Sequels have become part and parcel of consuming all forms of media in today’s climate. As the earlier model of year shows that ran all year round has been replaced with the emerging trend of seasonal anime, the concept of a sequel could even be expanded to new releases of a particular title. This couldencompass the gamut of intentional spin-offs, or even stand-alone sequels which adapt a certain version of a series' story with minor or major deviations from the original narrative.
On the extreme end of this spectrum are sequels that diverge so far from a series' source material or are so far apart from preceding installments, that they seem likean entirely new story of their own. There have often been cases in the past where a manga was adapted to anime prior to its completion, resulting in the lack of a conclusive ending, which lead to original storylines that completely altered the feel of a show. While some garnered acclaim for this divergence, others were lambasted for destroying the spirit of a series, indicating that it is best to tread careful when veering into the domain of sequels.
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6Dragon Ball GT
Following up the monumental success ofDragon Ball Z, a landmark in shonen battle anime, is no easy task, andDragon Ball GThad its work cut out from its very first episode. Taking place prior to theDragon Ball Zepilogue,Dragon Ball GTsees Goku traverse the galaxy to retrieve the Black Star Dragon Balls, after an accidental wish by Emperor Pilaf turns him back into a child.
While he does return to his adult form later on in the series, there is a considerable period of time for which Goku remains in his youthful body, without access tosome of his most powerful transformations. While this series is responsible for introducing the world to Super Saiyan 4, there have been many questions about its relevance in the officialDragon Ballcanon due to it not being based off an official manga by Akira Toriyama, especially after the release ofDragon Ball Super.
5Black Butler II
With a massive fan following for its manga at the time of the first season’s adaptation, there was little doubt that there would be demand for subsequent installments ofBlack Butlerin anime format as the narrative progressed in its serialized form. The first season also had to inculcate a fair amount of filler to make up for the lack of content it had to adapt, with the anime catching up to the most recent manga arc by episode 15. Despite this, reception still leaned towards the positive side.
However, this resulted in the commissioning of a sequel series,Black Butler II, which featured an original storyline with new characters that took the series in an entirely new direction.While sequel series has often come under firefor being blatant filler with little relation to the actual manga, it was eventually succeeded byBlack Butler: Book of Circus, which began to cover the manga’s storyline more closely.
4The Promised Neverland Second Season
In recent years, there have been few shows that have failed to capitalize on its potential as much as the anime adaptation ofThe Promised Neverland.Coming off a strong first season in 2019, where it attained a fair degree of popularity while debuting around the same time as major franchises such asDemon Slayer, a sequel installment was heavily anticipated in 2020, considering the manga had also concluded the same year.
Whatemerged was an unevenly paced and rushed takeon the manga’s storyline, where large segments of the original narrative were either brushed over or omitted entirely, resulting in a confusing mess of an ending that brought the series to a close. The backlash to this adaptation was quite fearsome at the time, as the second season glossed over important lore, character development, and narrative threads with little to show in return.
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3Code Geass: Lelouch Of The Re;surrection
Instead of a follow-up to the original timeline ofCode Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion,this sequel film adhered to the events of the three-part movie seriesInitiation, Transgression, and Glorification, which altered several major plot points. InCode Geass: Lelouch of the Re;surrection,Lelouch is revealed to have survivedthe events of the Zero Requeim, having been saved by C.C. and Shirley, who did not die in the movie series, unlike her counterpart in the original anime.
Initially, the Lelouch in this world lacked his memories and real persona, and was reduced to an empty shell of his past self. All this changed once C.C. manages to retrieve his consciousness, giving him a Code of Immortality, that set the events of the movie in motion. While this does undo the more satisfying aspects of the anime’s ending, it can be enjoyed as a stand-alone adventure that continues Lelouch’s story.
2Tokyo Ghoul √A
Adapting a highly popular manga series is not a job to be taken lightly, and even though the first season ofTokyo Ghoulhadsome deviations from the original narrative, it did cover most of the source material in a decent manner. It was only in the conclusion of the first season, where Kaneki inexplicably decided to join Aogiri Tree instead of forming his own group like he did in the manga, that the cracks in the narrative really began to appear, setting up the stage forTokyo Ghoul √A.
As a follow-up to the first season,Tokyo Ghoul √Achanges a fair amount of the manga’s material, and condenses nearly 80 chapters into 12 episodes. It essentially glosses over some of the world building, lore, and character development in the series, but ends up roughly in the same spot as the manga’s conclusion to set upTokyo Ghoul:re, which also suffered from similar pacing issues.
1Fullmetal Alchemist The Movie: Conqueror Of Shamballa
It is well known that the originalFullmetal Alchemistanime from 2003 had to manage with an original ending. This was mainly due to the manga still being in serialization at the time it was adapted, and only the release ofFullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhoodin 2010 saw the original storyline adapted in its entirety.
During this interval, another entry in the series made it to the big screen in the form of a direct sequel titledFullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa,which wrapped up the storyline in its own way. This version of the narrativesaw Edward trapped in a parallel worldfor nearly two years, where he engaged with the historic Thule Society from post World War I Germany, putting an entirely new spin on the world and characters from Hiromu Arakawa’s beloved shonen manga.
