From Black Clover to One Piece, 10 anime people stop watching most frequently

anime people stop watching
Meliodas, Ichigo, Kaneki (Image via A-1 Pictures, Studio Pierrot)

Anime people stop watching for various reasons, from pacing issues to repetitive storylines. Such reasons range from aching because the pacing hurts to fairly repetitive storylines. In some series, no matter how popular it was once, it simply cannot keep viewers engaged for long.

It may be a never-ending line of filler episodes or very annoying character traits that grow old, or could be a huge deviation from source material that one loved.

While there are many anime that hold the audience's interest from beginning to end, there are others in which people drift off by not keeping up with their storyline. Here are ten anime people stop watching for obvious reasons.

Disclaimer: This list is ranked in no particular order and contains the writer's opinion.


Bleach, Black Clover, and 8 other anime people stop watching

1) One Piece

Monkey D. Luffy as seen in anime (Image via Toei Animation)
Monkey D. Luffy as seen in anime (Image via Toei Animation)

One Piece is one of the many frequently cited examples of anime people stop watching in the middle because of its long length and slow delivery. With over 1,000 episodes, new viewers might feel daunted by the commitment that has to be made to catch up.

The complex arcs making up the whole storyline and the filler episodes that keep appearing in the anime also conflict with fans who require stable progress of the plot. Even though the world-building in One Piece is something many fans enjoy, others find the volume of characters or the interconnected web of storylines intolerable to deal with.


2) Black Clover

Asta as seen in anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)
Asta as seen in anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Black Clover often loses its fans because of the over-the-top personality and loud voice of its main character, Asta. His endless shouting can be annoying to those who want the charisma coming out from a more detailed character build. Also, the beginning phase is too slow for the pacing, which makes it really difficult to connect with the story.

As the story progresses, some fans find the story of Asta becoming the Wizard King more predictive and less interesting. The combination of all these reasons makes Black Clover one of the anime people stop watching in the midway.


3) Tokyo Ghoul

Ken Kaneki as seen in anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)
Ken Kaneki as seen in anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Tokyo Ghoul starts strong but later deviates so far from the manga that it alienates the most avid fans. Between Tokyo Ghoul √A and re, it was rushed to such an extent that critical plot moments were glossed over or ignored, leaving manga readers frustrated and confused new viewers.

In addition to this, the dark, complex themes lose impact with the show's uneven pacing and development of character. As this series continues, many feel it becomes too far from the original appeal to make it interesting to continue watching, placing Tokyo Ghoul among the anime people stop watching.


4) Sword Art Online

Kirito as seen in anime (Image via A-1 Pictures)
Kirito as seen in anime (Image via A-1 Pictures)

Sword Art Online immediately captures attention through its VR concept, but most viewers quickly grow bored because the storytelling is inconstant. It turns from a high-stakes survival series into a weaker development of individual characters and confusing plotlines after that first arc. The Alicization arc, in particular, introduces complex storylines that might annoy casual viewers.

The overpowered protagonist, Kirito, reduces the tension and makes the outcomes predictable. All these make up the series that is monotonous and less interesting as it rolls along, making Sword Art Online one of the anime people stop watching in mid-journey.


5) Pokémon

Ash Ketchum as seen in anime (Image via OLM)
Ash Ketchum as seen in anime (Image via OLM)

Pokémon starts with a lot of excitement, but gradually, its tendency to fall into repetition becomes off-putting to most viewers. Each season usually hampers itself into one clichéd repetition after another as Ash travels through another set of regions, collecting badges, and fighting Gym Leaders, only to reset the cycle in the next arc.

Moreover, its poor development of characters and plot has made the series highly stagnant. When viewers need richer content and advancement, it tires to watch the formula. This makes it one of the anime people stop watching before the main characters reach their goal.


6) Bleach

Ichigo Kurosaki as seen in anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)
Ichigo Kurosaki as seen in anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Bleach starts strong but loses many fans because it relies too much on filler arcs, blurring out the lines of the core plot. It brings in many extended filler episodes that give viewers a sense of detachment from the core storyline of the series.

In addition, the pacing of the story is not consistent for the audience, with certain arcs dragging on too long, making Bleach one of the anime people stop watching before its end.


7) Boruto

Boruto Uzumaki as seen in anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)
Boruto Uzumaki as seen in anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Similar to Bleach, Boruto also suffers criticism for relying too heavily on filler episodes, which interject into the main storyline and make it hard to follow through, therefore, causing viewers to disengage with the series. It lacks the emotional severity and intriguing character arcs that made Naruto so iconic.

Many viewers believe the newer generation does not live up to the standard of the original, and poor pacing causes even faithful viewers of Naruto to lose interest. These factors caused a huge decline in viewers, making Boruto anime people stop watching midway.


8) Fairy Tail

Natsu, Lucy, and Macao as seen in anime (Image via A-1 Pictures)
Natsu, Lucy, and Macao as seen in anime (Image via A-1 Pictures)

Fairy Tail begins well with a colorful world, magical guilds, and engaging characters. However, later it starts to feel stale with the repetitive reliance on power-ups derived from friendship and predictable outcomes for battles.

Many viewers lose interest as the plot becomes formulaic, wherein fights are resolved by sheer willpower instead of strategy or growth.

Additionally, the lack of real consequences and the extreme fanservice can be something that may offend some fans. This makes Fairy Tail anime people stop watching along the way.


9) Seven Deadly Sins

Meliodas as seen in anime (Image via A-1 Pictures)
Meliodas as seen in anime (Image via A-1 Pictures)

While Seven Deadly Sins started well, and the plot and character development were pretty enticing, declining animation quality later affected its viewership. Fans were pretty disappointed by the badly animated fight scenes, which lessened the impact of the battles that most crucially portrayed the story.

The storytelling got less consistent and more hurried, which resulted in plotlines that did not give much character development. All this led to an overall downward spiral, leaving many viewers disappointed compared to the previous seasons. This makes Seven Deadly Sins another anime people stop watching before the story concludes.


10) The Promised Neverland

Emma as seen in anime (Image via CloverWorks)
Emma as seen in anime (Image via CloverWorks)

Under the suspenseful plot and dark themes, The Promised Neverland disappointed its viewers with the release of the second season. The anime drastically skipped many core arcs of the manga and thus pushed through the story, losing much of the depth that makes the first season so attractive.

Important character developments and world-building were sacrificed, leaving a narrative full of holes and an unsatisfying plot. For manga readers, this was a frustrating deviation from the trend, thus making many get bored with the anime. The Promised Neverland is one of the anime people stop watching due to its rushed and inconsistent storytelling.


Final thoughts

The reasons anime people stop watching vary significantly, often stemming from issues such as pacing, repetitive storylines, and inconsistencies in character. Series like One Piece and Black Clover struggle mainly through length, as well as overly out-of-control characters, while Tokyo Ghoul and Sword Art Online falter due to significant deviations from the source material.


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Edited by Bharath S
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