It's always exciting when manga readers hear the news that their favorite manga will receive an anime adaptation. It's even more thrilling when one of the best studios is in charge. However, not every anime adaptation has lived up to the hype.
Some of them have become infamous for their poor execution of the story.
It's even worse when it's a fan-favorite series, and millions of viewers can see the glaringly obvious deviations from the source material. These anime adaptations didn't sit right with avid manga readers, thanks to blatant plot changes, too many filler episodes, or just poor artistic choices.
10 My Hero Academia's 5th Season Featured A Fan-Favorite Story Arc, But Rearranged The Story To Promote The New Movie
Season 5 of My Hero Academia had one of the most anticipated arcs in the entire series. My Villain Academia was a fan-favorite arc in the manga, as it explored the League of Villain's origin stories and showed the next phase for the series' main foes. Unfortunately, the studio rearranged the arcs to promote the new movie, World Heroes Mission.
This decision didn't sit right with manga readers, but many of them gave it a chance anyway. However, many were even more disappointed with how rushed it was and how the anime didn't perfectly reflect everything in the manga.
9 Claymore's Ending Cut Corners, Leaving Out Key Plot Points From The Manga
Claymore is one of the most captivating and criminally underrated shonen series that fans of all genres can enjoy. Its anime adaptation certainly wasn't terrible, but manga readers were disappointed with how the studio handled the series' ending. Though it stayed true to the manga's art style, there were several story alterations that fans couldn't ignore.
Major plot points were left out, making it hard for those who haven't read the manga to understand what was going on. Important developments were replaced for unnecessary filler action scenes and new information that just wasn't conducive to the story.
8 Bleach Has Way Too Many Filler Episodes
Though Bleach's anime adaptation is excellent overall, there are so many filler episodes that get in the way of the main plot for no reason. Manga readers found this frustrating. Some even ditched the anime and just stuck to reading the series.
The series currently has 366 episodes, 164 of which are filler arcs. That's about 45% of the series. Compared to other shonen series, that's way too many, and it's fair to say that it hinders the plot. Most veteran fans of the series recommend new fans avoid the anime and read the manga to get the best possible Bleach experience.
7 Akame Ga Kill!'s Adapatation Fell Victim To Pacing Issues
Akame Ga Kill! had a pretty strong start. However, it came on so headstrong and so fast that it was bound to crash. Compared to the manga, the series' anime adaptation was paced so quickly that it made viewers' heads spin. The manga is paced much better.
Instead of kicking out one arc after another, readers appreciated that the manga took the time to flesh out each character and focus on important plot points. Many of the most important aspects of the series were simply lost because the anime moved so quickly.
6 The Seven Deadly Sins Turned Into A Complete Disaster
The Seven Deadly Sins is a smash-hit manga series, and fans were ecstatic when its anime adaptation was announced. Unfortunately, it turned into a complete disaster because of poor artistic choices.
After its release in 2014, manga readers were horrified when their favorite heroes suddenly became anatomical nightmares with uneven eyes, disproportionate torsos, and a total disregard for symmetry. The fight scenes became total letdowns and the production was just messy. Hopefully, this series will get a reboot from a better studio in a few years.
5 Deadman Wonderland Sacrificed Its Terrifying Visuals For Predictable Shock Value & Bland Action Scenes
Those who haven't read the manga can enjoy Deadman Wonderland's anime adaptation just fine. However, manga readers were terribly disappointed with it. The adaptation sacrificed the series' terrifying horror visuals for predictable shock value and bland action scenes.
Several important characters and significant plot points from the manga were left out of the anime. Manga readers felt that a top-notch story was devalued into a subpar-at-best anime. The series was butchered so bad with just one season that it was never renewed for a second.
4 The Promised Neverland's Second Season Was A Complete Letdown
Season one of The Promise Neverland pleased manga readers. It had visually stunning animation and perfectly adhered to the source material. Unfortunately, things turned into a train wreck with the second season. Major plot points were let out, and one of the series' most important characters was entirely omitted.
The fan-favorite Goldy Pond Battle arc was omitted, but implied to have happened off-screen. The pacing was entirely off-beat compared to the manga. Though there was tons of hype surrounding this season before it aired, it effectively killed all the excitement for the series. Potential fans would just be better off reading the manga.
3 Junji Ito's Work Deserves Better
The Junji Ito Collection proves that sometimes, it's better to leave well enough alone. Since Junji Ito is one of the most beloved horror mangakas of all time, fans were eager to see how his work would translate into anime. Unfortunately, they were severely let down.
Junji Ito's horrific masterpieces turned into a poorly produced disaster, making it a shell of everything it once was. Some of the most iconic manga panels were butchered beyond recognition. Many fans prefer to pretend like the adaptation simply never happened.
2 Potential Fans Of Berserk Are Better Off Avoiding The Anime Like The Plague
Berserk's anime adaptation made a complete mess out of Kentaro Miura's brilliance. The '90s adaptation was excellent, but the modern adaptation is a total disaster. Potential fans of the series are better off avoiding the anime like the plague and just picking up a few copies of the manga.
The inclusion of CGI animation and 3D models greatly diserviced the series' gritty environment and cheapened the scenery. The framing is laughable at best, and many fans regard it as one of the most visually unappealing anime of all time.
1 Tokyo Ghoul's Anime Adaptation Was Painful For Avid Manga Readers To Watch
Tokyo Ghoul's anime adaptation, though enjoyable for those who haven't read the manga, was a letdown for those who did. Avid fans were ecstatic and excited about the anime adaptation, only to be met with disappointment after it aired. Many key plot points were omitted and replaced with nonsensical additions to the story that just weren't as conducive as the source material.
However, many fans were the most upset with the butchering of Sui Ishida's brilliant artwork from the manga. The iconic "I am a ghoul" scene became one of the manga's most famous panels, praised for its horrifying visuals and the emotions it evoked from readers. However, the anime watered it down into Kaneki standing there, covered in blood, and reciting the line like a sad emo boy.
