Ask John: What are the Most Underrated Anime?

Question:
Lately I’ve been doing research about the most underrated anime titles of all time (taking the amount of approval and attention they got from viewers as a criteria) and for this purpose I’ve read a lot of blogs, reviews, forums and rank lists. But the internet, being as vast as it is, contained various results concerning this topic, some of which came from questionable sources, hence I couldn’t judge the level of their accuracy. I am aware that a fully objective list cannot be made, since the number of animations is “infinite” and the content of such lists vary depending on the researchers. What I am interested in, in this case, is your personal opinion of what the most underrated anime titles of all time are? (among the ones you’ve managed to sample of course.)

Answer:
Properly discussing or categorizing history’s “most under-rated” or under appreciated anime requires careful effort to distinguish a difference between objectively and universally under-rated titles and anime that simply aren’t widely recognized in America or anime which were once highly respected but have since become forgotten. Whenever discussion of under appreciated anime arises, inevitably outstanding titles like Serial Experiments Lain, Denno Coil, Kaiba, Angel’s Egg, Mind Game, and possibly even Gosenzosama Banbanzai will be referenced. However, despite being little known in America, these brilliant productions have been major award winners in Japan and internationally, and have been long respected and acknowledged by knowledgeable Japanese & international critics and fans. So calling these shows “under-rated” is only accurate from the very limited perspective of contemporary American discussion. Without doubt, these aforementioned shows are are among the most criminally under appreciated by average contemporary American viewers, but historically these shows have received better, more deserving reception in Japan and elsewhere. So a more accurate and genuine catalog of truly under appreciated anime would be one that identifies anime that have largely never gotten their due credit anywhere, from any significant audience.

Director Rintaro’s 1992 sci-fi action OVA Download, alternately known as “Down Load: Namiamidabutsu wa Ai no Uta,” is one of anime history’s most criminally lost gems. This stunningly stylized hybrid of Lupin III & Akira noteably features landmark animation from auteur animators Yoshinori Kanada & Tatsuyuki Tanaka, and cyberpunk concepts years ahead of their time. The fact that the OVA has never been released on DVD makes it especially obscure and unseen these days.

A relatively small number of ultra-hardcore connoisseurs of outstanding animation quality respect animator Yoshinori Kanada’s work in the earlier 1984 anime film Birth. However, despite having been released on American home video twice, the movie remains practically unknown and forgotten in America and globally. Perhaps due to its disposable title, “Birth,” or its even worse initial American release moniker “Planet Busters,” and doubtlessly due somewhat to its extremely minimal narrative, the film has never been especially regarded outside of a tiny cult following. Yet this fun film exhibits some of the finest, most detailed, most intricate, and most exhilarating hand drawn and hand painted animation that Japan has ever produced.

In July 2007 Madhouse released its feature film adaptation of Makoto Isshiki’s Piano no Mori manga. The film was only moderately successful at the Japanese box office, and despite being nominated for a best animated film academy prize, it was heavily overshadowed by the heavily promoted and discussed Rebuild of Evangelion movie 1, Tekkon Kinkreet, and Kappa no Koo to Natsuyasumi movies. Since then, the film has settled into relative obscurity despite being, arguably, the finest anime film of 2007. The movie doesn’t have the sensationalism and fantasy of Summer Days with Coo, the name recognition of Evangelion, nor the newsworthiness of a foreign director, but it has more charm, emotional resonance, and honest humanity than any of its higher profile sibling films.

For reasons alien to me, the 2007 Shion no Ou television anime slipped by largely unseen by seemingly nearly everyone despite being a fascinating, gripping and unique series. Perhaps not since 1996’s Kiko-chan Smile TV series had a leading character spoken so little. In fact, the protagonist of Shion no Ou was a mute girl, forcing the anime to convey her personality and thoughts through animation and action. This tense drama series paralleled competitive shougi with the lingering mystery of the unsolved murder of the protagonist’s parents. Naturally, the two narratives are more intertwined than obvious.

Studio BONES’s biggest successes and most popular titles, including Wolf’s Rain, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Soul Eater, have overshadowed what are actually among the studio’s best shows: Niju Menso no Musume, Kurau: Phantom Memory, and Oh! Edo Rocket. Kurau seemed to largely slip beneath the radar in Japan when it aired in 2004. While it does have some domestic fans, it doesn’t seem to be as respected or appreciated as the depth of its characterization should merit. The 2007 Oh! Edo Rocket television series has never been very appreciated in America, but it did garner relatively high praise in Japan. 2008’s Niju Menso no Musume, however, seems to have been largely universally overlooked when it’s an engrossing, distinctive, surprising show that breaks molds by illustrating the maturation of an independent, strong-willed young girl who doesn’t look for romance or approval but instead challenges herself to claim her own independence and ability to fight for her own principles and defend her own values and friends herself.

Possibly because Mizuki Kawashita’s Hatsukoi Gentei manga received a lukewarm reception and surprised many readers with its unexpectedly short publication, expectations for the 2009 TV anime were limited (no pun intended), and countless potential viewers dismissed Hatsukoi Limited as just another disposable schoolgirl anime. However, the few viewers that did give the show a chance found that it was unexpectedly charming and heartwarming, including far more honest and realistic character development than typical of high-school romance anime.

RD Senno Chosashitsu was the second of two collaborations between Production I.G and manga artist Masamune Shirow. Probably due to the weakness of the first collaboration, Shinrei Gari, and limited advance detail on its story, many viewers and critics seemed to ignore “Real Drive.” The show did develop a very small but devoted fan following because Real Drive revealed itself to be an unusually distinctive, beautifully animated, very fascinating slice of intelligent, accessible speculative science fiction.

Regrettably, Fuji TV network producer Koji Yamamoto announced in October 2010 that the Aoi Hana TV series adaptation of Takako Shimura’s yuri manga would not get a second season. Yamamoto expressed disappointment that J.C. Staff had produced an exceptionally high quality anime that not enough viewers and consumers had supported. Aoi Hana is a literally beautiful and very affecting subtle romantic drama about teen girls defining their affections and realizing that they may be more attracted to other girls than to boys. The fact that this touching show didn’t succeed remains one of the great injustices of anime history.

Rather than conventionally underrated, creator Shouji Kawamori’s exceptional 2001 television series Chikyu Shojo Arujuna is widely simply rejected, considered confusing heavy-handed ecological diatribe. Certainly, while the show does aggressively espouse Kawamori’s naturalist philosophy, the anime itself is technically wonderful looking and a groundbreaking, unique merger of Zen Buddhism, Hinduism, and deconstruction of conventional anime tropes. In fact, Arjuna emphasizes that its protagonist acting as a conventional anime hero normally would is actually counterproductive and unnatural. Earth Girl Arjuna is a tremendous, landmark series that’s usually attacked rather than respected.

Creator Ryosuke Takahashi is highly respected for his beloved realistic robot anime Armorer Trooper Votoms & SPT Layzner, yet his most realistic mecha anime is largely overlooked. Although Flag did get a Japanese feature film, its initial production as a web anime limited its exposure. The series’ documentary style makes it unique in the history of anime, but at the same time alienates it from viewers expecting conventional anime. Flag is a fascinating, believable examination of the possible role of mecha in military conflict, so unflinching in its narrative honesty that it’s sometimes frustrating to viewers that want more conventional entertainment.

The 2008 three-episode independently produced CG anime OVA series Hoshi no Umi no Amuri ~ Amuri in Star Ocean gets ignored because it’s CG rather than traditional animation, because it’s independent animation, and because it superficially resembles shoujo anime in outer space. Regrettably, countless viewers that offhandedly disregarded the series failed to recognize its wonderful creativity and absolutely breathtaking visual design. The sheer amount of imagination evident in this series overwhelms nearly every other anime in existence.

Doubtlessly there are other deserving and under-respected anime that I’ve either, myself, forgotten to acknowledge, or which I’m personally not familiar with. I’m particularly tempted to nominate the amazing 2010 Cat Shit One pilot anime which gets a lot of buzz for its novelty yet little respect for its awesome technical prowess and carefully researched and presented realism. Likewise, I’m tempted to also mention the lovely 2005 Arashi no Yori Ni motion picture which is almost totally unknown in America but is more respected internationally, and the superb 2005 Mushishi TV series which does gather praise, yet not nearly as much as it deserves. But I hope that my initial categorization at least provides context for further consideration and discussion.