Many anime series are universally praised and recognized by both the critics and the fan community as indisputable masterpieces. On the other hand, many shows get a lot of backlash from experts and audiences alike. These anime are passionately hated and considered some of the worst exemplars of the medium.
Quite often, such a negative evaluation is completely justified. The shows become targets of criticism and detestation for substandard writing, careless characterization, and lack of original, well-executed themes. However, not every anime series is despised rightfully. Many shows have become too popular to hate for the viewers to give the second chance that these series objectively deserve. Maybe some fans can find a new favorite series among the most detested anime of all time.
Updated on March 19, 2023, by Maria Remizova: Often, anime series become popular for the wrong reasons, acquiring bad press even among fans who’ve never given the show a chance. Yet, judging the show’s merits without relying on public consensus is often better, as it can be hastily formed and misleading. This list was updated to include even more anime titles that deserve to be reconsidered by their haters.
20 Gintama
The iconic gag series Gintama has its fair share of dedicated fans. However, most admit that the show failed to charm them on the first try. Long, tedious, and seemingly nonsensical, Gintama makes many outsiders question its tremendous popularity.
To make the series an even harder sell, its first two episodes are filler most fans recommend skipping. While it might be challenging to see the appeal of Gintama at first glance, gradually, most fans willing to commit end up falling in love with its witty humor and eccentric characters.
19 Wonder Egg Priority
A recent big disappointment in the anime community, Wonder Egg Priority, started as an effective deconstruction of the magical girl genre. More grounded and nuanced than its contemporaries, the series dwelled on mature, hard-hitting themes and never shied away from exploring the disturbing tragedies that traumatized its teen protagonists.
However, all of that groundbreaking work was compromised by the show’s rushed, confusing finale, which left most fans outraged. While the series could’ve ended better, Wonder Egg Priority still deserves recognition and praise for the things it nailed.
18 The God Of High School
The trend of anime adaptations of manhwa came and went disappointingly swiftly. Fans link its decline to the negative reception of The God of High School, which was an unfortunate letdown for the original’s fandom.
Readers accused the show of skipping over some crucial plot points and turning the series into a mindless action spectacle. However, for what it is, The God of High School features some of the most impressive animation feats in the action genre, giving the show unique value beyond the original.
17 Trigun Stampede
Reboots of well-loved classics always encounter skepticism from fans of the original works. For all the tough grind and dedication that went into the creation of Trigun Stampede, it wasn’t an exception. A reimagining of the 1998 Trigun series and the manga it was based on, Trigun Stampede was a hard sell for nostalgic fans.
The modernized CGI look of the series and changes made to the canon didn’t help. However, the series deserves respect for trying to be different, and old-school fans might find it pleasantly refreshing.
16 Sword Art Online
There’s hardly a more divisive anime in the community than Sword Art Online. Back when the isekai trend was beginning to emerge, SAO became the poster child of the genre. While not the first take on an MMORPG-inspired fantasy adventure in anime, SAO was the most popular, and most people didn’t see why.
Hating the show was even more lucrative than singing its praises. Soon, SAO turned into a scapegoat of the isekai genre, even though many would argue that the series is genuinely inventive and enjoyable.
15 The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya
The controversy surrounding The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya began in the early 2000s and continues to inspire heated debates. Some people have specific qualms with the show, such as the infamous Endless Eight arc, while others just don’t understand the series’ overbearing popularity and find its titular heroine annoying.
Nevertheless, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya remains a staple of anime history. Even beyond its cultural significance, the series’ experimental combination of science fiction and slice-of-life tropes feels refreshing even in the current oversaturated landscape.
14 Clannad
Most anime fans are familiar with the fantastic reputation of Clannad: After Story, one of the most heartfelt and emotionally moving drama series of all time. Yet, most see sitting through the show’s first season to get to the rewarding finale as a trial of patience.
The original Clannad can indeed feel too slow-paced and aimless at times. However, the first season builds the audience’s relationship with the central characters of After Story and establishes their emotional arcs, making the grandiose payoff much more rewarding.
13 I’ve Been Killing Slimes For 300 Years
Most anime fans are, without a doubt, tired of overplayed isekai tropes. And, for being such a bizarre concept, slime isekai immerses way too often. Yet, it doesn’t mean that this cliché can’t take on outstanding forms. I’ve Been Killing Slimes For 300 Years explores the hidden emotive potential of the genre.
The series follows an overworked office clerk named Azusa Aizawa, who dies of severe stress and exhaustion and gets reincarnated as an immortal adventurer. I’ve Been Killing Slimes focuses on the value of self-care and the perks of quiet, meditative existence.
12 Deadman Wonderland
Unfortunately, many manga adaptations fail to bring the magic of the original to the screen. Deadman Wonderland ended too abruptly, leaving anime-only fans dissatisfied with how the story concluded.
And while it’s true that the 12-episode series is a flawed reimagining of a much-longer source material, no fan of inventive horror shonen should dismiss this iconic show. Either as an introduction to the exciting, gory world of Deadman Wonderland or even as a standalone work, this hated anime is much more entertaining than most assume.
11 The Monogatari Series
The harem genre and all fan service-heavy shows get lots of hate from the general public. As one of the most highly rated franchises in the genre, the Monogatari series couldn’t escape the bitterness and criticism for its raunchy, explicit themes.
Yet, unlike some of the more conventional harem shows, Monogatari is sophisticated and highly intelligent. So even fan service haters could find some food for thought in this iconic franchise. From witty postmodern satire to explosive experimental action, the series can offer something enjoyable to anyone with an open mind.
10 Charlotte
The supernatural drama Charlotte focuses on a high school student named Yuu Otosaka, who possesses an unorthodox ability to take over other people’s minds and bodies. Yuu never shied away from manipulating others through his ability to get what he wants and succeed academically and socially.
However, Yuu’s evil deeds get discovered by Nao Tomori, the student council president from Hoshinoumi Academy, who convinces Yuu to join the school for people with supernatural powers. Despite being despised for its rushed pacing and hatable protagonist,Charlotte has an incredibly thrilling premise and many lovable and uniquely investing supporting characters, including Nao.
9 Future Diary
Future Diary, or Mirai Nikki, is one of the most polarizing anime in the medium. The fans of the infamous death game series praise its endearing supporting cast and over-the-top thriller elements. At the same time, the haters find the anime absurdly edgy and despise its protagonists — the shy loner Yukiteru and his obsessive stalker, Yuno.
The boy’s psychotic protector even earned the title of the most famous yandere character in anime. While Mirai Nikki is not for everyone, considering its adult themes and gory nature, the show’s iconic status and immense division of fans and haters prove that the series can be a lot of fun for those interested in the death game genre.
8 Eromanga Sensei
Eromanga Sensei is a rather controversial comedy series about a high school light novel author and his relationship with his little sister, who turns out to be the writer’s mysterious artist. The series doesn’t mind appearing crude and falling into many cliché tropes of the comedy romance genre, which earned it a lot of hate.
Nevertheless, the unsophisticated show is incredibly popular for being mindless, if somewhat shameful, entertainment. Enjoying Eromanga Sensei is something fans might be ashamed of; however, the series encapsulates the thoughtless amusement that originally got many fans into the medium.
7 Kabaneri Of The Iron Fortress
After the mind-blowing success of Wit Studio’s Attack on Titan in 2013, the production team behind the massive show released its spiritual successor, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress. The series takes place in a post-apocalyptic steampunk world that gets infected by a mysterious virus. The infection turns people into zombie-like creatures known as Kabane, and humanity decides to fight them using their limited resources.
Despite excellent production quality and thrilling action, Kabaneri was labeled as an inferior copycat of Attack on Titan and hated for its unoriginality. However, the series can stand up on its own well, and its resemblance to a different dark fantasy show doesn’t take away from its positive qualities.
6 Black Clover
The shonen battle series Black Clover got marketed as the new king of shonen during its release in 2017. Unfortunately, the show didn’t meet grandiose expectations and became universally hated by many diehard fans of the genre. Black Clover’s utilization of overused shonen tropes and archetypes, as well as the series’ subpar animation, disappointed many viewers who were excited about the show.
One of the most common complaints about Black Clover is the obnoxious voice acting of Asta, the show’s protagonist, whose screams irritated the audience. Nevertheless, the original manga notoriously has myriads of dedicated fans, and the anime adaptation, while having its flaws, manages to conserve many of the narrative’s triumphs.
5 Erased
The mystery thriller series Erased was praised and beloved at the beginning of its run. Myriads of fans got engrossed in its science-fiction premise of traveling through time and heartfelt depiction of child abuse and negligence. However, the show’s ending made many fans despise the series and forsake every positive they used to see in the narrative.
The viewers found the mystical identity of the show’s antagonist too obvious and claimed that the Erased manga handled its ending infinitely better. Nevertheless, the series is still worth watching, and a lackluster conclusion cannot disregard its fantastic story.
4 Fairy Tail
Fairy Tail is often considered one of the most influential shonen series of the previous decade. While the series never got as popular as some of its contemporaries, those who loved the magical adventures of Natsu and his guild members stayed diehard fans of Fairy Tail till the very end.
Like any other massive anime franchise, the show gets a lot of hate, arguably more than any other shonen giant. Nevertheless, Fairy Tail encapsulates many elements that make the genre fun and exciting, despite its simplicity. It remains a must-watch show for shonen fans.
3 Guilty Crown
At its core, the science-fiction series Guilty Crown attempted to execute an unorthodox political thriller storyline that engaged the audience with its premise. The show had every element to become a praised phenomenon in the anime industry, including breathtaking visuals and a masterful score composed by the legend of the medium, Hiroyuki Sawano.
Unfortunately, Guilty Crown bit off more than it could chew and became infamous for its confusing plot that posed more questions than the narrative could answer. Despite its shortcomings in terms of story development, the series manages to keep the viewers glued to the screen, making it a perfect show to gush over the stunning visual capacities of anime.
2 Oreimo
Oreimo is a massively well-known light novel adaptation that focuses on the relationship between a normal high school student named Kyosuki and his little sister, Kirino, a secretive otaku with a passion for moe anime. The show is praised for its authentic depiction of the otaku culture and is often considered the series that started the little sister boom in the industry.
However, despite being well-received, many people find its more controversial themes repulsing. The romantic implications of Kyosuki and Kirino’s relationship weirded out many fans.
1 School Days
Most fans agree that the most hated anime in the medium is School Days, a harem visual novel adaptation infamous in the community. Nevertheless, the polarizing title is considered by many to be a genius deconstruction of the genre that turns the classic harem scenario on its head.
The rather conventional premise of School Days follows a high school student named Makoto who suddenly becomes the love interest of multiple girls. Makoto is a horrendous human being who constantly cheats on and deceives his female classmates. So, many fans of the series felt ecstatic when the series blew away everyone’s expectations by punishing the hero for his deeds and getting him violently killed.
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