Many anime have burst onto the scene with stellar first seasons that thoroughly captivated their respective audiences. Unfortunately, many within this category have also failed to follow up on their massive successes, struggling to live up to their immense potential and tarnishing their hard-earned reputations.

Their standout debuts are usually completely overshadowed, and they become known largely for the low-quality output that followed. In some cases, it is worth noting that their sequels may not necessarily be terrible, but the sheer level of excellence they are tasked with following up on is simply too great. This leads to subsequent entries being framed as catastrophic dips in quality, even if they were objectively not so bad.

A common theme with many of these anime is production decisions that fail to faithfully honor the source material. There are many cases of cut content and rushed adaptations that lead to a substandard product and betray fan expectations. Originals aren’t safe from production hiccups either, as huge success often leads to sequels being greenlit despite a lack of concrete ideas and developments.

There is also the unfortunate case of unfavourable studio switches, which on many occasions have led to steep declines in animation quality. These scenarios are ultimately detrimental to all parties involved, as series that could have been respected titles end up being labeled as one-season wonders.

5

Sword Art Online

Some would argue that Sword Art Online’s decline started halfway through its first season with the end of the Aincrad Arc. The original premise of ten thousand players being trapped in a virtual world with fatal consequences in the real one was both gripping and exciting. There were high stakes, genuine tension, and a clear, compelling goal of clearing the 100 floors within the tower.

Kirito’s relationships also felt truly genuine, with the bond between him and Asuna especially being widely appreciated by fans. Alfheim Online was the first breaking point for many, as Asuna was stripped of her agency and relegated to being a classic damsel in distress.

The arc was also plagued by cheap harem tropes, an uncomfortable incestuous subplot, and a vain, edgy villain. From then on, the franchise only got worse, largely portraying Kirito as a run-of-the-mill, overpowered self-insert protagonist who is adored by all the girls. The series redeemed itself somewhat with the release of its third major entry, Alicization.

Still, even that devolved over time due to a set of questionable developments plagued by the same issues. Notably, the light novel source material is a lot more coherent, featuring consistent characterisation and lacking many of these distasteful elements.

4

Psycho-Pass

The first season of Psycho-Pass solidified itself as a masterpiece sci-fi police procedural with fresh concepts and an impressive narrative. It introduced the Sibyl System, a surveillance network that constantly monitors every citizen’s mental states and quantifies their likelihood to commit a crime. Its strict decrees are enforced by officers who come in inspector-enforcer pairs.

The story centered on the inspector Akane Tsunemori and her enforcer partner Shinya Kogami, as they tracked down the elusive Shogo Makishima. This unique individual was capable of committing vile acts while maintaining a clear Psycho Pass, and is still known today as one of anime’s most famous villains.

Come the second season, the series’ main writer, Gen Urobuchi, responsible for other acclaimed titles like Fate/Zero and Puella Magi Madoka Magica, left the project. This departure caused the sequel to struggle significantly on several levels. It introduced multiple uninspiring new characters whom fans found it hard to care for, including Mika Shimotsuki, a character who was aggressively disliked.

The new antagonist, Kirito Kamui, also failed to match the brilliance of his villainous predecessor. All this, coupled with several narrative inconsistencies, meant that the second season simply had no way to reach the high standards set by the first. The third season was received a little better, but by then the damage had already been done.

3

The Promised Neverland

After its release in the winter of 2019, The Promised Neverland was set to be one of anime’s iconic modern mystery thrillers. The setup of an orphanage, consisting of innocent young children peacefully living on a farm but secretly existing as cattle for demon consumption, was brilliant and exciting.

The reveal in the first episode was one of the series’ most iconic moments, as Emma and Norman discover firsthand the horrifying reality awaiting children set to leave the house. Beyond that point, the season delivered episode after episode, creating a tense atmosphere of suspense and dread as the children desperately looked for ways to survive.

The season ended with their escape from the Grace Field House, with hype at an all-time high. Fans were content to wait two years for the second season, and though it seemed to start off okay, Studio CloverWorks completely dropped the ball on the rest. The sequel featured absurd pacing with hundreds of chapters’ worth of skipped content, leading to a hopelessly disjointed final product.

Long-time fans were most notably distraught by the absence of the Goldy Pond Arc, which was meant to showcase Emma’s historic confrontation with the formidable demon Leuvis. By the end, it became an unrecognizable story, with the highs of the first season completely wasted.

2

Tokyo Ghoul

Sui Ishida/Shueisha

Tokyo Ghoul is one of the most popular dark fantasy anime ever released, owing that fame largely to its standout first season. It was centered around the unfortunate college student Ken Kaneki, forced to navigate the gruesome underground society of ghouls after turning into a half-ghoul himself.

The show masterfully depicts Kaneki’s uneasy adjustment to his new life, as well as his encounters with both peaceful and malicious characters. The season ends with Kaneki’s capture and brutal torture at the hands of Yakumo Oomori, otherwise known as Jason. This pushes Kaneki over the edge, causing him to abandon his pacifist principles, sprout his signature white hair, and devour Jason’s kagune.

Major deviations from the manga started appearing in the second season, Tokyo Ghoul √A. Crucial plot points and characterisation were ignored, segments were shuffled around, and characters were introduced seemingly out of nowhere. Tokyo Ghoul:re was the final nail in the coffin, introducing Kaneki under a new identity as Haise Sasaki with no explanation of how he got there from the tragic ending of √A.

The trend continued into the final season as more chapters of the source material were rushed, leading to confusing developments all over. Damningly, newcomers are usually directed straight to the manga, as the anime effectively ruined the story.

1

One-Punch Man

Upon its release, One-Punch Man became a global phenomenon, existing as a brilliant parody of traditional battle shonen tropes. It was helmed by the talented Shingo Natsume at Madhouse, along with a team of excellent animators, who presented an outstanding first season.

The series was a perfect mix of comedy and action, featuring an overpowered protagonist, famously capable of ending battles with a single punch. Despite the inevitability of his strength, there is hardly ever a dull moment, as the show is built on a strong supporting cast of heroes and villains. They serve as high-quality fodder and set the stage for Saitama’s astonishing exploits

One-Punch Man left such an impact on audiences that they endlessly clamoured for a second season. Many couldn’t contain their excitement when it was finally announced, but after premiering in the spring of 2019 in the hands of J.C.Staff, fans realized their series was no longer what they remembered.

The fluid animation was completely gone, and the anime as a whole saw a massive downgrade in production quality. It only got worse from there, and before long, clips of its laughably bad animation began surfacing online. Naturally, the climaxes also suffered, and being a series that relied heavily on exceptional visual displays, the show that fans fell in love with in 2015 was no more.

Release Date

October 5, 2015

Network

YouTube, TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TVh, TVQ, TSC

Directors

Shinichiro Ushijima, Makoto Sokuza, Nobuhiro Muto, Ryoh Ando, Shuuji Miyazaki, Youhei Suzuki, Miyuki Ishida, Katsushi Sakurabi, Hideki Okamoto, Yoshio Suzuki, Hiroyuki Okuno, Riki Fukushima, Shigeki Awai

Writers

Tatsuro Inamoto

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  Makoto Furukawa

  Saitama (voice)

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  Kaito Ishikawa

  Genos (voice)