T5W#263-Top 5 Most Disappointing Anime Sequels

It goes without saying, even beyond the world of Anime, if any major entertainment property, more likely a movie, performs incredibly well, a sequel is sure to be in the works.  And while the creative forces behind the original success might return, there’s a strong chance lightning isn’t going to strike twice.  Some good works are one hit wonders that are classics for a reason.  Trying to force more out of it for the sake of money or continued popularity seems foolhardy.  But that’s the nature of the beast and it’s resulted in many disappointing follow ups to some of the best Anime of all time.  Of course, I can think of 5 titles in particular who’s terribleness really cuts deep.  So onward, Dear Readers, to todays Top 5 Wednesday, the Top 5 Most Disappointing Anime Sequels.

#5-Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Movie 3-Rebellion

In all honesty, it’s the last 10-15 minutes of this movie that really piss me off.  Madoka Magica is as close to a perfect Anime as they come and didn’t really require a continuation.  Not only does Rebellion’s climax do a complete 180 on the tragic yet hopeful message of the series, but everything up to that point is…just ok.  Yeah it’s cool to see Madoka and her four besties fighting as a team but it never feels truly right given what transpired over the course of 11 episodes of heartbreaking Anime.  That ending though, they thought it was a good idea…God were they wrong, so very wrong.

#4-Martian Successor Nadesico: The Prince of Darkness

Nadesico is one of the best Mecha parody Anime out there in that it not only pokes fun at every Giant Robot trope from the 70s and 80s but also tells a story that would fit in just fine with the likes of Macross or Space Battleship Yamato.  Ruri Hoshino’s narraration at the end of the series finale all but garunteed a sequel.  And then we got this.  The Prince of Darkness lives up to the Darkness part in every single way.  Gone is the fun and gut busting comedy replaced with a sucker punch of total depression.  Killing off main characters before the movie even begins was a bad enough sign.  Even having Ruri in the Captains chair does nothing to lift the spirits of this soulless sequel that does everything wrong that Nadesico did right.

#3-Psycho Pass 2

The Season One Finale of Psycho Pass is by far one of my favorite conclusions in all of Anime, wrapping up an intense cat and mouse game in a nice little bow.  Unlike most other entries on this list, Psycho Pass is the only title I could ever see a sequel happening with.  It’s such a large world to explore, if not through the eyes of the remaining cast but through new faces instead.  Psycho Pass 2, however, takes all the intelligence and high stakes storytelling of the first season and dumbs it down.  The case has promise that’s never met; Akane facing her own Makashima turns out to be a dud; and we also get one of the most infuriating characters in Mika Shimotsuki, who single handidly kills the season every time shes on screen.  Here’s hoping Psycho Pass 3 can do some serious damage control when we get to it in a couple of weeks.

#2-Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny

If I didn’t make it clear when I reviewed this back in May 2020…I HATE this title.  Mobile Suit Gundam Seed wasn’t perfect but it was a good attempt to relaunch Gundam for the new millennia and jumpstart a new Alternate Universe with potential.  Hell it did so well it became the first AU Gundam series to get a direct TV follow up.  Seed Destiny didn’t just squander that potential, it became a 50 episode train wreck that did everything in its power to look important while crashing.  Old characters became hollow shells of their former selves; the new cast was wasted; the story kept finding more holes to dig; and do I really need to harp more on Shinn Asuka and how he is the worst thing to happen to Gundam since G-Saviour (frak why didn’t I do a Top 5 about that…food for thought).  I may have another Gundam series to rant on later this year but trust me, I don’t think I’ll hate on any part of the Gundam franchise more than Gundam Seed Destiny.

#1-Dragon Ball GT

How do you follow up one of the greatest action Anime of all time, so successful it’s effects can still be felt around the world today?  Well first off, you really shouldn’t do squat when the original creator isn’t involved.  Sadly, the lack of Akira Toriyama is but the first of many problems with Dragon Ball GT (though it might be near the top of that list).  Sub par animation, a stupid overarching story and taking the spotlight away from franchise legends like Vegeta and Piccolo in favor of Kid Goku and his equally insufferable granddaughter Pan, Dragon Ball GT was doomed to fail from the start.  Many of us who loved Z and had heard of GT’s existence couldn’t wait to see what came after Majin Buu.  Boy were we in for a disappointment (not helped in the US by that God awful Step into the Grand Tour theme song).  GT’s failure is historic, only clocking in at a measly 64 episodes compared to Dragon Balls 153 and Dragon Ball Z’s historic 291.  GT would be the final nail in the Dragon Ball coffin in 1997 until Toriyama returned to the franchise to resurrect it with 2 new Z films followed by a proper follow up in Dragon Ball Super…which made it its personal mission to wipe the stain of GT from the Dragon Ball legacy…which it pretty much did and then some.