10 Underhated Anime Arcs That Are a Literal Waste of Time

Every fan has at least one story arc in a series they dislike rewatching. These are the parts that slow down the plot or distract from the main storyline with unnecessary filler. Fans usually aren’t shy about criticizing these arcs, and they often receive a lot of negative feedback for feeling drawn out or pointless. However, some arcs manage to avoid major criticism, even when they have the same flaws. This protection often comes from impressive animation, a few touching scenes, or simply strong fan devotion.

Arcs like the Fourth Great Ninja War in *Naruto: Shippuden* and the Joint Training arc in *My Hero Academia* often get defended by fans due to a handful of impressive scenes or well-animated moments. But when you remove the excitement and nostalgia, these arcs mostly feel like unnecessary padding disguised as meaningful content. They’re filled with battles that don’t really matter, political side-plots that slow things down, and character developments that ultimately don’t change much. These arcs demonstrate that impressive visuals don’t automatically make a story compelling.

The Fourth Great Ninja War Arc Became a Draining Marathon

Few storylines in popular action comics demand as much patience from viewers as this one. What begins as a united front against a shared enemy soon becomes a long, drawn-out series of flashbacks, characters returning from the dead, and lengthy monologues about suffering and fate. For every genuinely moving moment, there are ten scenes that essentially say the same thing over and over.

Once Madara becomes the main focus, the story loses its momentum. Villains repeatedly die and come back to life, and the sudden introduction of Kaguya feels unearned after years of careful storytelling. Important moments, like Neji’s death, get overshadowed by the constant action. The War Arc had the potential to be a powerful ending to Naruto, but it gets bogged down in unnecessary content and overly long battles. Ironically, an arc intended to bring all ninja together ended up dividing fans.

The Royal Government Arc Is a Political Detour Nobody Asked For

Following the intense action of the Female Titan and Clash of the Titans arcs, fans of *Attack on Titan* were expecting more plot development, but the Royal Government Arc shifted focus to the corruption within the monarchy and debates about leadership. Although this storyline is relevant to the overall story, it unfortunately slows down the pace considerably.

The show spends more time on lengthy planning meetings than on actual action, and even revealing details about Levi’s past couldn’t consistently make things more engaging. While some viewers who enjoy detailed world-building appreciated this slower pace, many were eager to get back to the thrilling titan battles. It felt strange when this anime, famous for its intense, fast-paced horror, started focusing on political maneuvering. Although the Royal Government Arc is important to the overall story, it wasn’t very exciting to watch.

Nothing of Consequence Happens in The Long Ring Long Land Arc

Considering how emotionally powerful and impactful the rest of the series is, this storyline feels out of place. The Straw Hat crew gets caught up in a series of silly competitions with Foxy’s crew, but these fights don’t really matter to the overall story. While it’s bright, funny, and has a certain appeal, it ultimately feels unnecessary. Luffy’s playful behavior and Foxy’s dishonest tactics provide some amusing moments, but the arc goes on for much too long.

This storyline doesn’t contribute to character development, create any real tension, or reveal anything new about the larger world. The author himself has said it was mostly intended as a comedic break, which explains a lot, but it still feels out of place alongside the more engaging parts of the story. While it’s not terrible, dedicating fourteen episodes to it feels excessive.

The Joint Training Arc Rehashed Battles With Zero Stakes

The Joint Training Arc in *My Hero Academia* starts with an interesting idea – a chance to see how much the students have improved. However, it doesn’t really reveal anything new. After watching Deku and his friends train for so long, seeing them spar again, especially against less developed characters, feels repetitive and a bit tedious.

Most conflicts in the series feel routine, and the results aren’t very surprising. Even when something new happens, like Deku gaining Blackwhip, it doesn’t feel significant because it’s overshadowed by repeated fights and lengthy explanations. The animation is still excellent, but this part of the story feels like an unnecessary pause between more important events. Some fans argue it’s valuable training, but even training sequences need a sense of excitement – this one just feels like a rehash of past events, without the same energy.

Swordsmith Village Arc Forgot to Move the Story Forward

The animation is beautiful, but the story itself feels empty. While each scene looks amazing, the plot doesn’t really progress. Tanjiro’s time with the swordsmiths was expected to deepen characters and reveal new information, but it mostly features drawn-out fights that don’t change much. Although Muichiro and Mitsuri get a chance to shine, their character arcs feel hurried and underdeveloped.

The action in Tanjiro’s battles is visually stunning, but the story doesn’t really move forward. While the emotional moments are impactful, they don’t leave a lasting impression. Ultimately, this arc feels more like a showcase for Ufotable’s incredible animation skills than a meaningful step in the overall story. It’s beautiful to watch, but the Swordsmith Village Arc is ultimately style over substance – a gorgeous presentation with not much content.

The Tournament of Power Arc Is Fatigue at Its Peak

The Tournament of Power arc initially appears to be a dream come true for *Dragon Ball Super* fans, featuring a huge roster of fighters, incredible transformations, and universe-level stakes. However, it ultimately feels overstuffed. The arc takes place almost entirely within a single arena over more than 30 episodes, relying too much on repeated concepts and drawn-out power-boosting moments.

While the arc has some memorable highlights – like the first appearance of Ultra Instinct – the Tournament of Power largely feels overblown and lacks real depth. Goku and Vegeta dominate the story, leaving the other Z-Fighters with little to do. Because viewers know Universe 7 is safe, the stakes don’t feel genuine, and by the end, the arc becomes draining. Ultimately, the Tournament of Power arc demonstrates that a larger scale doesn’t automatically equal a better story.

The Fullbring Arc Delivers a Weird Reset That Achieves Nothing

Following the intense battle against Aizen, *Bleach* needed a new path forward. Instead, fans received the Fullbring Arc, which took away Ichigo’s powers and introduced a strange side story about people with unusual spiritual abilities. While not a terrible concept, it felt like a temporary diversion before the main story could continue. The plot was slow-paced, and the villains weren’t particularly memorable.

The story feels stretched and ultimately revolves around simply restoring Ichigo’s powers – a goal that could have been achieved in just a couple of episodes. The action isn’t very exciting, and while some fans appreciate the arc’s focus on identity and healing, the way it’s presented feels like unnecessary padding. By the time it reaches the Fullbring Arc, the whole thing feels like a misstep.

The Royal Knights Selection Exam Arc Is Full of Predictable Fights

The Royal Knights Selection Exam Arc in *Black Clover* had the potential to be a thrilling competition showcasing teamwork and rivalries. However, it ends up feeling like a series of predictable matches where the winners are always clear. The story prioritizes moving the plot forward over genuine stakes, and while the animation quality is good, the narrative doesn’t take any chances.

Despite setbacks, unlikable characters often succeed, while popular ones don’t get much attention. Even the main character’s progress feels forced. Ultimately, the entire arc only leads to a new rank – becoming a Royal Knight. It had the potential to explore how different squads’ beliefs influenced their fighting, but instead, it relies on tired tropes. Considering how fast-paced and energetic the show usually is, this arc feels like a drawn-out and unnecessary pause.

The Fairy Dance Arc Told a Boring Story

Following the huge popularity of the first Sword Art Online story, the Fairy Dance arc attempts to recreate that success, but falls short. Kirito enters a new virtual world, complete with fairy wings, and begins a quest to rescue Asuna. However, the story repeats the same “rescue the girl” theme and includes side plots that feel strangely unsettling.

Alfheim Online is a visually stunning world, but honestly, the story felt like a missed opportunity. It relied too much on villains we’d seen before and just dragged on. While we learned some backstory about the virtual world itself, it didn’t really *do* much for Kirito or Asuna’s characters. What started as a really interesting idea ended up feeling like a pretty standard rescue plot. It’s not the absolute worst arc in *SAO*, but it definitely felt like a lot of wasted potential, and I’m surprised it doesn’t get more criticism.

The Grand Magic Games Arc Chose Spectacle Over Substance

The Grand Magic Games arc is disappointing, and feels ultimately empty. While a magical tournament between guilds had the potential for intense competition and meaningful character development, it ends up prioritizing flashy displays over a compelling story. The battles themselves are fun to watch, but the results don’t really have a lasting impact.

This story arc hints at huge, lasting changes, but ultimately everything goes back to normal. Characters don’t really grow, and the story’s mood jumps around erratically between funny and overly dramatic. It prioritizes flashy visuals over a meaningful plot. While fans remember exciting scenes like Natsu’s final fight and the reunion after the time-skip, the arc doesn’t actually achieve much. Despite all the action, the Grand Magic Games feels like an impressive but ultimately pointless side trip, leaving *Fairy Tail* with no real progress.

2025-10-19 02:46