Random Great Anime That Had Terrible Second Seasons (13 items)

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  (#1) Sword Art Online

  • TV Program

  The anime community has mixed feelings about Sword Art Online, but most agree the first season is far superior to the second. Season 2, AKA the Fairy Dance Arc, undoes many of the good things set in place early in the series. Asuna, the show's heroine, starts off powerful enough to stand beside Kirito in battle, but in the second season, she's reduced to a helpless coma victim who needs her boyfriend to save her. To make matters worse, her consciousness exists in the virtual world, where she's being held captive by Nobuyuki Sugou, a creep who constantly feels her up despite her aggressive protests. 

  Additionally, the way Kirito defeats Sugou is totally ridiculous. Out of nowhere, he's granted "admin privileges," which allows him to destroy the ultra powerful Sugou with little effort. Then there's the whole "Kirito's sister is randomly in love with him" thing, which adds nothing to the show save a general sense of ickiness. 
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  (#4) Darker than Black

  • TV Program

  The second season of Darker Than Black isn't a hit with fans. Instead of answering some of the major questions posed by the first season, Season 2 goes off in a completely different direction. New characters dominate the screen, and most of the old favorites are either dead or nonexistent. Besides that, the first season paints Hei as a total badass, while the second season reduces him to an alcoholic who abuses his children. Not exactly a fitting end for a fan-favorite. 
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  (#7) Rurouni Kenshin

  • Comic Book Series

  The second season of Rurouni Kenshin is actually pretty good, but it starts to come apart at the seams during Season 3. Instead of furthering the plot, the creators stopped adapting material from the manga, and decided instead to feature a long, confusing string of filler episodes. For fans who were actually invested in the storyline, this came as an unwelcome surprise. 
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  (#12) Log Horizon

  • TV Program

  The first season of Log Horizon presents a more mature take on the concept that grounds Sword Art Online, as once again, thousands of people are trapped in the world of an MMO, and need to find a way to survive. It takes a close look at issues Sword Art Online glosses over, like how the in-game economy works when resources are necessary for players' survival.

  Unfortunately, this promising concept doesn't really pan out in Season 2, mainly because the animation quality takes a huge dip, and the pacing is inconsistent. While attentive viewers will catch glimpses of good ideas, the series is held back by subpar presentation. 
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  (#10) Moyashimon

  The original Moyashimon has its flaws, but it's still an overall charming comedy about life at an agricultural college. The quirky cast of characters definitely carry the show, and it's easy to grow attached to them long before Season 1 wraps up. In the sequel series, many of those characters are ignored in favor of new ones.

  Sometimes, the introduction of new characters can add life to a series, but in this case, their backstories are far too dramatic. Most of the time, the newbies detract from the bouncy, light-hearted tone that made Moyashimon work in the first place. 
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  (#5) Psycho-Pass

  • TV Program

  While the first season of Psycho-Pass tells a thought-provoking story about a dystopian future, the second season doesn't do much to enhance the original premise. The villain, Kirito Kamui, seems like a watered-down version of the Season 1 antagonist, Shougo Makishima. Both want to take down the Sibyl System, a mysterious program that identifies potential criminals and kills them if they're deemed threatening.

  Makishima's methods are well thought out and generate a constant feeling of suspense, while Kirito's do not. To be fair, it's hard to maintain tension after the Sibyl System is revealed to be bogus at the end of Season 1, but a lackluster new villain does not help. 

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