Top 10 Changes That RUINED Anime
Top 10 Changes That RUINED Anime
Another Top 10 Moments That Ruined an Anime
Welcome to WatchMojo and today we are counting down the Top 10 Changes That RUINED Anime. For this list, we’ll be looking at the narrative changes implemented into an anime that totally deviated from the source material, and as a result, did major damage! Which anime alternation sent you into hysterics? Let us know in the comments!
#10: Making Machi Give Up
“Kuma Miko: Girl Meets Bear” (2016) Who thought this was a good idea? It’s one thing to make an anime original ending, but to do something so needlessly cruel to the main character in a series known for being a light-hearted slice of life? It’s baffling! With dreams of becoming an idol and leaving her boring village behind, Machi enters an idol competition, her only obstacle being her own crippling anxiety and insecurities. Instead of, you know, overcoming her issues inch by inch in the final episode, the anime decided it would be great to make her suffer a mental breakdown, return home, and become even more of a childish recluse! That’s messed up! Even the mangaka was left outraged!
#9: Removing Shirley's Arc
“Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion” Movies (2017-18) And this is why compilation movies aren’t always a good thing, because sometimes important elements are lost along the way. While you can make the argument C.C or Kallen are the more vital female characters, many are in agreement that Shirley’s presence in the series humanised Lelouch, with her death serving as a grim reminder of the casualties that came with his crusade. To do away with all by just having Jerimiah Gottwald warning her to be careful, it removes a crucial aspect of what both drives and haunts Lelouch. So yeah, stick to the series!
#8: Rotoscoping
“The Flowers of Evil” (2013) Whatever hope of Shuzo Oshimi’s unrelentingly dark and painfully human magnum opus getting a decent anime adaptation was lost when they went with this art style. While rotoscoping can be used effectively, this was totally the wrong call to make. The Flowers of Evil excels on paper due to its minimalistic expressions of cruelty and confusion, all shown through the eyes of teens as their innocence is continually stripped away. Something that is completely lost when your characters are left looking like potatoes slowly fizzling out of reality.
#7: Removing the Context
“Elfen Lied” (2004) Lucy’s trauma and bloody revenge may have been accurately portrayed on screen, but the anime also dropped an entire character along the way! Nozomi, a girl who joins Nyu and Kouta’s group, is most notable for her singing. All throughout the manga she sings a song known as Elfenlied, with lyrics directly tied into the themes of the story, tying everything together neatly. Instead she is replaced by a music box that plays a completely different song, something that caused a lot of tension between the original creator and the anime director.
#6: The Disappearance of the Skull Knight
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“Berserk” (1997-98) Don’t get us wrong, the 1997 adaption of the manga masterpiece is still phenomenal. Even with its limitations it remains one of the best anime to date. Surpassing the Golden Age movie trilogy and most definitely exceeding its 2016 and 17 sequels! That being said…it’s still seriously lacking in Skull Knight. Without this pivotal character, it did away with the lore, a way to end the eclipse in a satisfying manner, not to mention killed any chance of a sequel! Where were you when we needed you man, you and your Sword of Actuation could have done so much good!
#5: Skipping Yugo & Goldy Pond
“The Promised Neverland” (2019-) There’s a reason why so many fans have split from this long-awaited sequel season – their favourite character was straight up missing! Amid plenty of other cut content, the character of Yugo – a former orphan who had escaped the demons and reached adulthood - was strangely absent when Emma and the rest discovered the deserted bunker. That’s a pretty big departure, and while they may have covered it up decently for unaware newcomers, the implications of how it will affect the rest of the future of the series are massive.
#4: Less Plot, More Harem
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“Negima! Magister Negi Magi” (2005) and “Rosario + Vampire” (2008) Not to say that there weren’t busty anime girls running around both respective manga, because there most certainly were, it’s just as the episodes piled up, it was clear the series were focused on another form of plot. Negi’s supporting cast is so huge that it’s a shock there’s still a main girl left standing by the time the fanservice dies down. But that’s a drop in the bucket compared to Rosario, whose obsession with its busty cast robbed the series of character progression, badass fights, and Tsukune’s spine.
#3: Skipping to the Final Boss
“Blue Exorcist” (2011) Those familiar with this continuity of this anime adaptation already know how messy its ending is! An anime original conclusion that has Rin and friends facing off against Satan…at the end of season one? That’s right, they straight stop the Prince of Darkness like he’s a henchman right off the bat. It’s such an ass pull that the Kyoto Arc sequel straight up ignored the last few episodes of the original series! It didn’t need to be this stupid or confusing, but it was, and it wrecked any chance of Blue Exorcist reaching greater heights.
#2: Killing off Tatsumi
“Akame ga Kill!” (2014) They had a good thing going, and yet they couldn’t help but go the original ending route. While the series had already demonstrated its willingness to kill off characters still kicking in the manga, the greatest offense came during its conclusion where they did in Tatsumi. Akame’s name might be in the title, but without its main character and pretty much the rest of the cast, the series was left rudderless with no chance of a comeback. A shame, since it had shown so much potential. Guess its own bloodlust got the better of it.
#1: Kaneki Joins Aogiri Tree
“Tokyo Ghoul Root A” (2015) Oh Root A, why must you continue to torment us with your nonsensical tangents? There’s taking creative liberties and then there’s being different for the sake of it! In spite of a perfectly reasonable roadmap, the series chose to have Kaneki join up with the organisation responsible for torturing him. Because…he had no other option? Or you know, he could have just started his own group and taken on Aogiri and the CCG at once, like he did in the manga! What’s most baffling is that it arrives at the same canonical conclusion, making the whole thing seem pointless! At least Re made fixed things up. Oh wait.
