7 Canceled Anime Series That Deserve Another Shot

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I get so excited whenever an anime gets a second season! It really feels like a little miracle, honestly. Producing anime is super expensive and risky – it all hinges on things like how well it sells, how many people stream it, and how much fans keep pushing for more. It’s different than what we see in the West, because Japanese studios almost never pick up a show again if it loses steam – so when they do, it’s a really special moment.

It’s rare for older anime series to get revived because the animation industry is constantly producing new content. However, when a revival does happen, it shows that strong storytelling and dedicated fans can overcome a company’s reluctance to revisit the past. Ultimately, some stories are simply worth telling again.

7. Hyouka

Often, the most intriguing stories are found in the quietest moments. The anime series Hyouka isn’t about epic fights or magic, but about the power of simple curiosity. Based on the novels by Honobu Yonezawa and beautifully animated by Kyoto Animation, Hyouka centers on Oreki Houtarou, a high school student who prefers to conserve his energy and avoids effort whenever possible. The first season, which aired in 2012, covered only four of the six novels in the series. Despite being well-received by both fans and critics, a continuation has never been approved. Many fans have been hoping for a second season or a film to finish adapting the remaining novels and provide a satisfying conclusion to the developing relationship between Oreki and Chitanda – a conclusion they’ve been waiting for for over ten years.

6. Gantz

Imagine if death wasn’t a full stop, but the start of something truly frightening. That’s the idea behind Gantz, an anime that plunges its characters into a brutal world where only strength and violence matter. Originally airing in 2004 with two seasons (Gantz and Gantz: Second Stage), the anime adaptation diverged significantly from the original manga and didn’t even reach the story’s ending. Now, with the popularity of darker anime like Attack on Titan and Parasyte, there’s a huge demand for gritty stories. Many older anime series are getting revisited, and it’s time Gantz got a second chance to tell its story properly.

5. Btooom!

Btooom! centers around Ryouta Sakamoto, a jobless young man who is exceptionally skilled at the online game Btooom!, a battle-to-the-death competition using bombs. He suddenly finds himself transported to a remote island, forced to play the game in real life. To escape, Ryouta must eliminate seven other players and collect their identification chips. As he fights for survival, he meets others trapped in the same terrifying situation, and they must work together to overcome the dangers. The anime adaptation only covered a small portion of the original manga and ended abruptly after 12 episodes, leaving many questions unanswered about who created the game and its impact on the players. Fortunately, the complete manga, which concluded in 2018, offers a full and satisfying resolution, providing ample material for a potential continuation of the story.

4. Hunter x Hunter

The anime series Hunter x Hunter is based on a manga by Yoshihiro Togashi. It centers around Gon Freecss, an optimistic young boy who learns his estranged father, Ging, is a renowned “Hunter”—a highly skilled explorer authorized to venture into the world’s most perilous regions. Gon embarks on a journey to find his father, but his adventure quickly expands beyond that initial goal. The 2011 anime, produced by Madhouse, stopped airing in 2014 after covering all the manga content available at the time. This wasn’t due to a lack of quality, but because the author has struggled with ongoing health problems that have slowed down the manga’s creation. Consequently, both the manga and anime have been on hold, showcasing moments of incredible storytelling alongside the challenges of its creator.

3. Highschool of the Dead

Released in 2010, Highschool of the Dead is an anime that presents a fast-paced and intense take on the zombie apocalypse. The story centers around a group of high school students and their nurse as they fight to survive after a zombie outbreak overwhelms Japan. They face not only the undead but also the breakdown of society, losing faith in others as the world becomes increasingly dangerous. The anime wasn’t cancelled due to low ratings, but rather because the original manga’s author, Daisuke Satō, became ill in 2011 and sadly passed away in 2017, ending any chance of the story continuing. The anime only adapted a small portion of the manga, leaving the plot unfinished as it reached a critical point.

2. Deadman Wonderland

Released in 2011, Deadman Wonderland is an anime series that combines a terrifying, futuristic setting with a tragic story. It centers around Ganta Igarashi, a middle schooler whose life falls apart when his classmates are murdered, and he’s wrongly accused. He’s sentenced to death and sent to Deadman Wonderland, a private prison where inmates fight to the death for public entertainment. While the anime initially gained popularity, inconsistent writing and poor sales prevented it from continuing. The story continued in manga form, expanding on characters like Shiro and offering a complete ending that the anime never provided.

1. No Game No Life

In the anime No Game No Life, even the most powerful beings can be defeated by clever thinking. This show, which began in 2014 and is based on a series of novels, completely changed how battles are portrayed. It centers around Sora and Shiro, a brother and sister known online as the unbeatable gaming duo ‘Blank’. After winning a match against an unknown opponent, they find themselves in Disboard, a world where all disputes are settled through games with strict rules – not through fighting. While never officially canceled, production of the series has been on hold. The 2017 movie No Game No Life: Zero briefly renewed fan excitement, demonstrating the franchise still had potential, but since then, there have been no further updates.

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2025-11-05 22:19