Top 10 Worst Anime of All Time

The world of anime is vast and varied, full of enchanting tales and unforgettable characters. But, as with any vast universe, there's bound to be some duds.

For you, the worst anime may be a show you started with high hopes but ended up groaning through each episode. Maybe it's a series that had a promising premise but quickly spiraled into a hot mess of clichés and bad writing. Or perhaps it's a beloved classic that just doesn't hold up under the scrutiny of time and evolving tastes. We've all been there, trudging through episodes and hoping for a redeeming moment that never comes.

In the vast landscape of anime, there's a special place for those shows that missed the mark. Your vote might just help someone else avoid a regrettable viewing experience.

1. Boku no Pico

   

   Boku no Pico is an anime that has garnered infamy due to its controversial content involving explicit and inappropriate themes with underage characters. This series is often criticized for its disturbing nature and lack of any significant plot or character development.

   Boku no Pico is a disgrace to anime as a whole. I can't find a reason why someone would legitimately like this, aside from being a pedophile. Pretty much everything that happens is both wrong and illegal.

   While the animation is certainly beautiful and well detailed, it should have been put to much better use than this horrifying monstrosity. The first episode involves an adult who basically does it with a young boy. Great start. The second one involves two young boys doing the same. Wonderful.

   The third one (thank God there aren't more after this) involves THREE underage boys doing it. UNDERAGE. Yet, the studio tries to pass this off as a vision of "art". "Art"? No. This is not art. Nothing this sickening should be viewed as art.

   Why were any of the animators okay with animating and releasing this? This should be locked away and forgotten!

2. School Days

   

   School Days is known for its dramatic and dark turn in the storyline, culminating in a shocking and violent conclusion. The anime's portrayal of relationships and its unpredictable nature have led to mixed reviews from viewers.

   How can this god-awful work of animation be compared to the likes of Naruto, Attack on Titan, Sailor Moon, and Clannad: After Story?

   Look, I don't care whether or not you're a fan of any of these shows, but associating them with School Days? I'm not bashing the entirety of it. Don't get me wrong. The culmination of a terrible main character, as well as most characters in general, random sexual scenes, and an overt ending, just kind of put the icing on the cake for me.

   Going off the first thing I said, the amount of effort put into the characters and storyline of a few of the animes on this list threw me off a bit. No, I'm not saying these are the best shows, but you have to acknowledge the work put into them and their popularity.

3. Eiken

   

   Eiken is known for its excessive and gratuitous fan service, which overshadows any potential storyline or character depth. The anime's focus on exaggerated physical features and uncomfortable situations has led to widespread criticism.

   Many of those female characters would be good candidates for a breast reduction and maybe getting them insured.

   I would cry myself to dehydration, until my lungs hurt, and until my nose bleeds (which already happens when I eat Takis) if I had big boobs! I'd hate it so much! I would want to donate extra blood if it meant they could be reduced as soon as possible! Nah, I'd probably want them removed!

   This one's weird, but it's way better than Boku no Pico. Still, that doesn't save it from being garbage. Some guy has a crush on a clumsy girl and wants to enter a contest.

   Every minute, or every five seconds, it's breasts in your face or in the male character's face. Everyone wears tight swimsuits, and at one point, the guy sits on a banana with a girl. Later, her top falls off, and the boy blushes hard.

   Then there's a hot spring scene. Also, what is up with the massive breasts? How are y'all's breasts not heavy? The bear is freaky too.

4. Diabolik Lovers

   

   Diabolik Lovers focuses on a girl who is sent to live in a mansion with six vampire brothers. It has been heavily criticized for its portrayal of abusive relationships and lack of a coherent storyline.

   This anime is basically a crappy Ouran High School Host Club parody with hot, perverted vampires and no character development or plot. The heroine is so weak and stupid it hurts. She doesn't even try to fight back! She's like, "Excuse me, Mr. Vampire, I'm sorry for not being a good enough blood bag, apparently."

   There are fewer than 10 characters in the whole show, and none of them have any personality whatsoever. It's just one weak character after the next.

   And the plot? One girl one day ends up in a mysterious castle inhabited by hot vampires who have no personality or anything to do other than sexually assault the heroine. These characters need to get a life and a personality. I wouldn't recommend the show even if I were held hostage. Unless you like blank personalities that are basically stereotypes and a lot of random blood-sucking, then don't watch the show.

5. Pokemon

   

   Pokemon is a globally popular anime that follows Ash Ketchum's journey to become a Pokemon Master. Although beloved by many, some critics argue that its repetitive plot structure and lack of character progression detract from its potential depth.

   From replacing all of the good voice actors - the ones who didn't make you want to bash your ears in - for the characters three-quarters of the way through the Advanced Generation Saga, to the constant replacing of former characters, to the never-ending "journey" of Ash's continuous losses at the Pokemon Leagues from Kanto to Unova, this anime has been milked to hell and it's obvious it needs to go. It started off with a good idea, a nice concept, and a lot of heart.

   Nowadays, it's absolutely terrible, not because it's new, but because it's the same thing. The TRio has supposedly become more competent, but in reality, they are now just serious yet still lose every single time. I'm actually very sad to see what happened to a once-good anime series that actually taught you things.

6. Sword Art Online

   

   Sword Art Online centers around players trapped in a virtual reality MMORPG where dying in the game means dying in real life. While initially praised for its intriguing premise, it has faced criticism for its inconsistent pacing and underdeveloped characters in later arcs.

   The first three episodes of this show were interesting, but later on, it was just romance. Why did the SAO game end at episode 12 so quickly? It just moved on to fairies, and that arc was terrible. I'm pretty sure his cousin fell in love with him, which made for an awkward scene, but in this show, he's a ladies' man. Asuna was supposed to die. It would have been better if this stupid show could end.

   The show had a good idea about being trapped in a video game, but it focused more on the main character and Asuna getting married and having a child, which is part of the video game and could never actually happen. This show is horrible, and it's being renewed for another season.

7. Bakugan Battle Brawlers

   

   Bakugan Battle Brawlers revolves around children playing with creatures called Bakugan in strategic battles. Critics often point to its repetitive plot and its nature as an extended toy commercial.

   When I was younger, I loved Bakugan. Some people like Pokémon, others liked Digimon, but me? Bakugan all the way.

   While the original formula for the actual game was pretty cool and had some good strategy, the anime (if you can even call it that) was, all in all, poorly made. The first season was okay for a kids' show, but after that they tried to make the characters grow up and it just ended up being a horrible mess. They had the opposite of character development.

   This is just damn boring. All the characters are incredibly stupid, the animation is awkward, and the plot develops so slowly that I almost fell asleep.

   I dropped the first season on the 15th episode and watched about 3 episodes of the second season. Things got even worse there. This isn't worth watching. It's nothing more than an annoying kodomo show.

8. Lucky Star

   

   Lucky Star is a slice-of-life anime that explores the daily lives of high school girls with a heavy focus on otaku culture. While some appreciate its humor and references, others find its lack of a substantial plot and slow pace unengaging.

   Ugh, this is such an annoying anime! It thinks it's so cute with the stupid characters. Trust me, it's not. In episode 1, all they talk about is egg yolk. Gross!

   Ugh, don't get me started with this horrible anime! I swear, this anime attempted to commit murder on me. Every episode is filled with pointless garbage that no one even cares about, and why, you might ask? Because the writers think it's cute! What?!

   And if you think that isn't bad, oh FYI, it gets much worse. The soundtrack could put a coffee addict to sleep. And why have such a bright and colorful opening for something that's so dull and boring? I mean seriously, WHY?!

   Don't ever watch this piece of trash, no matter how much your friends recommend it (if you haven't already). It's a waste of time and has no storyline whatsoever. I know it's slice of life, but come on, this is probably the worst anime ever created.

9. Naruto

   

   Naruto is a long-running anime that follows the journey of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja striving to become the strongest in his village. Despite its popularity, it is often critiqued for its excessive use of filler episodes, which many fans find disruptive to the main storyline.

   Naruto is good, BUT I hate that it is the first influence on anime for kids. I mean, seriously? Why Naruto? Is it because it revolves around ninjas? Kids probably think, "Oh, ninjas! Ninjas come from Japan! This is so from Japan!"

   Why? I would watch it, but I don't want to be hanging around kids under 10 going, "something something jutsu!" It's so stupid! They should show something else that is unrecognized but is a very epic anime with a great plot. I watch anime that need to be more famous. It's too bad they weren't able to show them to more people just because Naruto is still ongoing.

   Seriously, there are anime out there that need more fame. Naruto has held the spotlight for too long. It's been a decade already!

10. Clannad After Story

    

    Clannad After Story is a continuation of the Clannad series, focusing on the protagonist's life after high school. Despite its emotional depth and touching narrative, some viewers find its pacing slow and its melodrama overwhelming.

    Yeah, guys, I get it. It's about life and overcoming adversity, about how life will constantly dump all over you while you strive to stand back up. Cool. We all know. Maybe this is on here ironically, but stop waving those IQs around and go back to watching Rick and Morty.

    Clannad has a long stretch of mundane storytelling that actually leads into all of these brutal moments of emotion in the last quarter, which feel genuinely earned. I'm talking about those leitmotifs. I'm talking tears. But then deus ex machina jumps out of nowhere and says, "Oh yeah, magic exists." Like, okay, if the goal was to test the best way to ruin the mood over two seasons, that was probably it.

    There are probably a hundred different ways this ending could have been rewritten to keep the themes intact AND end on a feel-good note, but unfortunately, time travel doesn't exist, so...

The Newcomers
11. ?

    Strain: Strategic Armored Infantry

    

    Strain: Strategic Armored Infantry is a sci-fi mecha anime involving space battles and political intrigue. Despite its ambitious premise, it is often criticized for its weak character development and convoluted plot.

    Strain: Strategic Armored Infantry is one of those shows that started off really well, but the ending is horrible and fails to tie up loose ends.

    The series follows Sara Werec as she tries to find out why her once kindhearted brother suddenly becomes a cold-blooded killer. Throughout the anime, Sara develops relationships with other characters, experiences struggles, tries to survive with her new friends, and discovers the truth behind her brother's actions. The anime's storytelling is structured around mysteries introduced in earlier episodes, which are supposed to be resolved in the final episodes. Unfortunately, the ending is truly unsatisfying.

    During the series, Sara also forms a relationship with a mysterious entity named Emily, who is revealed in Episode 10 to be the very thing that turned Ralph murderous. Emily is a member of an alien race, once consisting of identical beings that were tortured by scientists to access their technology. This led the surviving Emilys to rescue the captured ones. During this effort, Ralph realizes how wrong it is to treat the alien species unfairly, but one Emily brainwashes him.

    Shocking, right? Sadly, this tragedy is wasted because after Sara learns the truth, she becomes unlikable and irrational. She blames Ralph for everything, despite knowing he was mind-controlled. Even the Emily Sara befriends suddenly antagonizes Ralph, despite her technology being responsible for his actions. How does that make sense? The explanation is ignored, and the writing becomes cynical, inconsistent, and unsatisfying.... read more

12. ?

    Twins Hinahima

    An anime that's 95% AI generated, there's so many talented in anime studios and they're wasting it on A.I. slop.

The Contenders

13. DearS

    

    DearS revolves around a humanoid alien species known as DearS living among humans. It has been criticized for its clichéd storyline and over-reliance on fan service, which detracts from its potential for meaningful narrative development.

    This show is nothing but an insult to humanity. It portrays women as sex slaves and men as manipulative, sex-hungry monsters, making the Japanese look like a bunch of perverts (which the vast majority aren't). Basically, it dehumanizes its characters in the worst way possible: making them characters that would be in hentai, characters that aren't meant to be taken seriously, and putting them into something that is meant to be taken seriously.

    Take three awesome animes, Kanon, Chobits, and Girls Bravo, and let's mash them together like Frankenstein to create what could possibly be the worst form of "entertainment" ever. It's held together by the small hairs of a terrible plot, horrible characters, and annoying and pathetic comedy. DearS is a complete disaster and should be condemned.

14. Sailor Moon

    

    Sailor Moon is an iconic anime about a group of magical girls fighting evil. While it has had significant cultural impact, it is often noted for its repetitive monster-of-the-week formula and inconsistent animation quality.

    Let's start with first impressions: the art is horrible. The skirts are tiny, and the legs defy human anatomy. But past that, the story line is repetitive and boring.

    I feel like they added most of the story for useless drama. Tuxedo Mask is embarrassingly unneeded. I literally felt second-hand embarrassment when he showed up. His character is just so bland, all he has going for him is his looks.

    Usagi is okay. Her character is the typical clumsy bad-at-school-but-still-cute type, but that in itself isn't bad. It's the fact that she's extremely annoying! Her voice is super high pitched and gives me a headache. I sat through this anime/manga for a while, just to force myself to see the appeal. There was none. The only thing this anime has going for it is nostalgia value.

15. Mars of Destruction

    

    Mars of Destruction is an anime often cited as one of the worst due to its poor animation, incoherent plot, and lackluster character development. It has gained notoriety for its numerous technical and storytelling flaws.

    This anime just sucks. There are no emotions in it, nor any intense scenes. The characters are just a bunch of bland garbage, and the storyline is bad, if there even is one. I think this should be number one. The other anime here may be bad, but they could at least have some redeemable qualities, while this doesn't.

    I got incredibly bored and lost interest while watching this, but I had to force myself to watch it all. The only good thing about this is the scene where the girl gets her head blown up and the doctor says that she won't make it. That reaches the so bad it's good level, but the rest is so bad that it surpasses that quality, reaching a point where it can't be good anymore.

16. One Piece

    

    One Piece follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his pirate crew in search of the One Piece treasure. While immensely popular, it faces criticism for its exceedingly long runtime and pacing issues.

    It's a pretty terrible anime. Like most of the big, long-running series, it's perfectly clear the writers used up all their ability in the first 60 or so episodes. Honestly, it wasn't bad to start, but it just gets worse as it goes on.

    The main protagonist, Luffy, is an immensely unlikeable douche. It's a struggle to care about him or what he's doing. I think I pushed myself to about episode 150 and gave up. The thing that broke it for me was the three swords guy who trains like crazy lifting Dragon Ball Z-style weights, and then the cook, who has done nothing but cook for most of his life and fights only using kicks, is somehow fighting people on par with the super swordsman?!

17. Powerpuff Girls Z

    

    Powerpuff Girls Z is a Japanese adaptation of the American Powerpuff Girls series, featuring a transformation into a magical girl anime. It is often criticized for straying too far from the original's charm and for its weak storyline and character adaptation.

    What? Who allowed this to be made? This is not what the Powerpuff Girls is! The joke in the original is that they're three cute little girls fighting tough villains, and it had a lot of violence. Also, they were literally 5 years old in the original. But this looks like some crappy fan art. I think Buttercup is the only character with a somewhat good design here. And the eyes, my God, the eyes.

    Sure it's bad, but just wait until that new Powerpuff Girls reboot comes out in 2016.

    I mean, at least PPGZ sort of showed how Powerpuff Girls would be like as an anime. Or kind of, since they could have still done a much better job at it.

    But an American reboot of an American cartoon makes absolutely no sense.

18. Pico x Chico

    Pico x Chico is a controversial anime that has been widely condemned for its explicit content involving underage characters. Its themes and execution have sparked significant backlash and ethical concerns.

    I've never heard of this or watched it, but by god, if the name suggests it's a Boku no Pico sequel, I'm surprised the show managed to get enough fan service to make a sequel. I'm beyond disgusted at the thought that people enjoyed Boku no Pico enough to let it get a sequel. Not only is it straight-up child pornography, but it is also pedophilia and disgusting.

    I've never seen this, but if it was actually popular enough to get a sequel, then I am going to die. Boku No Pico was horrible. If the creators try to improve anything, then they will mess it up even more. They already messed up my small liking for yaoi.

19. Dragon Ball GT

    

    Dragon Ball GT is a continuation of the Dragon Ball series that has been met with mixed reviews. Fans often criticize it for its inconsistent storylines and departure from the original creator's vision, which has led to a divisive reception.

    Top 10 reasons why GT sucks!

    1. Goku turns back into a kid!

    2. Pan! That's it!

    3. The designs are god-awful!

    4. The enemies are absolutely stupid! Baby? Super Android 17? Dragons from wishes with the dragon balls?

    5. Parapara Brothers!

    6. Vegeta's haircut! His mustache is awesome!

    7. Goku left his family again to train some kid with Kid Buu's powers!

    8. Some of the voices don't even fit the characters! 18's voice is Launch's?!

    9. Toriyama not being on the show!

    10. Goku leaving with the dragon balls on the back of Shenron! Leaving his family once again! He's a great person and fighter, but not a great father!

    This piece of trash is an embarrassment to the Dragon Ball franchise. The characters, especially Vegeta, look like complete and utter garbage. The villains were stupid (except for Baby and the Dragons. They were pretty decent). Pan is so annoying.

    The fight scenes were dull and weren't as epic as the ones in Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z. To top it all off, it wasn't even canon.

20. Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal

    

    Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal is part of the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise, featuring new characters and card battles. It is often criticized for its convoluted plot and characters that are less engaging compared to earlier series in the franchise.

    This anime was a severe excuse for trying to be Yu-Gi-Oh! and trying to be a new anime. It failed at both. This anime has one of the worst main characters ever. He's annoying, bossy, and useless. The main female character is poorly written and has no development. The story is exactly like the original Yu-Gi-Oh!, but it takes place in space. It's not the worst, but it's pretty bad.

    Yu-Gi-Oh! was my childhood, so it was nice to hear that it could be someone else's childhood too. The problem is, it's so far-fetched, odd, and boring that you're just going to go to sleep. I couldn't stand Zexal, and I really did try 40 episodes just to try to like it. I just couldn't. It was impossible.

21. Abunai Sisters: Koko & Mika

    

    Abunai Sisters: Koko and Mika is a short series featuring two sisters with exaggerated physiques going on various adventures. The anime is often panned for its poor animation quality, lack of a coherent plot, and shallow characters.

    So ugly "anime". It's about two ugly celebrities that I don't know what they do, but the anime is such a big disgrace to me. Don't watch this, and it's not even "anime"!

    This feels like Panty and Stocking if you got it from the dollar store.

22. Sonic X

    

    Sonic X adapts the adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog into an anime format, featuring Sonic and friends in various escapades. While it has a fanbase, it is often criticized for its inconsistent quality and deviation from the original game series' tone.

    Bad characters, like almost all of them, get the spotlight, but great characters like the Chaotix, Shadow, and Big don't get any spotlight. The Chaotix are there for one episode in season 2, then they are gone! Then they are magically back in season 3 for about an episode, and a couple of episodes later, they are back. Wow. This show is desperate.

    Shadow is just there. Yeah, we get to hear the story and much more, but the bad characters get more. Big is actually a good character in this anime. He made me laugh. Not like a HAHA! More like a hah. Too bad he only lasted in season 2.

    At first, I loved this show and Chris until a few episodes where he started getting obsessed with Sonic! Like, I don't know who's worse, Amy or Chris! Also, Sonic is barely in it, and the humans are dumb as hell! I love Sonic and all, but I don't think it should be an anime. Like, jeez, I would have been fine with Sonic Boom as an anime, but this is messed up! Like, Shadow and Knuckles are in it more than Sonic is!

23. Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo

    

    Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo is a surreal and absurdist comedy anime known for its bizarre humor and nonsensical plot. While it has a niche fanbase, many find its randomness and lack of a coherent narrative off-putting.

    Yes, it is weird and dumb, and somewhat annoying, but I happen to like it. I guess it's meant to be funny, and it's really unique and original. I like the characters and their personalities, and I like what they're trying to accomplish.

    When you think about it (if you have hair), would you want to be forced to be bald? It makes sense that they're trying to stop the villain. You may wonder what's going on when you first watch it, but I think that it's the funny and good kind of what.

    It's like this show thinks that just because they're being loud and "lol so random," they are automatically hilarious. But it isn't, and shouting out the jokes or highlighting the absurdity of the show doesn't make it funny either. We get it. Crazy stuff is happening. You don't need that pink-haired girl to shout out that crazy stuff is happening because we can already see it, and it adds nothing funny to it.

24. Rosario + Vampire

    

    Rosario + Vampire follows a human boy who enrolls in a school for monsters and becomes entangled with various female students. Despite its initial appeal, it has been criticized for its heavy reliance on fan service and repetitive harem tropes.

    I've only seen the first episode, but it is way too original! The boy didn't even know Moka for that long before he revealed himself and went through all the friendship drama. It's dumb, and Moka isn't scary. The characters are just wimps.

    Then she makes that awfully obnoxious noise when she sucks the boy's blood. If I were him, I'd be gone before it even happened. Besides, who attends a school that they just happen to find an ad for without doing any research or anything?

    I've watched all the episodes and I regret it ALL. It's too weird and the makers even go so far as to show nipples. Now some of those perverts might be looking for the anime just because I mentioned that. In the beginning of the episode, the makers couldn't stop showing the panties. Maybe I'm just being a little childish, but let's get to the real reasons it's bad.

    There aren't any good situations. A lot are stupid like one where the girls/monsters told their parents they were dating, but they lied. When their parents came over, the boy (sorry, I forgot his name) had to run away and avoid them because once they found the truth, they would force him to love them.

25. High School DxD

    

    High School DxD combines elements of action, fantasy, and harem genres, focusing on a high school student involved with angels and demons. It has faced criticism for its heavy reliance on fan service and lack of substantial character development.

    I don't like fanservice-y anime, but this one had a nice plot and such. The only reason I hated it was because of Issei and Asia. Asia was straight-up annoying, and Issei was just... In the midst of a battle, he randomly mentions breasts. In any scene, he randomly mentions breasts. It's so annoying I can't even.

    It would be epic if it wasn't perverted. I like it, but I hate it being perverted, so I'm both for it being the worst and also against it being the worst.

    Bar none, the worst anime of all time! The girls are actively showing pornography without hesitation, and that is what brings my blood to a boil. There should be a sequel where a new main character kills Issei and his entire harem for revenge.

26. Pupa

    

    Pupa is a horror anime about a brother and sister dealing with a grotesque virus that transforms the sister into a monster. It has been heavily criticized for its short episode length, poor execution, and graphic content.

    Okay, there is seriously no way this should be below Sword Art Online and One Piece. Even if you don't like those two shows, there is no way they should be considered worse than an anime that has been heavily criticized for each episode having short airtime, a horrible story, and terrible character development.

    I mean, on MyAnimeList.net, according to the stats, the majority of people ranked this anime with a 1! That's right - just 1 cruddy star! I bet the reason why this is lower than other anime on this list, such as SAO, One Piece, Naruto, and Clannad, is because not many people have watched or even heard of this! But, to be honest, that's probably a good thing.

    I mean, if so many people who have watched this hate it in just about every aspect, why isn't this higher? You know what? Screw this list.

27. Fairy Tail

    

    Fairy Tail centers on a guild of wizards undertaking various missions in a magical world. Despite its popularity, it is frequently criticized for its overuse of friendship power-ups and predictable story arcs.

    This anime is so god awful. First off, the art is so plain. There's nothing special about it, it's just so generic.

    Then there's the stupid friendship speeches that every shounen anime or manga has, and they're so annoying. The fan service, I'm fine with fan service in anime like Evangelion and Future Diary, but in Fairy Tail, it's just absurd.

    The plot is ongoing and basically nonstop. Now it's just the same thing over and over again. But the worst part about Fairy Tail is the characters. They're so annoying, always full of themselves, and just plain irritating. The biggest contender is Lucy. She's just useless and can't do a goddamn thing for herself.