Anime I Think Should be Rebooted! | MM 17

Hey hi hello friends, and welcome back to my blog!

Okay, we all know how much I love the 2019 reboot of the anime Fruits Basket, right? I couldn't stop talking about it, and it remains one of my favorite anime series of all time. I'm not sure why they decided to make a reboot of the 2001 anime, but hey, I'm not complaining that they did. 

In fact, it's inspired me to make a list of other anime that I think deserve a brand new reboot. We all know an anime that we loved growing up, but for one reason or another it didn't quite follow the manga. A great example is Fullmetal Alchemist (the first anime), which had an alternate ending due to the manga being unfinished while they were making it. Again, thankfully it got a reboot in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, which follows the manga much more closely. 

Anyway, today I thought I would talk about some of the anime I want to see rebooted. Grab a snack or a drink, and let's get started! 

Before we do, a little disclaimer: I know that shows get cancelled for a myriad of reasons, and I don't pretend to know all of the reasons these shows were (if they were). I'm not taking popularity, or animation rights, or anything like that into account with this list, it's purely just what I would like to see happen. Thanks for understanding!

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Soul Eater

Of course I had to start this list off with Soul Eater, it was the first anime I thought of when I had decided to do this blog post. The anime ran from 2008 to 2009, and has a total of 51 episodes. However, the last dozen episodes or so completely goes off the rails from the manga. It's because the manga wasn't complete yet (it didn't end serialization until 2013) so the showrunners had to come up with their own storyline. Let's just say that it's less than satisfactory. So I think that a Soul Eater reboot that follows the manga all the way to the end would be incredible. There are so many cool things that happen in the last few volumes that I would love to see animated! 

I feel like this is also the most realistic possibility to get a reboot, too, because the mangaka's other series Fire Force was just adapted into an anime in 2019. And speaking of Fire Force, where is season 3, huh?? 

Ouran High School Host Club

Ah, the quintessential shoujo anime of the 2000s. I feel like even if you're not an anime watcher, you've at least heard of Ouran. It ran in 2006 and has only one season with 26 episodes, again because the manga was unfinished at that time. The manga was serialized from 2002 to 2010, so obviously the anime was going to miss a good chunk of the story. An interesting fact about Ouran: it was never officially cancelled, but it has never been renewed, either! This is because it has an anime-only ending so if the studio were to renew it, they would have to diverge even further from the manga. Clearly, that's unwanted. But I bet if Studio Bones were to announce they wanted to start over from the beginning, with new animation and everything, they would get a ton of positive feedback.

Tokyo Ghoul

This is the newest anime on this list, also the newest manga too. However, this isn't a case of unfinished manga. The manga was serialized between 2011 and 2014, and the anime started in 2015. We have one season of the anime following the manga, but then the second season is an entirely different story. This alternate story was written by the mangaka, specifically for the anime. But honestly? It's terrible. When I rewatch the series now, I only watch the first season because I can't stand season two. 

There is a spin-off series (both in manga and anime) called Tokyo Ghoul:re and it's pretty true to source. There are also two seasons for this anime. It follows a time-jump from the original story, and the anime came out in 2018. 

There are some rumors that a season five will be coming out later in 2022, but I haven't seen anything confirmed as of yet. Personally, I'd love if they just started over from the beginning and told the story from the manga, and I know I'm not alone in that opinion, but it doesn't seem likely to happen at this point.

Death Note

Death Note is such a wild story. It was serialized from 2003 to 2006 and there are 12 volumes in all (13 if you count the bonus story that doesn't follow Light Yagami). The anime aired from 2006 to 2007, with a total of 37 episodes. The anime actually follows the manga from beginning to end, and it's a pretty good adaptation, too. There were also two live-action movies--one that came out in 2006, and the other in 2017--but we don't talk about those. 

The reason I would like to see a reboot for Death Note is mainly due to the dated animation style of the original. As I said, it came out in the 2000s and the style very much reflects that. But we've seen how far animation studios have come in that time, and I think a Death Note reboot would go over very well with the viewers, especially since the Black edition omnibus volumes were recently released (these are the volumes that I own).  

Hikaru no Go

This is pure self-indulgence. Though this is an older series, I only recently read it (in 2019 I believe) and I fell totally in love with it. It was originally serialized from 1999 to 2003 with a total of 23 volumes, and the anime aired from 2001 to 2003 with 75 episodes. Fun fact: the illustrator of this series is Takeshi Obata, the same illustrator who did Death Note! The anime goes until volume 17 of the manga, but the manga itself was cancelled (there is a conspiracy that it's because the main character is competing for the Korea Go Cup, and there was controversy from Korea and pressure on the mangaka to make him lose, so she ended the manga instead). 

Again, I'd like a reboot mainly to see the story come to life in a new, updated animation style. Also, it would be nice if the reboot could also span the entire story. 

I should mention there is a 2020 live-action adaptation for Hikaru no Go, but it is a Chinese drama and therefore has been changed to fit the cultural differences of China and Japan. I haven't seen the drama but I've heard good things.

Cardcaptor Sakura

Another older series, Cardcaptor Sakura was serialized from 1996 to 2000, with a total of 12 manga volumes. I kind of equate this series with Pokémon in my head, because it grew so much bigger than the original manga. The anime for example (aired from 1998 to 2000), has 70 episodes. Plus, there are two movies and ten video games. 

I should mention that there is a newer spin-off series, Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, that is still being serialized (it started in 2016) and there is an anime for it that aired in 2018. But I want a reboot of the original anime, again with updated animation. Clear Card kept the old-school anime style, however, so I don't think we will be getting a reboot. Oh well, it'll be kept in my dreams.

Sailor Moon

This is the oldest series on this list: the manga was serialized from 1991 to 1997, with a total of 18 manga volumes. The manga has been republished many times over the years, the newest publication being the Eternal Editions, the first volume having been published in 2011. Like Cardcaptor Sakura, the Sailor Moon franchise grew much larger than the original manga. There are two separate anime series: Sailor Moon and Sailor Moon: Crystal, plus four movies (a fifth one is scheduled to release in 2023), a live-action remake, a stage musical, and even an ice-skating show. The world loves Sailor Moon. 

For this reason, it's probably never going to get a true reboot of the original anime series. It'll most likely just keep expanding, which isn't I'm complaining about. 

Princess Tutu

Princess Tutu is a bit odd, because the anime came first. The show aired from 2002 to 2003, with two seasons spanning 26 episodes. Later on in 2003, the manga was serialized, with only two volumes. And really, the show is more like 13 episodes, because each episode is only 15 minutes long, instead of the usual half-hour. On the DVDs, it was released as 13 episodes.

I'd be thrilled if Princess Tutu got a revival. It was another childhood favorite of mine, and while I know it wasn't the most popular of anime out there, its fans are dedicated. I can just imagine the resurgence it would get if it was announced to be getting a reboot. A girl can hope, can't she?

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Alright, that's all I have for today. Is there an anime you wish would get a second chance? Let me know in the comments or tweet at me @AllyEmReads.

Until next time!