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anime that you can't understand why it's so popular

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Apr 25, 7:02 AM
#1

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May 2024
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"Sousou no Frieren, Dandadan, Your Name, Tenki no Ko, I Wanna Eat Your Pankreas, and Chainsaw Man"
YuriYilzlizeApr 29, 8:41 PM
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Apr 25, 7:06 AM
#2

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May 2019
9603
I never understood why sword art online ever got popular.
Apr 25, 7:09 AM
#3
Apr 25, 7:09 AM
#4
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Nov 2017
1077
Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood. Everyone in that show is annoying as fuck
Apr 25, 7:21 AM
#5

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Mar 2012
8543
Hunter x Hunter 2011 - it's just a typical shounen, people saying it's unique because it gets dark due to character deaths clearly haven't watched Naruto which is just another battle shounen

Fruits Basket 2019 - besides the pretty looking animation there's nothing to it, they bring up the story about bonds being a curse but then the curse just magically breaks without the characters doing anything special which doesn't make any sense, Tohru is really annoying and has no redeeming characteristics besides being nice to all.

Always the same… Every age, every generation.
Human beings are infinitely more cruel and selfish than any demon in hell

~Dantalion (Makai Ouji)
Apr 25, 7:23 AM
#6
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Apr 2023
26
Among the 100 most popular anime, the ones I don't understand the popularity of are: Your Name, Akame Ga Kill, and Darling in the Franxx. Obviously, I'm not going to judge the ones I haven't seen, but among the ones I have seen, these 3 are the worst and the ones I liked the least.
Apr 25, 7:35 AM
#7

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Sep 2016
17503
https://myanimelist.net/anime/34572/Black_Clover
Apr 25, 8:23 AM
#8

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Sep 2023
436
this has been done a million times but i will never understand the status Death Note has. like every memorable scene is in the first third, and the whole second half of it is total ass.
Apr 25, 9:25 AM
#9

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Feb 2016
13851
Reply to Maou_heika
Hunter x Hunter 2011 - it's just a typical shounen, people saying it's unique because it gets dark due to character deaths clearly haven't watched Naruto which is just another battle shounen

Fruits Basket 2019 - besides the pretty looking animation there's nothing to it, they bring up the story about bonds being a curse but then the curse just magically breaks without the characters doing anything special which doesn't make any sense, Tohru is really annoying and has no redeeming characteristics besides being nice to all.
Maou_heika said:
Hunter x Hunter 2011 - it's just a typical shounen, people saying it's unique because it gets dark due to character deaths clearly haven't watched Naruto which is just another battle shounen

I agree, but I do think the 1st half above average by the standards of the genre.

Maou_heika said:
Fruits Basket 2019 - besides the pretty looking animation there's nothing to it, they bring up the story about bonds being a curse but then the curse just magically breaks without the characters doing anything special which doesn't make any sense, Tohru is really annoying and has no redeeming characteristics besides being nice to all.

I agree once again, but I don't like similar shoujo either.
その目だれの目?
Apr 25, 9:41 AM

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Jun 2017
6145
Cowboy Bebop. I like it, but it just feels like an action show with a jazzy ost and nothing else...i don't see why it's "#1 must see anime of all time"

Your Name. I honestly don't care for it and don't consider it anywhere near the #1 movie on Mal, A Silent Voice deserved that spot because that movie did make me cry. Your Name didn't
My waifu is the most wonderful waifu. Mai Valentine.

We're freaking out that we're running out of time, but to do what? Should i stop and think of that? Is there something i could do to slow it down? Live in a day for once, instead of watch it sprinting by
Apr 25, 9:46 AM

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Jul 2024
893
Insert any isekai or post 2010 shonen here
Apr 25, 10:43 AM

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Jan 2017
51
https://myanimelist.net/anime/52991/Sousou_no_Frieren

If I were to nitpick then it has to be the shallow german names for characters which i'm assuming the author gave based on what traits/characteristics they portray. There are actual german names like Eckhardt that could've been substituted for Stark but this would require doing research rather than just looking up the german word for strong.
Apr 25, 10:51 AM

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Jul 2013
9696
I'm genuinely surprised that One Piece, Bleach and Naruto are so popular. I'm genuinely surprised that Hyperdimension Neptunia isn't popular.
Apr 25, 6:47 PM

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Apr 2017
2443
Violet Evergarden and Honey Lemon Soda.

Violet has no personality, and none of the side characters are interesting either. It's a series that sounds good on paper, but the execution is horrible. I got into that series thinking that Violet was one of the best written female characters in anime. I was thoroughly disappointed. That's the last time I trust the opinions of men who only watch Shounen and mainstream Seinen.

Honey Lemon Soda was a drop the first episode. It did nothing for me. I'm sorry, my fellow Shoujo girlies, but I disagree with y'all on this series. This series is trash and didn't deserve any nominations. I dislike the Crunchyroll Awards a lot, and I do think that they snub a lot of Shoujo and Josei in favor of Shounen and Seinen. Honey Lemon Soda is NOT one of those series. I get that they're excited for more Shoujo adaptations. I'm excited as well, and Honey Lemon Soda getting a second season is good for Shoujo. However, I really hate that Honey Lemon Soda of all series is getting a second season. It's literally a worse version of Kimi ni Todoke. Yona of the Dawn can't get a second season, but THIS series can?
Apr 25, 6:59 PM
Nostalgia Rules!

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Jun 2008
11130
Probably FLCL. I've seen plenty of anime that did it better. My guess is it was just one of the few that actually aired on cable TV with its style.
Apr 25, 7:14 PM

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Apr 2021
116
demon slayer ...nothing after mugan train where rengoku died......the whole thing is now carried by its animation
Apr 25, 7:15 PM

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Apr 2021
116
solo leveling ....its the most avg seasonal anime out there .....poor characters , repeated and always mewing .......
Apr 25, 7:29 PM
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Apr 2023
79
It's definitely Monster. The fact that this type of anime has gained such big popularity in the anime community is some kind of impossible to understand miracle. On the other hand the popularity of all kinds of slag and mediocrity is just a normal thing))
Apr 25, 7:34 PM

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Jul 2015
13290
Reply to Retro8bit
Probably FLCL. I've seen plenty of anime that did it better. My guess is it was just one of the few that actually aired on cable TV with its style.
@Retro8bit Now you have to give names (not being defesive here, if you really have many "FLCL but better" shows, I wanna watch them)

KeepCalmAndMal said:
anime that you can't understand why it's so popular
One Piece

Sunk cost fallacy. This thing started airing when I was 9 lmao. Now the audience is in their thirties, they don't have any choice but to hype it and pray that it ends soon. Anthing else would be admitting they've been bamboozled for most of their life.
DeathkoApr 25, 7:38 PM
Prophetess of the Golden Era
Apr 25, 9:38 PM

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Apr 2017
2443
@KeepCalmAndMal sunk cost fallacy means that you don't want to drop or get rid of something, simply because you've invested so much. It can apply to multiple things:
- relationships: "we've been friends since Elementary school, so I don't want to end our friendship now that we're 30"
- cars: "I've already spent thousands repairing this car. No point in gettinf a new car at this point."
- shows: "This show is starting to get bad, but I've already watched 30+ episodes, so I might as well see it through"
- etc
Apr 25, 9:53 PM

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Oct 2017
3166
Half the ecchi shows since they're essentially interchangeable in terms of content as they tend to just have the same character archetypes with mildly different skins since everything is so surface level as they are focusing too much on arousing the (presumably) male viewer instead of trying to develop interesting characters and settings. Mind you there are exceptions to this but I have seen so many popular ecchi that just make me go like "I have heard and seen shows that sound exactly like this, its been done before"
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Apr 25, 10:03 PM

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Mar 2021
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YuriYilzlize said:
anime that you can't understand why it's so popular


Users are usually just in denial about most Japanese Anime that are popular that they simply are just not into or even completely despises. One usually known exactly why something is popular or not. Just most of the time one doesn't want to acknowledge or admit it.

So far every example I have seen so far thrown out on this thread by Users, whether I like the titles or not, I totally can understand why they popular or not (Because some examples so far aren't really truly that popular to begin with). lol


Apr 25, 10:10 PM
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Feb 2024
621
For me it's probably Bleach and Fairy Tail, I tried watching both but didn't find them engaging. I dropped them in the first episode, maybe it's a case of them getting better over time but they failed to hook me and I'm not interested in trying to watch them again.
Apr 26, 5:17 AM

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Jul 2024
4242
Gundam, actually giant robot fights and war politics
Apr 26, 11:53 AM

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Oct 2022
2288
The entire Monagatari series, and most of the anime by Shaft, are a head-scratcher to me. It is always strange hearing people describe things like GoHands anime as being nauseating or seizure inducing but then in this instance, they praise it. Shaft is one of the worst studios in existence because their visual style is objectively hard on the eyes, especially for anyone light-sensitive like me, and I cannot imagine anyone who is epileptic.. half the scenes are upside-down or sideways, there is horrid nausea-inducing angles and grainy stuff that looks like someone used that old 1980s channel fuzz to make animation... it literally gave me a headache. The characters aren't even very attractive. And the stuff that happens in the show is idiotic.
My assumption is people say they like it to sound hip, and likely never watched more than a few minutes of it.
Apr 26, 12:18 PM
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Feb 2025
323
Reply to Retro8bit
Probably FLCL. I've seen plenty of anime that did it better. My guess is it was just one of the few that actually aired on cable TV with its style.
@Retro8bit I'm curious what "it" is that you're referring to, and which shows you think did "it" better? Not that I think you're wrong, but I do love FLCL and I am curious about other opinions on the show.
Apr 26, 12:40 PM
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Aug 2024
324
It's important not to confuse not liking something with it equating to 'why is this even popular'. There are shows that I'm not into but can definitely see why its popular. I dont like Bleach past a certain point, but i still see why its popular and liked by so many people, I dont like Jojo (but i want to and will re try it) but i can see why its popular in the sense that is has wild abilities, good characters and the memes are funny, but it wasnt for me at the time

There arent many shows where I think: ''I dont like it... and I dont know how or why someone else possibly could.''

Most of the time, its crystal clear why its popular. You just dont like it, thats all, and thats fine.

_oharaApr 26, 12:45 PM
Apr 26, 1:00 PM

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Jul 2023
182
Bunny Girl Senpai: It's just worse Monogatari. I guess it's better to rip off a good series than a bad one but that's what it is.

Your Name: I guess the answer is "I liked the relationship" and I will admit it's a pretty movie but otherwise, it's an absolute nothing to me

There are series I like less but those are the two that baffle me.
Apr 26, 1:03 PM

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Jul 2013
9696
This question is somewhat invalid, because I don't even care about the popularity of anime shows when I'm looking for shows to watch.
Apr 26, 1:14 PM

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Feb 2025
188
Sword Art Online
My Hero Academia
Naruto
Jujutsu Kaisen
Lain2357Apr 26, 1:20 PM
Apr 26, 1:16 PM

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Oct 2024
79
Haven’t watched AoT but it’s big hype pseudo-zombie apocalypse thriller so it’s popularity is obvious.

Death Note is another thriller with crazy premise, peak Madhouse adaptation and international (especially Western) appeal with it’s TV police drama style.

FMA:B is pretty good, Bones did a great job and also has the audience carryover from FMA 2003 which was apparently big in it’s day. Not to mention it’s very inoffensive with wide appeal.

It’s mainly 3 things: Amazing anime adaptation with big production values and good direction, has big hype concept or is just there to fill the post Big-3 shonen hole/generic romcom and appeals to international audiences in some way.
MalawaApr 26, 1:19 PM
Apr 26, 1:25 PM
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Apr 2024
2039
Death note and FMAB, they are good but not as much as people claim
Apr 26, 4:14 PM

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Aug 2022
624
How did a series like Noragami became a hit when it first aired... only for it to fade into obscurity?
Apr 26, 4:18 PM

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Jan 2008
3321
Frieren at the moment. Trying to watch just one episode a day and It's not riveting to me. It's a decent anime but not above an 8. I'm determined to finish it but the episode a day is ending up an episode every two or three days.
Apr 26, 4:23 PM

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Sep 2018
13257
I never thought that way.
I attribute mal score to mass appeal.
To have high reviews=You cater to the most common denominator. Avoid any niches that alienate a demographic. Kind of dull.

Popularity is requires marketing
Apr 26, 6:13 PM

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Feb 2021
4397
Tokyo Revengers. Who is the main demographic really?

One Piece. How is it still popular? The people who are still watching are only doing it because they've invested too much time in it. At least that's how I see it.

"Nobody could laugh at someone who's trying their hardest" -Machio-

Apr 26, 9:23 PM

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Jul 2024
456
Re:Zero and people who like the show seem to be really defensive about it.
Apr 26, 10:13 PM

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Aug 2012
2755
Too many to really list. I, honestly, question at least 60% of the popular anime.
Apr 26, 10:27 PM

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Jan 2025
358
If I want to say I'll say mirai nikki #33 popular on MAL ...

I can't write anymore cuz the anime fk'd up the manga.. and many more ruined plots








































































center][/center]
Apr 27, 3:24 AM

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Apr 2020
2162
Darling in the Franxx doesn't have any appeal. I've met a lot of people whose waifu is Zero Two, but I never thought she was hot, or an amazing character at all
Apr 27, 4:47 AM

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Apr 2022
7299
magi, SAO, nichijou, hibike, and others that i can't remember at the moment.
Apr 27, 5:02 AM

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Mar 2023
3190
Why is Solo Leveling so special again?
Apr 27, 5:20 AM

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Apr 2015
3524
Most of the battle shounen stuff really. Fight bad guy > bad guy is too strong > MC or one of their friends gets a power-up > beat bad guy and repeat until final bad guy that MC yet again get's an OP ability.
"Well, she's flatter than a pancake"
-Mimi Alpacas
Apr 27, 6:02 AM

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Jun 2020
891
Solo leveling I guess its one of the first manhwas that did get attention this big so I do see it a start point for a lot of people as a basic manhwa. Still tho questionable for me. It just to generic for the time it was created.


In other hand I do understand why SAO did become very famous st 2012 for the same reason it was kind of legendary for it time and kind of new you can see the damage it did too fantasy genre till this day
Apr 27, 6:38 AM
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Apr 2024
147
Hunter x Hunter and Gintama they are just bad shows i don't know how neurodivergent you have to be to enjoy them, but i don't qualify.
Apr 27, 6:39 AM

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Aug 2024
176
Reply to LuxuriousHeart
Violet Evergarden and Honey Lemon Soda.

Violet has no personality, and none of the side characters are interesting either. It's a series that sounds good on paper, but the execution is horrible. I got into that series thinking that Violet was one of the best written female characters in anime. I was thoroughly disappointed. That's the last time I trust the opinions of men who only watch Shounen and mainstream Seinen.

Honey Lemon Soda was a drop the first episode. It did nothing for me. I'm sorry, my fellow Shoujo girlies, but I disagree with y'all on this series. This series is trash and didn't deserve any nominations. I dislike the Crunchyroll Awards a lot, and I do think that they snub a lot of Shoujo and Josei in favor of Shounen and Seinen. Honey Lemon Soda is NOT one of those series. I get that they're excited for more Shoujo adaptations. I'm excited as well, and Honey Lemon Soda getting a second season is good for Shoujo. However, I really hate that Honey Lemon Soda of all series is getting a second season. It's literally a worse version of Kimi ni Todoke. Yona of the Dawn can't get a second season, but THIS series can?
@LuxuriousHeart

LuxuriousHeart said:
Honey Lemon Soda was a drop the first episode. It did nothing for me. I'm sorry, my fellow Shoujo girlies, but I disagree with y'all on this series. This series is trash and didn't deserve any nominations.


The first few episodes of Honey Lemon Soda are pretty weak and generic (though I might not be in a position to judge that properly since I have not watched much Shoujo). Also the adaptation clearly operates on a limited budget which does not help at all. But the second half got me at least interested in the source material. The manga might just suffer from a weak start but improves after 1-2 volumes. Though I do not recommend picking the anime up again.

LuxuriousHeart said:
I dislike the Crunchyroll Awards a lot, and I do think that they snub a lot of Shoujo and Josei in favor of Shounen and Seinen.


You mean something like nominating A Sign of Affection for 'Best Drama' instead of 'Best Romance' despite having zero drama?

LuxuriousHeart said:
Yona of the Dawn can't get a second season, but THIS series can?


Yeah, Yona definetly needs and deserves a second season, way more than Honey Lemon Soda does.
Apr 27, 11:35 AM

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Feb 2024
2637
Reply to Tropisch
Most of the battle shounen stuff really. Fight bad guy > bad guy is too strong > MC or one of their friends gets a power-up > beat bad guy and repeat until final bad guy that MC yet again get's an OP ability.
@Tropisch

There is nothing hard to understand about why power fantasy stories are popular. Unless you can't grasp simple facts that is.
Apr 27, 11:39 AM

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Feb 2024
2637
Reply to LSSJ_Gaming
Half the ecchi shows since they're essentially interchangeable in terms of content as they tend to just have the same character archetypes with mildly different skins since everything is so surface level as they are focusing too much on arousing the (presumably) male viewer instead of trying to develop interesting characters and settings. Mind you there are exceptions to this but I have seen so many popular ecchi that just make me go like "I have heard and seen shows that sound exactly like this, its been done before"
@LSSJ_Gaming

Your hate for ecchi genre is cute but majority of ecchi anime can be hardly called popular, like ever. I can probably count popular ecchi anime with one hand.
JoeChipApr 27, 11:42 AM
Apr 27, 11:41 AM

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Feb 2024
2637
Reply to RainyEvenings
Gundam, actually giant robot fights and war politics
@RainyEvenings

Gundam was never popular in the West to begin with.
Apr 27, 11:48 AM
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Jul 2021
40
I think no one really talks about 'Given' much. Because that BL is locally [Non-BL fans] popular, I can't quite get why. The side couple are a bit toxic. And the little backstory is not as sad as they said [It was sad but not too sad]. Like 'Sasaki To Miyano' is better than 'Given' by a lot of means [imo] but it is not as locally popular as 'Given'

I can guess it's the music factor that lures people? Idk. If it is based off the Music factor then it is good, I'll accept but if it is based off the 'BL' factor then I'd really say Sasaki to Miyano is better.

yep /ᐠ。ꞈ。ᐟ\
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