10 Disastrous Anime Adaptations That Betrayed the Source Material

It is a proven fact that the source material is usually better than its anime adaptation most of the time. This is because a creator’s true vision and intent are conveyed from the source in a much more organic manner than in the adapted form, whether it is a series or a movie.

Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean anime series have to be worse than their source material, and they drive even more fans to the original manga or the webtoon in the best cases. However, there are also some egregious anime series that not only betray their source material but also make fans go so mad that they appeal for a redo of the entire series.

10

Junji Ito’s Uzumaki Anime Deeply Disappointed Longtime Manga Fans

Junji Ito’s masterpiece Uzumaki is a beloved work among die-hard horror manga fans. Uzumaki showcases a disturbing yet extremely mesmerizing storyline where weird occurrences take place in a town. Here, every person becomes weirdly obsessed with spirals, and Shuuichi and Kirie struggle to escape the growing madness around them. Junji Ito’s signature art style is beautiful and depicts the strange patterns masterfully.

The way Junji Ito approaches each stroke and draws every expression automatically haunts readers without needing any motion or color. Thus, when the animated adaptation decided to follow a similar black-and-white manga-esque technique, fans sincerely looked forward to it. Sadly, the end product looks very poor and is not comparable to the perfection of the mangaka’s art, disappointing fans pinning their hopes on this highly anticipated adaptation.

9

One-Punch Man Season 2 Was Shocking to Watch After a Perfect Debut Season

One-Punch Man made headlines with its first season as one of the most well-written parody anime, with exceptional animation. It had everything an entertaining series could ask for, especially a hilarious protagonist, like Saitama, whose hobby is to be a hero. However, this all fell apart when the highly anticipated One-Punch Man Season 2 came with a visible decline in its production quality.

One-Punch Man Season 1 was created by the renowned studio Madhouse under the direction of Shingo Natsume. That changed when the franchise switched to J.C. Staff, where a completely new team oversaw its production for its second season, and the results were unsatisfactory (ask any fan). This was a shocking turn of events for fans who did not expect such a famous anime to be handled like this. Now every fan is worried about the success of One-Punch Man Season 3.

8

Deadman Wonderland Deserved Better Than Just One Season

Deadman Wonderland came out as a promising dark shonen anime with an engaging storyline and twisted characters. Here, the plot revolves around Ganta, a normal high school boy whose life was completely changed when a mysterious figure massacred all his classmates. On top of losing his friends, Ganta becomes the only person to survive and is blamed for the onslaught.

This is how he landed himself in Deadman Wonderland, one of the most dangerous prisons, which also functions as an amusement park. The anime is pretty well-made with its darker tone and good music complementing the overall desolate vibe. However, the first season ends on a nasty cliffhanger, and it never reached its actual conclusion because a second season did not happen. This is why many fans watch the first season and just move to the manga to get their answers.

7

The Seven Deadly Sins’ Animation Took a Sinful Turn for the Worse

The Seven Deadly Sins began as a decent adventure shonen anime with a fascinating concept inspired by medieval Europe and Arthurian legends. Many of its characters even draw direct inspiration from figures in those stories. Here, the hero is Meliodas, and he is the leader of a group of legendary knights, who were once good guys, but later turned their blades against the very kingdom they were meant to serve.

The best aspect of the anime is its expansive and detailed world-building, featuring a wide variety of landscapes. It also depicts multiple love stories, among which the relationship between Meliodas and Elizabeth is reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet. The biggest issue with this anime was its inconsistent animation, where the seasons handled by A-1 Pictures were good, but later, the quality dropped when Studio Deen entered the picture.

6

Blue Lock Season 2 Gives PowerPoint Animation a Whole New Meaning

Blue Lock quickly made a name for itself as one of the best soccer-oriented series that feels more like a battle-driven shonen anime than a traditional sports anime. It has a very entertaining concept where all players are given the chance to become the best striker in the world by attending an intense boot camp. The story essentially follows the journey of Isagi Yoichi, an average soccer player who slowly carves out his own path to success by honing his skills.

Season 1 of Blue Lock became an instant hit thanks to its survival thriller setup and interesting cast. The matches were also very well-designed, so that someone with no knowledge of soccer will also understand the game. But the franchise received a major glow-down with its second season, which showcased slideshow animation, only recovering to some extent in the final episode.

5

Good Writing Meets Bad Animation in The Beginning After the End

There was much anticipation with the release of The Beginning After the End, which many fans thought would be the next Solo Leveling. Similar to Solo Leveling, this was also based on a popular web novel, and the story featured an overpowered main character who gets a second chance at life. Here, the hero, after living his past life as a king named Grey, is reincarnated as a baby called Arthur.

He remembers everything from his past, and now he must utilize that knowledge to navigate his life in this new world where magic exists. Despite having the recipe for success, The Beginning After the End failed to impress due to its atrocious animation. There have been talks of a second season, and hopefully that will turn out better this time.

4

No Anime Deserves a Reboot More Than Tokyo Ghoul

The first season of Tokyo Ghoul is a perfect dark fantasy seinen anime that got everything right, from having great animation to featuring iconic music. Here, Ken Kaneki, a normal boy, gets dragged into the world of ghouls, who are a human-eating species that look just like normal people. From then on, Kaneki’s life descends into chaos, where he must confront a different section of society that deals with these otherworldly entities.

The highlight here is definitely its animation, the multifaceted characters, and intriguing villains who, at times, evoke pity. However, from its second season, Tokyo Ghoul takes a nosedive because the storyline becomes anime-original, and things get confusing. By the time the third season was released, the narrative had become a mess, and the animation quality had plummeted, completely ruining a once-thriving franchise.

3

Tower of God’s Second Season Suffers From a Visual Letdown

Tower of God is one of the most celebrated and praised webtoons from South Korea. It has a very complex world-building with multiple characters and an intricate narrative, revolving around a mysterious tower. This tower is known for summoning people and granting them the opportunity to fulfill their deepest desires by reaching the top. This is why Twenty-Fifth Bam and Rachel also go on this journey, where the initial intention of Bam was just to accompany Rachel and nothing else.

The first season of this anime was really well made by Telecom Animation Film studio. Although many felt the storyline to be quite confusing, it still made for a fairly decent anime adaptation overall. However, from the second season, the quality completely deteriorates, primarily due to the franchise’s decision to change studios.

2

The Promised Neverland Season 2 Terrifies Fans With Its Horrid Quality

The situation with The Promised Neverland is absurd because it almost feels like the makers deliberately made the second season a disastrous miss. The first season showcased a gripping horror anime that delivers one of the best twists in anime history in its very first episode. Here, the main characters spend their lives in an orphanage where their “Mom” or caretaker takes great care of them.

There is only one rule that must never be broken. These children are forbidden to go beyond the protective guards, as dangers lie outside, only to later realise that nowhere is safe for them. This anime followed the manga faithfully in its Season 1, with a perfect pace and amazing animation. However, from Season 2, the plot completely derails from its source material and excludes important arcs, resulting in rushed storytelling.

1

Berserk 2016 Proved Even a Legendary Manga Is Not Safe From a Poor Adaptation

A majority of anime and manga fans consider Berserk by Kentaro Miura to be the greatest manga ever written. It features a brilliantly crafted wretched world, where evil entities are an intrinsic part of society. Apart from that, Berserk is also known for creating some of the most iconic heroic figures and villainous masterminds, like Guts and Griffith. A manga that carries such a legacy should have gotten a proper modern anime adaptation, which never happened.

The only acceptable Berserk anime is the 1997 one, which does a great job of depicting its bleak atmosphere. Apart from that, the movie trilogy featuring “The Golden Age Arc” is also great. However, the 2016 version, which covers “The Conviction Arc,” is downright substandard with bad CGI and poor production quality, making it the worst adaptation anime fans have ever had to endure.