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With the increasing popularity of anime, new shows are coming out all the time. A good deal of anime nowadays are based on manga - giving fans hope for the continuation of their favorite franchises. Despite this, many fans are disappointed to learn that a lot of their favorite shows are discontinued.
Unfortunately, a lot of anime are canceled before their story is finished - even if the manga continues. While these anime never get to reach their finish for a myriad of different reasons, their manga counterparts often go on to meet satisfying endings. Though many fans hope for the animated return of their beloved franchises, they can at least take solace by finishing the stories through their manga.
Updated July 22, 2022 by Alexandra Locke: Unfortunately, animes being cancelled before their time is not an uncommon occurrence. There have been a ton of shows that didn't get the chance to wrap up, but that found new or continued life in print. We've added even more shows to this list that had manga runs longer than their stints on television.
15 The Promised Neverland Was A Huge Upset
The Promised Neverland anime had a great first season. Fans were thrilled by Emma, Ray, and Norman as they planned their escape from Grace Field House. However, the second season was so abysmal that the show was canceled soon after.
For the sake of pacing, several Promised Neverland plot lines and characters were abandoned, forcing the existing characters out of much-needed development. Additionally, the manga stopped performing as well as it had been, instigating the show-runners into rushing through the story in the anime. Anime-only fans were so disappointed with the second season that manga fans convinced them to start reading the manga - even if it was not as good as it had been previously - just to get the whole story.
14 Snow White With The Red Hair Had More To Show Audiences
Snow White with the Red Hair is the story of a young woman named Shirayuki, who flees her kingdom after she is pursued by the local prince. Ironically, she meets another prince - Zen - in the woods, and the two grow closer throughout the show. This anime is a rare gem among romance shows, as the two leads are not shy about their feelings and regularly communicate with each other.
Unfortunately, due to low Blu-ray and DVD sales, Snow White with the Red Hair was given a lackluster ending that made fans yearn for more. While the manga is still ongoing, anime fans were disheartened to learn that Prince Zen and Shirayuki would not be returning to the screen.
13 Deadman Wonderland Left Out Important Characters
Deadman Wonderland is an anime about Ganta Igarashi being wrongly accused of his massacring and thrown into a super prison. The story follows his escape as he discovers his ability to manipulate his blood as a weapon. The gift was bestowed upon him by the murderer he has been seeking to clear his name.
This anime was a huge hit when it aired, but it suffered one problem: The team behind Deadman Wonderland decided to leave out a few key characters that needed to be in season one. Without them, a season two was impossible. Fans who wanted to continue the story had to read the manga to see the omitted characters and finish the tale.
12 Prison School Did Not Garner Enough Interest
The scandalous anime Prison School was an initial hit with fans for its exaggerated, raunchy humor. It had a successful first season, focusing on Kiyoshi and his friends trying to survive life in their school's prison after they were caught peeping into the girls' bath. Sadly, the interesting premise and provocative nature were not enough to boost Prison School's popularity for a second season.
This is largely due to Prison School not increasing the manga's sales high enough to warrant a return to a television format. The manga did not sell amazingly, but it soldiered on to continue the salacious hijinks of the story. Even so, fans hope studio executives will have a change of heart.
11 ReLIFE Tried To Wrap Up The Story
ReLIFE is based on a popular webcomic. It follows the story of an underemployed man named Arata Kaizaki, who accepts an offer to become a test subject for a social experiment. Through the experiment, Kaizaki appears ten years younger. He returns to high school in the hopes that he will better appreciate his youth, and discover the underlying source of his problems as an adult.
Despite its popularity, ReLIFE was eventually canceled. While a four-episode OVA that wraps up the series is available on Amazon Prime Video, it did little to satisfy fans wishing for more of the story. The whole tale of Kaizaki and his friends can be found online in its webcomic format.
10 Slam Dunk Had Its Story Altered
Slam Dunk is one of the greatest sports anime and manga series there is. It was written by Tahehito Inoue, the mind behind series like Vagabond and Real. Slam Dunk is the story of the lovestruck Hanamichi Sakuragi as he joins the Shohoku Basketball team in an attempt to impress his crush who has a love of basketball. This team becomes a brotherhood and goes through many trials and tribulations to become the best high school team.
Funnily enough, the Slam Dunk anime was a great success. However, in the first big game arc, Shohoku is supposed to lose their match. The studio behind the anime did not like this outcome, but Inoue wanted it unchanged. The disagreement led to the cancelation of this great anime that continued in the manga.
9 BTOOOM! Failed To Garner A Profit
BTOOOM! is a battle royale anime that puts its characters through the wringer. Ryouta Sakamoto's only claim to fame is his prowess in an online game called BTOOOM! until he gets sucked into the game itself. Ryouta and the others trapped in the game must be the first to defeat and collect crystals from seven people before they can return home.
Though the premise was action-packed, BTOOOM! was not renewed for another season. This is due to the Blu-ray and DVD sales the anime failed to garner. Fortunately, this series went on to be completed in the manga.
8 Ranma 1/2 Was Cut Short By The Studio
Ranma 1/2 is one of the most recognized anime from Studio Deen. Even if audiences have not read or seen it, they are likely to have come across it at some point by simply being anime and manga fans. Despite this, the anime was cut short - opting for its own ending.
Fans who want to see more of Ranma's two sides will have to settle with the manga, which has a different ending than the anime. While the cancellation of the anime is attributed to Studio Deen growing tired of the property, fans feel disappointed all the same.
7 Yona of the Dawn Is The Ultimate Cliff Hanger
Yona of the Dawn is an anime from 2014 about a fugitive princess who vows to reclaim her kingdom with the help of four Dragon Warriors. This show was a subversion of the romance and reverse-harem genres set in a long distant, fictional past. Many anime fans loved the show for its unique look, great dialogue, and strong female protagonist who grows in her abilities over time.
Sadly, Yona of the Dawn ended just as Yona and her friends had gathered the last of the four Dragon Warriors. While there are some OVAs, they did little to satisfy anime fans. Despite this, the manga is ongoing yet, allowing fans the opportunity to at least read about their favorite characters.
6 Bleach Is Returning
One of the most tragic stories of an anime being canceled was Bleach. For years, anime and manga fans everywhere followed the tale of the new shinigami, Ichigo, eagerly awaiting an epic finish to this series. Sadly the anime was canceled due to a myriad of problems.
Bleach's issues came about due to corporate wants and creator needs coming to an impasse. The Bleach anime simply cost too much to continue creating with how little profit it was pulling in while on its last legs. With that said, there is hope for anime fans, as the show is getting a reboot in the form of the "Thousand-Year Blood War" Arc coming in October 2022.
5 Fruits Basket Had A Comeback
Fruits Basket is the story of an orphaned girl taken in by a family cursed to transform into animals based on Chinese zodiac signs. The initial 2001 anime ended suddenly due to disagreements between the studio behind it and the wishes of the creator.
Fruits Basket constantly went in a different direction from the original manga, which led to a show that lacked a true ending. Thankfully, a revitalized anime began airing in 2019 that adopted the entirety of the manga.
4 Wotakoi: Love Is Hard For Otaku Left Audiences Wanting More
Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku is a show about a group of otaku adults who work in the same corporate building. Though their otaku levels vary, they all tend to hide their interests while at work. The core story revolves around two of the four - Narumi Momose and Hirotaka Nifuji - as they begin dating and navigating a relationship where they can truly be themselves.
The show and manga were both well received, and are still talked about in the anime community. Sadly, though, the anime ended after only one season. There are a few OVAs, but there is nothing on the anime side that offers a conclusive end. However, the last volume of the manga was recently released, so fans can still find out if Narumi and Hirotaka live happily ever after.
3 Rurouni Kenshin Caught Up
The popular anime and manga series Rurouni Kenshin (or Samurai X) is about Kenshin Himura - an ex-assassin who comes across a dojo in need. The show, sadly, caught up with its source material. Once this series passed the manga, the show-runners had to add their own content, instead of following what the creator intended for his story.
This led to the Rurouni Kenshin anime reaching a different climax than the original manga and meeting an abrupt end that did not match its source material. However, while the endings were not the same, both are praised for being well done.
2 Rave Master Wrongly Stepped Away From Its Source Material
Rave Master is a highly rated manga by Hiro Mashima - the same creator behind the Fairy Tail series. It tells the story of a boy named Haru Glory, who travels the world to look for a stone that will bring about peace. The manga starts strong and ends strong as well. Sadly the same cannot be said for this series' anime adaptation.
Rave Master's manga ran for 35 volumes, yet Studio Deen stretched the anime out to 51 episodes. However, these 51 episodes do not cover the entire manga. It was eventually canceled due to low viewership and low disc sales.
1 Gantz Became Confusing
Gantz is mangaka Hiroya Oku's breakout series and is one of the must-read seinen series of the medium. It begins as a simple story about Kei Kurono as he is transported to a game world, but branches off into multiple paths with many plot lines to follow.
The anime would have most likely followed suit if it had not outpaced the source material. It ended up adding in its own characters and ending, both of which were weaker than what was present in the manga. After the additions were thrown in, the anime ended. Fortunately for manga fans, the series added some great new characters and plot lines that the anime ignored. However, anime fans can be happy as well, as there is an adaptation of Gantz in the form of a Netflix 3D film.