As a huge anime fan, I’m always a little sad when a show doesn’t get the run it deserves. We all know classics like One Piece and Dragon Ball are safe, but so many others haven’t been so lucky over the years. There have been tons of anime canceled before their time, and I think a lot of them deserve another shot! So, I put together a list of seven canceled anime that I’d absolutely love to see make a comeback, one way or another.
7.) Berserk (1997)
Some might consider this a bit of a shortcut, as the Berserk series did return with new films and the 2016 anime, which lasted for two seasons. Those seasons continued the story after the Eclipse arc, acting as a sequel to the original 1997 series. However, we’d really like to see Studio OLM animate Guts and the Band of the Hawk again. Interestingly, OLM is currently still working on the Pokémon franchise with Pokémon: Horizons, following the new characters Liko and Roy – a very different tone from Guts’ dark and gritty tale.
Many chapters of the Berserk manga haven’t been adapted into animation yet. There’s a significant amount of story content that fans are hoping to see brought to life, as the original anime series only had one season. While a potential new adaptation might look quite different, it would be fantastic to see the studio OLM return to animate it.
6.) Claymore
Originally appearing in Shonen Jump in 2001, created by Norihiro Yagi, Claymore was adapted into a single season anime series in 2007. Produced by the renowned studio Madhouse, the anime unfortunately ended before the manga’s story was complete, leaving many adventures of Clare and the Claymores untold. The anime covered the first eleven volumes of the manga, which ultimately ran for twenty-seven, meaning there’s still a significant portion of the story yet to be animated.
Similar to Berserk, Claymore takes place in a world overrun with terrifying demons and doesn’t shy away from showing just how gruesome they are. While the protagonist, Clare, is part human and part Yuma – giving her an advantage in fights – Berserk‘s Guts is fully human. Given Madhouse’s recent success with shows like Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, fans are hoping they’ll return to animate Yagi’s dark and compelling story.
5.) No Game No Life
The anime series No Game No Life, created by Studio Madhouse, quickly gained a dedicated fanbase. Based on a light novel series that began in 2012 by Yuu Kamiya, the story follows the gaming siblings Sora and Shiro as they’re transported to a new world called Disboard. In Disboard, all disputes are settled through games, which perfectly suits their skills. The original light novel and manga are still being published, leaving plenty of material for a potential second season of the anime.
A renewal for a second season hasn’t been confirmed, and Madhouse hasn’t explained why the first season was cancelled. While many fans have speculated about the reasons, the creator of No Game No Life, Kamiya, still hopes for another season, even after ten years. Kamiya recently shared on social media that they are constantly asked about a second season by fans worldwide, and they understand the question even without translation. Their response is always the same: they, as the author, would also like to know if a second season will happen.
4.) Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor
This list isn’t limited to anime from Studio Madhouse, and we were surprised by just how many projects they’ve worked on! Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor deserves a second look, especially with the success of Squid Game on Netflix – the two shows share a lot of similarities. The main character in Kaiji is forced to play dangerous games to pay off his debts. Like Squid Game, these games appear childish but have fatal consequences for those involved.
The first anime adaptation of Kaiji came out in 2007, followed by a second season called Kaiji: Against All Rules in 2011. However, there’s still a lot of content from the original manga that hasn’t been adapted into animation. Created by Nobuyuki Fukumoto, the manga began in 1996 and is still being published today, with a total of ninety-one volumes. This actually gives Kaiji more volumes than One Piece, although One Piece has a much longer-running anime. There are plenty of Kaiji stories that could be animated now, capitalizing on the popularity of shows featuring high-stakes games and life-or-death situations.
3.) Gantz
Unlike many popular anime, Gantz wasn’t created by Studio Madhouse. This action-packed series, which premiered in 2004 with twenty-six episodes from Studio Gonzo, centers around people who are brought back to life after dying. However, earning a second chance isn’t easy—they must fight for survival against strange aliens using complex and powerful weapons and armor. The series proved popular enough to spawn movies and spin-offs, expanding its intense and violent world.
Hiroya Oku’s manga series, Gantz, is known for its intense and gritty world, which spanned the years 2000 to 2013. Because the manga is so long, many of its battles haven’t been adapted into the anime yet, making it a great candidate for a revival. If the series were to return, it would be fascinating to see how the often-dark story is translated from the page to the screen.
2.) Deadman Wonderland
I’m a huge fan of stories that really push boundaries, and Deadman Wonderland definitely delivers! The setup is just wild: after a devastating earthquake hits Japan, this teenager, Ganta Igarashi, gets falsely accused of a terrible crime. His punishment? He’s thrown into Deadman Wonderland, this insane prison that’s also an amusement park! It’s a total fight for survival as he tries to prove his innocence while navigating this unbelievably twisted situation. It’s a premise you just don’t see anywhere else!
The anime adaptation of Deadman Wonderland only had twelve episodes plus a special, which wasn’t enough to cover the entire story from the original manga – that manga continued for another two years, until 2013. The anime concludes with a major cliffhanger, hinting that Ganta was about to uncover the identity of his classmates’ killer, meaning fans never got to see how the story truly ended.
1.) Toriko
As the third series in the Dragon Ball/One Piece crossover, Toriko is notable for lasting almost 150 episodes without ever getting a complete anime adaptation. The show centers around a ‘gourmet hunter’ with incredible powers who travels the world searching for ingredients for the ultimate meal. While the anime aired from 2011 to 2014, the manga continued for two more years, leaving plenty of story yet to be adapted into animation.
The manga provides a satisfying conclusion to the story of Toriko, and an animated movie could be a great way to adapt those final moments. While Toriko doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves among popular action series, it certainly earned a proper ending after such a long run.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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2025-10-21 23:43