Dokwart's 10 "lesser known" anime

This is my favorite anime. I enjoy everything about it:
-The unusual art style: be warned it takes a little to get used to as the characters are not drawn in the known proportions (longer legs+arms)
-The main theme around which the story and the "world" of this anime revolves: I haven't double checked how accurate it is done but the episodes revolve around Japanese folklore and superstition, which just fascinates me to no end.
-The characters are all very charming and unique in their own way and make for great companions for the main character's journey.
-The balance of the rather episodic nature and the main "plot" that is driven forth very slowly works wonderful and one of the most hardcore running gags I ever encountered actually turned out in a way I wouldn't have anticipated.

Also this anime got me into Japanese cooking (you'll see why after very few episodes) and further more changed my relationship to food in general. That gives it the last extra points it needs to be my #1 of all anime I know. Also I believe its a rather unknown one so it makes a good first place.

This one is rather popular I believe, but if you don't know it yet, give it a go. "Paranoia Agent" is a short anime but it literally sums up all the "crazy" that the anime medium has in store. And "sums up" doesn't even do justice to how much of an ANIME - Paranoia Agent is.

My brother talked me into this one, and I didn't want to because it sounded like a chick flick to no ends, but I gave it a try. I loved it.
I just recently got reminded that sounds and pictures trigger emotions - "Usagi Drop" achieves this effect in a stunning way. If you watch all episodes and never smile or get watery eyes once- well, I cannot believe this is possible.
"Usagi Drop" deals with children (taking care of them, mainly) so it is not super interesting for a younger audience I believe. It gets to a point where I suspect it to be a campaign for higher birth rates in Japan, but even if, it wouldn't matter as it is a very rare viewing experience I am happy to have had.

This would have possibly been #1. It wouldn't possibly need to be in my list of "lesser known" anime. "The Twelve Kingdoms" is possibly the one anime that completely broke free and created a frame world SO fantastic and complex that--

Yes, but it ended right when the story began to pick up pace. I still highly recommend it, like Kafka's "The Castle" sometimes even an unfinished work of art can outweigh the frustration of not knowing how it'll go on by just being so mindblowingly good up to that point.

It is the classic "Schoolgirl gets sucked into different dimension where she is the ruler of one of 12 kingdoms, with her unicorn-esk servant that represents the wellbeing of her citizens and thereby stands for the diversion of leadership and benevolence of a true ruler .. wait what? Oh and people and animals grow on trees. Seriously I love witnessing amazing creativity, this is why I am drawn to the medium, this anime redefines creativity.

Now is this super hipster-popular or not? When creating this list I slowly realized that I never really dug into the anime-review scene.
Bakemonogatari makes no sense and I got a headache after watching 5 episodes in a row.
But I am a hobby artist, I like to think that I have an eye for visual art, and in Bakemonogatari, every single frame is a piece of deliberately made art. Not just art work for background or something, no, really art. Combined with the fantastic soundtrack and the crazy characters / story line this one makes for one hell of an treat for eye, ear and brain.

By episode 4 this anime will have achieved a moment of shock that will keep you watching - regardless of wether you are into magical girl anime or if you hate them.
The story it then reveals makes you see the genre with entirely different eyes, forever.
Very recommended but I think mad popular by now as well.

Now I really love Veed's list of his Top 50 Anime Series (take a look at it!) and all credits for finding this gem go to him as I would have never stumbled upon a 4 episode anime on my own.
If you only ever so slightly enjoyed episodic horror TV shows, "Pet Shop of Horrors" is a must watch.
The art style is amazing and the story, music, voice acting (both dub&original) make for a splendid experience.

This anime has a lot going for it. The characters are loveable and the way side characters are introduced fits so well into the overall topic that it is a true delight. The "world", tied to the Japanese believe system of shrines and ghosts is wonderfully creative.

Unfortunately it is an episodic anime and the "red thread" is really interesting but evolves very very slowly. This does not enable it to get into a really deep storyline, but if you are looking for an episodic anime that you watch once in a while - Natsume's Book of Friends is a very good choice!

Guilty Pleasure - or is it? This was basically my first completed anime. Not like the ongoing shounen, Dragonball or episodic anime (Pokemon, Ranma) I watched before and I really have to give it another go after all these years to evaluate properly but I really enjoyed it back then.

Recently I watched Mononoke-hime and of course it is a great movie but the entire concept of the conflict that technological progress and ravaging the resources of our planet presents was already in my head. Shown to me with fantastic art style, a merciless story (oh god, the killings) and a wonderful soundtrack. I remember sitting in front of the screen and for the first time while dealing with anime thinking "Wow - this guy, and this girl, oh and THIS guy - they are sooo cool!"
So yes I leave it at 4 stars, and mark it for a future rewatch.
Again I have no idea how popular it is, but I haven't seen X around much in lists.

PS: I also liked the movie but you should watch the series first, then you will already be able to tell what giant problem will occur, when telling the same story in less time.

Now this one is special and I know it is considered a cult series for a lot of people. In case you haven't heard of Gungrave, let me tell you this much:
If you enjoy Mafia stories (like Goodfellas, Godfather, Casino, Scarface, Miller's Crossing,...) and don't mind them being mixed up with paranormal sci fi and having a silent protagonist (he really doesn't talk much,.. but it works perfectly for this character) then this is a must-watch. The story is fantastic and the paranormal sci fi element adds a level of symbolism so plain but beautiful to Gungrave, that it creates an experience you will not forget.