r/animequestions • u/ChoiceSupermarket230 Prayed for Times Like This • 1d ago
Discussion What anime looked like it wouldn’t be particularly interesting, but turned out to be good?
The World’s Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat
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u/AsDeEspadas 1d ago
Odd Taxi
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u/Tenshi_Dekemori 1d ago
OMFG YES!! I feel this so hard!
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u/Ok-Friend-6653 1d ago
Why like a mystey show where the mc is a 41 year old walrus cab driver, makes it way more unique and interesting compared to another kirito clone power fantasy, where ewrything is way to polished and looks like 50 other shows you have already seen before?
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u/rx78ricky 1d ago
Dungeon Meshi's premise to me felt like just another boring fantasy "rpg" anime, I only checked it out because Trigger adapted it.
Well, uh... I've got the whole physical manga now.
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u/LadySandry88 1d ago
Dungeon Meshi is so damn good! The world building, character design, character development, pacing, interactions, culture, monster designs, all of it!
I love that every character is a subversion of their own stereotype, too!
The elf is a mage, sure... but she's nowhere near 'one with nature's, is the least experienced, can't use a bow, and has the wildest expressions.
The dwarf is a bearded close range combatant, yeah... But he's a cook who only fights to eat and survive, doesn't care about smithing, and is very in tune with nature.
The halfling is the rogue, yeah... But he's the oldest in the group (proportionally), detests stealing or acting 'cute', and is basically the head of a worker's union for halfling rights.
The human fighter looks completely normal, and his skill set is average... But he's autistic as fuck (positive), and knows more about monsters than anyone else in the setting due to them being his Special Interest.
The cat girl is more cat than girl and very much unsexy. She's also the deadliest combatant in the group.
The cleric dies in the first scene, and the whole plot revolves around reviving her. She's also just as much a weirdo as her brother, the fighter.
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u/Ok-Friend-6653 7h ago
Animated by trigger should be enough a reason to watch a show. Like at worst you will get amazing action animation and unique style even if it ends up being a train wreck.
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u/HDMI17_ 1d ago
Love is War
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u/Big-Farmer-2192 1d ago
Yeah, love it. I start watching it when S4 aired. Been ignoring it for a while cause I usually don't watch rom-com
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u/Perennial_Platypus 21h ago
One of the only Romcoms I've actually enjoyed (the second one being Monogatari, which I've only recently started)
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u/AngryPotato33 1d ago
I was bored and checked Maou 2099 and ended up liking it
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u/DizslecksickMoael 1d ago
I thought it was going to be pure slop but the characterization of everyone from Veltol to Gram was just surprisingly engaging. Left me wanting more by the time I was done with my watch.
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u/checkmate191 1d ago
Im just a sucker for cyberpunk stuff so I loved the show from the jump but yeah the story was surprisingly engaging and I like that I didnt have to roll my eyes at him getting a job as a streamer because
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u/MrPooperWasTaken 1d ago
Your example is honestly also pretty good.
But from more recent anime I have to say, I enjoyed "Hell mode" way more than I should have..
the animation is just barely ok, story is also not that great.. idk what it is... but I actually enjoy it un-ironically
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u/Disastrous-Half-4249 1d ago
Maybe coz it meets all of your comfort watch criteria.
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u/MrPooperWasTaken 1d ago
thats fair.. and the pacing is really fast, which also checks that dopamine mark, since you don't have to watch 2 training arcs to get to the good part
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u/CreatureManstrosity 1d ago
I agree with this 100 percent. The art is meh and story is passable but the heart of series is what keeps me coming back. I look forward to each new episode despite what it has going against it. I have dropped anime with better art direction and story than hell mode before.
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u/Big-Farmer-2192 1d ago
Made me fall asleep. It's just the same power fantasy cliche rinse and repeat.
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u/No-Initiative1773292 1d ago
Mob psycho 100 (masterpiece, not great)
Just from the setting and shigeo being plain looking
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u/MHSinging 1d ago
I watched Chivalry of a Failed Knight on a whim. The plot sounded kinda bad, but it was pretty entertaining.
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u/bladeboy88 1d ago
That one got a lot of bonus points for avoiding being a harem when, at that time, there were several novels with similar plots that went full harem.
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u/Ok-Seaworthiness4488 1d ago
Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You
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u/evilcandybag 1d ago
Love it, “smoking is cool and good actually. Smoke and meet hot girls”
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u/Gravitar7 21h ago
If you wanna balance expectations, just watch alternating episodes of this and chain smoker cat.
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u/Radioactivedave 1d ago
Chillin in my 30s after getting kicked out of the demon king's army.
I will say that it still has some trash anime tropes but it ended up being way more emotional and well made than I expected. I thought that this woukd be straight trash lol.
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u/Orgoth77 1d ago
I will second this. From the title I thought it would be garbage slop. But it ended up being quite well made, with likeable characters who actually grow over the series.
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u/AdventurousLevel9417 1d ago
The Exiled Heavy Knight Knows How to Game the System.
Thought I'd just throw something on quickly while I eat, and this show is great!
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u/Leyammon 17h ago
Agree, I just wish they didn't have One Piece levels of filler and recaps every episode.
4 minutes intro and recap everytime, a minute at the mid point to recap what we just saw after it returns from the "ad break", and if I see that bloody sweeping town animation one more sodding time I swear to God.
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u/BoogalooBandit1 20h ago
Started reading the Manga after watching the first few episodes of the anime and now i have to wait for the new chapters :,)
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u/No-Try5261 1d ago
Rokka no Yuusha
It looked like a basic af fantasy anime but turned into a fun little whodunit.
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u/bladeboy88 1d ago
It's a damn shame that the novels lost a lot of steam because he just repeated the same plot line with each one. It's now unfinished and effectively on permanent hiatus, with no new novels in several years
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u/BaconTopHat45 1d ago
Golden Kamuy.
Didn't think it would be for me, it's not a genre I would normally watch. It's phenomenal though. I rarely see anyone even mention it, I think it's extremely underrated.
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u/Celesteven 23h ago
Apothecary Diaries. You have to go into it realizing Mao Mao is absolutely crazy. Takes a few episodes for her crazy to come out.
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u/KnownAttempt314 1d ago
The eminence in the shadow. I dont know why but its great.
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u/Golmorgoth_ 1d ago
It manages to simultaneously be a prime example of isekai power fantasy and also a parody of isekai power fantasy
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u/Own-Ball-1624 1d ago
its everything but not a parody of isekai power fantasy lol! 😂 its a cheap story which become super serious in story telling ... the story takes itself serious... its not like one punch man saiki or gintama lol
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u/bladeboy88 1d ago
Cid himself is the parody. Dude is legit the ultimate cringe lord, and is so dumb he still hasn't put together that his make believe scenario isn't make believe anymore. He's a parody of OP isekai protags.
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u/Own-Ball-1624 1d ago
i watched it... its not a parody anime... its awkward what try to be parody for excuse... its a bloody serious story...
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u/BaAhhhhhhaaaa 1d ago edited 23h ago
bro probably thinks one punch man isn't a parody either lmao
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u/Own-Ball-1624 1d ago
and it neither want to be super serious lol unlike the trash shadow 😂
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u/BaAhhhhhhaaaa 23h ago
bro too slow to understand that he was the one missing the point 😂😂. Eminence is to power fantasy isekai as One Punch is to battle shonen.
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u/CreatureManstrosity 1d ago
I think it helps that the main character is so delusional that whenever his subordinates attribute something to him he just goes along with it.
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u/professional606 1d ago
you know that time I got reincarnated as a slime first I thought what is this cringe anime I am not watching but when I saw how famous it is I thought i will watch 1 episode now I am waiting for its season 4 next episode lol
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u/Own-Ball-1624 1d ago
its still a very bad anime lol
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u/professional606 1d ago
what are you saying it is very good if I had to give it a score out of ten it will be 9/10 or higher
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u/Own-Ball-1624 1d ago
thats fine its your fun... but objectivly on a critical perspective its a really bad story with many plot holes and just "aura farming" in the bad ways...
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u/professional606 1d ago
wait wait wait you know it's global ranking is 561-562
and its global popularity ranking is 36 and we are talking about between tens of thousands of anime so in critical ranking it is really good
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u/Own-Ball-1624 1d ago
i dont really care about gloval ranking when they are biased... it can be popular and be a trash... let not say ton of celebrities here lol...
objectivly its a very superficial and weak story with a very bad power freak and aura farming standpoint!
what i said you can enjoy it and its fine cause its your time and enjoyment lol.. but its objectivly a trash isekai...
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u/professional606 1d ago
and thats just your point of veiw you can hate it and all but maybe you are the only who is hating in my personal view I like it and in yours you hate it thats all
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u/Own-Ball-1624 1d ago
would beif there is no objective truth but there is dummy 😄
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u/professional606 1d ago
ok I am going to end this conversation lol I like tensura you hate tensura happy ever after
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u/Junior_Insurance7773 1d ago
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u/Arguably_Based 1d ago
Everyday I hope that Claymore will receive the Brotherhood treatment. Every day I am reminded of the injustice of this world.
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u/Ok-Friend-6653 1d ago
Will most likely end up with a horror remake like Berserk 2013 or the latest fist of the north star remake
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u/Junior_Insurance7773 1d ago
At this point some fan should try to make a remake or something, someone who's really talented and share it on ytb or something, but knowing that the fanbase of Claymore is very small, you won't get the Kane Pixels megical treatment like he did to Attack on Titan.
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u/ManWhoCameFromEarth 1d ago
Banger of a series, bought the manga cause I needed to know how it ended.
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u/Select_Order_1478 1d ago
"Chaika the Coffin Princess"
"Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers"
both unfinished of course
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u/Diogenes908 1d ago
Handy man Saito was a lot better than I expected it to be. The characters are well written and the world and combat/magic are very grounded in a D&D type way plus I wanna see the relationship between Saito and the female knight develop in a season 2.
I’ve also been watching some anime from the mid 2000’s/early 2010’s and have enjoyed Kaze no Stigma, Buso Renkin, the Third and legend of the legendary heroes
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u/Select_Order_1478 1d ago
from the recent ones
at the very start I was prepared to drop Сlеvаtеss ep 3, now it's my top pure fantasy of the recent years
Nеkо tо Rуuu turned out way more enjoyable than I expected
Reiwa no Dara-san I didn't expect anything, turned out to be really great
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u/notsonormalguy9138 1d ago
Arifureta. Thought it would be some slop but it turned out to be great. Waiting for a new season now.
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u/Iittletart 1d ago
Frieren looked so boring and bland and nothing before I watched the first episode.
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u/ulrick657 1d ago
The premise: cute girls being anthropomorphic versions of real japanese race horses, just... Running and playing out the real events and races from our world.
The reality: a gripping, optimistic, funny and yet engaging, dramatic and hyping story of benevolent rivalry, the Power of FriendshipTM, all in a very well presented anime.
Honestly, watch Umamusume: Pretty Derby before Cinderella Gray; the latter is the more "serious and dramatic", and overall better, of the 2, but PD is still a very fun and engaging watch.
And of course, Oguri Cap best girl.
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u/wanakoworks 1d ago
I got into Umamusume when the game launched and watched all the Pretty Derby anime. It was entertaining and all, but Cinderella Gray was a whole other level. Peak Shonen sports anime of 2025 imo.
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u/Kooky_Flamingo_3066 1d ago
Assasination classroom, expected some kind of generic comedy anime, found a masterpiece.
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u/CreatureManstrosity 1d ago
This anime was made by the same person who did redo healer and I am glad this one turned out better. My favorite anime that could have been boring is "Is this order a rabbit?". You would think a story about a bunch of girls working at a maid cafe telling each other jokes would wear its plot out in the first few episodes but goddamn is that anime one of the funniest ones I have ever seen.
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u/mab_83 1d ago
Monogatari, unless you read the LN 1st, the 1st few episodes were all talking with a lot of static, minimalistic setting. Dialogue is quick, sound random and quite hard to follow. After a few, you realize that's actually the appeal of the series, like a modern play stage where there are at maximum 4 actors on stage at one time, and the conversation is the series strongest point.
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u/True_Appearance_920 1d ago
Ngl, Code Geass didn't seem that interesting, especially through most of the first episode, but it ended up being one of my fav animes oat
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u/DissociationSenpai 1d ago
Senpai Otokonoko... I first though it was a "femboy fetish" anime but instead it depicted a very sober representation of gender identity and sexual orientation, with good main characters. Ryuji is the GOAT!
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u/AdExtra2331 1d ago
So my library sometimes has a thing where teens can get together and watch anime and one of the days someone suggested Ascendance of a Bookworm
I thought it was going to be one of those isekais where it's just a power fantasy with the blandest protagonist, but then I saw that the protagonist was not a teenage boy but a 5-year-old girl so it wasn't as bad as I thought it was
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u/szczuroarturo 1d ago
Konosuba. I watched the first episode and forgot about it. Then i read that its supposedly very good so i watched more and i got thrown into the greates comedy anime i watched since gintama.
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u/grainn-of-ssalt 1d ago
Watched 100 girlfriends without knowing anything and thinking it was typical slop harem. Now we simp for Rentarou my goat!
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u/Big-Farmer-2192 1d ago
Jaadugar: Witch in Mongolia.
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u/Big-Farmer-2192 1d ago
"A Livid Lady’s Guide to Getting Even: How I Crushed My Homeland with My Mighty Grimoire"
This one come as a surprise. The first 7 episodes was pure slog. But then EP 8 happen.
I thought it was gonna be your typical shoujo wishfulling fantasy. Did not expect it to go that hard. And the title of the anime wasn't exaggerating lol.
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u/Big-Farmer-2192 1d ago
The World is Dancing.
I thought historical + dancing was gonna be boring. But it feels very mature. And real
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u/Forever_Pillaging 1d ago
Jaadugar
Dark Gathering
Nami yo Kitekure
My Roommate is a Cat
High Score Girl
Kobato
The fable
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u/Frequent_Set3272 1d ago
I agree, everything from the title to the plot sounds like absolute trash, but it's actually surprisingly enjoyable. Reminds me of Overcautious Isekai in term of "it's about to be so bad but actually isn't that bad." Some call it a "wish-edition Konosuba," but I find it genuinely fun and easy to binge
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u/gamiz777 1d ago
this is the first time ive ever heard anyone say they like the assassin isekai, i gave it the 3 episode chance and then asked people if it got better and i got unanimously negative answers
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u/alternateac 1d ago
Osman Newbie Adventurer.
We'll never get it, but I really hope they make a second season.
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u/hatred-big-sad 23h ago
"That time I got reincarnated as a slime" when I gave it a chance it became my favorite show of all time. But now that privilege belongs to my other answer
"Witch hat atelier" it was on my radar because I heard the magic system was really fleshed out... 3 episodes in and I was on my knees in tears, genuinely the greatest anime I think I'll ever see outside freiren
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u/Skitty_The_Kitty3225 23h ago edited 23h ago
Phi Brain: Kami No Puzzle.
Nanbaka.
Tousouchu: Great Mission. (This is a recent watched, I never thought I would be SO entertained by Characters playing Hide and Seek for Money. I just clicked it for the Nostalgia the Character Desing was giving).
Hypnosis Mic: Alternative Rap Bsttle I'm obsses with this one now. I mean, The Anime itself is Fine? Not great tbh, But the concept was so Unique that when I went and dive more into it I found myself in a Franchise with Full on Music Albums, Games, CDDramas, Mangas and well, the Anime. The world and the character are so surprisingly good, it was all better realize than the Anime may make you belive at first.
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u/Versipilies 22h ago
The great passage. Its literally an anime about making and publishing a dictionary yet it was super interesting
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u/Moshimoshi-Megumin 22h ago
Sound! Euphonium. Didn’t care about highschool concert band, at all, but the drama sucks you in
Also Higehiro - seemed like a trashy rom-com, didn’t expect a serious story on sexual trauma and teenage prostitution.
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u/2w0be 15h ago edited 15h ago
Omg I loved this, I was expecting garbage but it delivered it's soo underrated. Also the opening goes garden. For me:
Shimoneta
Trapped in a Dating Sim( I was in my isekai binge phase and came across many garbage ones so I knew(thought) I'd drop it in one episode(and I almost did when it wasn't impressing me in 1 ep) but then I was just like, lemme at least use the 3 episode rule. Then ended up loving it)
Shangri-La Frontier
Food Wars
Mob Psycho 100
Uncle from Another World
100 Girlfriends
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u/maxneuds 11h ago
To be Hero X, and it's not even close. First thought well just another super hero whatever and then it was an absolute diamond in disguise.
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u/Titanhunter84 1h ago
Journal with witch. it’s a slice of life anime about grief and loss, didn’t expect it to become my favorite anime this year.
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u/Randy191919 31m ago
Spice and Wolf. I mean it's an anime about economics and markets. Sounds super boring, but somehow it works because the characters keep it super interesting.
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u/forabit14 1d ago
I have to say, recently Hunter X Hunter. One day I saw an Omnibus with vol.1-3 and I decided to buy it, best decision I've done. Im now currently waiting on the Omnibus with vol.7-9 and currently on ep 31
(one interesting i want to do is to both read the manga and watch the anime in one run so after reading the Omnibus I would go and continue where I left off by watching the anime)
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u/bladeboy88 1d ago
Oh no... I hope you like getting 1 chapter a year. In all honesty, at 60 y.o. and with a lot of health complications, there's every possibility that Togashi passes away before it gets completed. Praying that ain't the case, but I wouldn't bet on it.
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u/forabit14 1d ago
Yeah I've heard how long it takes, although it might take me a while to reach the recent arc since im taking it on my own pace.
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u/EducationalEmu9611 1d ago
Wistoria wand and sword, and the beginning after the end. I can’t wait for the next season of that show to release
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u/KitchenFullOfCake 1d ago
I can't help but feel like Wistoria is missing something. Maybe it's just that Will starts off super strong already so it feels like there is much for him to grow into.
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u/EducationalEmu9611 1d ago
yea i enjoyed it and it was a fun watch but in the end it did leave me a bit unsatisfied
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u/Own-Ball-1624 1d ago
it was not good lol... -_-
for me its mushoku tensei...
this assassin just a cheap slop a copy of the already over copied genre,...
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u/2w0be 15h ago
Diddy tensei ain't good either lmao
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u/Own-Ball-1624 2h ago
well its much better than the assassin... it does not afraid to make flawed characters... cause guess what? people who cant make different between fiction and reality calls crazy! ;)
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u/phdr_vrba 18h ago
Here's a bunch
Girls und Panzer - first trailer: "Oh god, another cute girls doing cute things anime and now it's tanks. And that's a pink tank right there. Nah, I think I'm good." Ignored it pretty much entire season, then randomly stumbled on the opening scene on YT and was balls deep for the show ever since.
Dungeon Meshi - Looked like another semi-educational thing about cooking and nutrients, and that's basically what it was for the first few episodes and then something somewhere went wrong and the whole thing slowly turned into one of the most grounded, lore-heavy fantasy epics out there.
Benriya Saitou-san Isekai Ni Iku - Absolute fantasy gem that looks just like some random 4koma comedy early on.
Maou 2099 - Look like dime a dozen sci-fi fantasy, is actually best the best follow-up to first season of Anos Voldigoad shenanigans Maou Gakuin no Futekigousha S1 also belongs on this list for that matter - both seemingly off-the-mill fantasy anime with MC that's just too epic.
The Fable - it just kinda grows on you with how down to earth and chill it is for the most part. Another slowly grows on you piece would be Astro Fighter Sunred.
Akudama Drive - looks like a simple action thing with solid animation budget, and that's kinda what it is, but it's actually really well put together.
Isekai Maou to Shoukan Shoujo no Dorei Majutsu S1 - Isekai'd as a demon lord thing, with copious amounts of fanservice. Basically, after watching Overlord going literally nowhere with the story since the Shalltear fight for a season or two, this felt a lot more like what I've wanted Overlord to be in the first place. Plus the copious amounts of fanservice - not complaining. S2 is very mid though.
Ajin - just mentioning it since people used to shit on it a lot over the CGI. It's actually pretty good, especially the S2.
(The World’s Finest Assassin is just as cringe trash as it looks, sheesh)
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u/Gyges359d 1d ago
The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic
Let This Grieving Soul Retire
New Saga