It’s always disappointing when the second season turns out to be much worse than the first.
Many anime sequels just do more of the same thing the original anime did. Some, however, improve on the mistakes of the original, becoming far better. And sometimes, the sequels are not very good (or very not good, depending on who you ask).
What are some of the examples for both of these? Let’s find out.
Great sequel: My Hero Academia Season 2
While the first season of My Hero Academia (Boku no Hero Academia) was already liked, Season 2, in the eyes of many, was where the anime actually peaked. Two consistently strong arcs — the Sports Festival and the Hero Killer arcs — are both commonly thought to be among the best in the series.
Stain especially is considered to be one of the best villains in MHA, offering a completely different perspective on a society that so prominently celebrates the existence of heroes.
Not-so-great sequel: The Promised Neverland Season 2
The sequel to The Promised Neverland (Yakusoku no Neverland) was so hated by the community that many people completely denounced its very existence. At first glance, it had very experienced staff working on it, with some tips from the mangaka of the original — but that could not save it.
The first season covered roughly 20% of the manga — and since the studio only had 2 cours to work with, the second season rushed through the rest, skipping so much content the series became nearly incomprehensible.
Great sequel: Clannad After Story
While the first season of Clannad was already gorgeous (thanks, Kyoto Animation), and the cast interactions were very fun, many consider it boring. It’s understandable: not everyone is a fan of slice-of-life anime.
The sequel, After Story, is considered one of the best anime ever made by many. An incredibly touching story about human relationships and life itself, Clannad After Story is an example of how to make a perfect sequel.
Not-so-great sequels: Tokyo Ghoul √A and :re
The first season of Tokyo Ghoul, while still not being a perfect adaptation of the manga, is a solid anime by itself. The second season… was widely disliked. Not only was it anime original, but most things were left unexplained, leaving fans wondering who many of the characters even were.
The adaptation of Tokyo Ghoul:re, the sequel manga, was even worse. The animation quality dropped significantly, and the anime rushed through 181 chapters in 24 episodes. Hopefully, we will get a proper adaptation one day.
Great sequel: A Certain Scientific Railgun S
A Certain Scientific Railgun (Toaru Kagaku no Railgun) Season 1 is mostly about high school girls hijinks… except the girls have superpowers. Yes, it gets serious at some points, but ultimately, it’s a more chill spin-off of A Certain Magical Index (Toaru Majutsu no Index).
The second season, however, has arguably the best arc in the entire Toaru franchise — and with the improved animation, is commonly considered the highlight of the Toaru anime. Not even the second arc of Season 2, which is essentially filler, makes it worse.
Not-so-great sequel: One Punch Man Season 2
A perfect example of unfortunate circumstances, One Punch Man Season 2 was hyped before the release. It was adapting content far more interesting than Season 1 was. Yet when it came out, fans were immensely disappointed.
Since the director of the original anime and studio Madhouse were busy with another production, Season 2 was given to J.C.Staff, which were already swarmed with other projects. This resulted in subpar animation quality for it — and with Season 1 being one of the best-looking anime ever made, it’s understandable why Season 2 was hated so much.
Great sequel: Uma Musume Season 2
When Uma Musume: Pretty Derby came out in 2018, people liked it, but it was mostly considered a gimmick show. Anthropomorphic horse girls racing, but they’re also idols? Really?
The second season, however, proved to many that the series was much more promising than they could have expected. With much better animation and more realistic character interactions, it quickly became a fan favorite — getting many newer otaku into the franchise.
Not-so-great sequel: Darker than Black: Gemini of the Meteor
Darker than Black was considered one of the staples of the late 00s. A cool original anime with a unique power system, it went into relative obscurity nowadays — and part of the reason was how disappointed people were with its sequel.
Not only does the second season, Gemini of the Meteor (Ryuusei no Gemini) fail to answer the questions left by the first one, it also actively ruins the original protagonist. He somehow goes from a cool-headed assassin to a violent drunk who beats up children. Yeah, no thanks, we don’t need that kind of sequel.
Great sequels: Symphogear, past Season 1
Among the more experienced otaku, Symphogear is a name you have probably heard of, even if you haven’t seen it. A series focusing on a group of girls, powered by singing, fighting eldritch monsters and other threats, it’s just as over-the-top as it sounds. It gets progressively crazier with each season, with insane scenes of characters punching through mountains and singing in space.
The first season, however, is commonly noted to be the weakest in the series — it’s not over-the-top enough yet, not to mention less refined art style and the melodramatic tone that’s completely different from the following sequels.
Not-so-great sequel: Black Butler II
Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji) perhaps wins the dubious title of having some of the most confusing sequels out there. It is among the few anime which actually have two second seasons: and the one that’s actually called the second season, Black Butler II, is just not good.
The first season was already mostly anime original, ignoring the manga content. Black Butler II focused entirely on anime original arcs, which are basically filler — and so, it’s hated by fans of the manga. Thankfully, there’s Black Butler: Book of Circus — a proper sequel adapting the manga, and the common consensus is that the anime is actually great from here onwards.