Anime That Were Popular And Now No One Remembers

On a popular forum of anime fans, a heated debate has broken out about those anime that were extremely popular in the past but, over time, have fallen into collective oblivion. Forum participants have expressed a variety of opinions on this phenomenon, analyzing the possible reasons behind the massive loss of popularity of these works.

One of the most discussed points on the forum is the influence of the end of the story on the long-term popularity of a series. Several users have argued that a bad ending can leave a lasting impression on viewers, leading to the series being forgotten over time, despite its initial success. Others have pointed to the importance of poor execution in the adaptation of source material, whether manga, light novel, or video game, as a determining factor in the loss of audience interest.

In addition, some participants have mentioned the influence of excessive commercial exploitation and oversaturation of the market. In an environment where new series are continually being released and related products are promoted, it's easy for previously successful works to be overshadowed by novelties. Lack of innovation and repetition of formulas have also been cited as possible reasons behind the decline in popularity of certain series.

This debate has led many fans to reflect on the long-term impact anime have on popular culture. While it's exciting to enjoy the new trends and hits of the moment, it's also important to remember and analyze the works that once captivated audiences, even if they've fallen into oblivion.

"Shokugeki no Soma, and this is definitely for its fifth season."
"Hataraku Maou-sama! (The Devil is a Part-Timer!) It's a clear example."
"Ergo Proxy is the most mid-2000s anime you've ever seen, the visual style, the themes, the ending theme of Radiohead. It used to be quite popular, but it's rarely mentioned nowadays."
"Unfortunately I have to mention D-Gray Man."
"Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu was massively popular during the 2000s and early 2010s, and now no one remembers it."
"The Promised Neverland. The first season was everywhere, the second destroyed pretty much all of their goodwill."
"Sure, Seraph of the End."
"Tokyo Revengers blew up during its first season, but nowadays I barely hear about it."
"Hitman Reborn!"
"Actually Fairy tail was considered a good shonen for quite some time until it got the stigma of the power of friendship, but I would say it was a popular anime in the beginning for a while, but nowadays people just talk about it to sink it."
"Digimon. In its heyday, it was considered one of the most popular children's anime on American television, with regular marathons and back-to-back episodes on Fox Kids, and even a theatrical movie. Its rivalry with Pokemon was the stuff of legend; if you were an elementary school kid in the late '90s, you either watched Pokemon or you watched Digimon, and the biggest school discussion of the time was whether Greymon could beat Charizard (spoiler, maybe). Although Digimon was never as popular as Pokemon, it was a solid second-stringer that did a great business. Today, Digimon still technically exists as a franchise, but its glory days are long gone."
"Maybe Darker than Black? I blame the second season."
"Sword Art Online was ironically massive when it aired. It only lost its reputation afterwards, but during its broadcast it was crazy how many people knew him, even outside the anime community."
"I can't stress what the weekly discussions were like for Aldnoah.Zero."
"Suzumiya Haruhi, Black Butler, Slam Dunk, xxxHolic, Love Hina, Kemono Friends, Umaru-chan, Chobits, Elfen Lied, Azumanga Daioh, Lucky Star, Ouran, Hamtaro... Some linger in the form of GIFs and occasional memes, and veterans like me hold them fondly in our hearts, but compared to the period of complete saturation of each other's community, they might as well have disappeared."
"To Aru Majutsu no Index. It was huge back then."
"Saint Seiya, GTO, FMA 03, Ranma 1/2, Lucky Star, Gunsliger Girl, Last Exile, Haruhi... I talk a lot about Versailles no Bara, but the manga was so popular that it had a live-action adaptation even before it had an anime. And the author received a medal from the French government."
"I think Inuyasha fits that description pretty well. Do new anime fans even know it exists?"
"Lucky Star and Suzumiya Haruhi in my opinion, and Boku no Hero Academia to a lesser extent, as it's still popular, but for a few years it was incredibly, immensely popular."
"Oh my God, for a whole decade, the Chobits OP was permanently stuck in my head. Now most of today's anime fans have never heard of it. There was also Durarara. I never hear people talk about it anymore, but oh my god everyone wanted Celty cosplay in 2014."
"Excel Saga without a doubt. I remember when people got into it because of the Random Era of LOL and now it's just another piece of history. I adored her for who she was."
"Yuri on Ice was a sensation for a minute. Now it's totally forgotten."
"Tenchi Muyo and all its spin-offs. The series had its heyday on Toonami, as it was assigned a primetime slot alongside Dragon Ball Z and Gundam wing. She was also on Adult Swim. But I guarantee you that very few, if any, people are still talking about it."