Branson is a Senior Writer for ScreenRant. Anime has been a major part of his life since he was able to raise his hands in the air for a Spirit Bomb. As a journalist, Branson focuses heavily on listicles and op-eds detailing the industry’s greatest shonen series.
There’s a rare type of anime that is amazing despite the flaws it has. Most anime series have flaws that make the entire viewing experience worse, but there are a few who take their flaws in stride, creating thought-provoking and captivating franchises in the process.
To be a flawed anime gem, a series needs to have at least one or two flaws that keep it from 10/10 territory, but it needs to have a certain quality that transcends its flaws. The beauty of flawed anime gems is that they can come in any genre: some are action-packed thrillers, some are romantic journeys, and others are just plain silly.
An Archdemon’s Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride
An Archdemon’s Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride is a criminally underrated romance series that deserves way more attention than what it got. It stars the supremely powerful Zagan, a sorcerer who falls in love with an elf-girl at first sight, spending every coin he has to purchase her.
The biggest flaw in the show comes from how the pair meet. It’s pretty weird that their relationship begins with Zagan’s purchase of the elf-girl Nephelia, but the romance that blossoms from them is beautiful. Nephy explores her new world, makes plenty of friends, and regains her self-esteem in this can’t-miss series.
Okitsura: Fell in Love with an Okinawan Girl, but I Just Wish I Knew What She’s Saying
Okitsura: Fell in Love with an Okinawan Girl, but I Just Wish I Knew What She’s Saying, known commonly as Okitsura, isn’t just an anime series with a ridiculously long name: it’s an adorable story about a mainland Japanese kid who moves to Okinawa and becomes enraptured by their culture.
While the series is centered around Teruaki and his journey to learn more about the island of Okinawa, there’s an interesting love triangle that happens at the same time. Teruaki is interested in his classmate Hina, who, it seems like, is trying to get Teruaki together with Kana, another classmate. There’s not a lot of depth in this anime, but there doesn’t need to be for the story to flow.
Darling in the Franxx
Darling in the Franxx is a massively popular anime series that’s as ubiquitous as it is divisive. It’s one of the best anime series that isn’t based off of a manga, and one of the few to be successful without using source material. Darling in the Franxx is also required viewing for anyone who likes mech anime, despite the flaws the series might have.
Darling in the Franxx is fairly sexual, which is pretty uncomfortable for a story that’s centered around teenagers. Despite that fairly glaring flaw, there’s a lot the series does well, especially in the character department. Watching the cast of Darling in the Franxx grow is easily the biggest reason to check the series out, and there aren’t a lot of anime with character development as thorough.
Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense
Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense is an amazing isekai series that flew under the radar for many. It’s only two seasons long, and it feels like it could have been much longer. It’s an adorable isekai that takes power-scaling to the absolute max, and while that might ruin a lot of other series, it makes Bofuri amazing.
Bofuri has an amazing premise that the rest of the series capitalizes on masterfully. Kaede Honjo joins the popular video game NewWorld Online as Maple. While most people level up and split their stat points across a variety of traits, Maple puts them all in defense, inadvertantly becoming one of the strongest characters in the entire game almost overnight.
Clevatess
Clevatess is a breath of fresh air. Dark anime series are too few and far between, and there aren’t many more brutal than this one. There are several reasons behind Clevatess’ unique success: the art style feels grainy in the best way possible, the story is more than willing to lean into its own darkness, and the narrative itself is gripping from the first episode.
Clevatess feels like the modern-day version of Berserk, but it’s not quite there. While they have a similarly brutal art style and share thematic elements, at times, the writing of Clevatess doesn’t match up with the rest of what it’s presenting. Still, this series is a veritable gem of an anime for anyone who wants a series that doesn’t pull punches.
The Water Magician
The Water Magician is one of the most simple isekai anime series that has come out in the past decade, and that’s a good thing. While a lot of isekai series try to stand out through obnoxiously long titles or the most complicated power systems in anime, The Water Magician stands out through its simplicity.
The Water Magician is another series with a gripping narrative that only gets better the longer the series runs. Ryo is incarnated into a new world and only wants a peaceful life. He gets anything but, as he spends his first few moments fighting powerful monsters and learning how to use his amazing new abilities.
Goblin Slayer
Goblin Slayer has one of the most controversial opening episodes in anime, and it’s one of the only series in which Crunchyroll put not just one, but two warnings on before the episode even began. It’s an interesting choice, as most of the series doesn’t reflect the brutality put forward by the opening episode.
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Posts By Marcel Green
If the first episode is considered a “flaw” (which is a divisive opinion in and of itself), then the rest of the series doesn’t have many flaws. It’s a fairly basic series that follows the titular Goblin Slayer on his adventures to slay as many goblins as possible. He’s joined by capable allies who bring color into his mundane life, and the series is better for it.
Kengan Ashura/Baki
Kengan Ashura and Baki are two entirely different series that share more in common than most would think. They’re two of the best martial arts anime ever made, creating some of the most intense fights in the art form. They’re both over-the-top in their violence, and for both series, it works wonderfully.
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Kengan Ashura and Baki each have their own unique art styles that fit the vibe they’re going for. Neither series puts too much emphasis on the story and focuses almost entirely on the fights, another aspect that might be a “flaw” for some, but for most, that’s exactly why they’re amazing.
Your Rating close 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Rate Now 0/10 Leave a Review Like Follow Followed Kengan Ashura TV-MA Animation Action Sports 8.0/10 Release Date 2019 – 2024-00-00 Cast See All Tatsuhisa Suzuki Chō Powered by Expand Collapse Your Rating close 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Rate Now 0/10 Leave a Review Like Follow Followed Baki TV-MA Action Animation Drama 9.7/10 Release Date 2018 – 2020-00-00 Directors Toshiki Hirano Cast See All Kirk Thornton Troy Baker Powered by Expand Collapse
