Updated March 23, 2022 31.1k votes 9.7k voters 434.1k views
List Rules
Vote up anime you totally forgot about, but actually enjoyed watching back in the day.
With tons of new anime coming out every season, it's pretty much impossible to remember every show you see. Some shows have more staying power than others. No matter how old they get, anime fans aren't likely to forget Neon Genesis Evangelion or Cowboy Bebop, but the same can't be said for Time of Eve or Pandora Hearts. Of course, that's not to say that these forgotten anime shows are bad - in fact, they're actually a delight, though they lack time in the spotlight.
Just like obscure Nickelodeon shows, the anime on this list aren't the first series that come to mind when deciding which anime to recommend. Take a look at this list of older shows that slipped your mind and remember how good they were! Depending on your feelings about the anime in question, it will be a nostalgia trip, or it will remind you of why you forgot it in the first place. Vote up the anime you seriously forgot existed, but had a lot of fun watching in the past.
Outlaw Staris a show about space pirates, which is a concept that fans of anything from Cowboy Bebop to One Piece can get behind. That said, it's not a show that comes up often. While the characters are solid, the art is a bit dated and there's more filler than should be present in a 24-episode series, which might explain why people tend to forget that its existence until prompted.
Wolf's Rain is a true gem that deserves more attention from the anime community. It follows the journey of Kiba, a lone wolf living in disguise among humans, and his search for the legendary gateway to paradise amid a barren dystopia. The action and fight sequences are impressive but it's the emotional resonance of the series that sticks with viewers. And it's got an amazing OST composed by Cowboy Bebop's Yoko Kanno.
s.CRY.edis one of those shows that most people have seen a least a couple episodes of, but didn't necessarily finish or remember. It's a decently animated show about a bizarre natural enclosure in the Kanazawa prefecture, and a mercenary named Kazuma who must survive there.
If you like characters who don't care about anyone or anything, including themselves, Kazuma might have stuck with you, but if you like your protagonists with a little more passion, maybe not so much. In addition, this cool action show might not have stood the test of time because most of the female characters are in subservient roles, a common issue with anime that fans are increasingly less willing to tolerate.
Chobits was a robot-girl anime by CLAMP that was oddly moving and philosophical if you ignored the fact that fit neatly into the "Born Sexy Yesterday" trope. Chi is a "persocom," AKA a computer who looks like a human woman. She's unable to download information like other persocoms, so her owner, Hideki, has to teach her about the world on his own.
This mildly creepy concept might be part of why the show lacked staying power. Also, "persocoms" can do a whole lot less than modern technology can, so they're not as impressive. That said, the character designs were adorable, and the theme song will definitely bring back memories.
When you think about homunculus, you probably think about Fullmetal Alchemist, not Buso Renkin. Buso Renkin features a high school boy named Kazuki Muto who dies saving a mysterious girl from a homunculus attack. She brings him back to life, but with one major change - his heart is now a kakugane medallion, a powerful alchemical item that can destroy homunculi. This 2006 Xebec offering was pretty good, but it didn't leave a major impression on the anime world as a whole.
Hamtaro was one of those kids shows that a ton of people saw alongside the more popular Pokémon, Digimon,and DBZ. The titular Hamtato and his ever-expanding group of hamster friends get into all kinds of wacky and heartwarming adventures, making it perfect for kids ages five to seven. That said, there's not a lot of crossover appeal for adults, so you're less likely to remember it or dive back in when you do.
