Crunchyroll has an enormous slate of anime series and films to watch. Here are ten hidden gems you can stream on the platform right now.
The best hidden gems of Crunchyroll:
ODDTAXI (2021)
Set in a world of anthropomorphic animals, ODDTAXI tells the story of walrus taxi driver Hiroshi Odokawa, who converses with his passengers and learns about various mysteries and oddities occurring in Tokyo. These conversations get him involved in the strange disappearance of a schoolgirl, and that leads to him being followed by both the police and the yakuza.
Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan (2021)
Uramichi Omota, a 31-year-old former professional gymnast, works as the leader of the exercise segment of the children’s show Together with Maman (a parody of Okaasan to Issho). Despite keeping an upbeat persona on the show, he can’t help but reveal his true, jaded, worn-out personality.
Princess Knight (1967)
Princess Sapphire is a girl raised as a Prince. Through the mischief of an angel, the princess is born with both a girl’s body and boy’s mind. Since there is no boy successor in her kingdom, Sapphire is raised as a boy, but evil ministers try to reveal her secret.
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Kimi ni Todoke – From Me To You (2009)
This romance story follows Sawako Kuronuma, a high school girl misunderstood for her eerie appearance, as she navigates friendships and love with the help of her kind classmate Shōta Kazehaya
The Apothecary Diaries (2023)
Maomao lived a peaceful life with her apothecary father. Until one day, she’s sold as a lowly servant to the emperor’s palace. But she wasn’t meant for a compliant life among royalty. So when imperial heirs fall ill, she decides to step in and find a cure. This catches the eye of Jinshi, a handsome palace official who promotes her. Now, she’s making a name for herself solving medical mysteries.
City Hunter (1987)
Ryo Saeba, the legendary City Hunter, is a first-class sweeper for hire, taking on jobs from protecting beautiful women to taking out bad guys permanently. He can be a private detective or hitman, whatever the case calls for, and it often requires the use of his superhuman marksmanship. But even so, Ryo can’t do it alone. His partner is Kaori Makimura, the younger sister of his murdered best friend. Kaori serves as his assistant, while also protecting their attractive clients from Ryo’s ‘mokkori’ advances with her trusty supply of 100 ton hammers.
So I’m a Spider, So What? (2021)
So I’m a Spider, So What? follows a class that is killed in a mysterious explosion and reincarnated into another world, with one girl reincarnated as a dungeon spider. The spider evolves and ends up having a significant influence on the world, becoming one of its most powerful creatures, while the students and their teacher deal with the fallout from her actions and those of other armies.
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Late Night! The Genius Bakabon (remake, 2018)
The pinnacle of gag manga as well as one of Akatsuka Fujio’s most renowned works, ‘Tensai Bakabon’ returned after 18 years since its last anime, with a new original story by director Hosokawa Toru. The story follows Bakabon, a dumb young boy who goes on outrageous adventures with his father known only to the audience as ‘Bakabon’s Papa’. It has been adapted into television anime on four different occasions, as well as a live drama.
Robot Carnival (1987)
A visual treat for the eyes as well as the mind, Robot Carnival is an anthology collection of nine short films, many done by animators before they got their feet wet in directing. From funny to dramatic, artistic to entertaining, each story reaches towards the furthest corners of time and space to bring you a tale of robots, and the people who make them. Whether you have a love for great hand-drawn animation, an appreciation for fine storytelling, or just like robots, this anthology is a must.
Key The Metal Idol (1994)
Her classmates at school called her Key, as in the ‘key’ to a strange mystery. Key’s ‘grandfather’ was a kindly old scientist wanting to use his skill in robotics to create peace and love in the world. But when that kindly old scientist passed away, poor Key was left behind, lacking even the ability to smile. There still is hope, however – a message left behind for Key suggests a fantastic possibility. Could it really be possible for Key to become a real, live human, if she can only win the love of 30,000 people?
To find out more, head to Crunchyroll.
