10 Anime With Great Stories (But Also Bad Animation)

Anime is great at grabbing your attention with its visuals and telling stories that are emotional, thought-provoking, or simply amazing. But even the best story can fall flat if the animation isn’t good. Think of it like a delicious meal served on a dirty plate – it’s hard to enjoy. Unfortunately, many anime with fantastic stories suffer from poor animation due to limited budgets, rushed production, or studios lacking experience.

It’s common for studios to overestimate their capabilities, hoping a strong storyline will compensate for other weaknesses. But usually, that doesn’t work. Poor animation can really damage the audience’s ability to connect with the story, leaving them feeling disappointed even if the plot itself is good.

10. Ajin: Demi-Human

Ajin: Demi-Human is a recent anime known for its captivating and thought-provoking story. It centers around Kei Nagai, a young man who learns he’s an Ajin – an immortal human targeted by the government for cruel experiments. With surprising turns and characters who aren’t simply good or evil, the show keeps you engaged throughout.

Despite having a fantastic story, the anime Ajin is let down by its awkward 3D animation. Created by Polygon Pictures, the CGI often looks stiff and unnatural, especially during action sequences where smooth movement is important. While the animation style does create a creepy effect for the show’s immortal characters, known as “Black Ghosts,” it doesn’t quite capture the characters’ emotions, leaving viewers wishing the visuals were as strong as the story itself.

9. Kingdom

Kingdom is a grand, sweeping story of war, power struggles, and personal ambition, taking place in ancient China during a time of constant conflict. It centers on Xin, an orphan determined to become a legendary general, and his adventures are filled with thrilling battles and clever strategies. However, the show’s first season is known for its noticeably old-fashioned 3D animation, which can feel like watching a rough video game sequence. This clunky animation and the characters’ stiff movements detract from the story’s emotional weight and have frustrated many viewers. Fortunately, the show switched to more traditional 2D animation in later seasons, though those early episodes remain a clear example of how bad visuals can hinder a great story.

8. Berserk (2016)

The story of Berserk is famous in the anime and manga community. Its complex characters, especially Guts and Griffith, and its thoughtful look at ideas like destiny and choice, make it a truly unforgettable tale. While the 2016 anime adaptation faced a challenge living up to the original, the story’s power still comes through.

However, the animation is almost universally disliked. The poorly done and inconsistent computer-generated imagery doesn’t do the Berserk story justice. Viewers were particularly upset by the characters’ flat expressions and unnatural movements, which often pulled them out of the story and lessened its emotional impact.

7. Ex-Arm

Ex-Arm is a science fiction story with a fascinating idea: after a young man dies, his brain is used to create a powerful, cutting-edge weapon that might either save or destroy the world. While the series blends cyberpunk themes with thought-provoking questions about what it means to be human, it’s unfortunately held back by incredibly poor animation. Many viewers consider the animation to be among the worst ever seen in anime, making it hard to get invested in the story and turning what could have been a serious drama into something unintentionally funny.

6. Record of Ragnarok

Record of Ragnarok features an exciting premise: history’s most powerful humans battle the gods to save mankind. The series boasts incredible matchups like Adam versus Zeus and Jack the Ripper against Hercules, filled with dramatic moments and compelling character backgrounds. However, the animation doesn’t always deliver, especially during the fight scenes which should be the most impressive part of the show. This lack of visual power weakens the story’s emotional impact and leaves viewers disappointed that the anime doesn’t fully capture the brilliance of the original manga.

5. The Seven Deadly Sins

The anime Seven Deadly Sins quickly gained popularity with its exciting action, funny moments, and touching storylines. It features a compelling story about complicated relationships and age-old predictions, with characters like Meliodas and Elizabeth at its heart. The series skillfully blends fun adventures with more serious themes of betrayal and finding forgiveness, making it a fan favorite in the shonen genre.

The third season, titled ‘Wrath of the Gods,’ received a lot of criticism because the animation quality significantly decreased. A change in animation studios led to characters looking poorly drawn, less exciting fight scenes, and an overall drop in quality that fans noticed. Important scenes, such as Escanor’s famous battle with Meliodas, weren’t well-animated, leaving fans disappointed and wishing for the show to return to its previous standards.

4. Tokyo Ghoul

Tokyo Ghoul quickly became a fan favorite thanks to its compelling story and heartbreaking characters. While the second season, Tokyo Ghoul: √A, took a different path than the original manga, it still had the chance to be a great story. However, the animation quality wasn’t as good as the first season. Action scenes didn’t flow as smoothly or feel as impactful, and important moments felt hurried or weren’t well-done. These visual issues took away from the story’s emotional impact, and fans were split on whether the plot was strong enough to make up for the weaker animation.

3. Dragon Ball Super

Dragon Ball Super successfully revived the popular series, broadening the Dragon Ball world with new gods, universes, and epic fights. Story arcs, especially the Tournament of Power, gave more depth to Goku and his companions, all while maintaining the series’ signature blend of comedy, emotion, and intense action. However, the show initially suffered from surprisingly poor animation quality. Characters often looked inconsistent, fight scenes lacked polish, and the overall presentation didn’t meet fans’ expectations for such a well-known franchise. Although the animation improved later on, those early episodes remain a noticeable flaw in what is otherwise an exciting continuation of the Dragon Ball story.

2. Fate/Stay Night

The Fate series is famous for its detailed stories, which often deal with ideas like what it means to be a hero, the cost of sacrifice, and how conflicts tend to repeat themselves. The 2006 anime, Fate/Stay Night, first introduced audiences to the Holy Grail War – a dangerous competition between powerful mages and legendary heroes. Its complicated backstory and characters with complex motivations helped establish Fate as a fan favorite in the anime world.

The 2006 anime adaptation doesn’t quite live up to the epic story it’s trying to tell, mainly because the animation feels weak and outdated. Action scenes aren’t as exciting or visually impressive as those in later versions made by Ufotable. Although the story itself is still good, many fans suggest watching the Unlimited Blade Works or Heaven’s Feel adaptations instead, as they are much better visually.

1. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (2006)

I’m completely hooked on Higurashi! The way the story jumps around and throws these crazy twists at you is just brilliant – it really keeps you guessing as you try to unravel the mystery of Hinamizawa, and things get seriously creepy. What I love most is how it balances those sweet, friendly moments with absolutely terrifying horror – it’s a really unique combination. Honestly, the animation isn’t always the best, and it can be a little jarring at times. But the atmosphere is so unsettling and the story is just so good that it almost makes up for it. It doesn’t quite reach its full potential because of the visuals, but even with that, it’s a total must-watch if you’re into psychological horror. It just proves that a fantastic story can still shine, even if the animation isn’t perfect.

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2026-01-17 01:13