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To many, 2024 was the year of anime, and to others, it was a year with some of the most disappointing anime. New anime like Dandadan, Kaiju No. 8, and Dungeon Meshi left viewers shaking with excitement and trepidation, while the animes from previous years with new seasons, like My Hero Academia, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, and Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War continued an amazing run.
In a year filled with critically acclaimed anime, many failed to hit the mark. Whether it is due to animation or a plot that has no direction, several of these anime failed viewers who were waiting for its release. Here are the 8 most disappointing anime of 2024.
Disclaimer: This article is based on the author’s opinion and may contain spoilers.
8 most disappointing anime of 2024
1) Uzumaki
Uzumaki is one of the most disappointing anime, and it goes beyond just 2024. It won’t be a stretch to put it among the most disappointing anime of all time. While Junji Ito fans console themselves, saying, “The first episode was good” and “It is the only manageable Junji Ito work,” the anime didn't live up to expectations.
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The plot of Uzumaki follows a town’s obsession with spiral shapes and how those shapes affect interpersonal relationships in the town. Before it got adapted into anime, Uzumaki was one of the best horror mangas ever made. As an anime, it is subpar, with every single factor that makes a good anime being mishandled. The story was rushed, and the animation that was initially excellent became terrible. Uzumaki is a reminder of what could have been and a huge disappointment to Junji Ito fans.
2) Ninja Kamui
Ninja Kamui suffers from the same disease Demon Slayer has - they know how to misdirect their heavy flaws with amazing fight scenes. While Demon Slayer’s main problem is its terrible worldbuilding, Ninja Kamui’s, on the other hand, is everything. The storyline is abysmal, and the characters are as three-dimensional as a line drawn on paper.
What started as fun in the first episodes became a labored watch, and the only thing that the anime got going became worse. If the animation hadn’t been reduced in quality, the anime could have been considered okay, but it did, leaving viewers with a bad experience. Another part that leaves viewers confused is the inclusion of meta gear into the anime, making it one of the most disappointing anime of 2024.
3) Whisper Me a Love Song
While many Yaoi/Boy Love manga and Light Novels get amazing anime adaptations, fans have yet to see a Yuri/Girl Love equivalent that matches the success of Banana Fish and Sasaki and Miyano. Whisper Me a Love Song was meant to be the Yuri anime to rival the popular Boy Love animes, but what they got was one of the most disappointing anime of 2024.
Whisper Me a Love Song had a promising story that should have worked, but it failed due to production problems. Even with the production issues, viewers can still see the amazing characters, lovely voice acting, and spectacular story shine through. However, it is a pity that it can’t be ignored for long. The combination of all these factors makes Whisper Me a Love Song one of the most disappointing animes in 2024.
4) Tower of God season 2
Since Tower of God got its anime adaptation, it has had a mixed reception among viewers. Many have complained about how the story is too streamlined, and they consider it a huge problem because it missed a lot of nuances the manwha had.
Tower of God season 2 doubles down on every problem fans saw in the first season, and it gets worse. The fight scenes important to Tower of God are also rushed through, and the animation featured is worse than the previous season. Tower of God season 2 is one of the most disappointing anime of 2024 and an example of what an anime shouldn’t do in its second season.
5) Metallic Rouge
Metallic Rouge is an anime with heavy cyberpunk elements and a world resembling Masamune Shirow’s Ghost in the Shell. The plot of Metallic Rouge is one of the reasons for its downfall, as the story had too many elements. This left viewers feeling suffocated as the story unfolded due to its lack of breathing room.
While the art, animation, and voice acting were praised, the story still had its major drawbacks, with a plot meant to look deep at first glance but is shallow. The characters are also considered irritating, which doesn’t help its case.
6) Unnamed Memory
Unnamed Memory was a fantasy anime that was hyped before its release, but once it was released, it was a mess and one of the most disappointing animes. Unnamed Memory promises tons of romance at the beginning, but past the first episode, the anime feels disjointed. Viewers find it hard to get a connection to the characters, and the editing is also criminal, with some scenes feeling out of place.
The only bright spot in the entire anime is the scoring and the music, among the best released this year. Fans who have come across the Light Novel view the anime of Unnamed Memory as an insult to the source material.
7) Bucchigiri
Bucchigiri is a rare misstep from Studio MAPPA, the studio that has given viewers Jujustu Kaisen and Attack on Titan. The only good thing about Bucchigiri is its animation, and after that, the anime fails in every metric. Most viewers stick with the anime because of its visuals, with the expectation that the story gets better, but it doesn’t.
The MC is a character in the mold of Luffy, Goku, and Asta. He is often comically aloof and simple-minded, and although that is usually not a problem in anime, it is in Bucchigiri. Luffy and Goku work because of other diverse characters, but Bucchigiri doesn’t have that. The issue is evident when viewers watch more episodes and realize the plot has no direction. This makes Bucchigiri one of the most disappointing animes of 2024.
8) Suicide Squad Isekai
This is not DC’s first foray into using anime as a medium for their stories, but this is one of their worst. What makes Suicide Squad Isekai one of the most disappointing anime is the studio behind the project. There was an expectation that a project handled by Wit Studio would be good, but Suicide Squad Isekai wasn’t interesting, instead, it was dull.
They played it too safe and followed conventional Isekai tropes throughout. While it was blessed with sleek visuals and nicely done action sequences, the story was static and, at times, rushed, leading to it disappointment for many fans.
Final thoughts
There was so much hype for anime in 2024, with so many mangas and light novels receiving their anime adaptation. While a lot had success, many equally struggled to get their foot off the ground, and they ended up being among the most disappointing anime of 2024.
A huge reason many animes end up disappointing fans is due to an attempt to shorten many chapters of mangas and light novels into 12 episodes. This leads to the pacing of these stories feeling rushed, and the characters feel undeveloped. Another problem is animation, a problem that Blue Lock season 2 initially had. Blue Lock season 2 fixed this problem by improving its animation.
Also Read:
- Blue Lock fans speak up after season 2 finale because "it is that serious"
- Dandadan Season 2 confirmed for July 2025
- Frieren: Beyond Journey's End manga enters indefinite hiatus after Chapter 140
