As with so many things in life, I believe the anime industry follows the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule. 80% of our enjoyment of new anime, and of the general popularity of anime in general, will usually flow from the top 20% of successful series, with all the other anime offerings usually disappointing fans in some way, including some shows that are pure trash anime. In this post, let’s examine 11 garbage anime that we still enjoy, just a little!
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Total Trash! How Do We Define Garbage Anime?
Defining a trash anime is like pornography: we know it when we see it. Here are some factors that might tip you off to the fact you’re watching a trash anime:
- The show probably has an absurd plot filled with annoying plot holes.
- It might offer a “lowest common denominator” type of story that doesn’t challenge fans at all, like most isekai offerings in recent years. You’re rarely challenged to contemplate what kind of world the characters are living in.
- Often, the animators throw the story out the window in favor of sexy fan service. If even a professional hentai blogger like me can feel insulted by the choices the animators make, you might have a problem.
- The shows will generally have MAL scores below 7, yet might have a lot of vocal fans.
- The show is often hilarious, but not for the reasons the creators intended.
11 Trash Anime We Want to Hate… but Still Love to Watch
Oreimo: There’s No Way That Ending Was Okay
One trash anime which nevertheless had us all in its enthrall was Oreimo: My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute. It was the story of a younger sister who opens up to her older brother about her otaku obsession, specifically little sister hentai. We all hated that ending, but damn, it was fun to rage about it together online afterwards.
More Garbage Anime: Recently My Sister is Unusual
Is it possible to make an ecchi anime that even I can be offended by? The Saikin, Imouto no Yousu ga Chotto Okashiinda ga anime had a lot going for it: the ghost of a girl who died possesses a girl so she can get close to the girl’s older brother, who she had a crush on. She makes the girl wear a magical chastity belt, which only unlocks once per hour so the girl can pee. I certainly love any fan service-heavy anime with clever writing, but the ecchi setups in this show felt so forced, even I lost interest.
Rosario + Vampire: Peak 2000s Ecchi Energy
One show that acted as a doorway into ecchi anime was Rosario + Vampire, the story of a normal human boy who accidentally gets sent to a high school for “monster girls.” While the show entertained us plenty, it receives regular criticism for too many pantyshots and too little adherence to the manga’s story. How can we get a proper remake of this series?
Killing Bites Was Trashy but Oddly Addictive
An anime in which modified human-animal hybrids fight in brutal combat, with each character possessing the instincts of that animal. While some fans might have started watching just for the memes, many ended up really enjoying this bizarre concept.
Would you define Rent-A-Girlfriend as a trash anime?
Rent-a-Girlfriend Has the Worst Main Character in All Anime
Who’s the single worst main character in all anime? My pick is Kazuya, the eternal virgin, and the worst thing about the Rent-A-Girlfriend anime. The good news? Shiunji-ke no Kodomo-tachi, also by artist Reiji Miyajima, has a more enjoyable story with more character evolution than Rent-A-Girlfriend.
Mirai Nikki: The Joy of Yandere Porn
Need some shocking yandere porn with your anime? Then by all means watch the chaotic and edgy Future Diary, which had a lot of twists and turns that were frustrating for fans… but a lot of fun, too. Does this show make your ‘garbage anime’ ranking?
Magical Girl Raising Project: Sugar, Spice, and Sudden Death
2010’s Puella Magi Madoka Magica brought anime into the post-modern era and made it a very dark place. The only thing for magical girl anime to do was to try to out-Madoka Madoka, and a few shows attempted it. We had Magical Girl Site and Magical Girl Raising Project. The latter anime was about an app that turned players into magical girls, but “raises” them to be more powerful by forcing them to fight each other to the death. It was grimdark and cringe to some fans, though I enjoyed every moment of it.
A Lot of Fans View Sword Art Online as Garbage Anime
If there’s one thing I know about Sony, it’s that any time something makes them money, they’ll keep throwing money at it until it dies. They did it with the original Spider-Man, and with Sword Art Online, the Fate series, and currently with Demon Slayer. If SAO had been a solid 12- or 24-episode single series, it would still be loved to this day.
Citrus Was Trashed by Casual Fans
One of the most high-profile yuri manga to get animated, Citrus told the story of Yuzu Aihara, whose mother recently remarried. One thing leads to another, and the super-strict student council president Mei at her new school turns out to be her new stepsister. What happens when Mei forcibly kisses Yuzu? A lot of (presumably casual) fans got quite upset.
School Days: Nice Boat, or Total Shipwreck?
The anime everyone loves to hate is School Days, based on a fully-animated hentai visual novel. When Makoto can’t get Kotonoha to date him, he starts “practicing” dating with Sekai. But what dark twists await the three characters as the story progresses? Remember, the game published by JAST USA is way, way better than the anime, because it offers 21 endings, none of which match the anime’s super dark ending. Get the game here!
Scum’s Wish Was a Trash Anime, but It Was Our Trash Anime!
One anime I just love to evangelize is Scum’s Wish, based on a manga by Mengo Yokoyari. This is the (former hentai) artist who gave us (with writing by Kaguya-sama: Love is War creator Aka Akasaka) Oshi no Ko. It’s the story of a girl named Hanabi who’s in love with her teacher, but her teacher loves another teacher (who’s a total slut), who’s being pursued by another student. The twisting romances are so over the top, but the best one is the “surprise yuri” when Hanabi’s friend Akane suddenly kisses her. Highly recommended trash, for sure!
Domestic Girlfriend Was the Best Kind of Garbage Anime
Finally, one garbage anime that I couldn’t stop enjoying was Domestic Girlfriend, about a main character who ends up having sex with both of his stepsisters, because why not? I really enjoyed the questionable moral compasses of all the characters, because sometimes love isn’t so cut and dried. Did you enjoy the Domestic Girlfriend anime?
Thanks for checking out this post about the top garbage anime which are nevertheless secretly fun to watch. Got any titles that belong on this list? Tell us in the comments below!
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No girlfriend? No problem! April 14 is Black Day in South Korea, when single men mark the occasion by eating black noodles. They missed out on Valentine’s Day chocolate on February 14 and had no one to give white chocolate to on White Day, March 14, but so April 14 is their day! J-List is celebrating with a huge 15% sale on all Japan-based products through April 20. Start browsing now!
