Overrated Anime Series Critics Love

I’ve noticed that with anime, it’s rarely a clear-cut case of a show being amazing or terrible. More often, there’s a lot of gray area. It’s easy to get swept up in the hype, particularly if it’s a sequel or part of a well-known series. Fans tend to focus on what a show does right and are hesitant to criticize flaws. This often leads to anime being hailed as instant classics when, honestly, they might not quite live up to that level.

These anime aren’t necessarily bad, and they can still be enjoyable. However, they shine more when you approach them with realistic expectations – recognizing they have flaws, rather than expecting perfection. They’re perfectly good, solid shows, even if they aren’t groundbreaking.

Dragon Ball Super Ruins a Perfect Formula Chasing Nostalgia

Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball is a hugely influential anime, inspiring many other action-packed shows. When people talk about the best parts of Dragon Ball, they usually mean the original series and Dragon Ball Z. While Dragon Ball Super brought the franchise back to a new audience, it wasn’t as strong as Dragon Ball Z, which itself had begun to feel repetitive and overly dramatic.

If you’re new to the Dragon Ball series, you might find the characters, their growth, and the villains engaging. However, longtime fans may be disappointed by characters seeming to lose progress and a constant focus on past events, even when it doesn’t fit the story. These choices lead to bringing back old villains like Frieza, Cell, and Broly instead of creating new, compelling threats. Dragon Ball Super clearly has a lot of heart, but it often feels like a weaker version of what came before – it’s decent, but not outstanding.

Demon Slayer’s Biggest Flaw is Prioritizing Style Over Substance

Koyoharu Gotouge’s Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba has become incredibly popular in the last ten years. In fact, two Demon Slayer movies are the highest-grossing films ever to come out of Japan. The series clearly knows how to connect with fans and deliver exciting, large-scale action that leaves them wanting more. However, the story itself isn’t particularly original.

While the story has some solid foundations, the stunning animation by Ufotable is really driving the success of this anime. Demon Slayer excels at delivering exciting action sequences and giving its villains compelling, detailed backstories. However, the show’s pacing is uneven, and many of the characters – including the protagonist, Tanjiro – fall into predictable and frustrating tropes.

Dated Tropes Drag Down Black Clover’s Anime

When Black Clover first came out in 2017, it quickly gained popularity. It’s notable as a shonen anime from the late 2010s that lasted almost 200 episodes. While the show has the potential to become truly great, its length also works against it. The story of Asta striving to become Wizard King takes a while to get going, and once it does, the rewarding moments feel too spread out.

One of the biggest challenges with Black Clover is its main character, Asta. He has a grating personality and voice that many viewers find annoying. While it’s common for heroes in shonen anime to grow over time, Asta’s change feels too sudden and is difficult to watch in the early episodes of Black Clover.

Solo Leveling’s Power Fantasy Appeal Won’t Last

Originally a web novel from South Korea, Solo Leveling gained even more popularity as a webtoon and then as an anime. It’s become a major success story for South Korean media, and that reputation followed it into the anime adaptation. While Solo Leveling builds a distinctive world, at its heart it’s a thrilling story about gaining power.

While Solo Leveling offers a surprisingly thoughtful take on social class and power dynamics compared to similar shows, its core premise of a character becoming incredibly powerful is fairly standard. Despite this, the story still has a lot of material left to cover, and with a live-action adaptation in development, its popularity is clearly growing. Solo Leveling delivers on the promise of a satisfying power fantasy – it’s just a familiar type of story for anime fans.

Tokyo Revengers Gets Too Repetitive to Be Fun Anymore

Despite a new season of the anime already planned, it’s surprising how quickly Tokyo Revengers feels forgotten. The series blends tough gang conflicts, time travel, and the idea of redemption, but looking back, it feels like many ideas didn’t quite come together. It’s become something of an example of style over substance.

The main character in Tokyo Revengers, Takemichi, is often too passive, and the story itself gets stuck in repetitive loops. Time travel stories require careful planning, but this anime’s use of time travel is riddled with plot holes. While the series has some genuinely moving moments, it doesn’t live up to the hype of being a truly great anime. It feels more like a fast-paced, somewhat cheesy action series than a high-quality drama.

Kaiju No. 8 Got Old With Shonen Anime Fans Really Fast

Kaiju No. 8 is a recent anime that quickly became popular, appealing to fans of action-packed battle series and giant monster stories like Godzilla. Initially, the show stood out with its unique format and surprisingly mature themes alongside its exciting action. However, as the story has progressed, it’s become more predictable, losing some of the qualities that made it special.

While Kaiju No. 8 continues to deliver exciting battles against uniquely designed and frightening monsters, the anime unfortunately loses its initial freshness. It quickly falls into familiar territory, becoming another story about a troubled hero caught between two sides. Ultimately, Kaiju No. 8 doesn’t live up to its early promise and becomes a fairly standard anime experience.

Tokyo Ghoul’s Messy Adaptations Made it Hard to Tell a Clean Story

Sui Ishida’s Tokyo Ghoul is a prime example of a series that didn’t quite live up to its promise. A poorly timed adaptation and flawed planning ultimately harmed the overall reputation of this popular manga. Tokyo Ghoul tells the story of Ken Kaneki, a shy college student who transforms into a half-ghoul after a bizarre accident and receives an organ transplant. Despite its issues, the story of Kaneki’s growth, the series’ distinctive visual style, and its thought-provoking themes still hold merit.

The anime adaptation of Tokyo Ghoul significantly departs from the source manga, then attempts to return to the plot, but does so with a noticeably fast pace, ultimately hindering the series’ potential. Despite the continued popularity of the Tokyo Ghoul franchise, it deserves a fresh start that truly captures the essence of the story. Even the best Tokyo Ghoul anime adaptation will likely remain only moderately successful.

Spy x Family’s Anime Hasn’t Lived Up to Fan Expectations

With three seasons and a movie already released, Spy x Family continues to be a delightful series. It cleverly blends elements of spy thrillers, silly humor, and heartwarming family moments, focusing on a unique family of spies. The show hasn’t lost its appeal, and Anya Forger remains a fan favorite who everyone wants to protect. It’s hard to say anything negative about Spy x Family because it’s consistently a kind and genuine show.

While still enjoyable, Spy x Family has settled into a comfortable routine and isn’t taking many risks with its story. The characters remain charming, but the series often relies on familiar jokes and plot points. Each episode usually delivers solid action and suspense, but the overall story arc feels stuck. Despite this, the world and characters are still engaging enough that it’s not a major flaw, though it becomes more noticeable when watching multiple episodes back-to-back.

Death Note’s Crazy Plot Twists Lead to Nowhere

I was immediately hooked by Death Note. The premise – a notebook that kills anyone whose name is written in it – is incredibly captivating. What really makes it stand out, though, are the fascinating characters and unsettling imagery, like the Shinigami Ryuk. It’s a show that makes you think, and it doesn’t shy away from exploring some really dark and complex psychological themes.

One issue with Death Note is its complex philosophical ideas, which are better suited for mature viewers. While not intended for children, the series’ themes resonate more strongly with younger audiences. Furthermore, the anime’s second story arc isn’t as strong as the first. This doesn’t ruin the show, but the later episodes aren’t quite as compelling.

It’s Time to Stop Pretending Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Doesn’t Have Flaws

Studio Bones’ Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is the second anime adaptation of Fullmetal Alchemist and is widely considered a masterpiece. It’s a significant improvement over the original series, particularly in its conclusion. However, viewers might be disappointed if they expect Brotherhood to be the absolute best anime ever made. It’s a dark and fantastical adventure following the Elric brothers, but it’s important to approach it without overly high expectations.

Even though I really enjoyed Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, it wasn’t flawless. I noticed the pacing was uneven – it felt really fast at the beginning, then slowed down considerably when it needed to pick up. This also affected the show’s tone, which occasionally leaned too heavily into comedy for the serious moments. There were a few other small issues too, like some fairly standard supporting characters and plot choices that didn’t quite land. Honestly, none of these things ruined the experience, but I can see why some fans might not want to acknowledge them at all.

2025-12-12 23:47