A visually stunning anime that has gone unnoticed

Key conclusions

• Some visually stunning anime gems are overshadowed by more popular ones due to complex plots and unusual 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 to gain recognition among the wider anime community.

People watch anime for many reasons – some for the story, some for the amazing fight scenes, and some for the hype. However, nothing captures the attention of an anime watcher quite like spectacular 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 namethere are anime that don't gain that much popularity.

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

1 Violet Evergarden

A beautiful masterpiece, overshadowed by the greatest hits

Violet Evergarden is an anime about a girl who knows nothing but war and is seen by almost everyone as a killing machine as she tries to find her purpose in the absence of war. This series was created by Kyoto Animations, a popular animation studio known for its good visual effects, but this masterpiece is amazing even by the studio's standards, with an extraordinary art style and a realistic atmosphere.

However, its slow pace and selective appeal combined with the release of already established anime such as Saiki K and Attack of the Titans that year, made it a sleeper hit more than mainstream.

2 5 centimeters per second

Sinkai's early value, lost in the shadow of his blockbusters

Makoto Shinkai 5 centimeters per second is an anime that explores relationships between people and how distance and time affect such relationships and the ability to let go and move on. It is one of his most realistic works, with immense visual appeal and realistic depictions of life that captivate the audience.

Although visually stunning, Sinkai's other works such as Your name and Weathering is with you, received far more acclaim than this anime masterpiece. Also, the extreme realism and lack of a happy ending may have made anime fans reluctant to watch the series, causing them to miss out on the beauty it has to offer.

3 Sound! Euphonium

Musical drama with the highest realism

Sound! Euphonium focuses on the growth of the main character and her peers in high school with the dream of achieving national awards and the animation does more than enough justice. From the brilliant brass instruments to the realistic language of the characters, the attention to detail leaves viewers of the series enthralled.

Unfortunately, music-themed anime aren't very popular Sound! Euphonium it happens that the masterpiece got lost in this crowd. The emphasis on musical drama and realism doesn't exactly resonate with a larger faction of the anime community, leaving it largely unnoticed.

4 A bubble

A feast for the eyes that fought for recognition

• Japanese name: A bubble
• Number of series: 1
• Studio: Studio Vit

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

Unfortunately, the anime is struggling to gain popularity due to reviews. Many critics and viewers feel that the film lacks a proper storyline, arguing that it focuses more on style than substance. These reviews of the story overshadow the stunning visuals of the anime, making it underrated in the larger anime circles.

5 Children of the sea

A story that leaves fans in awe

• Japanese name: Kaijuu no Kodomo
• Number of series: 1
• Studio: Studio 4°C

Children of the sea takes its viewers on a surreal journey through the sea alongside some of the most mesmerizing underwater images in anime. With a very unique combination of hand-drawn 2D animation and CGI, the anime was able to capture the ocean scenery beautifully, making every frame a work of art.

However, with such beautiful visuals, the anime uses unconventional storytelling that leaves fans wondering how to engage with it, giving them trouble identifying the message it's trying to convey. As a result, it was not very popular and is very underrated.

6 Red line

Lack of mainstream promotion

Red line this is one anime that shows the true dedication of the animators. Hand-drawn from start to finish, Madhouse took more than eight years to complete, going way over budget and destroying their studio. The art style and animation are out of this world, with flashy action sequences and thrilling races that are almost impossible to forget.

Unfortunately, despite the jaw-dropping animation and effort put into the production of this film, Red line suffered from poor box office performance upon release, making it underrated in the anime community.

7 A great contender

A stylish Heist series with a watercolor aesthetic

• Japanese name: A great contender
• Number of series: 23
• Studio: Studio Vit

An anime about con artists who come together for organized crime, A great contenderthe plot is very exciting and emotive as are the visuals. Having some watercolor paintings and backgrounds with clear artistic embellishments that light up almost every scene and expressions that almost perfectly capture the emotions of the characters.

For now A great contender is a feast for the eyes, it doesn't get the recognition it deserves, which is partly due to the fact that it was released directly to streaming platforms like Netflix. Moreover, a niche subject does not reach a wide audience, leaving it unnoticed by the larger anime community.

8 Monogatari series

A visual puzzle for a special audience

Shaft is widely known for its unique visual experiments and Monogatari series is the best reflection of this fact. The unconventional use of bold color schemes and beautiful close-ups of the characters make the series extremely visually distinct. It also uses visual metaphors that make the user pay attention to every detail while viewing.

However, these visual metaphors combined with their cryptic storytelling made the entire series difficult for the average anime fan to watch. For anime fans, Monogatari much more noticed for its narrative and complex plot, due to which its attractive visuals are overlooked.

9 McCain: Too many heroines who lose

A romantic comedy with a slow start

At first glance, McCain it seems to be a basic romantic comedy anime, but the visuals and animations are beyond the expected anime. Vibrant colors and dynamic animation give the anime an extra boost to its already impressive plot, showcasing visual brilliance at its finest.

However, the anime doesn't get off to a great start. The first few episodes feel like a standard romantic comedy anime with very familiar tropes. Fortunately, the perspective changes after these few episodes, but most anime fans don't have the patience to see it all the way through.

10 Garden of words

Another masterpiece of sinkai in the shadows

Being an anime set in the rainy season, few anime capture the beauty of nature Garden of words does. The work and detail put into the anime is incredible, especially in things like the greenery and the rain. Animations of raindrops and puddles, as well as lighting of objects and characters, give a hyper-realistic feel, creating a quiet atmosphere.

Unfortunately, this is another anime that didn't get much exposure due to the release of Shinkai's more popular and commercially successful works such as Your name. The anime's short runtime also left little to be desired for fans, making it underrated.