The debate between manga readers and anime watchers has continued since the very first adaptation was made. Which is better? Has the studio stayed true to the source material? Did the inevitable changes ruin the story's essence? All of these questions, and more, plague every anime adaptation that gets released, and the diehard fans are always the hardest to please.
Readers and watchers alike are both, rightfully, unforgiving when it comes to taking something they love and ruining it. Some anime adaptations fell short of the promise to keep the story's integrity alive, and in most cases, ruined any potential future adaptations for the franchises.
10 An Untouched Ending (Claymore)
Despite the anime adaptation mostly succeeding to stay true to its roots, Claymore's self-made finale destroyed a huge portion of a wonderful setup from the manga. The ending undid a lot of greatness that happened throughout the anime's run, and it's still left a sour taste in fans' mouths.
They left Raki, one of the most hated characters, unresolved and still a nuisance, and abruptly ended the show at a much earlier point than that of the manga. With so many things untouched and unresolved, it's no wonder fans were left disappointed.
9 Never Mess With The Pacing (Gantz)
A story about Kei Kurono and Masaru Kato, who died in a train accident and end up in competition with other recently deceased people where they are forced to hunt and kill aliens. Gantz, as a manga, boasted intricate characters and a fast-paced plot that left the reader wanting more.
On the other hand, the anime had major pacing issues, fluctuating between a monotonous, snail's pace or gratuitous gore, with nothing in between. Kei was an empty husk of his manga counterpart, who just repeats the same perverted phrases over and over.
8 Overkill (Akame Ga Kill!)
The one that showed huge potential throughout its run, Akame Ga Kill! was once again let down by its ending. Almost everybody, including the protagonist Tatsumi, ended up dying in a disastrous finale similar to the one suffered by Game of Thrones.
While the series had already shown a readiness to kill off main characters, killing off all of them except Wave and Akame gave the show no chance at redemption. In the manga, the Prime Minister survived and some characters fell in love, a distant cry to killing off almost everyone for the shock factor.
7 Drawing To A Conclusion (Flowers of Evil)
What is considered to be artist Shuzo Osimi's magnum opus, Flowers of Evil was set to be a gritty and dark coming-of-age story with teenagers releasing their inner demons. Unfortunately, due to the studio's decision to use an animating method called "rotoscoping" nobody was able to overlook the art style.
Rotoscoping is a technique that draws over a live film, and while this creates beautiful scenery in the background, it gives no benefits to the characters. The visuals became unsettling and the emotional faces of the characters became completely unreadable.
6 Horror Without The Horror (Pupa)
A horror story with a great premise, Pupa revolved around siblings Yume Hasegawa and Utsutsu who get infected with the Pupa virus that affects both of them differently. Yume turns into a voracious cannibal monster who feeds on human flesh, and Utsutsu gains regenerative powers similar to that of Wolverine.
The manga is a gruesome, terrifying work of art with twists that will keep fans reading forever, while the anime fails to bring any of the gory details to life. The major censorship left all of the best bits off-screen, which cut the anime off at the knees.
5 Beginning With An Ending (Blue Exorcist)
Another anime that fell short due to its show-only ending, fans familiar with the Blue Exorcist adaptation already know how chaotic it is. The series revolves around teenager, Rin Okumura, who discovers he and his twin brother Yukio are Satan's sons and have inherited his powers. After Satan kills their guardian, Rin takes it upon himself to become an exorcist to take down his father.
While it sounds like a fantastic premise, the anime decided to put the final boss at the beginning, having Satan be the first, rather than the epic finale.
4 All Show And No Substance (Rosario + Vampire)
A series about Tsukune Aono, a boy with poor grades who mistakenly enrolls into Yokai Academy, Rosario + Vampire was meant to be a show with detailed and well-developed characters and an enticing story. While a show about a monsters' school and beautiful girls could easily be construed as frivolous and pointless, the manga came with a fleshed-out set of characters and storyline.
This is where the anime failed, instead of following that path they, fell into the trap of making the show nothing but a directionless harem anime filled with nothing but fan service.
3 Rushing To The End (The Promised Neverland)
Unlike the majority of the anime on this list, The Promised Neverland boasted a great first season with nail-biting moments and shocking twists, which left fans wanting more. The show is about a group of orphans who plot to escape their orphanage after finding out the real reason for their existence is as food for demons.
The anticipated second season left fans disgruntled and upset with its pacing issues and dumbing down of the original manga plot. All of the character development was lost and major arcs, like the Goldy Pond and Seven Walls, were missing.
2 Action Over Substance (Deadman Wonderland)
Deadman Wonderland is an anime set in the terrifying world of the Deadman Wonderland prison, where inmates must compete in a series of dangerous games for the amusement of spectators, similar to Roman Gladiators. Ganta was accused of murdering a classmate on a field trip and is sentenced to death row in this prison and decides to prove his innocence through these games.
Where the anime fell short is that instead of depicting the gruesome scenes and horror the prisoners go through, it's filled with nothing but flashy action sequences and barely follows the manga. It's no wonder it ended after a mere thirteen episodes.
1 Mind-Bending To Mind-Numbing (Tokyo Ghoul)
Arguably the most well-known anime on this list, Tokyo Ghoul was another huge success after its first season thanks to its delving into the minds of the characters and having a fleshed-out supporting cast. Following the success of the first season, you'd expect the studio to continue with their tried and tested formula.
Instead, the second season, titled "√A" (Root A), deviated so much from its predecessor and the anime that it was a completely different show. Instead of fighting against Aogiri Tree, Kaneki joins them instead, and then diving into the fractured psychosis of the characters was entirely replaced with mundane action sequences.