The Japanese anime industry is continuing to crank out dozens of wonderful new and returning series every year, and the 2020s have been a strong decade for anime so far. Plenty of new anime like Chainsaw Man, Spy x Family, and Bocchi the Rock! blew fans away and deserve many new seasons, but other modern anime haven’t justified a new season.
It’s expensive and labor-intensive to make new anime, and a series must be popular and compelling to earn a second or third season. While certain one-season anime definitely deserve a second season, others didn’t measure up, meaning they’re unlikely to get another season, but fans aren’t asking for it.
10 Shikimori’s Not Just A Cutie
Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie is a high school romantic comedy anime starring the pink-haired Shikimori, a popular, athletic, and empathetic girl who absolutely adores her clumsy boyfriend, Izumi Yuu. Shikimori is held in high regard at school, though she also has some insecurities that even her best friends don’t know about.
While the Shikimori anime was a charming and pleasant watch, it didn’t do anything new in the high school or slice-of-life genres, and not even Shikimori was that memorable as a character. One season of fluffy, fun teenage romance was enough for this anime, and a possible Season 2 wouldn’t change much.
9 A Galaxy Next Door
The cozy seinen romance A Galaxy Next Door is all about the joy of drawing manga, and the co-star Shiori Goshiki has light isekai elements, too. Shiori is the princess of a reclusive island tribe, but she’s more interested in the modern Japanese world and manga, something her traditionalist parents can’t easily understand.
A Galaxy Next Door has wholesome romance elements and provides a sneak peek at how manga is made, but it is not more than the sum of its parts. The central romance only has a few modest sparks flying, and it seems a future Season 2 wouldn’t do much to expand upon it.
8 Reincarnated As A Sword
Reincarnated as a Sword is a moderately fun isekai anime whose protagonist indeed got reborn as a magical sword in a fantasy world. He cannot easily fight or tour the world solo, so he needs the cat-girl Fran to wield him in battle and make the most of his powers.
The sword and Fran made for a delightful pair, and they hit many familiar isekai beats such as a dungeon crawl, joining an adventurer’s guild, and facing personal demons. It was still a conventional fantasy isekai, however, and there’s no rush for a Season 2 anytime soon.
7 My Isekai Life
My Isekai Life is just as generic and predictable as its blunt title would suggest. Even by isekai’s own lax standards, My Isekai Life was a routine and uninspired escapism journey, and at no point did anime fans believe that protagonist Yuji was in any danger.
Yuji wielded magic and monsters alike in battle, but not even his clever fighting style made him even slightly compelling. A bland, forgettable fantasy setting and an even duller protagonist made for a losing combination, and no aspect of My Isekai Life calls for another season of this.
6 Engage Kiss
Engage Kiss was a colorful and amusing combination of cyberpunk, fantasy, and drama, which made for a somewhat memorable viewing experience. In the near future, the island nation Bayron City is overrun with demons, or D-disasters, and it’s up to hunters like Shu Ogata and Kisara to hunt them down for pay.
Shu and Kisara have a dark history together, and it all ties in with tragic and mysterious events that rocked Bayron City years ago. That made Engage Kiss a fun watch, but the story was neatly wrapped up in one season, so there’s nowhere else for the story to go.
5 My Master Has No Tail
My Master Has No Tail was a short but amusing comedy anime set in Taisho-era Osaka, the perfect venue for rakugo performers who want to make audiences laugh. The tanuki girl Mameda is determined to become a rakugo performer herself, but she has a lot to learn.
Mameda had amusing chemistry with her tsundere teacher Bunko, and this anime also provided wonderful insight into traditional Japanese culture. The novelty eventually wore off, though, and future seasons wouldn’t add much to the overall story.
4 Black Summoner
Black Summoner was another generic isekai that came out in recent years. The anime had very mild twists, such as protagonist Kelvin having incredibly rare powers as a summoner, but it was a highly conventional isekai adventure otherwise.
Black Summoner was a decent watch, but it was just filler during its anime season, and fans have few reasons to go back and watch it again. Season 1’s ending set up greater conflicts, but a mediocre anime like this doesn’t justify a second season to watch those future battles unfold.
3 A Couple Of Cuckoos
A Couple of Cuckoos ran for a full 24 episodes, but only the most devoted fans will want any more material beyond that. The anime is a conventional romantic comedy with a partial harem built around the forgettable protagonist Nagi Umino, but even the Best Girl, Erika Amano, wasn’t top-tier waifu material.
A Couple of Cuckoos tried its best to entertain viewers with comedy, drama, and light fan service, but none of it was special or memorable. The central harem has yet to be resolved in potential future seasons, but rom-com fans can do better in future anime seasons.
2 Tokyo 24th Ward
Tokyo 24th Ward is a shonen cyberpunk anime that lacks any of the extreme content of Cyberpunk Edgerunners, but was still a decent watch for sci-fi action fans. The anime takes place in Tokyo’s 24th ward, a place rife with tension concerning the all-seeing state surveillance system.
Protagonist Shu Aoi and his friends get caught up in the societal drama when they hear messages from their deceased friend Asumi, who has become one with the high-tech surveillance system. Tokyo 24th Ward was a fine watch, but the story left no room for sequels, and the content isn’t quite compelling enough for prequels or other spinoffs.
1 I’m The Villainss, So I’m Taming The Final Boss
I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss is a romance isekai anime centered around Aileen Lauren d’Autriche, who got reborn in an otome game as the villainess. She will use her meta-knowledge and clever words to seduce the demon king Claude, then find a happy ending for everyone.
I’m the Villainess had an amusing and tightly-paced story that had a solid conclusion, so there’s no need for a sequel season. One season was enough for this isekai story, and the material doesn’t call for sidequels or other spinoffs, either.
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