Spring is always known as one of the most impressive seasons of anime in a given year and 2021 was no exception. There were countless incredible shows from the fifth season of My Hero Academia to a remake of Shaman King.
With so many excellent shows on the roster, it's easy to overlook some titles that premiered. Fans of anime wanting to find some hidden gems will see that the mines of Spring 2021 are particularly packed with them.
10 Let's Make A Mug Too (Yakunara Mug Cup Mo)
It's easy to see why Let's Make A Mug Too was overlooked by most fans — the art didn't stand out and the theme doesn't look like much on the surface. Those that gave the show a shot found a fantastic Iyashikei anime filled with wholesome moments to calm and heal the soul.
Let's Make a Mug Too also actually teaches some accurate lessons on traditional Japanese ceramics and how they're made. This bit of educational content on top of its short runtime makes it perfect to just turn on and relax while watching.
9 Godzilla Singular Point (Godzilla: S.P)
It's not surprising many missed this Netflix original anime as they may have been focused on watching shows on Funimation or Crunchy Roll. Any kaiju fan should check this out but even those who don't typically enjoy Godzilla media might find this fresh take on the genre enjoyable.
Godzilla: Singular Point's combination of science with classic kaiju lore gives the series a unique flair that has captured many viewers who gave it a shot.
8 Pretty Boy Detective Club (Bishounen Tanteidan)
"Be pretty, be a boy, and be a detective!" It's hard to believe the director of March Comes In like a Lion is behind this anime focused on cute boys solving mysteries in a middle school, but it's absolutely the case.
Despite the odd premise and general nature of the show, the characters are honestly well written. The animation is also incredibly high quality making it quite the feast for the eyes.
7 I've Been Killing Slimes For 300 Years And Maxed Out My Level
Known colloquially as Slime 300, this show is an isekai with more of a focus on adorable slice-of-life moments and comedy than epic battles. Azusa wants nothing more than a simple life when being reincarnated, but after killing countless slimes, finds she's the most powerful witch in all of the world.
This seemingly endless power actually results in her gaining a found family of sorts as she ends up facing off against or interacting with some of the most powerful beings in the realm. It's a cute, wholesome, and funny watch worth checking out.
6 The Saint's Magic Power Is Omnipotent (Seijo No Maryoku Wa Bannou Desu)
The Saint's Magic Power Is Omnipotent is best described as a stress-free isekai that slowly feeds viewers bits of world-building and story instead of piling massive bits of drama on. It's refreshing to see such a light-hearted story in the genre with a focus on romance and wholesome moments over something more sinister.
The slower pace of the show is not everyone's cup of tea, but The Saint's Magic Power Is Omnipotent is still worth giving a try.
5 Those Snow White Notes (Mashiro No Oto)
An anime focused on beautiful shamisen music sounds excellent on the surface and Those Snow White Notes manages to deliver. The show starts out strong with Setsu trying to find the source of their unique sound after their Grandpa dies.
Mashiro no Oto does take a bit of a turn mid-season becoming more of a shamisen-styled sports anime than fans might initially expect, but the music alone still makes this show worth watching.
4 Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song
What happens when the creator of RE: Zero teams up with the writer of Chaos Child and the sound director of Dr. Stone? Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song is born! These legendary names came together to create an original anime with an incredibly deep plot, incredible animation, and music that's to die for.
When AIs have somehow destroyed all of mankind, one named Matsumoto is sent back in time to try and prevent the coming apocalypse. He must work with Vivy, a robot whose only dream is to sing and make people happy, to try and achieve this goal. It's an incredible show that surprisingly didn't get as many eyes on it.
3 Super Cub
A lot of anime fans overlooked Super Cub as just an advertising anime for Honda — they were absolutely wrong. Watching Koguma slowly gain her autonomy and slowly come into her own after buying a pre-owned motorcycle is marvelously wholesome. Viewers will find themselves longing to see Koguma's infectious smile spread across her face more and more in each episode.
This show is about independence, friendship, and the freedom that comes with one's first vehicle — themes many viewers will find absolutely relatable.
2 Nomad: Megalo Box 2
While the original Megalo Box had many hooked, its sequel had a surprising dip in viewership. This is a shame as Joe's adventures only become more emotionally hard-hitting in Nomad.
Seeing Joe hit an incredible low after achieving his dreams is gut-wrenching, but it makes watching his climb back up to redeeming himself that much more rewarding. We won't spoil the final match of the show, but let's just say it will leave any anime fan on the edge of their seats.
1 Odd Taxi
Odd Taxi has been criminally underrated especially with all of its hidden lore. One of the characters has a real-life Twitter account while there is also an audio drama about the series available on YouTube.
This show might look like a slice-of-life about an anthropomorphic taxi driver on the surface but it's actually an incredibly complex mystery to try and work out. Each episode is intertwined and watching everything come together is gloriously satisfying.