10 best anime that never got a second season

Amazing anime often doesn’t get the recognition it deserves, and so the story is left unfinished without a second season. Here’s a list of the 10 best anime that were never renewed.

The Japanese manga and anime industry has grown exponentially over the years. With the ever-increasing popularity of the industry across the globe, way too many incredible stories are waiting to be adapted into a series.

Whether it’s manga, light novels, video games, or original stories, there are only a limited number of series that can be produced yearly. Hence, the ones to suffer aren’t the major franchises that gather a massive fandom; instead, it’s the slow-paced stories that are often sacrificed.

These primarily include Shojo and a slice of life compared to other genres. Although many anime series don’t always get a second season, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the narrative is disappointing in any way. Here’s a list of the 10 best anime series with incredible stories that definitely deserve a second season.

10. Skip Beat!

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Skip Beat is a refreshing Shojo series following Kyouko Mogami, who worked day and night to support her childhood friend, Shoutarou Fuwa, in his rise to stardom. However, all she gets in return is betrayal from Shou.

She overhears him talking about how he considers her nothing more than a servant he cares little for. Heartbroken, Kyouko leaves him and joins the showbiz to get revenge on him. She meets Ren Tsuruga, a seemingly nice and polite actor, but his true self comes out only when he’s around Kyouko.

The manga debuted in 2002 and is still ongoing, with more than 300 chapters. However, the anime aired from 2008 to 2009 with 25 episodes and still shows no sign of a second season.

9. Hinamatsuri

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Hinamatsuri is a heartwarming series about a yakuza raising a girl with mysterious powers. Yoshifumi Nitta encounters a girl with immense powers coming out of a capsule. Just when you thought things couldn’t get much worse, she loses control and, should her powers go unutilized, detonates an explosion.

Left with no other option, Nitta ends up taking care of her. However, Hina turns out to be a great asset to his yakuza company. Therefore, this peculiar duo’s weird life begins.

The manga, which has 117 chapters, was published from 2010 to 2020. The anime debuted in 2018, airing only 12 episodes, leaving a huge chunk of the story waiting to be adapted.

8. Flying Witch

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Don’t make the mistake of skipping this anime just because it doesn’t have a second season. Flying Witch is easily one of the best comfort series you can ever find. The story follows Makoto Kowata, a fifteen-year-old witch.

As part of the witch’s tradition, she leaves her parent’s home and moves in with her relatives in a small town for its abundance of nature and affinity with magic. While Makoto usually spends her days as an ordinary high school girl, she also has her eccentric side as he aims to be a well-renowned witch.

Her enthusiasm inspires her young cousin Chinatsu, who wishes to follow in her footsteps. The manga debuted in 2012 and is still ongoing, while the anime aired only 12 episodes in 2016 without renewing its second season.

7. Blue Period

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Blue Period is a story about art as the characters discover not only their style but also their sense of self. The story features just how difficult it can be to pursue your passion as you face creative burnout and frustration.

However, nothing can match the feeling of expressing yourself through your art. Second-year high school student Yatora Yaguchi suddenly finds himself picking up a paintbrush as he wishes to portray his thoughts on a canvas.

He then decides to enroll at Tokyo University of the Arts, which only accepts two hundred applicants each year. The manga debuted in 2017 and is currently ongoing, while the anime aired 12 episodes in 2021, with no announcement of a second season even now.

6. Hyouka

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Hyouka is a charming slice-of-life mystery series centering around Houtarou Oreki who justifies his laziness as conserving energy. However, behind that indolent demeanor hides a genius mind that can solve any mystery, even with vague clues.

Houtarou’s sister forces him to join the Classic Literature Club, which she used to be a part of. The club also has an extremely curious member Eru Chitanda, and not long after, Houtarou’s friends Satoshi Fukube and Mayaka Ibara also join the club.

Although the club is as boring as Houtarou imagined, Eru’s inquisitive nature drags the club members into all sorts of mystery-solving escapades. And the first mystery happens to be about their club from 45 years ago. The manga is still ongoing since 2001, while the anime only aired one season in 2012 with 22 episodes.

5. Ouran High School Host Club

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This timeless Shojo classic follows Haruhi Fujioka, who enrolls at the prestigious Ouran Academy. She stumbles upon the members of the well-known Host Club, where attractive boys amuse girls from the entire school.

However, when Haruhi accidentally breaks an expensive vase after being startled by the club president, Tamaki Suou, the members get her to work as one of the hosts. Haruhi then starts dressing as a boy and entertaining the girls while also dealing with the eccentric personalities of the club members. The manga was published from 2002 to 2010, while the anime aired 26 episodes in 2006.

4. Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun

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This anime series follows eccentric high school students. Chiyo Sakura accidentally calls herself her crush, Nozaki’s fan, instead of confessing to him. And Nozaki gives her his autograph. She later realizes Nozaki is a popular Shojo mangaka.

After a series of hilarious events, she finds herself working as his assistant. She also befriends her quirky schoolmates, including the hot-headed Hori, a shy but shameless Mikoto, and a girl named Kashima, who everyone calls a Prince. The manga has been continuing since 2011, but the anime never renewed its second season after its debut in 2014. The first season only has 12 episodes.

3. Barakamon

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Valuable life lessons, hilarious scenes, and bonds of friendship – Barakamon is the pure definition of a comforting slice-of-life anime series. This tale of self-discovery follows a hot-headed Sei Handa, a calligraphist who hits a veteran in the field after having his work called “unoriginal.” 

His father punishes him by sending him to a remote island for self-reflection. Initially facing difficulty adjusting to country life, Handa soon finds his “unique” art style and meaning in his art. And the ones who help him achieve this are the eccentric people and the mischievous kid Naru Kotoishi. The manga was published from 2008 to 2023, while the anime debuted in 2014.

2. Yona of the Dawn

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Yona of the Dawn is an intriguing Shojo series centering around Princess Yona, who was chased out of her castle on her sixteenth birthday. Witnessing her father’s murder at the hands of her childhood crush shatters her completely. Yona’s bodyguard, Hak, barely escapes with her and does everything he can to keep her safe.

However, after facing several challenges and near-death situations, the duo search for an oracle who tells them to gather the four dragon warriors from the old myth in the Kyouka Kingdom. The 24 episodes of the 2014 anime only scratch the surface of the story.

The series follows Yona’s incredible character development as she journeys across the Kyouka Kingdom and the neighboring kingdoms and learns more about the world. The manga debuted in 2009 and is still ongoing.

1. Maid Sama!

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This heartwarming story follows the lovable protagonist, Misaki Ayuzawa, the exceptionally diligent Student Council President of Seika High School, a former boys’ school where 80 percent of the student body is still male. Her inability to trust men after her father left her mother alone to raise two daughters earned her the nickname “Demon President” among her peers.

However, Misaki also works part-time at a Maid Cafe because of her family circumstances and is too embarrassed to let anyone know. When her classmate Takumi Usui finds out her secret, though., and refuses to leave her side since Misakai realizes men aren’t quite as bad as she thinks.

The anime only aired 24 episodes in 2010, leaving behind the majority of the story, including the part that uncovers Takumi’s mysterious identity. The anime also didn’t adapt the truth behind Misaki’s father leaving the family. The manga published 98 chapters from 2005 to 2013.