What old anime would be a flop today?

At the Reddit a heated and interesting debate began among anime fans about which animes would not achieve the same level of success if they had debuted today?

The exchange of opinions has been intense, with arguments ranging from the evolution of public tastes to changes in the entertainment industry. Some fans pointed out that certain iconic series from past decades benefited from a specific cultural context that made them stand out at the timebut which may not resonate in the same way with today’s audience.

Nostalgia has been a key factor in many of the opinions expressed, with fans fondly remembering how certain series marked their childhood or adolescence. However, the impact of technological advancement on anime production and distribution has also been discussed, suggesting that some of these older series may not stand out in a saturated landscape of constantly evolving options and quality standards.

The debate led to a deeper reflection on the nature of success in the anime industry and how it is intrinsically linked to the interaction between the content and the audience of each era. While some series have endured over time, others may have been products of their time, capturing the essence of a specific moment but perhaps no longer relevant to later generations..

• In my case, I would say HUNTER x HUNTER, despite it being one of my favorite animes. I think people would get bored with such a long series and criticize the inconsistent animation and many throwaway characters. I wonder if we would have been able to reach Arco Formigas Quimera with all these prejudices today?
• Any romance that goes nowhere.
• I would say Hetália. Since these are anthropomorphized countries, I don’t know how I would enter into a climate of political sensitivity like the one we have now.
• Zero no Tsukaima is the correct answer. Part of the reason it was so popular is that it was different from other series of its time. If it were released today, no one would think about it.
• I think a lot of the old harem/romance series with tsundere protagonists would get absolutely no attention today like they did previously.
• More specifically, any series of harems with monogamy or open marriages. There are two main reasons why most new harem series are moving to an isekai setting to avoid the issue of monogamy.
• It’s still a great series worth watching, but I doubt The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya can be the megahit today that it was in 2006. The anime landscape has changed a lot since then.
• CityHunter!
• Fairy Tail would probably go unnoticed. The fact that no one talks about Edens Zero proves this.
• Fist of the North Star The legendary manga inspired a lot, but the anime wouldn’t stand out today with its less animated fights.
• I doubt FLCL could become so popular. It seems like that series needed to premiere exactly when it did.
• Many trend-setting anime wouldn’t be as popular if they weren’t the first of their genre. A good example would be My Next Life As A Villainess. It is the anime that set the trend in isekai villains. But if you swapped it with another current villain anime and this one premiered today, then people would say “oh shit, here we are again, another isekai villain.” I can also say that with Banished From The Hero’s Party. It’s not bad, but the trend of getting kicked off the hero’s team has become so commonplace these days that it wouldn’t be good if it came out today instead of in 2021.
• Elfen Lied. In my opinion, it hasn’t aged well at all. It very poorly addresses several serious topics such as abuse, trauma and others. Overall, it’s gross and tense just for the sake of it. I don’t think that would be welcome right now.
• Elfen Lied only maintained some cultural relevance because it was released at a time when sex and blood reigned supreme. The series is a narrative shit-fest, with very poorly written characters and a paper story that seems to think it can replace real depth with tits and blood.
• Mirai Nikki, and the perfect example, is what happened with Platinum End
• Highschool of the Dead. It came out right when the West was obsessed with zombies and during one of the golden ages of ecchi (at least in my opinion) and is still in the top 200 of MAL, I think. I don’t think it’s as popular nowadays, although I loved it when I was 13
• People talk about trendsetters like Sword Art Online or Haruhi as if the current anime landscape wouldn’t be completely different if they hadn’t aired when they did, as if they were canon anime events. It’s hard to think of an answer to this question, since the only old anime I’ve seen are the canon ones.
• Cowboy Bebop would have been largely ignored. Episodic format + old cast doesn’t go well in today’s meta.
• People would trash Code Geass so much if it came out today.
• Love Hina. Tsundere protagonist who physically abuses her love interest, generic harem, no isekai. It would be difficult to exceed 7.0 on MAL