Bored to Death: 10 Anime So Bad They Might As Well Be Torture

The anime world has so many titles to choose from that even the most die-hard fans are constantly stumbling upon something new. With such an abundance of content, it is only natural that the quality of the shows varies. Some are beloved and praised by millions, while others are so ridiculous that they become entertaining.

But there's also a type of anime that's just plain boring. They're so tedious that the only way to feel any emotion while watching them is to be afraid you're going to yawn your mouth off. No wonder the majority of viewers drop these shows before the finale.

Here are ten examples, as pointed out by fans on Reddit. Let's see if you tried to watch any of them.

The Detective Is Already Dead (2021)

IMDb Rating: 5.9/10

The premise of this show is not too bad: Kimizuka Kimihiko, once the sidekick of a genius silver-haired detective, tries to live a normal life after her death. But one day, he meets a girl who looks exactly like his deceased friend. However, the show is excruciatingly wearisome, with thick plot armor and lots of deus ex machina moments that make it impossible to get invested.

Glasslip (2014)

IMDb Rating: 5.0/10

The story of an aspiring glass artist is made in the slice-of-life genre, so it is supposed to be drama-free and slow-paced. But Glasslip is considered boring even by hardcore slice-of-life fans. Literally nothing happens in this anime, and the finale finds the characters in exactly the same place as the pilot. If you need the ultimate sleeping pill, this is it.

Isekai Cheat Magician (2019)

IMDb Rating: 5.5/10

The title of this anime tells you everything you need to know about the show. It is Isekai and follows every conceivable trope of the genre. And that only hurts the story. The main characters go from ordinary human high school students to the most powerful magicians in a heartbeat, and from that moment on, the story becomes so generic and predictable that it is hard to keep your eyes open.

Pan de Peace! (2016)

IMDb Rating: 5.3/10

The show consists of 13 three-minute episodes, but it might just be the most colourless 40 minutes of your life. The story follows a group of school friends as they talk about and eat different kinds of bread. That's it. Nothing more. Of course, there are people who consider Pan de Peace! to be a masterpiece of meta-irony, but even they can't remember any details of the plot, it's that bland.

Girl Friend BETA (2014)

IMDb Rating: 4.0/10

If you are a yuri fan, the synopsis of this anime might sound intriguing to you. It is an adaptation of a mobile game where players can have girlfriends while completing different tasks. The focus is on the lead, a member of the rhythmic gymnastics club, and her friend group. But don't be fooled, the story is pretty lifeless and has literally zero dating.

A Centaur's Life (2017)

IMDb Rating: 5.5/10

Don't mistake the outlandish appearance of the protagonist and her friends for the source of an engaging story. Instead of decent world building, viewers get the monotonous daily school life of a centaur girl. Instead of a thought-provoking viewing, the finale leaves you with a feeling of time wasted.

Fairy Gone (2019)

IMDb Rating: 5.7/10

If you want to test your endurance, check out Fairy Gone. The description (former soldiers who can summon fairies as weapons try to find their place in life) sounds promising and suggests an action-packed dark fantasy. Alas, the show turns out to be just an exposition of the anime. At one point, characters talk for 20 minutes about the lore of the world and the past war, and it leads to nothing.

Divine Gate (2016)

IMDb Rating: 4.9/10

The creators of Divine Gate seemed to be trying to combine numerous versions of 'god stories' and produce an interlocking story about humans becoming something more than just humans. But this attempt failed miserably. The plot holes in the story are overwhelming and make you constantly check the time to see when an episode will end.

School Days (2007)

IMDb Rating: 5.9/10

The only way to get hooked on the tiresome lives of three high school students is to think of School Days as a deconstruction of the harem genre and watch it to the end, which is something. But even then, you still have to watch 11 more episodes, and that could easily bore you to death.

Endride (2016)

IMDb Rating: 5.5/10

Despite the promising setting (a modern teenager is transported to a magical world, befriends a prince and helps him on a mission of revenge), the story is an absolute pain to get through. You get emotions while watching it, but it's mainly the emotion of frustration because of the lost time.