The Worst Anime Sequels & Revivals To-Date

When it comes to sequels and revivals, anime tends to do one of two things; the industry will either lay a series to rest before its time or give thirty sequels to a series which shouldn’t be touched.

With the anime industry growing increasingly saturated, it is hard to keep up with all the series which make comebacks. And, for plenty of fans, they are better off not knowing about their favorite franchise’s return.

Like any other medium, anime has its low points. There are plenty of sequels and spinoffs which never should have been made, but alas – here we are. There are a long list of flubbed anime continuations out there, and it isn’t just primetime shows that have been skewered. Fans refuse to acknowledge the sequels to series like Orphen, Last Exile, and more.

Still, lackluster sequels do tend to follow the industry’s more popular series. Episodes will continued to be milked out of a story until there’s nothing left to give. Franchises like Dragon Ball and Sword Art Online have been dragged through the mud thanks to their cash-grubbing sequels. If you even mention Tokyo Ghoul’s latter episodes, some anime fans are liable to tape your mouth shut.

Here at ComicBook, we are counting down just some of the worst offenders of anime sequels and revivals. You can always give these shows a go if you’d like – just don’t say that we didn’t warn you.

Berserk (2016)

When Berserk originally came out, the anime reveled in its gore and violence. The show followed a group of Medieval mercenaries who would probably bathe in blood if they had the choice. When news broke the classic series was being revive with groundbreaking CGI animation, fans were concerned – and all their worries proved to be spot on. The 2016 revival of Berserk added nothing to the original series, and its animation was almost unbearable. Many fans cut snippets of the anime to meme because of its stilted quality, and Berserk fans want nothing more than for the revival to crawl back into its grave.
 

Psycho-Pass 2

Original anime is difficult to promote since it has to contend against manga-based series, but Pyscho-Pass was up for the challenge. The original anime stands as one of the industry’s best OG titles of the decade, but Production I.G. wasn’t ready to let the property go. Psycho-Pass 2 was ordered, and the sequel saw Ubutaka Tow become head writer in place of Urobuchi Gen. The sequel was quickly panned by fans for its gratuitous animation porn and over-the-top visuals; Audiences were quick to say they would have rather the sequel focus on actual characterization than sexy action stunts. So, in the end, anime fans chose to overlook the sequel to avoid facing all its wasted potential.

Eureka Seven: AO

When it comes to mecha anime, Eureka Seven consistently ranks as one of the genre’s best series. Sadly, Studio Bones couldn’t let the franchise die when it was time to lay it to rest. In April 2012, Eureka Seven: AO premiered to great interest. The anime’s first two episodes went over well, but the sequel’s following pieces left fans bored. Filled with forgettable leads and oddly placed fan-service, Eureka Seven: AO pushed back against the original anime’s happier ending to the point where fans became resentful.
 

Dragon Ball GT

When it comes to unspeakably bad anime sequels, Dragon Ball GT must be mentioned. That is, so long as there are no anime fans around. If a Dragon Ball lover hears you talking about the show, they may ask Shenron to make you forget about it. After Dragon Ball Z wrapped its extensive run, Toei Animation was understandably eager to cash in on the franchise’s popularity. Creator Akira Toriyama gave his blessing but chose to step away from Dragon Ball GT. Without any canonical guidance, Dragon Ball GT went on to strip its characters’ personalities and even contradict Toriyama’s canon to suit its half-baked story arcs. Given the popuarity of Dragon Ball, this sequels flub was felt harder than many others, and it is one that Toei Animation is still paying for even today.