I have forgotten more of these than most people but let me dig out a few for folks.
The first anime that came to mind was Oh Edo Rocket. A lovely anachronistic period piece set in feudal Japan involving aliens crash landing on the planet and one madman's quest to build a rocket. It's mostly a lighthearted comedy with a little bit of adventure thrown in. It's one of a handful of shows I've got back to watch more than once. I don't know if I'd call it great, but it was definitely fun and something that falls through the cracks.
Next up is a show I still haven't got around to finishing even all these years later: Ghost Hound. This one's in the paranormal phenomenon genre. I actually cant' vouch for the story, but this one made an impression for it's distinctly meticulous sound design. Seriously, watch it with some good headphones. That's really all I remember it for.
The last two I have might not be underrated so much as they just don't have the level of visibility they really deserve.
Bokurano. Kids pilot giant robots. Anything beyond that is spoilers but I promise you that it's good and that you should go into it completely blind for best results. Seriously, don't look it up, just go find the first couple episodes and watch it. You should check it out even if mech animes aren't your thing (they certainly aren't my cup of tea).
Baccano. Fragmented storytelling at its best. Set in the 1920s with a jazzy soundtrack to match, follow a colorful cast of characters through their organized crime antics and let a supernatural mystery unravel. There's just a lot of really good onscreen chemistry between all the various characters and enough action to keep you hooked while you try to figure out what's happening and in what order. It's a very difficult approach to storytelling to pull off but this is pretty much the only example I've seen of it being done right and to great effect. This is one where if the opening credits/song catch your interest you can safely assume you'll enjoy what the show has to offer. Highly recommended if you need a break from the standard cookie cutter shows that get rolled out every season.
I have forgotten more of these than most people but let me dig out a few for folks.
The first anime that came to mind was Oh Edo Rocket. A lovely anachronistic period piece set in feudal Japan involving aliens crash landing on the planet and one madman's quest to build a rocket. It's mostly a lighthearted comedy with a little bit of adventure thrown in. It's one of a handful of shows I've got back to watch more than once. I don't know if I'd call it great, but it was definitely fun and something that falls through the cracks.
Next up is a show I still haven't got around to finishing even all these years later: Ghost Hound. This one's in the paranormal phenomenon genre. I actually cant' vouch for the story, but this one made an impression for it's distinctly meticulous sound design. Seriously, watch it with some good headphones. That's really all I remember it for.
The last two I have might not be underrated so much as they just don't have the level of visibility they really deserve.
Bokurano. Kids pilot giant robots. Anything beyond that is spoilers but I promise you that it's good and that you should go into it completely blind for best results. Seriously, don't look it up, just go find the first couple episodes and watch it. You should check it out even if mech animes aren't your thing (they certainly aren't my cup of tea).
Baccano. Fragmented storytelling at its best. Set in the 1920s with a jazzy soundtrack to match, follow a colorful cast of characters through their organized crime antics and let a supernatural mystery unravel. There's just a lot of really good onscreen chemistry between all the various characters and enough action to keep you hooked while you try to figure out what's happening and in what order. It's a very difficult approach to storytelling to pull off but this is pretty much the only example I've seen of it being done right and to great effect. This is one where if the opening credits/song catch your interest you can safely assume you'll enjoy what the show has to offer. Highly recommended if you need a break from the standard cookie cutter shows that get rolled out every season.