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Daily Obscure/Underrated Anime Recommendations Number Eighty-Nine
Robot Carnival
(Story: 9 of Japan's leading animators were asked to create a short segment that followed the theme of "Robots," for their inclusion in this film. Essentially, this "movie" is 9 short films, all independant of one another. The common element is human interaction with robots, namely the consequences of creating life with one's own hands, played in nine very different ways.)
(Source: ANN; MyAnimeList)
1: Opening (Atsuko Fukushima and Katsuhiro Otomo)
2: Franken's Gears (Koji Morimoto)
3: Deprive (Hidetoshi Omori)
4: Presence (Yasuomi Umetsu)
5: Star Light Angel (Hiroyuki Kitazume)
6: Cloud (Mao Lamdo)
7: A Tale of Two Robots (Hiroyuki Kitakubo)
8: Nightmare (Takashi Nakamura)
9: Ending (Atsuko Fukushima and Katsuhiro Otomo)
(Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Mecha, Drama, Comedy,etc)
(Released 1987; OVA; Movie; 91 MIN; PG-13)
(Notes: Well. This was a trip. Uh. I dont wanna spoil too much but this was pretty interesting. Of course, the animation, detail and designs were amazing. Because yes. Retro anime art style is still the best. Fight me. I wish there were more projects like this still being made. It's just so creative. You may like some segments more than others but that's a given. They're all so wildly unique. You can find this film for free on RetroCrush, the full English sub on RetroCrush's YouTube channel, Tubi, Freevee, PlutoTV, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, Peacock, SlingTV but for Crunchyroll i think you may need a premium subscription.) Read Note
(Story: 9 of Japan's leading animators were asked to create a short segment that followed the theme of "Robots," for their inclusion in this film. Essentially, this "movie" is 9 short films, all independant of one another. The common element is human interaction with robots, namely the consequences of creating life with one's own hands, played in nine very different ways.)
(Source: ANN; MyAnimeList)
1: Opening (Atsuko Fukushima and Katsuhiro Otomo)
2: Franken's Gears (Koji Morimoto)
3: Deprive (Hidetoshi Omori)
4: Presence (Yasuomi Umetsu)
5: Star Light Angel (Hiroyuki Kitazume)
6: Cloud (Mao Lamdo)
7: A Tale of Two Robots (Hiroyuki Kitakubo)
8: Nightmare (Takashi Nakamura)
9: Ending (Atsuko Fukushima and Katsuhiro Otomo)
(Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Mecha, Drama, Comedy,etc)
(Released 1987; OVA; Movie; 91 MIN; PG-13)
(Notes: Well. This was a trip. Uh. I dont wanna spoil too much but this was pretty interesting. Of course, the animation, detail and designs were amazing. Because yes. Retro anime art style is still the best. Fight me. I wish there were more projects like this still being made. It's just so creative. You may like some segments more than others but that's a given. They're all so wildly unique. You can find this film for free on RetroCrush, the full English sub on RetroCrush's YouTube channel, Tubi, Freevee, PlutoTV, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, Peacock, SlingTV but for Crunchyroll i think you may need a premium subscription.) Read Note
lol no
Daily Obscure/Underrated Anime Recommendations Number Eighty
Kaiba
(Story: In a world where memories exist in memory chips separate from the body, death of the body no longer means death of the soul. It is possible for memories to be viewed, altered, and transferred between bodies. These memory chips are used by the rich to obtain eternal lives in carefully selected bodies, while for the poor, selling their own bodies and conserving their souls in the chips often become the only way to earn a living. An electrolytic cloud in the sky serves as a barrier between the heavens of the fortunate and the underworld of the destitute, making this social division impregnable.
One day, a man named Kaiba wakes up in an empty room with no memories, a mysterious hole in his chest, and a locket holding the picture of an unknown woman. After escaping an attack and stumbling upon a decrepit village of underworld residents, he begins his adventure across the different planets of this strange universe to find out more about his own identity and the woman he once knew.
Through a journey of self-discovery and acceptance, Kaiba weaves together tales of souls and spirits and explores the importance of memories.)
(Genre: Adventure, Award Winning, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi)
(Released 2008; 12 episodes; TV-MA)
(Notes: Bruh this is trippy but in a good way. a GREAT way actually. This show is actually amazing. A true gem and another banger from MADHOUSE. It was directed by Masaaki Yuasa. You may be familiar with his other work, Masaaki Yuasa is a Japanese director, screenwriter, and animator affiliated with Science SARU, a Japanese animation studio which he co-founded with producer Eunyoung Choi in 2013. Recognized for his idiosyncratic art style and directorial voice, Yuasa began his career as an animator on the landmark television series Chibi Maruko-chan (1990–1992) and Crayon Shin-chan (1992–present), before moving into directing with the feature film Mind Game (2004) and developing a cult appeal following.
Yuasa spent much of the 2000s and early 2010s working in television directing, helming a trio of series, Kemonozume (2006), Kaiba (2008), and The Tatami Galaxy (2010), before releasing the crowdfunded short film Kick-Heart (2013).
At Science SARU, Yuasa focused on directing both television and feature film productions, starting with an episode of the American animated series Adventure Time (2014), and continuing with Ping Pong the Animation (2014), The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl (2017), Lu Over the Wall (2017), Devilman Crybaby (2018), Ride Your Wave (2019), Super Shiro (2019), Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! (2020),Japan Sinks: 2020 (2020),[and Inu-Oh (2021). His works, as you can guess, have won plenty of awards and Kaiba is just as imaginative and unique as any of his other works. I implore you to check it out. Not just for the animation but for the characters and the story. It's beautiful in its own way.) Read Note
(Story: In a world where memories exist in memory chips separate from the body, death of the body no longer means death of the soul. It is possible for memories to be viewed, altered, and transferred between bodies. These memory chips are used by the rich to obtain eternal lives in carefully selected bodies, while for the poor, selling their own bodies and conserving their souls in the chips often become the only way to earn a living. An electrolytic cloud in the sky serves as a barrier between the heavens of the fortunate and the underworld of the destitute, making this social division impregnable.
One day, a man named Kaiba wakes up in an empty room with no memories, a mysterious hole in his chest, and a locket holding the picture of an unknown woman. After escaping an attack and stumbling upon a decrepit village of underworld residents, he begins his adventure across the different planets of this strange universe to find out more about his own identity and the woman he once knew.
Through a journey of self-discovery and acceptance, Kaiba weaves together tales of souls and spirits and explores the importance of memories.)
(Genre: Adventure, Award Winning, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi)
(Released 2008; 12 episodes; TV-MA)
(Notes: Bruh this is trippy but in a good way. a GREAT way actually. This show is actually amazing. A true gem and another banger from MADHOUSE. It was directed by Masaaki Yuasa. You may be familiar with his other work, Masaaki Yuasa is a Japanese director, screenwriter, and animator affiliated with Science SARU, a Japanese animation studio which he co-founded with producer Eunyoung Choi in 2013. Recognized for his idiosyncratic art style and directorial voice, Yuasa began his career as an animator on the landmark television series Chibi Maruko-chan (1990–1992) and Crayon Shin-chan (1992–present), before moving into directing with the feature film Mind Game (2004) and developing a cult appeal following.
Yuasa spent much of the 2000s and early 2010s working in television directing, helming a trio of series, Kemonozume (2006), Kaiba (2008), and The Tatami Galaxy (2010), before releasing the crowdfunded short film Kick-Heart (2013).
At Science SARU, Yuasa focused on directing both television and feature film productions, starting with an episode of the American animated series Adventure Time (2014), and continuing with Ping Pong the Animation (2014), The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl (2017), Lu Over the Wall (2017), Devilman Crybaby (2018), Ride Your Wave (2019), Super Shiro (2019), Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! (2020),Japan Sinks: 2020 (2020),[and Inu-Oh (2021). His works, as you can guess, have won plenty of awards and Kaiba is just as imaginative and unique as any of his other works. I implore you to check it out. Not just for the animation but for the characters and the story. It's beautiful in its own way.) Read Note
lol no
Daily Obscure/Underrated Anime Recommendations Number Thirty-Four
Mushishi
(Story: "Mushi": the most basic forms of life in the world. They exist without any goals or purposes aside from simply "being." They are beyond the shackles of the words "good" and "evil." Mushi can exist in countless forms and are capable of mimicking things from the natural world such as plants, diseases, and even phenomena like rainbows.
This is, however, just a vague definition of these entities that inhabit the vibrant world of Mushishi, as to even call them a form of life would be an oversimplification. Detailed information on Mushi is scarce because the majority of humans are unaware of their existence.
So what are Mushi and why do they exist? This is the question that a "Mushishi," Ginko, ponders constantly. Mushishi are those who research Mushi in hopes of understanding their place in the world's hierarchy of life.
Ginko chases rumors of occurrences that could be tied to Mushi, all for the sake of finding an answer.
It could, after all, lead to the meaning of life itself.)
(Genre: Supernatural, Adventure, Iyashikei, Mystery, Slice-of-Life)
(Released 2005; 26 episodes)
(Notes: A lot of y'all dont know or watch Mushishi and it shows smh lmao okay in all seriousness , this show is beautiful. give it some love. highly recommended) Read Note
(Story: "Mushi": the most basic forms of life in the world. They exist without any goals or purposes aside from simply "being." They are beyond the shackles of the words "good" and "evil." Mushi can exist in countless forms and are capable of mimicking things from the natural world such as plants, diseases, and even phenomena like rainbows.
This is, however, just a vague definition of these entities that inhabit the vibrant world of Mushishi, as to even call them a form of life would be an oversimplification. Detailed information on Mushi is scarce because the majority of humans are unaware of their existence.
So what are Mushi and why do they exist? This is the question that a "Mushishi," Ginko, ponders constantly. Mushishi are those who research Mushi in hopes of understanding their place in the world's hierarchy of life.
Ginko chases rumors of occurrences that could be tied to Mushi, all for the sake of finding an answer.
It could, after all, lead to the meaning of life itself.)
(Genre: Supernatural, Adventure, Iyashikei, Mystery, Slice-of-Life)
(Released 2005; 26 episodes)
(Notes: A lot of y'all dont know or watch Mushishi and it shows smh lmao okay in all seriousness , this show is beautiful. give it some love. highly recommended) Read Note
lol no
Daily Obscure/Underrated Anime Recommendations Number Twenty-Two
Michiko to Hatchin
[This one is rated TV-MA;recommended for people 17+; there's also some swearing in the trailer video just warning you]
(Story: Escaped convict Michiko Malandro may look attractive, but she has a deadly disrespect for the officers trying to track her down. While on the run, fate -- in the form of a mysterious man from her past -- brings her together with hapless orphan Hatchin, who has reached her breaking point due to the actions of her foster parents' sadistic offspring. Being pursued by police, the duo head through exotic locations where danger lurks at every turn. Michiko and Hatchin are partners in crime on the lam who are chasing a dream, and they won't stop running until they achieve it.)
(Genre: Action, Adventure, Girls with Guns)
(Released 2008; 22 episodes)
(Notes: I love love LOVE this anime. It has gotten some attention in recent years but still feels highly underrated I love it with all my heart and the characters are so great oml i kinda wish it was longer. And it was produced by THE Shinichirō Watanabe; who is best known for directing the critically acclaimed and commercially successful anime series Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo; both of which are absolutely amazing shows as well. Fun Fact: Michiko's design was based off of the African-American R&B singer Aaliyah. Also, Aaliyah was an amazing singer and music artist; gone too soon R.I.P. her songs are classics and i grew up with em) Read Note
[This one is rated TV-MA;recommended for people 17+; there's also some swearing in the trailer video just warning you]
(Story: Escaped convict Michiko Malandro may look attractive, but she has a deadly disrespect for the officers trying to track her down. While on the run, fate -- in the form of a mysterious man from her past -- brings her together with hapless orphan Hatchin, who has reached her breaking point due to the actions of her foster parents' sadistic offspring. Being pursued by police, the duo head through exotic locations where danger lurks at every turn. Michiko and Hatchin are partners in crime on the lam who are chasing a dream, and they won't stop running until they achieve it.)
(Genre: Action, Adventure, Girls with Guns)
(Released 2008; 22 episodes)
(Notes: I love love LOVE this anime. It has gotten some attention in recent years but still feels highly underrated I love it with all my heart and the characters are so great oml i kinda wish it was longer. And it was produced by THE Shinichirō Watanabe; who is best known for directing the critically acclaimed and commercially successful anime series Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo; both of which are absolutely amazing shows as well. Fun Fact: Michiko's design was based off of the African-American R&B singer Aaliyah. Also, Aaliyah was an amazing singer and music artist; gone too soon R.I.P. her songs are classics and i grew up with em) Read Note
lol no
Daily Obscure/Underrated Anime Recommendations Number Five
Earth Maiden Arjuna
(Story: The series follows Juna Ariyoshi, a high school girl chosen to be the "Avatar of Time" and entrusted with saving the dying Earth.)
(Genre: Philosophical, Science Fiction, Magical Girl)
(Released 2001; 12 episodes + 1 special)
(Notes: Found back during my magical girl phase; pretty unique amongst magical girl anime in my opinion) Read Note
(Story: The series follows Juna Ariyoshi, a high school girl chosen to be the "Avatar of Time" and entrusted with saving the dying Earth.)
(Genre: Philosophical, Science Fiction, Magical Girl)
(Released 2001; 12 episodes + 1 special)
(Notes: Found back during my magical girl phase; pretty unique amongst magical girl anime in my opinion) Read Note