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Discover 8 overrated anime from 2024. Explore their issues and why they failed to live up to the expectations of fans.
The year 2024 was a great year for anime, with several new entrants like Dandadan and Solo Leveling, as well as compelling sequels of Bleach and Oshi no Ko. However, when there are so many highly regarded anime, there are also several that perform underwhelmingly.
Popularly termed “overrated,” these anime are not necessarily bad but just did not have enough payoff for the anticipation built around them. Here is a closer look at 8 anime considered overrated for a variety of reasons.
1) Uzumaki
Junji Ito adaptations have a very bad reputation since most studios cannot fulfill the monumental task of bringing the creator’s terrifying stories to life. However, Uzumaki seemed to be different, stunning fans with a trailer that looked like it perfectly adapted the manga. Set in an isolated town, it followed the eerie tales of inhabitants who were affected by the curse of spirals.
The first episode of the four-episode anime was a huge hit. It used rotoscope technology and even improved upon many iconic moments from the source material. Unfortunately, this was where it began to diverge. The production fell apart for the remaining episodes, delivering very inconsistent quality.
Characters and storylines were mixed around, making for a very confusing viewing experience. What was once a perfect replication of the aesthetic soon became completely out of tune with the original story’s psychological depth. This ultimately let down fans, who considered it to be the biggest drop in quality out of any 2024 anime.
2) Kaiju No. 8
Based on the very popular manga, Kaiju No. 8 was one of the most popular anime of 2024. It is set in a world living under the threat of monsters known as Kaiju. In response to these creatures, humanity established the Defense Force, composed of powerful individuals.
The story introduces Kafka Hibino, a middle-aged man who once wished to become a member of this force but has given up. His life drastically changes when he is attacked by a creature and gains the ability to transform into a Kaiju himself. This reinvigorates his ambitions of protecting citizens and joining the Defense Force.
Kaiju No. 8 was undoubtedly enjoyable, replicating several shonen classics. Unfortunately, it never truly went past being “just another action anime.” The characters were well-written but still failed to create a deep connection to the series’ narrative. It also didn’t help that Kaiju No. 8 refused to cross the barrier of showing on-screen deaths.
In a world comparable to Attack on Titan, none of the primary characters ever seemed to face their demise. Hence, most fans felt that Kaiju No. 8 was disappointing, as it played it too safe rather than exploring its own distinctiveness.
3) Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian
As the name suggests, Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian revolves around a half-Russian girl named Alya who fancies her classmate, Masachika. It would have been too easy for her to reveal this, however, so she tends to express her true thoughts in Russian, believing the boy wouldn’t understand her.
Unbeknownst to her, the male protagonist does understand the language. While controlling his own feelings in response to her reactions, viewers experienced their chaotic antics. Romance anime often tread the line between charm and cliché, and this series leaned more toward the latter.
In the age of the “waifu,” the series found a lot of success due to its attractive female cast. At the same time, the dynamic between the main characters became repetitive after a while, with no meaningful progression being shown. Most of the side characters also felt too one-dimensional, existing only to highlight how smart the series’ main cast members were. Hence, while this was a fun romantic comedy, the praise it received often went overboard.
4) Classroom of the Elite Season 3
With each passing season, fans of the Classroom of the Elite light novel feel their hearts sink lower and lower. While it is understandable why the series has found fame with its enigmatic and manipulative protagonist, Season 3 of Classroom of the Elite continued to rush through its original material.
This season focused more on Ayanokoji and Kei’s relationship while the protagonist engaged in a battle of wits against Sakayanagi. The appeal of the Classroom of the Elite novels came from Ayanokoji’s internal monologues, which revealed how he controlled others and his mental state. Sadly, these were not replicated in the medium of anime.
The result was scenes that seemed to come out of nowhere and very superficial takes on the intellect of characters. This took away from the thrill and twists of Classroom of the Elite. Therefore, while anime-only watchers might have had a great time with the series, fans of the source often felt offended by this rendition of the story.
5) A Sign of Affection
A Sign of Affection was believed to be the next big shojo anime, revitalizing the genre. Regrettably, rather than setting a new trend in storytelling, it fell back into the hole of shojo tropes. The series follows the relationship between a hearing-impaired student named Yuki and a travel enthusiast called Itsuomi. The two are drawn to each other for their contrasting lives, spending more time together and developing feelings.
A Sign of Affection started as a sweet tale of learning to communicate in spite of life’s barriers. However, it soon just became another shojo anime where the girl was heavily dependent on her cool boyfriend. Everything that made it refreshing was lost with each episode, pushing it back into the box of typical shojo anime.
While dedicated fans of the genre might have still liked it, those who watched it to experience something different likely felt let down.
6) Demon Slayer: Hashira Training Arc
Following the multiple exciting arcs of Demon Slayer, many fans were looking forward to the Hashira Training Arc. This was believed to feature all the Hashira and the main characters, a prospect that excited anime fans. While the season did cover the storyline of Hashira, Tanjiro, and his friends in a broad sense, it failed to deliver any impactful narrative.
The Demon Slayer: Hashira Training Arc, as the name suggested, was just a preparatory phase before the final battle against Muzan. Studio Ufotable unsurprisingly did a great job by adding anime-original scenes and creating excitement for the final showdown. However, excluding these, there were little to no memorable moments in this season.
It felt like a filler arc without any deeper insights into characters or plot development. This left fans questioning whether a separate season was really required for its adaptation.
7) Wistoria: Wand and Sword
Wistoria: Wand and Sword seemed geared up to become the biggest fantasy anime of the year, featuring stunning visuals and beautiful animation. However, it wasn’t quite able to bring anything new to the table.
Wistoria is set in a world where magical ability takes precedence over all. To change this mindset, the protagonist, Will, joins a magic academy and aspires to make it to the very top with his sword. From this short description of the plot, one could probably guess that Wistoria aimed to be an exciting coming-of-age story of an underdog protagonist.
While the series was a feast for the eyes, it was still far too generic to stick out. All the characters, including the protagonist and antagonist, seemed like archetypes rather than fully realized individuals. The plot itself drew heavy comparisons to the likes of Mashle but never tried to stand out on its own. Therefore, despite having some moments of genuine exhilaration, Wistoria never truly reached its potential.
8) My Deer Friend Nokotan
My Deer Friend Nokotan was the big experimental anime of last year, created by Studio WIT. The quirky story follows the daily life of a deer girl named Shikanoko. With a cast of diverse characters who become embroiled in Shikanoko’s escapades, there is mayhem on a daily basis.
The series relied heavily on parody and gags, featuring a disjointed narrative. Similar structures had worked in the past for shows such as Nichijou and Azumanga Daioh, but unfortunately, it fell flat for My Deer Friend Nokotan. The lack of cohesion between episodes detracted from the overall viewing experience rather than making it fascinating.
The series received praise for its uniqueness but very little for its primary aspect—comedy. My Deer Friend Nokotan‘s jokes failed to find a niche audience. The “deer” stereotype was also far from convincing, ultimately leading to an underwhelming experience from an overrated anime.
Conclusion
2024 brought a mixed bag of hits and misses. In the middle of these extremes, there were shows that were highly awaited but didn’t deliver on all fronts. We have covered 8 such overrated anime that have merits but did not properly succeed in their execution.
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