When a show significantly impacts culture and audiences, it’s natural for fans to desire to explore the world they grew to love even after the credits roll. In such a case, it’s not uncommon for an anime to get a spinoff, which lets fans experience the series from a different perspective.
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From showcasing a different part of the show’s world to changing the established tone of the narrative, spinoffs can add incredible layers of nuance to an anime. However, not every spinoff manages to expand on the original in a meaningful way. These anime spinoffs feel unneeded and aren’t worth the time of even the most dedicated fans.
10 Soul Eater NOT!
As the title suggests, Soul Eater NOT! is everything the series was never supposed to be. One year before the original events, the spinoff takes away all of Soul Eater’s creepy ambiance and adventurous spirit to focus on the Death Weapon Meister Academy’s less talented students.
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Much less ambitious in its animation and storytelling, Soul Eater NOT! feels like a pointless side story. Even the new character trio lacks the charm and impressive development that made the original cast so lovable and special.
9 Attack On Titan: Junior High
One of the most celebrated anime series of all time, Attack on Titan is beloved for its gritty political plot, ruthless action, and mature storyline. Its comical high school spinoff decided to take things in the opposite direction, and fans can’t agree whether or not it was a good idea.
Attack On Titan: Junior High is an exaggerated chibi parody of the post-apocalyptic action drama. In an attempt to make lighthearted fun of the original’s seriousness, the spinoff goes too over-the-top with its jokes, making it feel rather pointless.
8 Koro Sensei Quest!
A popular format for anime spinoffs is reframing the original series in a cuter, more lighthearted style. Koro Sensei Quest! retells the story of Assassination Classroom in a chibi fantasy setting.
The spinoff doesn’t add much to the original, taking away all the more dramatic elements of the story and portraying the rest as a parody. While fun as a complimentary addition to Assassination Classroom, Koro Sensei Quest! doesn’t have enough content to stand out as a needed continuation of the source material, which already contained plenty of comedy.
7 Sailor Moon Crystal
The ‘90s Sailor Moon craze got countless adolescent viewers into the magical girl genre, and the warm nostalgia associated with the series still plays an important part in the lives of old-school fans.
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So, the franchise’s return in the form of Sailor Moon Crystal, a revamped, stylish retelling of the original that follows the manga much closer, should’ve been a no-brainer success. Unfortunately, Crystaldidn’t manage to capture the magic of the original despite sticking to the source material, failing to appeal to both old and new fans.
6 Saint Seiya: Omega
One of the most influential fantasy franchises in anime, Saint Seiya, went through multiple revival phases over the course of its long history. While many versions of the show received mixed reviews, even from the series’ most diehard fans, the negative consensus on its 2012 spinoff Saint Seiya: Omega is almost universal.
The new generation of Saint Seiya warriors is a forgettable bunch, and their adventures are a poor representation of the original’s merits, undermining the legacy of this classic sci-fi franchise.
5 Burn The Witch
Despite drawing no immediate parallels to the hit shonen icon Bleach, Tite Kubo’s Burn The Witch is a spinoff of the series that takes place in the same universe. The visually pleasing action-adventure flick is set in a fictional version of London and follows two witches on their quest to protect civilians from dragons.
Fans looking to revisit their Bleach nostalgia wouldn’t find much to gravitate toward in Burn The Witch. At the same time, contemporary fantasy enthusiasts would be disappointed with the movie’s dull characters and shallow worldbuilding.
4 Angel Links
The sci-fi universe of Outlaw Star is vast and multifaceted, which gives the creators some incredible opportunities for imaginative spinoff series. Disappointingly, Angel Links does nothing with the potential it might’ve had.
Unlike its exciting, action-packed predecessor, Angel Links is a slow, poorly paced voyage through space that follows the titular pirate-fighting group, a minor player in the original Outlaw Star anime, on their disjointed expeditions. Lacking the structural eloquence and charm of the original, Angel Links falls flat as a successor to the iconic series.
3 Mobile Suit Gundam-San
The Mobile Suit Gundam franchise was the powerhouse of the mecha genre for decades, regarded with prestige as one of the most realistic, captivating space operas in anime. The mature militaristic storylines of classic Gundam shows are completely absent from its comedic chibi spinoff, Mobile Suit Gundam-san.
While the idea of morphic the franchise into short-form parody skits could’ve worked, Mobile Suit Gundam-san didn’t put much thought into its jokes. The result is a predictable, shallow, crude comedy flick that fails to make anyone laugh.
2 Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma☆Illya
Dedicated fans of such Type-Moon icons as Fate/stay night, Fate/Zero, and Garden of Sinners expect the franchise to always present the audiences with serious, atmospheric battle spectacles that made the series famous in the first place. These expectations are why most glance at the bizarre moe Fate tie-in, Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya, with confusion and disgust.
Those wanting a classic Fate storyline from this comical mahou shojo flick should definitely stay away from Prisma☆Illya. However, more open-minded fans who appreciate deconstructive magical girl media might find it shockingly enjoyable.
1 Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
A beloved shonen franchise that got an entire generation of fans into the genre, Naruto had a long run that fans would prefer to go forever. Unfortunately, the solution to the series’ inevitable conclusion was a miss even with Naruto’s most dedicated admirers.
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations introduces the audience to the kids of everyone’s favorite ninjas who attempt to fill in the shoes left behind by their parents. As expected, this fruitless attempt to copy the success of Naruto with a new cast didn’t pay off.
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