The anime community is a little weird to it’s own from time to time. For instance, I have occasionally come across fans that refuse to believe I actually watch anime not matter what I say for obscure reasons I have yet to discover. On the other hand, the majority of people tend to see the blog and assume I have some kind of all encompassing encyclopedic knowledge of all things anime.
Like most things, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. I do watch anime but there are a lot of shows that I haven’t watched. In fact some of them are really very popular. It’s not that I have anything against these series, in fact I am fully planning on watching at least a couple of these. However these are the shows people tend to get really surprised that I haven’t seen…yet…
In no order at all, in fact I’m not even adding numbers. So there!
Bleach
Somehow this series went completely over my head. In fact I only heard about it for the first time a few years ago. It sounds kind of cool, not that I know much about it or anything. Something about Shinigami and it’s a shonen. Nevertheless, seems like the type of series I would enjoy and a lot of bloggers I like are big on this show.
I have to admit, the 360+ episode count intimidates me a little. I just don’t know if I want to watch the same anime for that long. It’s the maybe pile.
Sword Art Online
I have zero strong feelings about Sword Art Online. I neither think it’s the best anime ever nor do I think it’s junk. I did start watching it a few years ago and I sort of abandoned it at episode 6. I know – I never drop shows… I can’t say I had any strong reason for doing so beyond the fact that it just didn’t speak to me and I hadn’t managed to get attached to any of the characters yet. With so many enticing titles in my to watch list, I decided to move on. If ever I run out of things to watch…
March Comes in Like a Lion
Everyone loves this show and I have a feeling I would as well. It’s right up my alley isn’t it? (For those of you that are new here, yes it is). I can’t explain why but at some point I got the idea that March Comes in Like a Lion would make me very sad and now I’m afraid to watch it. No exaggeration. But I’m still curious. And there are a lot of shows that made me sad that I still love. It’s a deep dilemma for me.
Code Geass
I have been wanting to watch Code Geass forever. Like years! It was on my Crunchyroll Queue and I was just about to pick it up, like it was next on the list back when you could reorder your watch list any way you wanted (I miss that so much) and BAM, it disappeared from Crunchy. Because I watch nothing but anime I didn’t open my Netflix for another year or two and only recently did I notice that it was available there so back on the list it went. It’s most likely the next anime I will watch.
Monster
Another series I have wanted to see forever but I just can’t find it. Maybe I’ll get fed up one day and just get it on physical medium…
Your Lie in April
I know a lot of people who adore this series and it certainly looks pretty. It a high romance, high drama show full of love triangles. Hard pass for me. Maybe I’m missing out but I know my tastes. Besides I have to watch Sword Art Online first.
Tokyo Ghoul
I sort of wanted to see it but then Funimation got custody of it when it broke up with Crunchyroll and I sort of forgot abut this series. There are elements that speak to me and I have a feeling I would enjoy it but for some reason I just never managed to work up too much enthusiasm for it either. It’s the type of show I would probably watch if one of the streaming services I have added it to their libraries but I’m not going to go out of my way for it.
Violet Evergarden
I love Kyoto Animation and I was super excited about Violet Evergarden before it came out. And then everyone talked about it so much that I sort of got my fill before I even started the series. Plus everyone says that it’s going to make me cry which usually goes one of two ways. It actually does make me cry and then I’m sad or It’s melodramatic sap and I’m bored to death. So that’s not good.
I’m exaggerating and I’m not completely ruling out the possibility of seeing this some day. But I don’t have plans for it either.
In case I haven’t made it clear. I have nothing against these shows, and I’m not saying they’re bad. How could I say that? I haven’t seen them. It’s just popular series that I never got around to for one reason or another.
How about you? Are there any really popular shows that you haven’t seen and people are always surprised by it? How about shows that sound right up your alley and yet you never made the time to watch?
Had to reply when I saw bleach. Basically, bleach was the first anime I properly watched. It was introduced to my by my girlfriend at the time (Singaporean). I loved bleach and I guess it became a big factor in my life. Actually my own website is named after one of the characters main moves. Now that I’ve worked and lived in Japan and watched many other anime I think bleach has a lot to answer for! I guess the thing I loved about bleach was the styling that Tite Kubo was famed for. I think the popular critical view which is probably true is that the anime was ruined by never ending filler arcs.. I think it more or less loses its way completely by half way through. You could probably watch 50-100 episodes and stop there. I remember in the heyday their was a definite bleach vs naruto vibe, but naruto managed to keep their storyline going with much higher quality in the long run !!
From what I’m hearing, I’m thinking maybe the manga might be the way to go
*Bleach – it was my favorite when I first watched it.
It’s first 10-15 episodes can felt boring but after that it’s a wild ride. MC makes this series much better.
It has many interesting characters.
*SAO – saw first season then dropped it. It was annoying to me (probably not my cup of tea)
*Code Geass – saw first season then put it in hold. It’s drama heavy with different drama elements, some of which I liked and some I don’t. Ending of season left me with mixed feeling.
I will pick it again at some point later.
*Monster- didn’t watch the anime but read the manga and it’s one of my favourites. It’s unique and have many interesting characters.
*YLIP-
I think that you misunderstood it. Romance is there but it is not romance ffocused(same with love triangle). I personally don’t like love triangle focused series… So I can say that YLIP is not like that.
Though it is sad and heart warming at the same time and will take one in a emotional rollercoaster. It’s OST and music it very good.
*Tokyo Ghoul – didn’t watch the anime but read the manga which I liked a lot.
*Violet Evergarden – I only watched till 8-9 episodes till now(I put it on hold for now) . Animation is beautiful.
March Comes in Like a Lion is on my watch list (will watch it soon)
I thought Your Lie was mainly a drama with a main character heavy on childhood trauma finding redemption through tentatively romantic feelings and tropes. I could be wrong, I’m basing it on random clips and reviews.
I am certainly surprised that you haven’t seen Your Lie In April because it was seriously hyped up back when it was aired.
But what can I say, Naruto is still the hype for many, yet, I haven’t seen a single episode of it. I just simply don’t have the time commitment to finish long Shounen shows.
Bleach is probably the longest anime show I have watched and finished. 😀
I get what you mean.
I’m confused as to why someone would assume you dont like anime when you have a entire blog dedicated to it. But there are alot of popular anime that I havent seen. Mostly cuz i have an aversion to popular stuff.
I was joking around. It does happen that I will meet someone at a con or something and they start talking abut anime and haven’t seen a single show they mention so they get a bit suspicious, you know
I don’t touch a lot of the popular anime – in fact, I developed an unjustified bias against some of them that I’ll never seem to get over (SAO, AoT) and the exceptions I’ve got finished to differing degrees. Mostly, it’s a “came too late/never came to my region legally at all” problem (Monster, Made in Abyss), if not the perennial paywall problem (Violet Evergarden) which I can wait for…unless, of course, the anime disappears from the service before I get to it + never legally gets to a home video format I can watch it in.
Although I count SGRS among my favourites and YLIA among my favourite manga, there is a time, place and mindset for anime like Your Lie in April and March. Combine that with how slow I go, how fast I start things (aside from everything I check of my own volition which includes as many of the seasonal debuts as I’m interested in, generally I’ll start two new anime per week due to my anime club, meaning a maximum of another 24 anime per year excluding the occasional marathon) and you can see why I shy away from those series.
I came to terms with the fact I’ll never finish every anime ever in my lifetime…I think around the time I started having an anime list (so 2015 or so). Just as long as you enjoy your time with anime, that’s enough…and life is too short to deal with series you’re being pressured to watch due to popularity.
Bleach is one of my all-time fave shows and yes I’ve seen every episode and all the films too! Honestly, there is a lot of filler – some good, some not so good – but there are guides online that show you how to watch just the canon chapters. However, you can get a pretty good idea of it from watching just the first arc alone.
Code Geass is also great. The first series ends with the mother of all cliffhangers.
Finally, s much negativity about these two shows
You will like March Comes in Like a Lion. It starts out as a kind of a bummer but as soon as his sister shows up it starts getting interesting.
Bleach is just another shounen. Not a bad one but the genre is the genre and it has all the tropes.
I don’t remember any serious triangles in Your Lie in April. No other girl comes close to violin girl.
Tokyo Ghoul is good but not great. I can’t get into SAO. I think the movie I saw in the theaters is the best of the lot.
Violet is not a sad show unless you are into sadness. I found it optimistic, even if it is a slow build.
Isn’t Violet Evergarden about a survivor of a devastating war holding the memories of all the dead?
Ditto on Code Geass, Violet Evergarden, Your Lie In April and Bleach for me too. The last one I refuse to watch to this day for purely personal reasons as a matter of fact! 😅 But Violet Evergarden and Your Lie In April, ooh those titles are definitely something on my watch list.
On my end, some notable anime I have not watched Naruto, Death Note, BNHA season 4, nor Attack on Titan. Mainly because I’m too lazy (also the fact I have no plans to watch new anime until further notice) haha.
I hope you enjoy them. They both have pretty blonde heroines! I just realized that my images for them are actually rather similar.
Thanks! I’m sure I will come to enjoy them, one way or another 😅
For me, a whole bunch! My Hero Academia and Attack on Titan are probably the two biggest outside of the huge series like One Piece. Only one I’ve seen on your list is Violet Evergarden, but I’ve read the manga for Your Lie and some of Tokyo Ghoul. Bleach and Monster I hope to get to read eventually.
You must be so tired of hearing about MHA and AoT.
I have this wonderful habit of never watching a “popular anime” and be left out my frieds conversations because I can’t keep up. It’s not like I do it on purpose, it just happens… if you want to get to know some unknown, low-rated series I’m the perferct person to ask to, though. lol
Up until recently I watched anime in a bubble so I only had a super vague idea of what was even popular. II was super surprised that people had heard of Evangelion…
I know, right? Lol. Most of all, I really can’t understand why they say is so good! Not that I hate it, but I think is quite average… anyway, guess I still live in that bubble😂
And regarding the post, the only anime I ever watched from this list Is Aot. Code Geass is been stuck in the “someday I’ll finish it” after I’ve looked at the first episode, like years ago 😂
Bleach: I really liked it when it started. The filler arcs killed it then. Especially the talking doll one. I made it 120 some episodes? Maybe even up to 200? I just know I never finished it. Battles in the beginning didn’t suffer too much from the dbz issue of dragging out forever but did got worse as it went on. Conceptually2 I really enjoyed the plot though.
SAO: I accidentally started this thinking it was only 2 seasons. The first 13 episode are very good. Next 13 kinda suck but are needed for character knowledge. Wasnt a fan of gun gale arc either but again, need it for characters. Then there was a side story with Yuki. I really liked that set of episodes since it was touching and a good use of the tech in the story. The Alicization arc I wasn’t a fan of until the end of S3. I mostly pushed through because it was supposedly popular enough for a s4. I’ve enjoyed S4 which is a continuation of that arc but focuses on the new world.
You’re the second comment to warn me about the Bleach filler arcs. They must be really bad.
I haven’t seen almost any of these either… except for Bleach. I tried it a few times, but couldn’t make it past episode 40 or so. Phew, definitely a huge commitment.
40 episodes is already huge. 95% of the shows I watch are shorter than that
Hmmm, that’s a good point…
Of the series that you listed I haven’t seen/finished Monster, March Comes in Like a Lion, Code Geass and Bleach. Not sure if I’ll ever want to watch Bleach as the episode count is nuts. I did start March Comes in Like A Lion a while back and got distracted with other shows. It is really good but it is a heavy series to watch. It’s been so long that I probably would have to start over from the beginning. Also with the dub now it might be an easier watch. One other popular show I never finished was Death Note. I liked what i saw but just never finished it- I think time and other shows got the better of me on that one too.
I actually have never watched Death Note. I dropped the anime five minutes in the first episode. I have read the manga three times though so I fell like I watched it.
Your Lie in April and Code Geass are the only two of these that I’ve watched in full, and I wasn’t a huge fan of either one. I liked YLIA more of the two, but neither one is a show I’m in a hurry to revisit.
I watched some episodes of Bleach and 3gatsu, but not enough to get into either one, and in Bleach’s case it was mainly just to get a feel for it so that I wouldn’t be totally lost when the kids in my anime club started talking about it, since it was at its peak popularity at the time.
Never seen any of the others, though in SAO’s case I did read the manga of the first arc, again so I’d least have some familiarity with the basic story. Violet Evergarden I definitely would have watched if it wasn’t in Netflix jail.
Popular shows I haven’t watched, there are a ton of them. Dragonball Z is probably the biggest one of all, but I’ve never had any interest in that. If I limit myself to popular shows I’ve thought I might like to get around to eventually, then these come to mind:
Violet Evergarden (home video someday, someone, please?)
Death Parade
Bakemonogatari (I have no idea if I’ll actually like this or not, but too many people whose opinions I respect really like it, so I want to at least try it out eventually)
Made in Abyss (blame Amazon for me skipping this when it aired, but I have the Blu-Rays now so I WILL get to it in the not-too-distant future)
Chihayafuru (started this once, really liked the first 5-6 episodes, and then somehow never came back to it)
Demon Slayer (enjoyed the first few streaming episodes, but wasn’t able to keep up weekly after that)
A Place Further Than the Universe
Steins;Gate
I’m hearing a lot of negatives about Code Geass. I’m still going to watch it out of curiosity but I have tamed my expectations!
Any series that’s sold on being high drama with love triangles and all that is also a pass for me. I’m sure some of them are great, but I prefer to see different kinds of dramas. Or at least the drama should be lighter or have some comedy in there to mix things up.
I haven’t watched any of the series on your list, and there are a lot more popular ones I haven’t seen. Trying to catch up on my to-watch list right now, but it keeps growing.
I feel less alone now! Thank you
2 of my all time favs are here! Monster & San Gatsu. I’m mostly here to contribute to the San gatsu propaganda, I live everything about it
Ok… I’m sold. It’s on the list
Every now and then I try to find ‘Monster’ but fail, exceptionally keen to see that one!
Don’t know if you saw my comment: but you can find it on Youtube 😊The entire series is there, in good quality with English subtitles. Just type in Monster episode 1, and you will find it😊
Wow, I hadn’t realised – that will certainly tide me over until a physical release returns, thanks 🙂
Raist told us it was on YouTube and I just checked, it is available in Canada. I’m psyched
Available in Australia too 😀
But woah, 74 episodes, I forgot that little detail! (Still, I can at least make a start now).
You heard about bleach only few years back?? Which year.??….
I dunno. Maybe 2017. I had seen screengrabs before but I didn’t know what they were from.
My goodness..😊
Love your post!💕 A lot of my friends are also surprised when they hear that I haven’t watched Tokyo Ghoul and especially Fairy Tail.😂
Wow you managed to avoid Fairy Tail! Skillz. Sometimes people forget just how much anime there is out there. You can’t watch it all…
I highly, highly recommend Monster. One of the best manga I ever read. It’s was so different from the stuff I read at the time.Don’t you dare watch Bleach before that.
Got it!
SAO and Code Geass are a few of the first anime I ever watched and they did a good job of making me interested in anime as a whole so I’m grateful to them for that.
Monster has to be one of the most psychologically developed anime ever. It’s not pretty and I never got around to finishing it but dear Lord did it take me on a ride.
I’ve seen a few episodes of Bleach (and heard entirely too much about it, same for Naruto) but my favourite amongst the Big 3 is One Piece, and even that I’m afraid to return to. I stopped watching it around episode 600ish and they’re nearing a thousand; it seems too daunting an undertaking.
I haven’t seen any of the others but Violet Evergarden seems like my cup of tea if I wasn’t avoiding the feels as I currently am.
Evergarden does seem to have a whole lot of feels…. I have seen images on Monster. It’s a very old school art style but it seems to have some interesting things going on with shadows. It’s 74 episodes, I have a feeling I will have to watch it alongside other stuff.
I hadn’t seen most of these and if i were to do a review on any of them my opinon would have most likely be unpopular despite how really highly scored it is on mal,anilist or kitsu.
-K.Anthony
I haven’t checked the scores. Those tend to end up arbitrary anyways
out of all the shows i’d be interested in it would be Violet Garden since it just looks so incredible.
Violet Evergarden I might actualy watch for my blog soon!
I’ve seen half of your list and I wasn’t a fan of much of that half I must admit. So I am a bit worried about the other half now xD
Bleach, I saw as a rookie and grew up with it, it was fine-ish, I dislike it more now than back then. Geass you probably know I really dislike and SAO as well. They aren’t bad but not my type of story telling.
Popular shows I haven’t seen that I still should watch are
Deadman Wonderland, Initial D and Hellsing (Well past the first episode) just to do a random grab of names.
I’ve only seen Hellsing which I really like but I wouldn’t recommend.
Damn, I’m surprised I’ve seen most of these. March Comes In… is on my watchlist. Bleach I shall never ever watch. Too damn long and I don’t feel like I’d enjoy it after a while. Violet Evergarden is the other one I haven’t seen. I’m hoping to binge it during bedrest. I kinda want to make a list like this of my own, but I feel I’d get murdered haha. XD
By whom and why? Have you been extorting money from a Yakuza gang by pretending to have seen all popular anime? I would read that light novel!
Sounds like it’d be an entertaining light novel! Haha. And probably by some of my friends who’re into the more popular stuff. I also have a very unpopular opinion about Ghibli films. 🤭🤭
I haven’t watched all of these either. I have seen a few episodes of Bleach, which I might usually enjoy, but I have only seen in English when browsing channels.
If I find it in Japanese, I think I would love it… as a kind of mindless filler on a rainy day.
For some reason, mindless action flicks always makes me happy….
Having said that, I HAVE watched all of Sword Art Online. You have chosen wisely, Irina. If I could erase that anime from my mind (except for episodes 1-2) I would.
Your gut was right. It promised alot, but it was just fluff.
I felt the same anout Tokyo Ghoul, but I haven’t finished it either.
Violet Evergarden is worth it! It might make you cry, but it isn’t really as developed as it could be story wise. It is beautiful to watch, and I could easily rewatch this one. It was painful in a beautiful way in places, but it didn’t rip my heart out.
So, keep this one on the list!
What is Monster?! That looks intriguing.
Monster is a psychological thriller and I’ve heard it’s very well written. I haven’t read it or seen it but it’s a genre I really like.
Welp I haven’t watched any of these shows yet too. But some of them just do not appeal to me at all no matter how positive the reviews are. And I hope people won’t come at me for this 😅
Why would anyone come at you? That would be scary
1. Bleach: Never seen it, and quite frankly that’s way too many episodes for me. Throw in Fairy Tail, which is in a similar position. I’m just not going to watch a series with that many episodes. Maybe if I hopped on the train while it was ongoing, but that train has passed and the tracks are overgrown with weed.
2. Sword Art Online wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t that good either. I actually tried to watch the second season, but five minutes into episode 1 the show reminded me of everything that annoyed me and of none of the things I liked, so I quit then and there never to look back.
3. March Comes in Like a Lion is a well done anatomy of depression, but it’s actually a pretty hopeful show. The mood can certainly get oppressive, and some of the scenes can be downright brutal, but it’s always offset by uplifting scenes later on. This is definitely near the top of the shaft catalogue. Well worth watching.
4./5. Both Code Geass and Monster have been on my to-watch list forever, but both shows need a specific mood, and a certain amount of determination. It’s a good time for Code Geass, though. I hear there’s a new porject in the works?
6. Your Lie in April… I downright hate how the show displays trauma. An early preview showed the opening scene of Kaori (main girl) chasing a cat. That preview was when I started disliking her; she deserved a clawy lesson. The anime put her on a pedestal instead. I don’t even think the show’s particularly pretty. I feel it’s visual overkill. The show’s more popular now than it was when it aired, probably because all the detractors moved on, while the fans are still gushing. It’s not a bad show, but I wouldn’t recommend it to you either. Best characters are the aunt and her child.
7. Tokyo Ghoul: First season was okay, second season, too. Third season I don’t know, because I’ve lost interest. I don’t hear good things, though most people who talk badly about season 3 seemed to be disappointed manga fans. The show used more CGI from then on out, and I’m just not interested enough in the franchise to bear with it.
8. Violet Evergarden: I found the story to be a maudling melodrama. It just wasn’t touching. The animation was pretty great, as expected from KyoAni, especially the movements of Violet’s mechanical hand. The scenery and cinematography ranged from tired cliché to truly awesome and inspired. I’m not sorry I watched it, but overall it wasn’t really my thing.
****
So what popular shows are still on my to-watch list (aside from Code Geass, which was the first to came to mind, and Monster)?
Planetes: I have the DVDs. Garbage disposal in space sounds like an awesome concept, and everyone who’s seen it talks highly of it.
XXXHolic: It’s probably one of the last holdovers of the Clamp universe I haven’t seen. Characters have shown up in other anime I’ve seen, such as Tsubase Reservoir Chronicles or Blood C. I’m curious.
FLCL: I keep trying every frew years or so, and then I always drop out during episode 1. I don’t know why. I haven’t given up, but I might have to face that it’s just not for me.
Yu Yu Hakusho: From the mangaka of Hunter X Hunter; that’s a pretty good recommendation right there, and people seem to like it.
I’m probably forgetting some really popular stuff, but there are also really popular shows I have absolutely no desire to see, so that might also be why a show’s not on the list.
I want to watch Panetes as well! I think this is the first time I hear of someone actually disliking Your Lie. But it does seem a bit tedious from the outside. You are selling me on March. Wait do I subconsciously avoid anime with months in the title?
Well…this is a first for me I think😅😅 This is actually the first time, with the exception of two shows, that I have seen all of these animes!😂😂
Bleach is one I haven’t seen, but mainly because of the episode count. It’s just too much for me which is the reason why I have skipped it so far😅Code Geass is the second one that I haven’t seen. No particular reason for that simply haven’t found the time yet.
I’m never one to push shows on anyone, so that’s simply not what I will be doing here. I can help you with one thing though: you say you can’t find Monster. It’s on Youtube, the entire full series! And in good quality too, with the original Japanese language and English subs. I have the show on dvd, but they messed up on the subtitles for it. The first two discs have French subtitles, and well…that’s not a language I’m good at (Yes I was being sarcastic😂) So I was lucky to see the beginning on Youtube, and then finished it with my dvd set.
As for the rest of the shows, all I can say is there are some very good ones there, Your Lie in April certainly being one of them. But as I said I would never be one to push something on anyone, and simply put you can’t watch everything!
Thanks for the tip!!!
YouTube here we come!
Haha, you are very welcome! Just search monster episode 1 and you will find it! 😊
Definetly!
OMG!!! You’re right Monster IS on Youtube and all f them are available here. I never even thought of checking. Raist you are a genius!!! This is awesome! I have been looking for this anime for years!
Haha, you are very welcome!😊 I hope you will enjoy the series. The manga for me was one of the best reads I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing, and the anime certainly does a great job recreating it😊Have fun watching! 😀
I haven’t seen all of those either.
Monster I keep meaning to pick up at some point. I read the first few books of the manga and really enjoyed it, but the stopped stocking them in my local shop.
Bleach is a mammoth undertaking now. I personally really enjoy it. There are times that it felt like the creator chickened out on killing off characters, and I’d say to avoid the filler arcs, but otherwise, it was my favourite of that era’s shonen series.
Sword Art Online I dropped too. I tried, I really did. It just didn’t click for me. I kept comparing it to .Hack//SIGN as that was my first foray into ‘trapped in a video game’ anime, and Dot Hack just suited me better. I preferred the pacing and characters there. So, I never dove back into SAO. Somehow, I doubt I ever will.
Same for me. I also kept thinking back on .Hack and I just liked Hack better. Maybe if I had watched SAO first it would be different.
It’s certainly possible! Though I think if I’d done it that way, I’d have still preferred hack in the end.
Ah, please watch Your Lie in April, it’s such an amazing series! Sword Art Online and Violet Evergarden are on my list to watch, too; so much great anime out there! 🙂
I have heard it’s a great anime but I very rarely enjoy stories with strong romantic elements
It’s combined with how our connections to others can restore and ignite our passion for life and the way we express ourselves, in this case through music. There are many layers to it, maybe try it and see how you find it? 🙂