Don't Watch the Anime
Manga (and novels) that had disappointing anime adaptations (according to me). Series that only had piecemeal "greatest hits" OVAs will also be included. Series that fell off after a promising debut are also included. Series with one good adaptation but some bad ones are also included.
created by farron
last updated April, 2026
![ワンパンマン 1 一撃 [One Punch Man 1: Ichigeki]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1364262171i/17694052.jpg)
Comments
you are so real for this list
Please drop your suggestions here!
[muttering real quiet so people can choose to pretend they didn't hear me] chainsaw man...
farronOP
I'm sorry, I am going to pretend I didn't hear that. I've read up to what the anime adapts and I think it's pretty great. 😅 I could understand why you'd think so, though!!
[whispering so so sooo softly] i just think mappa was a poor choice [walking towards a cave] for a manga with the breakneck pacing of ren & stimpy [the cave mouth swallows me] to be turned into prestige television™ [barely audible now] when it could've gone to trigger [speaking at a frequency only bats can hear] or at least had someone like kai ikarashi in charge [i fall into the earth's core and dissolve]
I’m gonna drop my nominations of Soul Eater (the world’s most mediocre ending 🤢), Deadman Wonderland and Gantz. Disappointment city all around 🫣
farronOP
Those ones are notorious!! I hadn't seen them for myself so I didn't want to add them, but they should definitely go on the list.
The Tokyo ghoul anime might be the adaptation that filled me with the most rage I ever had the displeasure of watching, the rage I felt when watching it was immense 😂 It had some opening and endings that were great, so I guess I have to thank it for introducing me to amazarashi at least
farronOP
The music was so good for such a mid series!!
They needed something to not make you close the episode immediately 😭
omg promised neverland....
Okay 1997 Berserk, worth it. Anything that came out after that, we don’t talk about it. 😬
farronOP
Yeah, I liked the OVA but even from small clips the TV show looked like ass. 💀
I hadn't seen the Uzumaki anime adaptation yet. That's too bad about that one!
I remember seeing a live action adaptation years ago that was quite different and not the best, though it feels nostalgic these days 🤭
farronOP
Yeah, it pretty notoriously just... ran out of budget partially through, and they decided to just put it out anyway. The first episode or two are a pretty good adaptation, though!
