People who love the source material usually feel happy when they hear their favorite series is getting adapted into an anime. Then the show ends. Fans are left with their heads scratching and a frown on their faces. At best, it was average. At worst, the anime ruined the story and characters forever. But one cannot just lope hope. With the success of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and the new Fruits Basket series, there’s proof that reboots do happen. And that they can be absolutely amazing. Well here are some anime that absolutely deserve a reboot in the near future.
15. Ranma ½
I love this gender-bender. It had a solid mix of comedy, romance, and martial arts. Studio Deen found something special here — and Ranma ½ had an impressive 161 episodes. So why does it need a reboot? Simple: It’s an excellent show that certainly has legs (i.e., it can go on pretty much forever with great writing and decent animation). This anime has a relatively large yet fun and diverse cast. Will the team behind a reboot “modernize” some tropes and personalities? Or can it stick to the classic and just improve the technical aspects? I’m eager to see how Ranma ½ will be taken by viewers today, given the cultural shifts that occurred nearly 30 years since the show ended.
14. Monster Rancher
Do you remember the time when the global anime community was all about companion monsters? You had Pokémon, Digimon, and Monster Rancher. Today, the first two are still very much alive (especially Pokémon). While Monster Rancher is all but forgotten. It’s sad, because I still remember playing an old Monster Rancher video game. Plus, the ED is one of my all-time favorites, evoking a bittersweet, nostalgic mood. Is Monster Rancher great for kids? Yes. Does it have interesting monsters? Of course. All it needs now is a new anime with improved animation and fight sequences to once again be with Digimon and Pokémon.
13. ChaoS;HEAd
Yes, the visual novel source material of this anime was made by Nitroplus. The same folks behind none other than the critically acclaimed and all-time favorite anime that is Steins;Gate. Released in 2008, the anime looks… well, like it was from that year. It’s more of an outdated series than one that feels timeless. And people who watched the series back then probably have fond memories of how it all crashed in both storytelling and character development — all in just 12 episodes. ChaoS;HEAd was funny when it wasn’t supposed to be. And its execution couldn’t match its ambitions. Hopefully, a new adaptation can gracefully tell the story it was supposed to tell in the first place.
12. Elfen Lied
I remember seeing the first episode of Elfen Lied back in college. A friend told me that it was “something else”, and he was right. This series from 2004 starts with easily one of the most graphic episodes in anime history. It showcases all the incredulous blood and gore — and the mysterious girl causing all the mayhem has no clothes on whatsoever. Then the level of viciousness goes down a lot, only growing back again in craziness with each succeeding episode until the satisfying finale. However, I eventually learned that the manga was significantly different, and perhaps significantly better. Ideally, an Elfen Lied reboot will faithfully adapt the manga, and care less about fanservice.
11. Ouran High School Host Club
Ouran Koukou Host Club is one of the first and most successful shows that featured a group of bishounen guys whose job is to keep the schoolgirls entertained. And here’s the best part: The female MC also ends up becoming a male host — and a good one at that. Overall, Ouran High School Host Club is a top-notch shoujo and reverse harem. The animation and art are pretty good and newer anime fans wouldn’t mind them a lot. But the anime couldn’t finish the story because the manga itself ended only four years later. Now is the perfect time to give OHSCS fans a complete adaptation.
10. Mahou Sensei Negima!
Just like Ouran High School Host Club, Negima arrived too early. In other words, it was around when the source material was far from over. Studio Xebec’s adaptation was in 2005, while the manga concluded in 2012. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the anime was lackluster: The animation, pacing, music, delivery of comedy, and character development were uninspired. For a show supposed to be brimming with a ton of fun and distinct characters, Negima could only introduce and pay attention to a meager fraction of them. This anime was clearly rushed and feeling lost. Ken Akamatsu crafted an arguably impressive universe here, and his manga should get a better anime reboot.
9. Claymore
I keep forgetting that the studio responsible for animating 2007’s Claymore is Madhouse. Which explains why it’s fittingly gorgeous and well-animated in its violent, supernatural ways. Granted, Claymore is one of the better anime adaptations out there: With 26 episodes, it’s longer than the usual 12-episode shows that barely scratch the original story — or skip entire arcs to get to the ending. But like many entries here, Claymore had anime-only content, particularly at the end. A new adaptation could not only stick to the manga, but also add more episodes (or seasons) since the source material is done with 159 chapters all in all. Madhouse did well giving Hunter x Hunter nearly 150 episodes. I’m sure the folks there have it in them to do another mega-sized shounen.
8. Classroom of the Elite
To be honest, I wanted to like this anime. Prior to its release, I saw fans of the light novel series claiming that others will finally witness the god-tier prowess of Kiyotaka Ayanokouji. He was quite literally one of the year’s favorite new characters. By the end of EP 12, however, I was left disappointed — and I wasn’t the only one. Some LN readers complained that Honami Ichinose’s significance in the original story was nowhere to be found in the adaptation. There were talks about Japanese fans being mad at the decision to have Suzune Horikita be the heroine. Even now, many people don’t want a second season because the first one already messed the story a lot.
7. Pandora Hearts
Pandora Hearts is one of the most beloved manga series in the world. For nine years, the writer (and illustrator) Jun Mochizuki entertained readers with each new chapter, and everything led to an immaculate ending. I didn’t know about the manga back then. My introduction to Pandora Hearts was the anime and I loved it — but it felt incomplete. The ending felt like a huge cliffhanger that could only be remedied by reading the manga. This is a high-quality shounen series, and it deserves modern animation and a complete adaptation. That will make old fans happy while also make more people interested in this work of wonder.
6. Soul Eater
Soul Eater had a fantastic run between 2008 and 2009. With 51 episodes animated by Studio Bones, the anime was relatively popular among the general anime community — Death the Kid was even a familiar sight on forums and anime stores. Now that the manga is over, it’s probably a good idea for Bones to return to Soul Eater. They did a good job covering the first parts and the Trial Enrollment Arc with Arachne Gorgon, so they can just rush them in the reboot. What matters is for Soul Eater to be adapted to completion (and have excellent fight sequences).
5. Baccano!
Baccano is one of my favorite anime series ever. This isn’t a surprise given how much I loved Durarara, also made by Ryohgo Narita. He has a knack for writing eccentric characters and devising social dynamics in urban settings. To be honest, the adaptation felt perfect in its own right. All it really needs now is a complete adaptation. Just like Soul Eater (and FMA: Brotherhood), its reboot can just speed up the parts it previously covered because those were already animated phenomenally. The anime was already a wild mystery ride with just 13 episodes. Imagine how awesome it would be to have all light novels adapted.
4. Angel Beats!
Jun Maeda gets flak for his most recent projects like Charlotte and The Day I Became a God, but he was a master in everyone’s eyes when Angel Beats was released. This original anime only had 13 episodes, yet that was enough to captivate viewers around the world. I also felt heartbroken at the end (and perhaps shed a tear or two), but it wasn’t all sad. Angel Beats had amazing supporting characters from the likes of Ayato Naomi and Masami Iwasawa, to the TK who only kept saying English phrases. If Angel Beats could have 24 or 26 episodes, I’m sure the arcs and personal stories would feel more authentic and emotional. And it can even give backstories to people like TK who didn’t get one in the first place. The anime is already great and certainly popular. But it could be fleshed out and become a universally acclaimed title as well.
3. Tokyo Ghoul
Do you know what hurts? Sui Ishida developed a refreshingly dark action-horror seinen that spanned 144 chapters (and an additional 181 chapters in the Tokyo Ghoul:re sequel). Tokyo Ghoul could’ve been as popular as today’s Black Clover and Dr. Stone without looking anything like those two shounen titles. But Studio Pierrot didn’t push the boundaries. The first season was fine. It had one of the best opening theme songs of the 2010s. Then Tokyo Ghoul Root A happened. Once again, the music was impressive, but everything else was questionable. Finally, two seasons of Tokyo Ghoul:re appeared and neither deserved the least bit of attention from manga (or even anime-only) fans. The potential was huge, but it was all for naught.
2. Berserk
It honestly feels terrible that one of the most critically-acclaimed manga series hasn’t had a proper adaptation. Specifically one that fully captures its gruesomeness, moral complexity, and sheer storytelling ambition. Kentarou Miura’s manga series started way back in 1989 and has yet to conclude. But this doesn’t mean no studio should try to adapt Berserk. The 1997 adaptation by OLM was arguably great back then, but the animation is severely outdated now. Similarly, the movie trilogy by Studio 4°C was noteworthy, especially The Advent in 2013… but it could be refined. As for the 2016 Berserk series, let’s not talk about that disappointing project riddled with shoddy CGI. The anime community has yet to witness a grand adaptation of Berserk. The potential to be a global phenomenon is there, given the popularity of epic-yet-dark titles like Game of Thrones and Attack on Titan. Berserk’s manga has at least 360 chapters now. So the content is there. It just needs an anime staff composed of the best individuals in the industry — along with a ton of money and a long-term outlook.
1. His and Her Circumstances
For all the mighty shounen titles on my list, it’s a shoujo that gets the crown. I’m sure this show is no longer a familiar sight on general anime forums or discussions on social media. Yet Kare Kano is absolutely the No. 1 series that I truly feel deserves a reboot. But a new anime adaptation will never happen. For one, this romance, comedy, drama, and slice-of-life series was directed by Hideaki Anno, one of the founders of the legendary Studio Gainax and (most importantly) the creator of Neon Genesis Evangelion. Anno is a very busy filmmaker these days. And not just with Evangelion. Likewise, he left the Kare Kano team by around EP 16. This was a big blow because Kare Kano is fondly remembered these days by its fans because of Anno’s idiosyncratic and engrossing direction. Second, the manga author Masami Tsuda didn’t like how Gainax handled her story. She felt that the romantic and dramatic parts weren’t highlighted as much as the comedy. And Kare Kano had obvious production issues: It had a couple of recap episodes despite only having 26 episodes. Worse, it lacked enough money in the end and the staff was forced to use static visuals and even simple puppets for the last episodes. Worst of all, the final episode didn’t end anything, not even the current arc. The creative differences between Tsuda and Anno destroyed the possibility of more Kare Kano by Gainax. Today, Kare Kano is still considered a shoujo classic and a great anime of the 1990s. The manga is finished too. But that in itself probably won’t lead to a complete reboot. Why? Well, the story becomes significantly darker and more psychological as it deals with mental illness. Not a lot of its readers liked the conclusion (and Kare Kano has 108 chapters). So even the readers may not want to see a finished anime adaptation. They’d rather just read the manga for the ending and enjoy the Gainax anime for its romance, comedy, and artistic flair. With all this laid out, I don’t think I’ll ever see a reboot of His and Her Circumstances. I can only dream about what it could’ve been if Tsuda, Anno, and Studio Gainax settled their differences and worked to develop the 1998 adaptation.
