Crunchyroll is one of the most famous streaming services out there. With so many shows available, it’s no surprise that some of the best slip through the cracks. The site also offers more than 200 East Asian dramas in over 10 languages and around 80 manga titles as Crunchyroll Manga, but not all content is available worldwide due to licensing restrictions. There are some of the usual suspects found in Crunchyroll’s library, like Bleach, Naruto, and Demon Slayer. But how about the ones that aren’t so promoted so publicly and only find an audience through word of mouth? Those are the titles we’ll be suggesting for Siliconera’s list of underrated Crunchyroll anime to possibly watch.
Image via White Fox
Best Underrated Comedy Anime on Crunchyroll: The Devil is a Part-Timer!
Kicking off the list with a comedy suggestion, The Devil is a Part-Timer! might be the most well-known of these underrated anime — if that makes any sense. Needless to say, it still doesn’t get as much attention as it deserves. The story centers on an iteration of Satan, who wishes to conquer a mystical world called Ente Isla. When confronted by the hero Emilia, however, Satan is forced to retreat. He ends up in modern-day Tokyo and must integrate himself and gradually regain his powers. He gets hired as a shift manager for a fast-food chain called MgRonald’s, adopting the name Sadao Maou and meeting fellow employees and companions who’ll eventually be assigned rolls in within his demon hierarchy.
Best Underrated Romantic Anime on Crunchyroll: The Pet Girl of Sakurasou
At Suimei High, the Sakura-sou dormitory is known for housing delinquents, so when Sorata Kanda is transferred there, his foremost goal is to get out of there. Surrounded by rather outgoing individuals, Sorata is saved only by his interactions with his “normal” friend, Nanami Aoyama. One day, foreign exchange student Mashiro Shiina joins the dormitory, gifted with a brilliant talent and eye for art. Although she also struggles to perform daily tasks, so Sorata is put in charge of taking care of her. This leads to Sorata discovering his inadequacy when it comes to owning a particular skill, but his original goal of fleeing the form is long forgotten as he and Mashiro grow closer.
Image via Bandai Namco Pictures
Best Underrated LGBTQ+ Title on Crunchyroll: Birdie Wing: Golf Girls’ Story
An entirely original sport anime, Birdie Wing: Golf Girls’ Story follows the interactions between a girl named Eve and Japanese golfing prodigy Aoi Amawashi. When Eve challenges Aoi to a 1-hole match, Eve is unsurprisingly defeated. This triggers Eve’s obsession with challenging Aoi to a full 18-hole match and beating her fair and square. Eve is overtaken by rigid determination, whereas Aoi grows infatuated with Eve’s relentlessness and develops romantic feelings for her. Meanwhile, Aoi’s mother tries to get her to focus on her budding golf career. It’s a must-see for members of the LGBTQ+ community as the perfect balance of sports drama with romance.
Best Underrated Drama on Crunchyroll: Kotoura-san
Although it could be considered a comedy, drama, or romance, Kotoura-san teeters towards drama due to its slice-of-life school setting. Since childhood, Haruka Kotoura has the ability to read people’s minds, but she can’t control what she hears. Due to this, her classmates view her as a creepy and malicious person. That same ability also drove her parents away, forcing her to be adopted by her grandfather. As she grew up, Kotoura became a cold, unsociable and distant person, isolating herself from others and living a drab existence with her uncontrollable gift. When Haruka transfers to a new school, she befriends Yoshihisa Manabe, a man who’s astonished by her powers and promises to never leave her.
Image via Passione
Best Underrated Fantasy Anime on Crunchyroll: Braves of the Six Flowers
There are so many good underrated fantasy series to choose from, but Braves of the Six Flowers is a real treat. In a fictional world, six individuals called the Braves of the Six Flowers are chosen by the Goddess of Fate to defeat the Demon God. The self-proclaimed “Strong Man in the World,” Adlet Mayer, meets fellow Brave, Nashetania Loei Piena Augustra. Adlet and Nashetania embark on a journey to meet the other Braves at a small temple outside the Land of the Howling Demons. However, when all six Braves finally unite, there’s actually seven of them, which prompts suspicion as the Braves believe one of them is an impostor secretly working for the Demon God. Adlet is ultimately suspected as the fraud, so he goes on the run, determined to clear his name and find the real culprit.
Best Underrated Adventure Title on Crunchyroll: Mushi-Shi
While it could be categorized as slice-of-life or mystery, Mushi-Shi is first and foremost an exciting tale of adventure. Mushi are the most basic forms of life, devoid of morality and existing without any goals or purposes outside of simply “being.” Mushi can adopt countless forms, even inanimate objects, plants, or natural phenomena like rainbows. So what exactly are Mushi and why do they exist? That’s precisely what Mushishi Ginko has been asking himself for quite some time. Mushishi are those who research Mushi in hopes of understanding the point of their lives. Ginko chases down small hints as to the purpose of Mushi, which could also unlock the answers to life itself.
