Top 10 Worst QUALITY in Anime
For this list we'll be looking at times when the quality of anime went completely out the window and caused uproar amongst fans.
#10: Rotoscoping
"The Flowers of Evil" (2013) Director, Hiroshi Nagahama thought the best way to adapt this magna classic was to use a technique called rotoscoping. Well, guess what? He was completely wrong. Upon the series’ release, a storm of controversy quickly tore through the world of anime as fans of Shuzo Oshimi’s artwork became outraged at what they were witnessing. They couldn’t quite understand what had happened to the beloved manga. It was certainly one of those “why?” moments that left fans equally as amused as they were angry and confused. Better luck next time, Mr Nagahama.
#9: CGI Music Scene
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"Mekakucity Actors" (2014) Originally a set of songs that became cult classics, this franchise - which follows a group supernatural youths called the Mekakushi Dan - soon developed into a franchise all different types of media. Trouble was, by the time they had got to the point of making an anime series, the true soul of the story had gone missing, and the absolute lowest point of this series was when they decided to use CGI for this one scene. The soulless faces of the characters make what should be an emotional moment completely hilarious. The studio quickly substituted the CGI with real animation for the bluray version but the damage was already done.
#8: Ruining a Legendary Franchise
"Berserk" (2016-17) Based on Kentaro Miura’s manga series, this is the second time these characters and stories have been adapted into a television series. The original adaptation, a 1997 anime of the same name has long been a fan favourite, so excitement levels were pretty high at the announcement of a follow up. Unfortunately, the 2016 version could not live up to the hype. A mixture of cheap and ugly CGI work and odd sound design left fans and critics distinctly underwhelmed. The storytelling was still great but as far as everything else goes this was a serious failure.
#7: Overuse of Still Frames
"Wizard Barristers" (2014) For one reason or another it often happens that a production deadline just can’t be met. This happens a lot in anime, and when it does there are certain tricks a studio can use to get the product out there. That’s exactly what happened with this show; out of time and under pressure, the studio decided to create scenes that, shall we say, “made the most” out of still frames. The results did not look good. What could have been an epic an emotionally charged scene is turned into a bizarre and desperate exercise in last minute improvisation. Real talk? There’s a good chance someone got fired over this.
#6:The Worst Car Chase in History
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"Polyphonica" (2007) This is a true benchmark moment of poor quality anime; a barometer by which all other bad anime is to be measured; a guide to the perplexed if you will. Try it, if ever a piece of anime seems a little bit off to you, ask yourself if it is anywhere near as ridiculous as this car chase scene. Perhaps this was an honest mistake and somewhere in the directors notes the animator had been asked to forget gravity exists, either way this scene has become a cult meme that stands out from the crowd in terms of it shear QUALITY.
#5: THAT Fight Scene
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"Gundoh Musashi" (2006) Gundoh Musashi will never ever be known as a top quality anime production. However, this scene really does take its cheap and rushed feel to comically new levels. Are we actually supposed to be fooled by this copy and paste abomination? All sense of proportion and equilibrium are thrown out of the window in this demented fight scene in which the laws of the physical universe are blatantly disregarded. A now legendary entry into the pantheon of quality anime, this scene has become cherished and honoured for its outstanding faults.
#4 Episode 4
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"Gurren Lagann" (2007) It’s strange to see this, one of the most critically acclaimed and well respected anime productions of the last twenty years on a “worst” list. Then again, this is not a normal Gurren Lagann episode. The episode in question was directed by a guest animator and the results were disastrous. When upset fans took to the message boards criticizing the fourth episode for failing to live up to the quality of the previous three, the series producer decided to fire back in retaliation. His reaction was so harsh that he was eventually forced to resign from his job, and step down from the production company he started. Wow, don’t mess with Japanese Otaku.
#3 The Pain Fight
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"Naruto: Shippuden" (2007-17) This notorious fight scene is the work of a respected animator with an excellent track record when it comes to animating previous fights in the series. It’s true the show has had its weaker moments but what can you expect when it’s 21 seasons deep. So, what exactly is the problem with the battle between Pain and Naruto? Well despite its wonderfully fluid animation, there are just way too many scenes that looked completely off key. This resulted in many moments where the intimidating Pain looked like he was straight from a classic Looney Toons cartoon. What should have been one of the defining battles in Naruto Shippuden ended up being remembered by fans for all the wrong reasons.
#2 Episodes 2 & 3
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"My Sister, My Writer" (2018) We’re honestly not sure what happened during the production of this show but we can’t take our eyes off it. Whether it’s budget or timing issues, this anime has fallen far short of any sort of standards you’d expect from a light novel adaption and has quickly attained legendary status among fans. Although bad animation has pretty much plagued the entire series, the show seems to reach a kind of negative peak in episode 2 and 3. It’s absolutely no wonder it’s staff have apparently left messages crying for help in its credits!
#1: Goku vs. Beerus
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"Dragon Ball Super" (2015-18) Not even one of the most popular Anime franchises of all time is safe from this list. Fans were overjoyed when a new sequel series to the 90s classic was announced, but things quickly turned sour in the fifth episode. We don’t know what’s worse about this scene, the animation or the art, but what makes things worse is that they already perfectly animated this fight in Battle of the Gods! Thankfully Super upped it’s game later down the line and have us some of the best fights in Dragon Ball history, but some this was enough to put them off for good.
