There are a ton of popular anime series out there, but even still, I wouldn’t recommend a few of them. While several series have garnered a pretty large following for one reason or another, they aren’t the first (or even last) anime series to be recommended to either veteran anime viewers or new enjoyers of the amazing art form.
There are plenty of amazing anime series out there that don’t have too many flaws. Eventhe best anime series of all timearen’t perfect, but they’re much better than these picks. Some anime series have a few too many mistakes to be recommendable, especially when you take into consideration just how many better series are out there.
There are hundreds, if not thousands of great anime, so why watch something that isn’t worth it? There isn’t a real reason, assome anime series just aren’t worth the time it takes to watch them.
Zenshuisan isekai anime series that missed the mark, plain and simple. It was a surprising miss from MAPPA, one of the best animation studios in Japan.Zenshuis a series that starsa ridiculously unlikable main character, a series of forgettable side characters, but actually has a pretty interesting concept, but MAPPA shouldn’t have been the studio to create it.
MAPPA is notorious for overworking their employees, andZenshu’smain character is an overworked anime creator. It’s a dark creation that feels like a slap in the face of the animators creating the series. It doesn’t help that the main character is unbelievably rude to the side characters in the series, making for an uncomfortable watch.
Zom 100: Bucket List of the Deadlooked like a fun, fresh series when it was first announced. The color palette is exciting, the concept behind the series isn’t done too often in anime, and the main character’s goal is captivating. The series' antagonists, particularly Gonzou Kosugi, area little too brutal.
Main character, Akira Tendo, used to be an exploited office worker. When the apocalypse hits, he resolves to check off every box on his bucket list before he eventually transforms into a member of the undead.
It’s a great premise, and the story only gets uncomfortable when he meets his former boss, Kosugi. Their relationship is incredibly uncomfortable, and watching Akira go back to his old ways makes the series a hard watch for the few episodes that they’re together.
Wistoria: Wand and Swordlooked like it had what it takes to become the next big shōnen series. It looked like another version ofMashle, Harry Potter,orBlack Clover,but even without an original concept, it still had potential. It starred Will Selfort as a magic-less person in a world that values magic over everything.
Like Mash fromMashleand Asta fromBlack Clover,Will makes up for his magic-less-ness with an absurd determination and a fighting ability that matches.Wistoriadrops the ball through its characters' relationships, as they don’t feel real in the slightest.
The side characters berate Will brutally, and he forgives them too easily. While most of the greatest protagonists of all time are no stranger to forgiving their enemies, Will makes it too easy, making the entire series just feel uncomfortable.
The Way of the Househusbandhad a unique premise that drew a lot of people in quickly. An ex-yakuza boss retired from his dominant life of crime to support his wife, and she joined the workforce. He stayed at home and played the role of a househusband, taking care of the house while his wife earned a living.
It’s a funny premise that was brutalized when it was made into an anime series. It’s generous to even call it an anime series, as there is so little animation inThe Way of the Househusband,that fans have argued thatthe manga it is based on actually has more frames.
My Little Monstercould have been so good.The first few episodes see two of the most adorably unlikable characters come together and get the best out of one another. When it looks like they’re going to put their differences aside and build upon their relationship, they don’t.
The series gives asomewhatgood reason as to why they don’t get together initially, but it’s not satisfying in the least.My Little Monsterwould have been so much better if the main characters just got together earlier, expanding upon the groundwork they already put in.
Angels of Deathfeels like it almost had an interesting idea, but it got away from the series before it could be fleshed out. The series stars Rachel Gardner as a confused character who finds herself in a deadly maze reminiscent of theSawmovies. She has to find her way out, learning more about why she even wound up there in the first place.
It’s a decent premise that the series takes nowhere.Angels of Deathtries to be prolific and put a good message forward, but flops. The series isn’t worth watching, and that’s not even considering the slew of dark anime that areactuallygood, likeBerserk, Attack on Titan,andRe:Zero.
Kimi ni Todokeis a classic romance anime to many, but it shouldn’t be. There areso many other great romance anime series that make the flaws inKimi ni Todokestand out, this anime shouldn’t ever be recommended.
Kimi ni Todoke’sentire premise revolves around the fact that the female main character can’t recognize basic social cues. The story tries to play this off as a normal thing, but it isn’t. Main character Sawako is shocked when people are nice to her, doesn’t understand how to communicate with other people, and is surprised at basic human interactions.
This isn’t the most uncommon situation in romance anime, butKimi ni Todoketakes it too far. It feels like Sawako has never interacted with another human being before, making the story feel foreign and odd in the worst ways possible.
Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolfhad everything needed to become one ofthe best romance anime series ever. It’s an incredibly frustrating series, however, becauseit fumbles all the great chances that it sets up for itself.
Spice and Wolf’sremake stars Kraft Lawrence as a traveling merchant who meets the titular wise wolf, Holo. Lawrence and Holo begin to fall in love with one another, but the anime throws a few obstacles in their way.
While this is normal for romance anime series, the obstacles are almost always Lawrence getting in his own way. He’s constantly gambling with Holo’s life, showing that he’s an immature character who never learns from his (repetitive) mistakes.
The Beginning After the End’sanime adaptation should have been amazing. It could have been another exceptional manhwa adaptation, following inSolo Leveling’sfootsteps. It also could have been the nextMushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnationwith all the quality of the hit isekai series with none of the problematic elements.
To put it simply,The Beginning After the End’sanime is terrible.There is almost no animation in general, as most of the series' most important fights look like slides of a PowerPoint presentation. There area ton of reasons why the anime failed, and it really shouldn’t have.
The manhwa it’s based on is exceptional, but the anime isn’t an example of the quality that the manhwa brings to the table. There are a lot of great isekai anime series out there, and this isn’t one of them.
Domestic Girlfriend’spremise is so ridiculous that it could have been agreat comedic anime. The series centers around Natsuo Fuji as a 17-year-old high school student with a crush on his teacher, Hina Tachibana. During a night out with his friends, he sneaks away with a girl named Rui. The two head to her place where they hook up, going their separate ways after.
The series gets comically weird when Natsuo’s dad announces he’s getting married, and the woman he’s getting married to will be bringing her two daughters. The two daughters in question are none other than Hina and Rui Tachibana, Natsuo’s crush/teacher and the girl he just had relations with.
The premise is taken completely seriously the entire time, and it’s uncomfortable to say the least. The series never gets better, andthe longer it runs, the more uncomfortable it becomes.
