Anime/Manga Anime that started off good but ended terribly

[Satoshi Ookami]

Death Note.

First season (1-26?). AMAZING. The chess game-like nature of the conflict between Light and L was fascinating to watch, and since you understand the characters' intentions, even though Light's the villain, in some cases you almost hope he'all win.

The second arc has none of that. Mello and Near aren't as interesting, the action was slowed, and I just stopped watching it (except part of the last episode). I keep coming back to those first 26 episodes.

Boku Dake Ga Inai Machi/Erased is a recent one that comes to mind.
It started off incredibly promising, but the length hindered it because of all the deviations they had to make from the manga. It would've been so much better had the staff been granted at least 2 cours to plot it out imo.

Agree wholeheartedly with both.

 

[Lipstick Vogue]

Near was exactly the same as L and Mello was the best of the 3 (best boy in whole show). Part 2 was more interesting than the end part of 1 too imo.

 

[gimmepie]

I definitely liked part one of Death Note more than part two, but I don't think part two was nearly as bad as people like to make out.

 

[Somewhere_]

I disliked the part 2 of Deathnote as well. But maybe my distain for Mello and Near cloud my judgement?

Spoiler:

I also really wanted Light to win in the end. I am disappointed with the ending. Sometimes the bad guy has got to win.

 

[Iceshadow3317]

Akame Ga Kill for sure. It was freaking amazing and then...

Spoiler:

Freaking characters started dying left and freaking right. Akame was the only to survive out of the main group. It showed that all the company wanted was freaking money. It could have been a great anime and they didn't have to kill EVERYONE! By the time 3 ot 4 die, you knew all of them would die eventually. They should have let Akame and Tatsumi at the very least live.

That is probably the anime that has made me mad the most. I am sure there are a few others I have watched, but that one and definitely the worst.

 

[JaDe.X105]

I thought it was the other way round for SAO. Started out dull and then rapey fairy guy/kirito with a knife irl/kirito kneeing a guy in the face irl happened.

I think the points you bring up for it being the other way around are actually part of the reasons why SAO fits into this thread. Season 1 had such promise with them climbing through the floors, then when they get 3/4 of the way up suddenly the main villain is abruptly revealed and beaten. Then season 2 got even worse with the aforementioned rapey fairy guy as well as the cousin's incestuous interest in Kirito. This season also bothered me from the huge emphasis on drawing the female characters with exaggerated breasts and making most of them just sexual objects.

Death Note.

First season (1-26?). AMAZING. The chess game-like nature of the conflict between Light and L was fascinating to watch, and since you understand the characters' intentions, even though Light's the villain, in some cases you almost hope he'all win.

The second arc has none of that. Mello and Near aren't as interesting, the action was slowed, and I just stopped watching it (except part of the last episode). I keep coming back to those first 26 episodes.

Death Note definitely left me underwhelmed and I felt like it finished anticlimactically. As you said, the chess-like nature of Light and L always trying to plan 10 steps ahead of each other was so interesting, then that was lost. And I will agree that I was cheering for Light at certain times.

Another one I'd like to put forward is Darker than Black. Really interesting idea with the Contractors with their supernatural powers and associated payments, but I feel it just fizzled in the ending. Season 2 carried my attention the same way, it gave me just enough interest to keep watching, but in the end just ended on a really boring note.

 

[Sektor]

Gurren Lagann. I mean, the series had some bumps on the journey but the hero gets... nothing. I thought the hero would get some form of happy ending but was sadly mistaken. It ended terribly for more than a few characters in the end. I won't spoil anything, but damn, there were no more smooches to be had at the end of the series, just lots of crushed souls and broken people.

 

[Lipstick Vogue]

Gurren Lagann. I mean, the series had some bumps on the journey but the hero gets... nothing. I thought the hero would get some form of happy ending but was sadly mistaken. It ended terribly for more than a few characters in the end. I won't spoil anything, but damn, there were no more smooches to be had at the end of the series, just lots of crushed souls and broken people.

I think you've missed the point of the series tbh. Go watch it again.

 

[gimmepie]

Snip

I actually kind of liked that they weren't afraid to kill characters off.
Even if none of my favourites made it lol.

 

[Attribule]

Soul Eater.

I remember watching it with Sheep and the ending had me like, "Yup... that's the ending alright.."

It was great until literally the last episode or two.

 

[Sektor]

I think you've missed the point of the series tbh. Go watch it again.

I don't think I missed the point. All about saving universes and cracking ceilings yes, yes. But, in regards to the main character's significant others, several died off within the climax of the series. So, yes, there were no more smooches to be had in regards to the main characters. Unless nobody died. I didn't miss the point, I just though Gurren Lagann ended on a sad note. I don't cheer at the end because they defeated their foes, it was more of a quiet golf clap while still acknowledging the loss of several key characters.

Besides, it's an opinion piece, and I'm of the opinion that in regards to your opinion on my opinion that your opinion may or may not, pertaining to the said and aforementioned opinion that was earlier stated in regards to the anime Gurren Lagann, that the opinion truly and wholeheartedly doesn't matter. Gorgon.

 

[Harmonie]

Fairy Tail.

Perhaps it really is the same as when it started, and it's just that I've grown-up and grown weary of some cliches. The last arc in the recent anime just really made me think negatively of the series. When they tried to make me feel for the characters, I realized I straight-up didn't. Well, that's putting it really coldly. It was actually just something the plot tried to do successfully and ended up backfiring for me, but I won't go into details as not to spoil anyone.

There's also My Hero Academia. I suppose it falls on me that I expected it to be something I'd really find much entertainment from. I just thought it started off with a fun premises, and I really enjoyed those first episodes... But then they went to school and it all turned out to be really cliche and I got bored with it. Which, is why I'm saying it's my fault... Should have seen from the title that was where the series was headed. lol

 

[Lipstick Vogue]

I don't think I missed the point. All about saving universes and cracking ceilings yes, yes. But, in regards to the main character's significant others, several died off within the climax of the series. So, yes, there were no more smooches to be had in regards to the main characters. Unless nobody died. I didn't miss the point, I just though Gurren Lagann ended on a sad note. I don't cheer at the end because they defeated their foes, it was more of a quiet golf clap while still acknowledging the loss of several key characters.

Wouldn't say it was about saving universes and cracking ceilings tbh. Go watch it again.

Besides, it's an opinion piece, and I'm of the opinion that in regards to your opinion on my opinion that your opinion may or may not, pertaining to the said and aforementioned opinion that was earlier stated in regards to the anime Gurren Lagann, that the opinion truly and wholeheartedly doesn't matter. Gorgon.

Nice one, Sir Humphrey.

 

[Florges]

Mahou Sensou
Nuff said.

PREACH

This show had so much potential, plus it was a Madhouse production. What in the ever loving fuck happened?

Other shows included in this are Charlotte and Erased. I really hated Erased and how it overshadowed this year's best anime (Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu).

 

[Sektor]

Wouldn't say it was about saving universes and cracking ceilings tbh. Go watch it again ... Nice one, Sir Humphrey.

Don't know why you show such disdain. Tell you what, instead of having my own damn opinion, how about I just leave you with this: Joseph Cambell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces. If you really want to get technical on me, be my guest, go for it. You'll find the exact plot for Gurren Lagann within those pages, same as with every single anime/story/fiction ever. Good day.

 

[Lipstick Vogue]

I'm not saying that it didn't follow archetypes and I'm certainly not disdainful (you're already one of my favourite posters on here, even though you did end a post with ''good day''). It's not technical, just the overbearing theme for me was humanity and it's ability to struggle through whatever is thrown at it, less so robots and bigger robots. That extends to the ending too, they all lose something but they get on with it. It was bittersweet and certainly not fitting for this thread.

I did like Simon's end more in the film though, showing the thing with the flowers was cute.

Although thinking about it, it's Gainax. They probably set out to make a show about big boobs, big robots and bigger robots.

 

[Mana1]

Akame Ga Kill for sure. It was freaking amazing and then...

Spoiler:

Freaking characters started dying left and freaking right. Akame was the only to survive out of the main group. It showed that all the company wanted was freaking money. It could have been a great anime and they didn't have to kill EVERYONE! By the time 3 ot 4 die, you knew all of them would die eventually. They should have let Akame and Tatsumi at the very least live.

That is probably the anime that has made me mad the most. I am sure there are a few others I have watched, but that one and definitely the worst.

Wut, that's one of the things that make Akame ga Kill good in my eyes. Too many anime avoid killing characters to the point of hugeeee plot manipulations. This had a realistic outcome to a rebel invasion.

Soul Eater.

I remember watching it with Sheep and the ending had me like, "Yup... that's the ending alright.."

It was great until literally the last episode or two.

I always have a soft spot for Soul Eater. The premise is fun but yeah... ;-;

 

[Winter]

Kekkai Sensen, ERASED, Akame Ga Kill, Hitsugi no Chaika, Hamatora S2, Mahou Sensou, Black Bullet. I can even give more recent titles like Taboo Tattoo and Servamp. These are just the tip ignore the iceberg. I'm too tired and cbf'd to put out a Santa Claus Naughty Anime List.

 

[donavannj]

Like others have said, Charlotte starts out promising but totally tanks due to horrid pacing and a few other issues. I think the problems start earlier than others appear to think, though. That it even gets a 6 from me is a testament to the non-pacing elements like the soundtrack. It would have been less disappointing if it was a 2, 3, or even 4 cour anime.

Dimension W has some of the same problems Charlotte does and would have been better if it had more cours to work with. It also pulls a deus ex machina at the end, iirc.

And that's all that really comes to mind right now.

Wut, that's one of the things that make Akame ga Kill good in my eyes. Too many anime avoid killing characters to the point of hugeeee plot manipulations. This had a realistic outcome to a rebel invasion.

It had a moderately realistic outcome to a rebel invasion (certainly more realistic than most anime that catch fire in the mainstream that involve a rebellion). However, as a story, it telegraphed when most of its a characters were going to die:

Spoiler:

Pretty much every death of a main character was preceded by an episode or two of the viewer getting the character that was about to die shoved in their face, while that character got basically no screen time before that point, so you basically got to know the character and then, poof, they were killed off before you had time to get attached.

TL;DR: It put no focus on most characters until it was that character's turn to die. I have no issues with the fact that they killed them off, however. Just that it was super obvious when.

Granted, I never warmed up to the series to begin with, but it was difficult to catch on when for the reasons stated in the TL;DR in the spoiler.

Don't know why you show such disdain. Tell you what, instead of having my own damn opinion, how about I just leave you with this: Joseph Cambell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces. If you really want to get technical on me, be my guest, go for it. You'll find the exact plot for Gurren Lagann within those pages, same as with every single anime/story/fiction ever. Good day.

This thread is about anime that started off promising but ended up failing to meet expectations to the point where they end up as disappointments for you, not anime that end terribly for the characters themselves (if it were, it'd be discussing stories that deliberately become tragedies, not stories that become tragedies by being awfully written/executed in the back half of the story). It sounds like you still enjoyed TTGL, just that you were a bit disappointed that there wasn't an absolute happy end for every leading character.

There's also My Hero Academia. I suppose it falls on me that I expected it to be something I'd really find much entertainment from. I just thought it started off with a fun premises, and I really enjoyed those first episodes... But then they went to school and it all turned out to be really cliche and I got bored with it. Which, is why I'm saying it's my fault... Should have seen from the title that was where the series was headed. lol

I'd definitely put that squarely on you for not expecting a school setting with "Academia" in the name, haha.

 

[Sektor]

This thread is about anime that started off promising but ended up failing to meet expectations to the point where they end up as disappointments for you, not anime that end terribly for the characters themselves (if it were, it'd be discussing stories that deliberately become tragedies, not stories that become tragedies by being awfully written/executed in the back half of the story). It sounds like you still enjoyed TTGL, just that you were a bit disappointed that there wasn't an absolute happy end for every leading character.

I wouldn't choose to re-watch the anime, if that applies. As you say, it's about disappointments for the individual. As a result of the incurring deaths and lack of smooches I'd say that it was ultimately disappointing in the end, but not overall. I do apologize to those of you whom I've been blunt or abrasive with. I will reserve the right to express that given the circumstances surrounding the anime Gurren Lagann it disappointed me in a certain way.

Needless to say, not all tragedies or anime based on tragedies leave me with a bad aftertaste, and one of my favorites of all time Shigurui shows the end result of tragic loss of life and limb, but was not a disappointing story or show for me. I was caught unawares I suppose, by Gurren Lagann and I didn't fully appreciate it. I'm not one to want an anime to go on forever or even end in a good way for everyone, but Gurren Lagann saw me on the way out as a kind of frienemy. As you said before, an anime that failed my expectations. When you obtain the power to free the universe from subservience, I would imagine a much better end to it than what I received.

It's bitter sweet [Gurren Lagann]. Like marching against a tower or castle and doing battle with others to obtain riches and jewels only to find that those riches were burnt to ash or melded beyond recognition and the paintings are nothing more than memories. Even though you've won the battle and even the war, each result winds with you grasping at nothing more than a handful of sand. You've fought the tyrant's armies, freed the princess and freed the people only to realize the princess is a lifeless husk and the majority of your comrades lay dead in the halls. Even through all of this, could you look upon the blood soaked battlefield strewn with the vacant expressions of the dead and dying and claim it as a victory? Simon became a proverbial king, fighting through thick and thin, but a king that sits upon a throne of sand isn't much a king at all.

Each character was left broken, and from personal psychological experience (if they were real) many of these characters would suffer the kind of mental loss as any human would. The PTSD and the terror that makes you break out in nightsweats at 0300 on an idle Tuesday, with no explanation as to why you're afraid or why you're suffering from a panic attack. Maybe I look to far into it, but moving on takes a long time. Simon lost some of his closest friends and family. He isn't a hero I envy, and the disappointment I felt for the characters was enough for me. I hope that explains it a little bit more in depth from my perspective.

Another anime that disappointed me overall was probably Gunslinger Girl. I thought it moved a little too slow at the time, and I'm willing to give it another shot. I don't even recall watching all of its episodes.