Anime may be one of the most beloved forms of entertainment these days, but not every new animated manga adaptation or original series is an instant winner or loser. In fact, many of these shows fall right in the middle.

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For one reason or another, these anime can only be loved or hated in the eyes of certain viewers and critics. From controversial shows to blockbuster hits, these anime won't be getting a unanimous consensus anytime soon.

10 Goblin Slayer's First Episode Made Or Broke The Show For Viewers

Goblin Slayer Saves The Day In Goblin Slayer

To say that Goblin Slayer has one of the most controversial pilot episodes in anime history would be an understatement. Here, Priestess' entire party was brutally killed and/or assaulted by a cave full of goblins. The day is then saved by the merciless Goblin Slayer, who ended the failed cave expedition by killing goblin babies.

This episode alone was more than enough for some viewers to either leave the anime in disgust or for them to defend it. While some found the first episode to be nothing but cheap shock value, others thought it was a great (albeit admittedly disturbing) way to open an R-Rated dark fantasy anime.

9 Future Diary Kick-Started The Edgy Death Game Anime, For Better & Worse

Yuki And Yuno Embrace In The Future Diary

Death game anime like Darwin's Game or High-Rise Invasion owe a lot to Future Diary, as its popularity launched the subgenre to the mainstream. However, even when momentarily ignoring its many clones and imitators, Future Diary became more divisive instead of revered as the years went by.

Most of the hate stemmed from how edgy the story got, with detractors getting annoyed at the characters and the anime's juvenile nihilism. In contrast, it's exactly for these reasons that Future Diary still has a faithful following to this day. For fans, the anime's edginess and violence were its best selling points and not an anomaly.

8 Naruto Was Either An Anime Phenomenon Or An Overhyped Show

Team Seven In Naruto

Of Shonen Jump's original Big Three, Naruto was easily the most polarizing. The biggest thing that worked for and against the once bumbling Naruto Uzumaki's journey to becoming the next Hokage was the fact that it diligently followed the shonen formula to a tee. Some saw no problem with this, while others regarded Naruto as being generic to a fault.

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Nostalgic fans appreciate Naruto as an entry-level anime that not only got them invested in Naruto's life story but, in some cases, introduced them to anime as well. Meanwhile, naysayers think Naruto is an overrated anime that only got lucky with its timing, especially now with retroactive analyses taking issue with plot holes, excessive filler, and more.

7 Eromanga Sensei's Brand Of Comedy Will Not Work For Everyone

The Izumi Siblings In Eromanga Sensei

Eronmanga Sensei isn't the first controversial ecchi anime with incestuous themes, and it certainly won't be the last. What set the Izumi siblings' story apart from its contemporaries was how unapologetically wish-fulfilling it was, especially with the main characters being a pair of light novelists who work exclusively on adult-oriented material.

Critics despised how transparent the anime was with its fanservice and romances, which they dismissed as pandering and incredibly predictable even by the genre's standards. That said, Eromanga Sensei still managed to acquire a fanbase of the sincere and ironic kind, both loving the kind of trashy fun that it embodied.

6 Kill La Kill's Abundance Of Fanservice Was Either Self-Aware Or Tasteless

Ryuko Wears Senketsu In Kill La Kill

At the height of its popularity, Kill La Kill was deemed the "savior of anime." The anime delivered on its promises when it came to beautifully animated fights, but the elements and story that surrounded the hot-headed Ryuko Matoi's pursuit of vengeance divided the viewership. The most contentious point was the fanservice, which some found excessive.

Characters getting stripped naked or showing off their bodies was justified in-text by thematically equating nudity to rebellion against suffocating conservative social norms. Fans felt this was a clever way to weaponize the medium's obligatory fanservice, while critics called it a thinly-veiled excuse for fanservice that did little for a generic story about saving the world.

5 Attack On Titan's Political Subtext Can Be Hard To Ignore

Dot Pixis Gives A Speech In Attack On Titan

Attack On Titan is one of the biggest anime to ever air so, while polarizing reactions are expected, the reasons behind the split may be surprising. The battle against the absolutely horrifying Titans is heavily political, and it's hard to argue that the anime doesn't have fascistic undertones, whether they were intentional or not on the writers' parts.

Defenders say the anime deconstructed such politics by showing how futile authoritarian rule would be during the end of the world. Critics claim the opposite, saying that the Survey Corps' actions and ideologies validate militarism and isolationism. Not helping were mangaka Hajime Isayama's comments about Dot Pixis' similarities to World War 2-era General Yoshifuru Akiyama, where he controversially seemed to support Japan's dark past.

4 The Monogatari Series Can Be Too Experimental For Some Viewers

Senjougahara And Others In Monogatari

The Monogatari series is one of the most intimidating anime to get into, especially because of how experimental it is. The anime's script (which is almost impossible to localize due to all the Japanese wordplay) and unorthodox visuals will either excite newcomers or turn them off from the anime entirely since Monogatari really is an acquired taste.

Fans love Monogatari for its clever characterization and dialogue that's loaded with Japanese puns and wordplay, which are enhanced by the sharp art and editing. Meanwhile, detractors see it as an otherwise normal harem anime that just so happens to have a long-winded script and admittedly eye-catching if still distracting visuals.

3 Neon Genesis Evangelion Was Either A Game-Changer Or A Mess

The Eva Pilots In Neon Genesis Evangelion

There's no anime as divisive as Neon Genesis EvangelionWhat once was a notably darker mecha anime transformed into an artistic expression of showrunner Hideaki Anno's internal battle with depression. Depending on who's asked, this either makes Shinji Ikari's story an anime masterpiece or a pretentious slog.

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Defenders praise Evangelion for its uniqueness and Anno's very personal touch, while critics derided it for its navel-gazing tendencies, unlikeable characters, and lack of subtlety. Further polarizing audiences were the sequel movies, with fans hailing them as worthy continuations, while detractors called them bloated and unnecessary.

2 Sword Art Online Was Either The Best Or Worst Isekai Of All Time

Kirito And Friends In Sword Art Online

No anime has divided the community the way Sword Art Online did. Fans of Kirito's gaming adventures credit his anime for giving rise to the gaming-themed isekai of the 2010s, which is a subgenre they genuinely love. For them, the anime's escapist fun and action can't be faulted and are really just that enjoyable.

On the other side are those who detest Sword Art Online for popularizing gaming isekai in the first place, which they dismiss as lowbrow power fantasies. The anime's biggest critics dislike the self-indulgence that Kirito represents, especially with how he seems to be a walking Deus Ex Machina who avoids the hardships of the usual isekai hero for wish-fulfillment's sake.

1 Rurouni Kenshin's Legacy Took A Hit In Light Of The Mangaka's Scandals

Kenshin And Friends In Rurouni Kenshin

Ruroni Kenshin is undoubtedly one of the most beloved and influential '90s-era anime, but it resurfaced in the public consciousness not because of nostalgia. In 2017, mangaka Nobuhiro Watsuki was charged and arrested for possessing child pornography. For this, he was controversially given a fine before being freed and allowed to resume manga work.

Fans were then forced to face a tough ethical dilemma. While some chose to separate the art from the artistothers took a firm stand and divorced themselves from everything related to the wandering samurai Kenshin HimuraRegardless of how good or bad it may be, Rurouni Kenshin will always be a polarizing subject matter thanks to its now-disgraced creator.

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