Most people who watch anime, or follow any genre, know of that one underrated story that few know about. There are always the popular anime that everyone watches along with the ones that don’t get a lot of attention. One of the most underrated is the 2008 adventure/drama Allison & Lillia. It is a truly unique series, formatted for a broad audience, and it still hits the mark for an enjoyable series. Allison & Lillia deserves more attention, especially compared to some other more popular anime.
The basic plot follows young soldier Allison Whittington and her love interest Wilhelm Shultz in their adventures through war zones and political intrigue, in an incredibly memorable story. There are three main reasons that people should check out this underrated series.
One: Unique Setting
Allison & Lillia’s setting is an unnamed alternate universe, which is technologically and culturally modeled on Europe in the 1920s and early 1930s, the aftermath of World War 1. The story emphasis that the world is war torn and war weary. The setting is a rare world-type in fiction, this period is usually used more for a diesel-punk setting. It offers variety from more typical futuristic or fantasy settings, while still being different enough from the modern world to be interesting and new.
Two: Easy to Follow And Exciting Story With Optimistic Attitude
Allison & Lillia is broken into roughly six four-episode story arcs. Each story arc is a mostly self-contained adventure-thriller that deals with societal issues, such as national identity and war profiteering. Overlaid on the entire series is an optimistic, feel-good mood that manages not to come off as cheesy or forced. The four-episode format moves the story along quickly without sacrificing plot detail or action.
Three: A Focus on Aerial Combat
One of the main protagonists, the titular Allison, is a fighter pilot. Many of the early fight scenes are dogfights. An aerial combat based story is also a rarity on TV. The fact that the series uses bi-plane combat makes for an entirely unique viewer experience.
What anime do you feel are underrated? Comment below.
