Visually Stunning Anime That Went Unnoticed

Key Takeaways

• Some visually stunning anime gems are overshadowed by more popular ones due to complex plots and uncommon art styles.
• Examples include Violet Evergarden, 5 Centimeters Per Second, Sound! Euphonium, Bubble, Children Of The Sea, and Great Pretender.
• These anime showcase incredible visuals and unique storytelling but struggle for recognition among the broader anime community.

People watch anime for many reasons—some for the plot, some for the amazing fight scenes, and some for the hype. However, nothing captures the attention of an anime watcher like breathtaking visuals. From well-detailed, hand-drawn backgrounds to beautiful action sequences, there’s no shortage of visually stunning anime. But for every popular anime like Demon Slayer and Your Name, there are anime that do not gain as much traction.

Sometimes, due to poor promotion, uncommon art styles, or complex plots, these anime have gone unnoticed in the anime community. However, they are rare gems for those who go the extra mile to find them, as they display the hard work behind beautiful animation.

1 Violet Evergarden

A Beautiful Masterpiece Overshadowed By Bigger Hits

Violet Evergarden is an anime that tells the story of a girl who knows nothing but war and is seen as a killing machine by almost everyone while she is trying to find her purpose in the absence of war. This series was animated by Kyoto Animations, a popular animation studio known for its good visuals, but this masterpiece is amazing even by the studio’s standards, with an unorthodox art style and realistic vibe.

However, its slow pacing and selective appeal, combined with the release of already-known anime such as Saiki K and Attack On Titans in that year, made it a sleeper hit more than a mainstream one.

2 5 Centimeters Per Second

Shinkai’s Early Gem Lost In The Shadows Of His Blockbusters

Makoto Shinkai’s 5 Centimeters Per Second is an anime that explores the relationships between people and how distance and time affect such relationships, along with the ability to let go and move on. This is one of his most realistic works, with an immense visual appeal and realistic portrayals of life that capture its viewers.

Though visually captivating, Shinkai’s other works, such as Your Name and Weathering With You, had far more recognition than this masterpiece of an anime. Also, its extreme realism and lack of a happy ending may have made anime fans reluctant to watch the series, making them miss out on the beauty it has to offer.

3 Sound! Euphonium

Musical Drama With Top-Notch Realism

Sound! Euphonium focuses on the growth of the protagonist and her peers in a high school band with the dream of reaching nationals, and the animation does more than enough justice. From the glistening of brass musical instruments to the realistic body language of the characters, the attention to detail leaves viewers of the series in awe.

Sadly, anime with musical themes are not extremely popular, and Sound! Euphonium happens to be a masterpiece lost in this crowd. The focus on musical drama and realism does not entirely resonate with the larger faction of the anime community, leaving it unnoticed.

4 Bubble

A Feast For The Eyes That Struggled For Recognition

• Japanese Title: Bubble
• Number of Episodes: 1
• Studio: Wit Studio

Bubble is a sci-fi anime set in an abandoned city covered with a giant bubble, filled with smaller mysterious bubbles and gravity-defying water bodies, and the visuals are up-to-standard with such unique concepts. The visuals are so good that fans of the movie believe it was a passion project for the animators, an excuse for them to go all out.

Sadly, the anime struggles to gain traction due to its reviews. Many critics and viewers believe it lacks a proper storyline, claiming it focuses more on style than substance. These reviews on its storytelling overshadow the jaw-dropping visuals of the anime, making it underappreciated in broader anime circles.

5 Children Of The Sea

Storytelling That Leaves Fans Bewildered

• Japanese Title: Kaijuu no Kodomo
• Number of Episodes: 1
• Studio: Studio 4°C

Children Of The Sea takes its viewers on a surreal journey of the sea, along with some of the most mesmerizing underwater visuals in anime. With a very unique blend of hand-drawn 2D animation with CGI, the anime was able to beautifully capture the oceanic scenery, making every frame a work of art.

However, with such beautiful visuals, the anime makes use of unconventional storytelling that leaves fans bewildered on how to engage it, giving them trouble with identifying the message that it is trying to pass. As a result, it has not gained much traction and is highly undervalued.

6 Redline

Lack Of Mainstream Promotion

Redline is one of the anime out there that shows the true dedication of animators. Hand-drawn from start to finish, it took Madhouse more than eight years to make, going way over the budget and wrecking their studio. The art style and animation are out of this world, with vibrant action sequences and exhilarating races that are nearly impossible to forget.

Sadly, despite the mouth-gaping animation and the effort put into the production of this movie, Redline suffered a poor box-office performance upon release, making it undervalued in the anime society.

7 Great Pretender

A Stylish Heist Series With Watercolor Aesthetics

• Japanese Title: Great Pretender
• Number of Episodes: 23
• Studio: Wit Studio

An anime centered on con artists gathering for organized crime, Great Pretender’s plot is extremely captivating and emotion-provoking, and so are the visuals. Having some sort of watercolor paintings and backgrounds with distinct artistic embellishments that bring light into almost every scene and expressions that portray the emotions of characters nearly perfectly.

While Great Pretender is a sight for sore eyes, it does not have the recognition it deserves, which is partially due to it being released directly to streaming platforms like Netflix. Moreover, the niche theme doesn’t apply to a wide audience, leaving it unnoticed by the larger anime community.

8 Monogatari Series

A Visual Puzzle For A Niche Audience

Shaft is widely known for their unique visual experimentation, and the Monogatari series is the best representation of this fact. The unconventional use of bold color schemes and beautiful character close-ups make the series extremely visually distinct. It also makes use of visual metaphors that make the user pay attention to every detail as they watch.

However, these visual metaphors combined with their cryptic storytelling have made the entire series complex to watch for the average anime fan. For fans who do watch the anime, Monogatari is much more noticed for its storytelling and complex plot, making its appealing visuals fly under the radar.

9 Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines

Romantic Comedy With A Slow Start

At first sight, Makeine seems to be a basic romantic comedy anime, but the visuals and the animation raise the anime way beyond expectations. The vibrant colors and the dynamic animation give the anime an extra boost to its already impressive plot, bringing out visual brilliance at its finest.

However, the anime does not get off to a great start. The first few episodes give off the vibe of the standard romantic comedy anime, with very familiar tropes to boot. Fortunately, the perspective changes after those few episodes, but most anime fans do not have the patience to see it through.

10 Garden Of Words

Another Shinkai Masterpiece In The Shadows

Being an anime set in the rainy season of the year, few anime capture the beauty of nature the way The Garden Of Words does. The work and detail put into the anime are beyond exceptional, especially for things like its greenery and rain. The animation of raindrops and puddles and the casting of light on objects and characters give it a hyper-realistic feel, creating a quiet atmosphere.

Sadly, this is another anime that is not widely known due to the release of Shinkai’s more popular and commercially successful works, such as Your Name. The short runtime of the anime also did not leave much to be desired by fans, making it underappreciated.