Animeand manga series can often have a pretty difficult time reaching the finish line of a story. Artists have to deal with grueling schedules while feeling the constant weight of expectations from readers and publications, and it isn’t rare for a story to suffer from these conditions. Creators can very easily lose passion or run out of steam,and in turn, their work can fall flat.
Drawing manga isn’t an easy job, and unfortunately, even the most promising titles have dropped the ball for one reason or another. Some are still looked at fondly by fans, despite running into issues, while others have become infamous for their fall-offs. Bad manga has never been rare, but it’s all the more upsetting when a series' good start is squandered later down the line.
Akame ga Kill!arrived in 2010 and immediately caught the attention of manga fans around the world. The series offered an interesting enough premise and nicely fleshed-out characters, while offering some not-so-subtle commentary regarding corruption hiding in unthinkable places.
When the anime adaptation premiered in 2014, the hype surroundingAkame ga Kill!hit an all-time high, and audiences rushed to the source material in droves to see just what bloody events the series had in store.Unfortunately, neither the anime nor the manga could really reach the finish line unscathed.
While the anime’s disastrous ending is far worse in a variety of ways, mostly stemming from its own original conclusion, the manga reveals itself to be just as shallow on some occasions. Its final arc is rushed, with little buildup or emotional payoff despite the high death counts, and its reliance on shock value cheapens much of the experience. It’s a better experience than the anime, but still not great.
The Promised Neverland’s original manga is somewhat lucky that its anime adaptation is one of the most infamous in recent years, as it seems to distract from the fact that the manga too squandered its fantastic start. While the series' eventual fall-off pales in comparison tothe disaster that was the anime’s second season, it suffers in its final act.
The Promised Neverland’s opening arcs are captivating, using a suspenseful cat and mouse chase to lure in the audience, before revealing that what awaited the children over the walls of the orphanage was far worse than anyone could have imagined.
Unfortunately, the series eventually limps its way to the finish line following the incredible Goldy Pond arc, a section the anime omitted in its entirety. In an effort to reach a conclusion,the emotional tension that defined its earlier arcs had all but vanishedin favor of large-scale conflict and action, and the series wrapped up before many of its mysteries could be solved.
Oshi no Komade itself known to the wider manga-reading community with its outlandish concept and one of the wildest first chapters ever. When the anime premiered in 2023, its first episode had much the same impact, skyrocketing the series' popularity.
A supernatural mystery manga in which the protagonist is reincarnated as the child of the idol he adored has a gripping enough opening, but when that idol is killed, sending him on an obsessed revenge mission, all the ingredients are lined up for one hell of a story.
Unfortunately,Oshi no Kowould laterfall into many of the tropes that have come to define the rom-com genre, rather than keeping itself focused on the mystery and revenge aspects of the series. What resulted was a bit of a mess that had trouble keeping a consistent tone and pacing, and the series ultimately wrapped up withone of the most controversial endings in recent times.
Gantzis a psychological thriller-action-sci-fi series that impressed readers early on with tight, suspenseful storytelling and brutal, bloody action. Its initial premise of taking two recently deceased high school students and forcing them into a sort of purgatory game was a hit with readers, and allowed for a unique and gripping experience.
However, it didn’t take too long forGantzto fly entirely off the railswith inconsistent pacing, an overwhelming number of new characters introduced, the sudden inclusion of vampires only for those vampires to go largely unexplained, and other consistent, troubling issues.
The manga can still be a fun read, but its hiccups ultimately cause the series to fail to capitalize on the potential it showed early on.
Food Wars!burst onto the scene in 2012 and made a name for itself with its divisive fan service, addictive plot, and likable protagonist. Manga fans either loved or hated the series, and the fact that it did lean so heavily into its fan-servicey moments attracted readers who wanted to see what the fuss was all about.
In its early goings,Food Wars!placed its focus on main character Soma Yukihira, andfollowed his growth as a chefat the prestigious Totsuki Culinary Academy. Unfortunately, that growth became incredibly rushed as the series progressed, and eventually stunted Soma by having him reach a high status without much build-up and payoff.
By the timeFood Wars!entered its final act, the story beatshad become highly repetitive and didn’t offer much in terms of character growth.
Prison Schoolbegan serialization in 2011 and captured the attention of manga fans with itssomewhat ridiculous, semi-parody premise and abundance of fan service. A short time later, however, readers slowly became more immersed in the story when its main characters began showing some actual growth and moments of introspection.
Unfortunately, by the time the series reaches its conclusion, much of that character growth is thrown entirely out of the window, and the series leaves at a rather absurd endpoint.Prison Schoolhad already begun to meander in its middle sections, spending far too long on certain plot points and then going on to rush right through its finale.
Most readers weren’t expecting much from a raunchy comedy series in the first place, but many now choose to act as though the conclusion toPrison Schoolnever happened at all.
Rent-A-Girlfriendpremiered in 2017 and convinced many that it might just be the next big rom-com hit.40 volumes later and most fans of the genre are just waiting for it to come to an end. The series initially impressed readers with its high-quality artwork and college setting, which was and still is unique in a genre largely dominated by high school hijinks.
Its early goings displayed some growth among its characters, with the constant development of new drama, as well as the risk of Kazuya and Chizuru’s fake relationship falling apart, helping to keep fans on their toes. However,Rent-A-Girlfriendsimply continued on for far too long, and any character development was consistently walked back on in order to continue the series forward.
Currently, Kazuya has paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for fake dates with Chizuru, and still has nothing to show for his efforts. He, nor any other member of the cast, are even remotely likable, and it seemsRent-A-Girlfrienddoesn’t have any intention of coming to an end soon. It’s unknown just how much longer it will continue, butit’s unlikely the series improves from here.
1Bunny Drop
Written and Illustrated by Yumi Unita
Bunny Drop, also known asUsagi Drop, madea big splash with its anime adaptation in 2011, and made countless fans out of its viewers. The series follows 30-year-old Daikichi, who, after learning about the existence of his grandfather’s illegitimate six-year-old daughter, becomes the girl’s guardian.
What follows arethe heartfelt experiences of a wholly unprepared man learning how to become a single parent. Though it’s difficult, Daikichi learns to love his daughter, eventually deciding that his rash decision that fateful day was worth it. However, the anime ended there despite the manga continuing far beyond that point, and countless fans rushed to find out what happened next.
Unfortunately, most wished they didn’t, and remain scarred by their experiences well over a decade later. The manga continues on with a timeskip that sees the young Rin becoming a high school student and realizing she has romantic feelings for Daikichi, who tells her they can get together if she still feels the same after graduating.
To the dismay of the audience, her feelings remain, and upon learning they aren’t related, Rin decides she wants to have Daikichi’s child. Any wholesome development from before the timeskip lost its appeal in an instant, and fans walked away from the series disgusted at what had taken place. There are disappointing endings, and there are nuclear meltdowns.Bunny Dropfeatures the latter.
