Anime tropes are becoming increasingly prevalent, to the point where just watching the first few episodes is enough to predict almost everything that will happen next. The initial excitement of starting a new anime episode has gradually been replaced by a familiar wariness. Still love anime, but that love now comes with quite a few sighs.
Main Characters: Either Overpowered or Underwhelming
Initially, an invincible hero sounds very "cool." Sung Jinwoo or Rimuru appeared like a fresh breeze, sweeping away all obstacles in just a few episodes. But the longer you watch, the absence of real challenges makes the story emotionally flat. Without much risk, without failure, victory no longer holds meaning.
One Punch Man is a rare exception. Saitama's overwhelming power is crafted as clever satire. The show's humor is also a big plus. In contrast, many modern shonen and isekai take "buffing" the main character too seriously, turning this anime trope into a soulless, repetitive formula.
On the other hand, there's no shortage of male leads who exist like shadows. Itadori or Tanjiro have their shining moments, but are often overshadowed by the supporting cast. Promoted as the center of the story, their weight isn't enough to carry the narrative.
Furthermore, cookie-cutter character designs are a major drawback. Audiences are all too familiar with Tsundere types (cold on the outside, warm on the inside), or the forced "weakling becomes god" trope. There are even characters introduced with immense potential who remain strangely lackluster throughout their journey, leaving no impression beyond serving as "background" for action sequences.
Visually Stunning Effects Overwhelm Content
It's undeniable that current graphic technology has reached its peak, but sometimes special effects become a curtain covering up an uninspired script. Many films bet everything on explosive battles, while character motivations and plotlines are flimsy. After watching an episode, what remains is just "oh, it looked beautiful," not "why did they have to fight so hard."
The current anime industry resembles a production line more than a creative space. Fearing risk, fearing failure, filmmakers choose the safe path: retelling old stories, adding a new layer of graphics, but failing to create a breakthrough in the plot.
Spin-offs Riding on Success
Spin-offs born from success are understandable. But when everything is just to prolong a franchise, the story gradually loses its soul. Boruto or spin-off projects of Jujutsu Kaisen clearly show a problem: the next generation lacks depth, yet still has to bear the enormous shadow of its predecessors. The anime trope here lies in exploiting nostalgia instead of building new value.
Long Storytelling and Flashbacks
Flashbacks were originally catalysts to heighten emotional impact, but now, they are overused to unnecessarily prolong screen time.
Classics like Dragon Ball Z or Naruto frequently recycle scenes that viewers already know by heart. Every time a character prepares to unleash an attack, the story is interrupted by repetitive past events. Even new works like Infinite City spend almost half their runtime telling old stories.
This inadvertently creates an anime trope: fighting - flashback - ultimate move. Audiences are starting to get tired of battles dragging on for months without real progress. This is why Dragon Ball Z Kai appeared, condensed from 291 episodes to 167 episodes to cater to new audiences. Similarly, One Piece is also preparing a remake from WIT studio with new visuals and shorter episodes.
Isekai and the Reincarnation Loop
Isekai was once a breath of fresh air. An ordinary person reincarnated into another world, restarting life in an unimaginable way. But currently, this trope is saturated. Characters immediately possess overwhelming power and rare skills upon arrival, and are even favored by the entire world.
The problem isn't with transmigration, but with the storytelling. When every difficulty is solved by "divine talent," this anime trope makes the journey meaningless. The other world becomes just a stage for the main character to show off, not a place to challenge beliefs, ethics, or personal limits.
Anime isn't getting worse, it's just that anime tropes are overshadowing too many things that should be fresh. Recognizing the problem is the first step to hoping anime will once again move people like it did on the first day they watched their very first episode.
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