All 50 Approved – Underdog – 30-26
May 7, 2010Here in Belgium everyone loves underdogs. Being a small country that through the centuries has been dominated by a lot of different empires, we have declared low profile a virtue. As a result, the winner of our tv-version of “Idol” gets won, not by the best singer, but by someone nice and earnestly hardworking. I’m totally belgian. If I find myself some anime series that is not too well known, not too popular but still pretty good, I just love it more by reflex.
Read further for the continuation of my 50 favourite shows. Halfway there..
30. Aria
Hal Film Maker / Synopsis / Wikipedia
In the world of Aria, time stands still. It’s an ideal dream world where every detail is designed to be peaceful and relaxing. Beautiful backgrounds, characters and stories that are blue and pastel colored like the entire atmosphere. Aria is like the sigh you heave in a perfect quiet moment.
29. Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight!
ufotable / Synopsis / Wikipedia
Manabi Straight is fun. There is not much special going on, and the designs are maa maa, but it gives off a general good vibe that’s hard to ignore. It’s filled with boundless optimism and that’s exactly why you should watch it.
28. Ookiku Furikabutte
A-1 Pictures Inc / Synopsis / Wikipedia
Maybe even more famous for the shonen-ai undertones than for its baseball antics. Oofuri is not your typical sports anime. It’s a story about friendship, without macho competitive behaviour. It’s addicting and it taught me the rules of baseball. And it’s almost embarrassing how cute these boys look.
27. Natsume Yuujinchou
Brains Base / Synopsis / Wikipedia
Natsume Yuujinchou is a gentle show. Slow-paced with a tad of melancholy and the right amount of relief/humor (thanks to the awesomeness of nyanko-sensei). I especially like how summer and winter change the mood and the enthrancing moment when Natsume releases a name from the book.
26. Planetes
Sunrise / Synopsis / Wikipedia
Very realistic portreyal of future space developments, zooming in on a team of astronauts cleaning space trash in orbit around earth. The hard sci-fi setting is fascinating and interesting, but Planetes is so much more. It’s a story about young adults dealing with life, dreams and responsability. Their interactions are complex and human and give a lot of extra substance to an already interesting show.
[...] the cult of the underdog can be a national preference (pietel [...]
[...] 26. Planetes -> link to part 5 [...]