7 Anime Series That Dropped So Quickly We Almost Lost Them Completely

Getting into the world of anime is easy – staying in it when anime has a tendency to decline is the hardest part. The anime community is very vocal, made up of many opinions. Whether a show flops is highly subjective. The last half Death Notefor example, it has a very divided fan base: some insist that the second half is great in its own way, while others completely tarnish the second half, saying that the series ended after a major spoiler occurred.

There are some series, however, where the opinion that it fell is practically universal. There are many reasons why anime might fall flat, as anime is (usually) an adaptation of some other medium – a manga, light novel, visual novel, or something similar. The main reasons are: the source material itself may fall; the anime may run out of source material; the anime falls on its own. The entries on this list are examples of each, and while a few brave souls may jump in to defend them, they will be few and far between.

7

Uzumaki: Spiral into Terror

A comically unfortunate showing after years of anticipation

To start with something recent, Adult Swim's Uzumaki the adaptation has been one of the most highly anticipated in recent years – an ongoing project that has been stuck in development hell for an incalculable amount of time. UzumakiThe first episode of had an absolutely killer start, receiving 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. Although it was not a 1:1 adaptation of UzumakiCritics and fans alike loved how it captured the vibe of the original while bringing together its most important narratives. His art direction was also beautiful and unique. In combination, Junji Ito's fans were excited and optimistic, especially since his work has rarely received good adaptations.

Then something unfortunate happened: the second episode aired. In a major controversy, Adult Swim rushed to pacify the angry outcry. Apparently, the broadcaster divided the work between two studios: the first episode was produced by a studio completely different from the others. The result was that the second episode had comparatively lackluster animation, worse pacing, and much less careful art direction. Naturally, fans felt cheated and angry that most of the series didn't meet high standards. In hindsight, tempting fans with the-Uzumaki-what-could-have-been-keeping the first episode was, at best, shortsighted and, at worst, cruel.

6

Rise of the Shield Hero

Isekai's most popular antihero lost his way, and quickly

Rise of the Shield Hero It starts relatively promising. Its premise is interesting and unique among isekai. In fact, he can be credited with popularizing isekai antiheroes, and his serious disposition from the start hooked many fans. It didn't take long for those same fans to realize their mistake.

The exact point that Shield Hero begins to fall is debated, but it happens quickly. The first point fans cite is usually after episode 4, but in season 2, a major tonal shift occurred that makes the series little more than a simple harem. It's complicated, disappointing, and possibly impermanent—Shield HeroSeason 3 of is arguably underrated – but the series can't overcome its disappointing reputation.

5

The devil works part time!

Time has turned minor wounds into serious wounds

The devil works part time! is presented as an interesting reverse isekai series where Satan has to escape into the human world and blend in, living a normal life as a McDonald's employee. The first season had a particular charm that won over countless fans. Crushing supernatural intrigue with the mundanity of life has proven to be a winning recipe, winning over isekai fans. Then, for eight years, the series never had a follow-up season.

It's no surprise, then, that when the second season was finally announced and fans were excited for more, they were furious that they found none of the qualities mentioned above. The series' artistic style changed drastically, as did the tone and mood. The plots were scarce, as they relied heavily on life elements. Ironically, the series that managed to make the most boring everyday life interesting would end up failing because it became boring.

4

The Promised Neverland

A Shōnen Jump favorite had its best arcs destroyed

The Promised Neverland has an incredibly compelling premise: children in an orphanage are suspicious of their caregivers and plan to run away. Anything else would be a spoiler. Worrying about spoilers in an article dedicated to anime that has dropped seems counterintuitive, right? It's not – the first season of The Promised Neverland is a mandatory adaptation of one of the best Shōnen Jump series ever. On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season received 100% from critics, while on MyAnimeList, The Promised Neverland it received an average of 8.49/10 from over a million MyAnimeList reviews. The first season of the adaptation is, suffice it to say, incredible.

The second season is not. Although the general reception of The Promised NeverlandThe ending is not great even in manga form, the anime took a shortcut to mediocrity. The first season ends on an absolutely mind-blowing cliffhanger, only for the second season to skip several story arcs – including Goldy Pond, widely considered Promised Never Landthe best story. The second season is unsatisfactory and was heavily criticized by the community, and The Promised Neverland is in dire need of a reboot to fix this.

3

Tokyo Ghoul

The divisive horror adaptation took a shockingly bad turn

Tokyo GhoulThe second season of is one of the most infamous of all time. The first season of Tokyo Ghoul provided a promising, if imperfect, start to the series – the second did not. Entitled Tokyo Ghoul √Athe second season deviates from the source material and features an anime-only plot. The pacing is bad, the characters are a mess, and the plot is confusing. Worst of all, the changes made in season two completely destroyed the continuity of season three, leading some to call Tokyo GhoulSeason 3 is a soft reboot.

It should be mentioned that the ending of the manga Tokyo Ghoul it is also divisive. In fact, everything about Tokyo Ghoul It's divisive. However, the second season of Tokyo Ghoul it's a stark departure from the relative stability of the original story that was faithfully portrayed in the first season. The result is the most famous example of an anime crash of all time – and the worst part is that it didn't have to happen like this.

2

The Seven Deadly Sins

One of the worst accidents and burns in anime history

Even from the beginning, The Seven Deadly Sins it was never a series for everyone. However, its high fantasy setting, shōnen battle thrust, and perverted sense of humor make it an excellent guilty pleasure. Furthermore, the first two seasons were supported by witty voice acting (and a cast that, incidentally, received great animanga bettors like Jun Fukuyuma, the voice of Eren Yeager), a talent for building enthusiasm and a satisfying rhythm.

The third and fourth seasons, on the other hand, get worse. Transferred from A-1 Pictures to Studio Deen, the quality of the animation drops straight down. This has a deeply regrettable impact on some of the show's most climactic moments, as the animation quality is terribly awkwardly budgeted. There are high points where the quality meets the old standard, but they are few and far between – and at worst, the drop in quality is distracting, making the series almost unwatchable.

To make matters worse, the previously respectable pace has also declined in quality. General, Seven deadly sins It just wasn't fun to watch. Although the sequence, Four Horsemen of the Apocalypsehas a totally different team behind it, the mistakes Seven deadly sins continue to overshadow him.

1

Tower of God

The Manhwa had a lot of potential, but it fell flat on screen

Next to Ground Leveling, Tower of God can be considered a rare manhwa giant that caught fire in the shōnen sphere. It revolves around a mysterious tower through which magical energy called “Shinsu” flows. The protagonist, Twenty-Fifth Bam, tries to climb the tower and rescue his childhood friend. The premise of a literal social climb corresponding to a character's resources—here, their skill, cunning, and strength—is almost reminiscent of Korean dramas (The 8 Show is an example of a layered resource-based configuration).

However, this literal scenario is surprisingly out of place in Japanese media, and the physical representation of its underlying metaphor is compelling and frank. Reception for the first season was mixed. Some thought his artistic style was incredible and unique, and were drawn to the world he created. Tower of God built. Others thought it was rather mediocre, glossing over weak characterization and a thin plot. For the most part, though, the anime community would welcome its first season.

Its second season, however, took a drastic turn.. On all fronts, the series has changed – often for the worse. Tower of GodO'S's art style and animation declined in quality, its plot became increasingly confusing, and its pacing worsened. Like many entries on this list, Tower of GodThe manhwa was also accused of getting lost as it dragged forward. However, if Tower of GodThe terrible second season proves anything, it's just that a worsening of the adaptation can make the deterioration in the quality of the source material much more obvious (and more drastic, in fact).