Highlights

• Some anime series don't get the chance to fully adapt the manga they are based on, leaving viewers wanting more of the story.
• Rave Master, Skip Beat!, Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple, Akagi, and Princess Jellyfish are examples of anime series that ended prematurely.
• The creators of these manga series have continued to release volumes, but it is unlikely that the anime will be revived or continue due to various reasons.

The world of anime is complex and at times quite frustrating. Some series manage to extend for a long time and produce spin-offs and tie-ins galore. Other series are cut short, either due to quality issues or a general lack of story. In most cases, the anime cannot keep up with the slower pace of the manga and thus deviations occur. Some deviations are interesting and compelling while others can make one shake their head in disappointment.

Some anime series are lucky and get a second chance at life. Conversely, certain shows get a season or two and are left unfinished, destined to forever exist in that incomplete limbo. At least fans have the manga to fall back on when that itch for more of the story arises.

Updated November 5, 2023 by Mark Sammut: The specifications of each unfinished anime have been added to the article. This data also includes the creator behind the manga.

13 Rave Master

One of the saddest things in the world is missed or wasted potential. In the case of Rave Master, the anime ended just as the manga was hitting its stride. As evidenced by Fairy Tail, creator Hiro Mashima knows how to tell a gripping story.

Rave Master took a bit of time to find its footing — some of the earlier chapters and storylines can feel a bit empty at times. If the anime had waited a bit longer to come out then viewers may have seen the second half of the story. This second half was much more fun and in anime form, it would have looked fantastic too.

12 Skip Beat!

Yoshiki Nakamura's Skip Beat! manga debuted in 2002 and is still ongoing, accumulating more than 40 volumes by this point. The anime ended in 2009 after 25 episodes, and there has yet to be any news regarding a follow-up season. Skip Beat! centers around Kyoko, a girl who joins the entertainment business out of revenge so she can outshine her former friend, Shotaro Fuwa.

Hilarious, charming, and emotional, Skip Beat! is a wonderful anime that only scratches the surface of what the manga has to offer. At this point, it seems unlikely that a second season will be created, especially since the original studio that adapted the series (Hal Film Maker) is no longer around.

11 Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple

Kenichi is by no means a masterpiece, but the shonen series delivers plenty of great action, hilarious humor, and likable characters. The anime lasted only 50 episodes and 11 OVAs, which doesn't even cover half of the manga's volumes. The OVAs are also only satisfying due to their fight scenes as they rush through their arcs so quickly that it is difficult to get too invested in what is happening.

As the manga ended in 2014, there is little incentive for anybody to create another season of the anime. There is also the fact that Kenichi's later arcs double-down on the fanservice to the point that an adaptation would either have to remove most of these moments or fully embrace the series' ecchi nature.

10 Akagi

During the 2000s, Madhouse got a craving for some gambling anime. The studio produces the three definitive entries in the genre: Kaiji, One Outs, and Akagi. None of these series are full adaptations of their source material, but Akagi is especially frustrating since the anime abruptly stops in the middle of perhaps the most epic (or at least longest) match in manga history.

Akagi's battle with Iwao Washizu lasts for 20 years in the manga, resolving in 2017. As the anime started in 2005 and ended the following year, there is still more than a decade of content to go through. There hasn't been any news on season 2 since the manga's conclusion, and that's probably not going to change.

9 Princess Jellyfish

It takes a talented team to look at the world of anime through the eyes of Otaku. The wrong approach can leave viewers feeling empty or even insulted. Yet one great series managed to delve deep into the minds of several Otaku women.

Princess Jellyfish managed to tell a touching and emotionally resonant story that captured the hearts of viewers across the world in just eleven episodes. However, there is so much more story to tell with the manga having seventeen volumes. It is truly a shame that viewers may never get to see how all the characters grew and evolved.

8 Gantz

Gantz is a very unique and interesting manga, one that prior to the release of its anime had everything going against its success. The series is violent, bloody, philosophical, and at times massively brutal. Surprisingly, the anime series was pretty good for most of its run.

The only problem was its ending as it felt rushed and its message was confusing. The manga consists of thirty-seven volumes while the anime only had twenty-six episodes. If the anime had run longer then it probably would have been one of the greats. Unfortunately, there is a very low likelihood that the series will get a revival or reboot.

7 Btooom!

Imagine ending an anime more than four years before its manga ends. That is the unfortunate fate that befell the Btooom! anime. The story itself was filled with massive amounts of potential and could have run for much longer than 12 episodes. Even if a different ending had been tacked on it could have satisfied fans.

Yet the series ends with no ending at all, the story just continues on. The series would be a waste if not for its great action and animation. A continuation of this series is possible but will probably never happen.

6 Noragami

Noragami is a good series that just seems to continually come upon bad luck. The manga series went on hiatus in 2017 due to one of its creators coming down with an illness. The anime series felt rushed at times even though the animation was always good.

Currently, the manga is still in publication and the ending of the series is up in the air. Seeing as 2015 was the last time the anime aired, it is doubtful that it will return once the manga wraps up. With plenty of the story left to cover, the anime's return would be more than welcome. However, who knows how large the fanbase will be when the manga finally comes to a conclusion?

5 My Little Monster

Ambiguity is all fine and good but sometimes there needs to be some concrete answers. My Little Monster is an anime that thrives on unanswered questions. This is both a good and a bad thing. Viewers should be challenged and not fed every answer to every question.

However, some answers should be present, especially when a series is asking viewers to relate to its characters. My Little Monster ran for thirteen episodes and one OVA. It is a good show but answers are few and far between. The manga raised the same questions but answered some of them during its 12-volume run.

4 Gangsta

Gangsta was a fun, well-animated, and captivating anime that amassed a large fanbase fairly quickly. The series could have easily spanned multiple seasons, especially since the manga is still being published. Unfortunately, the animation studio behind the show, Manglobe, went bankrupt.

This made Gangsta their final anime and it must have taken a toll on the production side of things. While no major issues can be seen on screen in terms of the technical side, the story is a bit disappointing towards the end. Far too many threads are left open and as it stands there are no plans for a revival.

3 Deadman Wonderland

Some anime end just as they are beginning to get good. Deadman Wonderland falls prey to this during its thirteen-episode run. The series has some fantastic animation but the story feels a bit rushed and it leaves several major plot points unaddressed.

The manga has thirteen volumes and ends on a very solid note with many mysteries from the show getting answered. A second season would have greatly helped Deadman Wonderland but it does not seem to be in the cards.

2 Dreaming Machine

• Director: Satoshi Kon
• Production Companies: Madhouse, MAPPA

There has never been an anime creator like Satoshi Kon. All of his works, from Perfect Blue to Paprika, were complex, beautiful, and wondrous pieces of art. His impact will be felt for years and years to come with his films serving as examples of the heights that anime can reach.

His sudden death in 2010 left the world of animation stunned and his planned project Dreaming Machine unfinished. While there are a couple of hundred animated shots available, the film will never be completed. Kon was truly one of a kind and there is probably not a single person on this Earth that can do his work justice.

1 Nana

Ai Yazawa crafted a tale of love, friendship, joy, and sadness like no one had done before her. In the Nana manga, audiences got to experience this masterful tale at the height of its power. For twenty-one volumes, Yazawa examined numerous themes that still resonate with people. The anime did a great job of adapting the manga with some wonderful voice performances and animation to match.

The only issue is that the manga has been on hiatus since June of 2009. This means that unless the anime creates new stories a continuation is impossible. Obviously, the team behind the anime respects the manga and refuse to taint its name. They have decided to wait until the manga concludes before animating another season. Yazawa has yet to return to the series and no one knows if she ever will.

Even if she doesn't, Nana will always be considered as one of the greatest manga of all time.

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