The Daffy Duck Show stitched together classic Looney Tunes shorts into a wry anthology where Daffy plays the perpetual underdog, bends cartoon “power systems” (rubber-hose physics), and constantly subverts audience expectations.
Those same three ideas—underdogs fighting upward, inventive rule-sets for action, and sharp narrative twists—drive the 15 lesser-known anime below. Each title deserves more eyes because it repackages those themes with fresh visuals, clever writing, or bold genre turns.
1. World Trigger (2014)
- Streams: Crunchyroll, Hulu
- Episodes: 99 (3 seasons)
- MAL rating: mid-7s
- Studio / Staff: Toei Animation; dir. Mitsuru Hongo
- Plot: When portals open to another dimension, a timid teen joins Border, a defense agency whose agents wield customizable “Triggers.”
- Why it fits: Inventive weapon rules encourage strategy and the MC Osamu stays a true underdog whose ceiling never feels fake.
2. Katekyo Hitman Reborn! (2006)
- Streams: Crunchyroll (sub)
- Episodes: 203
- MAL rating: high-7s
- Studio / Staff: Artland; dir. Kenichi Imaizumi
- Plot: A hapless student discovers he’s heir to a mafia family and unlocks “Dying-Will Flames” to protect his friends.
- Why it fits: The seven-type Flame system rewards creativity and Tsuna’s reluctant rise mirrors Daffy’s scrappy persistence.
3. Ranking of Kings (2021)
- Streams: Crunchyroll, Funimation
- Episodes: 23 (+specials)
- MAL rating: low-8s
- Studio / Staff: Wit Studio; dir. Yōsuke Hatta
- Plot: Deaf prince Bojji fights prejudice and monsters to earn his place on the royal list.
- Why it fits: A pint-sized hero underrated by everyone—classic Daffy energy—and a fairy-tale world that twists expectations about “weak” kings6.
4. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (2023)
- Streams: Crunchyroll
- Episodes: 28 (cour 1-2)
- MAL rating: high-8s
- Studio / Staff: Madhouse; dir. Keiichirō Saitō
- Plot: Centuries after defeating the Demon King, an elf mage retraces her party’s footsteps to understand humanity.
- Why it fits: Low-noise, character-driven fantasy that started with modest hype but became an underdog hit6; emotional subversions abound.
5. Ping Pong The Animation (2014)
- Streams: Crunchyroll, Funimation
- Episodes: 11
- MAL rating: 8+
- Studio / Staff: Tatsunoko × Masaaki Yuasa
- Plot: Two childhood friends chase table-tennis glory, clashing over talent vs. effort.
- Why it fits: Sketchy, kinetic art and deft character growth echo Daffy’s exaggerated physicality and rivalry with Bugs.
6. The Tatami Galaxy (2010)
- Streams: Crunchyroll, Hulu
- Episodes: 11
- MAL rating: high-8s
- Studio / Staff: Madhouse × Masaaki Yuasa
- Plot: A college slacker re-lives freshman year in wild time-loop permutations.
- Why it fits: Constant narrative resets subvert viewer expectations while frantic visuals mirror cartoon chaos.
7. Mononoke (2007)
- Streams: Crunchyroll, Prime Video (JP)
- Episodes: 12
- MAL rating: 8+
- Studio / Staff: Toei Animation; art dir. Takashi Hashimoto
- Plot: A mysterious “Medicine Seller” exorcises spirits by unlocking their Form, Truth and Reason.
- Why it fits: Ukiyo-e-inspired collage art and riddle-like power rules evoke Looney agravity with a horror flair.
8. Afro Samurai (2007)
- Streams: Crunchyroll, Hulu
- Episodes: 5 (+film)
- MAL rating: mid-7s
- Studio / Staff: Gonzo; exec prod. Samuel L. Jackson
- Plot: A lone swordsman hunts the No. 1 headband holder who killed his father.
- Why it fits: East-meets-West visuals and over-the-top duels remix cartoon violence into hip-hop chanbara.
9. Akame ga Kill! (2014)
- Streams: Crunchyroll, HiDive
- Episodes: 24
- MAL rating: mid-7s
- Studio / Staff: White Fox
- Plot: Rural recruit Tatsumi joins an assassin cell to topple a corrupt empire.
- Why it fits: Constant bait-and-switch deaths keep viewers guessing, mirroring Daffy’s penchant for wild swerves.
10. Mob Psycho 100 (2016)
- Streams: Crunchyroll, Netflix
- Episodes: 37 +OVAs
- MAL rating: high-8s
- Studio / Staff: Bones; creator ONE
- Plot: A meek middle-school esper struggles to balance psychic meltdowns with daily life.
- Why it fits: Psychedelic fights and comedic timing channel classic animated slapstick, while Mob’s humility keeps him an underdog.
11. Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit (2007)
- Streams: Prime Video (US), Crunchyroll (select regions)
- Episodes: 26
- MAL rating: low-8s
- Studio / Staff: Production I.G; dir. Kenji Kamiyama
- Plot: Spear-wielding bodyguard Balsa vows to save a prince carrying a water spirit that could doom the land.
- Why it fits: Lush fight choreography and its Southeast-Asian palette earned praise as a hidden gem; Balsa’s promise-driven power mirrors Daffy’s single-minded antics.
12. Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku (2023)
- Streams: Crunchyroll
- Episodes: 13 (Season 1)
- MAL rating: high-7s
- Studio / Staff: MAPPA
- Plot: Condemned ninja Gabimaru seeks an elixir of life on a monster island.
- Why it fits: Tao energy balances yin-yang life force, an elegant “cartoon physics” echo, while prisoners form an uneasy band of misfits.
13. Revolutionary Girl Utena (1997)
- Streams: Crunchyroll, Funimation
- Episodes: 39
- MAL rating: high-8s
- Studio / Staff: J.C. Staff; dir. Kunihiko Ikuhara
- Plot: Tomboy Utena duels academy students to free a mysterious “Rose Bride.”
- Why it fits: Gleefully up-ends shōjo tropes, as Daffy up-ended straight-man gags, and layers symbolic “power systems” of swords, roses and revolution.
14. Dr. Stone (2019)
- Streams: Crunchyroll, Netflix
- Episodes: 49 (3 seasons)
- MAL rating: high-8s
- Studio / Staff: TMS Entertainment
- Plot: Genius Senku revives civilization with science after humanity turns to stone.
- Why it fits: Replaces brute force with brains, a sly subversion of standard battle formulas—very much in Daffy’s trickster tradition.
15. Chainsaw Man (2022)
- Streams: Crunchyroll, Hulu
- Episodes: 12 (+S2 announced)
- MAL rating: 8+
- Studio / Staff: MAPPA
- Plot: Debt-ridden Denji merges with his devil dog to become a chainsaw-wielding hunter.
- Why it fits: Flaunts flawed, messy heroes and weaponizes genre clichés, much like Daffy twists heroic expectations for laughs.
Why These Anime Work for Mentioned Anime Fans
Each pick keeps the Daffy DNA alive: a scrappy protagonist who refuses to stay down, a playful (sometimes lethal) rule-set that dictates action, and stories that zig when clichés say zag. Swap classic slapstick for swords, spirits or ping-pong paddles, and you’ll find that the same underdog bravado and reality-warping humor that made Daffy timeless still thrives in these underrated anime.
