Most anime series are adaptations of manga. While it means fans often get to see their beloved titles brought to life, this trend can also cause tons of frustration and disappointment. Inaccurate adaptations or lengthy gaps between seasons are valid reasons to be annoyed.
Yet, nothing compares to the disheartenment of falling in love with a show only to find out that it ends on a cliffhanger with no continuation in sight. Countless compelling series, old and new, grip fans with a promising first season only to vanish indefinitely. Watching the anime is not enough to get the full scope of these incredible stories, which only exist unabridged in the manga.
10 Pandora Hearts
Story & Art By Jun Mochizuki, 24 Volumes, 104 Chapters (Complete)
Those whose exposure to Pandora Hearts ends with its 25-episode anime adaptation may see it as just another Alice in Wonderland variant with a Victorian Gothic twist. Yet, manga fans cite it as one of the most emotionally impactful series in the medium.
The adaptation aired while the manga was still ongoing, so it opted for a lackluster anime-original ending. Oz Vessalius’ investigation of his enigmatic past and its tie to the haunting parallel dimension, the Abyss, takes a much darker and heart-rending turn in Jun Mochizuki’s manga.
9 Claymore
Story & Art By Norihiro Yagi, 27 Volumes, 159 Chapters (Complete)
Claymore‘s vicious dark fantasy world would fit right in with today’s anime trends despite the series’ two-decade-long history. In 2007, Claymore received much less attention from anime fans than it might’ve today, resulting in the show’s untimely conclusion.
Unable to even touch upon some of the story’s best parts, the anime ended seven years before the manga. Chances of Claymore ever returning with a sequel or a reboot are painstakingly slim, so fans have no choice but to turn to Norihiro Yagi’s original story for a satisfying resolution.
8 Deadman Wonderland
Story & Art By Kazuma Kondou & Jinsei Kataoka, 13 Volumes, 58 Chapters (Complete)
The action thriller sensation Deadman Wonderland had every opportunity to become a classic of the genre if it stuck to the manga’s direction and did its storyline justice. The Deadman Wonderland manga was famous for its genuinely frightening horror elements and compelling mystery plotline centered around the protagonist, Ganta, fighting through the titular cruel prison’s death games.
On top of only adapting the first five volumes, the anime omitted several crucial characters and plot threats, turning Deadman Wonderland into a mediocre action flick reliant on cheap shock value.
7 Chainsaw Man
Story & Art By Tatsuki Fujimoto, 14 Volumes, 131 Chapters (Ongoing)
The recent sensation in the world of the emerging dark shonen genre, Chainsaw Man took the anime community by storm and left fans yearning for more. The second season of the anime will inevitably come out sooner rather than later, considering the overwhelmingly positive reception of the first one.
Yet, fans don’t have to wait to see how the first act of Denji’s story concludes. The manga’s Public Safety Arc is a self-contained story that answers most of the mysteries introduced in the anime’s first season.
6 Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou
Story & Art By Hitoshi Ashinano, 14 Volumes, 140 Chapters (Complete)
Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou is not a well-known series, even among diehard sci-fi fans. Yet, avid manga readers hold this niche cult classic in high regard. The series follows the melancholic daily adventures of an android running a coffee shop on the post-apocalyptic Japanese coast.
Uniquely comforting yet thought-provoking, Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou was adapted into a two-part OVA in 2002, only to vanish from screens afterward. While the chances of this obscure series ever coming back are slim, both sci-fi and iyashikei fans may find their new favorite in this manga.
5 Drifters
Story & Art By Kouta Hirano, 6 Volumes, 85 Chapters (Ongoing)
One of the most distinctive isekai series out there, Drifters follows prominent historical figures, from Oda Nobunaga to Count Saint-Germi, thrown into a fantasy world to protect it from annihilation.
Upon receiving a 12-episode anime adaptation in 2016 and two OVAs a few years later, Drifters faded into obscurity, replaced in the mainstream scene by more conventional contemporary isekai. Considering the stellar reputation of Drifter’s creator, Kouta Hirano, who was also responsible for Hellsing, there’s still hope for the series’ return to screens, even if it’s slim.
4 Ouran High School Host Club
Story & Art By Bisco Hatori, 18 Volumes, 83 Chapters (Complete)
Among series fans dream of seeing back with a second season, the shojo classic Ouran High School Host Club was always the most prominent. An immensely influential show in the romantic comedy scene, even over a decade after its release, OHSHC had a gloriously successful run.
Haruhi Fujioka’s misadventures among the Host Club’s eccentric boys continued in the manga till their cathartic, bittersweet conclusion. Unfortunately, the only way to find out how Haruhi and Tamaki’s romance pans out is to read the original, as the anime will most likely remain unfinished.
3 Nana
Story & Art By Ai Yazawa, 21 Volumes, 80 Chapters (Ongoing)
Ai Yazawa’s unforgettable tale of love, friendship, and personal growth will forever remain one of shojo’s indisputable masterpieces. Its 2006 anime adaptation did a spectacular job bringing Nana‘s characters to life, even if it didn’t get the chance to cover some of the story’s later emotional highs.
The fate of the manga remains even more uncertain than the anime. In 2009, Nana went on an indefinite hiatus, which continues to this day. Even if Yazawa never returns to her series, fans will keep its legacy alive.
2 Btooom!
Story & Art By Junya Inoue, 27 Volumes, 125 Chapters (Complete)
2012’s Btooom! anime introduces fans to a concept with tons of potential — a gritty survival spectacle in a real-life version of the contestants’ favorite combat video game. Yet, instead of ending its 12-episode run on a satisfying note, Btooom! cuts abruptly to never come back with a continuation.
Junya Inoue’s manga continued after the anime’s lackluster wrap, eventually delivering on all the things that were teased in the adaptation. Thankfully, the manga also doesn’t suffer from the anime’s cartoonish treatment of gore and violence.
1 Berserk
Story & Art By Kentaro Miura, 41 Volumes, 373 Chapters (Ongoing)
With how many disastrous attempts to turn Kentaro Miura’s dark fantasy magnum opus into an anime exist, fans long since deemed Berserk unadaptable and made peace with never seeing Guts’ story fully animated.
Each Berserk adaptation suffers from unique shortcomings, most concerned with their inability to replicate Miura’s gorgeously gritty art style and story flow. Moreover, adaptations barely get past the manga’s prologue. As such, the original remains the only way to experience the full scope of Guts’ journey, even if Miura never got to conclude it.
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