Premise: Ten-year-old loli sets out to form a harem of men from whom she can drink as much sperm as she wants/needs.
Actual storyline: Loner princess learns how to make friends.
I'm glasses.
Supposed premise: Yamada wants to have sex with 100 guys before she gets out of high school.
Actual premise: Yamada attempts fruitlessly to seduce the very first guy, with some of the most hilarious results I've ever seen on a show.
And I know that Midori No Hibi can creep some people out at first, with the idea that a guy ends up with a girl on his right hand, but it's really one of the nicest little series I can think of. Both the anime and manga are really funny and surprisingly sweet, and they avoid a lot of the nasty jokes you'd expect. Personally, I prefer the manga, as it introduces loads of wacky side characters and crazy tangent plots that don't take place in the twelve-episode anime, but they're both good.
edited 23rd Oct '11 1:25:31 PM by Sporkaganza
Always, somewhere, someone is fighting for you. As long as you remember them, you are not alone.
The biggest pervert in town catches a robotic angel genie as she falls out of the sky; she imprints on him and now must do everything he says without question. All of his wishes are used to perform some kind of perversion.
The World God Only Knows has a rather strange premise. Main character must seduce girls over and over through strategic use of dating sim knowledge. Otherwise, his head will be cut off.
Face me now, Bitch!
Revy Gonna Give It To Ya
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
Still good thought, though Your Mileage May Vary.
edited 23rd Oct '11 4:51:50 PM by Scherzo09
These are the words that shall come from my mouth. I shall be known for speaking them.
Its as trashy as Yuri can get and apparently rips off every other series of that genre... yet it has moments of true drama, and its a love story at it´s core.
I will always cherish the chance of a new beggining.
The balancing of three different storylines in Baccano may be confusing to some.
Don't mind me. I'm just a creepy little lurker.
Face me now, Bitch!
Zetman has a bit of a Disorientating premise.
Watch Symphogear
奇跡の魔女
At first glance: Teenagers going crazy and murdering each other.
Actual premise: Two-thirds of the way through, it becomes an examination of forgiveness and atonement, The Power of Friendship, and determination.
MAL || vndb || Blog
Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar
Actually THAT'S the reason why I got into it initially and the real thing put me off.
I'm glasses.
I love both sections of Higurashi. In fact, the latter third wouldn't have worked at all without the first two-thirds. I really need to give that show a rewatch sometime, actually. (I've considered playing the Visual Novel, as I've heard it's far better, but I really can't put in that kind of time investment, especially now that I'm in college.)
edited 24th Oct '11 3:21:12 AM by Sporkaganza
Always, somewhere, someone is fighting for you. As long as you remember them, you are not alone.
奇跡の魔女
I'm a real sucker for Earn Your Happy Ending, so yes, I agree that the latter third of Higurashi won't work without the rest of the series.
Bakemonogatari's premise sounds like a knockoff of your harem series + supernatural elements, but its dialogue is very witty and hilarious. Probably more so if you can read Japanese.
MAL || vndb || Blog
Higurashi is AWESOME. And separating the two different portions of the story just DOES NOT WORK at all. But yes, the premise can turn some people off the series for good... which is a shame.
ERROR: Signature not loaded
Evil-Smiting Umbrella
You wouldn't know at first glance that the hero does for bread what Light Yagami does for potato chips.
Neither goony beard-men nor rainbow-haired she-twinks will stand in the way of my dreams!
At first glance: High school students engage in a nightly fighting tournament, the winners of which get bento for half-price.
Actual premise:... Actually no, that's what it's about.
edited 26th Oct '11 10:28:34 AM by SalFishFin
:D
Supposed premise: LOOKIT DA FRIKKIN' PUBLICITY ART!
Actual premise: Girl loses her father and tries to fit in with a bunch of other girls her age in a military force fighting aliens.
intellectual rapist
Sora no Woto: K-ON! meets All Quiet on the Western Front
Welcome to the NHK: a hikikomori meets a girl who will save him
edited 27th Oct '11 7:52:02 AM by CommanderObvious
This level of trolling is reasonable for Commander Obvious. What do you think of this, everyone?
Destruction!!!!!
Welcome to the NHK:...only to turn out she's about as psychotic as he is, if not, more.
edited 27th Oct '11 10:51:20 AM by MrTerroFace
Oremio
Supposed Premise: Another fanservice Brother–Sister Incest plot with the sister being an otaku as the twist.
Actual Premise: A comedic and dramatic Deconstruction of the Brother–Sister Incest plot, even though they never actually form a sexual or romantic relationship with each other, and an analysis of being an otaku and the consequences that come from it.
edited 27th Oct '11 12:33:01 PM by kyun
As you know, there are some really good series, whether because of great characteriztion, interesting plot, accurate and fascinating portrayal of thematic topics, amazing art, etc, but doesn't attract as much fans because of rather disorienting premises. For examples...
Apparently Kodomo No Jikan is really great, but puts people off because of loli fanservice in the beginning.
Also, Mahou Sensei Negima. Amazing series, one of my favorite series in fact, but the first few volumes can take fanservice to gratuitous level and really, a ten year old as a protagonist? At least on paper, that is rather odd.
What are some of those you came across?
I'm a (socialist) professional writer serializing a WWII alternate history webnovel.