12 Low-Rated Anime Are Actually Binge-Worthy, According to Reddit
Sometimes 'everybody' is wrong.
Anime fans recently took to Reddit to explain which of their favourite series have poor aggregate ratings on critic or fan websites, but are actually well worth the watch.
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The Executioner and Her Way of Life
It rocks a modest 6.79 on MAL (MyAnimeList) and 6.2 on IMDB. But fans adore this adaptation of the light novel series.
Menou is an executioner, charged with eliminating 'The Lost Ones' – that is, wanderers from a mysterious world called 'Japan'. When Menou comes across the seemingly immortal Akari, it begins a journey that will bond and change them forever.
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Dororo
It's a bit of a mystery why this anime doesn't have a bigger following. Perhaps some viewers took issue with the show's departures from its manga source material, though the basic premise remains intact: a samurai from Sengoku-era Japan teams up with the titular Dororo to get his body parts back from the demons who stole them.
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Rolling Girls
A decade after 'The Great Tokyo War', Nozomi brings some friends on a motorcycle trip to take on jobs as assigned – and to hunt for magic stones that will grant magic powers and fuel alien spaceships. (You know…anime.)
Rolling Girls has only 6.3 on IMDB and 63% on AniList, but fans love the uniquely bright, detailed animation style.
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Girlfriend Girlfriend
Three high school students break the mold by starting a polyamorous relationship in this over-the-top pastiche of harem stories. Perhaps it's the middling animation that makes this a lower-rated anime. However, some fans say that those who dislike the show might just be missing the joke.
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Happy Sugar Life
The concept sounds like a sweet rom-com: a young woman who has been promiscuous but unsatisfied falls in love with a woman. The two live together and keep their relationship a secret.
Perhaps this very concept is what led fans to be unsatisfied with the show, because Happy Sugar Life is neither comedic nor romantic (nor happy, nor sugary). Instead, it's a twisted psychological thriller about jealousy, rage, and how far we'll go to get what we want.
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Love Flops
When an AI psychic predicts how his day will go, high schooler Asahi thinks it's unlikely that five women will ACTUALLY meet him and confess their love. Of course, that's exactly what happens – and soon the five women are living in his house as potential future brides. And then it gets weird.
Love Flops (sometimes called Renai Flops) has a 6.7 rating on MyAnimeList, but some viewers loved the major twist, the likable main character, and the fact that it turns the harem trope on its head.
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Orange
'Slice-of-life' animes are usually light-hearted and fun. But Orange goes deeper, dealing seriously with issues such as mental health and suicide. When the time travel kicks in, it only gets more intense.
Orange's 7.6 MAL score is a bit of a puzzler, since it's been widely praised for its story and animation.
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School Days
A love triangle forms between Makoto and two girls; one a crush, and one a friend. He bounces between the two of them, and his behavior sometimes makes him so unlikable that many fans say they almost gave up on the series – it has only a 5.5 rating on MAL.
However, some point out that being a flawed or 'bad' character is not the same as bad writing, and School Days has a small but loyal fan base that appreciates its increasingly dark plot.
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SSSS.Gridman
Yuuta Hibiki wakes up with no memories, but with a robot named Agent Gridman giving him instructions. The person he's with can't hear Gridman – nor can they see the monsters coming out of the mist.
The show has middling ratings, but someone must have loved it; it won the Seiun Award for Best Dramatic Presentation in 2019.
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White Album 2
Another 'young love goes wrong' anime, White Album 2 features three high school students who form a band and eventually get into a love triangle. The fact that its main male character is a borderline sociopath turns a lot of fans off, while others insist that the unique musical element makes the show worth a watch.
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Shadows House
This anime ranks a little higher than the other series on this list – 7.8 from MAL and 7.3 from IMDB – but this manga adaptation still tends to fly under the radar.
In a secretive mansion high in the mountains, a living doll serves her 'shadow master' faithfully. But over time their bond slowly starts to reveal the secrets behind the dolls' existence. While it may not be for everyone, fans of the macabre will be drawn to this dark mystery.
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Golden Time
Banri Tada is a freshman at law school who develops severe amnesia. Though he loses all his memories of his past and hometown, Banri begins to discover who he really is as he makes connections with two beautiful – and possibly dangerous – women.
Another anime with just 'so-so' ratings, Golden Time has nevertheless won faithful fans for its slow pacing, character-driven story, and excellent voice acting.