias without killing anyone. But unlike anime like The Way of the Househusband, whose protagonist has already left the yakuza lifestyle behind, The Fable‘s appeal is the stark contrast between Akira’s sharp hitman skills and his inability to act like a normal person.
Although the anime went largely unnoticed in the West on Disney+, The Fable has an exquisite balance between humor and seriousness, with perfect comedic timing that alternates with tense action scenes, making the episodes fly by in an instant. From Akira’s clumsiness and hilariously weird facial expressions to its fascinating portrayal of criminals, The Fable is a must-watch underrated anime of 2024.
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