When the Anime Adaptation Doesn’t Quite Nail It

I was watching Ooku on Netflix, the ten episode anime adaptation of a long running and favorite manga series of mine that I wrote about here after finally finishing reading it. Set In an alternate history of Japan where the male population is nearly decimated, eligible men serve as concubines to the woman shogun inside the walls of the Ooku. The series is centered on the men in this harem and the years of change and power–for only ten episodes it is an adaptation that I did not love completely. The story beats are there, there was obviously care for those who adapted the original story… the animation was just…stiff at times.  Which is forgivable on my second rewatch, as I’m probably nitpicking in this ongoing famine of Shojo and Josei anime adaptations. I take that one the nose because I love Ooku and admit sometimes as fan I want something as close to perfection for the series and IPs that I adore the most. I went on to think about other anime adaptations that were more or less, less successful in adapting their beloved source material on the big screen. Buckle up to prepare yourself for either some outrage or heart break for this short list of anime adaptations that did not nail it. Spoilers past here: some minor and some major. Be advised before carrying on reading!

The Promised Neverland Season Two (2021) 

The year 2019 brought us The Promised Neverland, an incredible newer series with an intriguing premise that o…