Top 20 Anime That Ended Too Soon
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Script written by Jonathan Alexander
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 20 Anime That Ended Too Soon.
For this list, we’ll be looking at the anime that would have been better off with a few more seasons in their run.
For eleven episodes straight, “Princess Jellyfish” tackled gender norms and societal expectations with a fun-loving optimism. But, recommending this show comes with a pretty big asterisk. You’ll be watching Tsukimi make the dresses of her dreams when, suddenly, the credits roll for the last time. There’s no episode twelve. Instead, “Princess Jellyfish” just sort of… ends, leaving most of its plotlines and character arcs unresolved. If you squint hard enough, you can kind of see a half-hearted resolution in the final minutes. But, this clearly wasn’t supposed to be the show’s farewell. The manga’s been complete since 2017, so there’s no good reason why we haven’t gotten a sequel yet.
It’s shows like this that make you wonder, what was the point? “Muv-Luv Alternative” should have been the quintessential adaptation of the visual novel of the same name. After all, it had a great ending written before a single episode even aired. And yet, if you want to see the ending, you’ll need to play the game instead. For some inexplicable reason, the anime stopped one season short of finishing the story. It wasn’t a perfect adaptation by any means. But, “Muv-Luv Alternative” at least deserved to cross the finish line. Especially because, without a proper ending, there’s absolutely no reason to bother watching the anime at all.
Take our word for it: “Talentless Nana” is one of the most bingeable shows in recent memory. Partly because its edgy storyline is just that good, and partly because there’s only one short season to its name. Given how much potential the premise has, that’s inexcusable. It’s a darkly hilarious murder-mystery inside a twisted superhero-origin story, what’s not to love? Nana claims she doesn’t have any powers, but her real talent is leaving you wanting more. Despite that, there’s been no word on a follow-up since the show wrapped in 2020. The manga is still ongoing, so fingers crossed we get a sequel sooner rather than later.
Adapting a sprawling visual novel into a 26-episode anime is a fool’s errand. But, nothing as silly as story integrity was going to stop “Umineko.” The final episode is the biggest culprit. Those last twenty minutes have enough twists and turns to fill a whole season on their own. Then, instead of resolving any of them, the “Umineko” anime leaves its viewers with a polarizing open-ended farewell. There is some artistic merit to these ideas, but there’s simply not enough time to do any of them justice. It’s a real shame because, with a bit more time and care, “Umineko” could’ve gotten the anime it deserved instead of whatever this is.
For a show with the word “end” in its name, it sure didn’t know how to do that. By the time “Seraph of the End” finished its first batch of episodes, it had already caught up to its source material. To bide time, the anime created a semi-original ending for the season that isn’t quite a cliffhanger, but not really a finale, either. It was a sour note to end on, especially as the wait for more material turned into years. At this point, enough time has passed that it seems unlikely anyone will double back to give “Seraph of the End” a proper sendoff.
The worst part of this quiet cancellation is that it had nothing to do with the show’s quality. On the contrary, “No Game No Life’s” contest-based world was a ridiculously fun ride from start to finish. It ended its season with a tease of more to come, but unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to distract from a series of behind the scenes issues. From the author’s failing health to some very serious plagiarism concerns, “No Game No Life” just couldn’t catch a break. The prequel film in 2017 is the last we’ve heard from the franchise, leading many to believe its time on screen has officially run out of lives.
There isn’t anything inherently wrong with “Lucky Star’s” ending. The show is about as slice-of-life as you can get, so it didn’t have any complex storylines or nuanced character arcs to wrap up. But that doesn’t mean we wanted the curtain to fall. “Lucky Star’s” referential humor and heartwarming themes made it the kind of show that could air for decades without getting stale. It’s maddening that they threw in the towel after just 24 episodes, especially since the manga continued on for years after. As sad as it is to admit it, if you’re hoping for a second season, you’ll be wishing on a star for a long time.
This one just got shot down before it could live up to any kind of potential. As a laid back young vampire, Staz made for a somewhat protagonist, given how he finds himself falling for a young human girl…who accidentally ends up getting killed and turned into a ghost. His sense of responsibility towards her and his own legacy as Dracula’s descendent had us all hungry to see where the series would take us. And then it ended in eleven episodes. Come on man! The manga isn’t exactly that long either, you could have at least pushed forward and make one solid, awesome show!
It’s bad enough when a seasonal anime gets shafted. Imagine waiting three years and still not getting a satisfying conclusion. Looking at you, “Zatch Bell.” The series spent almost 150 episodes faithfully adapting the manga’s story. But, when the story’s author broke his hand, the show quickly ran out of source material. Allegedly, the higher-ups didn’t think the show’s ratings could survive a hiatus. So, they made the unilateral decision to end the anime altogether. Although, calling it an ending is putting it nicely; it’s more of a “to-be-continued” that fades to black right before a big battle. Yeah, “disappointing” doesn’t even begin to cover it. At least we’ll always have the manga.
Talk about ripe for a sequel. This dark and gritty series was essentially Battle Royale with bombs, with gamers from around the world finding themselves competing in a real-life version of a famous video game, with some rather bloody results. While its ending was very much a satisfying one, it's clear that Ryota’s violent adventures were far from over. With the manga winding down towards its conclusion, what better time would there be to bring it back? As we all know, Ryota and Himiko’s problems didn’t finish on that island!
From episode one, this show was about Tsuna learning to become a mafia boss. But, if you thought that’s how the anime would end, you’d be very, very wrong. Rather than following the manga’s story to its conclusion, the “Reborn!” anime ended after the “Future Final Battle Arc.” Which, despite its name, is not supposed to be the show’s finale. Fans have never been given an official reason for the cancellation, which is confusing because “Reborn!” was a full-on multimedia brand. We’re talking video games, OVA’s, spinoffs, the whole shebang. If one of the best-selling manga of its time can’t even get a full adaptation, there’s no hope for anything else.
Everyone’s favorite guilty pleasure earned both ire and admiration for how even during a zombie apocalypse, ecchi conquers all. Well, much like the walking dead that now inhabit this world, we were hungry for more meat. More fanservice-based fight scenes, more of the ladies fighting over the protagonist, more of the gun otaku gradually increasing his arsenal until he decided to just nuke the town. We all know this series is the best kind of sleaze, so why didn’t you go all out and end things on a gloriously unrepentant note?
It’s modern-day Tokyo. Everything’s normal. And then, suddenly, a portal opens up, and with it, an endless amount of storytelling potential. “Gate” primarily follows the Japanese Self-Defense Forces as they beat back invading armies. There’s a ton of action, a ton of intrigue, and a ton of storylines to adapt from the light novels. So, where’s the next installment? No one knows. The last episode leaves the door open for more, but nothing has been announced since. It could have something to do with the fact that the series is partially produced by the actual Japanese Self-Defense Forces. Regardless of the reason, it’s clear that this “Gate” isn’t opening up again any time soon.
The one anime that was too weird even for Japanese audiences. Well, specifically Japanese parents, who weren’t fond of the afro-warrior’s sense of humor. Damn it, this show was legitimately funny! Even the dub still found a way to make the jokes work. The manga managed to spawn an entire follow up series littered with brilliant out-there moments, so it's not like there wasn’t a decent foundation for the show to use. Alas, we may never know whether Bobobo would ever defeat the Maruhage Empire, and now we know who to blame!
Parody anime tend to do rather well just so long as they have endearing characters, hilarious situations and a great sense of pace. This trio of high school boys accomplished this in spades, managing to get to the nerve of the jokes while highlighting the stressful highs and lows of school life. That being said, the manga just sort of ended…abruptly. Now the fate of the crazy literature girl will remain forever lost…
Combining the typical fantasy tropes with a gripping whodunit style narrative was a stroke of genius, so what happened? As seven warriors gather in the hopes of defeating the Demon King, they find themselves faced with a potentially deadly new situation; there’s only meant to be six of them. As deception and discord run rampant, we find ourselves questioning who among them could be the imposter. Then we find out…and that’s about it. Just as it looks like it's about to go down, that we’re about to see the six heroes kick ass together, the series ends. Talk about a tease.
The polish, swagger and overall slickness of this series made it an instant classic in the mind of so many fans. Everyone had a favorite character, who more often than not got a chance to shine as they used their newfound immortality to tear shit up all throughout prohibition America. So, the question stands; since the light novels are still being published, why would you waste the chance to continue the series? Do you need any other reason to keep things going other than an excuse to see more of Ladd Russo and Claire Stanfield?
Arguably the most underrated of underrated classics, it’s downright criminal that “Outlaw Star” only ever got one season. It’s a space-western with everything a good anime needs: heart, humor, and a heaping dose of style. Sadly, it just wasn’t enough to stand out. The anime adaptation was only a modest success; nothing embarrassing, but far short of what it needed to justify a second season. There were plans for a one-episode sequel OVA, but tragically, that never materialized. Knowing that we were this close to a true follow-up makes the open-ended finale even more bittersweet. Now a quarter of a century later, it’s obvious that “Outlaw Star” is a one-and-done affair.
In what is the bad idea to end all bad ideas, “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya” was aired out of order. As you can imagine, it was a confusing, bungled mess that turned off even the most hardcore fans. Thankfully, Haruhi doesn’t go down easy. It took a new season and a complete re-airing of the series, but she eventually turned into one of the most recognizable female characters in all of anime. You’d think she’d get a new season to capitalize on that popularity, right? Wrong. Even though Haruhi proved she can bring in an audience, we’ve been waiting on season three for over ten years and counting. Can someone please get on that?
We are fully aware this anime got itself two more recent adaptations. But let’s be honest here people, they aren’t that good, and if anything, they serve as a constant reminder to the glory days of this brutal masterpiece. The original Berserk ended on THE mother of all cliff-hangers, and while it missed out on important plot points like the Skull Knight, we can’t help but imagine how great future arcs could have been in the original's classic art style.
Which of these anime are most deserving of a sequel? Let us know in the comments below!
Top 20 Anime That Ended Too Soon
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 20 Anime That Ended Too Soon.
For this list, we’ll be looking at the anime that would have been better off with a few more seasons in their run.
#20: “Princess Jellyfish” (2010)
For eleven episodes straight, “Princess Jellyfish” tackled gender norms and societal expectations with a fun-loving optimism. But, recommending this show comes with a pretty big asterisk. You’ll be watching Tsukimi make the dresses of her dreams when, suddenly, the credits roll for the last time. There’s no episode twelve. Instead, “Princess Jellyfish” just sort of… ends, leaving most of its plotlines and character arcs unresolved. If you squint hard enough, you can kind of see a half-hearted resolution in the final minutes. But, this clearly wasn’t supposed to be the show’s farewell. The manga’s been complete since 2017, so there’s no good reason why we haven’t gotten a sequel yet.
#19: “Muv-Luv Alternative” (2021-22)
It’s shows like this that make you wonder, what was the point? “Muv-Luv Alternative” should have been the quintessential adaptation of the visual novel of the same name. After all, it had a great ending written before a single episode even aired. And yet, if you want to see the ending, you’ll need to play the game instead. For some inexplicable reason, the anime stopped one season short of finishing the story. It wasn’t a perfect adaptation by any means. But, “Muv-Luv Alternative” at least deserved to cross the finish line. Especially because, without a proper ending, there’s absolutely no reason to bother watching the anime at all.
#18: “Talentless Nana” (2020)
Take our word for it: “Talentless Nana” is one of the most bingeable shows in recent memory. Partly because its edgy storyline is just that good, and partly because there’s only one short season to its name. Given how much potential the premise has, that’s inexcusable. It’s a darkly hilarious murder-mystery inside a twisted superhero-origin story, what’s not to love? Nana claims she doesn’t have any powers, but her real talent is leaving you wanting more. Despite that, there’s been no word on a follow-up since the show wrapped in 2020. The manga is still ongoing, so fingers crossed we get a sequel sooner rather than later.
#17: “Umineko When They Cry” (2009)
Adapting a sprawling visual novel into a 26-episode anime is a fool’s errand. But, nothing as silly as story integrity was going to stop “Umineko.” The final episode is the biggest culprit. Those last twenty minutes have enough twists and turns to fill a whole season on their own. Then, instead of resolving any of them, the “Umineko” anime leaves its viewers with a polarizing open-ended farewell. There is some artistic merit to these ideas, but there’s simply not enough time to do any of them justice. It’s a real shame because, with a bit more time and care, “Umineko” could’ve gotten the anime it deserved instead of whatever this is.
#16: “Seraph of the End” (2015)
For a show with the word “end” in its name, it sure didn’t know how to do that. By the time “Seraph of the End” finished its first batch of episodes, it had already caught up to its source material. To bide time, the anime created a semi-original ending for the season that isn’t quite a cliffhanger, but not really a finale, either. It was a sour note to end on, especially as the wait for more material turned into years. At this point, enough time has passed that it seems unlikely anyone will double back to give “Seraph of the End” a proper sendoff.
#15: “No Game No Life” (2014)
The worst part of this quiet cancellation is that it had nothing to do with the show’s quality. On the contrary, “No Game No Life’s” contest-based world was a ridiculously fun ride from start to finish. It ended its season with a tease of more to come, but unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to distract from a series of behind the scenes issues. From the author’s failing health to some very serious plagiarism concerns, “No Game No Life” just couldn’t catch a break. The prequel film in 2017 is the last we’ve heard from the franchise, leading many to believe its time on screen has officially run out of lives.
#14: “Lucky Star” (2007)
There isn’t anything inherently wrong with “Lucky Star’s” ending. The show is about as slice-of-life as you can get, so it didn’t have any complex storylines or nuanced character arcs to wrap up. But that doesn’t mean we wanted the curtain to fall. “Lucky Star’s” referential humor and heartwarming themes made it the kind of show that could air for decades without getting stale. It’s maddening that they threw in the towel after just 24 episodes, especially since the manga continued on for years after. As sad as it is to admit it, if you’re hoping for a second season, you’ll be wishing on a star for a long time.
#13: “Blood Lad” (2013)
This one just got shot down before it could live up to any kind of potential. As a laid back young vampire, Staz made for a somewhat protagonist, given how he finds himself falling for a young human girl…who accidentally ends up getting killed and turned into a ghost. His sense of responsibility towards her and his own legacy as Dracula’s descendent had us all hungry to see where the series would take us. And then it ended in eleven episodes. Come on man! The manga isn’t exactly that long either, you could have at least pushed forward and make one solid, awesome show!
#12: “Zatch Bell!” (2003-06)
It’s bad enough when a seasonal anime gets shafted. Imagine waiting three years and still not getting a satisfying conclusion. Looking at you, “Zatch Bell.” The series spent almost 150 episodes faithfully adapting the manga’s story. But, when the story’s author broke his hand, the show quickly ran out of source material. Allegedly, the higher-ups didn’t think the show’s ratings could survive a hiatus. So, they made the unilateral decision to end the anime altogether. Although, calling it an ending is putting it nicely; it’s more of a “to-be-continued” that fades to black right before a big battle. Yeah, “disappointing” doesn’t even begin to cover it. At least we’ll always have the manga.
#11: “Btooom!” (2012)
Talk about ripe for a sequel. This dark and gritty series was essentially Battle Royale with bombs, with gamers from around the world finding themselves competing in a real-life version of a famous video game, with some rather bloody results. While its ending was very much a satisfying one, it's clear that Ryota’s violent adventures were far from over. With the manga winding down towards its conclusion, what better time would there be to bring it back? As we all know, Ryota and Himiko’s problems didn’t finish on that island!
#10: “Reborn!” (2006-10)
From episode one, this show was about Tsuna learning to become a mafia boss. But, if you thought that’s how the anime would end, you’d be very, very wrong. Rather than following the manga’s story to its conclusion, the “Reborn!” anime ended after the “Future Final Battle Arc.” Which, despite its name, is not supposed to be the show’s finale. Fans have never been given an official reason for the cancellation, which is confusing because “Reborn!” was a full-on multimedia brand. We’re talking video games, OVA’s, spinoffs, the whole shebang. If one of the best-selling manga of its time can’t even get a full adaptation, there’s no hope for anything else.
#9: “Highschool of the Dead” (2010)
Everyone’s favorite guilty pleasure earned both ire and admiration for how even during a zombie apocalypse, ecchi conquers all. Well, much like the walking dead that now inhabit this world, we were hungry for more meat. More fanservice-based fight scenes, more of the ladies fighting over the protagonist, more of the gun otaku gradually increasing his arsenal until he decided to just nuke the town. We all know this series is the best kind of sleaze, so why didn’t you go all out and end things on a gloriously unrepentant note?
#8: “Gate” (2015-16)
It’s modern-day Tokyo. Everything’s normal. And then, suddenly, a portal opens up, and with it, an endless amount of storytelling potential. “Gate” primarily follows the Japanese Self-Defense Forces as they beat back invading armies. There’s a ton of action, a ton of intrigue, and a ton of storylines to adapt from the light novels. So, where’s the next installment? No one knows. The last episode leaves the door open for more, but nothing has been announced since. It could have something to do with the fact that the series is partially produced by the actual Japanese Self-Defense Forces. Regardless of the reason, it’s clear that this “Gate” isn’t opening up again any time soon.
#7: “Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo” (2003-05)
The one anime that was too weird even for Japanese audiences. Well, specifically Japanese parents, who weren’t fond of the afro-warrior’s sense of humor. Damn it, this show was legitimately funny! Even the dub still found a way to make the jokes work. The manga managed to spawn an entire follow up series littered with brilliant out-there moments, so it's not like there wasn’t a decent foundation for the show to use. Alas, we may never know whether Bobobo would ever defeat the Maruhage Empire, and now we know who to blame!
#6: “Daily Lives of High School Boys” (2012)
Parody anime tend to do rather well just so long as they have endearing characters, hilarious situations and a great sense of pace. This trio of high school boys accomplished this in spades, managing to get to the nerve of the jokes while highlighting the stressful highs and lows of school life. That being said, the manga just sort of ended…abruptly. Now the fate of the crazy literature girl will remain forever lost…
#5: “Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers” (2015)
Combining the typical fantasy tropes with a gripping whodunit style narrative was a stroke of genius, so what happened? As seven warriors gather in the hopes of defeating the Demon King, they find themselves faced with a potentially deadly new situation; there’s only meant to be six of them. As deception and discord run rampant, we find ourselves questioning who among them could be the imposter. Then we find out…and that’s about it. Just as it looks like it's about to go down, that we’re about to see the six heroes kick ass together, the series ends. Talk about a tease.
#4: “Baccano!” (2007)
The polish, swagger and overall slickness of this series made it an instant classic in the mind of so many fans. Everyone had a favorite character, who more often than not got a chance to shine as they used their newfound immortality to tear shit up all throughout prohibition America. So, the question stands; since the light novels are still being published, why would you waste the chance to continue the series? Do you need any other reason to keep things going other than an excuse to see more of Ladd Russo and Claire Stanfield?
#3: “Outlaw Star” (1998)
Arguably the most underrated of underrated classics, it’s downright criminal that “Outlaw Star” only ever got one season. It’s a space-western with everything a good anime needs: heart, humor, and a heaping dose of style. Sadly, it just wasn’t enough to stand out. The anime adaptation was only a modest success; nothing embarrassing, but far short of what it needed to justify a second season. There were plans for a one-episode sequel OVA, but tragically, that never materialized. Knowing that we were this close to a true follow-up makes the open-ended finale even more bittersweet. Now a quarter of a century later, it’s obvious that “Outlaw Star” is a one-and-done affair.
#2: “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya” (2006-09)
In what is the bad idea to end all bad ideas, “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya” was aired out of order. As you can imagine, it was a confusing, bungled mess that turned off even the most hardcore fans. Thankfully, Haruhi doesn’t go down easy. It took a new season and a complete re-airing of the series, but she eventually turned into one of the most recognizable female characters in all of anime. You’d think she’d get a new season to capitalize on that popularity, right? Wrong. Even though Haruhi proved she can bring in an audience, we’ve been waiting on season three for over ten years and counting. Can someone please get on that?
#1: “Berserk” (1997-98)
We are fully aware this anime got itself two more recent adaptations. But let’s be honest here people, they aren’t that good, and if anything, they serve as a constant reminder to the glory days of this brutal masterpiece. The original Berserk ended on THE mother of all cliff-hangers, and while it missed out on important plot points like the Skull Knight, we can’t help but imagine how great future arcs could have been in the original's classic art style.
Which of these anime are most deserving of a sequel? Let us know in the comments below!
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