From crime comedy to samurai drama, these 25 best underrated anime are shows nobody should ever skip

Crime, Comedy and Romance

The Fable follows a legendary hitman ordered by his boss to spend a year living as an ordinary citizen. Its deadpan humor and awkward everyday encounters contrast with a grim noir atmosphere and a close look at the yakuza.

A Condition Called Love looks beyond the conventions of high school romance. Through Hananoi and Hotaru, it explores trust, boundaries and the emotional complications of young love, with a deliberate pace and an unsentimental approach to vulnerability.

Science Fiction and Identity

In Kaiba, a young man wakes with a hole in his chest and no memories. His journey through an imaginative science-fiction world examines identity and class disparity, brought to life in the distinctive style of animator Maasaki Yuasa.

Bokurano follows children who pilot a robot called Zearth against giant alien enemies. Rather than centering on battles, the series explores the children’s struggles and dark philosophical questions; it received a mixed response, in part because of dated CGI and changes from the original work.

A Samurai Story Stands Apart

House of Five Leaves is described as an unusual samurai anime that rarely features in conversations about the genre. Its story follows Akitsu Masanosuke, a timid ronin whose insecurity overshadows his exceptional swordsmanship. The available account of the series ends before explaining what happens after Masanosuke’s introduction.