With shows currently airing including the popular Spy X Family, it's clear that having an odd name or an unusual concept doesn't mean an anime can't be highly successful. With highlights of the past few years including Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai and Beastars, some series can't be judged by their cover.
Whether it was the title, concept, or a rough start that led viewers to lower their expectations, these shows all managed to deliver in the end. Anime fans got together on Ranker and voted on which of the surprisingly good series had most exceeded their expectations and these are the results.
ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept. (2017)
In an era of unprecedented peace in the kingdom of Dowa, protagonist Jean Otus is given the task of auditing all 13 districts of the land in his stance as second-in-command at the inspection department of ACCA, the group controlling the districts. If this premise doesn't sound interesting, then the show is bound to surprise with the intriguing plot it slowly unravels.
With rumors of a coup d'état surfacing, it is up to Otus to uncover the truth as he travels in a rich and well-realized fantasy world. Although the politically-themed drama isn't for everyone, ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept. is not a show viewers should dismiss for its premise.
XxxHOLiC (2006)
While a unique visual style can be an advantage for an anime, it can also alienate and put off viewers who are used to more traditional visuals. XxxHOLIC is a show that leans so heavily into its unusual aesthetic that it's impossible to ignore, with the characters all possessing extremely long, slender features and often moving disconcertingly.
Fans would argue that xxxHolic's charm comes from its creepiness, which lends itself to the weird world of Kimihiro Watanuki and the supernatural spirits that plague him. The anime is episodic but the stories it tells in each episode are interesting enough for it to overcome some of its initial flaws.
Ajin: Demi-Human (2016)
One of the many great anime series on Netflix, Ajin: Demi-Human has drawn plenty of complaints about its 3D CGI animation style which certainly has its drawbacks at times. However, when the criticism is so hyperfocused on one particular aspect of a show, its good points can end up being overlooked.
This explains why Ajin: Demi-Human ended up being a lot better than many viewers expected. Although its premise of a small group of people being marginalized for their superhuman power is nothing new, the series turns out to be as well-executed as some of the best supernatural thrillers of recent years.
BEASTARS (2019)
The internet may have made it difficult to view a show inhabited entirely by anthropomorphized animals in an unbiased way but BEASTARS is a show that rewards the viewer for giving it a chance. Similar to Disney's Zootopia, BEASTARS introduces the viewer to a society where an uneasy tension exists between herbivores and carnivores.
Using this setting and its wolf protagonist Legoshi, who works as a stagehand for his school's drama club, to explore issues like prejudice, the series ends up being interesting as well as dramatic. BEASTARS also has some great characters to get to know as the series progresses and it's easy to see why so many fans were pleasantly surprised.
Food Wars!: Shokugeki No Souma (2015)
There is an anime for almost any career or hobby at this point, so it's no surprise that there's a series that brings the thrills of competitive cookery to life. Perhaps more surprising is the fact that Food Wars! is so popular, highly-rated, and that it is a shounen anime, aimed at a young male audience.
Food Wars! is not a show to dismiss as a niche hobby anime then, although that's not the only reason that it may initially put off some viewers. Fan-service scenes in which characters experience "foodgasms" upon eating great food could also cause viewers to lower their expectations early but Food Wars! nevertheless does a great job of making cooking exciting.
My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU (2013)
For anime fans, the prospect of a romantic comedy set in a high school club might not spark a lot of excitement, and the awkward title "My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU" doesn't do a lot to raise hopes either. Nevertheless, the series manages to feel anything but generic once its plot begins to unfold.
Centered around the character Hachiman Hikigaya, whose apathetic and self-centered approach to life gets him sentenced to help others in the Volunteer Service Club, it soon becomes clear that the show is very well-written. Its characters and their interactions make for a show that easily overcomes its generic premise.
Re:Zero, Starting Life In Another World (2016)
By 2016, it would have been easy to think that isekai anime was starting to get played out, with fans getting tired of the highly formulaic nature of these shows that transported an ordinary character to a fantasy setting, but Re:Zero was able to breathe new life into the genre. The show referenced many anime tropes like the isekai truck but managed to avoid playing into them.
Instead of presenting the power fantasy that usually accompanies isekai anime, the protagonist Natsuki Subaru is given only the ability to go back to a given point after dying and try again. This soon starts to feel more like a curse for Subaru as he is tortured by terrifying and seemingly unavoidable situations that all end in his death, setting up a fascinating series.
Black Clover (2017)
With so many iconic anime series in the shounen action genre, it's hard to imagine any show is capable of living up to the titans of the past. Black Clover might never hit the heights of series like Hunter X Hunter but it still does a surprisingly good job of building a great fantasy world with amazing action.
Some viewers were also put off Black Clover by the voice acting of the protagonist Asta early on in the series in its original Japanese audio, which was characterized by a lot of over-the-top energy. For fans who can overlook this, however, Black Clover is one of the best action anime of recent years.
Assassination Classroom (2013)
An unashamedly weird and super fun show about a group of students and the tentacled monster that threatens to destroy the earth if they don't stop him who also happens to be their teacher, Assassination Classroom is full of surprises. The show is an action-comedy that uses its unusual premise to deliver well on both aspects.
As the students improve their assassination skills in the hopes of one day being able to take down their ever-grinning, bright yellow teacher, the show only gets better. Korosensei also happens to be the most likable anime teacher, so Assassination Classroom may be worth watching for that alone.
Rascal Does Not Dream Of Bunny Girl Senpai (2018)
A romantic comedy and drama that doesn't make itself easy to recommend to friends, Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai doesn't have much to do with bunny girls at all. Misleading title aside, the show presents an intriguing premise centered around "puberty syndrome", a supernatural condition that is particularly prevalent at the main character Sakuta's high school.
One of the most underrated anime of the past five years, Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai wins over viewers with its cast of quirky characters. Its popularity despite its strange marketing goes to show just how much the series has beaten expectations to become a fan favorite.