It might be a relatively new animation studio, having only been founded in 2011, but Studio Trigger has been a favorite among fans since they burst onto the scene with the extraordinary and iconic anime Kill La Kill. More recently, the feature film Promare became a hit among fans and critics alike.
Not all of their productions can reach quite those heights, however. Here are 10 of Trigger's shows that fans didn't like so much, with the scores on MyAnimeList reflecting the general consensus. For the sake of fairness, only shows that have completed their run have been included, from highly anticipated TV anime to experimental web animations.
10 Little Witch Academia Is Good, But Not The Best (7.88)
Trigger had a lot of hype to live up to when it came to the full-length version of their popular short film, Little Witch Academia. Thankfully, the series didn't let fans down, delivering heartwarming lessons with gorgeous animation.
It didn't, however, manage to catch the attention of the anime community the way Kill La Kill did. Perhaps this is because it lacked the incredibly imaginative, over-the-top action and storyline of the earlier series; or perhaps it just didn't have that feeling of something new that fans have come to expect from the studio.
9 Space Patrol Luluco Is A Celebratory Explosion That Wasn't Everyone's Cup Of Tea (7.59)
What better way for Studio Trigger to celebrate their 5th anniversary than with a show that took all the joyful ridiculousness of Kill La Kill and dialed it up to 20? Each episode of Space Patrol Luluco is eight minutes of colorful, cartoony action comedy that even features crossovers with other Studio Trigger franchises.
It definitely wasn't for everyone, though, as it had a hyper-cartoonish art style reminiscent of the controversial Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt. As both series were worked on by the many of the same staff, those who weren't fans of Panty & Stocking might have found Luluco hard to get into as well.
8 BNA Needed Another 12 Episodes (7.42)
A world where humans have spent all of their history fighting and discriminating against beastmen, a cross between humans and other animals with the power to alter their own genetics. A city for beastmen with a dark secret. A young girl with the power to change the world.
Those are the building blocks of BNA: Brand New Animal, a show that attempted to incorporate philosophy, political drama, and high-powered action into a mere 12 episodes. Sadly, it didn't have quite enough time to fully flesh out any of those themes.
7 Kiznaiver's Style Drowned Out Promising Substance (7.42)
Kiznaiver follows its subdued protagonist, Katsuhira, as he becomes part of a project that sees him share pain and injuries with other Kiznaivers. It's an intriguing premise and a promising set-up for a series that was keen to explore the nature of empathy, friendship, and what it really means to be connected to someone.
Unfortunately, Trigger's signature eclectic visuals ended up distracting from the philosophy. That, combined with what viewers deemed melodramatic writing that took away from the already interesting conflict between the characters, left Kiznaiver, ironically, not managing to connect with audiences.
6 DARLING In The FRANXX's Ending Let It Down (7.31)
Early episodes of DARLING in the FRANXX quickly got viewers' attention with what promised to be Trigger's take on Neon Genesis Evangelion: troubled teenagers piloting mechs, dealing with relationships, discovering their sexuality, and uncovering the secrets behind the organization they work for.
Many fans felt that the character development and world-building ended up being for nothing, though, when a rushed ending saw the series jump the shark in its last few episodes. Fans were left wanting Trigger to do an End of Evangelion with the series and remake its last two episodes.
5 Inferno Cop's Limited Animation Disappointed Some Viewers (7.28)
Inferno Cop is essentially all the ludicrous and comedic action of Kill La Kill condensed into three-minute episodes. It's just that the animation was mostly reduced to static images that were moved around on screen.
If that sounds hilariously absurd, that's because Inferno Cop is. This literal joke of a show is basically an experiment in budgeting, as its short runtime and limited animation were implemented so that Trigger's staff would have enough resources to work on other projects. But while it might have been a fun experiment, it wasn't exactly a great work of art.
4 SSSS.Gridman's Tokusatsu Stylings Alienated Some Modern Viewers (7.17)
The 2018 anime SSSS.Gridman is a re-imagining of the classic 1993 tokusatsu series Gridman The Hyper Agent and is also packed full of references to other shows of that era. That makes it a fun throwback, but, unfortunately, it also meant that some viewers saw it as clichéd.
It was popular enough, though, to recently get a companion series in the Spring 2021 anime season, SSSS.Dynazenon. Only time will tell if this franchise has what it takes to become Trigger's breakthrough long-running hit or if its retro style will end up being left in the past.
3 When Supernatural Battles Become Commonplace Is Surprisingly... Commonplace (7.12)
From a title like When Supernatural Battles Become Commonplace, a viewer might think that they'll be treated to a typically Trigger-esque tale of explosions, mechs, and over-the-top action. But in reality, the show is a fairly generic high school harem romance with slice-of-life elements.
These teenagers might have been given supernatural powers, but they still spend most of their time hanging around their clubroom chatting. Even the animation seems to lack Trigger's signature flair, with the art being indistinguishable from just about any other anime that came out in 2014.
2 Ninja Slayer From Animation Is A Joke That Goes On Too Long (6.60)
Ninja Slayer From Animation, which follows a man possessed by the spirit of a legendary ninja, is essentially a parody of some of anime's most ridiculous tropes, complete with moments of hilariously poor animation.
Trigger attempted this formula before, with their irreverent but popular Inferno Cop. While viewers could take Trigger's brand of highly concentrated ridiculousness in Inferno Cop's three-minute doses, each fifteen-minute episode of Ninja Slayer ended up letting the joke go on for way too long, with none of the substance shows like Kill La Kill used to bolster their over-the-top tone.
1 Hacka Doll The Animation Is A Very Long, Very Fanservice-y Advertisement (6.40)
It might come as a surprise to fans who know the studio from their high-profile, experimental action anime series, but Trigger has produced several advertisement campaigns over the years, for products ranging from mobile games to fruit-flavored alcohol. They had never made a full promotional show, though, before the 13-episode Hacka Doll The Animation.
It's not exactly a surprise that an entire comedy show based on a news-personalization service ended up having to milk each parody past the point of humor. That, combined with over-the-top fanservice, meant that few fans bought into this extended piece of product placement.