Underrated Gems

[Talyn]

What is on your favorite list that you don't think ever got the attention it deserved?

For my two cents....

Blue Gender - One of the best Mecha, hard sci-fi series of all times!
Higurashi - Not so much in Japan, but here in the US
Ergo Proxy - I enjoy everyone on here seeing the love in it.
Paranoia Agent - Amazing!!!
The Big O - Huge hit over here, failed miserably in Japan.

and lastly....

Outlaw Star - Bebop gets all the attention but Outlaw Star was equally as good and quality as Bebop was.

[neoz]

Originally Posted by Talyn

What is on your favorite list that you don't think ever got the attention it deserved?

For my two cents....

Ergo Proxy - I enjoy everyone on here seeing the love in it.
The Big O - Huge hit over here, failed miserably in Japan.
Outlaw Star - Bebop gets all the attention but Outlaw Star was equally as good and quality as Bebop was.

I really wish Big O would come out on blu ray. I really liked that show and the dub cast was really good as well. Doubt it ever will but one can dream.

And the other two I enjoyed as well. I'm hoping Funi decide to release Ergo one day and Outlaw. Also Trigun on blu ray too.

City Hunter is another one I enjoyed.

[Talyn]

Originally Posted by neoz

I really wish Big O would come out on blu ray. I really liked that show and the dub cast was really good as well. Doubt it ever will but one can dream.

And the other two I enjoyed as well. I'm hoping Funi decide to release Ergo one day and Outlaw. Also Trigun on blu ray too.

City Hunter is another one I enjoyed.

You mean a US Big O release? I've been long tempted to bug my friend in Japan to help me obtain that one. The import is pretty decent from what I have heard.

City Hunter! That'd be great, but considering even the dvd's are near impossible to obtain for a good price. What is it, season 2 is frigging pricey, I believe....

[Nage]

Doesnt sentai have big o, dont see why they wont release a blu. By underrated you mean rating wise or people talking about it?

[neoz]

Originally Posted by Talyn

You mean a US Big O release? I've been long tempted to bug my friend in Japan to help me obtain that one. The import is pretty decent from what I have heard.

City Hunter! That'd be great, but considering even the dvd's are near impossible to obtain for a good price. What is it, season 2 is frigging pricey, I believe....

Yep I was talking about the US one. I would love to see it. And not sure who has the license for it. No one knows anymore more. It was probably Genon or ADV haha.
And yeah tell me about it with City Hunter.

[prophetic]

Birdy the Mighty: Decode.

[Talyn]

Originally Posted by neoz

Yep I was talking about the US one. I would love to see it. And not sure who has the license for it. No one knows anymore more. It was probably Genon or ADV haha.
And yeah tell me about it with City Hunter.

Bandai had it last.... my guess is Big O would be picked up more by Sentai or Discotek....I don't see Funi going after The Big O. The only reason Big O got a second season was because Cartoon Network went in on it with Sunrise. I'd love to see it! The theme song was catchy!

[SeaFox]

Originally Posted by Talyn

Blue Gender - One of the best Mecha, hard sci-fi series of all times!
Higurashi - Not so much in Japan, but here in the US
Ergo Proxy - I enjoy everyone on here seeing the love in it.
Paranoia Agent - Amazing!!!
The Big O - Huge hit over here, failed miserably in Japan.
Outlaw Star - Bebop gets all the attention but Outlaw Star was equally as good and quality as Bebop was.

I'm having trouble thinking of any of these as underrated. Maybe because I'm thinking of underrated = obscure. I haven't seen Blue Gender, but Outlaw Star gets recommended to anyone who liked Cowboy Bebop and wants another space western. Paranoia Agent and Big O were both on basic cable -- for years.

So many people have seen these shows that the opinion of them should be fairly "correct" not underrated as far as the fandom goes.

Maybe the problem is they're getting old by today's standards and starting to get lost in the shuffle?

[Talyn]

Originally Posted by SeaFox

I'm having trouble thinking of any of these as underrated. Maybe because I'm thinking of underrated = obscure. I haven't seen Blue Gender, but Outlaw Star gets recommended to anyone who liked Cowboy Bebop and wants another space western. Paranoia Agent and Big O were both on basic cable -- for years.

So many people have seen these shows that the opinion of them should be fairly "correct" not underrated as far as the fandom goes.

Maybe the problem is they're getting old by today's standards and starting to get lost in the shuffle?

Definition of underrated for this thread....series that are not referred to as iconic as their counterparts and not brought up in discussion unless someone asks about them. When talking about mecha for the 90's.....most, talk Escaflowne and Eva, maybe Gasaraki.....but not Blue Gender. Basic cable isn't really in this conversation.

This is intended to bring up some older series that one might not think is discussed or brought as often as one thinks it should be. The market is so diluted these days that originality is lost but for maybe one or two series a year. We should not forget the past and those amazing series we hold in reverance. Until the bluray came out for Ergo Proxy, who really talked about it? The older crowd who were around when it came out on dvd years ago.... on tv years ago.

It's a nostalgia underrated, lost gem.... contribute or not. I thought it'd be a fun thought to talk about a series some may not know about without having someone randomly ask about. Here....we'd have a thread a new fan could peruse and be like...."Hey, I never heard of Spiral.....that sounds like a fun mystery series! Right up my alley."

[btt]

Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad.

[SeaFox]

Originally Posted by Talyn

Definition of underrated for this thread....series that are not referred to as iconic as their counterparts and not brought up in discussion unless someone asks about them.

Okay, I got it now.

I will throw in FLAG at this point. Maybe the photo-viewpoint turned some people off or lack of high-power robotic suit piloting, but it doesn't get mentioned often for a drama series (except here).

Also, in the exploring-existentialism angle -- Key the Metal Idol.

[Nage]

They were eleven was good. I love zoids new century, first zoids show to air in the us. Also love kinnikuman and ultimate muscle

[vincentric]

I could be wrong, meaning that am not sure if it has gained popularity in recent years but I feel like Gankutsuou is an amazing show that hardly anyone ever talks about. Admittedly, I haven't seen it in a while but the nostalgia for it still runs strong for me.

A few others that I think would fit the criteria for this thread are Kino's Journey and Now and Then, Here and There.

[Le Grande Blu]

Battle Athletes Victory was, and still is, a really great show.

[Snarfs]

Originally Posted by Talyn

Definition of underrated for this thread....series that are not referred to as iconic as their counterparts and not brought up in discussion unless someone asks about them. When talking about mecha for the 90's.....most, talk Escaflowne and Eva, maybe Gasaraki.....but not Blue Gender. Basic cable isn't really in this conversation.

This is intended to bring up some older series that one might not think is discussed or brought as often as one thinks it should be. The market is so diluted these days that originality is lost but for maybe one or two series a year. We should not forget the past and those amazing series we hold in reverance. Until the bluray came out for Ergo Proxy, who really talked about it? The older crowd who were around when it came out on dvd years ago.... on tv years ago.

It's a nostalgia underrated, lost gem.... contribute or not. I thought it'd be a fun thought to talk about a series some may not know about without having someone randomly ask about. Here....we'd have a thread a new fan could peruse and be like...."Hey, I never heard of Spiral.....that sounds like a fun mystery series! Right up my alley."

Yea it's really weird to define what exactly we're looking for in this thread. You would be surprised how many younger fans don't even know something like yuyu hakusho. It's weird to think one day shows like that will become underrated, or lost gems.

As for me...I guess these aren't really underrated but I don't see people talking about them much:

Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom
Texhnolyze

[Vracer111]

For me I'd say these are what I'd consider under-rated shows:

Birdy the Mighty: Decode - (kinda not underrated I think, but should have had a BD release already! Are we ever going to get one? )

Capeta - the best ever racing anime... There was only a Japanese DVD release I believe and I wouldn't have mind getting it if it was English friendly and didn't cost nearly $1200 for all the volumes if you could get them...which you can't.

Gun X Sword - good solid show that was a good watch. An interesting mecha show, but have to admit, Carmen 99 and the controlling a mecha via 'pole dancing' thing were probably the main draw for some people though...LOL

Rocket Girls (anime and novels) - for something on the level of Planetes or Space Brothers but in a very short lengthed package and with some Moe...(GWG approved Moe though? ) Science supports all the main concepts presented in it. I will say the anime was almost as good as the source material novels...not much deviation at all with only a few changes to things.

Solty Rei - for a really nice sci-fi mind trip and emotional trip as well...and also proof that a Gonzo show can start off...umm okay and keep that 1/2 way through the show, then massively progress midway through and keep up building the show stronger and stronger every episode unto the end with one of the strongest and best endings ever done in anime.

Vipers's Creed - it's like Rideback meets Appleseed and Ghost in the Shell series... because the "mecha master" himself was the creator and Production IG the studio.. LOL

[IdeaOfEvil]

Street Fighter the animated movie to this day has some of the best choreographed animated fighting in any anime

Spriggan has great action and one of the best premises of any movie, animated or not.

Vampire Hunter D and VHD Bloodlust both have great atmospheres, good character developments, and a fun mix of sci-fi and movie monster horror.

[jameslee17]

For me, a completely underrated gem is The Legend of Black Heaven. It's only been released on DVD as far as I know and it was quite some time ago (2000), so it may be a little tricky to find now.

The story is about a Japanese salaryman who gave up his dreams of playing guitar in a metal band long ago but meets a mysterious woman (alien) who convinces him that his guitar playing is instrumental in saving the universe from an invasion. As with a lot of anime, the general plot is bizarre but there's a lot of subtle details and moments in the story that really make it an unexpectedly satisfying viewing, and the rock soundtrack is pretty awesome too.

[Vracer111]

The Legend of Black Heaven would have been better if there was more variation in the songs used... hearing the same thing over and over got OLD quick, you'd expect there to be more than one song from a band... LOL. Story was good but the protagonist kinda lost me because of some of his actions... felt more empathy for his wife than him by the end. Opening was the best part of the series.

The reason I watched the series in the first place was because of the Code Monkey AMV... if Black Heaven was more like the Code Monkey AMV it would have been a much better series.

[Cat III]

Everyone else has been listing series so I'll change it up and add some movies.

Darkside Blues. It's probably too weird to ever get widespread approval, and I can't quite pin down why I like it so. Yet its moody, bizarre and stands above its fellow ponderous sci-fi OVA's.

The Mystery of Mamo. Cagliostro gets all the attention, but I think Mamo is superior. The characterizations and art style are more true to Monkey Punch's original creation and given that Cagliostro became the template for the following Lupin films, Mamo stands out all the more.