@beloved blood:

Yeah, there's a film. It's practically the anime into a film. The needle in the onigiri scene in the film was better than the anime IMO. I've only read a few chapters of the manga so no comment here.

@Dranzerstorm:

I remember DN Angel!! Vic and Greg played main characters in it! I liked the manga more, but the original artist never finished it D..:

I've never met anyone else who knows this show, but Wolf's Rain is my absolute favorite

That would be either Z-loan, Magical Girl Nanoha or the manga Bloody Kiss. They all are good on their own manners.

Hunh. Now that I think of it... I haven't met many people who actually know Lovely Complex. It's a shoujo, but it's so funny it's almost ridiculous.

Heh, judging by the comments, lots have heard of Kaleido Star, so I won't mention it as a lesser-known series I like.

Princess Tutu would have to take the cake here. Or Puni Puni Poemi. They'd have to share. I love PT because it builds on fairytales and is quite dark and serious at times, especially towards the ending of the second season (and the "final" ending isn't as bright as most expect/want it to be either). PPP is just stupid fun. Stupid, loud, offensive, highly enjoyable fun.

@HametsuKuro:

i've heard of Daughters of Mnemosyne and i love the fruits basket manga, i read it 4 times. its a million times better than the anime.

Anybody here seen Hakushon Daimao? Also known as The Sneezing Magician or The Genie Family? It's not exactly my favorite now, but I loved it when I was still a kid. And I have a feeling it's not that popular here, especially with the new generation who probably never saw this at all in Cartoon Network.

My -tiny- list:

Rin: Daughters of Mnemosyne- This is a mature anime by Funimation that I discovered a while back ago on Netflix. It's a really awesome show, only 6 episodes long (each 45 minutes long) so its easy to knock out in one day. If you are over 18, you should DEFINITELY look into it. Immortals, fight for immortality, Yygdrasil, and full of plot twists and other goodies :3

Blue Seed- I saw this when I was 8 or 9, so its one of those, "omg you haven't heard of that?" I can't really summarize it since I haven't seen it in a very long time.

Fruits Basket- No, not the anime. Everyone is so into the anime. This is for the Manga. Read it. The Anime starts off following the manga perfectly for a few episodes, but then SKIPS over several volumes, then returns to the ones they skipped and then just basically made up an ending that wasn't even in the manga!!! It is soooooooooo much better than the anime, you get to meet the ENTIRE zodiac and get a true ending that will have you in tears. It was my first Manga series to complete, too :)

11 eyes

@RoxasLawliet:

Both, totally awesome!

@beloved blood:

Mushishi is simply gorgeous, people should definitely see it! ;3

I forgot to add I like Mushishi and Angelic Layer too

@BabyD:

Mushishi is an awesome series! I don't know why I didn't even think of it TT^TT

Hmmmm...let me think, Kaleido Star, Angelic Layer, Chrono Crusade, Samurai Deeper Kyo oh and Mushishi!

I really like Black Bird, it hasn't been made into an anime but its amazing, I also like Anohana which is SUPER cute and sad..

I also love Princess Tutu. C:

I feel so left out. No one remembers IGPX.

@Dranzerstorm:

Ah, Gunsmith Cats. The only OVA I could see as an amazing anime. This show should be brought back as soon as possible.

@:

EXCUSE ME? I freaking loved BECK and it is certainly well known! I'm not criticizing you or anything. Please know that people like this anime and it's more well known than you may think.

Kaleido Star

@yuna2008:

Well, we're getting a Blu-ray player, so Citrus has certainly been looking for some discs to play on it :D I'll have to tell him we've got a recommendation :)

@Allie Elric:

Yeah, someone I knew online showed me a few clips because they liked it, so that's how I found out about it. Kind of funny the knowledge you store up over the years that comes back later :)

@CelestialSushi:

Finally someone here knows it! It's pretty cute so I'd watch the whole show as a refresher if that makes sense x3 & it's not so long too.

Ginga Nagareboshi Gin. Classic 80's style animation plus a great story to back it up. Highly recommend :)

Kowarekake no Orgel (aka Half-Broken Music Box) is a great little one-shot OAV that seems to have slipped under the radar. I even missed it when it was first released, despite hearing about it previously and thinking it would be something I'd like, and I didn't come across it again until a year later when it was rereleased on BD.

@FaithlessFighter:

Oh look, if it isn't the Grim Heaper. Great, another stalker.

@Allie Elric:

Oh, good. I'm glad to know that it's not being "neglected"! The film? There's a film? I've seen some of the anime, but I mainly like to read it. It's just creepier that way :D

@Allie Elric:

I heard of it once and saw a few clips online... didn't watch the whole series, but I certainly have heard of it :)

@:

wait - which anime? Not sure which comment of mine you're referring to? x3

@beloved blood:

Higurashi's actually more watched than you think. I used to go to a big forum where they practically all knew it. have you watched the film too?

I'd be surprised if people knew what Potemayo is. It's a cute anime - go check it!

@Kuzusu:

Cool. Obscure anime is zeta awesome. Oh and I'm sure you would appreciate that reference

@FaithlessFighter:

Heard of C-Control but didn't get that far in the anime.

I like these somewhat discreet anime. Tell me if you guys have caught em. Im curious.

Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan
Turn A Gundam
C-Control
Air Gear

Hmm. It feels like no one else really watches or reads Higurashi. It's cute and bloody (not to mention creepy). What else could one want?

-AKB0048 is good. The story is quite interesting.
-Mayo Chiki! is nice also.

@animegirl171:

mhm, cross game is a sweet one :D though I was in an expectation of Aoba having a part in the game, till the end >_>

@yuna2008:

Don't know about the "Samurai Kings" subtitle, but I've definitely heard of Sengoku Basara before :) In fact, CitrusStorm and I were thinking about checking it out.

@Hisaishi:

yeah! >u< it's such a good show!
I freak out every time I see jacuzzi. he is by far my favorite character! >u< and Ladd, so scary. he's definitely a guy I want on my side!

@aminesick:

Yeah, those were cool.

@Hisaishi:

You like Big Windup as well? It's really a great series. I love how each character truly does grow individually (and as a group) even if it may not seem like it at first.

Has anyone ever watched Gokusen? I think that one is a really good anime though it's pretty short, also Tonari No Kaibutsu-kun and Code Breaker premiered this year! XD

Oh and I loved Kikaider!!! that one is an old one, the style is a little like Astro Boy and Cyborg 009! XD It was shown on Adult Swim a while back! XD

I know Angelic Layer and Usagi Drop (aka Bunny Drop) have already been mentioned, but they're both great series (I actually wish that Angelic Layer existed... that would be so cool to design my own angel doll :3)

GA Geijutsuka Art Design Class (available on Crunchyroll! :D) is also a fun series. It's one of those "bunch of girls go to school and we watch them have fun" kind of slice-of-life series, but it's still fun (and centered around art). There's also a manga, and that's pretty good too (released in the US by Yen Press).

And I know I've thrown the name ARIA the ANIMATION around quite a bit, as well as the names of its other seasons (the Natural and the Origination), but it's simply a beautiful series ^_^

On the topic of manga (since some people are also talking about that), I like Oishinbo (VIZ only released a sort of "best of" collection here in America... but I like what I've read ^_^), Mixed Vegetables (there's a category here on theO for it, but it's pretty... sparse ^_^U), and La Corda d'Oro (which also has an anime... it's great to actually hear the music they're playing, but I personally feel like the manga is better despite the lack of actually hearing music. Actually, if you look for the songs yourself you could probably just play them in the background while reading XD).

Cheeky angel: anime based on manga of the same name.
Its about a boy who saves a magician and gets a book , a fairy says he will grant Megumis one wish. And Megumi asks to be The manliest man in the world. The fairy decides to make him a Woman. only Megumi and his friend know of the interaction, everyone else seems to be brainwashed to believe he was always a girl.

Still rowdy in highschool she searches for the book to turn her back.
Its the best manga Ive read and the anime nails its style and pretty much is verbatim.

@animegirl171:

Yes, I used to have the opening song on my MP3player! I wonder if I still have it...

I like Nanatsuiro Drops and Allison & Lillia, but I don't think I have heard (m)any people mention them.

@Kaerlyn:

I liked Shinigami no Ballad :). I have the opening on my phone.

One of the first anime shows I watched was called Shinigami no Ballad, but I don't think many people I know have seen it. It is only six episodes long, as I remember, but it was enjoyable.

Also, I'm sure loads of people have watched it, but I really love Mushishi.

@Rageon:

Oooh yes! I really enjoyed watching Time of Eve ^^

@LuminousIceNinja:

Zatch Bell was so cool!

That being said, Adam, you never heard of Utena prior to that encounter? I'd be honestly shocked of that were true.

Last time this question was posed on theO, I said IGPX. As time fades, this series for some reason gets more and more obscure. If not for the almighty Gurren Lagann, I would call this the best mecha series ever. Keep your Gundam, I'll take racing/dueling robots any day, thank you. The series was a fascinating look at competitive sports, the cost of fame, the haunted past, and forbidden love and how they mingle with real life. The scenery is futuristically breathtaking, the action is rock-solid, and has one of the more underrated soundtracks. Yes, it may be synth atmospheric elevator stuff, but it works every time. I have a special place for this one.

The staff is considerably impressive. The five part OVA was headed Koichi Mashimo, a creator of mainly "girls with guns anime" (Dirty Pair, Noir, Madlax, El Cazador De La Bruja). The full series was handled by director/writer Mitsuru Hongo, previously known for Outlaw Star and the Sakura Wars movie. Midway through the show, I.G. president Mitsuhisa Ishikawa (Kill Bill anime scene, Ghost in the Shell films) joined production.

To this day, it is the first of two animes Cartoon Network, through Toonami, ever co-produced and imported directly (the other being Powerpuff Girls Z), leading to creative dub cast choices from Bang Zoom!. The main characters are Takeshi Jin (Haley Joel Osment), Liz Ricardo (Michelle Rodriguez), and Amy Stapleton (Hynden Walch). Rouding the cast out is Steve Blum, Kari Wahlgren, Karen Strassmen, Mark Hamill, and Tom Kenny.

@edisshort:

Mermaid Melody was one of my first anime :))

@IJNeptune:

I have watched, and love both! :D I'm so happy someone knows of Cross Game ^^

@greenLeAfe:

Thank you for bringing up Big Windup! Such a great series that actually touches on a most interesting subject - when you win, does it really make you feel better or is it just an action you committed to?

@kamichama karin s:

More people are finding out about the show, thank in part to gigguk

Witch Hunter Robin was an anime that didn't really feel like an anime. I always thought it could easily translate to live action here in the states.

Stellvia is a simple pleasure of mine, but none of my friends have heard of it.

NNM

I don't know if nobody's heard of it or its just unpopular, but Mermaid Melody was a good one. I also like Nyanpire. :3

@aminesick:

I loved the Twelve Kingdoms! Definitely a series that deserves more attention. Baccano was great, too ^^

@josephine12cute:

Cooking Master Boy was a really good show. Sometimes, it even made me hungry for some Chinese food. It's a shame that the anime series ended abruptly.

Amagami SS <333

Code E and Cross game :D

I don't know what people have or have not heard of/seen XD
But one thing I think more people should watch/read= Spiral!
I enjoyed that series so much for the mystery solving and suspense!
:D
It never really resolved the mystery of the Blade Children, and it is relatively short. Definitely recommend though!
~Wall-iE

Most recent for me- Baccano!

Others

The Twelve Kingdoms
The Irresponsible Captain Tylor
Chinese Ghost Story

@The Mask:

Major was a great show, I enjoyed it a lot!!

I'm not really a fan of sports generally, unless its anime. haha

Okay, I'll make one quick distinction here with my anime: While these anime would probably sound familiar to some, they likely haven't been widely seen by North American fandom. Not hearing about something doesn't quite match up with not seeing it, as my own experience revealed to me.

Burn-Up Scramble is one of those anime that won't take your breath away with it's scope and originality, since, I'll admit, it's quite dumb - but that's what I like about it! It plays out like a send-up of cyberpunk/police anime, but it's not a parody. While it does share the usual trappings of those genres, it doesn't take any of it too seriously (for example, you'll find delinquent bands of biker road-warrior clowns, lots of things that explode when shot, a crazy little assassin girl, and secret plots!). Plus, even though it was made fairly recently (2004), it looks as if it were made in the late 80's or early 90's...which somehow makes it even better. Burn-Up Scramble is just oodles of dumb fun.

On the other end of the continuum, I'll mention Pale Cocoon. This is another sci-fi styled anime, but is quite serious. Even though it's a one ep. OVA, I think it works well with the short time. This work preceded Time of Eve, both created by Yasuhiro Yoshiura, so you can see Yoshiura's existentialist leanings here too (while the mood isn't unremittingly dark and brooding, Pale Cocoon is more sparse and introspective than Time of Eve). It's a meditation on what makes us us, and what would happen if things were otherwise. Isolated, austere, contemplative - Pale Cocoon is a quiet classic.

Despite my efforts in promoting it here, I think a lot of people here in theOtaku probably haven't heard of the manga and anime series Major. The series is about baseball, but as I've said several times before, it also tells a very good story about the struggles that the main character had to endure in order to reach his dreams.

Season 1 and Season 5 of the series, in particular, were very enjoyable to watch. I'm no baseball fan, but don't necessarily have to be one to appreciate this show. Like I said, it doesn't just focus on the sport; it also gives us a look at the relationship of the character with his family and friends. For the family, I'll just say it's a bit complicated since I might run the risk of giving out spoilers. But let's just say that you may find the father-son relationship between the main character and his father as heartwarming.

@Ash24:

I have...a few episodes but still! I should probably watch it all.

@cowboysean:

I LOVE Moribito! The novel it is based off of is very good too.

I feel like Big Windup (Oofuri) is a really underrated anime. It does seem like it would be boring for people who are uninterested in baseball, but for me, it actually sparked an interest in the sport. The characters are all so rich and well-developed; you just fall in love with them.

Anyone seen Orphen or Lost Universe?

Who remembers Witch Hunter Robin or Speed Racer?

There's another one - it's Gundam but I forgot which one. The guy looks for his brother with his engineer?

& Escaflowne. I haven't seen it but meaning to.

My favorite anime right now is Blassreiter but I also like Record of Lodoss War.

Ask DR. Rin! I don't see many people have watched that anime.

@kita mikichi:

Chale, me too.y

@Kazamas-Keyblade:

I recorded so many episodes of 009. I wish they'd finished it too.

@Moka:

I saw the first season when I was alot younger. But after the theme song changed, it threw me off and I didn't watch it after that.

Probably Hikaru no Go. Everyone I asked has been all "HUH???"

@kamichama karin s:

Great choice, I love that show. My anime club hates me for this show because I got them to watch the first episode and I refused to explain what was happening.

@:

I cried at the end of Chrono Crusade! I read the manga and tried to watch a couple episodes of the anime too.

@:

I watched the anime of angelic layer! It was a good series I happened to see at the library.

@Ryuchu:

REALLY?! Only 8 eps? I think you can order the movie on Amazon.

Kaleido star! It's such a great series.

@Kazamas-Keyblade:

Ah, Cyborg 009! I positively LOVED that show as a kid (heck, I still love it now)! I actually own the first 8 episodes, but unfortunantly that's all they ever released in the U.S. sad...

@kita mikichi:

Yeah, and I think it might've been better if it had been longer too. Still, it was quite good.

Well... My favourite anime is Air, The Theme song and the story line are a big plus to the Show.

Not really anime, but
Code Lyoko (I know a few people that still remember it.)
The Life & Times of Juniper Lee (Old CN show. When CN was still good.)
Duel Masters (A really god anime that is a bit like Yu-Gi-Oh, but its still very good!)
Cyborg 009 (A know one person that does know it...It's so sad that it only had one season.)
Samurai Jack (Again, not really anime, but it would've made a good anime. It was a good cartoon.)

@Darkarax:

Rideback is good too. I just didn't care for the end.

@Rageon:

I LOVE Kino's Journey! It's so different from other series out there. ^-^

@fuko chan:

I really loved that show. Very touching.

Even did a review of it on the Anime Pulse podcast.

I havent heard of many people watching Bunny Drop. I love it! :)

I'm not sure actually how popular it really is. but I don't know of that many people who know of it, so I choose Baccano!

@Ryuchu:

I really enjoyed Speed Grapher, except those middle episodes where Kagura was captured and Saiga was out cold. I kept yelling at my TV. :P

I'd probably have to pick Key the Metal Idol as my favorite anime that most people wouldn't know about.

Its a very odd, 15-episode OVA from the 90s. Its a strange mix of scifi and supernatural, a creepy modern Pinocchio tale of a robot girl named Key who is sent on a mission by the dying words of her 'grandfather': if she can make 30,000 friends, she will become human. So what does she do? Go to Tokyo and decided the best way to make 30,000 friends is to become an idol singer.

There's a lot of plot threads running at once: Key and her mysterious past, the work of her grandfather, the machinations of the robot-obsessed industrialist Ajo and his right-hand-man D, Key's involvement both with her friend Sakura and a cult who believes she is a miracle healer, and the mystery behind the idol singer Miho Utsuse.

Its just one of the more bizarre shows I've ever seen, but easier to get into than other more esoteric shows like Serial Experiments Lain.

Hm, well my two favorite anime, Speed Grapher and Bokurano, are generally pretty much unknown. Both of them have such wonderful dark elements. Also, I LOVE in Bokurano how they give you characters that are super mundane and plain and make them each interesting and likeable. Both of these animes also have simply heart-rending moments, which also always gets major points from me. Speed Grapher has a bit more of the "fantastical" element (I mean, your main character blows things up by taking pictures with his camera) but it works well in the context of the show and somehow just heightens the dark elements that are present.

Honorable mention would also go to Angel Heart. While it wasn't one of my favorite animes ever, it was still really good...and no one I've ever met has heard about it...

P.S. To the person who mentioned Chrono Crusade and the person who mentioned Kino's Journey; you guys are awesome. I also really like those animes. ^-^

Can I share a manga? :o
I recently read Negative-kun to Positive-kun. (It's a bl, but it's very PG so don't worry.) I thought it was really silly and fun to read, but I couldn't find any fan art/etc of it anywhere, even on dA! .o. So I assumed not many people have read it. The story is really simple and very short, but I liked reading it. xD
As for animes... Yeah, I don't watch a lot of anime. ;u; S-SORRY... Princess Tutu is my favorite anime that not a lot of people have watched. It's great! :D The fan base isn't huge, but a fair amount of people have at least heard of it.

I started reading Utena about 5 years ago, and even in my SHOUJO-Y KAWAII-DESU-NEEEEE days I couldn't get into it. /shot But yeah, it definitely had an interesting story, and I'm sure there are many who haven't heard about it!

Pretty much anything I watch has been suggested to me. I'm sure I've read plenty of manga no one has heard of, but for me to watch anime means I have to have good motivation to do so. LOL. I guess some of the quieter ones I've watched are Another, Sakura Wars movie (which I never understood because I didn't watch the actual series LOL), and Azumanga Daioh. ; u; I tried Garden of Sinners as well, but it was another one of those things I kinda just dropped.

Hmm... Well, the most obscure anime I can think of that I'm rather fond of is a little twelve episode series called Rideback. The ending might've been a little weak, but it was still a pretty cool series.

Ghost Hunt! I’ve met very few people who have heard of it, but it's one of my favorites.

Kino's Journey (Kino no Tabi) and Time of Eve (Eve no Jikan). People always give me weird looks when I mention them, but they are amazing.

Hmm...Well, not many people have watched "Sands of Destruction" or "Birdy the Mighty: Decode". The first season of "Birdy" and all of "Sands" were very good! Actually, I watch and read a lot of underdog anime & manga. ^^