5 anime prequels fans should view, and 5 anime sequels fans would rather forget

Regarding anime prequels and sequels, fans are mixed on the concepts. Sometimes a sequel like Dragon Ball Z will be better known than its prequel, and sometimes a prequel like Jujutsu Kaisen 0 will outshine the anime it's building up towards.

That said, many anime come across as not needing a sequel. Many fans will consider Inuyasha and Naruto the better story and their sequels to mess up on every level conceivable. Whether it's a pairing that fans hated, a development that breaks the lore, or just bad animation, sometimes a sequel disappoints in major ways.

Disclaimer: The following article will contain spoilers for all the anime and manga included. All opinions are exclusive to the author.

5 anime and manga prequels that are worth a second look

1) Codename: Sailor V (Sailor Moon)

Codename: Sailor V, the prequel to Sailor Moon (Image via Kodansha)

Fans of Sailor Moon know Codename: Sailor V as the prequel to Sailor Moon. It was never made into an anime owing to the studio behind the idea closing down, hence it may not be as well known as Sailor Moon. While the manga-only prequel ran for only 15 chapters and ran parallel to Sailor Moon, it provided an in-depth look into Venus' backstory.

Though the original 90s anime summarized Venus' backstory in one episode and the manga showed her in two side stories, Sailor V showcased Minako Aino's transformation from a ditzy middle schooler into Sailor Venus. The manga chronicles her year-long battle against the Dark Kingdom's precursor, the Dark Agency. It's worth checking out for Sailor Venus' history.

2) Dragon Ball (Dragon Ball Z)

The original Dragon Ball (Image via Toei Animation)

The original Dragon Ball by the late Akira Toriyama still holds up in many respects compared to Dragon Ball Z and later sequels. The original Dragon Ball deserves a second glance mainly because it's been seen as a comedic series and was skipped over by many since Dragon Ball Z got mainstream appeal almost immediately.

Dragon Ball provides the starting point for Goku, Bulma, and others like Krillin, Chi Chi, Tien and Chaotzu, Piccolo, and Master Roshi. In general, Dragon Ball offers more character development, adventure, and multiple stakes rather than the world-ending stakes that Z or Super have. It also features the premiere of many iconic techniques, like the Kamehameha.

3) My Hero Academia: Vigilantes (My Hero Academia)

The original My Hero Academia manga ran for over a decade, from 2014 to 2024. The spinoff and prequel manga My Hero Academia: Vigilantes ran from 2017 to 2022. This prequel may have been eclipsed, thanks to My Hero Academia's anime and runaway success, but there are many reasons why it's worth checking out.

Vigilantes dives into many interesting subjects that My Hero Academia doesn't, including Quirk laws, Stain's backstory, Aizawa's backstory, and the problems of vigilante heroism in a world increasingly governed by restrictive laws. It likewise goes into more of All for One's machinations, showing that Shigaraki wasn't his only victim and target.

4) Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin (Mobile Suit Gundam)

Mobile Suit Gundam’s prequel (Image via Bandai Namco Filmworks)

Mobile Suit Gundam (or 0079) is considered the blueprint for many mecha anime that followed. It birthed the Gundam franchise and spawned sequels including Zeta Gundam, Char's Counterattack, Hathaway, and the Seed Freedom anime and Silver Phantom movie.

The prequel anime Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin was a 6-episode OVA released from 2015 to 2018, rereleased as a 13-episode series in 2019 under Advent of the Red Comet. It showcased Casval Rem Deikun's transformation into the Red Comet, Char Aznable, and clarified why the One Year War started. It showed how Char's revenge quest against the Zabi Family started and why.

5) Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (Image via Studio MAPPA)

Jujutsu Kaisen took the anime world by storm shortly after its start in 2020, with anticipation being high since the manga gained steam after releasing in 2018. Its predecessor, Jujutsu Kaisen 0, started in 2017 in manga form and was released as a movie in 2021.

The prequel caused quite a firestorm in the fandom, with many people preferring Yuta Okkotsu as a protagonist over Yuji Itadori. Jujutsu Kaisen 0 shows Yuta's time at Jujutsu High, how Geto and Gojo's final conflict transpired, how Geto died, and sets the stage for Jujutsu Kaisen. It proved vastly popular upon release, especially so with Yuta coming back into the story following the Shibuya Incident arc.

5 anime sequels that fans would rather forget

1) Dragon Ball GT (Dragon Ball Z)

Dragon Ball GT (Image via Toei Animation)

Although officially not truly one of the Big Three of Shonen, Dragon Ball Z still attained worldwide popularity. Its first sequel, Dragon Ball GT, on the other hand, is deemed a disaster of epic proportions that most fans have blocked out of their memories thanks to Dragon Ball Super.

Dragon Ball GT is considered the lowest point of the franchise, only surpassed by the abysmal Dragon Ball Evolution live-action movie. The animation takes a nosedive, Pan and Giru end up more annoying than helpful, and Goku getting turned back into a kid did nothing for his character. It's telling that the only good parts of this sequel are Super Saiyan 4, Gogeta, and Omega Shenron.

2) Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (Naruto & Naruto: Shippuden)

Boruto wasn't hated when it first premiered, as both Naruto: The Last and the Boruto movie were received well upon release. Naruto had ended on a high note after a decade, and fans were eager to see how things progressed since Naruto became Hokage.

This soured quickly upon Boruto's release. Fans were not pleased with Boruto for many reasons, including finding Boruto himself not compelling, feeling like the story ruined Naruto's generation, and the anime's quick descent into filler. While Boruto has won fans back with the Code arc and further manga storylines, for many it was too little, too late.

3) MF Ghost (Initial D)

Initial D is considered one of the best racing anime. It's regarded as a love letter to street racing culture, where each car and character shows their personality when they drive and race. The various cars are just as much an attraction as the characters in Initial D, especially for car enthusiasts.

MF Ghost, on the other hand, is less exciting in that regard. The many races are now reduced to just a single one, the cars are much less exciting because the rival cars are fancy ones like Porsches and Ferraris vs. a street car, and the underdog story of Kanata Rivington is much less interesting than Takumi Fujiwara's story.

4) Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon (Inuyasha)

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As far as Inuyasha fans are concerned, the original is a masterpiece. The same cannot be said for its sequel, Yashahime. Although exceptionally successful in Japan, English-speaking fans think the series should be forgotten. The fact that it focused mainly on Sesshomaru's kids instead of Kagome and Inuyasha's is just one reason why.

The primary reason fans abandon the sequel is simple: many were turned off by Sesshomaru and Rin becoming a couple. For the uninitiated, Rin is younger than Kagome and stays that way for most of the series. Most fans viewed the two as having a surrogate father-daughter relationship and were turned off when they were revealed to be a couple with children.

5) Persona 4: Golden (Persona 4)

The Persona video game series has had a rocky history with anime adaptations. The Persona 4 anime is considered the absolute best, the Persona 3 movies are considered okay, and Persona 5 is the worst. As far as being a direct sequel, however, Persona 4: Golden's anime is the most forgettable for various reasons.

The only good thing fans recall from the Persona 4: Golden anime is that it leans into a New Game Plus playthrough, with Yu being more confident and Adachi's story. Everything else, from Marie, who was already disliked by a majority of fans, to the downgraded animation and short length of only 13 episodes compared to the original's 26, makes the anime one to forget.

What makes a good prequel and sequel will always differ among mass media fans, and anime is no exception. There are fans of various anime that may be sequels to others, and some may find the prequels better than the sequels.

It's up to interpretation whether or not a sequel or prequel is better than its original, or whether the original should stand alone. Fans will always find something to enjoy and complain about prequels as long as they exist.