The world of Japanese anime is always ready to deliver an incredible story for fans of any cinematic genre. Anyone who wants a heartfelt romance can try surefire hits like Toradora! and Fruits Basket, while action fans should tune in to Demon Slayer and Tokyo Revengers. Often, these great anime series deliver a terrific ending that will stick with viewers for years to come and make fans wish for more.
A great ending is a vital component of any story, but alas, some anime series don't deliver. By the anime's end, it becomes clear that the plot was just going in circles or barely even existed to begin with. In many cases, the original manga will continue the story and make the plot go somewhere, but anime-only fans are sure to be disappointed with a story that never did much with itself.
Update March 23rd, 2023 by Louis Kemner: dozens of new anime series come out every year, and some of them have a clearly-defined central message with strong developments, while other anime simply spin their wheels and stall for time. So far in 2023, plenty of great new and returning anime series hit the airwaves, including Vinland Saga, and Tomo-Chan is a Girl! Unfortunately, other anime series accomplished little and just went in circles.
15 My Isekai Life
It's true that in the story of My Isekai Life, the threat of the Blue Moon cult reached an exciting climax that involved protagonist Yuji and his friends fighting the almighty sage who tried to destroy the whole world. But the Blue Moon cult is still out there, and the threat remains. Yuji's back where he started.
Worse yet, Yuji experienced zero character growth or development outside his love of Angus steak, and the worldbuilding was minimal. Yuji has nothing to strive towards or run away from, so after a point, his wandering journey in this fantasy land feels pretty pointless.
14 Shikimori's Not Just A Cutie
The rom-com anime title Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie features a lively, strong-willed heroine who could have been the next Marin Kitagawa, but she fell short, and so did the overall Shikimori anime. This is one of those slice-of-life anime series that plays more like an extended session of The Sims.
The characters of Shikimori all speak, do things and have romantic feelings, but these 12 episodes didn't really add up to anything. By the time the final credits rolled, not much had changed aside from adding a few new characters like Shikimori's tsundere big brother and a blue-haired love rival.
13 My Senpai Is Annoying
My Senpai is Annoying is a charming but ultimately directionless josei anime series about the tiny but tough tsundere office worker Futaba Igarashi. She's a junior sales rep at her company, and Futaba is eager to prove her worth, most of all to her obnoxious but kind co-worker Harumi Takeda.
My Senpai is Annoying has its moments, but after its first season, not much had changed, aside from two side characters taking the first steps in getting together. Futaba, meanwhile, had little to show for her 12 episodes' worth of work in Season 1.
12 Girlfriend, Girlfriend
The short rom-com title Girlfriend, Girlfriend will eventually get a second season, but as it stands now, very little has happened with the plot aside from adding new girls to the main character's harem. Season 2 might move the plot somewhere, but then again, it could just as easily not.
Naoya is the male lead in question, who is committed to his girlfriend Saki Saki while also generously having room in his life for the dandere Nagisa Minase, which Saki Saki can only barely put up with. Even with two more girls joining the fray, though, Girlfriend, Girlfriend kept going in circles.
11 TONIKAWA: Over The Moon For You
TONIKAWA: Over the Moon For You is yet another rom-com anime title that had too much fun with its own wholesome cuteness and forgot to actually go somewhere. The original manga may be ongoing, but TONIKAWA is advancing at a sluggish pace.
This anime is mostly about the cozy, romantic antics of the innocent Nasa Yuzaki and his mysterious new bride, Tsukasa. They even take a vacation together and return to find their apartment burned down, but ultimately, not much has changed. The anime will soon get another season that might give the story more structure at last.
10 My Next Life As A Villainess
On one hand, the plot of My Next Life as a Villainess has become circular, but that was the protagonist Katarina Claes' plan all along. Katarina, as the reborn antagonist, can't allow Fortune Lover's plot to reach its conclusion or she will face her own doom. So, she halted the plot in its tracks.
Instead, Katarina is the center of an innocent co-ed harem of friends, and if Katarina gets her way, things will stay like this forever and Fortune Lover's plot will stay on pause. Other conflicts do arise, but overall, Fortune Lover's plot is frozen, and the same is true for the anime itself.
9 Magical Sempai
The short, semi-obscure high school anime Magical Sempai was pretty bare-bones, to the point the main characters didn't even have names, including the silver-haired female protagonist and her new male friend, who is simply known as Assistant-kun. There isn't even a token romantic subplot.
This short anime has its charm, but anyone expecting a memorable plot or solid drama should pass. Magical Sempai's episodes are about the female lead's humorous mishaps with stage magic and very little more, and the addition of new characters changed very little.
8 Love Is Like A Cocktail
In most cases, "the plot went nowhere" is a form of criticism for a TV show or manga series, but a few series are actually better for it. Simple, iyashikei slice-of-life anime series are better because they don't have a real plot or conflict. Instead, they're about the whimsical joys of everyday life.
This charming little anime is all about the hardworking Chisato, who looks forward to her husband's newest mixed drinks and cocktails that her husband Sora makes for her. Every mini-episode is entirely about the newest drink that Sora makes for his adoring wife, and that's all the plot Love is Like a Cocktail needs.
7 Senryu Girl
Senryu Girl is a decent rom-com anime that should appeal to fans of Komi Can't Communicate, as they share a premise of a lovely but silent female lead who usually communicates with writing. This is the everyday tale of Nanako and her new male friend, the reformed delinquent Eiji Busujima.
Not much of note happens in Senryu Girl. It's just 12 short episodes of innocent wholesome fun, and the main characters are a long way from declaring "I love you." This won't satisfy fans of more substantial romances like Fruits Basket, but it does make for some easy viewing.
6 When Will Ayumu Make His Move?
When Will Ayumu Make His Move? is another rom-com anime that had fun with its central premise but never took it to the next level. By Episode 11, it seemed that the kuudere boy Ayumu Takeda would declare his love to his dream girl, Urushi Yaotome, but it simply didn't happen.
Instead, these two enjoyed playing shogi together, and the romance was never substantial enough to really push the plot forward. The ending was hardly an ending at all, just a stopping point where nothing new really happened. This romantic game of shogi is going to drag on and on.
5 I've Been Killing Slimes For 300 Years And Maxed Out My Level
I've Been Killing Slimes is one of many isekai anime series that was an open-ended adventure, and thus didn't go anywhere in particular. Isekai series like these are fine for cheerful escapism, but anime fans who want some plot will feel underwhelmed.
I've Been Killing Slimes is an easygoing fantasy isekai starring the magical girl Azusa Aizawa, who is OP but wants a quiet and peaceful life. She will meet and befriend new characters ranging from elves to dragons to slimes, and they'll all find a creative, fun way to enjoy their new life together as a family.
4 Monthly Girls' Nozaki-Kun
Monthly Girls' Nozaki-Kun didn't have much of a cohesive plot, but a charming comedy anime like this one can go nowhere and still be highly entertaining. Nozaki-Kun stars the lovable deredere Chiyo Sakura, who became her crush's newest manga assistant in high school.
Chiyo felt disappointed that her love confession fell flat, but she still enjoys drawing shojo manga with Nozaki, and she also enjoys hanging out with her many friends to get new story ideas. Even now, the original Nozaki-Kun manga isn't over and feels aimless, but it makes for a great read.
3 Girls' Last Tour
By design, the Girls' Last Tour anime doesn't really go anywhere, and neither do its two protagonists, Chito and Yuuri. These two friends simply trek across the ruins of a dieselpunk city that suffered greatly in an apocalyptic war, and their supplies are dwindling.
Chito and Yuuri have no real destination and they know it, but they try not to think too hard about it. Instead, they'll spend their remaining days freely wandering the city's ruins on their Kettenkrad, trying to find the fun and wonder in this near-empty city and its unexpected marvels.
2 Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid
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Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid is a comedy seinen anime that is more about slice-of-life, reverse isekai antics in daily life than actually having a cohesive plot line, which is actually part of the appeal. The office worker Kobayashi now has a dragon maid, like it or not, and more fantasy monsters will soon join the party, too.
The Dragon Maid manga does have some cohesive plot lines later on, though those plots are temporary, and then it's back to the whimsical SOL antics. Anyone who likes a goofy, easygoing anime with monster girls is sure to enjoy Dragon Maid, plot or no plot.
1 Konosuba
Comedy and parody anime like Konosuba don't often go anywhere, but fans don't mind at all, because it's about the adventure and humor, not a serious plot. Konosuba leisurely spends its time poking fun at isekai tropes and getting its hapless characters into all kinds of trouble.
Kazuma the protagonist was told to defeat the demon king, but he won't reach that end goal anytime soon. So far in Konosuba, Kazuma is more concerned about trying to save money and rescuing Aqua the obnoxious goddess from giant frogs that keep swallowing her whole.