10 Best Unpopular Anime Series

Are you tired of all the mainstream anime choices? Have you already watched all your friends' suggestions but are still looking for more? Do you search for unpopular anime but find lists with options you've already seen? Fear not! This is the list for you. All shows listed here have a MyAnimeList (MAL) popularity ranking of over #2000 and come with my personal recommendation.

Genres: Action, Comedy, Drama, Mystery, School, Slice-of-Life, Super Power

Studio: J.C.Staff

Aired: Spring 2005

Popularity: #2887

MAL Score: 7.04

My Score: 7

Episodes: 26

Randou Rino is a new high school girl with a talking puppet on her hand. She's mysteriously accepted onto the student council, which wields immense power over more than just the school. Who is this new girl, and why has the student council president taken such a personal interest in her?

Though it may seem like your everyday school club comedy at first glance, Gokujou Seitokai is much more. With action, superpowers, and mystery, this show has a little something for everyone. And what's more, this show has literally no fanservice, so feel free to watch it with family and friends.

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Historical, Samurai, Seinen

Studio: Bee Train

Aired: Spring 2011

Popularity: #2947

MAL Score: 8.10

My Score: 7

Episodes: 39

Set during the Sengoku period of Japan (Warring States era), this series focuses on Furuta Sasuke, a vassal of Oda Nobunaga, as he gains wealth and power and attempts to leave his mark on the culture of Japan.

This is a truly fascinating show that will teach you the ways of tea ceremony and aesthetics. Despite not being particularly action-packed for a samurai series, the show still manages to draw you in and engage you in what might normally be a sleep-inducing history/art lesson. If nothing else, watch it for the facial expressions. This show is a treasure trove of reaction images.

Genres: Comedy, School, Slice-of-Life, Sports

Studio: Kinema Citrus

Aired: Fall 2016

Popularity: #2227

MAL Score: 7.17

My Score: 7

Episodes: 12

Tsumujikaze Koyori is a simple girl who loves ping pong. When she joins her middle school's ping pong club, she quickly rises to the top, making friends and overcoming rivalries as she helps in their quest to become national champions.

This is a fairly standard cute girl, school, sports club comedy, which is why it's surprising that it is so unpopular. What differentiates Shakunetsu no Takkyuu Musume from its peers is its engagement factor. In the show, the main character's passion for the game inspires the other characters to play at their best and truly love ping pong, and as a viewer, this same passion makes the watching experience much more enthralling. You truly root for the characters to win.

I'm going to be honest with you. This show is pretty much just what you see on the cover. If you like moe sports anime, you'll enjoy it. If not, skip it.

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Historical, School, Seinen, Slice-of-Life, Sports

Studio: J.C.Staff

Aired: Summer 2009

Popularity: #2895

MAL Score: 7.41

My Score: 8

Episodes: 12

Set in 1925 when baseball is still rather unknown in Japan and there are only a few male teams, 14-year-old Akiko is told by a baseball player that women should only be housewives, so to prove him wrong, she invites her friend Koume to start an all-girls baseball team.

More than your average school sports club anime, this show tackles feminist issues at a time when women weren't even allowed to run in public. The progress these girls make is truly inspiring, and the show will keep you hooked all the way from beginning to end.

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Slice-of-Life

Studio: Studio Deen

Aired: Fall 2001

Popularity: #4730

MAL Score: 6.60

My Score: 8

Episodes: 13

Kokoro Toshokan is a small library hidden away in the mountains and run by three sisters, Iina, Aruto, and Kokoro. This is the story of Kokoro's everyday life as she tries to become a librarian like her sisters.

This is a relaxing, peaceful show along the same lines as Aria, though there is some action towards the end. Some people may be turned off by the early 2000's art style, but if you can look past that, it's a heartwarming tale sure to make you smile.

Genres: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi, Slice-of-Life

Studio: OLM

Aired: Spring 2001

Popularity: #3685

MAL Score: 7.33

My Score: 8

Episodes: 13 (47 min/episode)

10-year-old Tsubasa Shiina moves to Hokkaido with her father, but she is too shy to make friends at her new school. When a UFO crashes near her home, she rushes to the scene and fuses with a metal alien life form to destroy a savage alien monster. When the battle is over, the alien that fused with the girl becomes her identical twin sister Hikaru and begins to live with her. Hikaru helps Tsubasa to open up and make friends while they battle the continuing alien threat.

When people think of anime, this is the kind of show they think about: little girls battling alien monsters. But Figure 17 is so much more than a stereotype. It does an excellent job with character development and delves into mature themes you wouldn't expect in a show about 10-year-olds. This show will give you feels.

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Josei, School, Slice-of-Life

Studio: Madhouse

Aired: Winter 2004

Popularity: #2085

MAL Score: 7.48

My Score: 9

Episodes: 13

Kumiko Yamaguchi is a new, enthusiastic math teacher at an all-boys high school for delinquents, but she also has a secret: she's the acting head of a powerful yakuza clan. Will she be able to teach her unmotivated students while keeping her secret under wraps?

This show is a joy to watch. The character interactions are very enjoyable, and the main character is a total badass. It's a heartwarming show where every episode is fun.

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Magic, Romance, Shoujo

Studio: Gainax

Aired: Fall 2002

Popularity: #3448

MAL Score: 7.53

My Score: 9

Episodes: 26

Yucie is a 17-year-old girl who stopped growing at the age of 10. She is admitted to the Princess Academy where she gets the chance to compete to become the legendary Platinum Princess. Yucie makes friends with her rivals while attempting to find the pieces of the Eternal Tiara, which will allow her to use its magic to become an adult like she has always dreamed.

Though this is mainly a little girls' princess show, it can be enjoyable for all ages. The friendship aspects are very heartwarming, and the romance is quite cute. The comedy is also on point, and there are some feels.

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Magic

Studio: Madhouse, TNK

Aired: Summer 2001

Popularity: #4690

MAL Score: 6.41

My Score: 9

Episodes: 12

Taruto is a cat who just moved to a new city with her master and his family. She makes friends with the local animals and finds out she might be a legendary magical princess. But Taruto's magic is unpredictable, and enemies are after her. Taruto is torn between taking up her role as this princess or staying with the human she so loves.

This show is ridiculously cute. If that's not enough to make you watch it on its own, it also has a good mix of action and comedy to keep you engaged. The plot itself is nothing remarkable, but it is heartwarming. You're sure to be left with a smile.

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Seinen, Slice-of-Life

Studio: Toei Animation

Aired: Summer 2006

Popularity: #2870

MAL Score: 6.94

My Score: 9

Episodes: 10

The Yamada sisters, 15-year-old Kyou and 9-year-old Asu, lost their mother when they were very young, and then their father ran away due to gambling debts. Now they are on their own, Kyou working part-time jobs while Asu takes care of the apartment as they both go to school. Despite their circumstances, they try to look on the bright side and greet each day happily.

This is a sweet story set among the harsh realities of life. It's easy to empathize with the characters, and the show does a great job of evoking emotions in the viewer. You'll be sure to feel both happiness and sadness along with the sisters, but overall it's a heartwarming show.

Check out the Unpopular Anime Supporters club on MAL. There is a list of unpopular anime in the club relations, and there is also a thread where these are sorted by genre to make searching for a new anime easy.