Custom Image by Vanessa Piña
Published Jul 4, 2026, 11:37 PM EDT
Vanessa Piña has been a freelance writer for the ScreenRant anime section since 2024. As a senior writer, she focuses on timely coverage of the latest anime releases and updates on popular franchises.
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While some anime fade from memory after being removed from streaming platforms, becoming inaccessible to viewers, others get lost within Crunchyroll’s vast catalog. Whether because they break away from industry tropes that were released several years ago or because they are niche works that appeal to a smaller audience, some of Crunchyroll’s forgotten anime are true gems that lack the popularity they deserve, even though they are just a search away.
The fact that not all anime maintain their popularity over time or spark major ongoing debates in the community is natural given the industry's ever-changing landscape and the constant influx of new seasonal series, which takes away the interest in exploring non-mainstream titles. But even if some shows fade from the spotlight, it doesn't directly correlate with the quality of their stories, nor does it necessarily mean they are outdated or not worth watching. These forgotten anime on Crunchyroll are near-perfect works, enjoyable for those watching them for the first time or revisiting them for a dose of nostalgia.
Casshern Sins
Despite being one of the anime series that aired on the popular Toonami block, Casshern Sins has gradually been forgotten over the years. The anime is a reboot of the classic 1973 series Neo-Human Casshern, animated by Madhouse, and brings a completely different look to the story. Instead of depicting the conflicts between robots and humans targeting a younger audience like the original series, Casshern Sins makes full use of the series' overlying mature, existential themes with a heavy, immersive atmosphere.
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01
Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) became one of the most-watched anime on Crunchyroll. The story takes place in a world where humanity lives behind massive walls to protect themselves from giant humanoid creatures. What are these creatures called?
AKaiju BTitans CHollows DDemons
✓ Correct! The giant humanoid creatures are called Titans. In the original Japanese, they’re referred to as “Kyojin” (giants). Eren Yeager’s quest to destroy all Titans after they breach Wall Maria became one of the most gripping storylines in anime history.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Titans. Kaiju are giant monsters from Japanese cinema like Godzilla, Hollows are the enemy creatures in Bleach, and Demons appear in series like Demon Slayer. In Attack on Titan, these towering humanoid creatures are specifically called Titans.
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02
Studio MAPPA has become one of the most prominent anime studios in recent years, producing several massive hit series. Which of these popular anime was NOT produced by MAPPA?
AJujutsu Kaisen BAttack on Titan: The Final Season CChainsaw Man DDemon Slayer
✓ Correct! Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) is produced by ufotable, not MAPPA. Ufotable’s stunning animation quality — especially the breathtaking fight sequences — became a hallmark of the Demon Slayer franchise. MAPPA produced Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan: The Final Season, and Chainsaw Man.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Demon Slayer. Demon Slayer is animated by studio ufotable, renowned for its gorgeous visual effects. MAPPA has produced Jujutsu Kaisen, took over Attack on Titan: The Final Season from WIT Studio, and animated Chainsaw Man.
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03
Solo Leveling became a massive hit anime in 2024 after being one of the most popular manhwa (Korean comics) in the world. The story follows a weak hunter who gains the unique ability to level up. What is the protagonist’s name?
AJin-Woo Sung BSung Jin-Woo CKim Dokja DYoo Joonghyuk
✓ Correct! Sung Jin-Woo is the protagonist of Solo Leveling. Originally the weakest E-Rank hunter, he gains the power of the mysterious System, allowing him to level up infinitely. His transformation from the “World’s Weakest Hunter” to the most powerful Shadow Monarch captivated millions of readers and viewers.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Sung Jin-Woo. Jin-Woo Sung reverses the name order (Korean names place the surname first). Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk are protagonists from Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, another popular Korean series. Sung Jin-Woo is the iconic Shadow Monarch of Solo Leveling.
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04
The Crunchyroll Anime Awards celebrate the best in anime each year. Which anime won Anime of the Year at the 2024 Crunchyroll Anime Awards?
AJujutsu Kaisen Season 2 BFrieren: Beyond Journey’s End COshi no Ko DVinland Saga Season 2
✓ Correct! Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End won Anime of the Year at the 2024 Crunchyroll Anime Awards. This beautifully contemplative series about an elven mage reflecting on mortality and the passage of time after her hero party’s quest ends charmed audiences and critics alike with its unique, introspective storytelling.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. While Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, Oshi no Ko, and Vinland Saga Season 2 were all critically acclaimed, it was Frieren’s meditative exploration of time, memory, and connection that captured the top prize at the 2024 ceremony.
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05
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is consistently rated as one of the greatest anime of all time. The story follows two brothers who attempted a forbidden alchemical technique. What taboo did Edward and Alphonse Elric commit?
ACreating gold BHuman transmutation (trying to revive their dead mother) CDestroying a Philosopher’s Stone DKilling a homunculus
✓ Correct! Edward and Alphonse attempted human transmutation to bring their deceased mother back to life. The attempt failed catastrophically — Edward lost his left leg and then sacrificed his right arm to bind Alphonse’s soul to a suit of armor. This event drives the entire series as they search for the Philosopher’s Stone to restore their bodies.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is human transmutation — specifically, attempting to resurrect their dead mother. In the world of FMA, human transmutation is the ultimate taboo in alchemy. The brothers’ failed attempt cost Edward his limbs and Alphonse his entire body, setting the stage for their epic journey.
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06
Spy x Family became a worldwide phenomenon with its wholesome yet action-packed story of a found family. The father, Loid Forger, is secretly a spy. What is his spy codename?
AAgent Dusk BTwilight CShadow DNightfall
✓ Correct! Loid Forger’s spy codename is Twilight, and he’s considered the top agent of Westalis’s intelligence service, WISE. His mission, Operation Strix, requires him to build a fake family — leading him to adopt the telepathic Anya and marry the assassin Yor, creating one of anime’s most beloved found families.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Twilight. Agent Dusk and Shadow are fictional names, while Nightfall is actually the codename of another WISE agent, Fiona Frost, who has a crush on Loid. Twilight is Westalis’s greatest spy and the heart of Spy x Family’s charming story.
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07
Crunchyroll merged with another major anime streaming service to become the dominant platform for anime. Which streaming service was absorbed into Crunchyroll?
ANetflix Anime BFunimation CHIDIVE DAnimeLab
✓ Correct! Funimation was merged into Crunchyroll after Sony’s acquisition of Crunchyroll from AT&T in 2021. The merger consolidated the anime streaming market, bringing Funimation’s massive library of dubbed anime together with Crunchyroll’s simulcast catalog, making Crunchyroll the world’s largest dedicated anime platform.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Funimation. Netflix Anime is part of Netflix and operates independently, HIDIVE is Sentai Filmworks’ streaming service, and AnimeLab was a smaller Australian service. Funimation — once Crunchyroll’s biggest rival — was fully absorbed into the Crunchyroll platform.
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08
Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli are legendary in the anime world. Miyazaki’s final film was released in 2023 and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. What is the title of this film?
ASpirited Away 2 BThe Wind Rises CThe Boy and the Heron DPonyo Returns
✓ Correct! The Boy and the Heron (Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka) was released in 2023 and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2024. The deeply personal, surrealist fantasy film was widely considered Miyazaki’s farewell masterpiece, exploring themes of grief, imagination, and the passage between worlds.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is The Boy and the Heron. Spirited Away 2 and Ponyo Returns don’t exist. The Wind Rises was Miyazaki’s previous “final” film from 2013. The Boy and the Heron marked his true farewell, winning the Oscar and cementing his legacy as anime’s greatest storyteller.
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Casshern Sins is a reimagining that recontextualizes the role of the hero. It is set in a post-apocalyptic world where a nearly immortal android warrior, devoid of memory, is relentlessly hunted by robots seeking to devour him to survive. Although its gloomy worldview might not appeal to every viewer, the anime presents various stories that delve into the nature of humanity and the personal desires harbored deep within the characters, ultimately evolving into a tale that celebrates life itself.
Focusing primarily on how Casshern questions his own existence through the people he encounters and on the fate of those who have lost their purpose, the series also delivers plenty of action, including numerous hand-to-hand combat sequences that stand out for their high-quality animation and exceptional soundtrack. At first glance, Casshern Sins might seem inaccessible, but it possesses a unique charm that manages to speak to viewers on a personal level, prompting them to question a thing or two about life.
Shadows House
Shadows House is an intriguing anime where nothing is quite what it seems. As a slice-of-life series primarily focused on unraveling mysteries, it failed to achieve the same impact as The Promised Neverland, lacking the tension and high stakes that characterize modern dark fantasy. Even so, it stands out for featuring some of the best world-building among new-gen anime, creating a complex structure that continually expands within the confines of a single mansion.
The series follows Emilico, a living doll whose role is to serve and become the face of one of the masters of Shadows House, who are not regular humans but blacked-out shadows that emit soot. Through this fascinating setting, Shadows House is a mystery-driven work that takes its time explaining and making the viewers learn the workings of the mansion and the motivations of each character.
However, in addition to its well-constructed story, Shadows House doesn't let out the visual side, putting effort into the animation and direction that emphasizes the series' murky atmosphere and its unique Victorian aesthetics. It maintains suspense throughout, all while dropping clues for the audience to piece together.
Planetes
From the same creator as Vinland Saga, Planetes deserves more attention, especially since it remains fresh despite releasing more than two decades ago. A blend of space opera and slice-of-life, the series follows the members of a department responsible for collecting space debris, a job considered far from the glamour expected from astronauts, as it essentially amounts to picking up junk.
While it may lack the intensity of a typical space-battle anime, Planetes shines through the realism of its characters. It portrays not only a workplace environment where individuals with conflicting values clash, but also the struggles of pursuing dreams and the fundamental need to forge connections.
The series also touches upon environmental themes and the impact of technological advancement on society and politics, yet it remains grounded in human drama. Despite its slow pace, Planetes successfully engages the viewer throughout its 26 episodes, getting them invested in the changes experienced by the characters as the story progresses. Furthermore, the beauty of the space landscapes is rendered with meticulous animation and attention to detail, delivering viewers an experience that is as beautiful as it is deeply rewarding.
Sonny Boy
Even though it was nominated at the 2022 Crunchyroll Awards, Sonny Boy is not a title that frequently comes up in anime discussions. Although it's arguably one of the greatest isekai series of all time, its limited popularity stems from the fact that its story isn't for everyone, with an abstract concept and a jumbled narrative that can be difficult to follow.
In Sonny Boy, a group of high school students and their school building are transported to another dimension, where some of them acquire unique superpowers. Although it ostensibly begins with the characters trying to adapt to a voided world while seeking ways to coexist and return to their reality, the anime doesn't offer the kind of satisfaction and comfort that comes from directly unraveling every piece of the story.
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Sonny Boy is an unpredictable story in which its multidimensional setting serves merely as a vehicle to explore the turbulent transition from childhood to adulthood through the characters' individual perceptions of the world, emotional issues, and frustrations. The anime also addresses themes such as isolation, peer pressure, social discomfort, and bullying, with its philosophical exploration further enriched by a wealth of symbolism and featuring impressively high-quality animation. This makes Sonny Boy a fitting option for those who enjoy bittersweet coming-of-age stories that offer plenty of food for thought.
Kaiba
Although Masaaki Yuasa is widely recognized for directing Devilman: Crybaby, his earlier work Kaiba has faded into obscurity over the years, despite being one of the best sci-fi anime of recent times. With an avant-garde, psychedelic animation that appears childlike and evokes the style of Osamu Tezuka (yet at times borders on the grotesque), Kaiba follows an amnesiac protagonist who wakes up in a world where memories can be digitized, commercialized, and rewritten and where consciousness itself can be transferred to another body.
What begins with the audience sharing Kaiba’s confusion as he tries to make sense of his surroundings evolves into a gritty, profound exploration of human nature and existence, depicting a decadent, hedonistic society. Through a diverse cast of characters, the anime tackles harsh themes, ranging from various forms of perversion to social inequality, and presents thought-provoking stories that can connect with viewers on a soul level, all set against an almost intoxicating, dreamlike atmosphere.
By prompting all kinds of reflections on the true meaning of memories while also offering a straightforward love story, Kaiba strikes an excellent balance between its quirkiness and brilliance. Even if it isn't the kind of story that goes mainstream, Kaiba is one of the most original anime series streaming on Crunchyroll, one that deserves to be watched at least once, as it will undoubtedly leave a mark on viewers.
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