In the past 10 years, Japanese animation has exploded in popularity. Shows like “My Hero Academia,” “Demon Slayer” and “One Piece” have seen unprecedented international success and have even broken box office records with their respective films. Other shows like “Dandadan,” “Chainsaw Man” and “Bocchi the Rock” have also become viral hits with their music and memorable scenes. As of 2025, anime has become a much larger cultural phenomenon on a global scale, reaching millions worldwide with groundbreaking stories.
But among all the wildly popular shows released in the last decade, it’s easy for others to get lost in the shuffle. Even as some shows have established themselves as pillars in the genre, there have been plenty of underrated shows that have come out over the years and are worth your attention. This list breaks down some of the best unspoken gems in anime that have come out between 2015 and 2024. From moving dramas to magical girls to intense thrillers, here are just some of the most underrated anime of the last decade that you can check out.
“School-Live!” (2015)
Yuki Takeya is a cheerful, foolhardy high schooler and a member of the School Living Club, a group whose members live within the grounds of Megurigaoki Private High. Throughout a given school day, she attends her classes, hangs out with her friends, and is always on the search for fun activities to do while in class. But while she lives a carefree life, the other members of the club work to keep everyone safe.
Because in reality, the members of the School Living Club are the few remaining survivors of their school after a zombie virus infects the entire city and the rest of the student body. Traumatized by the initial outbreak, Yuki has repressed her memories and lives in a fantasy in which the world remains safe and unchanged.
While the show is presented as cute and pristine on the surface, “School-Live!” is an intense, graphic, and shockingly moving zombie show about what it means to live when the world is ending.
“Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto” (2016)
If aura-farming were a person, they’d be Sakamoto in this absurd school comedy. The series follows the titular Sakamoto, an eccentric boy genius who manages to flippantly and stylishly look cool in any situation. Upon his arrival to class, he immediately earns the affection of the girls in school while making a rival out of the male population. Despite this, their efforts to ridicule and humiliate Sakamoto invariably end with Sakamoto looking even cooler than he did before.
“Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto” is a ridiculously-entertaining series that will never leave you at a loss for laughs.
“Vanishing Line: Garo” (2017)
This animated spin-off of the Japanese tokusatsu franchise is produced by MAPPA of “Jujutsu Kaisen” and “Chainsaw Man” fame. The sprawling metropolis of Russell City is plagued by Horrors, monsters who possess and prey on people in the night. The only thing that can protect them is a small faction of Makai Knights and Makai Priests, warriors with the magical abilities necessary to combat Horrors. Among them is Sword, a Knight who wields the golden armor of Garo and is the strongest of the Makai Knights.
This unique take on the long-running series is full of style and flair, packed with the intense action sequences and compelling narratives for which MAPPA is known.
“SSSS.Gridman” (2018)
Based on an old 1990s tokusatsu series, “Gridman” follows Yuta Hibiki, an amnesiac boy who attends high school with his friends Rikka Takarada and Sho Utsumi. After encountering Hyper Agent Gridman on an old computer, Yuta rediscovers his mission to eliminate the giant kaiju who threaten the safety of his hometown. To this end, Yuta and his friends form the Gridman Alliance to stop kaiju and unravel the mystery behind their appearance.
If you’re a fan of giant robot fights, “Gridman” has got you covered with plenty of action and surprising dramatic twists.
“Star Twinkle PreCure” (2019-2020)
The long-running “PreCure” magical girl series has had many installments, but none quite like “Star Twinkle”.
In the mystical Starry Sky World, the 12 Star Princesses maintain order and peace in the universe. After the evil Notraiders attack the Princesses in their Star Palace, their powers are scattered throughout the cosmos. The Princesses then task the mysterious fairy Fuwa and their loyal aide Prunce to travel to Earth and find the PreCure, warriors who can restore their power and save the universe. They soon find their first member in Hikaru Hoshina, an imaginative young girl who dreams of traveling to space. After receiving a Star Color Pendant and Pen, she becomes Cure Star and is granted the power to fight against the Notraiders.
Even as a popular children’s franchise, “PreCure” has always had the power to resonate with a wider audience. However, few do it quite as expertly as “Star Twinkle”. Touching upon heavy themes such as diversity and overcoming discrimination, “Star Twinkle” truly shines as a fun and colorful series with important messages.
“Akudama Drive” (2020)
In a dystopian cyberpunk future, dangerous prison inmates known as “Akudama” are invited by an anonymous client to release one death row Akudama known as “Cutthroat” from imprisonment. A young girl is unwittingly caught up in the ensuing chaos as the Akudama succeed in the prison break. However, the initial gig is revealed to be a part of a much larger scheme enacted by a mysterious benefactor. Six of the most sinister Akudama, along with the innocent girl, are then charged with an impossible heist under threat of an explosive death and the promise of an enormous payout. This ragtag team of violent criminals must now work together to finish the job and evade the police all while uncovering the mystery behind their job.
This “Suicide Squad”–on-steroids series is a short, sweet burst of adrenaline that never once takes its foot off the pedal.
“SSSS.Dynazenon” (2021)
As you may have guessed from the title, “Dynazenon” is a standalone sequel to the aforementioned “Gridman” that features more drama, intensity, and giant robot action. High schooler Yomogi Asanaka has a chance encounter with Gauma, a “Kaiju User” trying to protect humanity from other giant monsters. After a kaiju attacks the city, Yomogi and his classmate Yume Minami, alongside local NEET Koyomi Yamanaki, unwittingly become Gauma’s copilots as they control the giant robot Dynazenon to fight against evil.
“Sasaki and Miyano” (2022)
If you need something cozier and more wholesome, then look no further than this adorable and heartwarming gay love story. This short series follows the titular Miyano Yoshikazu, a high school student who harbors a secret enjoyment of boys’ love (BL) manga. He meets fellow classmate Sasaki Shumei, who wants to borrow his collection. As they get to know each other, Sasaki begins his own actual BL story as he slowly develops feelings for Miyano.
“Pluto” (2023)
Few of world-renowned author Naoki Urasawa’s acclaimed manga are ever adapted into anime. So when one of them is, you can be certain that it’ll be a banger. “Pluto” is one such banger.
Based on storylines from Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy, Pluto centers on Gesicht, a Europol robot detective who seeks to solve the mystery behind a series of human and robot deaths where the victims have objects positioned on their heads to resemble horns. As Gesicht follows the clues, he begins to consider the unlikely event that a robot is the culprit. Robot civil rights and human ethics are called into question as Gesicht struggles to discern the difference between humanity, robots, and the monsters each of them can become.
“Orb: On the Movements of the Earth” (2024)
In 15th century Europe, the Church maintained a strict hold on information, government, and society at large. Religious teachings are practiced as law and any deviations from the doctrine are viewed as heresy and are punishable by death. Despite this, a handful of scholars set out to prove heliocentrism, the known astronomical model in which the sun is the center of our galaxy and the planets revolve around it. Those with minds inquisitive and brave enough continue the studies across several decades, all while dodging Inquisitors.
This unsung gem of an anime is a sprawling, inspirational, and humbling introspection on the human condition in a vast universe.
Which underrated anime did you love during the past decade? Let us know in the comments!
