Summary
People watch anime for many reasons—some for the plot, some for the amazing fight scenes, and some for the hype. However, nothing captures the attention of an anime watcher like breathtaking visuals. From well-detailed, hand-drawn backgrounds to beautiful action sequences, there’s no shortage of visually stunning anime. But for every popular anime likeDemon SlayerandYour Name, there are anime that do not gain as much traction.
Sometimes, due to poor promotion, uncommon art styles, or complex plots, these anime have gone unnoticed in the anime community. However, they are rare gems for those who go the extra mile to find them, as they display the hard work behind beautiful animation.
Violet Evergardenis an anime that tells the story of a girl who knows nothing but war and is seen as a killing machine by almost everyone while she is trying to find her purpose in the absence of war. This series was animated by Kyoto Animations, a popular animation studio known for its good visuals, but this masterpiece is amazing even by the studio’s standards, with an unorthodox art style and realistic vibe.
However, its slow pacing and selective appeal, combined with the release of already-known anime such asSaiki KandAttack On Titansin that year, made it a sleeper hit more than a mainstream one.
Makoto Shinkai’s5Centimeters Per Secondis an anime that explores the relationships between people and how distance and time affect such relationships, along with the ability to let go and move on. This is one of his most realistic works, with an immense visual appeal and realistic portrayals of life that capture its viewers.
Though visually captivating, Shinkai’s other works, such asYour NameandWeathering With You,had far more recognition than this masterpiece of an anime. Also, its extreme realismand lack of a happy endingmay have made anime fans reluctant to watch the series, making them miss out on the beauty it has to offer.
Sound! Euphoniumfocuses on the growth of the protagonist and her peers in a high school band with the dream of reaching nationals, and the animation does more than enough justice. From the glistening of brass musical instruments to the realistic body language of the characters, the attention to detail leaves viewers of the series in awe.
Sadly,anime with musical themesare not extremely popular, andSound! Euphoniumhappens to be a masterpiece lost in this crowd. The focus on musical drama and realism does not entirely resonate with the larger faction of the anime community, leaving it unnoticed.
4Bubble
A Feast For The Eyes That Struggled For Recognition
Bubbleis asci-fi anime set in an abandoned citycovered with a giant bubble, filled with smaller mysterious bubbles and gravity-defying water bodies, and the visuals are up-to-standard with such unique concepts. The visuals are so good that fans of the movie believe it was a passion project for the animators, an excuse for them to go all out.
Sadly, the anime struggles to gain traction due to its reviews. Many critics and viewers believe it lacks a proper storyline, claiming it focuses more on style than substance. These reviews on its storytelling overshadow the jaw-dropping visuals of the anime, making it underappreciated in broader anime circles.
5Children Of The Sea
Storytelling That Leaves Fans Bewildered
Children Of The Seatakes its viewers on a surreal journey of the sea, along with some of the most mesmerizing underwater visuals in anime. With a very unique blend of hand-drawn 2D animation with CGI, the anime was able to beautifully capture the oceanic scenery, making every frame a work of art.
However, with such beautiful visuals, the anime makes use of unconventional storytelling that leaves fans bewildered on how to engage it, giving them trouble with identifying the message that it is trying to pass. As a result, it has not gained much traction and is highly undervalued.
Redlineis one of the anime out there that shows the true dedication of animators. Hand-drawn from start to finish, ittook Madhouse more than eight yearsto make, going way over the budget and wrecking their studio. The art style and animation are out of this world, with vibrant action sequences and exhilarating races that are nearly impossible to forget.
Sadly, despite the mouth-gaping animation and the effort put into the production of this movie,Redlinesuffered a poor box-office performance upon release, making it undervalued in the anime society.
7Great Pretender
A Stylish Heist Series With Watercolor Aesthetics
Ananime centered on con artistsgathering for organized crime,Great Pretender’s plot is extremely captivating and emotion-provoking, and so are the visuals. Having some sort of watercolor paintings and backgrounds with distinct artistic embellishments that bring light into almost every scene and expressions that portray the emotions of characters nearly perfectly.
WhileGreat Pretenderis a sight for sore eyes, it does not have the recognition it deserves, which is partially due to it being released directly to streaming platforms like Netflix. Moreover, the niche theme doesn’t apply to a wide audience, leaving it unnoticed by the larger anime community.
Shaft is widely known for their unique visual experimentation, and theMonogatariseries is the best representation of this fact. The unconventional use of bold color schemes and beautiful character close-ups make the series extremely visually distinct. It also makes use of visual metaphors that make the user pay attention to every detail as they watch.
However, these visual metaphors combined with their cryptic storytelling have made the entire series complex to watch for the average anime fan. For fans who do watch the anime,Monogatariis much more noticed for its storytelling and complex plot, making its appealing visuals fly under the radar.
At first sight,Makeineseems to be a basic romantic comedy anime, but the visuals and the animation raise the anime way beyond expectations. The vibrant colors and the dynamic animation give the anime an extra boost to its already impressive plot, bringing out visual brilliance at its finest.
However, the animedoes not get off to a great start. The first few episodes give off the vibe of the standard romantic comedy anime, with very familiar tropes to boot. Fortunately, the perspective changes after those few episodes, but most anime fans do not have the patience to see it through.
Being an anime set in the rainy season of the year, few anime capture the beauty of nature the wayThe Garden Of Wordsdoes. The work and detail put into the anime are beyond exceptional, especially for things like its greenery and rain. The animation of raindrops and puddles and the casting of light on objects and characters give it a hyper-realistic feel, creating a quiet atmosphere.
Sadly, this is another anime that is not widely known due to the release of Shinkai’s more popular and commercially successful works, such asYour Name. The short runtime of the anime also did not leave much to be desired by fans, making it underappreciated.
