5 Most Underrated Action Anime You Need to Watch
If you’re into action anime but tired of seeing the same big names over and over, this list is for you. These five titles flew under the radar for a lot of fans, but they pack serious heat with wild fights, cool characters, and stories that move fast.
You won’t need 50 episodes to get hooked as each one brings something different to the table, from sword fights, superpowers, or straight-up chaos. If you’ve been sleeping on these, it’s time to hit play and see what you’ve been missing.
5. Canaan
Set in a futuristic Shanghai, Canaan follows a deadly mercenary with synesthesia, who can sense people’s emotions through color. She’s on the trail of a terrorist group called Snake, led by the twisted Alphard. Their past is tangled, with both women trained by the same mentor.
The action? Stylish and fast, with military shootouts, close-range combat, and explosive chases across city rooftops. The animation is sharp, and the soundtrack punches. While it aired back in 2009, it still looks good today and barely anyone talks about it. That should change.
4. Blast of Tempest
This show blends magic battles with personal revenge, Shakespeare references, and the apocalypse. Mahiro Fuwa teams up with a stranded sorceress, Hakaze Kusaribe, to investigate his sister’s mysterious death.
His best friend, Yoshino, is calm and clever, often more dangerous than he looks. The world is split between the Tree of Genesis and the Tree of Exodus, two magical forces locked in a massive power struggle. Explosions, magical shields, and floating islands keep the action intense, while every fight has something at stake.
3. Katanagatari
One Piece meets samurai art film but weirder. Katanagatari follows Shichika Yasuri, a martial artist who uses his body like a blade, and Togame, a strategist on a mission to collect 12 powerful swords scattered across Japan.
Each sword has a unique ability, some shoot bullets, others twist time. The action is mostly one-on-one duels, but they’re beautifully choreographed and build up tension with dialogue and pacing. The show only has 12 episodes, but each one is 50 minutes long and packed with colorful, dramatic animation and clever storytelling.
2. Baccano!
Baccano! is total chaos in the best way. Set in 1930s America, it jumps between gang wars, alchemists, and immortal criminals, all connected by a mysterious elixir of life. Characters like the bomb-happy Ladd Russo and the unkillable Claire Stanfield bring wild energy to every scene.
Fights take place on speeding trains, in jazz-age clubs, and even during shootouts involving undead gangsters. It’s violent, funny, and ridiculously fun once you figure out the timeline-jumping structure. If you like anime that feels like a Tarantino movie, this one’s for you.
1. Darker than Black
Tokyo’s normal sky vanished after a mysterious phenomenon called Hell’s Gate appeared. In its place: Contractors, humans with superpowers who pay a price every time they use them like breaking fingers or losing memories.
Hei, known as the “Black Reaper,” hides behind a fake identity while working as an assassin for a shadowy organization. His ability to control electricity makes him deadly, but it’s the tactical style of combat and urban espionage vibe that sets this show apart. It’s gritty, fast, and full of mystery, everything an action anime should be.
