Worst Anime Sequelitis

[Milkymagic]

I'm talking about anime sequels that took their former series over the top, or merely ruined the pristine image formerly in your mind prior to watching it.

Steel Angel Kurumi 2 - I hated this series simply because it had nothing to do with the original in any way, and that includes the level of comedy and overall story execution. Of course, the first series was only average in my opinion anyway.

Nadia: the Secret of Blue Water Motion Picture - The televison series was great fun, even if it did hobble to its eventual end in due time. The movie killed every character in the series and threw their corpses into a nasty storyline to rot in the bottom of my anime stash. Yuck!

Love Hina Again - I'm sure the manga volumes were better than the anime's execution, but I couldn't help but be appalled by the simple lack of incentive to enjoy what was another exercise in needlessly expanding the story without touching on the original series' strengths.

Those Who Hunt Elves 2 - I loved the first series, but the second one was weaker, and remained an extreme hit-or-miss in some episodes. Some good episodes were mixed in, however, making it merely disappointing.

I can't make a ranked list efficiently out of this subject yet, so I'm merely stating the ones that I remembered best. Hopefully I'll get to hear some of your more hated sequels soon enough.

[Datsun]

I'd probably have to say Mai Otome, while it didn't exactly tarnish Mai Hime, it certainly wasn't really worth watching as it follows exactly the same formula and so there's no shock or surprise at the so called revelations that occur, cause you know exactly what's going to happen before it happens.

[Ojisan]

It's seems sometimes good or decent OVAs or short TV series with strong popularity get shit TV series as either continuations or remakes. They attempt to add more to something that was enough.

I liked the original Hanaukyo Maid Tai, the ten minute episodes were perfect length for its light-hearted, raunchy humour and it didn't bombared you with serious backstories and dramatic situations. La Verite on the other hand, in an attempt to further "flesh" the series only shot it down with ridiculously melodramatic themes and an over-the-top conclusion. Total rot.

Same goes for Magic Users Club. The first was aware of its zany plotline and never tried to delve too deep. The TV series on the other hand, boring, trite, dramatic qualties that carried the series away from its light-hearted OVA.


Those Who Hunt Elves 2 - I loved the first series, but the second one was weaker, and remained an extreme hit-or-miss in some episodes. Some good episodes were mixed in, however, making it merely disappointing.


Heh, for some reason, both Those Who Hunt Elves were complete guilty pleasures for me. The second one didn't chage formula much at all, and it's absurd, excessive humour was what I needed after the long, emotionally-driven Glass Mask.

Other mentions would be Love Hina Again and Green Green Ero-lutions.

[Shadowmage]

Rozen Maiden: Traumend

I must admit, I enjoyed the first few episodes of the show. It revived the quirky character chemistry and the all-to-familiar atmosphere without a hitch. I just didn't realize that the show had been shot out of a cannon, and it had a long way to go down. simply put, melodrama overload.

[Milkymagic]

Ouch! Haven't seen any of these sequels yet (maybe for good reason?), though I've seen the original Hanaukyo Maid Team series, and could probably understand if the seriousness of its sequel didn't help it any.

I also forgot to mention I absolutely hate the Ninja Scroll TV, that anime was weak in comparison to the movie, due to a rough daytime TV execution of Jubei's character combined with a less interesting story execution.

Also, the second Mahoromatic series I should mention. At least it provided an ending, but the first series was stronger in execution simply because it was more focused on developing any story as opposed to the second series coming in tardy with some late developments.

Oji's basically right on the expansion of a popular series, and I think there's good and bad sequels in the same token. However, a majority usually don't match up well with me in the end, being most are just watered down expansions.

[kLaUS]

I havent seen a lot of sequels, i dont know why... But you are right about ninja scroll. Other maybe could be School Rumble Niggaki, just bekause is more of the same. I think sequels are suppose to be better, and thats the main risk, and maybe the main reason of why there arent that many great sequels... Well, i should check the other thread...

[Zelkiiro]

Slayers Perfect.

-____-

[7Raven7]

I don't know if these two count as sequels but Vision of Escaflowne:A Girl from Gaea and Blue Gender:The Warrior are both post-series movies that were infamously worse than their respective series, and rightfully so. Or let's just throw in generally any movie seeking to consolidate a larger series/manga and often without offering any new footage; yes Pluralitis Concentio and Death & Rebirth, I'm talking to you!


Also, Rurouni Kenshin: Seisouhen or "Samurai X:Reflection" was a terrible conclusion to the Kenshin story. And we won't even go into Macross: Do you Remember Love? or Bubblegum Crash.

[L-sama]

Slayers Perfect.

-____-

True words. That was anything but perfect.

And on to some others...

Dragonball Z - The original Dragonball was actually enjoyable. One of my Top 25 Favorites. DBZ just took all the good and made it sour...and 30x longer than necessary

Escaflowne: A Girl in Gaea - Way too different from the TV series, and not in a good way.

Gundam SEED: Destiny - What could've been a decent enough sequel turned into something that even gave Gundam Wing a run for its money on the sub-par scale in the Gundam franchise

[Sae]

Escaflowne: A Girl in Gaea

Wait isn't that the series itself? o.O?

I think probably, in my opinion, GITS: Innocence. The soundtrack was gorgeous yet the overall storyline was missed by far.

Also Tenchi The Movie. Now I am NOT talking about Daughter of Darkness or Tenchi Forever!!!! Only the first one because it made NO sense except for like 2 parts. And it was nothing but fighting and you didn't even know who was fighting who. Aweful way of depicting and explaining what the hell is going on. Ugh.......:migrane: :bashhead

Edit: I also didn't feel too strongly for FMP: Fumoffu. It had no point and didn't really have a plot as far as the first one did.

[Milkymagic]

Much to everyone's shock, Macross: DYRL was not a bad egg on my behalf, simply because I felt it did improve on a few things that the TV series didn't do for me.

Still, Bubblegum Crash was a bummer (seen worse though), and The Vision of Escaflowne movie was a lame retelling. Death and Rebirth was an unnecessary Eva film, and DBZ just seems to qualify almost automatically.

[Niner]

Onegai Twins. The only good thing to come out of that was the OP. Everything else was utter, incest/loli-filled trash. Ugh.

[Tyrdium]

Stellvia sequel. Why? Because it doesn't. Bloody. Exist. Grrr.

[fugupinkeye]

I don't know if this one technically counts, but The Cat Returns was definitely no successor to Whisper of the Heart. The first hour is paced like a good Ghibli film, and then the rest feels like the suddenly realized the time, and just rushed through the rest.

[Sae]

I don't know if this one technically counts, but The Cat Returns was definitely no successor to Whisper of the Heart. The first hour is paced like a good Ghibli film, and then the rest feels like the suddenly realized the time, and just rushed through the rest.

The Cat Returns came first......That is why Baron Von Humvertgivigin is so young. There is not coralation between the two films besides a few familiar characters. The Cat Returns was considered the prequel though.

Sae-chan

[animanic_critic]

Also, Rurouni Kenshin: Seisouhen or "Samurai X:Reflection" was a terrible conclusion to the Kenshin story. And we won't even go into Macross: Do you Remember Love? or Bubblegum Crash.
Personally, I thought the conclusion to the Kenshin story depicted in the OVA is good, maybe because I don't usually favor happy endings (I dig bittersweet endings, to be honest). It's just that how the conclusion was executed that's really a letdown. If it had adopted the same approach as the previous OVA in terms of sombre atmosphere, masterful artwork and memorable music score, it could have become one of the best epilogues in anime history... seriously.

Also, RahXephon: Pluralitas Concentio was quite disappointing to me. The series was a major success, but that can't be said for the successive movie. This is a good instance of what happens when you take a fantastic series and condensing it into a movie, leaving out all the elements that made the series.

[L-sama]

Wait isn't that the series itself? o.O?

The TV series was called Vision of Escaflowne. The movie was called Vision of Escaflowne: A Girl in Gaea (or just Escaflowne: A Girl in Gaea). My bad for not specifying.

[Milkymagic]

I wasn't much for the Cat Returns (I'll count prequels just to add more fun), being I loved Whisper of the Heart so much in return. It was too light and weak in execution. But again, there's always worse at the least.

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence was a difficult viewing experience, I was more for the first film, but the second was loaded with so many quotes it remained hard to keep up with the dialogue. Still, it was interesting to say the least.

The first Tenchi movie was alright, but the OVA was definitely better, that's for certain.

[Apolyion]

Saber Marionette J Again was pretty bad as a sequel to the original. Luckily J to X made up for it later, but J Again was just awful.

[Milkymagic]

I've seen Saber Marionette J Again, it was terrible. The new character they added was nothing that helped the series in any way. The original was also way funnier in the long run.

[Lamace]

I'd have to go with Tekkaman Blade 2, while its not bad on its own it is no where near the callibur of the first one (one of my all time favorites).

Another is Macross 2 again not bad but it just felt like the first one with new characters (that werent all that different in the first place).

I dont know if you can consider this a sequal but Street Fighter Zero the Animation was pretty weak and felt too much like a DBZ movie (probably because it was the same director).

[Ghostmaster]

I agree with GITS Innocence. The animation is fantastic, but the story lacks well a story. Somewhere it was lost.

[Milkymagic]

I didn't actually think Macross II was all that bad either, though in comparison to the original series, it can be labeled disappointing. Especially since Plus did a better job with giving the series a fresh face. Still, I liked Macross II for what it was, more Macross.

Man, those Ghost in the Shell movies and SAC sure like to go a few rounds with each other when it comes to sequel discussions.

[Major Tom]

I'll have to second some here.

Rozen Maiden Träumend was definately a disappointment. Some of the more interesting parts of the first were simply left out (that being Jun's story). The plot itself did seem to be more complex than the first, and it didn't quite fit too well into a 13 episode run. There were some ends left lying loose a weel. Doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it, just wasn't as good as it could have been

Love Hina Again. Oh. My. God. Whilst the TV series was OK, the winter special good and the spring special tolerable, Again was mangled and butchered beyond anything recognisable.

RahXephon: Pluralitas Concerto was bad in the sense that condensing an entire 26 episode TV series, and introducing new ideas and different takes on the story just meant there was too much to do, and not enough time to do it in. The movie suffered as a result.

Steel Angel Kurumi 2. Kurumi is one of my guilty pleasures, and I was sorely disappointed at this.....attempt.....at continuing the story. It has nothing to do with the original story anyway, and it's measures at trying to be funny just weren't. Hell, Simoun does a better job at doing the 'we're not really lesbians' routine. To top it off, when it ended, it ended in such a way that I did not even realise that that was the final episode. Crap all round.

[focker919]

hate me if you want for this...but I couldnt stand the fullmetal alchemist movie. Sure it answers questions...but it does it by throwing all of the character development of the series out the window.

[Milkymagic]

I'll have to second some here.

Rozen Maiden Träumend was definately a disappointment. Some of the more interesting parts of the first were simply left out (that being Jun's story). The plot itself did seem to be more complex than the first, and it didn't quite fit too well into a 13 episode run. There were some ends left lying loose a weel. Doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it, just wasn't as good as it could have been

Love Hina Again. Oh. My. God. Whilst the TV series was OK, the winter special good and the spring special tolerable, Again was mangled and butchered beyond anything recognisable.

RahXephon: Pluralitas Concerto was bad in the sense that condensing an entire 26 episode TV series, and introducing new ideas and different takes on the story just meant there was too much to do, and not enough time to do it in. The movie suffered as a result.

Steel Angel Kurumi 2. Kurumi is one of my guilty pleasures, and I was sorely disappointed at this.....attempt.....at continuing the story. It has nothing to do with the original story anyway, and it's measures at trying to be funny just weren't. Hell, Simoun does a better job at doing the 'we're not really lesbians' routine. To top it off, when it ended, it ended in such a way that I did not even realise that that was the final episode. Crap all round.

Actually, I thought the Love Hina Spring Special was terrible, but the Christmas one was better than both Again and Spring Special.

Steel Angel Kurumi can be a guilty pleasure in some cases, I thought Saki was pretty funny for a side character, and the fights were quite campy (Agent Aika is still the queen of campy anime action, of course that actually sucked). But that sequel was definitely lacking in every single department, and I mean every department imaginable.

And don't get me started on the Project A-ko Vs series...ouch!

[7Raven7]

Just in case we needed to clear up the GITS issue, it goes:

GITS:SAC 2nd Gig > GITS:SAC > GITS: Innocence > GITS

Hence, the saga gets better each go. That's my opinion at least ;)

Edit due to sleeplessness harming my ability to distinguish basic math symbols.

[Milkymagic]

Just in case we needed to clear up the GITS issue, it goes:

GITS:SAC 2nd Gig < GITS:SAC < GITS: Innocence < GITS

Hence, the saga gets better each go. That's my opinion at least ;)

Wow, so you liked Innocence better than the first movie? I guess I can see why, given how different the first movie was from the manga.

I'll stick with my original opinion which is that the first movie was better than the second, but I mean this in context to how much I liked the film itself, given I also liked the directing by Oshii. Plus, like I said before, the second film was a little confusing for me. Though, once more, I will state I liked its ambitions at the least...

Ok, that settles that! :thud:

[LadyYuina]

I'm talking about anime sequels that took their former series over the top, or merely ruined the pristine image formerly in your mind prior to watching it.

Steel Angel Kurumi 2 - I hated this series simply because it had nothing to do with the original in any way, and that includes the level of comedy and overall story execution. Of course, the first series was only average in my opinion anyway.

Man, they ruined it big time for making a part 2 in my opinion.

[Milkymagic]

Man, they ruined it big time for making a part 2 in my opinion.

Yeah, most harem shows like Kurumi are never in need of a sequel, they just don't do anything for the product.

[laborpilot86]

The third Patlabor movie was nowhere near as good as the first two.

[Milkymagic]

The third Patlabor movie was nowhere near as good as the first two.

I knew I was forgetting a title! Granted it's not horrible, but the third Patlabor film was not as mentally engrossing as its other two entries. In fact, I see this film as a Resident Evil-like plot device mixed into a detective film, and to me Patlabor didn't need that sort of formula. Didn't work for me at all.

[zarahf]

Wait isn't that the series itself? o.O?

I think probably, in my opinion, GITS: Innocence. The soundtrack was gorgeous yet the overall storyline was missed by far.

Edit: I also didn't feel too strongly for FMP: Fumoffu. It had no point and didn't really have a plot as far as the first one did.

I couldn't agree more on both points.

[(V)]

Almost all the new pokemon i used to love the old show, but if i watch the new ones i just turn the tv off they are just ..... :icon_danc Lets go

[Major Tom]

The third Patlabor movie was nowhere near as good as the first two.

Eh, WXIII was a Patlabour movie in name only. I thought it was a decent detective film, but as a Patlabour film, it fails.

[Milkymagic]

Eh, WXIII was a Patlabour movie in name only. I thought it was a decent detective film, but as a Patlabour film, it fails.

That's probably the best way to put it for me, cause I felt the same way. It felt like a few movies were being slapped together to make a whole film, the detective and monster elements were just poorly executed for myself.

[kobi666]

i heard that there were 3 akira movies somewhere... and that the other two sucked majorly... but i never found anything about those.. anybody got any hints?

[Milkymagic]

i heard that there were 3 akira movies somewhere... and that the other two sucked majorly... but i never found anything about those.. anybody got any hints?

There's only one film made around the Akira manga, and that was in 1988 by the creator himself, Katsuhiro Otomo. There are other movie editions you can find that are more expensive than others, but that's all I can state if you're concerned.

Couldn't just leave somebody in the dark about that.

[Dark Lord]

I'll make this as short as possible... DBZ.. Period...

[ZZalapski]

If suck were people, Love Hina Again would be China...without birth control and family planning.

I actually kinda liked Pluralitis Concentio. Sure, a lot of the supporting characters were shoved to the background, but the main story that it developed was substantial and went beyond what the series covered. No masterpiece, but certainly not among the worst sequels.

[Roark]

i heard that there were 3 akira movies somewhere... and that the other two sucked majorly... but i never found anything about those.. anybody got any hints?
This refers to the various releases outside of Japan. The dub work on the original orion release was very, very lacking.