7 Underrated Cartoon Network Anime That Are Considered Masterpieces

Published Sep 28, 2026, 12:00 AM EDT An experienced Editor representing Canada via ScreenRant's Team Anime, J.R. has been reading manga since the first printing of Shonen Jump in North America. This passion drove him to write about anime, manga, and manhwa since 2022, having recently served as Lead Anime Editor for ComicBook.com. His favorite moments in media coverage include reviewing the series premieres of Zom 100 and Bleach: TYBW Part 2 back-to-back and briefly meeting Junji Ito at a VIZ gallery event in 2023. For many Millennials and young Gen Z growing up in the United States, the primary gateway to anime was through Cartoon Network and its various programming blocks that showed them, Toonami under Adult Swim. These aired iconic anime that'd become mainstays for many viewers worldwide such as Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon, Naruto, Bleach, and all the other usual suspects. But the platform was also home to numerous underrated classics for anime fans that rarely if ever get mentioned in the same breath as its biggest names. But realistically, many of these underrated anime are considered masterpieces or masterclasses of their own based on achievements within the genre, overall aesthetic, and even simply how their animated quality has held up in some cases decades later. Not all will be visual extravaganzas to match the mind-blowing works standing among modern greats, but in many ways, they're timeless and perfectly valid experiences well above the accompanying monsoon of slop mixed in with gems every season in the present. For that reason alone, these anime that have featured on Cartoon Network are worth anyone's time, whether for discovering the classics or reappraising old favorites. 7 Michiko & Hatchin One of the earliest projects of the now-defunct studio Manglobe, Michiko & Hatchin enjoyed a double-cour run from 2008 to 2009 depicting a found family dynamic as the central duo travel across fictional Latin American nation Diamandra. Michiko Malandro is an fugitive of the law, while Hannah "Hatchin" Morenos is the young escapee from an abusive foster home, as the pair find themselves inextricably linked by their mutual connection to Hatchin's biological father, by blood and momentary affection. The central dynamic is interesting due to the inherent discord of two clashing personalities on the road, yet mutually seeking freedom for different reasons. Michiko in particular is an especially iconic lead character, a rare protagonist conceived with Afro-Brazilian inspiration in mind who has lived on in fans' hearts more than a decade and a half since the anime's conclusion. Michiko & Hatchin brings viewers along for a motorcycle ride through colorful scenery and gritty detours on a journey that grows deeper with every passing episode. 6 Eureka Seven While certainly not overall forgotten, Eureka Seven is also one of the most underrated anime of its era. Much like any mecha anime worth its salt, Eureka Seven has a particular hook alongside the allure of giant robots, promising a deep coming-of-age journey as Renton Thurston aspires to escape his sheltered life to chase his idol, Holland Novak. Holland is a star in the fictional extreme sport of "lifting", a term in the series used for surfing on air across transparence light particles or "trapars", but he is also the leader of counterculture group Gekkostate. It's here that Renton meets Eureka and the Nirvash type ZERO mech she pilots, while also seeing the dysfunctional group he runs away to join cut through his idealized image of them. Thus, Eureka becomes Renton's lifeline, and vice versa, as this bond becomes the true driving force of this wonderful anime by Bones. 5 Samurai 7 Standing as a stellar reminder that, whether through westerns, space operas, or indeed anime, there's no escape from the legacy of Akira Kurosawa's films, in this case being the sci-fi infused Samurai 7, inspired by Seven Samurai. Nobuseri bandits run the show and take from their pick of the scattered villages, cyborgs who were once samurai during a massive war predating the show's events. The terrorized locals have little left in terms of means for paying mercenaries to fight the bandits, with Kanna Village paying the likes of seven samurai with rice. But unlike Seven Samurai, the story of Kambei Shimada and his fellow recruits doesn't end with a battle against the bandits. Soon enough, a scheming usurper consolidates power as the Emperor with hopes that the villagers, samurai, and bandits fighting will break any resistance to his rule, setting off the true final phase of this version of the story which still manages to end in a similarly pyrrhic victory. 4 Casshern Sins In a plot that's all the more relevant in the present with anxieties surrounding artificial intelligence, robots have taken over the world upon attaining sentience. It's essentially also an alternate version of the original Neo-Human Casshern anime, but in this series, its titular cyborg warrior is among several being ordered to bring down the savior of mankind. He succeeds, but in doing so, he brings about the end of the world, stripping robots of their ability to live forever, triggering a post-apocalyptic future in which Casshern emerges with no memory of his actions, as he's forced to reckon with the past over time. The fear of death serves to humanize the robots, perhaps as the last singular experience separating man from machine. Casshern adapts to a world seemingly eager to hate his existence, hunting him and wishing to consume his flesh as rumors circulate that doing so will grant eternal life. It's an introspective journey steeped in existentialism and a surprisingly engaging exploration on the meaning of life and the pursuit of redemption. 3 Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo Easy to pronounce and impossible to forget, Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo is a loud, absurd gag manga adaptation straight from the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump. The eponymous protagonist is a practitioner of the Fist of the Nose Hair, and it's exactly as bonkers as it sounds. In the 31st Century, Czar Baldy Bald IV leads the Chrome Dome Empire with his Hair Hunters to shave everyone bald and lay waste everywhere they go. Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo is joined by allies to his cause like Beauty, Gasser (who, yes, fights using his farts), Poppa Rocks, and soon enough, a Hair Hunters defector in Jelly Jiggler. Everything about this show is brimming with nonsense, non-sequiturs, and visual mayhem as shonen anime parody, absurdly committed humor, and some truly wild characters collide on the regular. Perhaps most noteworthy about this anime is that the original manga created by Yoshio Sawai prominently featured Yusei Matsui of Assassination Classroom and The Elusive Samurai fame as one of his assistants. Truly one of the wildest anime experiences of all time, no fan should let themselves miss out on this one. 2 The Big O The Big O stands as a solid gateway anime for Western viewers and an absolutely perfect addition to the Toonami lineup as a result. This series bridges Batman: The Animated Series Art Deco aesthetics blend together with animation studio Sunrise's storied penchant for mecha in this show, mixing film noir vibes with an episodic monster of the week format for its earlier portions to draw viewers in. But The Big O is more than the various odd jobs for Paradigm City's most suave negotiator around, Roger Smith. The series is co-written by Chiaki J. Konaka, the same mind behind multiple of anime's greatest cyberpunk stories ever made, as well as the single best Digimon anime ever. It evolves into an impressive overarching plot teasing at dark secrets behind Paradigm City and its origins, of which every resident lost their memories 40 years ago. It's a great anime with a superb English dub, although it's unfortunately less readily available than in its heyday of 2001 in North America when it first aired on Toonami. 1 Outlaw Star Often forced to exist as second banana in great 1990s anime next to Cowboy Bebop, Outlaw Star holds up phenomenally well thanks to stellar animation from Sunrise and a far more intense overarching plot by the end. In search of the Galactic Leyline, Gene Starwind assembles a crew on the eponymous ship to search for treasure and glory that adds significantly greater space opera energy than its fellow spacefaring anime from 1998. Its worlds feel lived-in yet mystifying with its sci-fi elements, broadening to a surreal climax as its finale episodes truly stand the test of time. But there's something to be said about the wonderful shot composition throughout Outlaw Star, with memorable scenes behind caped figures as massive ships dominate the view ahead, enhancing the allure, and danger, that can be found in the stars above. If no other anime on this list is to be considered, Outlaw Star certainly deserves a watch by discerning anime fans wishing to see the heights reached by Cartoon Network and Toonami, beyond the usual choices everyone already knows. Callsign TOON Station Type Satellite