8 Underrated Anime Series You Should Have Watched

Not all series are created equal, some are better than others. These are diamonds in the rough that haven’t gotten the respect that they deserve. So take a look and check out a few new series you may like.

Zetsuen no Tempest, or Blast of Tempest to its friends, got started as a televised series in 2012. This series follows a teenage boy and his friend, they’re trying to find out what happened to his sister, who mysteriously died one year previous to the beginning of the series. This series doesn’t get the attention it really deserves, so go out and discover this underappreciated series.

Tetsuwan Birdy: Decode, the anime series, first hit screens in 2008. This show is about a Federation agent, named Birdy Cephon Altera, that comes to Earth to hunt down criminals. While on her trek she accidentally kills a teenage boy, thankfully for them both they are able to keep the boy’s alive by merging into Birdy’s body until they are able to fix his old body. This puts them both in a very awkward situation, even with all of the awkward they’re able to work together. Definitely worth a watch.

Ergo Proxy is unique in the sense that it was not based on an already successful manga. The series is directed by Shukō Murase, who cut his teeth as key animator for Samurai Champloo and as the animation director for Mobile Suit Gundam F91. This sci-fi suspense anime only existed for 23 episodes so don’t worry about having to slog through crappy episodes waiting to come upon one that is actually relevant to the story.

Tokyo Ravens began its life as a series of novels by Kōhei Azano, it went on to become a manga series, and then ultimately an anime series in 2013. This underrated series centers around Harutora Tsuchimikado, a young man from a family of magically infused people called onmyouji. He isn’t gifted with any magical powers, which makes it tough when he becomes tasked to watch over a childhood friend. This is something that you’ll love, if you don’t dig this series you obviously don’t like nice things.

Full Metal Panic! follows Sousuke Sagara, an agent in an anti-terrorist organization called Mithril. His job just got harder when he had to protect a high school girl named Kaname Chidori. This series got its beginnings as a series of novels, which just like before led to a manga, and then it reached its final form in 2002 when it finally hit the airwaves.

Last Exile takes you to the world of Prester, a steampunk utopia where people travel around in floating vanships. The story is centered around two teenage couriers that fly around delivering packages. Well everything changes one day when they’re tasked with delivering a young girl. The original series, it was spun off into another series called Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing, ran for only 26 episodes so it won’t be that cumbersome to watch the entire run.

Gunslinger Girl got its start as a manga, which ran from 2002 to 2012. The series saw the light of day in 2003 and ran for 13 episodes, since then they’ve spun it off into a game and another series. Gunslinger Girl takes place in Italy and follows the organization known as the Social Welfare Agency. The agency isn’t what you think it is, it’s actually a military group that deals with counter-intelligence and counter-terrorism. It’s a great show that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Hajime no Ippo is a Japanese boxing anime, it follows the protagonist Makunouchi Ippo as he traverses his way through the boxing scene. It all starts with Makunouchi getting his ass handed to him by bullies, thankfully a professional boxer passes by and brings the beaten teen to a gym. From there we discover the true talent that Makunouchi has, he’s a born boxer. His training may seem like its out of Karate Kid but it’s still worth your time and attention.