Top 5 Overrated and Underrated Anime Series

In today’s society, it is difficult to come across anime series that are universally accepted without any criticism. While a significant portion of the population may enjoy a particular series for various reasons, there will always be those who dismiss it for either valid or irrational reasons.

Demon Slayer, for example, is an anime that has defined a generation. It is famous for its protagonist, who showed compassion even towards the most merciless creatures. However, some fans believe that the series’ spectacular animation, produced by studio Ufotable, was its only redeeming quality.

Like this example, there are countless other series that receive criticism for reasons that are not universally recognized. In this article, we will examine five of these series, as well as five others that warrant criticism for certain aspects that lack coherence.

This article solely reflects the opinions of the author and does not represent the views of any other entity.

No Game No Life and 4 other anime series that get too much hate

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations

Boruto as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Boruto is the continuation of one of the Big Three in the Shounen genre, focusing on the story of Boruto Uzumaki, the son of Naruto Uzumaki. Initially, the show was disliked due to the main character’s behavior. He displayed the traits of a spoiled child, constantly demanding his wishes be met.

Despite initial criticism for its below-average animation and filler arcs, the hate towards this Shounen anime series continued to grow. However, as Boruto Uzumaki’s character developed, many fans decided to give the series another chance and found the story to be decent enough.

Despite this, it continues to be regarded as one of the most despised anime series.

No Game No Life

Sora (left) and Shiro (right) as seen in the anime (Image via Madhouse)

Many fans consider No Game No Life to be the most popular isekai anime series. The show centers around Sora and Shiro, who find themselves in a new world where games determine everything. The hype surrounding the series during its release led to it being hailed as the best anime, attracting viewers from all genres.

Despite high expectations, the ‘isekai’ twist proved to be a major turnoff for many fans, leading to its widespread criticism across fandoms. No Game No Life was a groundbreaking series that garnered immense hype from its fans, but this excessive hype ultimately led to its downfall.

One Piece

Monkey D Luffy as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

One Piece is a Shounen anime series that revolves around Monkey D Luffy, a boy with dreams of becoming the Pirate King. It first premiered in October 1999 and has since aired over 1000 episodes.

Despite having a smaller number of filler episodes compared to other Shounen anime, the series is often criticized for its lengthy episode count, with fans feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of committing to 1000 episodes. Even though the filler arc is considered to be the highlight of the series, this aspect continues to receive backlash to this day.

Guilty Crown

Shu as seen in the anime (Image via Production I.G)

“The plot of Guilty Crown revolves around Shuu, a young man who gains immense power and is tasked with saving Japan from an ominous threat. However, his portrayal as a weak protagonist goes against the typical conventions of the Mecha genre.”

The series’ climax, in which Shuu becomes blind and loses his beloved Inori to the villains, left a sour impression on fans. As a result, the series received a significant amount of criticism.

Although not all of the series have a positive resolution, the unhappy ending of Guilty Crown was disliked even by its fans.

5) Family

Nagisa (left) and Okazaki (right) as seen in the anime (Image via KyoAni)

Clannad, deemed by many fans as the most emotionally impactful anime series, centers around the lives of Nagisa and Okazaki. It portrays Okazaki’s journey towards finding renewed purpose in each day after witnessing the joy and contentment of Nagisa. Despite its successful run during its broadcast, the series garnered criticism for its controversial ending.

The conclusion of the series depicted two distinct timelines, one where Nagisa and Okazaki remained together and another where one of them met their demise. This was a direct reflection of the series’ source material, a visual novel with various possible endings. However, the studio’s decision to deviate from a singular ending resulted in a significant backlash from viewers.

Underrated Anime Series That Deserve More Criticism

SSSS Gridman

Akane as seen in the anime (Image via TRIGGER)

SSSS Gridman is a contemporary mecha anime that centers around Yuta, a young man with the ability to control a massive robot. Along with his friends, he fights to protect Japan. The series gained recognition for its distinctive character designs and memorable ending song, but it also incorporated an element that was not typically seen in its genre.

The series was known for its use of fanservice, particularly focusing on the female protagonists Rika and Akane. Even though the fanservice was not overt, it still became a defining aspect of the series, which may have been unfair to fans of the mecha genre. As a result, the series has been subject to criticism for this aspect.

Another

Kouichi as seen in the anime (Image via P.A. Works)

Another is a popular horror anime series that follows Kouichi, who returns to school after several years and discovers a series of strange incidents. It is highly recommended for fans of horror anime.

Regrettably, the horror aspect in the series is quite underwhelming, largely relying on loud noises. This applies not only to this series, but to all horror anime, as this genre is not well-suited for adaptation into an animated format.

Despite its reputation as a solid horror anime, Another may receive criticism for specific aspects.

Anime: Hunter x Hunter

Gon as seen in the anime (Image via Madhouse)

Hunter x Hunter, a highly beloved Shounen anime, follows the story of Gon, who aspires to become a hunter in order to reconnect with his father who abandoned him during his infancy.

Despite its popularity, the series has faced criticism for its intricate power scaling system known as Nen. While some fans have a deep understanding of Nen, others find it overly complicated and have expressed their complaints.

The Seven Deadly Sins

Elizabeth (left) and Meliodas (right) as seen in the anime (Image via A-1 Pictures)

Despite its promising start, the Shounen anime series Seven Deadly Sins ultimately suffered from a decline in animation quality. The story still revolves around Meliodas aiding Elizabeth in gathering the Seven Deadly Sins to defend the Kingdom of Liones.

Despite being recognized for its mediocre animation, the series’ main issue lies in its excessive use of fanservice, which is unexpected for a non-Ecchi anime. While the fanservice never reached an ‘explicit’ level, it did not align with the overall theme of the series, making it open to criticism.

Bleach

Ichigo as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Bleach, one of the Big 3 of Shounen, is an anime series that centers around Ichigo. He is reluctantly thrust into the role of a Soul Reaper and tasked with protecting his town from Hollows. The anime follows the common trope of “revealing your power to the enemy,”but Bleach elevates it to new heights within the genre.

Despite never resulting in any major defeat for the protagonist, this trope is frustrating as the antagonist always seems to have an understanding of the protagonist’s powers yet the fights are still predetermined in favor of the protagonist. Interestingly, many viewers do not take issue with this, but the series may face criticism for this aspect.