Released this month, Moonrise, an adventure sci-fi anime, has been one of those hidden gems, sparking mixed reactions among fans. There is no denying that the animation is beautiful; the action scenes are like fireworks or something that pull you in. With such dazzling animation featuring some compelling characters, this anime has the potential to be the next big thing.

But here’s the issue- for all of that, it feels and looks kind of buried. What’s stopping Moonrise from eliciting more hype? Yeah, part of the popularity issue to consider is that Netflix didn’t promote Moonrise very well. But there’s more to the story than poor promotion.

Jacob Shadows (Jack) in Moonrise anime | Credits: Studio Wit

From some questionable storytelling choices to the sheer amount of anime dropping at the same time, there are some reasons why this hidden gem of an anime isn’t shining as brightly as it should.