Why Not Every Anime Needs a Sequel đŹ
Welcome to another art post here in the community.
You know that feeling of watching an anime and thinking it ended at just the right moment?
That the story had a worthy ending, no unnecessary filler, no exaggerated fan service just the perfect closure for everything that had been built?
Yeah, I really value that.
And honestly, I donât think every anime needs or deserves a continuation.
Let me give you a direct example of that: Death Note.
I know a lot of people love the universe so much they dream of a new season, a new story, maybe even a new protagonist with another Death Note. But would that really work?
In my opinion, the beauty of Death Note lies exactly in the complete cycle of Lightâs journey.
The rise, the fall, the psychological tension with L, the twist with the other investigators, and the end.
An ending that didnât please everyone, sure, but one that wraps up the plot without leaving loose ends.
There are other animes that follow this path too, I think.
Anohana, for example, was an emotionally intense experience.
A single arc, a closed story, a clear message. It didnât need anything else.
Any attempt at a continuation would only lessen the impact of the original.
Same thing with Your Lie in April.
When I finished it, I just sat in silence for a few good minutes, letting it all sink in.
It was sad, it was beautiful, it was necessary
If they released a new season, honestly, I donât even know if Iâd watch it. Iâd be afraid of seeing something that good lose its spark.
Sometimes, we miss the characters.
Itâs normal.
But one thing Iâve learned as an anime fan is that missing something doesnât mean it needs more.
Sometimes, that feeling means the story was good enough to leave a mark.
I prefer that.
I prefer an ending that leaves me thinking, remembering, wanting to revisit it now and then, rather than something that drags on pointlessly and ends up dulling the brilliance of the beginning.
And yes, I get that some animes have rich universes worth exploring.
Attack on Titan, for example, had multiple seasons because the story demanded it.
It had a complex plot, full of layers, twists, politics, action, drama.
It wasnât an anime meant to wrap up in twelve episodes.
One of my more recent favorites is Mob Psycho 100.
Even though it was split into seasons, it was also well planned.
It had a very well-defined beginning, middle, and end.
I highly recommend it for those who havenât seen it yet.
Bonus points for the animation style similar to the bald guy from One Punch Man.
But when I see forced sequels, it feels like theyâre trying to revive something that shouldâve been appreciated as a piece of art, maybe?
Whatâs worse is when these continuations donât even come from the original manga.
Even though Iâm not much of a manga reader, sometimes these are made just because the anime sold well.
And what was once a solid work turns into just another product.
Boruto...
This is trash.
So honestly? I prefer closed endings.
I prefer when the author says âthatâs itâ and leaves us with that final scene etched in our memory.
Itâs okay if we donât get all the answers.
As long as the essence of the story was delivered, thatâs enough.
Because in the end, itâs not the number of episodes that makes an anime memorable.
Itâs the impact it leaves when it ends.
And to me, thatâs worth more than any new season.
I agree with your way of thinking. There are works that are perfect because they're complete and don't need any sequels. In the case of ShĹnen, apart from Mob and OPM, there is also Fullmetal Alchemist which is a whole journey of emotions and unparalleled development. In the drama and romance genre there are also a few works that fulfill this, such as Oregairu, Nisekoi, among others. The case of Boruto would be one of those few examples of how unnecessary it is to make a sequel to a successful work like Naruto. However, it is because of the same success that they had that they unfortunately do this.
The same thing happens with Dragon Ball, which is a perfect example since since DBZ ended decades passed without anything new to release and it remained an action masterpiece and an example for an entire generation. It wasn't until they released "Battle of the Gods" that they revived the franchise just because of the BOOM that Evolution had. All of us who were present perfectly remember how Super started off disappointing with its terrible animation at the beginning. It wasn't until halfway through the work that Toei finally got their act together and decided to improve their animation. While this ultimately gave us one of the best arcs in the entire fighting genre and in history, many felt that such a sequel was unnecessary. And now, after what happened in Daima, this public that thought that is saying the same thing again.
I sincerely say that there are works that, originally, are impossible to replicate or surpass and the case of Dragon Ball Z or Naruto are perfect examples of this.
Good post.
Totally agree regarding Death Note and Anohana, both anime ended with a perfect ending and not because it was rosy or fair, in fact, Anohana hurt me đ but I think it is the most successful ending they could give them, if it had been otherwise, in my opinion, would have been forced and would not have won the affection they won at the time, are such endings that make the difference and a sequel I think it would ruin everything đ Endings like those do not need a sequel.
hahahahaha I went in to read boruto's review XD I know many didn't like it but I like reading those intense opinions of why they don't like it. It made me laugh your post with your witticisms, thank you very much for sharing your valuable opinion.
Ahhhhhahahahha help! I really laughed out loud when I saw Boruto's face. I once liked the idea of next gens before, and I even tried watching Boruto (because Kakashi's still there), but I ended up getting disappointed by how some of the scenes (and even characters) there were like rip-offs of Naruto. The way Naruto ended was satisfying, tho there was that melancholy I felt because Neji died, but still it ended with Naruto finally getting the life he deserved. I thought I needed a sequel to see what'll happen next in his life, but it turns out it was better to leave the end that way.
As for other anime you've mentioned...yeah Death Note ended satisfyingly. From the moment Light started to kill, I knew he's bound to be killed off later on. I haven't watched the anime, but I read the manga and every chapter kept me on the edge of my seat anticipating his death. The only unexpected one that I didn't see coming is L's death, but it isn't something that is out of the box tho. Also, I somehow didn't expect Misa to outlive those two...I mean her lifespan, but anyway to be alone is much crueller than death so I totally understand her decision in the end. And just as you described it it ended so well without leaving any loose ends.
And Mobbbbb! It indeed ended perfectly~ It wasn't totally the ideal end, but it was so hopeful that I cried. I've watched how he improved throughout the series so I'm really happy at how it ended. It definitely wrapped up not only Mob's story but also the stories of the people around him.
Well said! Missing a character doesn't mean that we need them to bring back to feel less sad. It sure nice to see them again, but would that defeat the purpose of their death? If that happens, then the emotions and message they are supposed to impart would be meaningless, so it's better to just leave them that way, and just reminisce and rewatch those happy moments ;)
Death Note was perfect as it was and certainly doesn't need a Sequal. I like the idea of just having a finished story without the need to keep milking a good concept just to see it get weaker and weaker. This said, I liked the fact that they did a sequal for the old USS Callister episode in Black Mirror recently.
Agree, there are just some anime that don't need another sequel. I haven't watched Boruto or even Naruto, but I got your opinion. Probably, they want to try another spin off, or something that would make the fans of the original work be excited about, but if the story and the animation are poorly done, then it would look like it's forced.
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