Group D Round 1

[image ID: the first image is of Brutha, a boy with short black hair, wearing black robes, kneeling in front of a tortoise. he's glancing at an old man wearing similar robes to his left. the second image is of Colt, a young man with short brown hair, wearing a red and white top with a turtle neck. end ID]

Brutha

[no propaganda provided]

Colt

my beloved colt, also prbly the 1st character i headcanon as transmasc and part of my Transgender Awakening :tm: referring to colt as he/him because I'm Right. ANYWAY. literally only referred to as "coltia" by a couple ppl and tells u to call him colt. he's ur breeding assistant in game (it's. a monster breeding game. u raise and fight monsters. its cool and fun.) he has a pet toucan named joy that helps you raise the monsters, too! described on his IMa ID card as "a little bit hasty" idk he's just very likeable! he's the one that you experience p much the entire game w, so you get rlly attached 🥺 everything that happens with your monster is basically narrated and experienced through what colt says he's also in the monster rancher anime but tbh... i never watched it jgi;eajgs and we dont talk abt what they did to colt in the monster rancher ds game it just makes me sad they made him a mail carrier like ??? what happened to being a monster breeder??? i refuse to believe he would give up on that *bites the creators* anyway i love colt dearly so so much and he's trans cuz i say so

Group D, Round 1, Poll 1:

Propaganda under the cut

Morgana Pendragon

yes

Linda Monroe

Alright. So. Linda Monroe, President of the Hatchetfield Boating Society, mother of four beautiful blond boys, wife of Dr Gerald Monroe, daughter of Roman Murray. How does one begin to describe Linda Monroe? In Black Friday, she gaslights, gatekeeps and girlbosses her way into becoming a cult leader. Now, to be fair, that hadn't been her initial goal. The only reason she was headed to ToyZone that Black Friday was to buy four of these new Wiggly dolls for her sons. She didn't know, of course, that 'Wiggly' was really Wiggog Y'Wrath, an eldritch being from between universes who was planning to enter and destroy our world via the dolls. But after the queue leading into ToyZone escalates into a brawl over the doll, Linda fights harder and more viciously than anyone else. After the mob scatters and Linda is left doll-less, she is of course approached by one of Wiggly's loyal servants, who offers her the choice position of being Wiggly's prophet and forming the cult that will construct the portal for the dark god to travel into our world through. She's such a girlboss that she gets TWO villain songs - her power ballad, Adore Me, about how epic it is that she has all these people mindlessly obeying your will, and the eleventh-hour villain song, Wiggle, about how glorious it'll be when Wiggly rises to reshape the universe. She's such a girlboss that she escapes being physically restrained by our heroes by just screaming really loudly at them and breaking someone's wrist. (deep breath) And that's just Black Friday. Let me tell you about what went down at the Honey Queen Pageant. Linda REALLY wanted to win this pageant. And to win it, she'd to anything - blackmail, bribery, fabricating an entire fake Broadway audition to cause her opponent to lose her voice the day before the pageant, targeting all other opponents she considered a threat and taking them out one by one, in various ways including but not limited to: trapping them on a fake cruise that crashed on purpose in order to delay them, digging up old dirt on them to force them to drop out due to the controversy, and full-on murder them backstage (to be fair, though, that one was playing just as dirty). She wins by bloodthirstiness alone, then executes an incredible Queen B-style rap ballad to cement her victory. Too bad the whole thing turned out to be a front for determining the next sacrifice for Nibblenephim, or 'Nibbly', a dark eldritch being and one of Wiggly's brothers. Linda Monroe gaslit, gatekept and girlbossed her way into becoming a prophet for a Lord In Black - twice. And that's why she deserves to sweep this tournament. Hopefully the prize for winning this one WON'T be 'being eaten alive by a giant mouth'.

Best Underrated Anime Group D Round 1: #D2 vs #D7

#D2: Prophecy girlie, hyper cellphone, and gamer cat get silly

Su Moting, the daughter of a god and a monster, is the supposed Chosen One set to fix the balance of the universe, but unfortunately, she’s just barely living as it is. Only just told of her great fate, Su Moting couldn’t care less as she juggles her social life, work, and her new duties (which she doesn’t take seriously). Alongside Moting are Star Tianji and Star Dikui, a god and a monster out to help our protagonist with her grand mission. They, too, are also struggling to figure out life on Earth, as Tianji is an immortal who doubles as the god of Su Moting’s personal cellphone and Dikui is a cat monster immortal more concerned with lazing about. Somehow, they make things work as the best worst roommates of all time.

#D7: Girl who can play the biwa and see the future. 1180 CE Japan

The main character can play the biwa and also see the future with one of her eyes. After her father is killed at the start by the Taira clan, she is taken in by Shigemori of the Taira clan, who has the ability to see the ghosts of the dead. He wishes for her to help prevent the downfall of the Taira clan, which she has witnessed, but she refuses to since they are the ones that killed her father. Instead, she chronicles the events of their rise and fall, playing the biwa.

Titles, propagandas, trailers, and poll under the cut!

#D2: God Troubles Me (Hanhua Riji)

[Admin: Submitter had linked the ending song, but it doesn’t really show us what the animation is like, so I went to find an actual trailer. Above is a teaser for season 3, but there are no spoilers.]

Alt Title: Man’s Diary

Propaganda:

Four-season donghua (Chinese anime) that’s so recent and seeped in American pop-culture that I needed to do a double take when a literal cockroach said “Run, Forrest, run,” in English with a heavy Chinese accent. There’s a cat who plays video games (he’s very good at it), a phone who’s the worst kind of hype man, a sentient air conditioner, a guy who can shapeshift into any vehicle, off-brand Super-Man but jerky, a high-ranking god that collects anime figures, and the mega ultra cool protagonist who is a normal human girl fresh out of college and always low on money. It’s great

Trigger Warnings: Animal Cruelty or Death, Child Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Flashing Lights, Racism, Self-Harm, Suicide.

All the TW’s above are done for comedic effect, but they come in fast and hard with the humor. Better safe than sorry! The biggest things I remember are one or two “blink and you’ll miss it” racist jokes, characters joking about killing themselves out of embarrassment (no one goes through with it), and there’s a LOT of self-harm via stupid decisions. Stupid things like tying a loose tooth to the back end of a sports car sort of stupid. The protagonists have 3 brain cells collectively.

#D7: The Heike Story (Heike Monogatari)

Propaganda:

It’s based on historical events, so one can already know the ending before watching it, sort of like the main character Biwa. But seeing those events, getting attached to the characters as they have both fun, simple moments and difficult, painful moments and seeing the humanity in the characters and watching them grow up with the underlying promise that things won’t go well for them, and accepting that… themes of impermanence and grief… but also the art style is unique and bright and the music is great and fits the scenes, and I highly recommend watching this if you haven’t already !! It’s only 11 episodes!

Trigger Warnings: Suicide

If you’re reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

major bracket round 1 group d

ROUND 1 GROUP D

(Reminder of the criteria. Names are formatted as [dad name(s)] & [kid name(s)].)

Very Best Vivosaur: Round 1

Propaganda under the cut!

Stego Propaganda:

A favorite to multiple in-game characters like Todd and Dr. Diggins! This vivo is undeniably shaped like a friend.

Pelto Propaganda:

Another vivo that can tell you to take a nap, also gets cool points for the desert camo.

The fun thing about having a poem you wrote in the bracket you're running is that you can decide which specific section of it you want to put in the image preview

Group D Round 1

[image ID: the first image is of Nuch, a Thai woman with black hair pulled back, green earrings, and a red and white bandana around her neck. the second image is of a pixelated gray ghost with a white face. end ID]

Nuch

She's an icon. She's this really smart law student. She's trans. She and her ex-boyfriend are always playfully flirting with each other. She's a political activist for marriage equality. Everyone is kinda in love with her to some extent. (Not to be confused with the director/screenwriter of the show, Nuchy, who is also a trans woman)

Sad Ghost

Pixel Dungeon is an open source roguelike. The most popular variation built upon it is Shattered Pixel Dungeon, which is in active development and you can play it for FREE with NO ADS on your mobile device and/or personal computer! (Younger me would have loved this). Ahem ANYWAY in this game you go alone into a dungeon full of monsters and stuff. And if you find their lost rose, the ghost will follow you in your descent. And that's great because they're your only friendly companion in the scary dungeon of ultra death. 

Group D, Round 1, Poll 6:

Propaganda under the cut

Darth Revan

Savior. Hero. Conqueror. Villain. They managed to steal half of the republics fleet. Make their own empire. Get kidnapped and brainwashed to forget their identity, and still manage to be the most powerful person in the galaxy.

Gaslight: 1) Rallied many young jedi knights to their cause in Mandalorian Wars which made them disregard council's worries that there are something even more sinister on the horizon. They all save for an Exile either died or fall to the dark side. 2) Gaslighted ancient tribal amphibians to let them pass in the temple to destroy Star Forge while actually planning to use it themselves. 3) Jedi mind trick. Just jedi mind trick. 4) Laughed so hard at his personal killer robot describing his best friend with "meatbag" (and Malak being greatly upset by it) that decided to programm said assassin droid to refer to all organics as "meatbag". Gatekeep: 1) Closer to the end of Mandalorian Wars become much more pragmatic and ruthless locating those Republic (allied!) forces and jedi who weren't loyal to him enough near an orbit of Malachor so when Mass Shadow Generator was activated it wiped both Mandalorian and Republic ships simultaneously leaving Revan's fleet mostly unscathed and other too destroyed/suffering heavy losses. Well not so much for wiped more like crashed on the surface of planet destroying it with it's inhabitants too. 2) Didn't tell anyone about Star Maps and Star Forge (except for best friend Malak with whom they discovered it) - almost omnipotent shipyard capable of creating countless ships/droids/whatever needed for war effort. Girlboss: 1) The ultimate reason Republic didn't fall to Mandalorian neocrusaders. 2) Survived (albeit with Bastila's help) a heavy cannon strike on the flagship's bridge. 3) Were cool even with total amnesia, then remembered who they were and depending on player killed their ex-apprentice and reclaimed the mantle of the dark lord or stopped the maniacal tyrant of ex-bestfriend and became the Prodigal Knight.

Goldie O'Glit

She manipulates children, uses the fact scrooge has a crush on her to her advantage, and regularly schemes to get stuff (such as sneaking into a child's birthday party for money)

Best Underrated Anime Group D Round 1: #D8 vs #D1

#D8: Singer idol android goes back in time to save humanity

When highly evolved AIs set out to eradicate mankind, the carnage that ensues fills the air with the stench of fresh blood and burning bodies. In a desperate bid to prevent the calamity from ever occurring, a scientist bets everything on a remnant from the past.

Turning the clock back a hundred years, AIs are already an integral part of human society, programmed with specific missions meant to be carried out for their entire course of operation. Vivy, the first ever autonomous AI, is a songstress tasked with spreading happiness through her voice. In a theme park where she hardly ever gets a proper audience, she strives to pour her heart out into her performances, bound to repeat it day after day—that is, until an advanced AI from the future appears before her and enlists her help in stopping a devastating war a hundred years in the making. With no time to process the revelation that flips her world upside down, Vivy is catapulted into a century-long journey to avert the violent history yet to come.

#D1: Prohibition era Mafia revenge story

As a child living in the town of Lawless, Angelo Lagusa has witnessed a tragedy: his parents and younger brother have been mercilessly slaughtered by the Vanetti mafia family. Losing everything he holds dear, he leaves both his name and hometown behind, adopting the new identity of Avilio Bruno. Seven years later, Avilio finally has his chance for revenge when he receives a mysterious letter prompting him to return to Lawless. Obliging, he soon encounters the Vanetti don’s son, Nero, and seeks to befriend him using the skills he has quietly honed for years. Set during the Prohibition era, this show tells the story of Avilio’s dark, bloodstained path to vengeance, as he slowly ends each of the men involved in the killing of his family.

Titles, propagandas, trailers, and poll under the cut!

#D8: Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song

Propaganda:

Most first think that this anime is an idol show. I promise you, it is NOT. Quite far from it. Vivy is regrettably underrated despite having great animation—just watch the fight scenes. It has the best of songs that will get stuck in your head for a long time. Character growth for characters - you will adore them. It even won some recognition from anime awards, yet no one talks about it. You have to watch it at least once and appreciate how this anime is made with love as it talks about experiences that make us human. You will be surprised how well the storytelling is.

Trigger Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Cruelty/Violence/Gore, Suicide

#D1: 91 Days

Propaganda:

This series has character designs by the art director of Baccano. In fact, the setting of it being in the early 1920s in America is sort of reminiscent of Baccano. However, the story is much crueler and more grounded than that other famous series, even if it involves a similar amount of guns and blood.

The anime follows a broken and traumatized young man fueled by revenge. It’s a tragedy and a thriller and a Mafia series. We see the lengths Angelo Lagusa goes to avenge his family, whom he’s the last living survivor of. He changes his name and leads a double life, getting close to the Vanetti family, who killed his birth family. But in the process of trying to do this, he gets adopted into this Mafia family.

He must wrestle with his morality as he keeps on the bloody road of revenge. People that don’t deserve to be hurt get hurt or killed because of his actions—even dying by his hands.

It's an anime that shows just how far someone is willing to go for revenge, willing to break everything in his path for it. And considering the Prohibition era came to an end in history, was all the trickery and killing even worth it?

Trigger Warnings: Animal Cruelty/Death, Cannibalism, Emotional Abuse, Graphic Depictions of Cruelty/Violence/Gore, Suicide, Alcohol and Smoking.

This entire series is a mob story so there's lots of guns, blood, and killing. There is an assisted suicide of an important character. Also the family dog dies when the main character's family is massacred in the first episode.

If you’re reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

major bracket round 1 group d