Not every anime is good. In fact, most anime are not. But that doesn’t mean the whole vast landscape of series should be judged as “bad.” Most series lie somewhere between the extremes, and while critical judgments of them may amount to “nothing special,” they all still have the potential of becoming someone’s favorite, of being shows that really connect with us.
I’m willing to bet that each of you has several anime that you adore which many have dismissed as too plain or uninspiring. For me, series like Tokimeki Memorial Only Love, Suzuka, and To Heart come to mind. They hit all the right spots and came along at the right times for me. None would be considered classics, and Tokimeki, especially, is largely forgotten. Still, they each left a mark: Suzuka reminded me of the adolescence I wanted to have, of the track team I wish I tried out for, and featuring lovely voice over performances; To Heart infused with an incredibly comforting feel, keeping me glued to my TV during a time when I was starting to get into anime again after a lengthy absence; and Tokimeki pulling on my heartstrings during a time that I was actively seeking out romance and harem series.
But enough about me! Tell a series or two that you love which hardly anyone else does. We’re not looking for great series that are forgotten—I’m asking for anime that virtually no one, including yourself, would consider “great,” but which are still meaningful to you. And let us know why you like them so much!
Ohhh a Suzuka fan. It’s my favorite manga/anime of all time. I can’t believe I found someone who loves it as much as I do. Man I really do love this series, except for fuuka that’s just too sad for me too handle. I actually read fuuka first then only I found out about suzuka and it was even more sad when I read the prequel. Anyways it’s nice to meet a person who loves a series that I love.
Nice to meet you as well! Yeah, there’s just such a charm to Suzuka—I enjoy it so much, and it’s also one of the more “rewatchable” series I own!
It’s really wonderful read a series that good. When I saw your post, I didn’t expect Suzuka to be there and also I didn’t expect to find a lot of your Suzuka posts. I was really surprised and happy because there was finally someone who appreciates Suzuka as much as I do😄.
By the way your blog is rocking😍.
I probably have lots of series that could count for this, as well as ones that I personally think are great while others would most likely disagree, but I think the biggest example of “average but I love it” for me has to be Sister Princess. Yes, it’s the series that pretty much codified the “adoring little sister” trope, but it did so largely in a way still focused on family bonds rather than incest fetishizaiton (there’s definitely some incestuous subtext but overall it feels tamer than how it often is in modern series). It also has a pretty cool setting and some occasional mildly supernatural things going on, plus a solid storyline involvinge the “13th sister”. And, of course, there’s the gimmick of every sister addressing the brother in a different way (even in the English dub for lulz). Overall, it’s a series about familial love that was one of my earlier anime viewings and even now I still rather like it.
I think there’s something comforting with a lot of the anime that people have mentioned here and on Twitter, this quality that puts us in an emotionally good place when we watch these shows.
Yeah, and I can definitely say that Sister Princess in part contributed to my love for slice-of-life anime.
For me it’s a manga called, “Akuma to Love Song”. I think it is a prime example of a 7/10 show, but something about it resonates with me. I loved and related to so many of the characters that the plot holes/cliches were irrelevant to me.
Mmm…nice pick! And you know, there’s something oddly comforting to cliches and even plot holes, anyway. Those very items that can make a series mediocre are what sometimes bond them to us.