A harsh fact of life in the anime industry is that any series, regardless of how big a hit it may be with fans, can get canceled at any moment. This is the sad case for many anime, both new and old. Some series are fated to become timeless classics, while others are left incomplete forever.
That’s not to say that all of these unfinished anime are bad. Despite—and sometimes in spite—of their flaws, these titles can be great time capsules of anime history. They deserve some belated love and appreciation.
10 Deadman Wonderland Is A Good Example Of A Bad Anime Adaption
Deadman Wonderland is rightfully remembered for being one of the most botched adaptations of a popular manga ever made. For whatever reason, the anime cut entire chunks of story and characterization, leading to mass audience dissatisfaction and the anime's eventual cancellation. For these reasons, Deadman Wonderland needs a rewatch.
Ganta Igarashi’s detainment in the deadly amusement park-turned-penal colony is flawed, but it’s both fascinating and worrying to watch. Narrative flaws aside, the series boasts good production value and an interesting premise, meaning not all is lost in one of the biggest anime misfires of history.
9 Highschool Of The Dead Is A Schlocky Zombie Apocalypse
Following the passing of creator Daisuke Sato, the manga and anime adaptation of Highschool of the Dead was left in a perpetual state of incompletion. The anime closed on an open-ended note and Original Video Animation (OVA), while the manga stopped just as the survivors were on their way to the next safe zone. Despite this, this short-lived zombie apocalypse is worth a watch.
With its abundance of gore and frankly ridiculous excuses for fanservice, Highschool of the Dead isn’t for everyone. That said, it’s the right kind of B-grade fun that fans of schlock can get behind. Straightforward zombie apocalypses are uncommon in anime, and Highschool of the Dead is an entertainingly tongue-in-cheek example of this niche.
8 Tokko Is A Forgotten Action-Horror Gem
Tokko follows Shindou Ranmaru, a fresh graduate of the anti-supernatural taskforce Tokko. Together with Sakura, Shindou solves grisly murders that may be connected to a prophesized Armageddon. Tokko has its moments of scares and gory action, though it’s better known for having one of the biggest cliffhangers in anime history.
Simply put, Tokko ends by announcing that the end of the world is two years away. The anime was canceled before this was ever addressed. There is a manga-only sequel in Tokyo Zero, but it’s set a decade later and ignores the aforementioned end times. Unintentionally hilarious legacy aside, Tokko is a fun flashback to edgy early 2000s anime that’s worth a nostalgic binge.
7 Interspecies Reviewers Is A Silly Fantasy & Adult Comedy
Interspecies Reviewers gained notoriety when it was abruptly pulled from airwaves in early 2020. This was, unsurprisingly, because of its premise and comedic beats that were just a few steps away from being a full-fledged adult anime. Here, adventurers Stunk and Zel venture into the kingdom and grade every woman of every fantasy race they sleep with.
Beyond its initial infamy, Interspecies Reviewers isn’t too different from the racy comedies of the ‘90s to the early 2000s, such as American Pie and its ilk. Fans of these kinds of hijinks will get a kick out of the anime, especially since it doesn’t pull any punches. While it’s difficult to stream online, Interspecies Reviewers will be getting a DVD release in 2021 from Right Stuff.
6 Stars Align Was A Promising Sports Drama
Originally slated for a 24-episode run split into two cours, Stars Align was suddenly canceled in the middle of its first half. The official reasoning behind this may not be revealed any time soon, which is a shame since the anime was slowly but surely growing into a noteworthy addition to the modern sports anime lexicon.
The anime follows Shijou Minami school’s lackluster soft tennis club, which gains an unexpected second wind when prodigy player Maki Katsuragi joins. Those who adored the emotional drama at the core of sports anime like Haikyuu!! will appreciate what Stars Align did for its core athletes, even if the twelfth episode left their individual stories dangling.
5 The Flowers Of Evil Is A Compellingly Dark Slice-Of-Life Drama
Known for its unique rotoscoped animation and intense nihilism, The Flowers of Evil only adapted the first act of Takao’s strange love triangle that’s defined by degeneracy and perversion. While the anime works perfectly well on its own, its ending was obviously hinting at more storylines and trauma for Takao, Sawa, and Nanako.
In the past, anime director Hiroshi Nagahama expressed his desire to animate the rest of the manga for a hypothetical Season 2, but this never came to be. Despite this, The Flowers of Evil is still worth seeking out not just for its intentionally creepy animation but because there’s simply nothing like it.
4 Panty & Stocking With Garterbelt Is Pure Insanity
Basically anime’s answer to Adult Swim’s crass brand of absurdist humor, Panty & Stocking With Garterbelt followed the eponymous angels as they fulfilled their crazy missions and carnal desires. After its successful debut, rumors of a Season 2 made the rounds until 2018, when its demise was sadly confirmed.
In a Reddit Q&A, creator Hiromi Wakabayashi confirmed that legal internal issues were blocking the making of more episodes – despite his team’s desire to revisit Panty and Stocking. Panty & Stocking With Garterbelt is a relentlessly insane comedy that every anime fan needs to see at least once. If it helps, the weird cliffhanger ending is incredibly in-character for the anime.
3 Claymore Deserves A Second Shot
Despite gaining some infamy for diverging greatly from the manga near its end, Claymore remains an underrated gem among older anime viewers. In this dark fantasy, the titular Claymores are supposedly soulless half-human/half-demon warriors, but there’s a lot more to them – especially the protagonist, Clare.
Claymore isn’t immune to detrimental flaws, but it’s since been reevaluated as one of the better loose adaptations of the 2000s. Like many anime of the time, the manga wasn’t complete, so the anime had no choice but to tell its own story. Though it doesn’t reach the same heights as the first Fullmetal Alchemist anime, Claymore benefited greatly from hindsight.
2 The Original Bubblegum Crisis OVA Series Is A Cyberpunk Classic
Bubblegum Crisis is often mentioned in the same breath as Ghost in the Shell when it comes to cyberpunk classics, which may make its inconsistent broadcast history a bit of a surprise. Created as an OVA series in 1987, Bubblegum Crisis only released eight of its promised 13 episodes due to production difficulties and other outside complications.
Sequels, reboots, and remakes were made to continue the AD Police and Knight Sabers’ fight against GENOM’s deadly Boomers, but these always paled compared to the OVAs. As incomplete as they are, the original Bubblegum Crisis OVAs are the best of their franchise and should be viewed by anyone who loves technologically futuristic anime.
1 Slam Dunk Is An Anime & Sports Fiction Classic For A Reason
Believe it or not, Slam Dunk was canceled at the heights of its popularity. Slam Dunk ended earlier than expected because of creative differences between mangaka Takehiko Inoue and Toei Animation. Reportedly, Toei wanted to make Shohoku win the final nationals tournament, which Inoue disagreed with since he wanted to preserve the team’s underdog status.
As a compromise, the anime ended in underwhelming fashion with a practice match between Shohoku and their rivals, plus some movies featuring anime-only storylines. Before the new Slam Dunk project gets released, there’s no better time than now to revisit Sakuragi’s growth from delinquent to (self-proclaimed) basketball genius.