Anime That Were Cancelled Right When They Got Good

Many anime series create fascinating worlds and compelling storylines, but unfortunately, some are cut short due to issues with production, the studio, or the original source material. These shows don’t just end—they stop before finishing important plotlines or resolving key conflicts, leaving fans to turn to the manga or light novels for a conclusion. Below, we detail each series, including studio information, episode counts, broadcast details, the status of the original source material, and what parts of the story remain unfinished. If you want to know how these stories eventually conclude, the original manga or novels are the place to look—they often continue the plot far beyond the anime’s final episode.

‘Stars Align’ (2019)

The animated series, produced by Eight Bit and directed/written by creator Kazuki Akane, originally aired for 12 episodes on TBS and other channels. It was intended to have 24 episodes, but the run was shortened, meaning only half of the planned story was shown. The show follows a middle school soft tennis team as they improve, and also explores the characters’ lives at home and in school. After the series finished airing, Akane released the scripts and notes that weren’t used in the animation to show fans what was originally planned.

‘Gangsta.’ (2015)

As a huge anime fan, I was really excited about Hayate the Combat Butler when it first came out. It’s a 12-episode series that adapts the early parts of Kohske’s manga, and honestly, it’s a shame Manglobe, the studio behind it, went bankrupt shortly after it finished airing – we never got to see more! The story centers around Worick and Nicolas, these guys who basically do dirty work for different crime groups in this gritty city called Ergastulum. It’s a really compelling setup, and the manga actually goes much further than what’s shown in the anime, diving deeper into the conflicts between the different gangs and giving us a lot more background on the characters. It’s a world I wish we’d gotten to explore more fully!

‘Deadman Wonderland’ (2011)

The 12-episode anime series, created by Manglobe, originally aired on TV Kanagawa and other channels. It covers the first part of the manga by Jinsei Kataoka and Kazuma Kondou, focusing on the prison storyline. An additional animated episode, “Red Knife Wielder,” was released, but a second season wasn’t made. The manga continues with larger conflicts, exploring the secrets of the facility and the mysterious “Branches of Sin.” Unfortunately, sales of the anime on DVD and Blu-ray weren’t high enough to justify a continuation.

‘Claymore’ (2007)

The anime series Madhouse consisted of 26 episodes broadcast on Nippon Television. It covered the story of Norihiro Yagi’s manga up to the Pieta conflict, but then created its own unique ending. Because of this ending, it wasn’t easy to continue the anime storyline when the manga continued to be published. The manga goes on to explore mysteries surrounding the Organization, the consequences of the Northern Campaign, and the changing power dynamics after the Pieta conflict. The complete manga is much longer than what was shown in the anime.

‘Rurouni Kenshin’ (1996–1998)

The Rurouni Kenshin TV series was produced by Studio Gallop and Studio Deen and broadcast on Fuji TV, totaling 94 episodes. The anime didn’t cover the final story arc from the manga – the Jinchū/Enishi arc – instead featuring original content after the Kyoto arc. While later OVAs explored some of these later events, the complete concluding arc was never animated for television. The manga itself provides the definitive ending to Kenshin’s battle with Enishi.

‘Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas’ (2009–2011)

This spin-off series was created as a direct-to-video (OVA) production by TMS Entertainment, consisting of 26 episodes spread over two seasons. While the series adapted the 18th-century Holy War storyline and featured several battles with Specters, the project was ultimately cancelled before all of the original manga content could be animated. The manga by Shiori Teshirogi continued beyond this point, exploring the backstories of more Gold Saints and the later stages of the war. Instead of airing on television, it was released directly on home video and through certain streaming platforms.

‘The Big O’ (1999–2003)

The anime series began with a 13-episode run in Japan and became popular on Cartoon Network in the U.S., which led to a second season of 13 episodes co-produced with the network. Although the second season finished airing in 2003, a third season never materialized. The show uniquely combines giant robot action with the mystery and atmosphere of film noir, set in a city where a collective amnesia hides secrets about its past. While there are books and guides expanding the story, the series was never continued on television.

‘Highschool of the Dead’ (2010)

In 2010, the manga Madhouse by Daisuke and Shōji Satō was turned into a 12-episode TV series with an extra OVA episode, airing on AT-X and other networks. Unfortunately, the manga’s author became ill and later passed away, which meant the series couldn’t continue and no new official stories were created for a second season. The anime adaptation covers the beginning of the outbreak and the initial struggles of the survivors in the city. Later storylines from the manga, focusing on how the group evolved and the conflicts over territory, were never brought to animation.

‘Berserk’ (1997–1998)

The 25-episode TV series, which aired on Nippon TV, covers the story of Berserk from the beginning of the Golden Age arc up to the Eclipse. The series ends right as the manga’s current storyline begins, meaning the events after the Eclipse weren’t animated in this version. While later movies and shows have adapted parts of both the Golden Age and what happens after the Eclipse, this original series wasn’t continued. Fans who want to see the full story beyond the Eclipse need to read Kentaro Miura’s manga.

‘Berserk’ (2016–2017)

This follow-up series was created by GEMBA and Millepensee, with animation assistance from Liden Films. It aired for two seasons of 12 episodes each on the WOWOW and MBS networks. The show covers story arcs that take place after the Golden Age, specifically focusing on the early parts of the Conviction and Falcon of the Millennium Empire storylines, but doesn’t go any further. Unlike the ‘Fantasia’ arc, these later storylines weren’t adapted into additional seasons. The original manga continues the story beyond what’s shown in this series.

‘Nana’ (2006–2007)

Madhouse created a 47-episode anime series for NTV based on Ai Yazawa’s manga, covering a large portion of the story. Production of new episodes stopped when the author became ill and the manga went on hold. The anime focuses on how the main characters meet and fall in love, as well as the beginnings of their music careers. A continuation of the series was never made after the manga’s pause.

‘Btooom!’ (2012)

This 12-episode anime series, created by Madhouse and aired on Tokyo MX and other networks, is based on the beginning of Junya Inoue’s manga. However, it doesn’t cover the later parts of the story, including key groups and final challenges. The manga itself has different endings that offer more complete conclusions than the anime. Unfortunately, a second season was never made.

‘Zetman’ (2012)

TMS Entertainment created a 13-episode anime series based on Masakazu Katsura’s superhero manga, which originally aired on Yomiuri TV. The series covers some of the manga’s storylines but ends before the major conflicts between humans and the monstrous “Players” are fully resolved. The manga continues to explore Jin’s development and the underlying corporate mysteries in much greater detail. There haven’t been any additional seasons to continue the story from the anime.

‘Drifters’ (2016)

Hoods Drifters Studio created a 12-episode TV series and later released original video animations (OVAs) based on Kouta Hirano’s manga. The story features historical warriors battling in a fantasy world. Although the series ended with a message suggesting more episodes were coming, a second season never materialized. The show aired on Tokyo MX and other channels, and the OVAs were included with home video releases. The original manga expands on the war’s overall strategy and introduces even more historical characters than were seen in the TV series and OVAs.

‘The Twelve Kingdoms’ (2002–2003)

Studio Pierrot created an anime series based on Fuyumi Ono’s novels, which originally aired on NHK with 45 episodes. The anime finished after adapting several storylines from the books, and later novels weren’t made into animation. The show didn’t continue with more seasons to cover the rest of the story, so the novels remain the complete source for everything that happens beyond the animated series.

‘Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple’ (2006–2007)

The anime series, created by TMS Entertainment, originally aired 50 episodes on TV Tokyo and was later supplemented with OVAs. However, the initial TV run stopped before covering some of the later storylines from the manga, which involved bigger groups and fighting tournaments. While the OVAs adapted a few of these later arcs, they didn’t finish the complete story. The full conclusion to the story can be found in the manga, which expands on what the anime started.

‘Air Gear’ (2006)

I’m a big fan of this series, and it’s a bit frustrating that the original anime only covered the first part of the story! Toei Animation made 25 episodes for TV Tokyo, which were great for showing how the ‘Air Trek’ team came together and their early competitions. Later, Satelight created some OVAs that focused on certain storylines. But the anime doesn’t get to all the later, bigger conflicts, new teams, or really intense matches that happen in the manga. Sadly, they never made a second season to finish adapting everything, so the manga is where you have to go to see the complete story.

‘Bleach’ (2004–2012)

As a long-time fan, I remember watching the original Bleach anime on TV Tokyo – it was a huge commitment with 366 episodes! It wrapped up in March 2012, and honestly, it was a little frustrating because they didn’t cover the final Thousand-Year Blood War arc. The manga kept going with that story, but we didn’t get to see it animated for years. The series covered the Soul Society, Arrancar, and Fullbring arcs, but that major storyline from the manga was left unfinished in that 2004-2012 run. It felt like a really important piece was missing!

‘Shaman King’ (2001–2002)

The 64-episode anime series of Xebec aired on TV Tokyo and ended with a storyline that differed from the original manga by Hiroyuki Takei. The manga continued beyond the anime’s ending, detailing the actual tournament results and what happened afterward. While a later remake project eventually adapted the complete manga story, the initial anime series did not. As a result, fans had to rely on the manga to find out how the story truly ended until the remake was released.

‘Beelzebub’ (2011–2012)

The anime series, produced by Studio Pierrot and featuring 60 episodes, originally aired on Nippon TV. It covered the beginning and middle parts of the story, which focuses on comedy and a rebellious main character. The series didn’t adapt all of the manga’s content, stopping before storylines that explored larger conflicts in the demon world and intense school rivalries. Although there were specials and appearances in other media, a second season wasn’t made to finish the story. For the complete narrative of Oga and Beel’s journey, you’ll need to refer to the original manga.

I’m always on the lookout for shows that were cancelled too soon, or ones that finally got the ending they deserved! I’d love to hear what everyone else is hoping to see finished – or what hidden gems you think deserve a second look. Share your thoughts in the comments!

2025-11-20 23:21