Everyone knows that the '90s were an amazing time for anime. Much like the anime of the '80s, the many series from the '90s were among some of the most influential and iconic anime of all time. In fact, these are the anime that many of us grew up on before we even knew what anime was.
While some of these iconic anime were great there are just as many that are seen as overrated and others that are underlooked. We're here to look at a few of those titles and give you the rundown with this list featuring 10 series you may or may not remember.
10 OVERLOOKED: Pokémon
We all know that Pokémon is one of the biggest juggernauts when it comes to just about everything. The series has taken over the world of video games, toys, and even movies recently. We're sure you remember that faithful time when this monstrous Nintendo series took over the world of anime and television (in both Japan and the West) as well.
Well, the anime may be iconic but it sure is nothing too special. Pokémon is mostly your average children's cartoon with a weak plot and boring characters. It's fun for a watch or two but nothing that equates to a must-watch.
9 UNDERLOOKED: OUTLAW STAR
A show that many may remember from the old days of the Cartoon Network broadcasting block Toonami. Sadly for every person that remembers it, there's probably just as many that can't recall ever seeing Outlaw Star. It's honestly one of the best retro anime out there, being comparable to the highly raved about Cowboy Bebop.
It's a space western and opera full of amazing characters, each completely different than one another with their own stories and goals. If you like Cowboy Bebop you may like Outlaw Star just as much, if not more.
8 OVERLOOKED: BERSERK
Berserk is a seinen series that has gained momentum as one of the darkest and greatest anime and manga series out there. The classic anime of the year 1997 is no different as it was highly raved about ever since its initial release.
While the series has gained much love it honestly is a bit overrated. While it boasts great art it honestly isn't as strong as many would lead you to believe. The series is very similar to Devilman but with more emphasis on artwork than the story. This isn't helped by the story losing steam as of late either.
7 UNDERLOOKED: MEDABOTS
Medabots, also known as Medarot in Japan, is one of the many series that tried to join Pokemon in the collectible battle monster genre. However, this time we're replacing the monsters seen in such series with small kid-sized robots.
This series has a lot going for it including great animation, a fun plot, and some of the funniest characters in '90s anime. Medabee is sure to entertain anyone interested in these little robot buddies. Hopefully, the series can gain steam sooner or later so we can get more love for it in the West, as most of the new entries are Japan exclusive.
6 OVERLOOKED: TENCHI MUYO
One anime that many can't understand the hype for is Tenchi Muyo. It's the story of Tenchi Misaki who saves an infamous space pirate and in turn, gets involved with the space pirate life himself. Sounds kind of cool right? Well until you find out that his crew is all women and that this anime is simply your average harem anime.
The love behind Tenchi Muyo is something that we just don't understand. Annoying characters, mediocre animation, bland drama, and generic harem anime girl tropes.
5 UNDERLOOKED: STREET FIGHTER II V
Street Fighter II V or Street Fighter II Victory is an anime series that is based on the videogame series of the same name. Many may expect this anime adaptation to be mediocre like many anime adaptations of videogames can be, but with Street Fighter II V that isn't the case.
A better name for this anime would be Street Fighter II Alpha as it feels like a fusion of the two. Ryu and Ken's origins as world warriors and their growth to who they are at the end of II are covered here. The expansion this series works on SF lore makes this series a must-watch for shonen fans everywhere.
4 OVERLOOKED: NEON GENESIS EVANGELION
Neon Genesis Evangelion is definitely one of the most influential anime of the 90s but it's also one that has somewhat lost its luster as the years have gone on. We understand that this anime changed things for its time, but the keywords are "its time."
Neon Genesis Evangelion is a series that defines the phrase "hit or miss". It brings to the table many interesting ideas and designs but things like the characters and very slow pacing make it fall short of what many would expect from it. Overall the series can be seen as boring to anyone interested.
3 UNDERLOOKED: PING-PONG CLUB
If you want an anime that will make you laugh in the first 30 seconds of runtime then look no further than the underrated 90s anime, Ping-Pong Club. This series can be equated to Shin Chan but with the main characters being a group of high schoolers that, of course, are in a Ping-Pong Club.
The show is one of the funniest anime out there but it sadly lacks the attention that other anime of the time have received. We feel that Ping-Pong Club deserves more. Its immature humor will be sure to turn you back into a goofy high schooler that laughed at everything your friends did in class.
2 OVERLOOKED: DRAGON BALL GT
Here us out, we know that Dragon Ball GT isn't loved much nowadays but it's was still one of the most looked at anime out there simply due to the fact that it was a sequel to Dragon Ball Z. It still retains that popularity due to this fact and it even has its own fair share of fans that actually enjoy the series and its changes to the Dragon Ball formula.
Even with this popularity, the series is just pretty bad. It really falls flat of the legacy it's trying to follow and makes a lot of missteps along the way. Maybe with a few plot changes, GT could truly be great.
1 UNDERLOOKED: KINNIKUMAN
While Kinnikuman is one of the most popular anime series in Japan it sadly falls short over in more Western areas. While fans did enjoy things spawned from the series such as the M.U.S.C.L.E series and its sequel series Ultimate Muscle (Kinnikuman: Nisei) on 4Kids, the original series was never aired in the US.
This was due to the sheer violence featured in Kinnikuman not being seen as suitable for kids over in the States. Maybe one day those around the world will finally be able to hop in and understand the love for this legendary series.