History Main / ToughActToFollow

** ''WesternAnimation/TheLEGONinjagoMovie'' failed to win over critics who enjoyed both of the two previous theatrical Lego movies, with reviews calling it too generic, with less effort to appeal to older audience members. These turned it into WAG’s first movie with a Rotten RT score, as well as its first box-office bomb.
* Creator/MarcellJankovics's ''Animation/JohnnyCorncob'' was a sensation in his home, being the first Hungarian animated feature and a celebration of the greatest work of his country's greatest poet. His other films, ''Animation/SonOfTheWhiteHorse'', ''Animation/SongOfTheMiraculousHind'' and ''Animation/TheTragedyOfMan'' were met with more disinterest -- ''White Horse'' was a flop and ''Tragedy'' took almost three decades to finish due to the lack of support. Creator/PannoniaFilmStudio itself would produce [[Animation/FoamBath bomb]] after [[Animation/HeroicTimes bomb]] after [[Animation/TimeMasters bomb]] in the wake of ''Corncob'' until films like ''Animation/VukTheLittleFox'' and ''Animation/CatCity'' brought them back to top. At least ''Son of the White Horse'' [[VindicatedByHistory is better regarded now]], having become an international CultClassic.

** Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a bit of a subversion. His father is a NASCAR legend, with 76 wins in what is now called the Cup Series and a record-tying 7 Cup Series championships before being tragically killed on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. Dale Jr. didn't have quite the same success, having "only" 26 wins (which still makes for a very solid career) and never being able to capture a season championship. Here's the thing though: NASCAR fans ''don't care that he wasn't as good as his dad'', he won the most popular driver award '''15 years in a row''' and would probably still be winning that award today had he not retired due to concussions in 2017 (and in fairness those concussions likely robbed him of a lot of potential wins), though he still makes occasional appearances in the second-tier Xfinity series.

* More and more this trope continues to bite ''Creator/{{Laika}}'' in the behind. While they do received plenty of praise and respect for their Stop-Motion efforts, none of their later films have yet to reach the critical and financial success of their 2009 breakthrough hit ''WesternAnimation/{{Coraline}}'', which continues to cast a shadow over all of their work to this day. Laika's subsequent films have gone on to become just comparatively modest successes or outright [[AcclaimedFlop flops]]. Their latest project, 2019's ''WesternAnimation/MissingLink'' was the recent victim of this trope and the most egregious one yet, having made only $27 million on a budget of over $100 million.

** UsefulNotes/{{NASCAR}}: UsefulNotes/RichardPetty (son of Lee, himself a NASCAR great but not at his son's level). Likewise, Richard's son Kyle was this to "the King"; as while the younger Petty had a decent career he never reached the success of his father or grandfather.[[note]]Kyle's only season where he was a championship contender was in 1992, coincidentally Richard's farewell season, with the younger Petty finishing 5th in points.[[/note]]

* Director Kazuki Akane started strong with ''Anime/TheVisionOfEscaflowne'', which became wildly popular (even broadcast on Creator/FoxKids in the United States), and remains to this day one of the most iconic anime from the 1990s. His next project was ''Anime/{{Geneshaft}}'', which was seen by few and hated by most who did. His next creation was ''Anime/HeatGuyJ''; most who know of it know only about how much Creator/{{Geneon}} paid for it (as much as Creator/{{FUNimation}} paid for ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist'') and how poorly it sold. Next came ''Anime/{{Noein}}'', which fared better in popularity and reception, but only modestly. His latest work was ''Anime/BirdyTheMighty: Decode'', which sold very poorly in Japan.

** Subverted by the Green Bay Packers, who were lucky enough to have the equally exceptional Aaron Rodgers waiting in the wings to replace Brett Favre (much like how the aforementioned 49ers were able to replace Joe Montana with Steve Young[[note]]ironically, Aaron Rodgers' favorite player as a child was Steve Young[[/note]]). On the other hand, this double legacy is going to be a ''really'' tough act to follow for whoever ultimately takes over from Rodgers (most likely 2020 first-round draft pick Jordan Love).

* Two parts originally created by Creator/EthelMerman were examples of this Theatre/AnnieGetYourGun and Theatre/Gypsy were classed as untouchable, while Annie would get 2 Broadway revivals once in 59 it sank without a trace and the 66 revival had Merman recreating the role, however in 1999 a major revised revival was better received. However Gypsy was better off after Creator/AngelaLansbury starred in the 1974 revival the show has been revived multiple times.

* ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooOnZombieIsland'' was not only a welcomed returned of the Scooby franchise after it laid dormant for most of the 90s, but was praised for sticking to its promise of the monsters being real and managing to pull of a DarkerAndEdgier take without compromising the characters ushering in a new era of the series for a new generation. While the following movies varied in quality, many at least were happy ''Zombie Island'' got things moving again and that it was willing to break from formula to try something new that could be passed on down the line. So when its sequel ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooReturnToZombieIsland'', was announced made years later, many were happy to see a continuation of it. Unforunately what was got wasn't even close to the quality of the original: unfocused narrative, meta jokes that fell flat, plot points that made no sense, the characters acting wildly out of character and most of the movie spending time throwing shade at the original movie making it clear the writers weren't fans of the darker stories that sprung up from the franchise since the original movie. To say the least, fans hated it and the movie was promptly derided and shunned by the majority. To add insult to injury, this was meant as an anniversary movie too.

** Though the Kraken almost immediately moved themselves and everyone else past that disappointment by improving significantly and making the playoffs in their second season.

May overlap with AuthorUsurpation, which is when the work is so popular that no one is aware that the artist made anything else -- and if they are aware, they don't care. Contrast ProtectionFromEditors, for when the new creations ''do'' suck but get published anyway, or need more work if they're not going to suck but no one dares tell you this. Compare with GloryDays. See also FirstInstallmentWins, SophomoreSlump, PostScriptSeason, FollowUpFailure, and OneHitWonder. If fans become split over this, it will lead to a BrokenBase. This will often lead to {{sequelitis}} and/or {{contested sequel}}s. Frustration over this trope may cause CreatorBacklash. If the creator views any subsequent work(s) as superior to the overshadowing "masterpiece", then it may also be a case of MagnumOpusDissonance.

** While the 2016 team, coming on the heels of the 2012 "Fierce Five", averted this, winning gold just like its predecessor (and performing even ''better''), the 2021 team was sadly unable to follow the trend; they were the favorites for gold after the return of Simone Biles and their commanding victories in the 2018 and 2019 World Championships, but Biles struggled and, on the day of the team final, found herself dealing with a loss of spatial orientation that forced her to withdraw from the team competition after one event (an uncharacteristically weak vault) due to the risk of injury; the team would finish in a stunning second place behind Russia in the team final.

* ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' managed to be this for ''its entire medium''. Ever since it ended in 1995, there have been dozens of comic strips released with varying degrees of reception, but not a single newspaper comic (or even webcomic) has been as beloved or made as much of a mark as ''Calvin and Hobbes''.
** ''Calvin and Hobbes'' has also been this for its creator, Creator/BillWatterson, who retired from cartooning after ending the strip in 1995 and went many, many years without writing or illustrating anything to be sold to the public.

* ToughActToFollow/LiveActionFilms

!!Examples:

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[/folder]]

** Subverted by the Green Bay Packers, who were lucky enough to have the equally exceptional Aaron Rodgers waiting in the wings to replace Brett Favre (much like how the aforementioned 49ers were able to replace Joe Montana with Steve Young[[note]]ironically, Aaron Rodgers' favorite player as a child was Steve Young[[/note]]). On the other hand, this double legacy is going to be a ''really'' tough act to follow for whoever ultimately takes over from Rodgers (most likely 2020 first-round draft choice Jordan Love).

* When it comes to the ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' movies, only the [[Anime/PokemonTheFirstMovie first]] (mainly in its original Japanese version) and [[Anime/Pokemon3 third]] are regarded as the best (though the [[Anime/PokemonLucarioAndTheMysteryOfMew eighth]], [[Anime/PokemonKyuremVsTheSwordOfJustice fifteenth]] and [[Anime/PokemonThePowerOfUs twenty-first]] movies are almost as well-regarded). All the others have been seen as SoOkayItsAverage at best, and have grossed less in Japanese theaters.

* The ''VisualNovel/ChaosHead'' anime was the first to be adapted in the VisualNovel/ScienceAdventureSeries (to mixed reviews). After that, the ''VisualNovel/SteinsGate'' anime was released, to mass critical acclaim and being listed as one of the top anime of all time on various anime database sites. None of the adaptations after ''Steins;Gate'' (''VisualNovel/RoboticsNotes'', ''LightNovel/OcculticNine'', and ''VisualNovel/ChaosChild'') have managed to capture the same level of success.

* The ''LightNovel/BoogiepopSeries'' is a TropeCodifier of the light novel medium, and because of its huge impact Kouhei Kadono never really managed to create another series that was as successful.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' had such a devoted and passionate fanbase that when ''WesternAnimation/BeastMachines'' premiered, it was held to an impressively high standard and unfortunately, in the eyes of many fans, did not meet expectations. And since then, ''Beast Wars'' has become almost like a measuring stick for newer Transformers shows to be compared to.
** The Transformers franchise suffers from this as a whole. Despite numerous reboots the 1984 series is considered the definitive version. Any new version is compared to it and rarely passes. Even ''Beast Wars'', the most successful reboot had hatedom for a while ([[TheyChangedItNowItSucks "Trukk not munky"]], ''et al'').
** One of the reasons why this situation results in numerous arguments among fans is because the ''Generation 1'' show and ''Beast Wars'' are seen as "the standard" for different reasons by different people. G1 for many fans ''is'' the definition of Transformers -- its concepts, the characters, the designs, the overall "feeling" of the show is what hard-core fans want to re-experience in every new cartoon. ''Beast Wars'', on the other hand (and nowadays ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' and ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'' as well), is used as a comparison point because it is a generally good, solid, quality production. In short, [[BrokenBase part of the fandom]] strives for the preservation of details between the different TF iterations, while the other isn't so concerned about these, just want a show that's ''good'' in its own right.
** Another ''Transformers'' show that gets this is ''WesternAnimation/TransformersRobotsInDisguise'', which directly follows the generally well-regarded ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime''. The general consensus is that trying to be a sequel to ''Prime'' is ''[=RiD's=]'' entire problem; if taken as its own story that just happens to be [[SharedUniverse set in the same continuity]], it's pretty enjoyable and fun. However if taken as an epic continuation of ''Prime'', as the creators described it, than it stumbles badly, as ''[=RiD=]'' largely leaves ''Prime'' alone, merely using that show as a source of backstory.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones'', being the first successful animated sitcom on TV proved particularly difficult to top, even for Creator/HannaBarbera themselves. They tried with ''WesternAnimation/TheJetsons'', but it never caught on quite the same way. Many Hanna-Barbera animated TV series after that failed to duplicate the enormous success ''The Flintstones'' had. Eventually the first animated TV sitcom hit to surpass the success of ''The Flintstones'' with children and adults would be from a completely different studio: a little show called ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''.
* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'':
** Many of the revivals have suffered from trying to live up to the quality of the original [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation Golden Age]] theatrical cartoons. That said, quite a few productions tried to avert this by intentionally going in a different direction from the original shorts, such as ''WesternAnimation/TheLooneyTunesShow'' going for a {{sitcom}} approach. The success of all these projects are [[BrokenBase mixed]], with all of them [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks having vocal detractors]], though [[WesternAnimation/LoonaticsUnleashed certain ones]] are more universally disliked than others.
** The 1959-1964 shorts (sometimes called the “red rings era”) are considered much better than what came afterwards, but nevertheless suffered from coming immediately after what is near-universally considered the studio’s best output: it’s hard to live up to such beloved classics as ''WesternAnimation/WhatsOperaDoc'', ''WesternAnimation/BirdsAnonymous'', or ''WesternAnimation/RobinHoodDaffy''.
* ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'':
** It was a Hanna-Barbera series of which the studio tried desperately to duplicate the success, creating ''at least'' a dozen shows that utilized a "group of kids and a non-human sidekick solve mysteries" format. Of the many imitations that Hanna-Barbera themselves made, the best remembered in the decades that followed would either be ''WesternAnimation/{{Jabberjaw}}'' or ''WesternAnimation/JosieAndThePussycats''. And even then, people most likely know the former from a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn1pf0Xi3nU punk rock song]] made for Creator/CartoonNetwork that ''actively lampshades'' the show's status as a failed follow-up, and the latter for simply being based on Creator/ArchieComics characters that the company still continues to utilize.
** ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooMysteryIncorporated'' cast a noticeable shadow on subsequent TV shows based on Scooby-Doo, thanks to its DarkerAndEdgier atmosphere and overarching serialized mystery plot making it one of the best-received ''Scooby'' shows ever by both critics and fans. Even positive takes on the shows that followed, such as ''WesternAnimation/BeCoolScoobyDoo'' and ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooAndGuessWho'', receive responses of "cool, but it's no ''Mystery Inc.''" Especially the former show, as it went the opposite direction to have a much DenserAndWackier tone and art-style compared to ''Mystery Incorporated''.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
** Many animated series have tried to duplicate its successful format, but none have become quite the commercial and critical success with both children and adults. Yes, ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'', ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', and ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'' have all become commercial hits, but strictly with adults, and all of them are too crass and lowbrow vulgar for mainstream audiences; ''The Simpsons'' has somewhat of a more dignified stature, especially among adults. Even Creator/MattGroening's own follow-ups, ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Disenchantment}}'', failed to attract the same colossal audience and are still nothing more than {{Cult Classic}}s, with the former being cancelled and revived several times in a row and the latter, whilst being considered solid, has a much smaller audience.
** Anything past the acclaimed eighth season of ''The Simpsons'' gave the seasons following that a high standard to live up to.
* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' has broken so much taboos and shocked so many audiences that no other TV series, animated or live-action, has been able to create a similar RefugeInAudacity show and stay on the air as long as they did. And even their imitators and successors don't dare to go as far as Creator/TreyParker and Creator/MattStone often go in their subject matter.
* The UnCanceled ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' has had similar problems living up to its first few seasons.
* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'':
** Every animated adaptation of the ComicBook/{{Batman}} character will inevitably be said to be inferior to ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', and any voice actors to step into the role will find themselves compared unfavorably to Creator/KevinConroy (for Batman) or Creator/MarkHamill (for Joker).
-->'''[[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold Lumberjack]]:''' I always felt [[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries Batman was best suited to the role of gritty urban crime detective]], but now you guys have [[DenserAndWackier got him up against Santas, and Easter bunnies?]] I'm sorry, but that's not '''my''' Batman!
** Creator/PeterWeller had to deal with this twice over in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns'', as not only was his portrayal of Batman was being compared to Conroy's, but also to Creator/MichaelIronside, who voiced the Batman from ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns'' in the episode [[Recap/TheNewBatmanAdventuresE19LegendsOfTheDarkKnight "The Legends of the Dark Knight".]] But as the segment didn't feature the Joker, Creator/MichaelEmerson was still only compared to Hamill.
* Just like its predecessor (''Batman: The Animated Series''), ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'' is very popular with fans and considered to be the definitive Superman adaptation to the point of which that the subsequent different adaptations focusing on the character (particularly the live-action ones) tend to be negatively compared to this series and considered inferior to it. It does help that ''Superman: TAS'' is more grounded (by Superman standards) than most adaptations while still managing to be lighthearted, entertaining, idealistic, adventurous, relatable, and extremely faithful to the source material and mythology of the original Superman comics with only some minor deviations (some of them have made it into the comics no less), which is one of the many things that the live action adaptations have failed to accomplish (as they tend to be either too campy, dramatic, or, as of recently, depressingly {{Wangst}}y and too different from the source material).
* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'', fittingly for being the last animated series to come out of the ''DC'' animated universe, was ''very'' popular and is widely regarded as one of the best superhero shows ever made. Such reasons include, but are certainly not limited to: Their creative, compelling plots that manage humor and tragedy, bringing many heroes and villains into the spotlight, creating a very interesting and believable dynamic with their cast ''especially'' the core seven, and introducing many aspects of characters that were popular enough to turn into RetCanon. Unsurprisingly, many people are eager for the original cast to reprise their roles whenever any ''DC'' animated adaptation is announced. As such, many of the series that came afterwards often get some flak for not attaining that high bar that they felt the series set. This sentiment carries over to live-action adaptations as well, as it only increased after the release of ''Film/JusticeLeague2017''.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'' is based on the original Franchise/SpiderMan stories with a similar balance of action, drama and humor, it also tends to use material from all eras of the comic's run and other sources such as the film series and the Ultimate Spider-Man comics. The series updated characters and stories for the 21st century while still being very faithful to its characters in the comics, and managed to fit a relatively high amount of depth. Unfortunately, Sony Pictures Television's rights to Spidey expired, which resulted in a premature cancellation, and the rise of a new cartoon: ''WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan2012''. Several Marvel fans dislike that it doesn't take itself very seriously, and the characters weren't as endearing. The high level of {{Cutaway Gag}}s in ''Ultimate Spider-Man'', especially in its early seasons, can make it unbearable to sit through for viewers wanting more drama and/or characterization.
* The first animated ''Comicstrip/{{Peanuts}}'' special, ''WesternAnimation/ACharlieBrownChristmas'', attracted half of the nation's TV viewers of its time, won an Emmy and a Peabody, and has continued to air every winter for over 50 years. The second, ''Charlie Brown's All-Stars'', didn't win any awards, and only aired sporadically afterwards. The fact [[WesternAnimation/ItsTheGreatPumpkinCharlieBrown Charlie Brown's second most popular TV special]] came a few months afterward probably pushed it even deeper into obscurity.
* ''WesternAnimation/AvengersAssemble'' has the misfortune of following ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'' among cartoons based on ''Franchise/TheAvengers''. After the series' announcement, fans ''already'' felt like cursing Marvel Animation for not going beyond 52 episodes of ''Earth's Mightiest Heroes'', despite the fact the announcement said nothing more than, "A new ''Avengers'' cartoon will come next year."
* When ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'' premiered in 1997 as one of the premiere shows of Creator/OneSaturdayMorning, it attracted a huge fanbase (most being a part of the PeripheryDemographic) and critical acclaim, as well as being nominated for many awards (and winning one), getting a very successful [[WesternAnimation/RecessSchoolsOut movie]] (and two direct-to-video films), and gaining various types of merchandise, while the rest of the shows on the block eventually faded into obscurity. In 2001, the creators made another show for the block, ''WesternAnimation/LloydInSpace'', which despite getting very good ratings and reception, it never matched the popularity ''Recess'' had (and eventually got ScrewedByTheNetwork). The later ''[[WesternAnimation/PoundPuppies2010 Pound Puppies]]'' series from the same creators is also not looked on upon as fondly as ''Recess''.
* Creator/JohnKricfalusi hit the proverbial jackpot with the amazing success of ''WesternAnimation/RenAndStimpy'' in the 1990s. Most, if not all, of his subsequent cartoons have been widely panned, or at best receive a SoOkayItsAverage response.
* ''Franchise/AvatarTheLastAirbender'':
** While the original ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' series is widely beloved, the various comic book continuations (especially ''[[ComicBook/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheSearch The Search]]'') have gone on to receive a comparatively more mixed reception. Ater the series took off on Netflix, renewed interest in these continuations [[VindicatedByHistory improved their overall reputation]], but the cartoon is still held in higher regard.
** Meanwhile, sequel series ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' (and its own comic book continuations) are also a source of contention. In the years after its run, general consensus has averaged out to the show being good, but not to the level of its predecessor, with Book 3 considered the sole season of the show that was on par with the best of ''Airbender''. Meanwhile, Book 2 is near-universally derided as a franchise low point; even elements of the season which were widely praised on initial airing (namely the two-part OriginsEpisode) would [[CondemnedByHistory later become just as maligned as the rest]] by decent swaths of the fanbase.
* The original Creator/{{Fox}} seasons of ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' have built a reputation as a SacredCow, with a rabid fanbase hailing them as dripping with perfection. Both the DirectToVideo miniseries' and ''especially'' the Creator/ComedyCentral seasons have been doomed to the highest levels of scrutiny in comparison.
* ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'':
** Many fans of Creator/ButchHartman feel that ''WesternAnimation/TUFFPuppy'', ''WesternAnimation/BunsenIsABeast'', and the {{Post Script Season}}s of ''WesternAnimation/FairlyOddParents'' don't reach the same bar as this show, viewing the superhero action/comedy as his magnum opus.
** For the series itself, ''WesternAnimation/TheUltimateEnemy'' special is the most beloved episode of the series for its dark tone and memorable villain. As such, later episodes and the show's divisive third season failed to be as well-liked.
* ''Franchise/Ben10'':
** ''Ben 10'' is the most successful franchise created by Creator/ManOfActionStudios[[note]]though they were only heavily involved with [[WesternAnimation/Ben10 the original series]] and [[WesternAnimation/Ben102016 the reboot]][[/note]] by far, spawning five different television series (one being a ContinuityReboot) [[LongRunners spanning over 16 years]]. Meanwhile, Man Of Action's next project, ''WesternAnimation/GeneratorRex'', while geared to the same demographic [[MerchandiseDriven with a similar marketing push]], only lasted three seasons, the last of which had its final episodes burned out in an early morning [[FridayNightDeathSlot graveyard slot]].
** ''WesternAnimation/Ben10Omniverse'' had this problem with its villains. For BigBad, the first season had Malware, a terrifying and intelligent KnightOfCerebus who was [[EnsembleDarkhorse beloved by fans]] and had the unique gimmick of being an evil mechamorph trying to make his own Omnitrix. After him, none of the other villains were able to capture the same level of interest; the Incurseans, Albedo, the Rooters, Maltruant, and even classic baddies like Vilgax and Zs'Skayr just couldn't compare to him. His departure from the series is cited as one big reason the show went through SeasonalRot.
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
** The season finales following the Season Four finale "Twilight's Kingdom" are this, with the two-parter being seen as having the best combination of action pieces, big character moments, adventure elements, stakes, and [[NothingIsTheSameAnymore shake-ups to the show's dynamic]] than any season finale before or since. Season 5's "The Cutie Re-Mark" is viewed as much more subdued and anti-climactic in comparison, with any shared elements being done to lesser effect, the Mane Five and other major characters being demoted to [[OutOfFocus background characters]] being something of a disappointment, and Starlight Glimmer's FreudianExcuse (and [[SixthRanger the resolution]] which results) being viewed unfavorably. Season 6's "To Where and Back Again" is even more underwhelming, having even less action and cinematic feel, a lack of the main characters in favor of Starlight leading some of the supporting characters in saving the day, and said group having no means of fighting back against the BigBad until the very end, where OnlyTheAuthorCanSaveThemNow. Season 7 and Season 8's finales only got ''more'' divisive.
** Season 5 in general is seen as a tough act to follow to Season 4, which was seen as [[WinBackTheCrowd a return to form]] for the show. From the aforementioned characters, Starlight Glimmer, and the Season finale, Season 5 is a hot point of contention because of the lack of any of the interesting arcs and stories Season 4 had[[note]]Season 4 had the Rainbow Chest/Rainbow Power overarching plot, Music/WeirdAl guest starring in a MusicalEpisode, the Power Ponies, the Equestria Games, the Breezies, weird bat transformations, the continuation of the Discord arc, etc.[[/note]] The mid-season hiatus didn't help matters either.
** Season 6 got hit with this even worse. While still considered a decent season by the fandom, it was criticized for the overarching plot of [[BaseBreakingCharacter Starlight Glimmer's]] redemption, not having enough standout episodes and a lot of the episodes suffering from poor comedy (including an over-reliance on cartoonish OffModel faces as the crux of jokes, sometimes multiple times within a single episode, to the extent where even scenes intended to play out seriously [[{{Narm}} accidentally devolve into dumb jokes]]) and TheyCopiedItSoItSucks.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'': Some viewers voiced disappointment when the first half of the third season saw a return to mostly episodic adventures (albeit with [[spoiler:the setting now shifted to Earth]]), feeling like the show had failed to capitalize on more compelling, serialized storytelling following the intensity of the Season 2 finale "True Colors". However, this resulted in something of a schism in the fanbase, as longtime fans accused those who made these complaints as being a MisaimedFandom, pointing to how the show had always used the HalfArcSeason format (the fact that many of those dissatisfied with Season 3A had started watching the show ''because'' of "True Colors" [[OldGuardVersusNewBlood did little to help with this accusation]]).
* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': Most people agree that the newer episodes have greatly suffered in comparison to the gold standard set by the first three seasons before the first movie and [[UnCanceled Un-Cancellation]]. The second movie was a return to form, but nevertheless isn't quite as beloved as the show itself. Second-half episodes that had to follow a beloved classic, such as "Home Sweet Pineapple" or "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V", are also seen as this to some people (with first-half episodes like "The Secret Box" and "Krabby Land" seen as the inverse of this).
* Every DC cartoon has had to deal with this since the end of the beloved and influential ''Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse'', which was critically acclaimed for its faithful and mature treatment of the source material.
* ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'' had a small problem after being {{Uncancelled}}; Creator/{{Mako}}, the voice for the [[EvilIsHammy deliciously evil Aku]], had died in the eleven years between the show's fourth and fifth season. He was replaced by Greg Baldwin, who had done the same for General Iroh in the last season of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' following Mako's death, with generous consensus being that while Baldwin did a good job, he wasn't as good as Mako's Aku.
* Season 3 of ''WesternAnimation/{{Archer}}'' received acclaim from both critics and the fans, being considered one of the best seasons of television that year. Season 4, although still considered a good season, received criticism for less interesting, creative plots, and humour that didn't land quite as often.
* After the first season villain Nox who was both terrifying and very sympathetic, the second season villains of ''WesternAnimation/{{Wakfu}}'', Rushu and [[spoiler:Quilby]] felt rather lackluster, though the latter character has his defenders.
* ''WesternAnimation/NoddysToylandAdventures'', despite making some changes from the original books, was one of the most popular and faithful adaptations of the original ''Noddy'' books, and none of the revivals have been able to match its success in the UK.
* ''Franchise/WinnieThePooh'' also went through a number of TV series adaptations. The first ''Welcome to Pooh Corner'' is a live action variety show that has become largely obscure, though the second show ''WesternAnimation/TheNewAdventuresOfWinnieThePooh'' was not only an animated series incredibly loyal to the style of ''WesternAnimation/TheManyAdventuresOfWinnieThePooh'', but ran on a good animation budget, had creative and sometimes emotionally powerful story lines, a valid number of the original voice actors, and a catchy theme song, averting Disney's usual run with RecycledTheSeries by being considered a terrific companion piece to its respective film. While later shows, ''Series/TheBookOfPooh'' and ''WesternAnimation/MyFriendsTiggerAndPooh'' garnered a fan base, they were considered a significant step down from ''New Adventures''. Some even go far as to say the later feature length instalments pale compared to ''New Adventures''.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Disenchantment}}'' is a fairly solid show on its own merits, but it has to live up to the fame of Creator/MattGroening's previous titles; the previously mentioned pop culture symbol that is LongRunner ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', as well the minor SacredCow and adored CultClassic ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}''. Both have huge fandoms and widespread recognition between both public and critics, so it's no wonder why some people felt underwhelmed by the new show.
* After ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' had come to an end, it was believed that Creator/DisneyChannel had entered an animation slump and ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' was the only successful cartoon remaining. It wouldn't be until the premiere of ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' that a new renissance of the channel would begin.
* While ''WesternAnimation/MiloMurphysLaw'' is well received, its not seen as being on-par with the creators' previous show, ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb''. It doesn't help that the show's second season began with a crossover between the two series, followed by some characters becoming heavily integrated into the series. This led to a common complaint that MML, regardless of any writing improvements, is being overshadowed by its predecessor.
* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': The critical and commercial success this show received resulted in it being held up not only as the bar for future series on Disney's networks to meet, but for Western children's animation as a whole. Fans of the series would spend the next several years comparing ''any'' show with a MythArc or any mystery elements to ''Gravity Falls'', with Disney themselves trying to recapture the formula with shows like ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'', ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'', and ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'' (the latter two being headed by GF alumini).
* ''WesternAnimation/OverTheGardenWall'' was Creator/CartoonNetwork's first original MiniSeries, and saw immediate critical and audience acclaim that cast a large shadow over all future miniseries that the network would produce, like ''WesternAnimation/LongLiveTheRoyals'', as well as shows that had their first seasons branded as such, like ''WesternAnimation/AppleAndOnion'' and ''WesternAnimation/InfinityTrain''. Even if the general consensus is highly positive (like with ''Infinity Train''), the question of "But is it as good as ''Over the Garden Wall''?" will inevitably pop up.
* Creator/FreshTV's most popular series, by a very wide margin, is ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama,'' which was a huge hit when it first premiered on Creator/{{Teletoon}} in 2007 (and even moreso after it came to Creator/CartoonNetwork in 2008). Even with the accusations of SeasonalRot in the show's later years, it's still more well-known and well-remembered than anything Fresh TV has produced before or since, including its predecessor ''{{WesternAnimation/Sixteen}}'', which while a popular show in its own right, never achieved ''Total Drama''[='=]s levels of success worldwide. Tellingly, the original cartoons that Fresh TV made following ''Total Drama'', ''{{WesternAnimation/Stoked}}'' and ''{{WesternAnimation/Grojband}}'', were both ShortRunners. While both shows gained cult followings, neither attracted broad interest or success - the former for [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks being too similar to Fresh TV's previous shows]] and the latter for [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks having a vastly different direction that limited its appeal with Fresh TV's usual audience.]] Since ''Grojband'''s conslusion in 2015, Fresh TV hasn't made any other original animated productions, instead building on the success of ''Total Drama'' with spinoffs like ''WesternAnimation/TotalDramaPresentsTheRidonculousRace'' and ''WesternAnimation/TotalDramaRama'', as well as a revival for Creator/HBOMax.
* ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'' became a global phenomenon and left a mark on popular culture ever since its appearance in 2013. Creator/JustinRoiland's next series, ''WesternAnimation/SolarOpposites'', is fairly well-regarded and was renewed for several seasons, but is nowhere near as popular and influential as ''Rick and Morty'' is...then again, ''Rick and Morty'' itself started out as a CultClassic prior to Season 3 bringing the show into the mainstream, so time will tell if ''Solar Opposites'' gets the same treatment.
* Creator/JayWard is best known hands down for ''WesternAnimation/RockyAndBullwinkle'', popular during its original run and airing in reruns for decades. His other creations like ''WesternAnimation/HoppityHooper'' and ''WesternAnimation/GeorgeOfTheJungle'' aren't as well known while ''WesternAnimation/CrusaderRabbit'' is largely forgotten.

** Many fans of Creator/ButchHartman feel that ''WesternAnimation/TUFFPuppy'', ''WesternAnimation/BunsenIsABeast'', and the {{Post Script Season}}s of ''WesternAnimation/FairlyOddParents'' do not measure up to this show, viewing the superhero action/comedy as his magnum opus.

* ''Starrcade 86'' was the last hurrah of Jim Crockett Promotions, and perhaps, the Wrestling/NationalWrestlingAlliance, as the NWA would survive but never again reach such heights. JCP, though, was dead within two years. Of course, this was somewhat deliberate, as Wrestling/VinceMcMahon was [[InvokedTrope hard at work]] to ensure ''Starrcade '87'' would flop, going so far as to create another pay-per-view (''Wrestling/SurvivorSeries'') for the sole purpose of running against it and telling all the cable companies that picking ''Starrcade'' meant they wouldn't get ''[=WrestleMania=] IV'' the next year.

** Argentina and the "Maradona Curse": Diego Maradona's infamous doping-related retirement in the 1994 World Cup led to the downfall of the same team which had won two World Cups in 1978 and 1986, and the last two (South) America Cups, their 1993 championship being the most recent trophy for the "Albiceleste". And while they got the upper hand in Brazil '14, they were crushed by Germany in the finals, while beaten one year later by Chile in the 2015 Copa América (and one year later as well in the "Centennial Cup"). This has gotten to the point Messi has been mocked for his subpar performance for his national team while being Barcelona's superstar. Only in 2021 he got a title with the senior Argentinian team[[note]]he won the Olympic gold with the under-23 squad in 2008[[/note]] by breaking that Copa América drought, and follow that up winning the World Cup in 2022.

** Argentina and the "Maradona Curse": Diego Maradona's infamous doping-related retirement in the 1994 World Cup led to the downfall of the same team which had won two World Cups in 1978 and 1986, and the last two (South) America Cups, their 1993 championship being the most recent trophy for the "Albiceleste". And while they got the upper hand in Brazil '14, they were crushed by Germany in the finals, while beaten one year later by Chile in the 2015 Copa América (and one year later as well in the "Centennial Cup"). This has gotten to the point Messi has been mocked for his subpar performance for his national team while being Barcelona's superstar. Only in 2021 he got a title with the senior Argentinian team[[note]]he won the Olympic gold with the under-23 squad in 2008[[/note]] by breaking that Copa América drought.

** ''WesternAnimation/TheRescuersDownUnder'' had a ''very'' tough act to follow in ''WesternAnimation/{{The Little Mermaid|1989}}'' and boy, did that turn out ugly (receiving mixed-to-negative reviews and flopping at the box office, getting overwhelmed by ''Film/HomeAlone''). ''Down Under'' is today one of Disney's obscurities, barely known by the general public (also being followed by ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast''), although it has become a CultClassic in its own right. Heck, it is even generally considered to be even better than its predecessor, ''WesternAnimation/TheRescuers'' in practically every way.