Underrated Anime Series You Might Have Missed in 2024

Anime series this season have been generating a lot of impact in the fandom. But as always, certain popular series have become the center of attention, while others are sidelined despite being quite good as well.

Underrated anime this year range from an unlikely detective drama about a hierarchical vampire society, to a reboot of one of the best romance anime series that fans must watch at least once. Here’s a look at this catalog of series that offers good and solid plots, but lacked enough audience approval to become the talk of this season as it is about to end.

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7

Delico’s Nursery

A Vampire Sleuth Story

Dali Delico is a pariah in a society where prestige and bloodline are everything. A vampire investigator and the head of a prestigious family, he prefers to live a solitary life raising his children alone, after a tragic incident that ended the life of his beloved. One fateful eve, his former colleagues knock on his door, asking why he rejects the order to investigate a serial murder case. Dali answers that he is focusing on his family.

As members of the Vlad Agency, they decide to gather all their children in the same manor and raise them as they solve the murders. It’s a decision that they will later regret, but one that sparks a plot with comedy, intrigue, drama, and so much more. Delico’s Nursery is set in the same world as the vampire manga TRUMP, and acts as a prequel of sorts. It’s a great combination of sleuth and gothic horror that, sadly, didn’t receive the attention it deserved.

6

Mayonaka Punch

A Vampire And A Fallen Idol Make A Strange Pact

After ruining her career, Masaki Sonoue is desperate to return to her former glory as a member of a prestigious group of “NeoTube” idols. But repairing her reputation will be difficult, since she was kicked out for punching the leader of the group. While she is desperately trying to figure out what to do, she attracts the attention of Live, a vampire who craves her blood. They make a deal: Live will help Masaki become viral, and Masaki will let Live drink her blood in return.

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What follows is a succession of goofyt satirical events that quickly become a story of friendship, trust, and becoming famous at all costs. The idea of these otherwise scary supernatural beings helping a girl become famous by doing shenanigans at midnight is both hilarious and ridiculous.

5

No Longer Allowed In Another World

Unsurprisingly, This Isekai Critique Didn’t Get Enough Likes

• Release Date: July 9, 2024
• Director: Shigeki Kawai
• Studio: Atelier Pontdarc
• Number of Episodes: 12

When people watch a satire, they must understand that they are often critical of the topic they refer to. In the case of No Longer Allowed In Another World, there are a lot of things that might trigger the audience. Be it his main character who constantly seeks a “beautiful death,” or the fact that this world doesn’t consider isekai’d people as “heroes” but oppressors who use their powers for evil, this series is all about breaking the mold.

So why is it that it didn’t qualify as the best of the season? The truth is that this series is not for young audiences, as it deals with lots of serious topics: suicide, death, depression, consumption of substances, and more. As it is, it should be considered Seinen to begin with (which it isn’t), so there might lie the problem: demographics. This is not a series for the average isekai/fantasy audience, so that’s where the error was. That doesn’t mean it is not a great series for those who like dark comedy and satire.

4

Wistoria: Wand And Sword

A Familiar Formula In An Overcrowded Market

Some people say that Wistoria: Wand And Sword is the perfect fantasy series about a boy with nearly no powers trying to climb the ranks of the academic hierarchy through sheer force of will. Does that sound familiar? It is! This formula has been repeated so many times, and since many people have noticed some parallelism with another popular school-life series about superheroes, it has sparked debate all around. Perhaps, as people were lost in that debate, this series didn’t earn the right kind of attention.

The truth is that this fantasy tale about overcoming weakness for a greater purpose was written by Fujino Ōmori, the author of (among other things) DanMachi. People are discordant when they speak about Ōmori’s work. Some of them love his LN, and some of them hate his series. But Wistoria can be good to watch, especially if fans are into cool battle scenes, sword and sorcery.

3

Undead Unluck

Crosses The Line Several Times And Still Has Its Charm

A series about a 200-year-old Zombie approaching a 20-year-old neet with less-than-good intentions is bound to be frowned upon. But if the audience can beyond the useless fanservice, they’ll discover a charming (and different) kind of story: one about two misfits who are made for each other.

Though romance is clearly dead in this series, that doesn’t mean it is a valid reason to avoid it. It has a lot of other good features too: adventure, comedy, and a strange and quirky secret society of anti-natural beings trying to restore order to the world. Of course, it also has lots of incredible combat scenes and visual effects. Sadly, it just didn’t gain enough popularity, and though its second season was confirmed, a date hasn’t been announced yet.

2

Orb: On The Movements Of The Earth

When The Price Of Truth Is Too High To Bear

Orb is a series about the era that redefined the comprehension of the cosmos, inspired by the Copernican revolution. It is an anime that deals with a lot of the aspects of the pursuit of this “universal truth,” including the bloody persecution of everyone who tries to follow this line of thought.

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The depiction of the Inquisition on the scientists’ minds, the martyrdom of those who pursued a new astronomical model, and the change of an era are all depicted through the eyes of young Rafal. Orb is fascinating, crude, unapologetic, and a heavy critic to an institution that has delayed scientific advancement for years to hold out a monopoly on knowledge and power. If fans enjoy a realistic setting and a thrilling tale of truthseekers against the world, then they should watch it.

1

Spice and Wolf (Reboot)

Remains True To The Original And Adds Better Visuals

The reboot of this classic romance tale by Isuna Hasekura is one of the best things to see this year. Some fans of the original series have stated that they’re heavily against the change of the artistic direction, and that the show felt somewhat generic. But the truth is that despite all the fleshed-out lines and modern visuals, the series remains quite true to its original from 2008.

Similar to the reboot of Rurouni Kenshin, the new Spice and Wolf series captures the essence of the original and adds more value to the work with better lighting effects, better landscapes, and better designs in general. It is not all about nostalgia with this show, since it has been reprised for modern audiences to enjoy. On that note, it is a must-watch for all those who enjoy a mild fantasy romance.

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