There are hundreds and hundreds of anime out there just waiting to be discovered, but only a select few titles ever become wildly popular throughout the vast world of Japanese animation. Any devoted anime fan has heard of the classics such as "Sailor Moon," "Naruto" and "Dragon Ball Z" or even the more up to date titles like "Sword Art Online," "Attack on Titan" and "Black Butler."

So if you are looking for something less mainstream but equally deserving, you are in luck. Here is a list of the top three animes that are often times overlooked despite their interesting story lines and unique characters. All three of these shows are more than worthy of recognition and reverence.

1. "Yona of the Dawn"

One of the lesser known animes is a series called "Yona of the Dawn." The story revolves around a girl who just so happens to be the princess of the Youka Kingdom. She embarks on a long journey after her father is suddenly murdered in an unexpected string of events. She flees her once safe castle and life of peaceful shelter to take on what becomes the most important mission of her entire life. This anime deserves higher regard for its wonderful and entertaining execution of character development. Yona learns new skills, makes new friends (and enemies) while growing as a person throughput this adventurous tale.

2. "Aldnoah Zero"

"Aldnoah Zero" takes place both on earth and in space. Down on earth a young man named Inaho Kaizuka and his friends are forced to join a war against their attackers from another planet. Meanwhile, a blonde boy named Slain resides on a different planet where he too must join this fight of space wars. What sets this anime apart from the rest is how it provides a perspective from both sides of the fight. It's earthlings versus martians as they battle it out in intergalactic warfare featuring giant mecha (transformer-like) weapons, well thought out battle strategies and a messy love triangle. Unlike many mecha animes, "Aldnoah Zero" does an excellent job of balancing the action packed armored fights with character development and actual plot progression.

3. "Angel Beats"

An anime set in an alternate world where people arrive after death. The story follows a group of youth who decide to team up in this new reality they all found themselves in. They work together to fight against the threats they face even though they can no longer die. Their united efforts help them to slowly unravel the mystery behind why they are in this dimension of the living dead and more importantly, how to escape. The anime deserves recognition for fluidly molding love, action, humor and emotion into one cohesive story line.