Some anime take themselves way too seriously. For some, they focus so much on the drama and emotion that they end up dropping the ball. Other times, the show takes on a grim and somber tone and tries too hard to do so. Unfortunately, Fans can tell when shows are trying too hard and missing the mark.
Shows are guilty of trying too hard and taking themselves too seriously when they have a plethora of brooding characters who also take themselves too seriously, when they rely on shock value, or when they take cheap shots at the heartstrings. Even the most famous and successful anime are guilty of this from time to time.
9 Naruto: Shippūden Seemed To Have A Serious Plot Until They Dropped It At The End
While there was certainly a lot of humor embedded into the core of the Naruto franchise, the show tapped into some heavy topics. Naruto was orphaned after his parents' gruesome death, was ostracized by the entire village, and then effectively became a child soldier who would go on to undo years worth of corruption and dark conspiracies.
However, the show took its themes and lore about the shinobi world too seriously, and in the end, they dropped the ball, swapping an ultimate villain who would have been a great conclusion for what was equivalent to an alien that helped create their world. What was worse is that this character came out of left field, and it felt like a way to deal with power creep and to try and tie together the show's more esoteric themes.
8 Tokyo Ghoul Thinks It Is Way Edgier Than It Was
The characters of Tokyo Ghoul undergo a lot of hardship, and the idea of ghouls inherently takes this series into the serious horror genre. However, as the show goes on, it becomes apparent that the show takes itself too seriously in such a way that felt unnatural for some.
For one, many of the characters do not feel like they got adequate development or growth. From the senseless torture to the edgy costumes and losses of humanity, this show tries to explore dark and heavy themes, but it does not quite hit the mark for all, thus leaving the show feeling like it tried too hard to be cool. Even if fans liked the main series, the sequels spoiled it even more.
7 Elfen Lied Tried Too Hard For Shock Value
The 2005 show has been considered one of the "edgiest" anime of its day, but perhaps not for good reasons. Many criticized Elfen Lied for being a show that relied on gore, violence, and cringe-worthy moments of fanservice that felt out of place. The show tried to be shocking and transgressive, but it simply felt excessive for many fans.
This was especially apparent upon rewatching today, as the anime had not held up for many viewers. As with many older anime, Elfen Lied has not aged the best.
6 Yu-Gi-Oh Took Itself So Seriously For A Children's Anime
Yu-Gi-Oh! was a children's show about kids and teens using a card game to win money, fight enemies, and gain power. The art style was characterized by harsh edges, thick lines, and eccentric subject matter. Just based on the characters' clothing and hair, it was obvious that this show took itself too seriously.
Furthermore, the characters got bent out of shape over a game, and they would often be seen making impassioned speeches about good and evil while playing. On top of that, characters were getting trapped in cards, and a billionaire child was blackmailing, bribing, and extorting other players.
5 The Seriousness Of The Jojo Franchise Against The Absurdity Is The Joke
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is an interesting show that seems even to be making a commentary about the seriousness of anime itself. The characters wear eccentric clothes, have strange personalities, and strike ridiculous poses. However, the nature of the show is quite serious, with gruesome deaths being commonplace, terrifying Stands committing murders, and serious characters ruling the screen.
Therein lies the joke of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: the juxtaposition of the absurd and the serious. The show takes itself so seriously in conjunction with its eccentricity as a way to subvert the genre.
4 The Fate Series Was Seriously Convoluted
Many anime based on games are often guilty of taking themselves too seriously, and a lot of them feel this way because of the inherent struggles with translating a game into an anime. The storyline is often a bit confusing thanks to the introduction of so many characters due to the wide number of playable characters that were in the game iteration.
Shows like the Fate series are guilty of this. Furthermore, the Fate series, in particular, tries to tackle esoteric concepts while including big fights and serious decisions. All of this together makes the show feel like it is trying a bit too hard.
3 Both Light Yagami And Death Note Take Themselves Too Seriously
Death Note was a hugely successful anime for a reason. It was dark and had intense moments of suspense and mystery. However, upon rewatching, it is easy to see just how self-obsessed and kind of ridiculous main characters such as Light Yagami and L could be.
One moment fans remember clearly was the famous scene in which Light melodramatically pretends to eat chips while using the Death Note. L and Light were often guilty of using their intelligence to engage in egotistical thought experiments that were supposed to be them using the power of Sherlockian deduction. Sometimes, it was just too serious to the point of ridiculous.
2 The Dragon Ball Series Brings Absurdity To Serious Fights
The Dragon Ball franchise was one of the most successful and famous big-name Shounen anime. It was an anime complete with martial arts, hidden powers, and aliens. However, there were also a lot of things holding the Dragon Ball franchise back.
Fans see Dragon Ball and its various spin-offs as taking themselves too seriously because it adhered to so many Shounen tropes, its inability to tell a story promptly (having one fight go for many episodes, most of which were largely recaps of the previous one), and its power creep.
1 Sword Art Online Tried To Take On Heavy Topics That Felt Out Of Place
Sword Art Online garnered a lot of fans when it first came out, but it did not hold their support for long. For many, the writing took itself too seriously while consistently dropping the ball or having pacing issues, but the reason a lot of fans have sworn off the serious is much more sinister.
The writer seems obsessed with moments of sexual assault, which happens in many different arcs and seasons. The show tries to take on this serious topic, but it woefully misses the mark and just feels like gratuitous and unneeded reliance on violence against women to get views.