Looking for the best anime databases to find hidden gems by year & genre! (Watched 600+ shows but missed the niche stuff)
Hey everyone,
I've been watching anime for about a decade now and have probably clocked in somewhere between 600 to 1,000 shows.
Unfortunately, I only discovered trackers and list sites halfway through my journey. I might finally bite the bullet and log everything, but that depends on finding the right site for what I want to do next!
I recently realized that I've almost exclusively watched popular genres and mainstream hits. I usually just look up the "top ten" posts for the current season and follow those. Because of this, I know I’ve missed out on some incredible hidden gems and less popular shows.
My Request:
Could anyone kindly suggest the best sites or databases that can help me sort out anime for each year, starting from 2000 onwards (or earlier if a show is an absolute must-watch)? I specifically need something with great filtering options so I can sort by both year and genre/tags.
My goal is to go back through the years and pick out about 20-30 shows per year (more or less, depending on the season) that slipped under my radar.
I am already aware of AniList and MAL (MyAnimeList). Are those still the absolute best options for this kind of deep-dive filtering, or are there other hidden gem databases (like AniDB, Anime-Planet, or Kitsu) that you’d highly recommend for digging up older, niche series?
Any advice or site recommendations would be massively appreciated.
Thanks!