10 Classic 90s Anime that Are Unwatchable Today

Anime is a fascinating way to tell stories, and each decade has its own special feel. The 1990s were a turning point for anime, helping it gain popularity around the world. Groundbreaking shows like Cowboy Bebop, Serial Experiments Lain, Trigun, and Neon Genesis Evangelion first appeared then, and people are still discussing them today.

Many people remember the 1990s as a peak period for anime, but not every show from that era has aged well. While some ‘90s anime remain timeless classics, others were popular at the time but now feel dated or even cringeworthy.

Rurouni Kenshin Is A Satisfactory Samurai Series That’s Steeped In Controversy Because Of Its Creator

Rurouni Kenshin is a great example of how anime fans respond to certain themes and when those themes work well. It’s often considered the original wandering samurai action series and has heavily influenced many anime and manga we see today. While it doesn’t offer anything completely new, Rurouni Kenshin tells an enjoyable story that blends historical events from the Meiji period with supernatural elements.

While Rurouni Kenshin is a good anime, many fans have stopped watching it due to the serious crimes committed by its creator, Nobuhiro Watsuki, which came to light in 2018. The series also suffers from some pacing issues common in ’90s action anime, and with so many other excellent samurai anime available, it’s understandable why some choose not to support Watsuki’s work.

Kite Turns Traumatized Children Into Detached Death Dealers

I’ve always been fascinated by stories that explore really dark territory, and Kite, an anime from 1998, definitely does that. It’s a tough watch, honestly, because it centers around Sawa, a young girl forced into the world of assassination after tragedy strikes. What’s interesting is that anime sometimes feels like it can go further with these kinds of stories – maybe because it’s animated, there’s a bit of distance that allows for exploring really extreme scenarios. Sawa is trained to be completely ruthless, and the film doesn’t shy away from showing just how far she’ll go to survive. While I found it a compelling, if disturbing, look at a damaged character, a lot of people find it way too over-the-top and sadistic – and I can see why.

Both Kite and its follow-up, Kite Liberator, have been prohibited in some countries due to their disturbing content. Kite is a noteworthy film for its time and even inspired a character’s personality in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill. However, not all viewers appreciate such graphic and unpleasant themes.

Marmalade Boy Creates A Deeply Creepy Romantic Comedy

Most romantic comedies involve couples facing obstacles, but Marmalade Boy takes that idea to an extreme. The story, which feels even more shocking now than when it first came out, starts with a unique situation: two families decide to switch spouses after getting divorced. This means their teenage children suddenly find themselves living together as step-siblings under one roof.

Despite recently becoming step-siblings, these two can’t shake their romantic feelings for each other. The 76-episode anime series features a particularly awkward and drawn-out “will they/won’t they” dynamic. While Marmalade Boy aims to be heartwarming, it often relies on some of the most overused and awkward clichés from anime of the 1990s.

The Ping Pong Club’s Lascivious Comedy Hasn’t Aged Well

What people find funny is always a matter of opinion, and comedy often doesn’t age well – jokes that were once hilarious can become awkward or even offensive over time. This isn’t just true for anime; many popular live-action comedies from the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s haven’t held up. The Ping Pong Club is similar to films like Meatballs, Weird Science, and Spring Break, but because it’s an anime, it takes its outrageous situations even further.

A group of high school outsiders form a ping pong club, but it’s really a cover for their attempts to meet girls. While promoted as an anime version of South Park, the show actually feels more like the movie Superbad. Though it still has some funny moments, The Ping Pong Club feels dated and is probably best left as a relic of the past.

His & Her Circumstances Runs Out Of Resources & Is Pushed Into Parody

The anime His and Her Circumstances, also known as Kare Kano, offers a compelling look at ambition and a heartwarming romance. It beautifully portrays two high school students who find the courage to be themselves around each other. While the series features a genuinely sweet and relatable love story, its later episodes become difficult to watch due to the personal struggles of its creator, Hideaki Anno.

The anime His and Her Circumstances suffered from severe budget cuts, eventually reaching a point where animators resorted to simply moving paper cutouts on sticks instead of creating full animation. While some fans appreciate these limitations – particularly considering similar production challenges faced by the director on Neon Genesis Evangelion – others may find the resulting inconsistent animation quality too jarring to enjoy.

Urotsukidoji: Legend Of The Overfiend Showcases A Dated Trend That’s Now Used Against It

Urotsukidoji: Legend of the Overfiend was a pioneering anime that helped launch the trend of extreme erotic horror in the 1980s. The series depicts a dramatic, end-of-the-world conflict between demons, humans, and creatures that are part human, part beast. While visually stunning and unique, the content is often disturbing and graphic, making it a challenging watch for many.

Urotsukidoji is part of a niche genre that isn’t for everyone. While it remains an interesting example of its kind, it’s not as highly regarded as it once was. What originally made it popular is now often used negatively to criticize similar works.

Cardcaptor Sakura Doesn’t Do Enough To Break Free From Its Mold & Falls Prey To Tedious Tropes

While both Cardcaptor Sakura and Sailor Moon are popular anime from the ’90s, Cardcaptor Sakura often doesn’t receive as much recognition. Both shows underwent significant editing and censorship when dubbed in English, but the English version of Cardcaptor Sakura, known as Cardcaptors, altered the original series’ core themes and characters’ reasons for acting. Whether you watch the original or the dubbed version, Cardcaptor Sakura also frequently uses the concepts of friendship and love as simple solutions to its problems.

This diminishes the unique qualities of Cardcaptor Sakura, reducing it to just another typical magical girl story. While the show’s strong character relationships are a highlight, they aren’t enough to overcome the abundance of predictable, self-contained episodes that distract from the more important parts of the narrative.

Fushigi Yugi Reduces Its Main Character To A Passive, Problematic Stereotype

Anime was incredibly popular in the 1990s, and Fushigi Yugi was a standout series. It offered a unique twist on the “isekai” genre – stories about being transported to another world – by turning two close friends into enemies. The story begins when Miaka and Yui are pulled into a mysterious realm within a book called “The Universe of the Four Gods.” They become priestesses serving different gods and find themselves competing to gain power by collecting seven powerful Celestial Warriors.

Despite a promising start, Fushigi Yugi suffers from predictable and overused story elements. The main character, Miaka, often feels helpless and relies on men to rescue her, falling into the frustrating ‘reverse harem’ trope. While popular when it was first released, the series now highlights how many older anime reinforced outdated and problematic ideas about gender roles, identity, and relationships.

Sailor Moon Succumbs To Endless Filler & Poor Pacing That Plagues Its Storytelling

While the original Sailor Moon anime has a lot of episodes – 200 in total – and can feel lengthy to watch, it’s still visually stunning. Many fans enjoy focusing on the show’s beautiful character designs and vibrant colors through screenshots and artwork. Similar to how some feel about Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Z Kai, a lot of Sailor Moon fans believe the slower parts and filler episodes actually contributed to their love of the series.

Many fans still prefer the original Sailor Moon over Sailor Moon Crystal, even though Crystal is faster-paced and more polished. While Sailor Moon Crystal lacks some of the charm of the original, the original Sailor Moon hasn’t aged well. It has flaws that make it more appealing as an idea than as something to actually watch.

Tenchi Muyo! Embraces Harem Tropes & Shallow Storytelling

The Tenchi Muyo! franchise includes five TV series, three films, and several spin-offs. This demonstrates the significant impact Tenchi Muyo! has had on anime, and it’s still considered a major example of the “harem” genre. It also played a role in making the “hot spring” scene – a trope that became quite common and often problematic – popular for many years.

Honestly, Tenchi Muyo! isn’t even close to being the most risqué harem anime out there, and Tenchi Masaki is a more compelling lead character than many others we see. However, the series also feels dated, and what used to be endearing now seems a bit problematic.

2025-12-02 19:44