Set-up is one of the most important parts of anime storytelling. Anime use multiple episodes or even seasons not only to lay the groundwork for their most decisive conflicts, but to also prepare their characters for the biggest fights and revelations of their lives. Unfortunately, some of the most intricate set-ups can lead to nowhere.
Whether it’s because the final payoff was practically nonexistent or because the anime’s creators seemingly gave up on a particular storyline, these anime’s set-up were rendered pointless by the time they ended. Some of these abandoned plot lines just spoke to their anime’s missed opportunities, while others outright ruined an otherwise good story.
10 Anime Rumors Everyone Believes (That Aren’t Actually True)
Anime history is packed full of popular rumors, but many of them are simply untrue.
10 Kallen Stadtfeld’s Dead Brother May or May Not Be Alive
Naoto Kozuki was rumored to be alive before being forgotten
One of Kallen Stadtfeld’s reasons for opposing the Britannian Empire was to avenge her brother Naoto, who died fighting with the Japanese resistance. But according to Code Geass’ supplemental materials and some clues spread throughout the anime’s first season, Naoto could be alive. He was also reportedly still fighting for the rebels.
But by Code Geass’ second season and movies, Naoto was forgotten. The anime stopped hinting at his potential return, and it was just assumed that he was dead this whole time. Naoto’s unconfirmed fate didn’t ruin Kallen’s personal journey or Code Geass’ wider story, but in hindsight, the set-up to his supposed comeback was a waste of time.
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (2006)
After being given a mysterious power to control others, an outcast prince becomes the masked leader of the rebellion against an all-powerful empire.
- Release Date
- October 6, 2006
- Cast
- Jun Fukuyama , Takahiro Sakurai , Johnny Yong Bosch , Ami Koshimizu
- Seasons
- 2
- Studio
- Sunrise
9 Maki Katsuragi Bought a Knife To Kill His Father
Maki Katsuragi’s volatile relationship with his father was left hanging from the worst possible place
Of all its characters, Stars Align dedicated the most effort and time to developing Maki’s boiling hatred and fury against his father. He hid the anger and trauma he got from his father’s abuses beneath the facade of an avid and friendly soft tennis player. Maki finally snapped when his father invaded his home and stole his mother’s savings.
Maki was last seen standing outside his father’s apartment and holding a knife, ready to stab him. But in light of Stars Align’s cancelation, the set-up to Maki’s breaking point was futile, since his arc was left unresolved. Everyone in Stars Align was also left hanging by the end, but Maki’s unresolved fate was arguably the most dire.
Stars Align
Toma’s summer challenge is to save his tennis team. But there’s no hope unless he can recruit Maki’s talent to the court!
- Release Date
- October 10, 2019
- Cast
- Jessie James Grelle , Justin Briner , Natsuki Hanae
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- Eight Bit
- Creator
- Kazuki Akani
- Number of Episodes
- 12
- Network
- TBS (Tokyo Broadcasting System)
8 Nobara Kugisaki Was One of the Most Promising Jujutsu Sorcerers
Nobara Kugisaki was brutally defeated before she could realize her full potential
10 Best Fighters in Jujutsu Kaisen, Ranked
Satoru Gojo may be the strongest jujutsu sorcerer, but what other characters might trump him?
Even though she was still just a Grade 3 sorcerer, Nobara was one of Jujutsu Kaisen’s most promising fighters. The anime and other characters constantly made a big deal about how much Cursed Energy she had, and how lethal her Cursed Techniques were. Even Mahtio himself begrudgingly acknowledged her strength during their fight.
Despite Nobara’s set-up and hype, Mahito unceremoniously defeated her by blowing up half of her face. Nobara’s sudden and grisly defeat lined up with Jujutsu Kaisen’s dark themes, but it still betrayed her promise. Nobara actually has it worse in the manga, since she’s still out of commission and hasn’t been seen since the Shibuya Incident.
Jujutsu Kaisen
A boy swallows a cursed talisman – the finger of a demon – and becomes cursed himself. He enters a shaman’s school to be able to locate the demon’s other body parts and thus exorcise himself.
- Release Date
- October 2, 2020
- Cast
- Junya Enoki , Yuma Uchida , Yuichi Nakamura , Adam McArthur , Asami Seto
- Studio
- MAPPA
- Creator
- Gege Akutami
- Main Characters
- Yuji Itadori, Satoru Gojo, Ryomen Sukuna
- Production Company
- Mappa, TOHO animation
- Number of Episodes
- 47 Episodes
7 Uryu Ishida & Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi Were Meant to be Rivals
Uryu Ishida and Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi barely interacted after their first and only fight
In Bleach, the Soul Reapers and Quincy were bitter rivals. During Ichigo Kurosaki’s invasion of Soul Society to rescue Rukia Kuchiki, Uryu and Captain Mayuri momentarily revived this ancient feud during their duel. Uryu swore to kill the captain for experimenting on captured Quincies, while Captain Mayuri wanted another test subject to indulge his sadism.
Bleach’s early episodes built Uryu and Captain Mayuri as rivals who fought on the same side, but never followed up on it. Besides the fact that they rarely (if ever) interacted after their duel, they seemingly buried the hatchet offscreen. The two remained important characters in Bleach, but their promised rivalry never came to fruition.
Bleach
Bleach revolves around Kurosaki Ichigo, a regular always-grouchy high-schooler who for some strange reason is able to see the souls of the dead around him.
- Release Date
- October 5, 2004
- Cast
- Masakazu Morita , Fumiko Orikasa , Hiroki Yasumoto , Yuki Matsuoka , Noriaki Sugiyama , Kentarô Itô , Shinichirô Miki , Hisayoshi Suganuma
- Seasons
- 17 Seasons
- Creator
- Tite Kubo
- Production Company
- TV Tokyo, Dentsu, Pierrot
- Number of Episodes
- 366 Episodes
- Streaming Service(s)
- Hulu , Prime Video
6 Mikasa Ackerman Descended From the Royal Azumabito Bloodline
Mikasa Ackerman’s royal blood never factored into the final fight
10 Attack on Titan Moments That Are Even Better in the English Dub
Attack On Titan’s original Japanese sub is phenomenal, but there are moments when the English dub adds even more emotion and impact.
Mikasa looking more Asian than everyone else in the distinctly European-coded Attack on Titan was not a coincidence. It was only during the final arcs when she was revealed to be a descendant of a royal family from Hizuru, the manga’s version of Japan. As such, Mikasa would’ve played a major role in forging Eldia’s political ties with Hizuru.
However, Mikasa never participated in her country’s politics. Instead, she continued to serve as a soldier until the Rumbling’s end. Mikasa talked a bit with Hizuru’s ambassador, Kiyomi Azumabito, but her lineage was never brought up again. This was, unfortunately, just one of Attack on Titan’s many hyped up revelations that didn’t get a satisfying payoff.
Attack On Titan
Original title: Shingeki no Kyojin.
After his hometown is destroyed and his mother is killed, young Eren Jaeger vows to cleanse the earth of the giant humanoid Titans that have brought humanity to the brink of extinction in Attack on Titan.
- Release Date
- September 28, 2013
- Cast
- Bryce Papenbrook , Yûki Kaji , Marina Inoue , Hiro Shimono , Takehito Koyasu , Jessie James Grelle
- Seasons
- 4 Seasons
- Studio
- Wit Studios, MAPPA
- Creator
- Hajime Isayama
- Number of Episodes
- 98 Episodes
5 Frill Caused the Surge in Girls’ Suicides
Frill abandoned her masterplan after she was revealed to be the overall villain
Throughout the cute yet dark Wonder Egg Priority, the four girls fought the Wonder Killers in the Dream World to find out who or what was causing the uptick in girls’ suicides across Japan. The suicides’ cause was Frill, an artificial human created by the girls’ mentors, Acca and Ura-Acca. Worse, she was originally made to be their “perfect daughter.”
The set-up of Frill’s reveal was executed well, and it expanded the anime’s backstory. However, Wonder Egg Priority fell apart soon after. Shortly after Ai Ohto learned everything about Frill, she just left the story after seemingly getting bored of causing girls’ suicides. The suicides were left unresolved, while Frill and her agents vanished.
Wonder Egg Priority
While on a midnight stroll, a girl named Ai picks up an egg. A voice coaxes her: “If you want to change the future, you only need to choose now. Now, believe in yourself and break the egg.” What awaits Ai after the breaking of the egg?
- Release Date
- January 13, 2021
- Cast
- Anairis Quinones , Tomori Kusunoki , Kanata Aikawa , Shuka Saitō , Hinako Yano , Dawn M. Bennett , Mikaela Krantz , Michelle Rojas
- Seasons
- 1
4 Babylon’s Debate About Suicide & Life Was All for Nothing
Ai Magase was the anime’s predetermined winner
Babylon was a moral debate about suicide. Nowhere was this clearer than in the anime’s second cour, which climaxed with a literal debate among world leaders. They argued whether suicide was a moral right or not. President Wood of America ultimately won by defending life’s sanctity, but killed himself anyway because Ai Magase told him to.
The thought and set-up Babylon put into its characters’ ethical dilemmas was pointless because Ai, who was essentially evil incarnate, was always fated to win. Ai having the last say wasn’t the problem. The problem was how her abrupt victory, plus the immediate invalidation of President Wood’s well-argued win, nullified all prior build-up.
3 Children Were Being Bred & Eaten Like Cattle by the Demons
The Demons’ society was never properly explored
The moment it began, The Promised Neverland revealed that the orphanage that Emma and her family grew up in was basically a farm for Demons who ate children. However, the anime’s first season focused more on the children’s escape from the farm. Season 2 promised to expand on the world building and lore that Season 1 laid down.
Unfortunately, Season 2 was a rushed and disappointing adaptation of the manga. The Demons’ social order and motives were teased but never properly explored, and the humans’ rebellion was barely covered. The Promised Neverland’s unique set-up and compelling characters were wasted on one of the worst manga adaptations of all time.
The Promised Neverland
When three gifted kids at an isolated idyllic orphanage discover the secret and sinister purpose they were raised for, they look for a way to escape from their evil caretaker and lead the other children in a risky escape plan.
- Release Date
- January 11, 2019
- Seasons
- 2
- Studio
- CloverWorks
- Creator
- Kaiu Shirai
2 The Humans’ Fight Against the Aliens Was Never Explained
The aliens were basically hunted down and killed for no reason
10 Canceled Anime That Are Still Worth Starting
Anime like Bubblegum Crisis and Gantz ended too soon, but anime fans still won’t be disappointed if they gave them a try.
In Gantz, the people chosen by the titular black orb to “play” its games were ordered to kill aliens. Throughout the anime, the characters questioned why they had to kill aliens who were seemingly minding their own business, and what Gantz’s true purpose was. The anime hinted that it would answer these questions, only to leave everything ambiguous.
Since Gantz only adapted the jingoistic manga’s earliest arcs and made a new ending, its aliens were never revealed to be part of a mass migration to Earth that Gantz wanted humanity to stop. Instead, the anime used Gantz’s lack of a concrete motive to pontificate about nihilism and “expose” how inherently evil humans were.
Gantz
A group of people are resurrected from their deaths by a mysterious black ball called GANTZ to combat alien criminals hiding on Earth.
- Release Date
- April 13, 2004
- Creator(s)
- Daisuke Namikawa , Hiroshi Kamiya , Chris Ayres , John Gremillion , Kira Vincent-Davis
- Cast
- Daisuke Namikawa , Chris Ayres , Kira Vincent-Davis , Hiroshi Kamiya , John Gremillion
- Seasons
- 2
- Studio
- Gonzo
- Number of Episodes
- 26
1 The Human Instrumentality Project Was a Surreal Clip Show
SEELE’s masterplan was to give Shinji Ikari a psychological intervention
The moment Neon Genesis Evangelion began, audiences were warned of the Human Instrumentality Project. Even if the specifics of SEELE’s planned Armageddon were never laid out, it was clear that they wanted to end humanity by using Shinji Ikari as their lynchpin. But as it turned out, Human Instrumentality was a two-episode clip show.
After being built up as a world-ending event even worse than the Second Impact, the Human Instrumentality Project turned out to be a surreal two-part reflection on the previous episodes’ events. Those expecting the cataclysmic spectacle that the mecha anime’s premise and setting promised had to wait until the movies to finally see it.
Neon Genesis Evangelion
A teenage boy finds himself recruited as a member of an elite team of pilots by his father.
- Release Date
- October 4, 1995
- Cast
- Megumi Ogata , Kotono Mitsuishi , Megumi Hayashibara
- Studio
- Gainax, Tatsunoko
- Creator
- Hideaki Anno, Masayuki, Kazuya Tsurumaki
- Producer
- Yutaka Sugiyama, Joseph Chou
- Production Company
- Gainax, Nihon Ad Systems (NAS), TV Tokyo, Tatsunoko Production
- Number of Episodes
- 26 Episodes
