5 Anime with powerful stories that deserved even stronger animation

Anime has the unique ability to bring powerful stories to life through striking visuals, unforgettable characters, and immersive worlds. When storytelling and animation work in harmony, the result can be truly special. However, there are times when even the most compelling narratives don’t get the visual treatment they deserve. Due to rushed production, studio changes, or creative missteps, some anime with excellent stories ended up being held back by poor or inconsistent animation. Here are five anime with great stories that many fans feel were let down by their animation quality.



Based on one of the most celebrated dark fantasy manga of all time, Berserk has a haunting, emotionally devastating story centered on trauma, ambition, and fate. Unfortunately, the 2016 anime adaptation relied heavily on jarring CGI and stiff animation, making action scenes hard to watch and draining the impact from key emotional moments. For many fans, the visuals overshadowed what should have been a definitive adaptation.

Ajin tells a gripping story about immortality, morality, and what it means to be human, following a protagonist hunted by society after discovering he cannot die. While the plot is tense and thought-provoking, the full 3D CGI animation often feels rigid and unnatural, especially during action scenes, pulling viewers out of the story instead of drawing them in.

An epic historical war anime set in ancient China, Kingdom boasts an expansive story filled with political intrigue, large-scale battles, and long-term character growth. However, its early seasons suffered from clunky CGI animation that made fights feel lifeless and undercut the scale of its warfare. Although later seasons improved significantly, the initial visual quality turned many viewers away.



What began as a fun and emotionally engaging fantasy series gradually lost goodwill as animation quality dropped sharply in later seasons. Despite strong character arcs and important story developments, poorly drawn models, unfinished-looking fight scenes, and inconsistent animation frustrated fans, especially during climactic battles that deserved far more care.



The story and humour of One-Punch Man remained sharp in season 2, continuing its clever satire of superhero tropes. However, following an exceptionally animated first season, the drop in animation quality was hard to ignore. Less fluid fight choreography and flatter visuals made the action feel underwhelming, even when the narrative itself still worked.