The Worst Sci-Fi Anime of Every Year of the 2010s

The 2010s gave us some incredible sci-fi anime, pushing the boundaries of what the future could hold. However, alongside these successes were some truly massive failures. These often happened because shows tried to do too much with limited funding, or simply didn’t know how to tell a good futuristic story. Looking at these biggest disappointments actually shows us how easily science fiction can stumble when exciting ideas aren’t balanced with solid storytelling and quality production.

I’ve always been a sci-fi fanatic, so it pains me to talk about these films. They had so much promise, but honestly, they’re a cautionary tale of what happens when ambition outstrips execution. We’re talking confusing plots, especially when time travel’s involved, and visuals that, well, just didn’t quite land. These were the low points of the decade for me, and a real shame. They aimed for the stars, but ended up falling flat with both critics and fans. If any studio is thinking of tackling a big, complex sci-fi idea, these movies are a reminder: you need a strong story first!

10. Togainu no Chi (2010)

The show takes place in a bleak, post-war world where a young man named Akira is forced to fight for survival in a dangerous street competition. A ruthless gang controls the city, and their power is measured by the number of dog tags they collect. The story blends cyberpunk elements with a gritty, psychological struggle for freedom in a lawless society.

Honestly, I was really disappointed with how the show turned out. It felt like there wasn’t enough attention paid to the details – the animation was often really static and characters didn’t always look right. And while the initial idea and the character designs were promising, the story just didn’t come together. The pacing was off, and the world felt strangely empty. Instead of the intense, thrilling dystopian experience I was hoping for, it ended up being visually jarring and didn’t really capture the potential of the setting at all. It’s a shame, because it could have been something great!

9. Freezing (2011)

This science fiction action series takes place on Earth, which is being invaded by aliens called the Nova – beings from other dimensions. To fight back, humanity has created genetically enhanced young women, known as Pandoras, with incredible superpowers. They team up with male soldiers called ‘freezers’ and train at a highly selective military academy, representing the last hope for survival.

The show is known more for its over-the-top fan service and gratuitous clothing removal than for its interesting sci-fi ideas. The plot often felt like an afterthought, overshadowed by awkward conflicts and endless, pointless action. Its focus on provocative content alienated viewers who wanted a serious war story, ultimately feeling more like a collection of fan service moments than a cohesive anime with a compelling narrative.

Who’s That Character? Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)

5.0s

0/10

Results

High Score: 0 —

More Games

8. Busou Shinki (2012)

In a futuristic world, people own small, intelligent robots called Shinki, who serve as companions and playmates. These robots can be customized with weapons and armor to compete in exciting battles. The anime focuses on the daily lives of a group of Shinki and their owners, showcasing their adventures and occasional high-tech fights.

The idea had potential – it could have been a great sci-fi series like Pokémon, built around toys. However, the final product was a series of weak, disconnected scenes with a weak plot. The animation felt slow, and the ‘battles’ seemed more like commercials for the toys themselves than actual anime content. It didn’t have enough depth to develop the interesting high-tech idea into something truly engaging – it felt like a simple advertisement for a product.

7. Valvrave the Liberator (2013)

This anime follows a high schooler who unexpectedly becomes the pilot of a thinking, feeling robot. Set in a future where most people live in space, the series aims to tackle big ideas like living forever, fighting for change, and the devastating consequences of war between massive space fleets. While initially planned as a visually impressive and thought-provoking show with a complex political plot, it unfortunately didn’t live up to its potential in any area.

The show is best known for its wildly unpredictable plot, which threw in crazy twists and turns very quickly. It quickly moved away from its initial political themes, instead focusing on bizarre character actions and supernatural events that felt out of place. Despite being well-made, the inconsistent writing became a running joke, turning the drama into something unintentionally funny.

6. Pupa (2014)

Pupa is a show that aims to be a science fiction horror, and tells the story of two siblings whose sister is infected with a virus, turning her into a zombie who craves human flesh. The brother has the ability to regenerate lost limbs, which he allows his sister to consume to satisfy her hunger. The series explores themes of family sacrifice and the strange biological consequences of a viral mutation, all set in a modern city.

Despite having an intriguing premise, the adaptation failed dramatically due to its extremely short, four-minute episodes and heavy censorship. The story felt rushed and incomplete, with little room to develop the characters or plot. Crucially, the show never explained the origins of the virus or the characters’ motivations, resulting in a confusing, censored, and ultimately tedious anime.

5. Comet Lucifer (2015)

On the planet Gift, where glowing blue crystals provide all the energy, a young boy discovers a mysterious girl while exploring the mines. This encounter launches them into an epic adventure across a fantastical, high-tech world, complete with colossal robots. The story is designed as a classic ‘boy meets girl’ tale, blending exciting robot combat, a detailed and immersive world, and a captivating mystery.

The biggest weakness of the series is its confusing story. What started as a charming show quickly became muddled with a predictable and poorly explained ‘chosen one’ plotline, leading to a disappointing conclusion. Characters acted inconsistently and lacked clear motivations, and the show’s failure to build a believable world undermined any emotional impact, leaving it visually appealing but ultimately empty.

4. Big Order (2016)

The creator of Future Diary brings you this new sci-fi thriller. It follows a boy who unintentionally caused a global catastrophe years earlier with a unique power. Now, in a world where people have gained reality-bending abilities based on their wishes, he must survive a complex and dangerous political landscape. Expect a fast-paced, visually stunning chase through a post-apocalyptic world filled with incredible powers.

The show ‘Power’ quickly became known for its awkward, overly dramatic dialogue and a confusing storyline. The characters didn’t seem to have consistent reasons for their actions, and the plot relied heavily on shocking moments and power systems that changed whenever the story needed them to. It felt like a parody of the overly dark and brooding trends popular in the 2010s, but ultimately failed to deliver the intense psychological impact it was aiming for.

3. Hand Shakers (2017)

I recently watched “Hand Shakers,” and it’s a pretty unique show. It takes place in the future, and these people, called Hand Shakers, can summon powerful weapons – they call them Nimrodes – when they hold hands and essentially become one. The whole premise revolves around couples battling it out in a virtual world, fighting to earn the chance to meet God and have a wish granted. What really stood out, though, was how the show looked. It had a really striking, high-contrast visual style, and they used the camera in a way that was supposed to make the fight scenes feel incredibly intense and up-close.

The show was a disaster to watch, with shaky cameras and poorly done special effects that actually made viewers feel sick. The story was predictable and unoriginal, and the characters’ conversations were embarrassing. It prioritized flashy visuals over a good plot, making it one of the year’s worst-rated anime and proving that fancy effects don’t equal good animation.

2. ReRideD: Derrida, who travels through Time (2018)

Derrida, an engineer, discovered a flaw in the robots he helped create – the “Autonomous Machine DZ.” Suddenly frozen in time, he wakes up a decade later to find these robots have taken over the world. To fix things and rescue a friend’s daughter, he has to repeatedly travel back in time.

The animation was noticeably poor, filled with shortcuts and resulting in characters that looked off-model and moved stiffly. The time travel elements weren’t explained at all, and the story lost its focus towards the end. What started as a potentially moving science fiction story became a drawn-out and confusing experience, with outdated-looking animation and a lot of unexplained jargon.

1. W’z (2019)

This show was a continuation of the manga Hand Shakers, centering on Yukiya, a young DJ with the ability to enter another world through a handshake. He uses his musical talents and powers to navigate a world filled with different groups, hoping to find a path back home and discover more about himself. The series aimed to improve upon the visuals of the first installment while maintaining its futuristic, city-based style.

While the visuals and initial idea were slightly improved from the first installment, this series remained a chaotic and disjointed mess. The storyline was even weaker, still leaning heavily on predictable ‘soul-mate’ themes without adding anything meaningful to the established world. It repeated the mistakes of the original and failed to introduce any fresh concepts, ultimately becoming a prime example of disappointing sci-fi from the late 2010s, despite two chances to get it right.

2026-05-01 15:41