Here are 5 anime that really exceeded my expectations and turned out to be something completely different from what I thought they were going to be…in no particular order.
Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun
I think this one really surprised everyone…and became pretty much everyone’s favorite shoujo anime. We were all expecting a sappy shoujo with cliche characters and cliche plot but psych, this anime is all about making fun of those cliches and creating interesting and fun characters! This anime is probably one of the funniest shows ever, especially if you’ve watched other shoujos and have a general understanding of the tropes.
This is going to be saying a lot, but I think it stands up there with other classics like Kaichou wa Maid-Sama and Ouran.
Free!
I know why you’re wondering why this anime is on this list. I started watching this anime expecting a lot of fan service. And what did I get? Fan service. But this anime is much more than the majestic stripping scenes (okay that sounds a little wrong). Free really is a fun and sweet anime about friendship and teamwork.
Akame Ga Kill
I started this anime expecting a typical shounen-adventure anime. But within the first episode Akame Ga Kill really showed what it really is and turned out to be so much more than a standard adventure. It was a lot darker than anyone could’ve imagined and really brought up some dark themes and didn’t not hold back about the truth of war.
Kekkai Sensen
Again I thought this anime was just going to be a typical sci-fi, maybe something with the vibe of Aldnoah.Zero, but I got a completely different vibe. It was jazzy, fun, and quirky all while holding on to your attention. It was an extremely entertaining watch that gets you really invested in the stories and characters. It shows that anime doesn’t need lengthy exposition scenes to understand and be involved. It is probably one of my favorite shows ever.
Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo
This anime started off as a funny comedic anime with some rather ecchi scenes that some of us don’t like talking about, but Sakurasou, slowly started surprising us with scenes of true and pure emotion. Eventually by the second half, it shows the emotional struggles of people and relationships. Sakurasou deals with the struggle of artists and what talent really is and what it means to the artist and the people around them.
Even with those serious themes, it’s hidden in the wraps of a extremely fun romantic comedy. Sakurasou is a pretty great show.
That is my list! Sorry for the really bad writing…Do you agree with this list? What shows surprised you? Let me know in the comments! 🙂
sushime 
Those are some really fun anime there. I particularly liked your summation of the Pet Girl of Sakurasou – it describes it perfectly.
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Thank you! 🙂
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I’m so glad free is here. I expected to watch it for the banter but it was actually really entertaining. I came to like the characters and got into the plot.
Pet girl also surprised me, I didn’t expect to cry in it. Gekken is straight up hilarious, even the manga is.
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Free was definitely so much more entertaining than I ever thought it would be. Sakurasou definitely was a surprise as well. For some reason, I can’t follow 4-koma manga :P. I read like 4 chapters before giving up.
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The only anime I’ve watched out of these is Free… And well, it still didn’t do it’s magic on me. Then again, I’ve only watched three eps… But with some anime those are enough to grasp ones attention. The Fanservice is too much for me and the Fandom has gone too yaoi for me to bear (even though, as far as I know, the anime has no yaoi/shounen-ai inclination). But it does bother me that they have so few female characters.
Anywho, it’s good to read that it was a pleasent surprise for you… Maybe my thoughts on it will change. 🙂
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I also wished that there were more female characters as well
In general, I never really follow the fanbase of any show, so I never really had to deal with that. I enjoyed that it’s primary focus was on the friendship and hardships instead of the actual fan service, that was just what I got from the show 🙂
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Akame Ga Kill feels like a bloodier version of Fairy Tail.
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