Hi, I wanted to start this off by saying I’m not a heavy anime watcher. I made this account about four years ago when I first got into anime, and only recently started using it again after casually getting back into watching.
I don’t hate anime, but it’s not usually my go to thing to sit down with, and I can find it hard to really get into. One of the biggest issues for me is how easy it is to run into shows that lean heavily into weird fan service, especially involving characters that are clearly meant to look really young. Other times, a show or movie is just so chaotic or over the top that it becomes hard to follow what’s even happening. I’m not interested in watching scenes that feel uncomfortable or pointless, and I don’t enjoy having to rewind multiple times just to understand basic plot points. On top of that, a lot of series are 25 or more episodes, and movies can run over two hours, so when those issues are present it starts to feel like a big time investment that doesn’t pay off.
That said, if you look at my list and ratings, I’m still open to trying things, including longer series, and there are definitely shows I’ve enjoyed more than others. Over time, I’ve realized my preferences are pretty specific:
My general preferences:
Recently I showed my AniList to some friends, and I got absolutely bombarded with criticism. Things like “you only like mainstream stuff,” “that’s a terrible pick,” or “how do you dislike this but like that.” At first I brushed it off, but it kept going for about two weeks, which is unusual for us since jokes usually die out after a couple days. After a while it actually got in my head and made me second guess my own taste.
I went back through my list and started wondering if my ratings were somehow bad or “wrong,” even though I tried to be honest and rate things based on what I personally enjoyed. I’ve been using AniList to branch out, try different genres, and figure out what I like, so the reaction caught me off guard.
So I wanted to ask a few things:
• If you’ve seen anything on my list, do you think I rated anything way off? Why?
• Based on my preferences, what are some anime you’d recommend that aren’t super mainstream?
• Are there any shorter series or movies that are especially good in slice of life or horror?
• Do you know any anime that avoid heavy fan service or sexualization entirely?
• And overall, how do you personally decide what makes an anime “good” vs just enjoyable?
I’d really appreciate any feedback or recommendations!
When people in your friend circle judge you so much for basically nothing... that's horrible. The problem is not in your anime list.
They’re not usually jerks, I promise lol. I just want to understand things from other people’s perspectives. I haven’t always had the best experiences with anime or fandoms in general, so I’m trying to get a better sense of how people approach it. Like, how do you actually rate anime? What’s considered “good” versus just personally enjoyable? You know what I mean?
You got a lot of guro in your highest rated, people has a natural aversion for that, even if it doesn't have people physically unable to shut up about how bad it is and hating ot its fanbase like other, let's say controversial, genres. It was super popular in the 2000s, though.
Either way, if you're going out of your way to avoid the mainstream stuff I don't think you should expect approval from others or care about what their opinions on the matter.
So as for the question list.
Edit: Why would you watch the gup spinoff without watching the main story, wtf
2-. Do It Yourself
Dark Gathering
3-. dunno, not a fan of shorts
4-. I can think on hundreds of them, but I don't particularly care about it, the whole wave of puritans whining about it getting old.
5-. Depends on genre, but the main thing is having a good story with decent characters as opposed to just pretty colors and animation, for comedy, bad animation can even be used as a tool so I don't think it matters much.
You just added to a list of questions...
wtf is guro?! i tried google... it showed me food
(fuuuuuck chainslop i agree that rating was back when it first came out)
ill check out the two things you linked they look cool
thank you that's actually helpful. I'll pay more attention to stuff like that when i rate :)
Most people just rates things based on personal enjoyment and it doesn't have to match with what other people likes
yea i guess you are right. Just very hard when any choice i make causes a wave of hate both online and with friends its like politics at the dinner table.
(also someone told me what guro was. I did not realize there was a term for that nor that i fell into that category...eeeeeeeyuck) 
What's a guro? (XD) First time I've heard the word xD
I just found this out mind you... but
guro is: a Japanese genre depicting grotesque, often violent or mutilated imagery, sometimes combined with erotic elements
Body horror: Characters may experience mutilation, amputations, or grotesque deformities.
Graphic gore: Scenes may include blood, spilled organs, or violent deaths.
Disturbing imagery: Infections, parasites, decaying corpses, or monstrous transformations are common.
Ratings are just for fun, nobody should take them seriously. And even if you rate the objectively best show a 1, it doesnt matter because maybe it just didnt suit your taste.
People pay too much importance to comparing shows, when it should be about enjoying them. Keep watching what you like and dont rate based on peer pressure.
• And overall, how do you personally decide what makes an anime “good” vs just enjoyable?
For me, If it made me feel something then its a good show. Normal enjoyable shows are fine but i probably wont remember them in a few years, but you will always remember what you liked about the good show. At least thats my opinion, i dont really think much about it.
I guess you are right. It just feels like the deeper I get into fandoms and the community, the more pressure I feel to rate things a certain way or to like certain anime that I honestly don’t enjoy at all. Its weird getting into this stuff ya know? Worried anything ill say next will set someone off lol
I think you're taking this too seriously. Something can be objectively 'good' and not resonate with you; there's no problems with that. That's just being a person and developing your own specific taste. Don't you want to find out what sort of things you like the most VS being the most 'well-versed' in animanga? Personally, I think it's more fun to talk with people who have their personal taste so dialed in and explored that they can recommend both good and bad things to me in microgenres I've never heard of instead of another person who just tells me they like whatever's popular this season. Plus, 'good' and 'bad' markers change a lot over time. There's animanga we hate now that will probably be considered classics at some point and vice versa (already happening with CSM and JJK really lol)
That said, we have similar-ish taste overlap and preferences. You might like some of these (I haven't seen all of them myself so bear this in mind, also I have no idea how to do the immediate link thingie so sorry about that)
Girls' Last Tour
Jormangund
Hellsing Ultimate
Black Lagoon (does sexualize Revy but she's a grown woman so it's not really annoying)
Claymore (I've heard the manga is better)
Haibane Renmei
Laid-back Camp
Mob Psycho 100
Devilman Crybaby (might be too 'abstract' for your taste)
Death Parade (I barely remember this one, it's been over a decade since I saw it)
PLUTO
Noragami maybe? I have no idea what the sexualization is like in this one
I think I do take it seriously, but in a way I kind of want to. I really want to understand and get more involved in the community as a whole, but it sometimes feels like no matter what I say or do, I’m just wrong. That’s why I wanted to hear other people’s perspectives.
This forum has been a lot nicer than others I’ve asked. I really appreciate people saying “just be yourself and like what you like.” It means a lot, even if that mindset doesn’t always feel like the norm. A lot of the spaces I’ve seen get really intense, almost like debates or even politics.
I’ll try to take it a bit less seriously and check out your recommendations! Thank you!
I think it’s fair to want to try and get invested in this monolith of media especially if you’re a newcomer, but: counterpoint, if you’re a cinephile are you going to reasonably expect to like every single beloved classic too? What about classic books you had to read in high school? I hate The Scarlet Letter even though it’s beloved by many and I can understand why people continue to teach and talk about it. That said, even though I don’t care for it, I’m glad I read it since it’s informed so many other books and movies and stuff.
I guess what I’m trying to say is, even if your goal is to get through all the “pillars”, you will still find ones you dislike, just like any other form of media. So you can take those preferences to inform your next picks more meaningfully, instead of needing to feel like you have to engage with a community “at large” thru it. And hopefully be able to have better convos with people than just “bad taste” cuz that’s not even a showcase of media literacy skills, that’s just people being annoying lol
Hope the list is helpful, good luck!
It was super helpful thank you so much!!!
One thing I want to add that I forgot; if your goal is truly to become versed in anime, you’re going to have to watch popular/mainstream/well known titles. No way around that really, the community culture is a huge part of being “in the know” so to speak. I’m sure you’ll find stuff you like though, sometimes things are popular simply because they’re great.
But why? Why do you feel like you need to take it serious or be involved? You already said you don't watch a lot and don't enjoy it as much as others do. At the end, it's just a hobby for yourself and not others. Also, the old tired argument of "icky fanservice" when there's a tons of anime that don't do that makes me think you're just being an ass. Even more so with how hard you're trying to avoid "mainstream" anime.
Interesting… well the reason I want to get more serious is because I just genuinely want to get more into anime. I haven’t had the best experiences with fandoms, and I want to understand what I might be doing wrong. There are some things I’m unapologetic about, but overall if I’m trying to be part of a community, it feels normal to ask questions and figure things out.
As for the fan service comment, I don’t mind if anime includes a little fan service. Stuff like acknowledging ships or confirming lore can be great. What I don’t like, which I did make clear, is the hypersexual kind of fan service some anime have, especially when it involves characters who are clearly meant to be young. Seeing girls who are supposed to be 14, 15, or 16 portrayed in overly sexualized ways, or characters designed to look like children put in those situations, just feels wrong to me. Normalizing that is uncomfortable. I know there are plenty of anime that don’t do this, but when I’ve already said I’m new and asked for recommendations that fit my preferences and avoid that kind of content, I don’t really see what the issue is.
And about avoiding mainstream anime, yes, as someone newer to the space I’d actually like to find more hidden gems. Shows that aren’t massively popular where any opinion I have immediately gets dogpiled by a ton of people. I’d rather explore things a bit more freely instead of feeling like every take I share is going to turn into an argument.
Your comment is exactly why I asked in this forum, I want to understand things without getting called names cause of a opinion and questions I had is exactly my point.
My point is why get into something you don't even enjoy. You're going so far as to say how easy it is to run into anime with the focal point of it sexualizing children which isn't true and already shows what type of fan you are. With how little you've tried to watch, how can you make a statement like that? Perhaps just accept being a casual watcher.
Even if you were to get into anime more seriously leading to finding "hidden gems", you'll realize it wasn't a "hidden gem" in the first place. Anime is so popular you'll always find fans of it or people who heard of it. That's for people who only watch one piece or popular seasonals who don't know any better.
“The type of fan you are” what does that even mean? ( never said it was easy just that some animes I have seen do that and i don't like it so what can some people suggest that don't have that)
After so many nice people on this forum, you’re the only person saying things like “I think you're just wasting your time. Perhaps just accept being a casual watcher.” That just doesn’t make sense. The whole post is literally about wanting to learn more and try to understand things I don’t understand, because I am a casual watcher.
People within the anime community already have a pretty bad reputation sometimes because of how unaccepting it can be, but at the same time, to actually understand and be part of it, you have to learn the culture and the niches you wouldn’t naturally find on your own.
“Why get into something you don’t even enjoy?” Because I’m human, and I can dislike something at first but end up enjoying it later. I used to hate cooking growing up, now I love it. I used to hate drawing and was terrible at it, but I kept practicing and now I’m better at it and actually enjoy it. That’s just called trying new things.
Getting into fandoms is a long term thing and a bit of a commitment, which is exactly why I made this post in the first place, to figure out if it’s worth the time investment. Regardless of your comment calling me an “ass” for having an opinion, most people here have actually been really nice and given me helpful advice and a better perspective.
Pah
You just said the crux to the issue "fandoms". I remember a good quote for that, "a great way to start hating your hobby is to engage with the fandom".
That is not to say there aren't good people out there... but at the end of the day... everyone has a different lens on taste and while there is a consensus amongst the majority, most people love to argue about what they like and what's good. It's why the extent of most of my discussions with my friends... I was gonna say is just "you should try this" but even then... that's rare now since I have a ton of content on my planned and I don't want to add to anyone else's unless I have a damn good hunch they'll also like it. If you look at my page, I have almost 0 forum posts and have watched a ton.
I figured I might aswell explain my own rating system overall so you can have a look at how arbitrary it is.
5 - bland, can kinda watch it but am not engaged
6 - I enjoy it a fair amount but sometimes just drift off to other things mid watch or feel like it's a bit trashy.
7 - enjoyable, engaging
8 - I really liked it
9 - amazing, close to if not already a masterpiece
10 - holy fucking shit I loved it and, likely, couldn't stop watching after a certain point
then my rare ones
4 - not engaging at all
3 - painful to watch
2 - excruciatingly painful to watch
1 - i regret ever laying eyes on this, can be used as a torture method
and I want to push back a lil on you avoiding mainstream stuff. cuz although there's gems in the lower reaches, I have quite a few times been so pleased with having given anime with high ratings or high popularity a try. exceptions being when there's a huge genre mismatch, which rn for me seems to be anything with BL or shoujo. so I really didn't like fruits basket and the summer hikaru died - had to drop them for my own sanity.
ah! and since you're getting into anime... might as well try some manga. cuz while idk any good horror anime, I know Junji Ito has some superb horror manga (that had mild to terrible adaptations iirc)
I mean if mainstream is ok ill stick to it, i just wanted to understand if my list was mainstream and if it was were there any other things that weren't that i would like!
seconded Girls' Last Tour and Black Lagoon. Noragami too.
There's no real sexualization in Noragami though, the female MC is treated normally compared to many others in the medium and even a character (Bishamon) who wears a somewhat revealing outfit is not treated as sex object and rather a badass warrior with a traumatic past.
Let's get this out of the way first. There are no wrong or bad ratings. If you've thought about a show and given it a score, that score is correct no matter what other people's opinions are.
Also, I'd advise against avoiding mainstream things. Things become mainstream because lots of people enjoy them. Enjoying mainstream things is just agreeing with lots of people.
Having said that here's some weird things in slice of life and/or horror:
Theatre of Darkness Yamishibai
Electromagnetic Girlfriend
Black Rock Shooter
KOWLOON GENERIC ROMANCE
Haibane Renmei
Tonari no Yokaisan
(haven't seen but is almost the exact right thing)
Mierukochan
• If you’ve seen anything on my list, do you think I rated anything way off? Why?
To be honest, yeah. But it's not that you "rated anything way off", just ratings that I personally disagree with, specifically the rating for Tanya the Evil.
• Based on my preferences, what are some anime you’d recommend that aren’t super mainstream?
Not sure why you specifically feel like avoiding mainstream anime considering you do have plenty of mainstream stuff, but it's fine.
I would recommend this anime if you're looking for "not super mainstream slice of life anime"
NieA 7
I thought this one was fairly entertaining and cozy to watch. It's got a very chill atmosphere.
• Are there any shorter series or movies that are especially good in slice of life or horror?
Not that I know of, nah.
• Do you know any anime that avoid heavy fan service or sexualization entirely?
Well, sure, but they are kind of mainstream stuff so, you know.
• And overall, how do you personally decide what makes an anime “good” vs just enjoyable?
I just watch the anime and come to my own conclusions. Unless I myself legitimately think I might have been wrong on a rating for something because maybe someone brought up a good point about it or so and so, I maintain my opinion pretty strongly on any anime I watch. That said, I do really try to think thoroughly if something is legitimately good rather than just enjoyable, whether that's by thinking about if the story was good, if the characters were good, the emotions I felt while watching the show, etc. Then again, I myself do not think I am very good when it comes to reviewing stuff in general and I do frequently have doubts on if whether my ratings are truly "correct" or not, so the best way I can achieve this is by simply discussing about it with other people and getting their views on a piece of fiction and then achieving a proper conclusion from there.
I just couldn't get into tanya the evil... idk.
I try to avoid mainstream stuff and i want to avoide mainstream stuff cause if you saw in my post I literally can't get away from the mainstream hate, so i want to branch out cause i am not a hardcore anime fan. This community so far (other than people on this forum) is really hard to get into and make friends cause everything is a debate. But IDK the norms.
I will def check this anime out thank you!
nothing particularly wrong with your list but maybe your ratings are really bold when it comes to stuff you didn't enjoy watching but it might be because you make the effort to list everything that u disliked that you cant bring yourself to rate them higher lol. like the rated 5 zone seems a bit controversial. but honestly, who cares? your friends are really weird for making fun of your taste or whatever, it's not that deep. you should watch what whatever you want.
I will say when I rate things to me anything under a 5 is a never watch again, anything 5 and up is like "good". I got my ass chewed out for putting berserk at number 5 lol. But i am learning from this forum that people just be dicks and I shouldn't care. so thank u!
yeah im glad youre coming to that realization because at the end of the day no ones gonna pay you for having objective ratings for everything u watch since you already said you are a casual viewer too. this is a hobby and u cant be made fun of for treating it as one. if you follow their "advice" and try to turn it into sth you didn't personally intend to u are very likely gonna stop enjoying it.
i'd say keep watching what u want and only branch out when you want to, do your own research and find stuff you're personally interested in watching. there's nothing wrong with that and nobody in their right mind would judge you for something like that.
i don't think our lists have much in common so i was hesitant to give you any recommendations but you might enjoy natsume's book of friends. it has a few seasons but u can just give the first one a shot. i don't think it has much (or any) fan service at least it never bugged me.
anilist.co/anime/4081
Your scores are yours. There is no "correct" score. For example, I hate horror, so guess how far our scores on those would be.
If peer pressure is an issue for you, you can stop scoring and just leave notes about anime instead, or you can change the "Scoring System" in "Settings" → "Lists" into smileys — there are only three grades: "like", "dislike", and "neutral". They're harder to tease and argue against.
I don't know why you try to avoid popular and mainstream works if you have completed that little anime. Do not stop yourself because of their popularity (And - just my opinion - do not be that guy who praised the idea of star-crossed lovers from different feuding families as innovative and unique in some B-movie... just because he never wanted to open that "outdated dusty poetical work which is uselessly popular among boomers")
Hypersexualization often comes hand in hand with a lot of gore, but you can watch out for the genre "ecchi" — which basically means "we went all out with sexy innuendo". Probably not what you're looking for.
Look for "slice of life" with the tag "Cute Girls Doing Cute Things" (or cute boys, if you prefer) for non-sexualized stuff.
There is also the tag "Episodic", which means each episode tells a self-contained story. That might be easier to get into if you're looking for something shorter.
Thank you for the tips! I will keep these in mind! Maybe i will change the score system on here but i rather keep it and just not show it for now.
After reading your comments I just wanted to add these two to recommendations. They don't match things you asked for and pretty different from each other, but as a way to try something else:
DAN DA DAN
Detroit Metal City
Also, you don't have it in the list so let me point out jic: S2 is currently out
Dorohedoro Season 2
I will take a look!!! thank you!!
Just chiming in here but DAN DA DAN might not be quite what you want and wouldn't be the first thing I'd suggest to someone that said they don't like sexualisation of younger characters, since they do actually sexualise the teens a lot - it's equal opportunitiy sexualisation of both the girls and the boys though. I nearly squicked out of the first episode because of the conditions/context that put the characters in a sexualised situation more so than the actual sexualisation.
Screw them. It's your list based on your ratings and your enjoyment of the show! Keep what you like at the top, regardless of what others think of it. The scores you give are your opinions, there are no wrong ratings. To push it further, in my opinion, there's not even any reason to give shows that might be objectively good a high score if you yourself did not enjoy watching it. I mean, your profile's mean score is 57.12! That's much lower than most people. You know why people's mean score is not at exactly 50? Because people tend to watch more of the shows they enjoy, so their mean score gets higher. There's no reason to watch shows you don't enjoy, and no reason to take what people think of your scores personally, or at all.
There's also just no problem with only liking mainstream stuff, if that's what you like, obviously it's great to explore and try to find something you didn't even know you like, but there is no reason to just stay with the mainstream stuff.
Honestly, shows become mainstream for a reason. A lot of people will probably enjoy watching them.
Seishun Buta Yarou wa Bunny Girl Senpai no Yume wo Minai
Violet Evergarden
Chi Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite
These come to mind first when considering your list leans towards drama. Bunny girl senpai has supernatural aspects as well. And neither of which has any sexualization of the characters for the most part - bunny girl senpai has the clickbait 1st ep with the bunny suit.
Or maybe you'll like less recent ones
Shinsekai yori
Mushishi
MONSTER
And since you liked Josee and Silent Voice I'll just put this here as well
Sayonara no Asa ni Yakusoku no Hana wo Kazarou
At the end of the day, everyone else can eat dirt. Watch what you want and what you enjoy, after anime is a form of entertainment <3
Recently I showed my AniList to some friends, and I got absolutely bombarded with criticism. Things like “you only like mainstream stuff,” “that’s a terrible pick,” or “how do you dislike this but like that.”
That's because out of your top 5, four of them are considered mainstream. But that's not a bad thing. These anime are objectively good for a reason. Just because your top 5 consists of mainstream anime does not make what you've watched overall 'basic' or 'mainstream'. out of the 55 completed anime, only 12-14 are considered mainstream. That's about 20-25% of the anime you've watched so far.
Bit of a side rant, you can can ignore if you want:
Who cares if all you've watched was mainstream stuff, anyway? Everyone wants to look for "hidden gems", but the reason why stuff becomes mainstream to begin with is because it has some type of redeeming quality, whether it be plot, animation style, etc. Hating on something for being mainstream has always been weird to me lol.
• If you’ve seen anything on my list, do you think I rated anything way off? Why?
I loved Chainsaw Man. Seeing it ranked so low was painful, but I get it. Definitely not for everyone, but the reason why I enjoyed it and would personally rate it higher is because if you look past the horny teenager mindset that Denji has, bro had the most miserable life possible. He’s constantly searching for any reason to survive and find happiness in what he feels is an otherwise meaningless existence. He's never experienced 'normal' so he won't know what 'normal' means. I also have a bias because I read the manga, so there's that.
I also found the rating for “I Want To Eat Your Pancreas” to be a bit harsh. Her ‘annoying’ personality was essential for the plot development and contributed to the emotional depth of the story. Even if you disagree with that take, I believe that an anime capable of bringing tears to your eyes and leaving a lasting impact on the viewer deserves a higher rating in my opinion.
Based on my preferences, what are some anime you’d recommend that aren’t super mainstream?
My vote would go towards Kiznaiver. If you don't think you will like it, or want a different genre: Ranking of Kings or Deca-Dance would be my follow ups.
Are there any shorter series or movies that are especially good in slice of life or horror?
For horror: Deadman Wonderland, Charlotte, and Tokyo Ghoul.
For slice of life: Blue Period, Horimiya, Hyouka.
Do you know any anime that avoid heavy fan service or sexualization entirely?
The ones I recommended lol.
And overall, how do you personally decide what makes an anime “good” vs just enjoyable?
I’ve learned in the few hours this forum has been up that I probably shouldn’t care as much. I’ve always tried to get into anime, but when I first started I got called a normie or posh for liking mainstream stuff. Mind you, I’m into metal and punk, so I already come from niches that tend to dislike anything mainstream. I went into the anime community already expecting drama and debates, and honestly I was kind of right.
As soon as I got back into anime, started going to cons, and joined Discords, it felt like anytime I said I liked something I got treated like I was the worst for it. Not every community is like that, but the majority of my experiences weren’t great. If I didn’t watch an entire anime but liked a character and wanted to cosplay them, suddenly I was called a poser. That’s why I wanted to ask if anyone here has a better way to approach rating things, especially since this is an anime rating site.
Besides that, Chainsaw Man falls into the same category as JJK, My Hero, and similar shows for me. It’s just not a genre I really like, which is why I rated it lower. To its credit, it has good music, good animation, and solid characters, and I can see why people enjoy it. That’s why it’s still in the 5 range. I’d recommend it to new viewers, it’s just not something I personally enjoy.
Now, I Want to Eat Your Pancreas wasn’t bad. It has a good story, and I actually relate to it in some ways. But when I watched it, it felt like he liked her because she needed to have some redeeming quality, but it came across like she didn’t really have one. Realistically, what she did felt selfish. She purposely got involved in someone’s life knowing she was going to die soon, which could leave them dealing with a lot of emotional stress and harm.
I don’t remember everything perfectly since it’s been a while, but I’m pretty sure there was a scene where he grabbed her arm and she reacted in a way that made him seem like the bad guy. I could be remembering wrong, but moments like that made it harder for me to watch. She just felt like more than she needed to be at times, and it affected how I saw the story.
That said, I do appreciate the complexity. I think it’s very realistic in certain ways, the animation was good, and I understand why people like it. If someone asked me, I’d say it’s decent, I just wouldn’t watch it again.
I’m not trying to argue, I just wanted to explain why I rated things the way I did since I didn’t really write good notes back then Lol.
I will take a look at the things you recommended! thank you for being nice! and I will rewatch chainsaw man and I want to eat your pancreas hopefully change my view on it !
Yeah honestly I typically avoid interacting with anime discord servers sometimes for that reason, a lot of the vibes can sometimes be really weird/elitist. You can love something that is niche and something that is mainstream, those two things don't need to be mutually exclusive lol, but people act like its a crime to like mainstream stuff.
Regarding CSM, that's definitely a fair take, especially if you're not a fan of the genre overall. Same with I want to Eat Your Pancreas, you gave me different viewpoints that I hadn't considered so I appreciate the explanation; and don't worry, I didn't take it as arguing! The additional clarity on your reviews helped me form a better understanding of your mindset towards it, so its appreciated. The fact that you're also considering rewatching them to see if you get a different outlook on either one is pretty cool too; If you do, I hope you enjoy them on the second go-around, and if not, at least it confirms your own feelings and opinions on them.
Also, feel free to let me know if you ended up liking any of the recommendations!
Cheers.
If you’ve seen anything on my list, do you think I rated anything way off? Why?
I mean, it's your ratings. There are some I disagree with, but not really big of a deal. I just have one question - Why did you watch 1000 episodes of One Piece and then vent how much do you hate it? Are you okay? I couldn't imagine watching more than 25 episodes of a series I don't like, let alone that many.
Based on my preferences, what are some anime you’d recommend that aren’t super mainstream?
Can't quite grasp your taste tbh and most of your list are movies, which I rarely watch.
Are there any shorter series or movies that are especially good in slice of life or horror?
Horror for anime is tough. You didn't like my top1 pick, so doubt I would be any help. When it comes to SoL my top picks would be stuff like Girls Last Tour, A Day Before Us (Korean and super short) or even Haibane Renmei.
Do you know any anime that avoid heavy fan service or sexualization entirely?
There's plenty, even one I'm watching currently, or the ones I recommended in the line reply above. Generally looking at Mahou Shoujo (Magical Girl) anime is probably the best pick, since they don't have fanservice, and if they do... You can tell from the cover, very easily. Though unfortunetly they tend to be very dragged out, long and slow... Ojamajo Doremi for example, just a little above 200 episodes.
And overall, how do you personally decide what makes an anime “good” vs just enjoyable?
A good one? Well, interesting and well developed characters; a story with fascinating themes, often times philosophical ones, but generally anything that makes me think and even impact my view on certain stuff.
Enjoyable? Not necceserily well written, but just fun characters that are enjoyable to watch, often goofy. Story-wise, I guess personally for me, powerfantasy are easiest to just turn my brain off and binge watch.
SO LEMME EXPLAIN THE ONCE PEICE THING. (i watch everything in 2xs speed cause i have really bad tism) but i would just play it in the background while cleaning, cooking, ect by the time a month passed I had watched the entire thing. I didnt like sit down and no life the show. Realistically i did it for a boyfriend at the time who loved the show.
as for the taste? i dont even know if i have one at this point...i just like random shit lmao hence why I want people to recommend stuff.
thanks for the advice i will think of that during my reviews!
why even bother with anything when you watch everything at 2x speed?
I’ve been watching shows, movies, and even YouTube videos at 2x speed since I was a kid, sometimes even 3x. I know it sounds odd, but I genuinely struggle to sit through things at normal speed. I also have a hard time with regular conversations, and I tend to talk really fast myself.
Watching things at 2x doesn’t really change the experience for me. It just feels more natural. I think I process things pretty quickly and have a lower tolerance for slower pacing, so speeding it up helps me stay engaged.
I might have a mental thing idk. But why would I let that stop me from enjoying media? ya know? just better to enjoy it however even if its alittle odd.
ah, so ultimately ruin everything meticulously planned about the creative medium of entertainment, and merely consume it for the sake of consuming it by speeding it up to ludicrous amounts and to then have a misinterpreted opinion on it, anything above 1x actively ruins everything the show meant to portray, be it sakuga, sfx, music, voice acting, storyboarding and what not. Do as you've done, but, I don't have much else to say other than that speed watchers of creative mediums profoundly disgust me.
Okay… some people have ADHD and struggle to sit through things at normal speed. For me, I’ve just always watched everything like this. Like I said, I think it comes down to quicker processing and a lower tolerance for slow pacing.
It’s your opinion, I just find it a bit surprising. I’ve only ever met one other person who watches things like I do, and for them it was related to autism, so hearing such a strong reaction caught me off guard. But hey, you do your thing.

Here are some examples of animes i watched (or planning) i usually dont like horror animes or supernatural but these i think are good:
Horror:
Shiki
Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu
Omae Gotoki ga Maou ni Kateru to Omou na to Yuusha Party wo Tsuihou Sareta node Outo de Kimama ni Kurashitai
Mirai Nikki
Watashi wo Tabetai Hitodenashi
Ajin Shoudou
Tenkuu Shinpan
Tasogare Otome x Amnesia
Supernatural
9nine Shihaisha no Oukan
Champignon no Majo
Eris no Seihai
Fumetsu no Anata e
Hakuouki
Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi
Karasu wa Aruji wo Erabanai
NOBLESSE
sola
Kizumonogatari I Tekketsuhen
Guimi Zhi Zhu__
• If you’ve seen anything on my list, do you think I rated anything way off? Why?
Won't repeat what others have said about ratings being subjective and all since I agree with that (though I'd say a work does have some objective criteria that can't be denied) + it doesn't really answer the question.
If we were to compare lists, we have Poupelle and Josee pretty much switched (found Poupelle breathtaking, while Josee had this infantilizing vibe for its lead + the forced "temporary handicap" part was simply terrible) and while I did rate the CSM manga the same as you did for the anime, I think Part I deserved a 7/8 for the sheer potential it had.
Also I'd call Pumpkin Scissors edgy garbage, even compared to bad gorefests. I'm surprised you have it that high since you talk about avoiding sexualizing shows, and iirc Pumpkin Scissors tries to sexualize its characters even when they're in gruesome situations.
You also watched a 4-koma Girls Und Panzer spin-off without seeing the actual show? Why? All your complaints for Motto Motto also are things that aren't present in GuP proper, so it really feels like you should just watch regular GuP.
• Are there any shorter series or movies that are especially good in slice of life or horror?
Do It Yourself for slice of life
I'm not huge on horror, but you could watch the Birth of Kitaro movie, a movie that's the origin story of a very popular franchise in Japan (Gegege no Kitaro), but can easily be watched without. Though I guess it's more mystery with some action than actual scares.
Do you know any anime that avoid heavy fan service or sexualization entirely?
It's more common than you'd think. The current most mainstream example would probably be Dungeon Meshi, but a lot of Iyashikei (Non Non Biyori, Aria, etc.) also tend to have little to no fanservice. On average, adaptations of Josei will also not have fanservice at all. Magical girls show also tend to be exempt from it entirely.
I'd say you can safely know if it'll have this kind of content by simply looking it up most of the time.
• And overall, how do you personally decide what makes an anime “good” vs just enjoyable?
Individual basis. Like sure, you can always say "story has to be logical, characters need to have depths, etc." but it's a pretty vague criteria.
For works that are "objectively good" but that i've personally not enjoyed that much, you can recognize a work's quality on a technical level (animation, for instance) even if you didn't like it.
Since you also mentioned "the community": general opinion can be an indicator of quality (and it's always nice to have more knowledgeable people point out what makes/made x anime important or interesting), but it's always just a suggestion. For each opinion you're bound to find at least half the amount of people with the exact opposite take on a show, character, etc.
Fun fact, the pumpkin girl thing I actually agree with. I read it in high school and gave it a pretty bad rating. That’s something I should probably change, I didn’t even remember I even had manga on here. When I was younger I think I was more okay with it, but now that I’m older and, like I said, I’ve just gotten back into anime again, I don’t really want to watch or read that kind of stuff anymore. If I rated it in the past, that’s just old me, I’ve changed since then.
Josee is actually kind of near and dear to my heart because I also use a wheelchair. I think I rated it unfairly at the time because growing up I always wanted a “prince charming” type of story, and Josee kind of had that in a way. So I do agree now that my rating was pretty off, and I’ll probably go back and change it after rewatching it.
You mentioned 4 KUMA and Motto Motto, but honestly I don’t even remember what those are. So those are probably just throwaway ratings because I genuinely don’t remember what I rated them or what they were about, they must’ve been really uneventful for me.
As for everything else, thank you. I’ll take the criticism on the chin and rewatch things to see where I actually place them now. This was very helpful, thank you.
For Josee: if the story appeals to you based on personal experiences or other reasons it's not like you need to change its rating (unless your opinion on it ends up changing, of course).
For Girls Und Panzer : 4-koma is a type of manga where the jokes/chapters are in 4 panels sequence. Girls Und Panzer Motto Motto is one of the anime you didn't rate.
Anyway, glad to have helped. Hope you'll have fun getting back into it!
I'm not going to bother retreading the comments about it being subjective.
BUT, if you are genuinely worried about people giving you grief for your list, consider the way you write the comments on the series.
A lot of the comments come of as abrasive at best and downright vitriolic at worst; they will certainly generate feelings one way or another in people.
I'm not telling you to change anything, you do you. but some of them do feel like they are inviting conflict.
The stuff on your list seems fine, at least the ones I recognise seem pretty accurate to be high up there.
I feel like there are a lot of bad slice of life out there, just because there is so much of it ,it can be pretty hit or miss ,though if you avoid heavily sexualising ones then you remove a lot of the bad ones.
Ratings are also weird, I know people that give anything they like a 10/10 while others like myself reserve a 10 for masterpieces. We might like a show evenly bit give it different scores because thats just how we score things
I'd say your fine, the things on your list i would disagree with is just personal preferences, I dont think you have bad taste (honestly i might add some of these shows like dorohedoro to my plan to watch)
For slice of life I'd recommend checking out and seeing if you vibe with :
Girls Band Cry
Peak slice of life band show, good music, a good cast and probably the only 3D show I love the look of.Im pretty sure this was pretty niche when it came out since it didnt even have an official translation until months after it came out
BARTENDER Glass of God
Honestly dont remember much of this one since its been a while (might be worth rewatching) , just really chill with nice character moments, not a 10/10 but might be worth seeing if you vibe with it.
Negative Positive Angler
This definitely isnt "super mainstream" , similar to bartender where the brief is "Make a chill show about X" X being fishing in this case. But it goes beyond that brief at most points with its character moments.
MAYONAKA PUNCH
I just like this one. It has the worst concept for a show, but its excecuted pretty well and i love the MC.
Ranma12 2024
I Love ranma and just about anything by rumiko takahashi, though this does toe that line of sexualization, I personally wouldnt consider it heavy though. Really funny,visually stunning and a nice takahashi romance.
What do you recommend? I need more slice of life and movies to watch
I will 100% take a look at these
from my list i recommend
dorohedoro ( it really is one of those animes that anyone can enjoy and clearly i am picky and its the only anime on my list that isnt super horror or slice of life)
drifting home is such a sweet movie i think it would be nice to watch with your partner or something
a letter to momo is good (probably the lowest rank for slice of life)
School-live is one of the better zombie style animes its not exactly slice of life but it has the same vibe
You should stop seeking validation. Just watch and rate things for yourself. Also, avoiding these circle jerks like fandoms and online groups is ideal. If you don't have a good grasp of the whole industry, it's a good idea to find somenone who has seen a lot of stuff and start picking things from their personal list. Lastly, please don't be afraid of giving low scores and expressing your negative feelings.
I am trying! I don't want validation I promise lol I just wonna understand things better, im new to this stuff and my friends are either very niche OR do not watch anime at all! so i wonna make new friends to figure stuff out! all that good jazz
Understood! I'm also kinda new to all of this but i find a lot more enjoyment researching about stuff rather than watching it. I've also have dealt with coworkers recommending me a bunch of garbage i had zero interest but ended up watching and hating because of them.
Watching the classics is always a good way to learn about the industry. Titles like:
Ashita no Joe
Lupin III
Devilman
Cutey Honey
Mazinger Z
Uchuu Senkan Yamato
Kidou Senshi Gundam
Versailles no Bara
You can also research about creators like Osamu Dezaki, Yoshiuki Tomino, Hayao Miyazaki, etc. There are lots of books, videos and essays about individual pieces or the whole industry.
Whomever is criticizing your list for whatever you prefer is an absolute wanker.
Watch and love the media you want to love and don’t feel any type of way otherwise. Favourites and ratings are subjective for a reason.
Don’t fall for the trap of letting others influence or cloud your judgement. Be yourself, and you’ll find the light.
On the one hand, there is no such thing as objective good or objective bad. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, tastes and favorites.
On the other hand, if you're not prepared to defend these things, do not share them online, because people using the internet for anonymity can be straight up nasty about things they disagree with.
I usually avoid overly popular or mainstream shows
I will never understand this.
Uhmm to help explain it I guess it’s mostly because of fandoms. Usually if you’re a heavy fan of something, you end up getting pulled into the fandom spaces around it. In my opinion, mainstream media has always had worse fandom experiences overall. That doesn’t mean I hate all mainstream stuff though, I actually like a lot of mainstream things.
It’s just that some of it feels overplayed or reused a lot, and I get kind of tired of that type of content. I want something that feels different.
Not all mainstream media is bad at all, but personally I tend to stay away from it.
Ok this is the fandom explanation. So just don't interact with that fandom? I swear I've heard the same reasons over and over when it comes to not wanting to get into media that's mainstream and I still don't get it. It just does not process in my head. Like sorry I'm not trying to say you're wrong or get mad at this but I genuinely DO NOT understand.
Idk alot of horror stuff but this is a really good manga I read recently.
Abara is also a great read imo.
Abara
If you want a really nice slice of life manga to read, absolutely recommend yotsuba.
Yotsuba
These are some of my favorite slice of life to get into also if you havent seen these.
Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken
CITY THE ANIMATION
LuckyStar
Azumanga Daioh
Chios School Road
Tamako Market
Non Non Biyori
Yuyushiki
I'm assuming you're probably fairly young...which is probably why you're even asking this in the first place?
Media in general is entirely subjective. One man's trash is another man's treasure and so on and so forth. If your friends so heavily judge your takes, then don't talk to those friends about anime - find friends that DO share similar tastes as you.
Anyway, for your questions.
If you’ve seen anything on my list, do you think I rated anything way off? Why?
Doesn't matter. What you like and what you dislike is your decision alone and shouldn't be influenced by what other say about it.
That said, I think you need to actually watch the beginning of a lot of the stuff you have arbitrarily watched sequel movies for. For example, you watched the Free! final stroke part1 movie without the series - that movie was the first part of the end of the long running series, which is why they didn't bother introducing any characters or their motivations.
Here's the beginning if you actually do want the Slice of LIfe/Coming of Age parts of the story AND the introduction to the characters, if you're so inclined.
anilist.co/anime/18507
I don't actually care that you rated the movie low - if I watched that movie without the series context, I would also think it's bad as well (I'm personally a big fan of Free!, but your opinions do not offend me or affect my personal enjoyment). But, this wasn't a movie made for people to watch without having watched all like...4 seasons of the TV series. You basically watched the equivalent of chapter 30 in a book of 35 chapters.
Also I think it's crazy that you hated ONE PIECE as much as you did and still watched 1000+ episodes of it. Buddy, I dropped that after 3 episodes when I realised I wasn't the target audience. Love yourself a little more. Drop more anime. Waste less time on stuff you don't like.
Recommendations based on your questions
I'm going to ignore your mainstream request, because looking at your list, I'm not even sure you fully understand what mainstream is - some of what you've watched and rated high is considered "mainstream", and most of the stuff you rated low aren't considered so.
Anyway, I personally am eh about these, but going off your ratings for romance/slice of life, I think you'll get a much higher enjoyment out of it than I ever did.
anilist.co/anime/181444
anilist.co/anime/101573
anilist.co/anime/126288
Other than that, here are some other suggestions
anilist.co/anime/126403
anilist.co/anime/2246
anilist.co/anime/20661
anilist.co/anime/4081
anilist.co/anime/177385
anilist.co/anime/141911
anilist.co/anime/21827
anilist.co/anime/12883
anilist.co/anime/9989
Also, I haven't watched the anime for The Summer Hikaru Dies, but I loved the manga, and I heard the anime adaptation is good.
anilist.co/anime/177689
And overall, how do you personally decide what makes an anime “good” vs just enjoyable?
vibes
An enjoyable anime is not necessarily objectively good. If you think about it a lot after you watch it, then it's good in your books. Periodt.
I watched one peace cause of a boyfriend who really liked it and all he did was talk about it. I also watch everything in two times speed (idk why I just do) so 20 minutes is actually 10 minutes for me. I binged watched it a lot quicker than people think. But yes i was young dumb and in love and did something stupid.
I currently watch mainstream now yes but I am asking for less mainstream media that is similar just to branch out i am not hard set on not watching "mainstream" i just wanted to know.
I will 100% watch all of these thank you for your help and I am not that young now I just am new to online spaces so im not socially aware of what's ok and what isn't online. it feels like two different worlds to me rn lol!
For starters welcome back! As to your questions here are my answers.
If you’ve seen anything on my list, do you think I rated anything way off? Why?
This is something neither I, nor really anyone for that matter, can answer because ratings are subjective. Everyone has their own criteria of what makes a good anime for them, and most people are not going to be judging the anime they watch the same way as professional critics judge media, because most people do not possess the knowledge of knowing how storytelling as a craft works, and are instead basing their judgements on how entertained or emotionally impacted they were watching an anime.
So I would say don’t be concerned about it, and don't let the people around around you dictate what your preferences should be as well.
Based on my preferences, what are some anime you’d recommend that aren’t super mainstream?
Are there any shorter series or movies that are especially good in slice of life or horror?
This could have been one question since you are basically asking the same thing. Since you mention slice of life is one of your favorite genres here are a couple of shows that are under this genre.
Azumanga Daioh
Do It Yourself
LaidBack Camp
Urawa no Usagichan
Food for the Soul
Pokmon Concierge
Do you know any anime that avoid heavy fan service or sexualization entirely?
This in a way could have been a part of the top two questions as well but I am going to keep this one separate because instead I am going to share with you some pointers to keep in mind when picking an anime to watch.
Firstly, I have noticed that people such as yourself who typically complain about sexual fan service in anime and struggle to find anime that have little to no such sexual content tend to be ones who are constantly either turning to anime that are either currently trending, or older titles that are highly regarded in the otaku space, and many of those series tend to be adaptations of manga targeted towards teenage boys and light novels targeted towards young adult men. From there that should give you an idea of why these shows tend to have sexual content. So the best course of action would be to simply not watch those shows. Given what you mention under your general preferences you seem to be trying to do just that so that is a start. However, I would say you want to avoid specifically battle/harem/ecchi anime since those tend to be the kind of anime you are likely going to come across sexual fanservice.
Secondly, make use of the search feature on anilist. By clicking on the Browse section on the top of the website you are taken to a page in which you are given selections that would help narrow down your searches ranging from genres (which includes tags that should further help narrow down your searches), year, season, and format. Furthermore when you click on the square to your right you are given more options to help find shows that would align with your preferences.
Do this and I think you might have a better time watching anime.
overall, how do you personally decide what makes an anime “good” vs just enjoyable?
Hm~...well I think for me I simply judge it by how well I think an anime does with storytelling and then from their take into consideration how much I enjoy watching it before deciding on a verdict.
Hopefully what I have shared would be of help to you.
Thank you for this I will take a look at what you recommended! I don't disagree I tend to look at what's trending cause that's what's the most easy to consume thing. thank you for your help!
You're welcome.
There are a few questions I would like to ask to get better clarifications on:
1) In your post you bring this up
Recently I showed my AniList to some friends, and I got absolutely bombarded with criticism. Things like “you only like mainstream stuff,”
However from looking through your list most of the anime you have watch are not mainstream, so I wonder what your friends were getting at here.
2) Concerning mainstream anime, what about those anime that are "easier to consume"? What do you actually mean by "consume"?
3) How is watching a 25+ episode series a big time investment for you? I am also curious as to what movies you had watch that is over two hours as from my experience it's rare to see a movie that goes beyond two hours.
To answer your questions:
Even though I made this account four years ago, the extent of me watching anime back then was mostly just whatever my friends showed me. I don’t really know what counts as mainstream or not, but because of the stigma around it, I always tried to avoid things people labeled as “mainstream.” My friends have been begging me to watch stuff like My Hero and One Punch, and they’re way bigger fans than I am, like 300 plus anime watched compared to me.
I think “mainstream” becomes less about the actual content and more about identity. People use it as a way to separate themselves, to feel like their taste is more unique or refined. But at the end of the day, popularity usually comes from something resonating with a lot of people, not necessarily from being lesser or worse.
I don’t think mainstream anime is easier to consume just because it’s mainstream. I think media becomes popular because it’s well rounded. Good animation, a solid or simple story, strong characters, and a length that keeps people engaged without dragging. Not too long, not too short, just enough to hook you.
When I say “easy to consume,” I mean easy for a new person to get into. Something that’s approachable, engaging, and unique without being overwhelming. A lot of anime that people have recommended to me outside of this forum just isn’t like that. They can be confusing, overly long, or require a lot of context to really enjoy.
Yeah, I know it’s a bit specific, but it’s just how I like to do things. I’m someone who organizes my food by color and size too. It’s just how my brain works. ( I might have a mental thing lol)
As for longer movies, I actually have watched quite a few over two hours because people recommended them:
Pulp Fiction at over 2 hours 30 minutes
The Shawshank Redemption at 2 hours 22 minutes
Raging Bull at 2 hours 9 minutes
Forrest Gump at 2 hours 22 minutes
Fight Club at 2 hours 19 minutes
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood at over 2 hours 40 minutes
King Kong by Peter Jackson at over 3 hours
Django Unchained at over 2 hours 45 minutes
Amadeus Director’s Cut at 2 hours 52 minutes
Avengers Endgame at 3 hours 2 minutes
If you read my other comments, you’ll also see I watch things at 2x speed, sometimes even 3x. That’s just how I watch things. It’s not about rushing or not paying attention. I watch movies, anime, and even YouTube like that.
I also work 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. I own a house, take care of my sick grandmother, and handle cooking, cleaning, and gardening on my own. So I don’t really have a lot of time to sit down and watch things. That’s why I prefer shorter series or movies. I just don’t want to invest time into something super long if I’m not sure I’ll enjoy it.
That’s just how I am as a person.
Personally I don't think a rating is ever 'wrong' . I might disagree but that's just personal preference. Everyone has their own favorites and the ones they hate.
but for recommendations these are some shorter ones/slice of life with out any unnecessary fan service (not much of a horror person):
Angel Beats
Takopis Original Sin
(the anime above) not really a slice of life or horror but definitely has a lot of dark topics and it's really short
Ouran High School Host Club
Devilman Crybaby
(the anime above) personaly I havent watched this one but it seems like it might be up your ally
Death Parade
Weathering With You
Blue Box
(the anime above) I read the manga and I really enjoy it
The Klutzy Class Monitor and the Girl with the Short Skirt
(the anime above) currently airing
The Summer Hikaru Died
Tokyo Ghoul
for ratings it's mostly just how did i enjoy it?
1 - why did I finish this
2-3 - that was bad
4-5 - would not recommend
6-7 - not my taste
8 - that was really good, would recommend
9 - couldn't stop watching
10 - that was amazing I loved it and want other to watch it
If I was to differentiate between what makes an anime 'good' vs 'enjoyable'. I would say that 'good' is how is the animation, story, are the charters well written, where there any plot holes and stuff like that. but for ‘enjoyable’ I would sum it up to 'did l like it?' and how fast it took me to watch if it's only 12 episodes and I watched the first half and haven't picked it back up in months, I didn't enjoy it that much but if i watch it in one sitting i probably enjoyed it a lot or couldn't look away from the burning fire.
I hope this helps or that the recommendations are good.
• If you’ve seen anything on my list, do you think I rated anything way off? Why?
its really up to you, but I think the more shows you watch the more you will get into knowing what is good and what isn't.
• Based on my preferences, what are some anime you’d recommend that aren’t super mainstream?
ig you haven't seen that dorohedoro season 2 is currently airing, you should start with that.
Dorohedoro Season 2
Here are also some more of my favourites
Mushishi
FLCL
Katanagatari
TEXHNOLYZE
Bokurano
• Are there any shorter series or movies that are especially good in slice of life or horror?
FLCL (only 6 episodes)
• Do you know any anime that avoid heavy fan service or sexualization entirely?
Mushishi
• And overall, how do you personally decide what makes an anime “good” vs just enjoyable?
If its unique and something that genuinely makes me think and say, "yea this is actually good and special". Not generic stuff ig and sometimes you just have that feeling in your gut.