10 Disappointing Anime That Were Better Off as Manga

Anime adaptations are meant to bring our favorite, most-anticipated manga to life, making the characters speak and fight in ways we could previously only imagine. But sometimes, the anime just doesn’t live up to expectations. You know that feeling when you’re excited for a scene to be animated, only for it to be dragged out, censored, or worse, completely ruined? Exactly, and we’ve all been there. Whether it’s pacing issues, poor animation, or unnecessary filler, some adaptations feel more like a downgrade than an upgrade. 

Manga, on the other hand, has its own charm that the anime sometimes misses – the story moves at just the right pace, the artwork stays true to the creator’s vision, and there’s no filler or random side stories. For instance, Boruto’s manga is sharp and mature, while the anime often comes across as somewhat childish, and that’s just one recent case. So, let’s take a look at 10 disappointing anime that made us wish we had just stuck to the manga.

Blue Lock

With Blue Lock being the best-selling manga in Japan in 2023, it’s baffling that the anime adaptation doesn’t do it justice. The first season of the anime started off well enough with intense action and top-notch animation. But when Season 2 dropped, things took a turn for the worse, and fans wasted no time in making fun of its lazy “slideshow” animation.

In contrast, the manga delivers everything Season 2 fell short on. Illustrator Yusuke Nomura has an unmatched talent for capturing kinetic energy in his drawings and the manga feels even more fluid than the anime. The artwork is also much more detailed. Every line is painstakingly drawn and the result carries an intensity the anime hasn’t been able to match. So, if you really want the best Blue Lock experience, just read the manga.

Berserk

Berserk is hands down one of the greatest manga ever, but when it comes to its anime adaptations, things have been rough. The 1997 anime is decent, completely nailing the dark themes. But it only covers a fraction of the Golden Age Arc, leaving out important moments. Then there’s the 2012 movie trilogy, which also covers the Golden Age Arc, but with some iffy CGI that while not the worst, is definitely not that great either.

The worst offender, however, is the 2016 anime adaptation. It skips arcs, rushes through the story, and delivers clunky CGI that doesn’t do justice to Kentaro Miura’s beautifully detailed artwork. For anyone thinking of getting into Berserk, it’s highly recommended to skip the anime and dive straight into the manga while it’s free. Although if you do want to check out the anime, the ’97 adaptation is decent for getting a feel of the plot.

Tokyo Ghoul

Tokyo Ghoul had everything needed for a great adaptation – an intense story, complex characters, and a dark, haunting world. The first season was actually pretty fun to watch, even if it changed some things and left out a few key details. But then came Root A with its rushed pacing, odd character changes, and deviation from the manga’s storyline, ruining what made Tokyo Ghoul so special to begin with.

Tokyo Ghoul:re tried to fix these mistakes, but it too suffered from sub-par animation and pacing. Making the manga a much more enjoyable option as it took the time to dive deeper into Kaneki’s struggles, his bond with Rize, and the harsh reality of the ghoul world after Kaneki escapes the Aogiri Tree. Despite the somewhat rushed ending, the Tokyo Ghoul manga is the version that truly does the story justice, although a reboot just might change that.

Gantz

The Gantz anime had a cool concept, but it just didn’t live up to expectations. One of the biggest disappointments was how they changed protagonist Kei Kurono’s personality. While creator Hiroya Oku did intend for Kei to be a flawed character manga readers could relate to, he was not as perverted in the manga as depicted in the anime. His one-sided attraction to Kei Kishimoto was also handled a bit more maturely.

Another major difference between the Gantz anime and manga was the artwork. The manga is drawn over 3D models and is a lot more detailed and gory compared to the adaptation’s flatter animation. While both share the flaw of objectified female characters that feel like they’re just there to push the main character’s story forward, reading the Gantz manga is still a much better experience.

Darling in the Franxx

Watching Darling in the Franxx was a rollercoaster – what started as a promising mecha romance turned into a confusing mess by the end. The anime rushed through some important moments, leaving character relationships feeling shallow. Like Mitsuru and Kokoro’s amnesia plot that went nowhere or the Nines, who showed up and then disappeared without much explanation. Worse were the anime’s final episodes that took an unexpected sci-fi turn, feeling disconnected from the rest of the story.

In contrast, the manga clears up many of these shortcomings and gives more depth to the characters. Kokoro and Mitsuru’s relationship actually develops naturally without the weird pregnancy storyline. Futoshi gets actual character development instead of just being used for comic relief. And even the Nines feel like real characters with personalities and relationships rather than just random antagonists. If you liked the concept of Darling in the Franxx but felt let down by the anime, the manga is definitely worth checking out.

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Slam Dunk

Slam Dunk is a legendary basketball series that still holds up today. But when it comes to choosing between the anime and the manga, the manga easily takes the win. The anime’s soundtrack and voice acting may be iconic, but its slow pacing can sometimes drag down even the simplest plays. Plus, it never even finishes the full story, swapping out the final Shohoku games for an anime-original ending that just doesn’t hit the same.

The manga, though? Perfect in every way. The way Takehiko Inoue brings basketball to life is on another level. Compared to the anime’s more outdated art, the manga’s art style, paneling, and storytelling make every play feel electric. So if you want to truly experience Slam Dunk in all its glory, you just have to read the manga.

The Flowers of Evil 

The Flowers of Evil is one of the most unsettling manga about growing up. It really nails the messiness of adolescence – all the confusion, figuring out who you are, and that weird mix of curiosity and guilt. The story revolves around Takao Kasuga, a kid who makes one bad decision by stealing a classmate’s gym clothes and ends up trapped in a toxic relationship with Nakamura, a girl who seems to want nothing but chaos.

Unfortunately for fans of the manga, the anime adaptation made the unusual animation choice to use rotoscoping which wasn’t as well-received. The art styles are also visibly different. And since the anime doesn’t cover the whole manga, if you really want to experience The Flowers of Evil in its full, disturbing glory, the manga is the way to go.

One-Punch Man

The first season of One-Punch Man was a total blast, with Studio Madhouse doing an amazing job bringing Yusuke Murata’s art to life, especially the fight scenes. But season two was a huge letdown. The fights weren’t as good, the pacing felt off, and the overall quality just couldn’t match the high standards set by the first season, leaving many fans disappointed.

In contrast, the One-Punch Man manga just keeps getting better and better. Murata’s artwork is ridiculously detailed, and every fight looks like something straight out of a high-budget movie. The anime does a great job adapting the story, even adding some top-tier filler, but the manga just gives you more – extra bonus chapters, better pacing, and of course, the art style.

Bleach

The Bleach anime and manga both tell an amazing story, but they feel like two completely different experiences. The anime has a huge problem with filler episodes – making up about half of the series, which really slows down the pacing and takes focus away from the main story arcs. Another problem is the heavy censorship, which tones down injuries and removes a lot of the blood and brutality seen in the manga, making gruesome moments, like Uryu losing his hand during his fight with Ulquiorra, look much less severe.

The manga, on the other hand, delivers Bleach exactly how Tite Kubo intended. His art style focuses heavily on characters, sometimes skipping backgrounds entirely to emphasize the emotions and action in a scene – something that just doesn’t translate well in anime. Some chapters even feel more powerful because they’re in black and white. Although to studio Pierrot’s credit, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War is a great adaptation that’s arguably even better than the manga’s rushed finale.

Vinland Saga

The story of Vinland Saga is an intense journey of revenge, survival, and personal growth, but the manga and anime present it in different ways. One of the biggest changes is the chronological order – the anime starts with Thorfinn’s childhood, which makes the beginning feel slower, while the manga throws you straight into the action with a much more intense opening. It takes seven to eight episodes for the anime to reach the manga’s first two chapters, which makes a huge difference in pacing. While the anime grows stronger as an experience and is an overall reasonably good one, it still makes noteworthy compromises compared to the manga.

Another difference is the art style and violence. The manga doesn’t shy away from graphic depictions of Viking warfare, while the anime softens some of the more violent scenes, relying on voice acting and soundtrack to add emotional weight instead. While both versions have their strengths, the anime struggles to capture Makoto Yukimura’s unique art style, and even lighter moments from the Farm Arc’s finale, while the CG animation doesn’t always sit right. Both versions tell the same story, but if you want the more intense or undistilled version of Vinland Saga, the manga is arguably the way to go.