The anime adaptation of the popular webcomic The Beginning After the End (Saikyō no Ōsama, Futatabime no Jinsei wa Nani o Suru?) has ignited a starkly contrasting reaction between audiences in Japan and the West.
While Japanese viewers appear to be embracing the series, a significant portion of the American fanbase has expressed considerable disappointment, with some even calling for the show's cancellation.
Written by first-generation American Brandon Lee aka TurtleMe, The Beginning After the End aka TBATE webtoon' s initial anime announcement was met with much celebration when the plans for the Studio A-Cat adaptation were first announced in October 2024.
Longtime fans of the series—which has been running on Tapas since 2017—were thrilled about the anime, proudly proclaiming that the series would become the next Solo Leveling. However, that excitement quickly turned to disappointment due to the underwhelming animation quality delivered by Studio A-Cat (I've Somehow Gotten Stronger When I Improved My Farm-Related Skills, She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man).
As such, there has been a fan petition, with over 50,000+ signatures, calling for the show's cancellation. The discussion around the petition has grown so loud that TurtleMe has addressed the complaints.
In a Reddit post, the author stated, "Coming from a time where I was sitting in the corner of a cafe, writing the novel by myself, for myself, it’s obvious just how large TBATE has gotten. I’m no longer just responsible for myself but for my team members, the partners associated with my work, as well as my readers..."
"...But as with anything you love–whether it’s your pet, your story, or even your child–when faced with challenges, you don’t wish for it to be gone and have a do-over. You support it through difficult times and push it up so that it can become something that you can cherish because of all of the trials and tribulations you’ve overcome together..."
"...As the author of TBATE–one who has spent 10 years writing almost 2 million words of this story–I hope you’ll believe me when I say that I want nothing but the best for this story. Whatever feelings you have for the anime, I am thankful for all of the people behind the scenes who have given me this opportunity, and I’m thankful for all of you for helping make this happen in the first place. You’ve stuck through TBATE at its highs and lows, and so I ask for your support now. Please continue being the rock that gave TBATE the time and chance to be where it is today..."
Still, TurtleMe’s call for patience and support hasn’t deterred the most vocal critics, who continue to slam the series across social media.
Yet the backlash appears to be mostly limited to the American fanbase, as ratings in Japan tell a much more positive story.
Over in Japan, TBATE ranks #6 on Netflix, #2 on U-Next, and #2 on D-Anime in the latest weekly ratings. It's also ranked #9 on Prime Video in Japan.
It seems Japanese otaku aren't caught up in the obsession over the anime's low-quality animation and are simply enjoying the story of another, well-told isekai.
By comparison, the TBATE anime is currently ranked #15 on Anitrendz- a popular Western online platform and community hub known for its weekly anime popularity polls and charts, which are fan-voted.
The first season of The Beginning After the End is currently slated for a 24-episode run, so it will be interesting to see if the animation improves over the course of the season.
Typically, anime production is an ongoing process that runs concurrently with the broadcast, and with production teams often working right up to the wire before an episode airs, it's not unheard of for a series to be delayed or paused in order for the production to meet certain quality standards.
A good example of this would be the Dragon Ball Super TV anime, which was derided for its animation while airing weekly when first released. However, the show's animation was vastly improved when the show was released on blu-ray and DVD.
At the time, animators simply couldn't keep up with the grueling pace of animating a show on a weekly basis.
Again, it should be noted that while there's a small buffer of completed episodes in the can before the start of a new anime show, much of the production tends to unfold in real time, concurrent with the broadcast schedule.
Given the negative commentary surrounding the show, perhaps the production team should consider a short break to allow Studio A-Cat the opportunity to refine and improve the quality moving forward.
Do you agree or do you think American anime fans are too picky? Let us know in the comment section below.
In The Beginning After the End, following a mysterious death, King Grey is reborn as Arthur Leywin on the magical continent of Dicathen. Although he enters his second life as a baby, his previous wisdom remains. He begins to master magic and forge his own path as the years go by, seeking to correct the mistakes of his past life.