Top 15 Worst Quality Issues in Anime

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Like any show that runs for a long time, anime sometimes has moments where the quality dips. Things like characters looking slightly different than usual, incomplete scenes, or episodes that just recap old events have occasionally made it to TV before being fixed for streaming or DVD releases. Here’s a look at some of the most noticeable examples, with a bit of explanation about what happened and why people noticed at the time.

‘Dragon Ball Super’ Episode 5 (2015)

Early episodes of the TV series featured a particularly noticeable episode with poorly animated fight scenes. Screenshots of Goku and Beerus quickly spread online because their character designs were noticeably different from the usual quality. These issues were fixed in later versions released for home viewing, after Toei Animation had time to refine the animation.

‘Naruto Shippuden’ Episode 167 (2010)

The final battle of this arc was noticeable for its intentionally rough animation and shaky character designs during the fight with Pain. The episode prioritized fast-paced action over perfectly consistent character models, which caught many viewers off guard. Studio Pierrot later refined some of the animation in released versions, but kept the core of the exciting fight intact.

‘Berserk’ (2016–2017)

The show’s return relied heavily on 3D animation that didn’t quite capture subtle facial expressions or smooth movement, especially during camera pans. Background characters and walking scenes often looked stiff, and the show used blurring effects to hide the limited range of poses. While GEMBA and Millepensee updated the visuals each season, the basic style of computer-generated imagery remained consistent throughout its run.

‘EX-ARM’ (2021)

Early episodes of the show suffered from visual inconsistencies. 3D characters didn’t always align with the scenes, appearing to float, and animations like lip movements and lighting often didn’t quite match up. Visual Flight, responsible for all the computer-generated imagery, was working under a very demanding deadline, which was noticeable in these issues.

‘Hand Shakers’ (2017)

The show’s visuals suffered because of heavy editing that didn’t quite match the animation. Things like blurry backgrounds, shiny floors, and motion smoothing created a shaky, glitchy effect, especially around hands and objects. The unique visual style the creators were aiming for put a lot of stress on the editing process, and it became noticeable in scenes with many characters or a lot of talking.

‘The Seven Deadly Sins: Wrath of the Gods’ (2019)

Okay, so there was this one fight scene that everyone talked about – not in a good way, at first! It was filled with these really choppy still frames and blurry motions, and honestly, it looked a little rough. It even became a running joke online! Looking back, it seemed like the editing was rushed, with jumps between shots. This season was handled by Studio Deen after A-1 Pictures did the earlier ones, and thankfully, they went back and polished things up for the home video release, which was a big improvement.

‘One-Punch Man’ Season 2 (2019)

The show’s second season featured a more streamlined look with less elaborate animation and fewer transitional scenes, a change from the visually grand style of the first season. Action sequences with multiple characters had simpler effects and camera work. This shift occurred after the production moved from Madhouse to J.C.Staff, and was likely due to tighter schedules and fewer resources.

‘Wonder Egg Priority’ (2021)

The final episodes featured a recap and a finale that suffered from inconsistent writing, particularly in the dialogue. The animation sometimes looked unfinished, with noticeable errors in how the backgrounds and characters were put together, suggesting the team was working under a tight deadline. CloverWorks did fix a few issues after the episodes aired, but the overall presentation clearly showed the strain of the production schedule.

‘The Promised Neverland’ Season 2 (2021)

The anime trimmed lengthy scenes into fast-paced montages and frequently repeated narration over static images. Travel sequences felt spacious but lacked dynamic action, relying on still shots. These changes in the anime’s editing, compared to the original manga, made the shortcuts and simplified storytelling more noticeable.

‘Neon Genesis Evangelion’ Episodes 25–26 (1996)

To meet the broadcast deadline, the TV series finale used quick and inexpensive methods like rough sketches, static images, and reused footage. Instead of fully animating scenes, they used dialogue over storyboards and title cards. While a more complete version was later created for theaters, the original TV broadcast intentionally maintained this stripped-down style.

‘My Sister, My Writer’ (2018)

Fans noticed several errors in early episodes, including missing shadows, distorted visuals, and characters with oddly placed eyes, which they documented by carefully reviewing each frame. While these issues were fixed in later versions, the initial weekly releases clearly showed signs of incomplete finishing work. NAZ and Magia Doraglier were credited for the animation, but it appeared the team was working under intense pressure to meet deadlines.

‘Kingdom’ Seasons 1–2 (2012–2014)

In the beginning, the show used a mix of 3D characters and backgrounds with limited animation during conversations. Action sequences often repeated the same short clips, and character armor didn’t always move realistically with the camera. Over time, the animation quality improved, and when Studio Signpost took over, they focused on more fully hand-drawn animation.

‘Psycho-Pass 2’ (2014)

As a longtime animation fan, I’ve noticed some interesting choices in this season. The action isn’t always shown fully – instead, we get quick cuts and flashes during gunfights and chases, which is a stylistic thing, I guess. Visually, though, there were moments where effects seemed to glitch through characters and objects, especially in busier scenes. It’s worth noting that Tatsunoko Production took over animation duties this season, following the excellent work Production I.G did on the first, and the show thankfully kept a lot of what made it unique with its weekly release.

‘Märchen Madchen’ (2018)

Towards the end of the series, some episodes were broadcast with incomplete animation – including rough sketches, inconsistent coloring, and temporary backgrounds. The last two episodes faced delays and were later improved for the home video release. While Hoods Entertainment addressed these issues after the episodes aired on television, the original broadcast showed the problems the production team was facing.

‘Azur Lane’ (2019–2020)

With the production timeline becoming more demanding, two episodes had to be delayed and the series began using recap segments. To keep things moving, some of the animated battle scenes were made simpler, using less dynamic effects and more still images. Bibury Animation Studios finished the remaining episodes, adding extra refinement before they were broadcast at a later date.

Share the moments we missed or the ones you remember seeing live in the comments.

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2025-10-16 16:49