Top 10 Anime We Can't Believe Got Made

#10: “Hey, President Trap-kun!” (2017)

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Top 10 Anime Moments That Made You Die Inside

Amidst international unrest, the best way to bolster global relations is clearly to enroll the President of the United States in a Japanese High School. But, instead of learning about their culture, the narcissistic Trap-kun - who has no relation to any real individuals, of course - decides to teach them about himself through rapping. Let’s just say he’s no “Hamilton.” The crude humor, cringey songs, and pointed commentary make it clear the show’s laughing at him, not with him. This fever-dream parody only produced two episodes, and while it’s as thinly written as its protagonist's hair, the eclectic approach certainly “trumps” others in pure originality.

If you find this insectoid series crawling around your anime watchlist, be warned that what you see is what you get. As its name implies, it’s about a girl who’s a cockroach. Yep, that’s about it. The episodes are breezy, inoffensive fluff about the excitable Gokicha who wants to befriend humans. While there’s some charm in its simplicity, the lack of variation sprays the later episodes with enough insecticide to repel all but the most ardent of fans. It’s not impossible to enjoy, but the dreadfully straightforward approach means its long-lasting appeal isn’t quite as durable as its main character.

This toot of a hero breaks ground and wind for creative protagonists. The vaporous Goro isn’t any ordinary passing gas, though, he’s the self-proclaimed “most admirable of farts.” He solves everyday issues in the only way someone like him can - clearly, by doling out good morals and anatomy lessons.While it may be hard to take sentient backwind seriously, Goro does let rip a few genuine nuggets of wisdom for anyone who can stomach the stench. It ran for a full thirteen episodes, and quite frankly, we’re just impressed they managed to squeeze so much out of this smelly concept.

“Absurd” doesn’t even scratch the paint of this cop car’s high-speed storylines. The title says it all: he's a cop with a head of flames, what’s not to love? The series follows the former police officer's vengeful quest to turn the villainous Southern Cross Gang into skid marks, but the classic revenge formula is quickly tossed under the wheel. Instead, the ludicrous plotlines pit him against evil babies, send him through Hell, and even bestow him the powers of a God. Executed with plenty of knowing wit and an exceptional comic-inspired art style, this crazy ride revs through its wackily entertaining narrative with a blaze of glory.

There have been a bevy of amazing and creative magical girl battle anime, and then there’s “Akikan!” With a concept that really scrapes the bottom of the recycling bin, the series follows teenage Kakeru who’s melon drink randomly transforms into a human girl with the powers and color palette of a soda can. While the utterly insane introduction is bonkers enough, that’s not even where the plot gets fizzy. The central storyline is about the anthropomorphic drinks battling it out to determine whether steel or aluminum cans are stronger. When the thrust of your plot comes down to manufacturing, that’s a good sign the idea was better left in the vending machine.

A brand new manga from “Death Note’s” creators seems like a surefire win, but its run on the page drew heavy criticism for its lack of originality and overly-indulgent moral lessons. It follows the dejected Mirai who receives powers from a Guardian Angel and ends up in a deadly contest to determine the next God. While that sounds fun enough, in practice it’s a plodding mash-up of better titles that feigns moral depth at the cost of any actual entertainment value. Its misguided themes lead towards a needlessly depressing ending that makes the whole series feel pointless. The only engaging question to come from this is why anyone thought it needed an anime adaptation.

This idol group is rock-solid in more ways than one. For the first assignment at her new job, Miki is tasked with managing the popular boy band “The Rockies,” but she soon learns that their name isn’t just a play on words. The comedy is finely sculpted through ironic scenarios where no one besides Miki questions why four statues can talk, let alone become pop-culture icons. The persistent visual gags never overstay their welcome, and the novel, if on the nose portrayal of idol life keeps this statue-show from feeling hollow. Despite a rocky premise, those who continue the climb will find this series taking them by landslide.

At the very least, even the most oddball anime have some semblance of plot, character, and theme, but this bizarre mecha series decided to throw out any and all maxims of storytelling. The specs for this are as bare-metal as it gets - it’s simply about cute, short girls who turn into different machines, rinse and repeat. The episodes are barely a minute long, and without any consistent storyline, rising action, or shred of real characterization, it ends up feeling more like a proof of concept than anything resembling a narrative. It’s not horrible by any means, but its lack of substance beyond the occasional gag leaves it without any clear reason to exist.

It may take some noticeable artistic liberties from its holy source material, but the oddest part of this dubious setup is how surprisingly enjoyable it is. Taking a literal down-to-Earth approach with its characters, the series chronicles Jesus Christ and Buddha as they vacation in Tokyo to learn more about modern society. The fish-out-of-water comedy works wonders thanks to its well-known leads, especially since it develops into a genuinely charming bromance between the two. However, the less-than-faithful adaptation of biblical events treads a very fine line between homage and exploitation. So far, though, it’s managed to walk on water without too much trouble.

The most impressive aspect of this series is that, by the end of the first episode, a luck-granting brown fairy isn’t even the weirdest part. The unfortunately-shaped Unko-San wants to wipe away problems of Luck Island’s inhabitants, but the series immediately flushes any predictably down the drain. The outlandish scenarios evolve from stealing to afford medical care, to jumping off a cliff in shame, to being saved by a sentient clam. It’s so unhinged that it begs the question, who was this made for, and what is it even trying to say? Naturally, it doesn’t even attempt to give any answers, but at least it's memorable for always managing to make each second weirder than the last.