Ready to step out of your comfort zone with an overlooked anime you’ve never watched before?

AI can be useful, confusing, and a little terrifying — all at the same time. So here’s a question: what happens if you ask AI for a list of underrated and overlooked anime that deserve more love? Will it actually pull hidden gems, or just repeat what every anime list on YouTube has already said a thousand times?

I tested it. I asked three separate AI tools to give me 10 overlooked anime series people should stream. Then I went through those lists myself, called out where I agreed (and where I absolutely didn’t), and finally made my own list of overlooked anime recommendations you should actually try.

10 Overlooked Anime Series to Stream, According to AI

For this little experiment, I pulled three different lists and compared them. After those, you’ll get my list — the overlooked anime I personally think you should watch when you’re tired of the same five mainstream titles getting all the hype.

AI Tool #1: 10 Overlooked Anime Titles

1. Erased (Boku dake ga Inai Machi)
2. Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day
3. March Comes in Like a Lion (3-gatsu no Lion)
4. Barakamon
5. Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit
6. Mushishi
7. Nana
8. House of Five Leaves (Saraiya Goyou)
9. The Twelve Kingdoms (Juuni Kokuki)
10. Mawaru Penguindrum

My Thoughts: This list has some potential. I’m not sure I’d call Mushishi, Barakamon, or Nana “overlooked,” though. They’re pretty well-known in anime circles, especially if you’re already into slice-of-life or drama. Still, I’ll give AI credit for pulling things like Moribito and House of Five Leaves, because those really don’t get talked about enough.

AI Tool #2: 10 Overlooked Anime Titles

1. Kaiba
2. Wolf’s Rain
3. Guin Saga
4. Zipang
5. Emma: A Victorian Romance
6. Gene of AI
7. Heavenly Delusion
8. Silver Spoon
9. Eden of the East
10. ReLIFE

My Thoughts: This list is honestly pretty good. Kaiba, Zipang, Emma: A Victorian Romance — those aren’t the names that get thrown around in “Top 10 Anime You Gotta Watch” videos every five seconds. I’d probably pull ReLIFE off the list, though. It’s not really “hidden” at this point. A lot of people have seen it or at least heard of it.

AI Tool #3: 10 Overlooked Anime Titles

1. Big Windup
2. Kids on the Slope
3. Shounen Maid
4. Flying Witch
5. Mononoke
6. Hell Girl
7. Tiger and Bunny
8. Rozen Maiden
9. Princess Principal
10. Silver Spoon

My Thoughts: Overall, this list kind of falls apart. A lot of these titles are actually pretty well-known and don’t really qualify as “overlooked.” Tiger and Bunny and Hell Girl especially have whole fanbases. So… nice try, robot, but no.

10 Overlooked Options to Stream, According to Mom Unfiltered

Okay. Robot opinions are cute. But let’s talk about the anime I actually think deserve “hidden gem” status — shows you might’ve scrolled past or never even heard of, but would absolutely get obsessed with if you gave them a shot.

1. Erased
2. Yakitate!! Japan
3. Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit
4. Eden of the East
5. Number24
6. Higehiro: After Being Rejected, I Shaved and Took in a High School Runaway
7. The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic
8. BOFURI: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense
9. And you thought there is never a girl online?
10. Orange

What Mom Unfiltered Thinks

Erased is dark, intense, and incredibly addictive. I binged the entire series in one sitting and then immediately rewatched the whole thing with my husband. It’s a psychological thriller, but it also punches you right in the heart. It’s the kind of anime where you end up yelling “just one more episode” at 2 a.m. because you have to know what happens.

Yakitate!! Japan is one of those anime that sounds silly when you describe it out loud (competitive bread baking… I know), but it’s legitimately fun and way more dramatic and creative than you expect. If you want something weird, food-obsessed, and chaotic in a good way, watch it.

Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit deserves more love. Period. It’s got gorgeous worldbuilding, action, politics, found family energy, and a female lead who is an actual adult with actual skills and actual depth. If you’re tired of teenage protagonists and want something that feels like “anime but grown,” this one should be on your list.

Eden of the East pulls you in fast. It mixes mystery, conspiracy, and romance in a way that keeps you guessing without getting confusing. It also has this “ordinary person thrown into something huge and dangerous” energy that makes it super bingeable. If you like stories that feel like puzzles, watch this.

I don’t usually run toward sports anime, but Number24 surprised me. It’s centered around rugby, but it’s way more about connection, recovery, and identity than it is about the sport itself. A lot of people list it as BL, but there really isn’t actual BL in the story — it’s more about emotional closeness between boys/men in a way you don’t always see handled well in anime. It definitely deserved another season.

Higehiro: After Being Rejected, I Shaved and Took in a High School Runaway might have one of the worst, most chaotic titles ever written. The title alone makes a lot of people skip it, and the early fan service turns some people off fast. But if you hang in there past that first impression, the emotional core of the story is about protection, safety, and boundaries. It’s messy, but it has heart.

The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic is adorable and honestly pretty funny. It’s an isekai (fantasy “pulled into another world” setup), but instead of the usual “I’m the hero with a giant sword,” it leans into the idea of support powers and how healing can be weaponized in really creative ways. If you watch the English Dub, there’s one random episode where the main character’s voice suddenly changes because the voice actor was out sick. It is extremely noticeable and I will never be over it. Still worth watching.

BOFURI: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense is pure serotonin. It’s about a sweet gamer girl who doesn’t want to take damage in a VR MMO, so she just builds the tankiest character ever and accidentally becomes unstoppable. If you like the “log into fantasy game world” vibe of Sword Art Online but want it to be cute and low-stress instead of traumatic and high stakes, this one is for you.

And you thought there is never a girl online? is another gamer-type anime. Is it high art? Absolutely not. Did I regret watching it? Also no. It’s funny, it’s nerdy, it leans into online friendships vs. real-life awkwardness, and if you’re into shows like Sword Art Online or BOFURI, you’ll probably vibe with it. It’s not necessarily something I’d rewatch over and over, but it was a fun ride the first time.

Orange is emotional. Like, bring tissues. The story involves friendship, regret, and trying to save someone you care about from a future you don’t want to see happen. It’s not light, but it’s powerful. I watched it straight through in a single day because I needed answers. If you’re in the mood to feel something and you’re okay with crying, this one will get you.

Share Your Thoughts

Now it’s your turn. Do you have an anime you swear is underrated and nobody talks about? Drop it in the comments. Put us on. People are always out here rewatching the same five shows when their next favorite series is literally sitting right there, ignored in the queue.