The Beginning After the End…Is Just Beginning.

Hey everyone—it’s been a few months since I’ve been on the blog, and excuses aside, let’s just say my life’s been turbulent. I’ve finally started pulling myself out of this funk and watching anime again, and I’ve got a lot to catch up on. That doesn’t mean I kept my head down the whole time, but I did put some shows aside because I just couldn’t bring myself to care about them. Unfortunately, TurtleMe‘s The Beginning After the End made that list.

If you know anything about this show, you’ve probably heard people call it the worst fumble in the anime industry this year. As soon as this much-anticipated manhwa-to-anime adaptation dropped, fans tore into it for the poor animation and the decision to go with a subpar studio like Studio A-Cat. The articles covering it hit hard and critics brutalized it:

• • The Beginning After the End’ Betrayed Its Own Legacy by Giving A-Cat Studio the Reigns to Its Anime – Fandom Wire (3/31/2025)
  • Bad Animation is Already Ruining This Crunchyroll Anime’s Chance to Be the Next Solo Leveling – Comic Book Resources (4/9/2025)
  • Following Its Disastrous Anime Debut, The Beginning After the End’s Creator Is Breaking Their Silence – Screen Rant (4/15/2025)

It was so bad that people online started calling it “The Beginning After the PowerPoint Presentation,” and honestly, once I saw all the criticism, I decided to skip the series. Japan has tossed aside good IPs before just to boost light novel or manga sales, so it wouldn’t be the first time. That kind of thing infuriates me—they pull that crap all the time! But since I wanted to get back into the blog and figured a controversial show would make a good post, I gave it a shot. It’s not like I had anything to lose and I was hoping it would motivate me.

Social Media Betrayed Me – Those Damn Liars!

Going into The Beginning After the End, I had a pessimistic view of the show, unfortuately shaped by all the fans who spent weeks nonstop complaining about it. By the time I jumped in, Crunchyroll had already released up to Episode 7 of the sub and Episode 5 of the English dub. I had plenty to work with, and I figured if I was going to watch this so-called bomb, I might as well settle in and give it a proper shot. I even had popcorn ready.

What I found was an amazing story with well-thought-out characters—dark when it needed to be, funny at the right moments, and more than enough to get me hooked. Sure, the animation felt mid at times, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as people online claimed. And based on some of the newer chatter, the animation might actually improve by mid-season. If it does, that wipes out pretty much every major issue—except for the whiny-ass fans who can’t drop their biases and refuse to give it a second chance. Sucks to be them!

Each episode packs in a lot of material, and the voice actors—especially the English dub cast—absolutely nailed their performances. The story pulls you in and keeps you hooked, with each episode leaving you wanting more. I really want to see how this king-turned-child flips the world on its head, unites it, and where his journey leads. I feel a little bad for going in like a negative Nancy, but I’m glad I didn’t skip this series. It’s really good.

From what I can tell, the first season only has 12 episodes, and more than half are already out but I suspect this is just the first cour of a multi-season series. Japanese media listings actually label it as “Season 1,” and shows over there don’t usually do that—so that’s got to mean something. Especially considering how big this show’s potential is.

I’ll write a lot more about this show once the season wraps up, but I wanted to put something positive out there because this show really deserves a second chance.