Occassionally, the anime industry decides to revive an older beloved property, modernizing it for a new audience and releasing the show as a reboot. Reboots are a controversial topic in the anime community, as not every classic series gets the same treatment as the incredibly successful 2014 Hunter X Hunter or Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.
In the majority of the cases, trying to improve on an already well-established property only leads to downgrades and raging critical reviews. Most reboots end up feeling pointless, ruining their original for the fans and turning away any opportunity to gain a new audience. Some reboots impact the viewers' perception of the series so drastically that they ruin the entire franchise, dooming its chances for a successful comeback.
10 Kino's Journey (2017) Disregarded The Nuances That Made The Original Stand Out
2003 iyashikei series Kino's Journey, while not reaching mainstream success, is considered a timeless cult classic by every fan of the genre. Kino and her talking motorcycle Hermes' journey through the unknown captivated countless fans with its somber atmosphere and psychological themes.
While the show's 2017 reboot improved on the original's dated art style, it lost almost all of its predecessor's contemplative charm. Instead, the new Kino's Journey went for a more action-focused route that disappointed the original's fans and didn't manage to attract a new audience.
9 Sailor Moon Fans Didn't See The Point In Its 2014 Remake And The Changes It Made
The original Sailor Moon series aired in 1992 and introduced an entire generation of anime fans to the world of magical girl shoujo. Countless fans still credit Sailor Moon as the show that got them into anime and influenced their taste tremendously.
However, the release of its 2014 remake, Sailor Moon Crystal, was followed by the audience's backlash. While Crystal adapts the manga more accurately, its overly polished structure only made the end product feel more soulless. In the eyes of the fans, Crystal is a lifeless shadow of its fondly remembered predecessor.
8 Sorcerous Stabber Orphens' Dated Premise Didn't Appeal To The Modern Audience
'90s anime fans nostalgically reminisce about Sorcerous Stabber Orphen. This 1998 high fantasy series was a product of its time, featuring a rather typical magical adventure story that, at the time, seemed like a novelty. In 2020 Orphen was revived to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the light novels that inspired the series.
Unfortunately, the remake lacked both the heart and the atmosphere of the original, which, despite its simple story and low budget, was beaming with enthusiasm. Failing to bring the old classic back, 2020 Orphen went by unnoticed, forgotten much quicker than its influential predecessor.
7 Legend Of The Galactic Heroes Reboot Undermines The Achievements Of The Original
Legend of the Galactic Heroes is an iconic anime space opera telling the enthralling story of two opposing interstellar states – the Free Planets Alliance and the Galactic Empire. However, many anime fans feel apprehensive about approaching this classic series, scared of its intimidating length and dated look.
The show's 2018 remake, Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These, does nothing to improve the series' reputation. Unfortunately, the reboot lacks the original's attention to detail and moral complexity, creating a false image of the series in the newer fans' heads and preventing them from giving the old show a chance.
6 Shaman King's Remake Lacks The Nostalgic Charm Of The 2001 Anime
For anime fans who grew up in the early 2000s, the original Shaman King anime is an immensely nostalgic shonen. While the series had flaws, didn't stick to the manga, and looked a bit dated even for 2001, many still remember it with great fondness.
The same fans were very excited about the 2021 Shaman King reboot, which promised improved animation and an accurate adaptation of the source material. While the show achieves the latter, it disappoints on the former. The subpar animation combined with the series' distractingly rushed pacing made 2021 Shaman King a painful letdown.
5 SHAFT's Negima!? Received Mixed Reviews Due To Its Bizarre Creative Direction
Negima! Magister Negi Magi anime adaptations have a bizarre yet captivating history, starting with a 2005 series by Xebec. While following the manga quite faithfully, the series didn't have enough time to cover the original's contents which are considered the most iconic. Instead, the show ended with an abrupt anime-original finale, disappointing the fans.
The next adaptation shocked the viewers even more than Xebec's tame attempt at tackling Negima's story. Under studio SHAFT's hectic direction, Negima!? transformed into a completely different anime, taking only the core concepts of the manga as a reference and creating a strange and unexpected show that fans either loved or hated.
4 Saint Seiya's CGI Remake, Knights Of The Zodiac, Missed The Mark With Its Visuals
Despite being relatively underground in the West, the Saint Seiya series remains a cult classic in Japan since 1986. With the rise of CGI technology making its way to the anime industry, the iconic show received a controversial revival titled Knights of the Zodiac: Saint Seiya.
As with most fully 3D anime, the showrunners overestimated their technological abilities. As a result, Knights of the Zodiac was met with the same backlash as every other attempt to introduce CGI into the anime world. For the Western audience, a chance to experience one of Japan's most influential sci-fi fantasy franchises was ruined.
3 Blame! (2017) Was Another Failure In The Line Of Disastrous Adaptations
Tsutomu Nihei's cult-classic sci-fi manga Blame! has received multiple anime adaptations throughout the years, yet, none of them came even close to capturing the brilliant nihilistic eloquence of the original. The controversial 2003 ONA is often regarded by the fans as one of the better Blame! adaptations, despite making no sense to those who haven't read the manga.
Striving to gain new audiences, the 2017 Blame! movie tries to make the series' complex story more accessible, yet, it fails to break the vicious cycle of Blame!'s unsuccessful adaptations. The bland, visually mediocre film simplifies Blame!'s narrative to a comedic degree, resulting in outraged reviews.
2 Blood-C Missed The Point Of Its Original, Resulting In A Series Too Gory For Television
Horror anime often gets bad publicity, with only a few outstanding exemplars of the genre managing to obtain critical acclaim. However, the fanbase forgive many of their beloved horror series for their flaws, boosting their popularity. Blood+ is a classic 2005 vampire horror, beloved by many for its suspenseful plot and brutality.
The show's 2011 remake Blood-C took the fans' demands too literal, going all out on the gore and forgetting to tell a compelling story. This decision backfired in controversy, blacklisting the show in multiple countries and forcing Japanese broadcasters to heavily censor the show's outrageous violence.
1 Berserk 2016 Is Rightfully Considered The Worst Reboot Of All Time
The topic of despicable anime remakes is rarely brought up without mentioning the most disreputable anime reboot of all time, Berserk 2016. Trying to compete with the nostalgic charm of the 1997 TV show and the indisputable genius of Kentaro Miura's manga, this series might be the most infamous anime reboot of all time.
It features horrible CGI animation, awkward direction, and pacing issues that were never present in the original. Although Berserk's legacy couldn't be undermined by just one bad anime remake, Berserk 2016 killed the fans' hope for getting a proper adaptation of Guts' epic tale.