History VindicatedByHistory / AnimeAndManga

** Despite the toy sales being higher the series it was a sequel to, ''Anime/YesPrettyCure5GoGo'' suffered the fate of not only having mixed reception, but airing opposite the 2007 adaptation of ''Manga/GeGeGeNoKitaro'', which got higher ratings. [[note]] This particular incarnation of ''Kitaro'' was known for being the first to promote the sole main female character, Neko Musume, to main character status, causing it to appeal to more girls, which took away a majority of ''Pretty Cure'' viewers as a consequence.[[/note]] Years after it ended, fans began to see the series in a more positive light, causing it to rank as the third most popular series in an 2019 NHK poll about the ''Pretty Cure'' franchise. [[note]] The only series to do better were ''Anime/FutariWaPrettyCure'' and ''Anime/HeartCatchPrettyCure'', which took [[FirstInstallmentWins first]] and second respectively.[[/note]]
** ''Anime/FreshPrettyCure.'' Due to the English-speaking fanbase's OldGuardVersusNewBlood divide, the old guard initially dismissed ''Fresh'' because it discarded many series traditions (the original art style, mascots with {{Verbal Tic}}s based on their names, monsters with "naa" in their names, etc.) and the new blood came flowing in with the ''next'' season, ''Heartcatch.'' Over time, though, both groups had more people go back to give ''Fresh'' a chance, as its changes had also been embraced by later series, so the older fans had gotten used to them and the new fans could easily adjust to this season. It also helped that word came out that, on the Japanese side of things, the changes in ''Fresh'' were an AuthorsSavingThrow after ''[[Anime/YesPrecure5 5GoGo]]'s'' heavy use of {{filler}} and focus on the fairies over the humans had tanked its ratings; ''Fresh'' had saved Precure as a whole, and the fanbase owed it that. And then both ''Splash Star'' and ''Yes! Precure 5'' were the ones to get an Adult sequel in 2023, namely ''Anime/KibouNoChikaraOtonaPrettyCure23''.

* ''Manga/HitoribocchinoOOSeikatsu'' had a lukewarm-to-decent response from critics and audiences back during its run in the 2010s, and ended up (in terms of the anime at least) a disastrous commercial failure, selling less then 1000 Blu-rays in sales. However, with the rise of more socially awkward protagonists in anime and manga in the 2020s becoming more mainstream, including [[Manga/BocchiTheRock another, much more successful Bocchi]], ''Hitoribocchi'' in turn was retroactively given more attention, and was praised for being a great example of social anxiety in media and favorably has been received better nowadays then on its original release.

** ''Anime/FreshPrettyCure.'' Due to the English-speaking fanbase's OldGuardVersusNewBlood divide, the old guard initially dismissed ''Fresh'' because it discarded many series traditions (the original art style, mascots with {{Verbal Tic}}s based on their names, monsters with "naa" in their names, etc.) and the new blood came flowing in with the ''next'' season, ''Heartcatch.'' Over time, though, both groups had more people go back to give ''Fresh'' a chance, as its changes had also been embraced by later series, so the older fans had gotten used to them and the new fans could easily adjust to this season. It also helped that word came out that, on the Japanese side of things, the changes in ''Fresh'' were an AuthorsSavingThrow after ''[[Anime/YesPrecure5 5GoGo]]'s'' heavy use of {{filler}} and focus on the fairies over the humans had tanked its ratings; ''Fresh'' had saved Precure as a whole, and the fanbase owed it that.

* ''Manga/DropkickOnMyDevil'': When it premiered, the series was considered at best an average comedy, and at worse extremely mediocre, with little to no praise as its anime adaptation came and went in summer 2018, with the expectation it would fall into obscurity like many of it's kind beforehand. Over the years however, as it shockingly continued with further anime seasons thanks to being funded by tax payers and crowdfunding, many either came back or discovered the series, applauding it for it's 2000s-like dark comedy, character writing, score, and its unique spin at slapstick humor that isn't found much, if at all in modern anime or manga. The welcomed addition of Music/HatsuneMiku in the third season that made the series at least somewhat known in the west also likely helped, enough for a fourth season to enter production when it was scheduled to end with the third season.

* ''Manga/HitoribocchinoOOSeikatsu'' had a lukewarm-to-decent response from critics and audiences back during it's run in the 2010s, and ended up (in terms of the anime at least) a disastrous commercial failure, selling less then 1000 Blu-rays in sales. However, with the rise of more socially awkward protagonists in anime and manga in the 2020s becoming more mainstream, including [[Manga/BocchiTheRock another, much more successful Bocchi]], ''Hitoribocchi'' in turn was retroactively given more attention, and was praised for being a great example of social anxiety in media and favorably has been received better nowadays then on it's original release.

* ''Anime/SuperMilkChan'' was considered a mediocre, if at best okay comedy during it's original release, being quickly forgotten about once Creator/AdultSwim stopped airing it to western audiences in the mid 2000s. Nowadays, it's regarded as a comedic Main/CultClassic enjoyed for it's eccentric characters, unique art style, and especially humor that is rarely, if at all seen in modern anime. When it's reboot was revealed in 2021, plenty were happy to see it return.

** More fans overtime have been starting to consider the controversial ''Black and White'' series an example. While it did several things wrong, particularly with Ash, it also did several things right that were continued to be done to great effect in the subsequent ''XY'' and ''Sun and Moon'' series - namely, a better series structure and pace, a more faithful rendition of the region from the video games, the regular formula for {{Filler}} episodes being mostly dropped in favor of more inventive situations, Team Rocket not appearing in every episode and not [[SpotlightStealingSquad taking up too much unneeded time]] in episodes they do appear in, Team Rocket [[NotSoHarmlessVillain being more competent]], and introducing much longer [[StoryArc story arcs]] (the Meloetta arc and the ''Episode N'' arc) which were the predecessors to the ''Z'' arc of ''XY'' and the Cosmog arc of ''Sun and Moon''. Some will argue there were even things that it did better than other series, such as a more even group dynamic. Essentially, it is viewed as the reverse of FranchiseOriginalSin - even if it is not considered good overall, it originated many popular trends used in subsequent entries in the series.

** More fans overtime have been starting to consider the controversial ''Black and White'' series an example. While it did several things wrong, particularly with Ash, it also did several things right that have continued to be done to great effect in the subsequent ''XY'' and ''Sun and Moon'' series - namely, a better series structure and pace, a more faithful rendition of the region from the video games, the regular formula for {{Filler}} episodes being mostly dropped in favor of more inventive situations, Team Rocket not appearing in every episode and not [[SpotlightStealingSquad taking up too much unneeded time]] in episodes they do appear in, Team Rocket [[NotSoHarmlessVillain being more competent]], and introducing much longer [[StoryArc story arcs]] (the Meloetta arc and the ''Episode N'' arc) which were the predecessors to the ''Z'' arc of ''XY'' and the Cosmog arc of ''Sun and Moon''. Some will argue there were even things that it did better than other series, such as a more even group dynamic. Essentially, it is viewed as the reverse of FranchiseOriginalSin - even if it is not considered good overall, it originated many popular trends used in subsequent entries in the series.

* ''Manga/HitoribocchinoOOSeikatsu'' had a lukewarm-to-decent response from critics and audiences back during it's run in the 2010s, and ended up (in terms of the anime at least) a disastrous commercial failure, selling less then 1000 Blu-rays in sales. However, with the rise of more socially awkward protagonists in anime and manga in the 2020s becoming more mainstream, including [[Manga/BocchiTheRock another, much more successful Bocchi]], ''Hitoribocchi'' in turn was retroactively given some attention, and was praised for being a great example of social anxiety and favorably has been received better then on it's original release.

* ''Manga/DropkickOnMyDevil'': When it premiered, the series was considered at best an average comedy, and at worse extremely mediocre, with little to no praise as it's anime adaptation came and went in summer 2018, with the expectation it would fall into obscurity like many of it's kind beforehand. Over the years however, as it shockingly continued with further anime seasons thanks to being funded by tax payers and crowdfunding, many either came back or discovered the series, applauding it for it's 2000s-like dark comedy, character writing, score, and it's unique spin at slapstick humor that isn't found much, if at all in modern anime or manga. The welcomed addition of Music/HatsuneMiku in the third season that made the series at least somewhat known in the west also likely helped, enough for a fourth season to enter production when it was scheduled to end with the third season.

* ''Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato'' was ScrewedByTheNetwork, airing opposite the very popular ''Anime/HeidiGirlOfTheAlps''. The first season was reduced from 36 to 26 episodes, resulting in a planned appearance by Anime/CaptainHarlock being cut. Later TheMovie become wildly popular and revived the franchise, turning it into one of the most influential anime series in history.

* ''Franchise/LupinIII'':
** When it first hit Japanese airwaves in 1971, ''Anime/LupinIIIPart1'' was met with quite some controversy – the content was more adult-oriented than what was usually allowed on the air – and eventually succumbed to low ratings, being cancelled after just 23 episodes. Reruns then led to a ''considerable'' increase in popularity and it is now considered a groundbreaking classic, spawning a diverse multimedia franchise with two sequel series, a handful of movies, and dozens of TV specials. ''Anime/LupinIIITheWomanCalledFujikoMine'' actually gets away with much of the adult-content it has because of the fond memories Japan now has for the original anime series.
** In the English-speaking world, licensors have been trying to market ''Lupin'' since the early 90's, but always fell short of achieving the popularity they wanted. ''Anime/LupinIIIPartII'' got an airing on Creator/AdultSwim, but due to a two-front backlash by modern anime fans against the dated animation and by longtime ''Lupin'' fans who hated [[{{Woolseyism}} the dub]], the show's ratings were low and it was cancelled after airing just 30 of its 155 episodes. Its video release was halted not long after. Even so, that short run was enough to finally earn ''Lupin'' a large enough fanbase to justify a small licensing company, Creator/DiscotekMedia, releasing every ''Lupin'' anime it can get its hands on.
* ''Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato'' was ScrewedByTheNetwork, airing opposite the very popular ''Anime/HeidiGirlOfTheAlps''. The first season was reduced from 36 to 26 episodes, resulting in a planned appearance by Anime/CaptainHarlock being cut. Later TheMovie become wildly popular and revived the franchise, turning it into one of the most influential anime series in history.

* ''Anime/SpaceRunawayIdeon'' was in a similar mess, but the fans caught on this time and it was given a full movie for its GrandFinale, despite being cancelled with only a few episodes left.
* Numerous HumongousMecha anime have been pulled from obscurity by ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' like ''Anime/AfterWarGundamX'' and ''Anime/CombatMechaXabungle''.
* The Vehicle ''Anime/{{Voltron}}'' didn't enjoy half the popularity of the Lion Force Voltron. But that's only because it followed the Lion episodes in most markets (in some, it was shown in bits and pieces between several Lion episodes). The Vehicle series wasn't "bad" by any stretch. It simply had the unfortunate tendency to be compared to the "cooler", but more formulaic, Lion series. Kids of that time latched on to the Lion series probably because it had elements that they already identified with: Fairytales (magic, castles, princesses, evil rulers) and superheroes (the SuperRobot and the FiveManBand). Vehicle Voltron was adapted from the more MilitaryScienceFiction show ''Anime/DairuggerXV'', presenting a more mature hard science fiction ''Franchise/StarTrek'' like format. It also had a lot of characters to keep track of on both sides as well as presenting a lot of shades of grey instead of good vs. evil. Kids just weren't yet ready for a cartoon that had a lot of character relationships, politics, and subplots. It was the early 80s after all. Kids like their formulas. They just wanted to see "action". But then ''Anime/{{Robotech}}'' would come along and then they'd be ready. Now Vehichle Voltron is looked at as wrongfully underappreciated. One will also now notice that ''Dairugger'' was far less Bowlderized than ''Golion'', which even in its original form was formulaic MonsterOfTheWeek.

* When ''Anime/DigimonTamers'' first aired, many fans of the ''Adventure'' series were disappointed and confused by the lack of relation between the stories, and much of the themes and subtext were lost on younger viewers. Coupled with RealLife problems outside of the writers' control ([[DuelingShows Pokémon being at its peak during this time]], Fox Kids going out of business) it lost much of the fanbase. Over a decade later, thanks to both access to the Japanese version and a higher demand for more cerebral, deconstructive series, ''Tamers'' has gained a large amount of popularity, and is easily the second most popular Digimon series.
* When it premiered, ''Manga/DropkickOnMyDevil'' was considered at best an average comedy, and at worse extremely mediocre, with little to no praise as it's anime adaptation came and went in summer 2018, with the expectation it would fall into obscurity like many of it's kind beforehand. Over the years however, as it shockingly continued with further anime seasons thanks to being funded by tax payers and crowdfunding, many either came back or discovered the series, applauding it for it's 2000s-like dark comedy, character writing, score, and it's unique spin at slapstick humor that isn't found much, if at all in modern anime or manga. The welcomed addition of Music/HatsuneMiku in the third season that made the series at least somewhat known in the west also likely helped, enough for a fourth season to enter production when it was scheduled to end with the third season.
* ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'': The [[Anime/TransformersArmada first]] and [[Anime/TransformersCybertron last]] entries of the Anime/UnicronTrilogy both went through this, though ''Cybertron'' gets it more. ''Armada'' was released to very tepid responses thanks to its GottaCatchEmAll premise and its TroubledProduction, but wound up GrowingTheBeard in its second half and came to be regarded more [[SoOkayItsAverage neutrally]]. ''Cybertron'' was dragged down by its [[DullSurprise limited animation]] and [[GuiltByAssociation loose connection to the previous entries]], but eventually won over a lot of fans with its [[SurprisinglyImprovedSequel surprisingly]] strong writing, ArtEvolution, and SugarWiki/SuperlativeDubbing. Both initially suffered the stigma of being a ContinuityReboot, until such reboots became a common feature for the franchise. This helped them to shake the bad rap they got. This pointedly did ''not'' happen with [[Anime/TransformersEnergon the middle entry]], which is still widely hated and generally considered the worst ''Transformers'' series ever.
* In the realm of ''Anime/PrettyCure'':
** ''Anime/FutariWaPrettyCureSplashStar''. Initially, the series didn't do well, and until ''Anime/SuitePrettyCure'' came along, this series had some of the worst ratings in the franchise's history (though even then, it still did much better then most other series that aired at the time). It was also seen as a bad Retraux of the original two seasons, having the two main character being Nagisa (Saki) and Honoka (Mai) expies, and also garnered some detractors for toning down the realistic Seinen elements of the original, as well as favoring zippy flight and beam spam over hard-hitting fisticuffs for quite a bit of the show's run as a result of MoralGuardians attacking the original show and its sequel. After GrowingTheBeard, it still never made as much money as the original series or series after it ever did, regardless of quality (even when it didn't make '''10 Billion Yen''' that year, it still made more money then most other big anime franchises could even dream of making, just not as much as what Toei wanted). As the years have gone by since then, however, the fanbase sees the series with much more prestige, due to managing to make Saki and Mai their own characters, Michiru and Kaoru being the first true DarkMagicalGirl characters introduced in the franchise, the latter half of the series gaining back some more classic elements, like hard-hitting attacks, and many of the elements introduced here being mixed in with these original elements, setting new standards for the series to have when it comes to the fight scenes, and the villains as a whole are considered much more memorable, well written, and generally menacing in their own way and not too wooden either. It is currently held on many fan lists as amongst the best seasons in the franchise, alongside the likes of the EnsembleDarkhorse of the franchise, ''Anime/HeartCatchPrettyCure'', which says quite a bit for the series after its initial sour reception amongst the fanbase.
** Despite the toy sales being higher the series it was a sequel to, ''Anime/YesPrettyCure5GoGo'' suffered the fate of not only having mixed reception, but airing opposite the 2007 adaptation of ''Manga/GeGeGeNoKitaro'', which got higher ratings. [[note]] This particular incarnation of ''Kitaro'' was known for being the first to promote the sole main female character, Neko Musume, to main character status, causing it to appeal to more girls, which took away a majority of ''Pretty Cure'' viewers as a consequence.[[/note]] Years after it ended, fans began to see the series in a more positive light, causing it to rank as the third most popular series in an 2019 NHK poll about the ''Pretty Cure'' franchise. [[note]] The only series to do better were ''Anime/FutariWaPrettyCure'' and ''Anime/HeartCatchPrettyCure'', which took [[FirstInstallmentWins first]] and second respectively.[[/note]]
** ''Anime/FreshPrettyCure.'' Due to the English-speaking fanbase's OldGuardVersusNewBlood divide, the old guard initially dismissed ''Fresh'' because it discarded many series traditions (the original art style, mascots with {{Verbal Tic}}s based on their names, monsters with "naa" in their names, etc.) and the new blood came flowing in with the ''next'' season, ''Heartcatch.'' Over time, though, both groups had more people go back to give ''Fresh'' a chance, as its changes had also been embraced by later series, so the older fans had gotten used to them and the new fans could easily adjust to this season. It also helped that word came out that, on the Japanese side of things, the changes in ''Fresh'' were an AuthorsSavingThrow after ''[[Anime/YesPrecure5 5GoGo]]'s'' heavy use of {{filler}} and focus on the fairies over the humans had tanked its ratings; ''Fresh'' had saved Precure as a whole, and the fanbase owed it that.
* ''Anime/{{Robotech}}'' saved from obscurity ''Anime/SuperDimensionCavalrySouthernCross'' entirely (it wasn't well liked and was cut short with no obvious ending) and possibly ''Anime/GenesisClimberMospeada'' (which is at least rumoured to have a small cult following in Japan).

* ''Anime/IdolmasterXenoglossia'' was bashed by fans of the [[VideoGame/TheIdolmaster original game]] for being an InNameOnly adaptation when it first came out. Nowadays it's seen as a more decent robot anime ''as long as'' you don't consider it as an adaptation of ''IDOLM@STER''. This is mostly because there has since been a [[Anime/TheIdolmaster more faithful adaptation]] and because Xenoglossia was directed by Nagai Tatsuyuki, who later went on to direct other animes, most notably ''[[Anime/AnoHanaTheFlowerWeSawThatDay Anohana]]''.

* In TheSixties, ''Anime/HorusPrinceOfTheSun'' had an horrifyingly TroubledProduction, suffered lots of ExecutiveMeddling and bombed as a result. Now it's considered as one of the most classic anime movies ever.
* Back when it first aired in 1984, the obscure mecha series ''[[Anime/SuperHighSpeedGalvion Galvion]]'' bombed horribly leading to it getting CutShort and cancelled at 23 episodes, leaving many plot threads hanging. Nowadays, the show has become a cult classic among mecha fans in recent years due to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lurMLaFQJZU its opening]] and its unique concept. Said cult status led to the series having new toys and an production artbook released as well as giving the show an official soundtrack release in 2009 [[note]] prior to this there were just vinyls of the opening, ending and insert songs [[/note]] and its first official home video release in 2013 on Blu-ray, a treatment that some more popular series have yet to receive.
* When it was initially released, the second season of ''Anime/YuGiOh5Ds'' was not well received due to the many odd choices, dropped plot points from the first season, and odd pacing. The series final boss, Z-One, was received about as well as any ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' final boss character (that is, not well at all). However with the advent of just how much TroubledProduction was at play, up to and including ''cast members being connected to cults'', fans have become a lot more forgiving for it and praise the parts of the second series that were done well more. Z-One has also gotten a better reception over time, in part because his deck, the Timelords, becoming popular as the members of the archetype were released in real life, and partially because his FinalBoss duel was looked at more fondly in comparison to the disliked Don Thousand and controversial Zarc duels of later series and the duel against Darkness in the previous GX series (mostly because Z-One's cards, while being powerful, were no where near as ludicrous, designed to be 'you cannot play the game' in effect, and having a visually interesting theme as the above three).
* ''Manga/KOn'' was originally very divisive amongst anime fans when it first aired in 2009, due to the sheer amount of {{Moe}}. Over the years, however, the show has become a widely loved story, because of its therapeutic, positive stories, and has even become an inspiration for many people to follow in the heroes' footsteps down the path of (rock) music.
* ''Manga/KillMeBaby'' didn't start out with the best of reputations. Back when it first aired, it got poor critical reception and flopped financially, with the first Blue-Ray selling only 686 copies. It managed to get a cult following in Japan thanks to MemeticMutation, but it was still widely considered as bad in the West. However, by 2015 many people started warming up to the show. Also helping is the fact that it became a news sensation following Ai Takabe's drug case.
* The anime ''Anime/BangDream'' was highly unpopular when it first aired, with merchandise warming shelves and one single-fandom doujin event expecting hundreds of groups and attracting ''nine.'' Then came the mobile rhythm gacha game, ''Girls Band Party,'' which not only made twenty background characters into {{Ascended Extra}}s with their own bands and stories, it was similar enough to ''VideoGame/LoveLiveSchoolIdolFestival'' to attract its millions of players but still very different (and more challenging) to play, and most of all, it attracted new fans by having half of the setlist be covers from other series. Maybe you didn't know ''[=BanG=] Dream!'', but if you loved ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'', ''Anime/YourLieInApril'', ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', and many others, you still had a reason to check it out. The franchise picked up instantly, and after it launched a worldwide version, they announced two more seasons of the anime, a chibi gag spinoff, another web series based on the IdolSinger CastHerd Pastel*Palettes, a sixth band added to the roster, and a SpearCounterpart series with another new band. Not bad for a seemingly DOA franchise.
* ''Anime/PenguinMemories'' was so reviled by its parent companies that it has never been released [[NoExportForYou outside of Japan]] or [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes officially re-released on a contemporary modern format.]] As of 2018 it has grown a cult following from both animation and ''VideoGame/ClubPenguin'' fans thanks to the infamous [[MemeticMutation Club Penguin in Vietnam clip]] and the movie being much better than the dark premise with cute penguins made it out to be.
* When an official manga was released for the ''Manga/{{Metroid}}'' series, as opposed to the various gag guides before it, it was largely ignored in comparison to the more comedic works. Even ignoring the common criticisms concerning it as a standalone work, the next game released in the series, ''Videogame/MetroidZeroMission'', contradicted the events of the manga to the point that to consider it {{canon}} was to accept that ''Metroid'' had ''a lot'' more {{plot hole}}s than most fans were willing to admit. However, the manga got a lot more attention following the release of the controversial ''Videogame/MetroidOtherM''. Fans of the game would use the manga as justifications against the issues detractors had with it, while detractors of the game decided they'd rather have the manga, its shortcomings, continuity issues and all, if it meant ignoring ''Metroid Other M'', which despite drawing more heavily from the official manga than any other game before it managed to contradict the manga at least as much as ''Metroid Zero Mission''.
* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'''s first English dub by ADV was, back in TheNineties and early 2000s, frequently held up as a {{Macekre}} (and was frequently put onto the page as such on this very wiki despite not fitting the trope). The actors even received some hatred for playing the characters as over-the-top and overly emotional, bringing in some [[{{Narm}} unintentional comedy]]. However, as time went on, fans of it started to crawl out of the woodwork, reaching its peak on June 21, 2019, when Netflix aired the re-dub, which gained criticism for the new voice actors' performances coming off as DullSurprise, the script having [[BlindIdiotTranslation dead-on literal translations]], accusations of [[{{Bowdlerize}} Bowdlerization]] in the way it wrote the lines in Shinji and Kaworu's [[HoYay relationship]], and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking on top of that, they couldn't even license the original closing song "Fly Me to The Moon"]] [[ScrewedByTheLawyers due to licensing issues]]. Even Anime News Network looks back at the ADV dub as underappreciated.

* ''Anime/SuperMilkChan'' was considered a mediocre, if at best okay comedy during it's original release, being quickly forgotten about once Creator/AdultSwim stopped airing it to western audiences in the mid 2000s. Nowadays, it's regarded as a comedic Main/CultClassic enjoyed for it's eccentric characters, unique art style, and especially humor that is rarely, if at all seen in modern anime. When it's reboot was revealed in 2021, plenty were happy to see it return.
* ''Anime/JewelpetMagicalChange'' was initally a FranchiseKiller for the ''Toys/{{Jewelpet}}'' franchise, but eventually started to be seen in a better light for multiple reasons:
** The previous season, ''Anime/LadyJewelpet'', introduced fan-favorites Luea and Larimar but heavily shafted the pets in favor of humans. This time, both Luea and Larimar are main characters, ''Magical Change'' is pet-focused, and they are far more badass and have far more action.
** Luna, who is often considered underrated, is a main character for once.
** Dian had a human form back in the first season. Nowadays, fans have warmed up more to the other pets' visually distinctive and appropriately cute human forms, especially Luea's already universally loved one, and admitted that ''Magical Change'' got more hate than it deserved. There's even fan demand to bring back the human forms in later seasons.
* These days, people look back at ''Anime/NarutoTheMovieGuardiansOfTheCrescentMoonKingdom'' more fondly. At the very least, it's more memorable than the [[Anime/NarutoTheMovieLegendOfTheStoneOfGelel second movie]], which most forget even exists.
* ''Anime/{{Hamtaro}}'' was always well-received but it caught heat in America from older Toonami fans who wanted action anime, not cute hamsters. However, the eight-and-under crowd loved the show and it was a PetFadStarter for hamsters. As time went on, the younger fans that enjoyed the anime grew up and became vocal in their nostalgia. The reception of the series cleared up and it's known as a Toonami classic.
* ''Manga/HitoribocchinoOOSeikatsu'' had a lukewarm-to-decent response from critics and audiences back during it's run in the 2010s, and ended up (in terms of the anime at least) a disastrous commercial failure, selling less then 1000 Blu-rays in sales. However, with the rise of more socially awkward protagonists in anime and manga in the 2020s becoming more mainstream, including [[Manga/BocchiTheRock another, much more successful Bocchi]], ''Hitoribocchi'' in turn was retroactively given some attention, and was praised for being a great example of social anxiety and favorably has been received better then on it's original release.
* ''Anime/SailorMoon'' was always a hit, but the original 90's ''Creator/DICEntertainment'' dub was subjected to [[CreatorBacklash heavy]] [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks criticism]] and extensive mockery for its weird and unfitting voices and extensive editing and cuts, that led to the show being [[BuryYourArt erased off the face of the Earth]] (with no [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes re-releases]] to this day) and the creators deciding to do the whole thing over again with ''Creator/VizMedia'' in 2014. Nowadays, the [=DiC=]/Cloverway version has become common for modern fans to discover online and enjoy it; compare to a few years ago when fans who grew up with it turned on the dub for [[{{Macekre}} any change made]] to the original. What really helped the old dub was that, with the existence of the completely uncut ''Creator/VizMedia'' dub, it's no longer ''the only'' way to watch Sailor Moon in English. Some fans have also grown to appreciate the 90's dub a lot more for despite its flaws, it possesses a [[NarmCharm certain charm]] that made it fun to watch, which they felt [[SoBadItWasBetter was lost]] in the newer ''Viz'' version, which drew its ''own'' criticism for its [[SoOkayItsAverage bland voice direction and performances]]. The vocal performances of the original cast also became praised for their effort, giving the characters distinctive personality, and [=DIC=]'s soundtrack continues to be a fan favorite. The reception and attitudes to the original English Dub has changed considerably that articles [[https://gamerant.com/sailor-moon-old-dic-dub/ like]] [[https://www.cbr.com/sailor-moon-why-fans-want-the-original-dub-back/ these]] are being written, which would be absolutely unheard of back in the 2000's and New Tens.

* ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries''
** The ''Orange Islands'' arc was originally disregarded as {{Filler}} that didn't really amount to anything since the Gym challenges weren't always actual battles and the League itself wasn't based on an in-game region. Nowadays, whenever a debate starts concerning Ash's competence as a trainer, people will often mention it immediately, since his victory there technically means Ash qualifies for the title of Champion, and that also marks the first real sign of his growth as a Pokémon Trainer. It is also pointed out that the Orange Islands brought several fan-favourites such as Ash's Lapras, Ash's Snorlax, and the Crystal Onix, and that the battle between Ash and Drake was the series' first full battle.

* ''Anime/SailorMoon'' was always a hit, but the original 90's ''Creator/DICEntertainment'' dub was subjected to [[CreatorBacklash heavy]] [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks criticism]] for its extensive editing and cuts, that led to the show being [[BuryYourArt erased off the face of the Earth]] (with no [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes re-releases]] to this day) and the creators deciding to do the whole thing over again with ''Creator/VizMedia'' in 2014. Nowadays, the show has become common for modern fans to discover online and enjoy it; compare to a few years ago when fans who grew up with it turned on the dub for [[{{Macekre}} any change made]] to the original. What really helped the old dub was that, with the existence of the completely uncut ''Creator/VizMedia'' dub, it's no longer ''the only'' way to watch Sailor Moon in English. Some fans have also grown to appreciate the 90's dub a lot more for despite its flaws, it possesses a [[NarmCharm certain charm]] that made it fun to watch, which they felt [[SoBadItWasBetter was lost]] in the newer ''Viz'' version, which drew its ''own'' criticism for its [[SoOkayItsAverage bland voice direction and performances]]. The vocal performances of the original cast also became praised for their effort, giving the characters distinctive personality, and [=DIC=]'s soundtrack continues to be a fan favorite. The reception and attitudes to the original English Dub has changed considerably that articles [[https://gamerant.com/sailor-moon-old-dic-dub/ like]] [[https://www.cbr.com/sailor-moon-why-fans-want-the-original-dub-back/ these]] are being written, which would be unheard of back in the 2000's and New Tens.

** The particular character of [[CanonImmigrant Ryo]] was ''hated'' outside of Japan (Primarily the English speaking ones) - owing mostly to the fact that the character was basically a checklist of every single [[CommonMarySueTraits self-insert Digimon OC]] at the time, with absolutely no deconstruction or CharacterDevelopment. However, as it turns out, he ''did'' have a backstory, but it was [[LostInTranslation detailed pretty much entirely in Japan-exclusive content]] along with him being a CanonImmigrant. These days, the western fandom is more friendly towards the character, though in many ways the damage was done. Ryo is still a BaseBreakingCharacter, but he's not ''nearly'' as base-breaking as he once was.

* A rare character example: Minmay from ''Anime/{{Robotech}}'' was one of the most hated characters ever, partly due to her whiny voice provided by Creator/RebeccaForstadt (who, to say it politely, was ''not'' the most suited actress for the role), the bad quality of her dubbed songs, and her [[TheDitz overall ditziness]]. But over the years, people who once hated her have now warmed up to her and see her more as a goofy but good-hearted girl who was unable to cope with the insane situation she found herself in.
** That Creator/ADVFilms was given the go-ahead to make an uncut dub of the original ''Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross'' and cast Minmay with an actress who actually knew how to make her likeable (Mari Iijima, her original Japanese VA) didn't hurt either.

* When it premiered, ''Manga/DropkickOnMyDevil'' was considered at best an average comedy, and at worse extremely mediocre, with little to no praise as it's anime adaptation came and went, with the expectation it would fall into obscurity like many of it's kind beforehand. Over the years however, as it shockingly continued with further anime seasons thanks to being funded by tax payers and crowdfunding, many either came back or discovered the series, applauding it for it's 2000s-like comedy, character writing, music score, and it's unique spin at slapstick humor. The addition of Music/HatsuneMiku in the third season that made the series at least somewhat known in the west also likely helped.

** Throughout most of its existence, ''[[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean Stone Ocean]]'' barely made much of a splash [[AmericansHateTingle in its native Japan]] due to how much it defied standard shōnen tropes compared to previous parts, which left many of its readers feel alienated. However, thanks to the fine-tuning done with the anime adaptation, which has more standard shōnen elements at play while still keeping the overall story and characterization in tact, it's allowed for Japanese fans to revisit ''Stone Ocean'' and appreciate the more glossed over elements they had missed out on, especially since most of the work done in the anime adaptation is spearheaded by people who were fans of ''Stone Ocean'' to begin with and wanted to capture its essence.

* ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure''
** The Franchise has always been popular in Japan, but it took a while for it to catch on in the west. While it was never hated in western countries, it was always pushed aside by other Magazine/ShonenJump series and remained a CultClassic at best, thanks to [[NoExportForYou a lack of localization]] (primarily due to the [[ShoutOut/JoJosBizarreAdventure character names]] creating [[ScrewedByTheLawyers a gigantic mess of legal issues]]), although MemeticMutation caused a bump in popularity in the early 2000's. Then it gained a proper anime (as opposed to 13 half-hour [=OVAs=]) in 2012, and because it came nearly 25 years after the manga started, it has no {{filler}} and it doesn't have to worry about [[OvertookTheManga taking a different path in the story]]. Because of this and [[VideoGame/JoJosBizarreAdventureAllStarBattle the tie-in game]], [=JoJo=] became exponentially more popular in TheNewTens, an era where fellow Shonen series were starting to fall off in popularity.
** For an individual season basis there is the fifth part of [=JoJos=] [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureGoldenWind Golden Wind]]. For the longest time many Western [=JoJo=] fans considered Part Five to be the weakest part of the series and the "bad one" due to a very poor translation job (which unlike the infamous [[SoBadItsGood Duwang subs]] was so basic that it barely showed any individual personality), a supposedly bland protagonist, and the at times admittedly confusing power sets that could make fights incomprehensible. It didn't help that the series was so isolated from the events of the previous four parts that it felt almost like a FillerArc. However in the late New Tens this perception changed thanks in part to various [=JoJo=] Youtubers who praised the series as an underappreciated gem and a ''far'' superior translation that did a better job of establishing the characterization of its cast especially Giorno and showing of his AntiHero cred much more effectively. Finally the release of the anime made some of the more confusing fight scenes far more comprehensible, especially the infamous King Crimson battles, and now many fans of [=JoJo's=] have turned around and now consider ''Golden Wind'' a very enjoyable part in its own right if not one of the series best.

* ''Anime/SailorMoon'' was always a hit, but the original 90's ''Creator/DICEntertainment'' dub was subjected to [[CreatorBacklash heavy]] [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks criticism]] for its extensive editing and cuts, that led to the show being [[BuryYourArt erased off the face of the Earth]] (with no [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes re-releases]] to this day) and the creators deciding to do the whole thing over again with ''Creator/VizMedia'' in 2014. Nowadays, the show has become common for modern fans to discover online and enjoy it; compare to a few years ago when fans who grew up with it turned on the dub for [[{{Macekre}} any change made]] to the original. What really helped the old dub was that, with the existence of the completely uncut ''Creator/VizMedia'' dub, it's no longer ''the only'' way to watch Sailor Moon in English. Some fans have also grown to appreciate the 90's dub a lot more for despite its flaws, it possesses a [[NarmCharm certain charm]] that made it fun to watch, which they felt [[SoBadItWasBetter was lost]] in the newer ''Viz'' version, which drew its ''own'' criticism for its [[SoOkayItsAverage bland voice direction and performances]]. The vocal performances of the original cast also became praised for their effort, giving the characters distinctive personality, and [=DIC=]'s soundtrack continues to be a fan favorite. The reception and attitudes to the original English Dub has changed considerably that articles [[https://gamerant.com/sailor-moon-old-dic-dub/ like]] [[https://www.cbr.com/sailor-moon-why-fans-want-the-original-dub-back/ this]] would be unheard of back in the 2000's and New Tens.

* ''Anime/SailorMoon'' was always a hit, but the original 90's ''Creator/DICEntertainment'' dub was subjected to [[CreatorBacklash heavy]] [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks criticism]] for its extensive editing and cuts, that led to the show being [[BuryYourArt erased off the face of the Earth]] (with no [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes re-releases]] to this day) and the creators deciding to do the whole thing over again with ''Creator/VizMedia'' in 2014. Nowadays, the show has become common for modern fans to discover online and enjoy it; compare to a few years ago when fans who grew up with it turned on the dub for [[{{Macekre}} any change made]] to the original. What really helped the old dub was that, with the existence of the completely uncut ''Creator/VizMedia'' dub, it's no longer ''the only'' way to watch Sailor Moon in English. Some fans have also grown to appreciate the 90's dub a lot more for despite its flaws, it possesses a [[NarmCharm certain charm]] that made it fun to watch, which they felt [[SoBadItWasBetter was lost]] in the newer ''Viz'' version, which drew its ''own'' criticism for its [[SoOkayItsAverage bland voice direction and performances]]. The vocal performances of the original cast also became praised for their effort, giving the characters distinctive personality, and [=DIC=]'s soundtrack continues to be a fan favorite.

* ''Anime/SailorMoon'' was always a hit, but the original 90's ''Creator/DICEntertainment'' dub was subjected to [[CreatorBacklash heavy criticism]] for its extensive editing and cuts, that led to the show being [[OldShame erased off the face of the Earth]] (with no [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes re-releases]] to this day) and the creators deciding to do the whole thing over again with ''Creator/VizMedia'' in 2014. Nowadays, the show has become common for modern fans to discover online and enjoy it; compare to a few years ago when fans who grew up with it turned on the dub for [[{{Macekre}} any change made]] to the original. What really helped the old dub was that, with the existence of the completely uncut ''Creator/VizMedia'' dub, it's no longer ''the only'' way to watch Sailor Moon in English. Some fans have also grown to appreciate the 90's dub a lot more for despite its flaws, it possesses a [[NarmCharm certain charm]] that made it fun to watch, which they felt [[SoBadItWasBetter was lost]] in the newer ''Viz'' version, which drew its ''own'' criticism for its [[SoOkayItsAverage bland voice direction and performances]]. The vocal performances of the original cast also became praised for their effort, giving the characters distinctive personality, and [=DIC=]'s soundtrack continues to be a fan favorite.

* ''Anime/SailorMoon'' was always a hit, but the original 90's ''Creator/DICEntertainment'' dub of the show has become common for modern fans to discover online and enjoy it; compare to a few years ago when fans who grew up with it turned on the dub for [[{{Macekre}} any change made]] to the original. What really helped the old dub was that, with the existence of the completely uncut ''Creator/VizMedia'' dub, it's no longer ''the only'' way to watch Sailor Moon in English. Some fans have also grown to appreciate the 90's dub a lot more for despite its flaws, it possesses a [[NarmCharm certain charm]] that made it fun to watch, which they felt [[SoBadItWasBetter was lost]] in the ''Viz'' version. The vocal performances of the cast also became praised for their effort, giving the characters distinctive personality, and the soundtrack continues to be a fan favorite.

* ''Anime/SailorMoon'' was always a hit, but the original 90's ''Creator/DICEntertainment'' dub of the show has become common for modern fans to discover online and enjoy it; compare to a few years ago when fans who grew up with it turned on the dub for [[{{Macekre}} any change made]] to the original. What really helped the old dub was that, with the existence of the completely uncut ''Creator/VizMedia'' dub, it's no longer ''the only'' way to watch Sailor Moon in English. Some fans have also grown to appreciate the 90's dub a lot more for despite its flaws, it possesses a [[NarmCharm certain charm]] that made it fun to watch, which they felt [[SoBadItWasBetter was lost]] in the ''Viz'' version.

* ''Anime/SailorMoon'' was always a hit, but the original 90's ''Creator/DICEntertainment'' dub of the show has become common for modern fans to discover online and enjoy it; compare to a few years ago when fans who grew up with it turned on the dub for [[{{Macekre}} any change made]] to the original. What really helped the old dub was that, with the existence of the completely uncut ''Creator/VizMedia'' dub, it's no longer ''the only'' way to watch Sailor Moon in English. Some fans have also grown to appreciate the 90's dub a lot more for despite its flaws, it possesses a [[NarmCharm certain charm]] that made it fun, which they felt [[SoBadItWasBetter was lost]] in the ''Viz'' version.

* ''Anime/SailorMoon'' was always a hit, but the original 90's ''Creator/DICEntertainment'' dub of the show has become common for modern fans to discover online and enjoy it; compare to a few years ago when fans who grew up with it turned on the dub for [[{{Macekre}} any change made]] to the original. What really helped the old dub was that, with the existence of the completely uncut ''Creator/VizMedia'' dub, it's no longer ''the only'' way to watch Sailor Moon in English.

* ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'':
** ''[[Anime/MobileFighterGGundam G Gundam]]'' and ''[[Anime/AfterWarGundamX Gundam X]]'' were not well received on their initial release, with ''Gundam X'' being the first (and to date only) ''Gundam'' show since the original to be prematurely cancelled. Now they are thought of as among the best entries in the franchise. In a complete reversal, the manga spinoff of ''Gundam X'' even had its run extended due to being unexpectedly popular. The same could be said for ''Anime/TurnAGundam'', which over time has come to be seen as one of the best in the franchise.

* When it premiered, ''Manga/DropkickOnMyDevil'' was considered at best an average comedy, and at worse extremely mediocre, with little to no praise as it's anime adaptation came and went, with the expectation it would fall into obscurity like many of it's kind beforehand. Over the years however, as it shockingly continued with further anime seasons thanks to being funded by tax payers and crowdfunding, many either came back or discovered the series, applauding it for it's 2000s-like comedy, character writing, music score, and it's unique spin at slapstick humor. The addition of Music/HatsuneMiku in the third season that made the series at least somewhat unknown in the west also likely helped.

* When it premiered, ''Manga/DropkickOnMyDevil'' was considered at best an average comedy, and worse extremely mediocre, with little to no praise as it's anime adaptation came and went, with the expectation it would fall into obscurity like many of it's kind beforehand. Over the years however, as it shockingly continued with further anime seasons thanks to being funded by tax payers and crowdfunding, many either came back or discovered the series, applauding it for it's 2000s-like comedy, character writing, music score, and it's unique spin at slapstick humor. The addition of Music/HatsuneMiku in the third season also likely helped.

** Furthermore, the above dub of ''Anime/LupinIIIPartII'' has since become more widely loved. Thanks not just to more learning about the ExecutiveMeddling being to blame for the Adult Swim episodes' GagDub nature. As well as its clever use of Woolseyisms, as well as praise for its voice acting and excellent grasp of the cast's characterizations. To the point that some fans long for the day where all the remaining episodes will be dubbed by the Creator/RichardEpcar and his crew.

** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'', one of the most influential HumongousMecha series ever, was cancelled three-fourths of the way through the show and given a completely different ending as a result, albeit one believed by many to be superior. Once it entered reruns, it suddenly became tremendously popular and spawned a countless number of sequels and spin-offs (this is one of the major reasons ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' has been described as "Japan's ''Franchise/StarTrek''").

** While it still remains one of the more contentious entries in the franchise, ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny'' tends to spark far less hate than it did when it first released. The series' and characters' improved handling in ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'', coupled with the even more widely-hated ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamAGE'' have led to a sizable portion of its former hatedom giving it a re-evaluation--many of them still don't ''like'' the series, but it draws nowhere near the level of vitriol that it used to.
* ''Anime/DanganRonpa3'' has a minor example. The ending is still controversial and the issues pointed out are still there and still bother fans, but the following installment, ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaV3KillingHarmony'', was so divisive and the fans hate the ending so much that ''[=DR3=]'' got fans back for this.

* ''Franchise/DragonBall'' in general was this to English-speaking viewers. There have been multiple attempts to bring the franchise stateside, but all have failed. The Harmony Gold dub never officially aired. The [[Creator/TheOceanGroup Ocean Dub]] of ''Manga/DragonBall'' only lasted one season before getting cancelled. A year later, they skipped to ''Anime/DragonBallZ,'' and while it lasted longer, it got cancelled on a cliffhanger due to airing at a poor timeslot. When ''Creator/{{Toonami}}'' [[NetworkToTheRescue picked up DBZ]], the ratings skyrocketed, which allowed the show to get revived with a new English dub by Creator/{{Funimation}}. This, combined with ItsPopularNowItSucks also happened to ''Franchise/DragonBall'', although ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' got it the hardest. During the late nineties and early two thousands, you could ''not'' say you liked ''Dragon Ball Z'' without getting [[FlameWar burnt to a crisp]]. This wasn't a Sub vs Dub thing either - the franchise ''itself'' was hated so much that even discussions about the video games were often derailed by hatred (very much like how ''Anime/{{Naruto}}'' was treated after 2005), and Dragon Ball Z fans were treated like the [[FanNickname Narutards]] were ten years later. These days, times are much ''much'' different - to the point wherein ''VideoGame/DragonBallFighterZ'' wasn't seen as a niche title like the ''Budokai'' games were. This may have something to do with the [[MemeticMutation memetic]] popularity of ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged'' as well as ''Anime/DragonBallZKai'' alleviating the show's [[ArcFatigue main point of criticism]], bringing new people into the franchise.
* While ''Anime/DragonBallGT'' is still mostly disliked, or at least considered SoOkayItsAverage, there are fans who celebrate several aspects that it brought to the table:
** The original Japanese music is often considered to be quite good, especially when it uses the main "Dan Dan" theme from the intro.
** The Super Saiyan 4 transformation is generally considered to be one of its best contributions to the overall lore. When it received canon counterparts in the form of Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan Blue, the [=SS4=] form set itself apart with its more imaginative design and the fact it recalls the association between Saiyans and Apes, something that hadn't been emphasized since the first battle with Vegeta.
** The final story arc is often considered to be one of the most inventive ideas in the franchise, despite falling into TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot. After the latest use of the Dragon Balls, the Shadow Dragons appear from them to terrorize the Earth, as they were formed from overuse. It punishes the heroes for overusing and depending on the Dragon Balls in the past to solve their problems with a nice little bow as if nothing had ever happened, which up until then was rarely (if ever) commented on.
** The ending itself is now often considered to be vastly ''superior'' to that of the [[AndTheAdventureContinues original ending]] from the manga that banked on Goku's eccentric personality, where he leaves his friends and family to train with a boy he'd only just met. In ''GT'', Goku sees off each of his friends in a nostalgic, reflective and somewhat surreal manner before departing the world with Shenron and the Dragon Balls.
** Thanks to the aspects of ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'' that are a result of modern anime production (such as rushed lineart), ''GT'' overall can be appreciated as a product produced during the "classic" Dragon Ball era during the 90s as it feels just as classical as the more popular ''Z'', such as traditional penciled animation and the Japanese cast being in their prime. For fans of ''Z'' looking for new content to watch, ''GT'' can be satisfying just for the fact that it's as old as ''Z'' is!
* Similarly to ''Dragon Ball'', in the USA, ''Anime/SailorMoon'' didn't do well in its original syndicated run due to being dumped in poor timeslots in many places (although it was a hit in Canada), and only became a hit when it was included in Toonami.
* A bizarre mixture of this and GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff, ''Anime/TheVisionOfEscaflowne''. It actually ''bombed'' during its initial run in Japan (it was seen as a ripoff of ''Manga/FushigiYuugi''), but it proved popular overseas. Likewise, in America, the series was actually cancelled just halfway through its broadcast run. However, the American series – at least as aired on television – was a [[{{Macekre}} near incomprehensible edit]]. Once people started to see the uncut dub (as well as the subs), it became an anime classic.
* Similar to the Escaflowne example above, albeit to a lesser extent, ''Anime/IeNakiKoRemi'' (or Nobody's Child Remi) was the last series from the ''Anime/WorldMasterpieceTheater'' before their ten year hiatus, and WMT was already having problems before then. The show did horribly in Japan, suffered from despicably low ratings, and was [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks brutally lambasted for massive changes from the original Hector Malot book]] (like changing the main character into a girl, removing the boat, and expanding on one small part of the story and running with it all the way through). The critical reception was so bad, the final three episodes never aired on TV and were straight to DVD instead. Thankfully, thanks to a devoted fansub group, some international attention, and more appreciative fans, it has gotten more positive reception in the form of fans viewing it as its own entity as a cute, charming, somewhat dark series, a good show in its own right, and don't mind that it's not faithful to the source material. Those who like the source material try to view the show as a separate entity and appreciate what it does well, rather than nitpick at everything it did wrong.