The unfortunate nature of the anime industry is that time is a limited resource. Anime studios need time to create their best work, but often don't have the schedule to accommodate that. Anime production committees need to have their shows continued, so they are passed to alternate studios that have available time to work on them.
While it may make sense for a business, anime fans are often wary about a change in studios. Whether it's a change in tone or noticeable differences in art style or animation quality, there are anime that have suffered at the hands of studio changes.
10 Attack On Titan Had Fans Arguing About CGI
Studio Wit simply didn't have enough time in their schedule to commit to taking on the fourth season of Attack On Titan. So, the anime was handed to Studio Mappa to handle the final season. Most fans have been pleased with the overall result of this change. But, the notable outlier is the response to the art style and animation differences. Characters look subtly different, and the use of CGI for Attack On Titan's characters has been the subject of much controversy.
9 Psycho-Pass Was Not Written The With The Same Quality
Psycho-Pass debuted as a modern psychological thriller taking place in a beautifully realized cyberpunk future. Production I.G was at the helm for its initial season, but the reins were handed to Tatsunoko Production for season 2. While the quality of the animation and visual design remained high for Psycho-Pass, fans thought the second season's writing didn't live up to the original. The absence of legendary season one writer, Gen Urobuchi, was felt.
8 One-Punch Man's Fight Scenes Suffered
One-Punch Man is a beloved modern classic to many anime fans and it was the result of a dream team coming together at studio Madhouse, including Shingo Natsume. It took four long years after the first season for fans to finally see a continuation. The staff that worked with Madhouse to produce season 1 of One-Punch Man were no longer available, so it was given to J.C. Staff instead.
The result was a fine sequel. But it was one that arguably lacked polish with its art style, and One-Punch Man suffered heavily in its fight animation.
7 Log Horizon Focused On Characters The Fans Didn't Like
As far as isekai stories in anime go, Log Horizon stands out. It focuses more on politics and world-building than action. Log Horizon was wonderfully brought to life by Satelight in the first season. Subsequent seasons have since been in the hands of studio Deen, and most fans of Log Horizon have been disappointed with the its new direction. A change in focus to different characters in season 2 was unwelcome, and fans complained about the noticeable drop in art quality.
6 Gunslinger Girl Changed Its Art Style
Gunslinger Girl is a cult classic anime that presented interesting characters and a surprisingly serious story about young women and covert assassinations. Gunslinger Girl switched hands between seasons, changing from Madhouse to Artland.
Fans of Gunslinger Girl have debated the differences between the two seasons. The general consensus is that fans were unhappy with the slight drop in animation quality and art style changes. Despite this, Artland's Gunslinger Girl resembled the manga more closely.
5 The Seven Deadly Sins Became A Meme Among Anime Fans
When it first started, The Seven Deadly Sins was a straightforward but promising new addition to the shonen genre. A-1 Pictures handled Seven Deadly Sins' initial run but dropped it after Aniplex decided that it was underperforming. Much like Log Horizon, Seven Deadly Sins was handed over to studio Deen. Deen itself asked for assistance from an outside studio called Marvy Jack.
The result was a dramatic drop in visual quality that spawned memes in the anime community. The newer Seven Deadly Sins led to fan petitions to request that the anime be remade under the hands of a different team.
4 High School DxD Changed Its Tone
Studio TNK created the first three seasons of High School DxD. Fans of High School DxD enjoyed the mixture of harem, comedy, and a more serious turn to action. Yet, the studio drifted away from the manga storyline during season 3. This prompted the DxD creator to hand it over to studio Passione. Passione was a new team at the time. While a few fans had issues with the animation in the fourth season of High School DxD, a softer art style that had fewer hard edges on characters appeared.
3 Hayate The Combat Butler Introduced Anime Original Elements
Many anime switch between two studios. Hayate The Combat Butler changed between three. SynergySP created the original season, J.C. Staff did the second, while the third and fourth seasons were animated by Manglobe. This mixture of different teams created distinctly different seasons without an overarching tone or directions for fans to attach to.
The first two seasons of Hayate tried to faithfully follow the manga. But, the second season ret-conned many events of the first. Meanwhile, the following seasons focused on side characters that barely had any presence in the manga.
2 Fairy Tail Split The Fans Between Two Styles
A-1 Pictures and Satelight produced the initial seasons of the shonen hit, Fairy Tail. After their work was done, the sequel seasons were made as a joint effort between A-1 Pictures and Bridge. Among the many differences between the seasons, the most noticeable were the changes to the tone, color palette, and character designs.
Bridge had made the sequel seasons of Fairy Tail feel darker and muted, which was a closer match for the manga in both look and storytelling. However, some fans missed the more colorful look and feel of the earlier seasons.
1 Minami-Ke Suffered Drastic Changes
Studio Daume animated the first season of Minami-Ke, a slice-of-life comedy about three sisters. When the second season was given to studio Asread, fans had a lot to complain about. The change in studios brought about drastic differences in character designs, including different hair colors and eyes. To make matters worse, Minami-Ke introduced an anime-original character that did not have any relevance to the story set out by the manga.