Mother's Basement YouTube Reviews Collection: Worst Anime of ...
Anime
The YouTube channel Mother's Basement has released a number of "Worst Anime of <year>" videos wherein the host roasts (and often demolishes) the worst anime of the subject year. This interest stack is a compilation of those anime from the years 2018 thru 2022.
As formatting and links are frowned upon in interest stacks, you can find the actual review videos in my corresponding blog post. You can also just search YouTube.
Shows are listed in historical order. The year is noted and if appropriate or helpful or amusing, one or more selected quotes from the review are included as well. [I will also interject when the need/desire arises. -ed.]
2018 through 2021 are presented as a list of five worst of the year 1 (worst) > 5 (least worst)
2022 is presented as an "awards" show - not the kind of award to hope for.
I only use these reviews to help eliminate, or at least decrease the priority of, shows on my watchlist. Sadly, I'd already watched a number of these shows before I saw the reviews. I offer this stack in the hopes that some of you may spend more time watching entertaining shows by avoiding some real stinkers. Or if you enjoyed some of these, more power to you.
As formatting and links are frowned upon in interest stacks, you can find the actual review videos in my corresponding blog post. You can also just search YouTube.
Shows are listed in historical order. The year is noted and if appropriate or helpful or amusing, one or more selected quotes from the review are included as well. [I will also interject when the need/desire arises. -ed.]
2018 through 2021 are presented as a list of five worst of the year 1 (worst) > 5 (least worst)
2022 is presented as an "awards" show - not the kind of award to hope for.
I only use these reviews to help eliminate, or at least decrease the priority of, shows on my watchlist. Sadly, I'd already watched a number of these shows before I saw the reviews. I offer this stack in the hopes that some of you may spend more time watching entertaining shows by avoiding some real stinkers. Or if you enjoyed some of these, more power to you.
TV, 2018,
23 eps
Me:-
Author:-
2018 5th Worst
"The mood of the show whiplashes between tragedy, comedy, action, and fan service multiple times in an episode."
"Blink and you'll miss five crucial plot details."
"Sneeze and when you look up, it'll be a totally different scene."
[Seems they speed through too much material in too short a time. -ed.]
2018 (Dis)Honorable mentions (didn't make the Top, err... Bottom 5 list):
-- Between the Sky and Sea
-- Lord of Vermilion: The Crimson King
-- RErideD: Derrida, who leaps through time
"The mood of the show whiplashes between tragedy, comedy, action, and fan service multiple times in an episode."
"Blink and you'll miss five crucial plot details."
"Sneeze and when you look up, it'll be a totally different scene."
[Seems they speed through too much material in too short a time. -ed.]
2018 (Dis)Honorable mentions (didn't make the Top, err... Bottom 5 list):
-- Between the Sky and Sea
-- Lord of Vermilion: The Crimson King
-- RErideD: Derrida, who leaps through time
TV, 2018,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:5
2018 4th Worst
"... a hilariously incompetent fantasy anime/weekly French lesson"
"And the historical revisionism only gets worse ... King Charles VII, Duke Arthur III of Brittany, Duke Phillip the Good of Burgundy, three significant figures in the story of Joan of Arc, who've all been reimagined as hot sword-fighting anime girls with huge tttties."
"Get past the atrocious writing and premise and the most remarkable thing about this show is how f'n boring it is."
"... a hilariously incompetent fantasy anime/weekly French lesson"
"And the historical revisionism only gets worse ... King Charles VII, Duke Arthur III of Brittany, Duke Phillip the Good of Burgundy, three significant figures in the story of Joan of Arc, who've all been reimagined as hot sword-fighting anime girls with huge tttties."
"Get past the atrocious writing and premise and the most remarkable thing about this show is how f'n boring it is."
TV, 2018,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:-
2018 3rd Worst
"But this one's personal. Because Re'Union shamelessly knocks off my favorite anime of all time, Anohana, and sullies almost everything that I love about it. Not just through poor execution, but by using unholy alchemy to combine it with one of my least favorite anime of all time, Sword Art Online."
"But this one's personal. Because Re'Union shamelessly knocks off my favorite anime of all time, Anohana, and sullies almost everything that I love about it. Not just through poor execution, but by using unholy alchemy to combine it with one of my least favorite anime of all time, Sword Art Online."
TV, 2018,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:4
2018 2nd Worst
"This show is the epitome of unrealistic wish fulfillment."
"It really seems like no one who worked on this show gave a single shtt about it."
"Conception is a testament to what a group of people can really do when they all band together and collectively give up."
"This show is the epitome of unrealistic wish fulfillment."
"It really seems like no one who worked on this show gave a single shtt about it."
"Conception is a testament to what a group of people can really do when they all band together and collectively give up."
TV, 2018,
10 eps
Me:-
Author:-
2018 Worst Anime of the Year
"The single worst brother - sister inccst anime I've ever seen." [Yikes! I was afraid to even type that. -ed.]
"This adaptation is so poor in its execution, that its impossible to tell what's supposed to be a joke."
"My Sister, My Writer is a show for nobody."
"The single worst brother - sister inccst anime I've ever seen." [Yikes! I was afraid to even type that. -ed.]
"This adaptation is so poor in its execution, that its impossible to tell what's supposed to be a joke."
"My Sister, My Writer is a show for nobody."
TV, 2019,
13 eps
Me:-
Author:-
2019 5th Worst
"W'z is some 40% exposition, 30% people repeating that exposition to other people, 20% inane romcom bs, and 10% garbage fight scenes where the characters barely interact with each other."
[There's plenty of criticism of animation direction and production that you need to see to appreciate. -ed.]
"The writers clearly have no idea how to actually do any of the things they are trying to do."
2019 (Dis)Honorable mentions (did not make the list):
-- Nobunaga Teacher's Young Bride
-- How clumsy you are, Miss Ueno
-- Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka
-- Assassins Pride
-- Grimms Notes The Animation
-- Kemono Friends 2
-- Stand My Heroes: Piece of Truth
-- Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks?
-- Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest
-- Isekai Cheat Magician
"W'z is some 40% exposition, 30% people repeating that exposition to other people, 20% inane romcom bs, and 10% garbage fight scenes where the characters barely interact with each other."
[There's plenty of criticism of animation direction and production that you need to see to appreciate. -ed.]
"The writers clearly have no idea how to actually do any of the things they are trying to do."
2019 (Dis)Honorable mentions (did not make the list):
-- Nobunaga Teacher's Young Bride
-- How clumsy you are, Miss Ueno
-- Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka
-- Assassins Pride
-- Grimms Notes The Animation
-- Kemono Friends 2
-- Stand My Heroes: Piece of Truth
-- Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks?
-- Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest
-- Isekai Cheat Magician
TV, 2019,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:-
2019 4th Worst
"This, folks, is what the bottom of the barrel looks like after you've scraped past all the wood."
"It's main heroines aren't even defined beyond cookie-cutter archetypes."
"This, folks, is what the bottom of the barrel looks like after you've scraped past all the wood."
"It's main heroines aren't even defined beyond cookie-cutter archetypes."
TV, 2019,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:-
2019 3rd Worst
"The last time I saw parodies this bad, I was still reading gaming webcomics."
"... it's all so bland and ineptly executed, that I can't muster much in the way of an emotional response to any of it."
"The last time I saw parodies this bad, I was still reading gaming webcomics."
"... it's all so bland and ineptly executed, that I can't muster much in the way of an emotional response to any of it."
TV, 2019,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:-
2019 2nd Worst
"... the writing is quite clumsy, the suggestive dialog is a bit, uh, blunt. The editing and pacing leaves a lot to be desired. We see about ten minutes of these characters talking about rugby for every one of them playing it."
"This show kinda does a better job making fun of itself than I ever could."
"... the writing is quite clumsy, the suggestive dialog is a bit, uh, blunt. The editing and pacing leaves a lot to be desired. We see about ten minutes of these characters talking about rugby for every one of them playing it."
"This show kinda does a better job making fun of itself than I ever could."
TV, 2019,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:5
2019 Worst Anime of the Year
"Boy, golly gee whiz, are its politics, specifically, ever dumb."
[Question: if you were a political genius and found yourself in a medieval fantasy world, what sort of political and economic system would you strive for? If you answered "western capitalism" you might ... -ed.]
"Boy, golly gee whiz, are its politics, specifically, ever dumb."
[Question: if you were a political genius and found yourself in a medieval fantasy world, what sort of political and economic system would you strive for? If you answered "western capitalism" you might ... -ed.]
ONA, 2020,
7 eps
Me:-
Author:5
2020 5th Worst
"... a lot of huge plot holes ... makes the plot more incoherent and scattered ..."
2020 (Dis)Honorable mention:
-- Shachibato The Animation
-- Shin Sakura Taisen the Animation (New Sakura Wars the Animation)
-- Shadowverse
-- King's Raid: Successors of the Will
-- SUPER HXEROS
-- Listeners
-- TAMAYOMI: The Baseball Girls
"... a lot of huge plot holes ... makes the plot more incoherent and scattered ..."
2020 (Dis)Honorable mention:
-- Shachibato The Animation
-- Shin Sakura Taisen the Animation (New Sakura Wars the Animation)
-- Shadowverse
-- King's Raid: Successors of the Will
-- SUPER HXEROS
-- Listeners
-- TAMAYOMI: The Baseball Girls
TV, 2020,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:4
2020 4th Worst
"It only takes one brush against their crudely animated bbbbs for Peter to abandon all of his morals and values and betray the love of his life."
"It is not funny watching a guy feel sorry for himself ..." [Bit of a problem for a comedy show. -ed.]
"It only takes one brush against their crudely animated bbbbs for Peter to abandon all of his morals and values and betray the love of his life."
"It is not funny watching a guy feel sorry for himself ..." [Bit of a problem for a comedy show. -ed.]
TV, 2020,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:5
2020 3rd Worst
"I would say it feels like watching grass grow, except, that is literally a thing this anime makes us do."
"So it's up to the Queen to bust the Prince out of jail and feed him some lines that would make Anakin and Padme cringe."
"And at no point during any of this do any of the characters we just spent several excruciating episodes watching get to know each other, interact or even talk, at all."
"Looking back, I cannot think of a single meaningful plot thread that connects from the start of this anime to the end ..."
"I would say it feels like watching grass grow, except, that is literally a thing this anime makes us do."
"So it's up to the Queen to bust the Prince out of jail and feed him some lines that would make Anakin and Padme cringe."
"And at no point during any of this do any of the characters we just spent several excruciating episodes watching get to know each other, interact or even talk, at all."
"Looking back, I cannot think of a single meaningful plot thread that connects from the start of this anime to the end ..."
TV, 2020,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:-
2020 2nd Worst
"This one is completely brain dead."
"They just seem to be making this shht up as they go along and there's absolutely no aesthetic or functional consistency between anything in this power system."
"Clearly, despite being the title character, Hatena is mainly here as a lingerie- and top hat-clad accessory for Makoto's magical adventures."
"This whole show is just a whole load of pandering nothing."
"It is just disappointments all the way down.
"This one is completely brain dead."
"They just seem to be making this shht up as they go along and there's absolutely no aesthetic or functional consistency between anything in this power system."
"Clearly, despite being the title character, Hatena is mainly here as a lingerie- and top hat-clad accessory for Makoto's magical adventures."
"This whole show is just a whole load of pandering nothing."
"It is just disappointments all the way down.
TV, 2020,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:-
2020 The Worst Anime of the Year
"I Gibi-hate it."
"Every aspect of it is bad: writing, direction, voice direction, animation, compositing, CGI, sound design. Even the OP is atrocious."
"There's nothing I can do to roast this anime harder than just describing what happens in it."
[ --
There is an interesting side-trip into a production mismatch that I'll try to summarize here. It's worth a watch if this kind of thing is of interest.
Concept art for this show is by Yoshitaka Amano, a brilliant water color illustrator. His work is surreal with inimitably fine brush work. But only a high-end production with a large budget and lots of time can afford to animate such finely detailed art. The producers and director tried to address this mismatch but seem to have failed, resulting in many issues for the show. I found the discussion fascinating.
-- ed.]
"I Gibi-hate it."
"Every aspect of it is bad: writing, direction, voice direction, animation, compositing, CGI, sound design. Even the OP is atrocious."
"There's nothing I can do to roast this anime harder than just describing what happens in it."
[ --
There is an interesting side-trip into a production mismatch that I'll try to summarize here. It's worth a watch if this kind of thing is of interest.
Concept art for this show is by Yoshitaka Amano, a brilliant water color illustrator. His work is surreal with inimitably fine brush work. But only a high-end production with a large budget and lots of time can afford to animate such finely detailed art. The producers and director tried to address this mismatch but seem to have failed, resulting in many issues for the show. I found the discussion fascinating.
-- ed.]
ONA, 2021,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:-
2021 5th Worst
"The Netflix original Record of Ragnarok was an apocalyptic disappointment on every conceivable level."
"The Netflix original Record of Ragnarok was an apocalyptic disappointment on every conceivable level."
TV, 2021,
26 eps
Me:-
Author:-
2021 4th Worst
[The anime is a poor substitute for the game and even spoils major twists in the first episode. -ed.]
"... it's just plain f'n boring."
"... of all the bad anime I watched this year, Scarlet Nexus is probably the one I enjoyed the least."
(Dis)Honorable Mention:
-- The World Ends with You The Animation
-- Blue Reflection Ray
-- Deep Insanity: The Lost Child
[The anime is a poor substitute for the game and even spoils major twists in the first episode. -ed.]
"... it's just plain f'n boring."
"... of all the bad anime I watched this year, Scarlet Nexus is probably the one I enjoyed the least."
(Dis)Honorable Mention:
-- The World Ends with You The Animation
-- Blue Reflection Ray
-- Deep Insanity: The Lost Child
TV, 2021,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:-
2021 3rd Worst
"This is one of the ugliest f'n anime I've ever laid eyes on."
"This is one of those anime whose whole plot feels like the product of a drunken game of madlibs played by registered sex offenders ..."
"This is one of the ugliest f'n anime I've ever laid eyes on."
"This is one of those anime whose whole plot feels like the product of a drunken game of madlibs played by registered sex offenders ..."
TV, 2021,
11 eps
Me:-
Author:-
2021 2nd Worst
[This show ended after season 1, didn't it? Why is there a listing for season 2 on MAL? -ed.]
"[this] anime wouldn't have just ruined itself by being awful, but it ... retroactively tainted the legacy of one of 2019's absolute best shows."
[This show ended after season 1, didn't it? Why is there a listing for season 2 on MAL? -ed.]
"[this] anime wouldn't have just ruined itself by being awful, but it ... retroactively tainted the legacy of one of 2019's absolute best shows."
TV, 2021,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:-
2021 The Worst Anime of the Year
[There is some interesting discussion of how the production went wrong. Worth watching if you care for such things. -ed.]
"Any amateur hour animation mistake you can think of, crops up multiple times an episode."
"It's difficult to put into words just how bad of an adaptation this really is."
[There is some interesting discussion of how the production went wrong. Worth watching if you care for such things. -ed.]
"Any amateur hour animation mistake you can think of, crops up multiple times an episode."
"It's difficult to put into words just how bad of an adaptation this really is."
TV, 2021,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:5
2022 Award for Worst Isekai [The award actually goes the "Forest of Evolution" NFT, but that's not on MAL so the anime from last year stands in its place. -ed.]
"If you think about it, Isekai is not really a genre at all so much as it is a state of mind."
"Must be something in the water in the Isekai factory."
(Dis)Honorable mentions:
-- She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man
-- The Strongest Sage with the Weakest Crest
-- The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody
-- I've Somehow Gotten Stronger When I Improved My Farm-Related Skills
-- Peter Grill and the Philosopher's Time: Super Extra (season 2)
-- World's End Harem
"If you think about it, Isekai is not really a genre at all so much as it is a state of mind."
"Must be something in the water in the Isekai factory."
(Dis)Honorable mentions:
-- She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man
-- The Strongest Sage with the Weakest Crest
-- The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody
-- I've Somehow Gotten Stronger When I Improved My Farm-Related Skills
-- Peter Grill and the Philosopher's Time: Super Extra (season 2)
-- World's End Harem
TV, 2022,
13 eps
Me:-
Author:-
2022 The Vadgerock Award for Being Called Vadgerock
"Without doubt, one of the most excruciatingly boring anime that I have ever had to sit through in my entire life."
(Dis)Honorable mentions:
-- Extreme Hearts
-- Girls' Frontline
"Without doubt, one of the most excruciatingly boring anime that I have ever had to sit through in my entire life."
(Dis)Honorable mentions:
-- Extreme Hearts
-- Girls' Frontline
TV, 2022,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:-
2022 Was That Anime Even F'n Real?
[This award actually goes to the Crunchyroll Original, "FreakAngels", but it's not on MAL so I tied this entry to the first dishonorable mention. -ed.]
"...packs more than enough mind-bending what-the-f'ery in just one episode, hlll, in just one sentence, to fully earn [this] trophy."
"... the very last oily squirt to be pushed out of that doomed label."
(Dis)Honorable mentions:
-- Legend of Mana -The Teardrop Crystal-
-- Extreme Hearts
-- Fantasia Sango: Realm of Legends
[This award actually goes to the Crunchyroll Original, "FreakAngels", but it's not on MAL so I tied this entry to the first dishonorable mention. -ed.]
"...packs more than enough mind-bending what-the-f'ery in just one episode, hlll, in just one sentence, to fully earn [this] trophy."
"... the very last oily squirt to be pushed out of that doomed label."
(Dis)Honorable mentions:
-- Legend of Mana -The Teardrop Crystal-
-- Extreme Hearts
-- Fantasia Sango: Realm of Legends
TV, 2022,
13 eps
Me:-
Author:-
2022 Most Forgettable Sportsball Whatever
[And the award goes to... <crickets>. Seems these are all so forgettable, it's not possible to forget one more than the others. I tied this award to the first nominee. -ed.]
"... the bland visuals and blander characters all blending into this amorphous blob of tropes and inspirational cliches ..."
Nominees:
-- Fanfare of Adolescence
-- Shoot! Goal to the Future
-- Futsal Boys!!!!!
[And the award goes to... <crickets>. Seems these are all so forgettable, it's not possible to forget one more than the others. I tied this award to the first nominee. -ed.]
"... the bland visuals and blander characters all blending into this amorphous blob of tropes and inspirational cliches ..."
Nominees:
-- Fanfare of Adolescence
-- Shoot! Goal to the Future
-- Futsal Boys!!!!!
TV, 2022,
24 eps
Me:-
Author:5
2022 Biggest Disappointment
2022 Number One Big Kahuna Worst Anime of 2022
[LBH takes home both awards. -ed.]
"Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer [the manga], by the god of manga Satoshi Mizukama-sama himself, is an absolute masterpiece of the highest order."
"... some of the best jokes and most emotional gut punches in the entire medium of manga."
"... everything an adaption can get wrong, this one does."
"If they had done the source material justice ... Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer would have been my anime of the year".
[He's really mad about this. Don't bother watching if you don't want to see the rant. -ed.]
(Dis)Honorable mention:
-- Muv-Luv Alternative
.
.
=-=
.
[I'm not a manga reader, but here are the mangaka MB mentions towards the end. He's making the point that Mizukami is on par with the best in the business. -ed.]
-- Satoshi Mizukami
-- Kentaro Miura
-- Junji Ito
-- Tatsuki Fujimoto
-- Naoki Urasawa
2022 Number One Big Kahuna Worst Anime of 2022
[LBH takes home both awards. -ed.]
"Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer [the manga], by the god of manga Satoshi Mizukama-sama himself, is an absolute masterpiece of the highest order."
"... some of the best jokes and most emotional gut punches in the entire medium of manga."
"... everything an adaption can get wrong, this one does."
"If they had done the source material justice ... Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer would have been my anime of the year".
[He's really mad about this. Don't bother watching if you don't want to see the rant. -ed.]
(Dis)Honorable mention:
-- Muv-Luv Alternative
.
.
=-=
.
[I'm not a manga reader, but here are the mangaka MB mentions towards the end. He's making the point that Mizukami is on par with the best in the business. -ed.]
-- Satoshi Mizukami
-- Kentaro Miura
-- Junji Ito
-- Tatsuki Fujimoto
-- Naoki Urasawa
