With how many new popular anime series are released with each season, it’s sometimes easy to forget about the classic series that have long since ended. While some older anime are perfect as they are and don’t need to be touched again, others are instead imperfect masterpieces that could use a reboot.
Whether it’s an anime original ending necessitated by an unfinished manga, not enough budget to fully animate the entire story, or sometimes even the original run being an unfaithful or low-quality adaptation, there are plenty of reasons for a reboot and plenty of candidates for classic anime that need a second chance.
8 D.Gray-Man
Original Release Fall 2006
When seeing that the original run of D.Gray Man’s anime adaptation lasted over 100 episodes, you might assume that it managed to cover the entirety of the manga. In actuality, the gothic-inspired shounen series is still ongoing.
With new chapters releasing since 2004, Katsura Hoshino, the mangaka, has been focused on this series and provided plenty of continuation to the story that is yet to be adapted. While there was a brief sequel series in 2016 (with mixed opinions) covering a bit more of the story, a full reboot could animate the rest of the storylines, as well as cut plenty of filler from the original to improve the pacing.
7 The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya
Original Release Spring 2006
The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya dominated the anime sphere in the second half of the 2000s. The various tales of an eccentric high school student on the search for the paranormal originated as a light novel series and were then adapted into not only anime, but manga, movies, spin-offs, and games. However, the hype around the series has considerably died down since its peak, almost unknown to newer anime fans.
Despite two seasons of Haruhi anime adaptations and a movie too, the second half of the light novel series that has since been completed, is untouched. A target to blame for this would be the second season, which was potentially rushed, with the infamous Endless Eight arc repeating the same episode eight times (with minor changes each time) taking up over half of the season.
6 Claymore
Original Release Spring 2007
The dark fantasy of Claymore enraptured viewers with its 2007 26-episode anime adaptation, but looking at how the manga series managed to run all the way between 2001 and 2014, the fact that this anime is far from finished becomes obvious.
In spite of how long it’s been since the original run of the anime, Claymore still has a passionate fanbase who would love to see a more fleshed-out adaptation of the manga, especially since the anime ended with a tacked-on original conclusion to justify the spontaneous finish of the series.
5 Ouran High School Host Club
Original Release Spring 2006
Ouran High School Host Club is perhaps one of the most beloved shoujo comedy series, not just from the 2000s, but of all time, and it’s no surprise that fans return to the series as a lighthearted comedic romp that’s easy to rewatch.
Unfortunately, the original 26-episode anime adaptation only covers the first eight volumes of the manga, and by the time the series completed, an extra ten volumes had been released. Whether Ouran gets a full reboot or just a sequel series, there will still be a hungry audience waiting to see the conclusion of this adored series finally animated.
4 Deadman Wonderland
Original Release Spring 2011
Sitting right on the borderline of classic and more contemporary series, Deadman Wonderland manages to qualify thanks to just how much a reboot of the series is warranted. The ‘death game’ subgenre of anime and manga peaked in popularity in the early 2010s, and Deadman Wonderland was one of the most well-known and hyped.
In spite of this, the incredibly short 13-episode anime only scratched the surface of the world established in the manga, glossing over some details, and left us with an unsatisfying conclusion. While the death game subgenre isn’t as popular as it once was, a reboot of Deadman Wonderland would be a perfect way to revive this gory side of anime.
3 Nana
Original Release Spring 2006
Perhaps one of the most underappreciated genres of anime, especially in the West, is josei (anime aimed at women), with fans of these series having to fight for localization and anime adaptations. A series that has managed to maintain a loyal following within this semi-niche genre is Nana. Originally published in 2000, it’s been on hiatus since 2009, but the author has confirmed a desire to continue as recently as 2022.
The series received a beloved anime adaptation lasting for 47 episodes from 2006 to 2007, but with plenty more manga chapters left to adapt, and plenty of time passed since its original run, the series is in desperate need of a reboot or continuation.
2 Berserk
Original Release Fall 1997
Anime studios have struggled to keep up with adapting Berserk. The classic seinen series has been ongoing since 1989, and even following the tragic death of the original author Kentaro Miura in 2021, the series has continued, with his successor still releasing new chapters since.
There have been multiple attempts to adapt Berserk into an anime. A successful series in 1997 was unfortunately only able to cover so much of the manga. A divisive series of films and a second anime season followed in the 2010s. While this sporadic approach has led to mixed results, perhaps a full reboot would be the best way to animate this beloved action manga.
1 Soul Eater
Original Release Spring 2008
If you only watched the anime release of Soul Eater, you might assume that it’s a perfectly completed series that manages to tell its full story in its 51 episodes. Unfortunately, if you look at the manga release schedule and see that the final chapter was released in 2013, you’ll realize that the series is unfortunately a victim of an anime-original ending.
It’s a massive shame, since the majority of Soul Eater is brought to life wonderfully and the meister and weapon action, while fun to read in the manga, suits being animated so well. Perhaps one of the most demanded anime reboots of all time, it’s well past due for this classic to have its full story animated.