The anime industry has grown significantly over the years, even to the point of competing with mainstream media. As the popularity of the anime and manga industries grows rapidly, hundreds of series and films are released each year. While a lot of them dominate social media discussions and gather a massive fan base, a lot more series are overlooked due to a variety of reasons. Whether it’s low publicity, animation that isn’t much visually striking, or stories that aren’t action-driven, there are many reasons why a good anime would get overlooked.
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Despite having all the qualities to even surpass some of the most popular series, these hidden gems never get the recognition they deserve. This is why, just because these anime aren’t popular, it doesn’t mean you don’t have to check them out. Here’s a list of seven anime that are so good you should feel bad for ignoring them for this long.
7) Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun
One of the best romantic comedies to date, Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun is set in a high school, centering around all kinds of eccentric students. After finally gathering her courage, Chiyo Sakura confesses to her crush, Umetaro Nozaki, but messes it up by accidentally calling herself his “fan.”
Much to her surprise, Nozaki hands her his autograph, revealing he’s a famous shojo mangaka using a pen name, Sakiko Yumeno. Through a strange turn of events, she becomes his assistant and eventually befriends several of Nozaki’s quirky friends, turning even the most normal situation into a humorous rollercoaster.
6) Blue Period
This gorgeous story immerses the viewers in the beauty of art and the struggles artists face, contrary to the more typical shonen fare. Yatora Yaguchi, an unmotivated, second-year high school delinquent with excellent grades, finds his true calling in life when he stares at the vibrant landscape of Shibuya. He picks up a paintbrush, hoping to convey his thoughts on a canvas, and eventually decides to enroll in the highly competitive and prestigious Tokyo University of the Arts.
However, for someone as green as Yatora, the path to making his dream is rocky, especially when the school only accepts one in every two hundred applicants. Blue Period is known for not sugarcoating an artistic journey as it focuses on sleepless nights, artistic blocks, burnout, rejection, vulnerability, and the struggle to embrace your true self.
5) The Way of the Househusband
This wholesome comedy anime series is episodic in nature, with each episode bringing a new set of hilarious events that challenge the protagonist’s ability to manage the house. Tatsu, a former yakuza who once went by the nickname “The Immortal Dragon,” suddenly disappeared from the underworld one day and became a devoted stay-at-home husband to support his wife, Miku, a hardworking career woman.
The story follows his day-to-day life as his intense yakuza mannerisms and attitude make even the simplest tasks feel like high-stakes operations. Despite his eccentricity, he is surprisingly good at household chores, cooking gourmet meals, keeping the house spotlessly clean, hunting for the best supermarket deals, and budgeting to the best of his abilities.
4) Summer Ghost
This beautiful short film leaves viewers with a deep sense of melancholy despite having a runtime of 39 minutes. They say fireworks calm the soul of the deceased, and this is why young students Tomoya Sugisaki, Aoi Harukawa, and Ryou Kobayashi lit fireworks during the summer.
They meet the ghost of a young woman who is said to have committed suicide and who only appears in a specific area in front of those who are within arm’s reach of death. Yet, for some reason, all three of them can easily talk with the ghost. While each of them struggles to find meaning in their lives, Tomoya finds the truth behind the young woman’s death.
3) Goodbye, Don Glees
This visually striking coming-of-age anime film by Madhouse is a heartwarming story following three friends who embark on a journey to prove their innocence after they get blamed for a forest fire. However, they only continue to land themselves in more trouble as they have no idea how to survive a few days in the forest.
While Roma and Toto have been friends for a while, they also form an unbreakable bond with Drop, a new member of the group. Amid their journey, the story takes viewers on a rollercoaster of emotions as it reveals that Drop is hiding a secret that might separate the group forever.
2) Nodame Cantabile
Most of the famous music anime series, such as Given and Your Lie in April, are often laced with melancholy and tragedy, which is why Nodame Cantabile stands out as a refreshing, lighthearted alternative. Megumi Noda (Nodame) and Shinichi Chiaki study Western art music performance at the same Japanese music conservatory, but their talent for piano is about the only thing they have in common.
As a perfectionist, Shinichi is awestruck by Nodame’s raw talent but soon realizes that she doesn’t have the motivation needed to make it big in the industry. On the other hand, Nodame madly falls in love with him, and thus begins their chaotic love story as they juggle their musical careers and support each other along the way.
1) Natsume’s Book of Friends
While the series has a small but dedicated fanbase, it doesn’t have nearly as much hype as it deserves. Set in a Japanese countryside filled with lush forests and old shrines, this supernatural fantasy reflects the themes of making peace with your past and forming new bonds through the protagonist and his interactions with Yokai. Moved from one foster home to another since his parents’ deaths, Takashi Natsume never found a place where he was welcomed.
It also didn’t help that people found him strange because he was able to see Yokai. As a high school student, he arrives in the countryside with his new foster family. It doesn’t take long for Natsume to encounter a powerful spirit named Madara, who tells him all about the power of the Book of Friends that belonged to his grandmother. Natsume makes it his mission to return the names of those Yokai before their powers can be used for evil.
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image courtesy of Universal Pictures, Columbia Pictures, and Millimeter
