10 Amazing Isekai Anime That Ruined Their Endings

Isekai anime usually begin after the end of the main character’s life on earth, with the protagonist facing the end of their old life rather than the start of a new one. The motif of death and rebirth is frequent in isekai anime, although the plot rarely comes to a satisfying finish. Rather, many isekai end with the main character never returning to the world they once knew and accepting their new life.

While the characters’ acceptance of their new isekai life can be an interesting ending in some situations, if it is not addressed in a truly human way, it can leave them feeling empty. Other times, isekai anime begins with what appears to be a fantastic concept, only to lose their path in the end.

Best Isekai Anime That Were Ruined By Their Endings

10. The Rising Of The Shield Hero

The Shield’s Ascension When Hero was first released, it gained nearly universal acclaim. The story’s distinctive components, which portrayed the main man going through awful situations in a foreign environment, created an engaging storyline that kept spectators fascinated.

Much of what made Shield Hero one of the most popular new anime of 2019 isn’t present in the second season. The first half of the second season is more like “The Falling Of The Shield Hero”. The fandom has erupted over the animation, plot, and general conflicted character development that made Naofumi so appealing. Fans can only hope that the third season, which will be released in 2023, will correct the course that the show followed at the end of its second season.

9. Re:Creators

In all honesty, Re:Creators should recreate its ending. Re:Creators is a Meta Anime that tells the narrative of a young anime enthusiast who is working on a light novel. He is eventually drawn into an anime universe whose creator has died. As a kind of retaliation, the antagonist attempts to destroy the universe utilising all of the powers bestowed upon her in various fan fiction.

Re:Creators was a fantastic program with a very unusual plot that cemented it as one of the most intriguing new isekai in recent years. It’s a shame that there wasn’t a better finish to bring closure to the characters who took so much time to build.

8. How Not To Summon A Demon Lord

The plot of How Not to Summon a Demon Lord is nothing new to isekai fans: a lonely gamer is drawn into a fantasy realm that is identical to his favourite MMORPG. The tale contrasts with many other series in this genre in that the protagonist is a Demon Lord who enslaves the people who summoned him, rather than an overpowered hero.

Diablo’s psychological disposition in his previous life and the new identity he attempts to embrace as a Demon Lord makes the episode both interesting and hilarious. Instead of being wrecked by its last episode, the second season as a whole was far less enjoyable than the first.

7. Sword Art Online

Despite the regular criticism, Sword Art Online’s success has been well-earned. Sword Art Online starts out with numerous intriguing plot themes and emotional character development. The series is enjoyable, with some fantastic fights and animation.

However, as the plot progressed to the end of the first season, everything it was based on proved futile. Kirito himself takes a problematic decision near the end of the show, which appears to be an attempt by the writers to give an excuse for future seasons after the primary plot has run its course. In particular, everything went to shit from the Fairy Dance Arc. Though I have to say I quite enjoyed watching the Alicization Arc.

6. Arata The Legend

Arata The Legend’s original manga features some outstanding source material, with distinctive art and character powers that set it apart from other isekai. Character development was also strong, however, the episode stopped before it could take an interesting turn. Given that the first twelve episodes were aired nearly ten years ago with little fanfare, a second season is doubtful.

Although the anime stayed loyal to the manga, the twelve episodes were insufficient to give the source material credit. As a result, the anime’s ending left much to be desired and accomplished little to flesh out what it had begun.

5. “.hack//sign”

Tsukasa is a Wavemaster who has become stuck within the virtual reality game “The World.” In.hack/sign, his perplexity over his situation leads to an exciting story of mystery and discovery. Sign has become a well-known and important isekai series, with numerous spinoffs in manga and video games.

The problem with .hack’s ending is that it’s simply too open-ended, with many of the unsolved questions supposedly receiving answers in the video game entries. However, for anime-only fans who have become invested in the characters up to that point, this finale will come as a huge letdown.

4. Demon Lord, Retry!

Demon Lord, Retry! essentially takes tried and true isekai clichés and retries them in a self-aware and often hilarious manner. It’s aware that it’s an isekai harem about an overpowering adventurer in a video game, and it works best as a parody for isekai enthusiasts.

Retry had a lot of potentials, but by the end, it appears like the show had forgotten what it set out to do. Instead of continuing with the intriguing plot aspects of Kunai attempting to figure out how he became stuck in the Infinity Game, he appears to accept his fate. The final episode concludes with “to be continued,” which I hope is genuine because the series has a lot of ground to make up.

The worst part is that Demon Lord, Retry! doesn’t seem like it’s getting a retry anytime soon

3. No Game No Life

No Game No Life puts two NEET siblings, Sora and Shiro, in another world where the outcomes of games determine everything. Sora and Shiro perform exceptionally well in their new circumstances because their lives were already built largely on playing games. The concept itself creates a funny and one-of-a-kind experience that isekai enthusiasts should not miss.

No Game No Life, on the other hand, is another example of a brilliant isekai anime ending on an unpleasant cliffhanger. The climax featured a spectacular combat scene and is exciting in and of itself, but the plot ultimately left fans with more questions than answers.

2. Aesthetica Of A Rogue Hero

Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero takes a somewhat different approach, telling the story of the hero’s return rather than their voyage away. The entire premise of Aesthetica focuses upon the fact that his world’s citizens are frequently taken to another world and thus exploit this fact. This type of double reverse isekai provides the show an impression of having the best of both worlds.

The fact that Aesthetica ended at all — or rather, that the program ended before it was scheduled to end and will likely never receive a true ending – spoiled the ending. Tetsuto Uesu, the author of the original material, has abandoned the project, making it exceedingly unlikely that the anime will proceed.

1. In Another World With My Smartphone

10 Amazing Isekai Anime That Ruined Their Endings

Following the trend of curiously specific anime titles, In Another World With My Smartphone delivers on its title’s promise. As an apology for inadvertently killing the protagonist Touyo, God permits Touyo to be reincarnated in a fantasy world along with a modified version of his smartphone.

This anime fails at its finale by not devoting enough airtime to its unique smartphone dynamic. It’s almost as though the series has forgotten what it’s all about by the end, and it succumbs to the hype train of the isekai overpowering main character.

In Another World With My Smartphone is without a doubt one of the worst anime I’ve watched over the years but it’s also the only anime I’ve ever watched more than 7 times. The anime is really bad but I just can’t come to hate it.

And like it or not a second season for In Another World With My Smartphone was recently announced 5 years after its initial release. God help us.

Let us know what’s your favorite guilty pleasure anime from this list in the comments below!

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