12 Anime That Exceeded Everyone's Expectations For Better or Worse (2024)

Every season, plenty of anime shows and films are met with hype to incredible degrees. Whether it’s because of the popularity of the source material, the pedigree of the staff and studio, or some combination of the two, some anime will stand out more than others, and those that do are often the ones that are the best to watch in their respective seasons.

Hype tends to be a good way of judging how good an anime will be, but that isn’t always the case. As often as anime are given hype, they’re just as often ignored either before their premieres or during because of their premises or a general lack of interest, but even with that, there are many cases when an anime will find major success with fans and critics alike after initially garnering little to no interest. A few anime, in particular, are especially noteworthy for being better than anyone could have expected, and each one is plenty worth highlighting.

12 Odd Taxi

Anime Series By OLM, Inc.; Directed By Baku Kinoshita

Odd Taxi

TV-14

Animation

Comedy

Crime

Odd Taxi is a Japanese anime series that follows Odokawa, a reclusive taxi driver with a sharp wit who becomes embroiled in a complex mystery involving his passengers. Set in a city inhabited by anthropomorphic animals, the story weaves together crime, dark humor, and social commentary. As Odokawa interacts with an eccentric cast of characters, he uncovers secrets that lead to unexpected revelations and suspenseful twists.

Cast

Mike McFarland , Lauren Landa , Daman Mills , Lucien Dodge , Amanda Lee , Jenny Yokobori , Kayli Mills , Brandon McInnis , SungWon Cho

Release Date

April 6, 2021

Seasons

1

Streaming Service(s)

Crunchyroll

Franchise(s)

Odd Taxi

Writers

Kazuya Konomoto

Directors

Baku Kinoshita

Main Genre

Comedy

Creator(s)

Kazuya Konomoto , Takeichi Abaraya

OLM, Inc.’s Odd Taxi stars Hiroshi Odokawa, a walrus who drives a taxi and is generally antisocial. When the mysterious disappearance of a high school girl finds its way back to Odokawa and the people he’s driven around, though, Odokawa has to connect with his customers to help solve a mystery that only gets bigger with each new reveal.

No one expected a random new IP from the relatively unknown director Baku Kinoshita to take off, but surprisingly, Odd Taxi ’s clever mystery writing and thoughtful character work made it a breakout success and one of the biggest anime of 2021. It perfectly shows how great original properties can be, even if no one comes in expecting much out of them.

11 Yuri!!! On Ice

Anime Series By MAPPA; Directed By Sayo Yamamoto & Mitsuro Kubo

Yuri on Ice

TV-14

Drama

Yuri on Ice is a Japanese anime series focused on the competitive world of figure skating. The storyline follows Japanese figure skater Yuri Katsuki, who grapples with his career and personal challenges while being mentored by his idol, Russian champion Viktor Nikiforov. The series delves into the intricate dynamics of competition, mentorship, and personal growth within the context of a high-stakes sport.

Cast

Jessie James Grelle , Jerry Jewell , Evgeni Plushenko , Micah Solusod

Release Date

October 6, 2016

Seasons

1

Streaming Service(s)

Crunchyroll , Prime Video

Writers

Sayo Yamamoto , Mitsuro Kubo

Directors

Sayo Yamamoto , Jun Shishido

Main Genre

Animation

Creator(s)

Sayo Yamamoto , Mitsuro Kubo

In MAPPA’s Yuri!!! on Ice, Japanese figure skater Yuri Katsuki has lost all confidence after a crushing defeat in the Grand Prix Final, but everything changes thanks to a chance encounter with his idol, Viktor Nikiforov. Viktor, encaptivated by Yuri’s performance, decides to become Yuri’s coach, and as the two grow closer, their bond evolves in a way no one could have expected.

Yuri!!! on Ice didn’t initially draw much attention, but in addition to its gorgeous animation and direction, Yuri!!! on Ice became a worldwide success thanks to its openly queer themes at a time when that was still rare in animation. The Yuri!!! on Ice movie was unfortunately canceled, but that doesn’t change how big a hit the series had become.

10 Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid

Anime Series By Kyoto Animation; Based On The Manga By Coolkyousinnjya

Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid

TV-14

Animation

Comedy

Sci-Fi

Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid is a Japanese anime series based on the manga by Cool-kyou Shinja. The story centers on the life of a office worker named Kobayashi, whose world is turned upside down when she saves a dragon named Tohru. Tohru, in gratitude, transforms into a human maid and begins living with Kobayashi, blending extraordinary elements into her otherwise mundane life.

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

Not available

*Availability in US

Cast

Yûko Gotô , Kaori Ishihara , Minami Takahashi[ , Mutsumi Tamura , Yuuki Kuwahara , Maria Naganawa , Yuuki Takada , Daisuke Ono , Yuichi Nakamura , Emiri Kato , Shinya Takahashi , Tomomi Mineuchi , Sachiko Okada , Hiro Shimono , Takayuki Sugô , Makoto Kaneko , Daisuke Takahashi , Hiroshi Yanaka , Kumiko Nakane , Takaaki Uchino , Hayato Fujii , Yû Shimamura , Jun Inoue , Sakiko Tamagawa , Haruka Chisuga , Tomokazu Sugita , Tomoko Naka , Rie Kawamura , Sumire Uesaka , Yu Miyazaki

Character(s)

Georgie Saikawa , Shouta Magatsuchi , Quetzalcoatl , Kobayashi , Tohru , Kanna Kamui , Elma , Fafnir , Makoto Takiya , Riko Saikawa , Sone , Ilulu , Grandmother , Taketo Aida , Tohru's Father , Big Brother , Bad Fat Person , Managing Director , Clothes Shop Clerk , Male Employee , Goblin , Saikawa's Mother , Grand Father , Kobayashi's Mother , Girl , Clemene , Tsubaki Aida , Kuroda , Chloe , Gang

Release Date

January 12, 2017

Streaming Service(s)

Crunchyroll

Main Genre

Animation

Kyoto Animation’s Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid stars Kobayashi, an overworked office worker who saves the life of a dragon stabbed with a sword. The dragon, Tohru, is so thankful that she takes on a human form and becomes Kobayashi’s live-in maid, and their developing relationship leads to Kobayashi constantly learning more about Tohru’s world and the complexities of the people who inhabit it.

Kyoto Animation adapting a manga with questionable fanservice turned a lot of heads, but Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid became an instant hit thanks to its great animation coupled with a surprisingly heartfelt story. There are few anime quite like Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, and it’s now largely considered one of the best Kyoto Animation anime of all time.

9 Zombie Land Saga

Anime Series By MAPPA; Directed By Munehisa Sakai

See Also

Search Anime - MyAnimeList.netHow Oshi No Ko and Perfect Blue Explore Idol Culture, Explained25 Sad Anime Series Guaranteed To Make You CryIdol master: Hatsune Miku Project Diva X review | Technobubble

Zombie Land Saga

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

Not available

*Availability in US

MAPPA’s Zombie Land Saga opens with Sakura Minamoto getting run over by a truck, and 10 years later, she awakes as one of seven girls turned into zombies. Sakura and the other girls were revived to become an idol group popular enough to revitalize the floundering Saga Prefecture, the reasoning being a constant mystery that only gets bigger with every passing episode.

Zombie Land Saga’s story was deliberately kept under wraps, but sure enough, Zombie Land Saga ’s hilarious and often heartfelt writing, combined with its great music, made it an instant hit, worldwide. Zombie Land Saga is often considered one of the best Studio MAPPA anime of all time, and with a sequel film in development, there’s plenty more to be excited about.

8 Bofuri: I Don't Want To Get Hurt, So I'll Max Out My Defense

Anime Series By Silver Link; Based On The Light Novel By Yuumikan

BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, So I'll Max Out My Defense

TV-14

Comedy

Action

Anime

Fantasy

Bofuri: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, So I'll Max Out My Defense follows Kaede Honjou as she navigates a virtual reality MMO game. Seeking to avoid pain, she invests heavily in her character's defense, surprisingly unlocking powerful abilities that enable her to embark on various in-game adventures with unique challenges.

Character(s)

Maple (voice) , “Fluffy Friends Room” Cat (voice) , Yui (voice) , Payne (voice) , Dread (voice) , Frederica (voice) , Mii (voice) , Shin (voice) , Markus (voice) , Female Customer (voice) , Bat (voice) , Teacher (voice) , May (voice) , King Skeleton (voice) , Kasumi (voice) , Dorazou (voice) , Risa Shiramine (voice) , NPC Maid (voice) , Mother NPC (voice) , Goddess (voice) , Fay (voice) , Spectator 1 (voice) , Spectator 3 (voice) , Guild Soldier 2 (voice)

Release Date

January 8, 2020

Network

AT-X

Writers

Shingo Nagai

Directors

Jun Fukuda , Yuushi Ibe , Yusuke Sekine , Masahiro Hosoda , Ryuta Yamamoto , Masahiko Suzuki , Junya Koshiba , Naoki Hishikawa , Yuta Maruyama

YouTube Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOF8hdm6hoA

In Silver Link’s Bofuri, when Kaede Honjo joined the new VRMMO game New World Online, she maximized defense for her character Maple to avoid taking damage as much as possible. New World Online wasn’t designed for something like that, and because of that, Maple’s unconventional play style slowly helped her become one of the top players of the game.

Bofuri received little attention before its premiere, the show coming off as just another “cute girls doing cute things” anime, but the fun, comedic writing of Bofuri , combined with surprisingly well-animated fight scenes, made it one of the most popular anime of the winter 2020 anime season. Season 2 failed to capture the same amount of hype, but season 1’s breakout success was still great to see.

7 Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

Anime Series By Ufotable; Based On The Manga By Koyoharu Gotouge

Your Rating

10 stars9 stars8 stars7 stars6 star5 stars4 stars3 stars2 stars1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

48

9.6/10

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

TV-MA

Animation

Action

Adventure

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba follows Tanjiro Kamado, a young boy who becomes a demon slayer after his family is slaughtered and his sister Nezuko is turned into a demon. Tanjiro embarks on a perilous journey to find a cure for his sister and avenge his family, facing numerous demons and formidable opponents along the way. Set in Taisho-era Japan, the series combines intense combat sequences with intricate character development.

Where to Watch

Season

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

Not available

Not available

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

Not available

Not available

*Availability in US

Cast

Natsuki Hanae , Zach Aguilar , Abby Trott , Akari Kitō , Yoshitsugu Matsuoka

Release Date

April 6, 2019

Seasons

5

Main Genre

Animation

Ufotable’s Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba takes place in a world where Japan is plagued by man-eating demons. When Tanjiro Kamado’s family is slaughtered by a demon and his sister Nezuko is turned into one, he makes it his mission to become a Demon Slayer so he can cure Nezuko and help rid the world of demons once and for all.

The Demon Slayer manga didn’t start big, and even having an anime by Ufotable didn’t do much at first. However, the viral nature of the Hinokami Kagura made Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba explode in popularity seemingly overnight, and years later, Demon Slayer is one of the best-selling manga of all time and one of the biggest anime franchises of the past decade.

6 Bocchi The Rock!

Anime Series By CloverWorks; Based On The Manga By Aki Hamazi

Your Rating

10 stars9 stars8 stars7 stars6 star5 stars4 stars3 stars2 stars1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

9/10

Bocchi the Rock!

TV-14

Animation

Comedy

Music

Bocchi the Rock! follows Hitori "Bocchi" Gotou, a shy high school student with social anxiety who dreams of becoming a rock musician. Despite her introverted nature, Bocchi joins a band called Kessoku Band and embarks on a journey of self-discovery and friendship. Set against the backdrop of a lively music scene, the series explores themes of personal growth, teamwork, and the power of music to connect people.

Where to Watch

Season

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

Not available

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

Not available

Not available

*Availability in US

Cast

Yoshino Aoyama , Sayumi Suzushiro , Saku Mizuno , Ikumi Hasegawa

Release Date

October 9, 2022

Seasons

1

Streaming Service(s)

Crunchyroll

Franchise(s)

Bocchi the Rock!

Writers

Erika Yoshida , Aki Hamaji

Directors

Keiichirô Saitô

Main Genre

Comedy

Creator(s)

Aki Hamaji

See Also

Dan Tong ZHANG - Anime News Network:W

CloverWorks’ Bocchi the Rock! stars Hitori Gotoh, a girl with crippling social anxiety who’s suddenly recruited to be the new guitarist in the band Kessoku Band. Now, as Hitori—now with the nickname Bocchi—commits herself to the band, she’ll find herself slowly but surely gaining the exact life she hoped for.

While the anime initially seemed like another run-of-the-mill slice-of-life anime, Bocchi the Rock! ’s incredible animation, combined with its surprisingly thoughtful look into social anxiety, helped it become one of the biggest anime of 2022. Few anime have had the same level of breakout success as Bocchi the Rock!, and hopefully, there will be more of it to come later down the line.

5 Akira

Anime Film By TMS Entertainment; Based On The Manga By Katsuhiro Otomo

Akira

R

Anime

Action

Drama

A secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psychic psychopath who can only be stopped by a teenager, his gang of biker friends and a group of psychics.

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

*Availability in US

Director

Katsuhiro Otomo

Release Date

July 16, 1988

Studio(s)

Tokyo Movie Shinsha Co. Ltd

Distributor(s)

Toho

Writers

Katsuhiro Otomo , Izô Hashimoto

Cast

Mitsuo Iwata , Nozomu Sasaki , Mami Koyama , Taro Ishida , Tesshô Genda , Mizuho Suzuki , Tatsuhiko Nakamura , Fukue Itō , Kazuhiro Shindō

Runtime

124 Minutes

Budget

$5.7 Million

TMS Entertainment’s Akira takes place in the dystopian Neo-Tokyo and revolves around two bikers named Kaneda and Tetsuo. An encounter with the JSDF leads to Tetsuo awakening psychic powers that he’s quick to lose control of, and it soon falls onto Kaneda to stop his friend’s rampage, all while unraveling the mystery of the legendary esper Akira.

Akira was originally just a modest success at the box office, but thanks to home media and rereleases in other countries, Akira has long since been reevaluated as an incredible piece of cyberpunk fiction and one of the best anime films of all time. Few anime are as iconic as Akira, and considering where it was when it first premiered, its popularity is even more noteworthy.

4 Re:Zero - Starting Life In Another World

Anime Series By White Fox; Based On The Light Novel By Tappei Nagatsuki

Your Rating

10 stars9 stars8 stars7 stars6 star5 stars4 stars3 stars2 stars1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Your comment has not been saved

6.2/10

Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World-

TV-14

Animation

Comedy

Action

Fantasy

Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World- follows the story of Natsuki Subaru, a young man suddenly transported to a fantasy world. Struggling to understand his new environment, he discovers he has the ability to return from death, allowing him to change past events. With each resurrection, Subaru forges alliances and confronts the challenges of this alternate realm, endeavoring to protect those he grows to care for while unraveling the mysteries surrounding his predicament.

Cast

Yûsuke Kobayashi , Rie Takahashi , Yumi Uchiyama , Chinatsu Akasaki , Yuichi Nakamura , Inori Minase , Rie Murakawa , Takehito Koyasu , Satomi Arai , Kōhei Amasaki , Nobuhiko Okamoto , Kaori Nazuka , Aimi Tanaka , Maaya Sakamoto , Marika Kouno , Mugihito , Kenta Miyake , Hibiku Yamamura , Koki Koyasu

Character(s)

Subaru Natsuki (voice) , Emilia (voice) , Puck (voice) , Felt (voice) , Reinhard Van Astrea (voice) , Rem (voice) , Ram (voice) , Roswaal L. Mathers (voice) , Beatrice (voice) , Otto Suwen (voice) , Garfiel Tinsel (voice) , Frederica Baumann (voice) , Lewes Meyer (voice) , Echidna (voice) , Petra Leyte (voice) , Rom (voice) , Kadomon (voice) , Kadomon's Wife (voice) , Roswaal B. Mathers (voice) , Patrasche (voice) , Rachins (voice) , Crusch Karsten (voice) , Ferris (voice) , Wilhelm Van Astrea (voice) , Anastasia Hoshin (voice)

Release Date

April 3, 2016

Network

TV Tokyo , AT-X

Streaming Service(s)

Crunchyroll

Writers

Yoshiko Nakamura

Directors

Hiroyuki Tsuchiya , Kazuomi Koga , Yoshito Mikamo , Masaharu Watanabe , Yoshinobu Tokumoto , Masahiro Shinohara , Hideyo Yamamoto , Manabu Okamoto , Takashi Sakuma , Daisuke Takashima , Naoko Takeichi

Main Genre

Animation

Producers

Yoshikazu Beniya , Sho Tanaka , Kazuo Onuki , Aya Iizuka , Eriko Aoki

White Fox’s Re:Zero stars Subaru Natsuki, an ordinary boy who finds himself transported to a fantasy world. There, Subaru finds himself with the power to return to specific points in time whenever he dies, with him dying in increasingly horrific ways as he slowly gets involved in the darker elements of his new reality.

Re:Zero came out when isekai anime started becoming contentious, and the first episode didn’t do much to convince people that it was anything new. However, Re:Zero was quick to win fans and critics over with its dark and subversive writing and poignant character drama, and it’s now seen as one of the best isekai anime of all time.

3 Your Name

Anime Film By CoMix Wave Films; Directed By Makoto Shinkai

Your Rating

10 stars9 stars8 stars7 stars6 star5 stars4 stars3 stars2 stars1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

9.3/10

Your Name

PG

Animation

Romance

Drama

Your Name is a 2016 animated film directed by Makoto Shinkai. The story centers around two high school students, Taki and Mitsuha, who inexplicably begin to swap bodies. Set in both Tokyo and a rural town, the film explores themes of identity and connection as the characters navigate their intertwined lives. Through its rich animation and poignant narrative, Your Name captivates audiences with its exploration of fate and self-discovery.

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

*Availability in US

Director

Makoto Shinkai

Release Date

August 26, 2016

Studio(s)

Toho

Distributor(s)

Funimation

Writers

Makoto Shinkai

Cast

Ryunosuke Kamiki (Taki Tachibana voice) , Mone Kamishiraishi (Mitsuha Miyamizu voice) , Ryo Narita (Katsuhiko Teshigawara voice) , Aoi Yuki (Sayaka Natori voice) , Nobunaga Shimazaki (Tsukasa Fujii voice) , Kaito Ishikawa (Shinta Takagi voice) , Kanon Tani (Yotsuha Miyamizu voice) , Masaki Terasoma (Toshiki Miyamizu voice) , Sayaka Ohara (Futaha Miyamizu voice)

Runtime

106 minutes

Main Genre

Animation

CoMix Wave Films’ Your Name stars Taki Tachibana and Mitsuha Miyamizu, two strangers who suddenly discover that they swap bodies whenever they fall asleep. Taki and Mitsuha must learn to balance each other’s lives amidst their bizarre circumstances, and as their relationship becomes romantic, the distance between them becomes far from the biggest obstacle they have to overcome.

Makoto Shinkai’s films have always been cult films at best, so there weren’t a lot of expectations for Your Name to be big. However, Your Name ’s gorgeous art and animation and touching romance drama helped it become one of the biggest anime films of all time, and because of that, Makoto Shinkai is now seen as one of the greatest directors in modern anime.

2 Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

Anime Series By Studio Trigger; Based On The Video Game By CF Projekt Red

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

Animation

Action

Adventure

David Martinez (Kenichiro Ohashi) is a streetwise kid living in the slums of Night City in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. To survive, David becomes an edgerunner, also known as cyberpunk, taking on mercenary jobs outside the system. Together with a group of new and veteran edgerunners, David will shoot for the moon to escape the underbelly of the increasingly cyber-obsessed city. Unfortunately, the law isn't the only group that the edgerunners will have to contend with, as other heavily cyber-augmented humans will pose an even more significant threat.

Where to Watch

Season

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

Not available

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

Not available

Not available

*Availability in US

Cast

Aoi Yuki , Kenichiro Ohashi , Kenjiro Tsuda , Kazuhiko Inoue , Tomoyo Kurosawa

Release Date

September 13, 2022

Seasons

1

Network

Netflix

Streaming Service(s)

Netflix

Franchise(s)

Cyberpunk

Writers

Mike Pondsmith , Yoshiki Usa , Masahiko Otsuka

Studio Trigger’s Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a spinoff prequel of Cyberpunk 2077 starring David Martinez, a young boy who’s grown up in poverty within the dystopian Night City. After the death of his mother, David takes his life into his own hands with a powerful cybernetic implant, leading to him finding a new life for himself within a gang of criminals called edgerunners.

Cyberpunk 2077 had an infamously disastrous launch that it never fully recovered from, so expectations for the anime were appropriately low. However, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners was an instant hit thanks to its gorgeous animation and engaging, yet tragic, storytelling from start to finish, and it’s now largely considered one of the best anime from Studio Trigger in years.

1 Mobile Suit Gundam

Anime Series By Sunrise; Directed By Yoshiyuki Tomino

Mobile Suit Gundam

TV-14

Anime

Action

Adventure

Sci-Fi

Mobile Suit Gundam follows teenager Amuro Ray, who pilots the Earth Federation's secret weapon, the mobile suit Gundam, amidst an interstellar war. Fleeing aboard the warship White Base, Amuro and a group of refugees and inexperienced soldiers become pivotal in influencing the conflict's outcome.

Cast

Hirotaka Suzuoki , Tôru Furuya , Toshio Furukawa , Kiyonobu Suzuki , Michael Kopsa , Brad Swaile , Cathy Weseluck , Chris Kalhoon

Character(s)

Gihren Zabi (voice) , Degwin Sodo Zabi (voice) , M'Quve (voice) , Hayato Kobayashi (voice) , Ramba Ral (voice) , Frau Bow (voice) , Char Aznable (voice) , Amuro Ray (voice) , Sayla Mass (voice) , Bright Noa (voice) , Mirai Yashima (voice) , Kai Shiden (voice) , Ryu Jose (voice) , Lalah Sune (voice) , Kycilia Zabi (voice) , Dozle Zabi (voice) , Garma Zabi (voice) , Matilda Ajan (voice) , Chiyo (voice) , Hamon Crowley (voice)

Release Date

April 7, 1979

Seasons

1

Network

Nagoya TV

Writers

Kenichi Matsuzaki

Directors

Yoshiyuki Tomino , Ryoji Fujiwara , Shinya Sadamitsu

Main Genre

Anime

Creator(s)

Yoshiyuki Tomino , Hajime Yatate

YouTube Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZszGvGAR5NU

Sunrise’s Mobile Suit Gundam is the first series in the now-iconic Gundam franchise. The original series told the story of the Earth Federation’s losing battle against the Principality of Zeon, but when Amuro Ray breaks out the experimental Gundam, the Earth Federation gets the edge they need to turn the tide.

Mobile Suit Gundam was famously unpopular when it first aired, but thanks to the popularity of Gunpla, Mobile Suit Gundam was slowly reevaluated and became a much bigger hit after the fact, leading to it becoming one of the most influential mecha anime of all time. The shift in perception for Gundam is nothing short of incredible, and it’s easily the biggest example of an anime that exceeded everyone’s expectations.

✕ Remove Ads