The 2010s were a treasure trove of groundbreaking science fiction animation that explored the technological and philosophical potential of the future. But amidst these triumphs there have been colossal failures that seem built from the start to fail spectacularly. This was usually the result of very ambitious ideas, reduced budgets, or a lack of understanding of how to structure a future story. Exploring the biggest mistakes of the past decade provides an interesting exploration of how science fiction can lose its way when reason is put aside for plot twists or poor special effects.
Exploring this important love backwards is a story of lost potential and technological disaster. From the confusing time travel story to the harrowing visuals, this is the worst of science fiction in the last decade. They may have aimed for stars, but they ended up falling into a black hole of criticism and fan ridicule. This list serves as a reminder to any company looking to dip their hands into the complex waters of high-concept futurism without a solid narrative vision.
Ranking of the best SF animations of all time
Mecha, cyberpunk, space opera, and sci-fi animation come in many forms, and the genre's best shows represent the pinnacle of Japanese animation.
10
Togainunochi (2010)
The show is set in a post-apocalyptic dystopia after World War III and features Akira, a young man who must compete in survival street fighting competitions. The city is ruled by a brutal gang involved in collecting dog tags. It seeks to integrate cyberpunk themes with a dark psychological fight for freedom in a world of anarchy.
Unfortunately, the show suffered from a very poor quality control, with animation often placing images on stationary characters and sometimes placing images on non-model characters. The story didn't translate well due to pacing issues and an empty world. Rather than an exciting dystopian thriller, I came across a visual nightmare that, despite having an interesting premise and good character designs, doesn't evoke the potential of the world around it.
9
Freezing (2011)
This sci-fi/action series is set in a world under attack by interdimensional aliens called Nova. To repel the threat, a young woman (Pandora) is genetically engineered to have superhuman strength and is paired with a male “Freezer”. It follows the harsh training and individuality of a specialized military academy that trains humanity's 'last survivors'.
Beyond its interesting sci-fi premise, the show is notorious for excessive fan service and clothes-ripping. The storyline was often secondary to cringe-inducingly awkward power struggles and pointless action sequences. Its “ecchi” sensationalism turned off audiences looking for a more mature war story. It was more of a weird fan service clip than an actual anime with a compelling story.
Who is that character?
Check out the silhouette before time runs out.
start
Check out the silhouette before time runs out.
Easy (7.5 seconds) Medium (5.0 seconds) Hard (2.5 seconds) Eternal Death (2.5 seconds)
8
Bujangsingi (2012)
In a futuristic world, a little robot known as Shinki becomes your best friend and playmate. The little robots are sentient and can be decked out with a variety of weapons and armor for battle. The anime follows a specific set of Shinki as they go through life with their owners and occasionally engage in some technical battles.
The premise could have been the basis for better toy-based sci-fi. pokemonHowever, it turned out to be a dull set of illustrations without much of a story. The animation was lackluster and the “battles” felt more like product placement for an actual toy than a dedicated animation. There was a lack of detail that fleshed out the high-tech concept into anything more than a whimsical product pitch.
7
Valbrave the Liberator (2013)
This mecha action series is set in a future where humans primarily live in space colonies, and tells the story of a high school student who inadvertently takes control of a sentient robot mecha. The show seeks to explore concepts of immortality, revolution, and the toll of war between massive space armies. Originally promoted as a fairly high-budget and interesting series with high-quality animation and a complex political storyline, it ultimately missed the mark in every aspect.
The most famous is the “train wreck” storyline, which presents bizarre twists and turns at breakneck speed. It quickly crossed over from its political roots with outrageous character behavior and supernatural situations that seemed out of place in the world created for the show. The high production values didn't help the fact that the script was so inconsistent, it became a meme and made the drama more of a comedy.
6
Chrysalis (2014)
pupa It's a series that looks like sci-fi horror, or at least tries to, and tells the story of two children infected with a virus that turns their younger sister into a cannibal zombie. Her brother can regrow limbs and appease her hunger by allowing her to eat his own flesh. It explores themes of family sacrifice and the biological effects of bizarre virus-induced mutations in modern cities.
Although the concept was very interesting, the adaptation was a notorious failure due to its four-minute episodes and censorship. The story was ripped to shreds and there was absolutely no time for characterization or story development. With no explanation given as to the “science” behind the virus or the characters' backstories, viewers are left watching an incomprehensible, heavily censored, boring, and consistently boring anime.
7 Best Sci-Fi Anime You've Probably Never Heard Of
These sci-fi animations play alongside a variety of other subgenres, but for some reason they've fallen into obscurity despite their high quality.
5
Comet Lucifer (2015)
One day, on the planet Gift, whose energy comes from beautiful blue crystals called Giftseum, a young boy discovers a strange girl in a mine. Their meeting sets off an epic adventure across a technologically advanced fantasy world with the help of a giant robot. The show sought to be a “boy meets girl” action-adventure with a mix of traditional robot combat, rich world-building, and mysteries to solve.
Perhaps the series' biggest flaw is its narrative collapse, which left viewers confused. After a lovely opening, the narrative became entangled in the meaningless 'Chosen One' storyline without any warning, ending with a finale that was completely unprofitable. The characters were inconsistent and unmotivated, and the show's failure to explain the world it was set in left a visually beautiful but empty show that lost its emotional punch.
4
Big Order (2016)
This sci-fi thriller from the creators of Future Diary is about a boy who accidentally triggers a destructive apocalypse years ago using his “command” powers. He now lives in a world where many people have found the power to change reality through prayer and must navigate an ever-changing political environment. It's set to be an action-packed game of cat and mouse that unleashes psychedelic powers in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
Power quickly became a joke, with terrible, sharp dialogue and plots that made little to no sense. The main characters' motivations were inconsistent, and the show was based on shock value and illogical “rules” about forces moving along the plot. It seemed like a send-up of the 2010s “edgelord” tropes, and didn't offer the “mental torture” it was desperately trying to achieve.
3
The Hand Shaker (2017)
Set in the future, “Hand Shakers” are people who can use weapons called “Nimrodes” when they hold hands and merge their souls. A couple fights in a virtual world for the right to face God face to face and have their prayers answered. The show was promoted for its unique high-contrast visuals and “innovative” use of cameras to make combat more visceral.
The end result was a visual spectacle and health hazard that many found nauseating, with dizzying camera swirls and crashing CGI. The storyline was devoid of substance and consisted of generic tropes, and the character dialogue was downright creepy. The show's emphasis on “style” over substance made it one of the worst-reviewed animes of the year, proving that more filters don't make better animation.
2
ReRideD: Derrida Travels Through Time (2018)
Derrida is an engineer who discovered the weaknesses of the ‘autonomous machine DZ’ robot that he helped develop. He was frozen in time and woke up 10 years later in a world ruled by out-of-control robots. He must “time leap” back in time to stop the robots and save his friend's daughter.
The animation was a mess with some of the worst animation cheats of the last decade, and characters were often missing models and wooden movements. The physics of time travel were never explained, and the story seemed to have completely diverged from its main focus towards the end. Rather than being a heartbreaking sci-fi tragedy, it's turned into a boring hook of inexplicable sci-fi language and animation that feels very early 1990s.
1
Wiz (2019)
It is a sequel to the original manga, Hand Shakers, and focuses on Yukiya, a young DJ who shares a similar ability to enter a parallel world when he shakes hands. He uses his powers and music to find a way out in a world with many factions and to find out more about himself. The series sought to address the visual issues of its predecessor while maintaining an “urban science fiction” aesthetic.
The cinematography and story premise are slightly better than the original, but it's still a neon nightmare and very bland. The plot was much weaker than the first series, and continued to rely on the “soulmate” trope without contributing anything to the world's mythology. It continued to do everything the first series did wrong and didn't really introduce anything new, making it the epitome of bad science fiction in the late 2010s even after two attempts.
The 7 darkest sci-fi animations of all time
Dystopian novels are a common theme in science fiction animation. This show contains some of the darkest content.
