With bestselling mangas such as Chainsaw Man and Hell's Paradise finally getting their long-awaited anime adaptations, there is still the chance it could all go very wrong. Even when the source material is very well-received by readers, there have been myriad times when anime studios mess up their manga adaptations.
From Berserk to The Seven Deadly Sins, many fans found these manga adaptations disappointing due to poor graphics and unnecessary filler arcs when they should have stayed true to the story. The underwhelming reception has caused several to be canceled or end in cliffhangers — although a few are returning to finish the remaining narrative.
Bleach (2004-2012)
Bleach - Tite Kubo's original manga - has garnered high praise and even managed to set a bar for any future mangaka to follow, inspiring the likes of Jujutsu Kaisen's Gege Akutami and Demon Slayer's Koyaharu Gotouge.
Picked up by Studio Pierrot, they managed to competently adapt the first two seasons to great success. After that, they rushed ahead of the manga and created their own storylines that by the show's cancellation the completed series was 45% filler. While the anime had ended in 2012, Kubo was still churning out chapters until 2018, leaving many to wonder if the final arcs would ever get an anime adaptation. Thankfully, fans won't have to wait any longer, as the last remaining arc will premiere in October 2022.
The Seven Deadly Sins (2014-2021)
For its first two seasons, The Seven Deadly Sins is a competent adaptation of a highly popular manga. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the remaining series once the anime was handed off to Studio DEEN.
It's not always necessarily bad when an anime changes animation studios in-between seasons; MAPPA's production of Attack on Titan's final season can testify that there are good exceptions. But, DEEN's handling of The Seven Deadly Sins is, unfortunately, quite the opposite. Upon seeing the finished product of the long-awaited season three, fans were left stunned as their beloved characters were seemingly brought to life with misshapen eyes, disproportionate bodies, and a lack of symmetry overall.
Black Clover (2017-2021)
Black Clover may be typical of a fantasy shonen manga, with a predictable storyline and a gung-ho, albeit naive protagonist. Yet, there is no denying that Yuki Tabata's artwork makes up more for it with its beautiful landscapes and amazing character designs. Sadly, the anime adapted by Studio Pierrot was unable to fully capture Tabata's artwork in all its glory; instead, fans are left with bland designs and action sequences that felt too stilted.
When adapting a popular action shonen, it's important to deliver on translating the fights between characters in order to make out what was drawn in the first place; Black Clover's anime managed to do that at best five times out of ten.
The Promised Neverland (2019 Series)
One of the few shonen action anime to have a female protagonist, The Promised Neverland's first season started off really strong and was a near-perfect adaptation of the original manga, but eventually, the buck would stop there as season 2's flaws quickly became apparent to readers and viewers alike.
Throughout the second season, readers could identify parts that were missing, and casual viewers could feel they were getting a rushed story. Despite the manga and the anime's popularity, it was decided the second season would be its last. So in their wisdom, Studio Clover opted to crunch as much as the manga that was remaining, leaving fans with an unsatisfying conclusion.
Blade Of The Immortal (2008 Series)
Hiroaki Samura's take on the lone ronin who helps a young individual bent on revenge may come off as unoriginal in terms of story structure. But, its characters and scarce use of fantasy elements bring a compelling narrative. Blade of The Immortal follows a semi-immortal sellsword who's hired by a young girl to help find those responsible for her parents' murders.
When it was first adapted into an anime, the results were less than satisfactory. As the case with most manga adaptations, Samura was still working towards its conclusion, and thus, the anime was left with an open note ending - only be rectified when the manga was re-adapted in 2019. It would be inconsequential if that were it, but unfortunately, the studio failed to capture the gritty style set by Samura and, instead, gave it a more polished look that failed to reach the manga's aesthetic.
Deadman Wonderland (2011)
Deadman Wonderland is a tale that wonderfully blends the tropes of a dystopian society with a protagonist trying to prove their innocence in a game of survival. When it was officially brought to life via animation, fans were ready to grant the first episode a positive reception; unfortunately, the acclaim would stop there.
Only lasting one season, Deadman Wonderland's adaptation left viewers wanting more while readers were left with a sense of confusion as to where the story was going in the adaptation; it apparently veered way off-script to their liking.
Rosario + Vampire (2008)
Rosario + Vampire's adaptation is a perfect example of when a studio fails to follow its source material. Forgoing any of the well-rounded character arcs and storylines, they instead focused more upon the far in between fan-service moments that were found to be in the manga and turn that into the focus, deeming that that was what drew readers' attention.
On its own, the anime could have been a fine entry into the rom-com genre; but, because it was adapted from an acclaimed manga, it became underwhelming for readers.
The Flowers Of Evil (2013)
The Flowers of Evil is a beloved manga series that dallies between romance and suspense. So, when it was announced that it would be getting an anime adaptation, readers were eagerly excited, only to be disappointed to discover that the animation was to be rotoscoped. The finished product came off as looking too awkward and uncanny that it became unbearable to watch.
Rotoscope has usually been used sparingly from Rankin-Bass adaptations of Tolkien's works to obscure Richard Linklater movies. When it comes to anime, rotoscope is reserved for title or end credits like in Komi Can't Communicate, but the technique fails to capture facial emotions and fluid movements. These problems are exemplified in the The Flowers of Evil's adaptation.
Tokyo Ghoul (2014-2018)
Sui Ishida's Tokyo Ghoul and Tokyo Ghoul:re is considered one of the must-read mangas via CBR.com. A modern dark fantasy with kafkaesque themes and a well-characterized ensemble, Tokyo Ghoul managed to craft an engaging and entertaining tale for any manga beginner to enjoy.
Another Pierrot project, Tokyo Ghoul ran into the same problems as their other adaptations, with the most common being filler. What sets it apart is its complete disregard of the original story, and essentially they made their arcs "canon" to the detriment of many fans. While most fans agree to stay away from the anime, they would also agree that Yutaka Yamada's score is a good listen when reading Sui Ishida's original manga.
Berserk (2016-2017)
According to ComicBook, Kentaro Miura's Berserk series will continue on with a new chapter coming out later this month under the supervision of Miura's best friend and fellow mangaka, Kouji Mori. The manga series particularly became renowned for its great storytelling and beautiful, dark illustration that brought out Berserk's top and brutal battles.
So far, there have been several Berserk iterations, such as the '97 series (The Golden Age Arc), the 2012 film trilogy, and the horribly received 2016 adaptation. The 2016 adaptation became infamous for its production value with a gaudy CGI blend and uncanny designs to make any fans' dismay. Hopefully, Berserk will get an apt adaptation that covers the entire series, but for now, fans should just read the manga instead.