Overrated Anime Franchises The Industry Needs to Leave Behind in the Next 10 Years

The anime world is constantly growing, but beloved classics continue to be popular year after year. Shows like Sailor Moon, Naruto, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Dragon Ball have become iconic for entire generations, and newer hits such as Jujutsu Kaisen, Solo Leveling, and Mob Psycho 100 seem poised to do the same. However, given today’s short attention spans and quickly changing trends, it’s worth considering how long even legendary franchises will stay relevant.

Many established anime franchises are struggling to stay relevant as new, exciting shows gain popularity. Anime is constantly changing, and viewers are now more discerning, expecting strong character development and fresh storylines. While some older series were once incredibly popular, they’re being surpassed by newer anime that offer original ideas and push the boundaries of the industry.

Demon Slayer Is Carried By The Art Style, But Its Writing Leaves More To Be Desired

While Demon Slayer‘s beautiful artwork is a major reason for its popularity, the story itself is fairly typical. It leans heavily on familiar tropes from classic Shōnen anime and manga, and characters like Zenitsu and Inosuke can be irritating if you’re not already a fan.

The Demon Slayer series has been incredibly successful, but its success relies heavily on its presentation. A movie like Infinity Castle, filled with emotional flashbacks, wouldn’t have worked for most anime, and even for Demon Slayer, it needed Ufotable’s amazing animation to pull it off. While anime is a visual medium, and Demon Slayer is known for being beautiful, the story itself is somewhat weak and relies too much on familiar tropes.

Attack on Titan Needs to be Put to Rest

The manga for Attack on Titan concluded in 2022, and the anime finished its run in 2023. Despite the story being over, fans can still enjoy new merchandise and experiences, like live concerts featuring the show’s music. The series has definitely become well-known in popular culture, but some feel it’s time to move on.

Tetsuya Kinoshita, who produced Attack on Titan, feels that while fans enjoyed things like The Last Attack movie and the Beyond the Walls concert tour, creating more new content could be problematic. Given the ongoing debate surrounding the anime’s ending – even three years later – and the fact that the manga is complete, any original additions would likely spark further disagreement among fans. Kinoshita believes it’s best to let Attack on Titan and its story stand as they are.

Fanservice Is Dragging Down Darling In The FRANXX

Although the anime Darling in the FRANXX concluded in 2018, fans continue to receive new merchandise and figures, especially of the character Zero Two. The series is well-regarded for its unique qualities, and many praise the first half for its engaging story and detailed world. However, the show falters significantly in its second half. Both the anime and manga versions share a critical weakness that ruins the overall experience and discourages many viewers from continuing or even starting the series.

Darling in the FRANXX is known for its excessive fanservice, going further than most anime. While this is typical for works by creator Kentaro Yabuki, it can be surprising for new viewers. Many other anime offer compelling stories without relying on gratuitous content, making the show’s over-the-top approach feel unnecessary and off-putting.

Tokyo Revengers Hasn’t Left Much of a Legacy and Is Already Getting Outshined

When Tokyo Revengers first launched in 2021, it gained a lot of attention due to its stylish characters and interesting mix of gang fights and time travel. However, excitement died down quickly. After the first season, many fans started reading the original manga and found significant problems with the story. Ultimately, Tokyo Revengers doesn’t really stand up to the quality of many of the most popular anime series released over the past four years.

Compared to Tokyo Revengers, both Bucchigiri and Wind Breaker are more enjoyable, featuring protagonists that viewers will likely find more appealing than Takemichi. Bucchigiri also boasts more striking character designs, making it potentially more successful with merchandise. Plus, it’s well-written, offering a satisfying story for fans. Ultimately, Tokyo Revengers may not have the lasting impact of these other series and could be largely forgotten within the next ten years.

Boruto Doesn’t Have Any Hope Of Improving

While people still frequently talk about the original Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden, its sequel, Boruto, rarely comes up in casual conversation. Attempts to correct issues from the original series with Boruto feel like too little, too late, and are actually harming the franchise’s overall reputation. Naruto and Shippuden will likely remain popular for years, and it would have been better to end the story with Shippuden rather than continue it with a sequel that risks damaging its legacy.

While Boruto tried to update the original Naruto series with new ideas and characterizations, these efforts didn’t succeed because the story lacked a clear focus. Two Blue Vortex is a significant attempt to fix this, but it’s likely too late to change how fans view Boruto. The series is also making drastic changes to established elements of the Naruto universe, and these big shifts won’t convince many viewers that the story is worth investing in. In the end, Naruto‘s impact will likely always be greater than Boruto‘s.

Bleach’s Flaws Make it Stick Out Like a Sore Thumb Compared to its Competition

It’s clear that Bleach is a classic Shōnen anime, but it doesn’t quite hold up against today’s popular series. When compared to the other two anime considered part of the ‘Big 3,’ Bleach was consistently the least impactful. While the manga was stronger than the anime adaptation, many fans found the ending unsatisfying, especially when measured against its competitors.

Honestly, I’ve always found Ichigo Kurosaki a bit more laid-back than heroes like Naruto or Luffy, and while that’s not bad, it does get a little annoying when you see powers just appear out of nowhere. It makes it tough to really get invested in his fights. Looking at anime today, shows like Solo Leveling and Jujutsu Kaisen just do things so much better. The new generation of series really raises the bar, and Bleach just struggles to keep up when its main character isn’t always compelling or things don’t quite make sense.

Rent-A-Girlfriend Is a Joke That Went Too Far

Rent-A-Girlfriend started strong but has become repetitive and drawn-out. The plot barely moves forward, relying on stalling tactics instead of genuine storytelling. Beyond the main character, Kazuya, constantly embarrassing himself, there’s little to no progress in the story or any development for the characters. It’s a series that feels like it’s run out of ideas, and viewers might eventually lose interest.

Despite its many flaws, Rent-A-Girlfriend continues to attract viewers. It often feels like people are only watching to see how the show can possibly get even more problematic with each new season.

Many anime fans consider Rent-A-Girlfriend to be a particularly weak series, making it frustrating to see it consistently renewed while better romance anime are overlooked. However, shows like My Happy Marriage and The Apothecary Diaries are becoming more popular, and ultimately, these more compelling series are likely to outperform Rent-A-Girlfriend in the long run.

2025-12-18 05:41