Ngetrenz – The announcement of an anime adaptation for The Beginning After The End was met with a thunderous roar of excitement from its global fanbase. Authored by the visionary TurtleMe, the web-novel and its stunning manhwa adaptation had already captured the hearts of millions with its profound storytelling and intricate world-building. The prospect of seeing the beloved protagonist,
Arthur Leywin, brought to life on screen was a dream come true for many. However, as the first season concluded, that initial excitement was replaced by a wave of widespread disappointment, leading to a critical consensus that the The Beginning After The End Season 1 anime review would be a somber one. This report examines why a series with such a solid foundation fundamentally misfired, serving as a case study in how a great story can be undermined by its translation to a new medium.
What Made the Source Material So Special?
To truly understand the backlash against the anime, one must first appreciate the quality and depth of its source material. The original The Beginning After The End narrative, penned by TurtleMe, is celebrated not just as another isekai but as a nuanced, character-driven epic. The story begins with King Grey, a formidable but emotionally isolated monarch, who is mysteriously reincarnated into a new world as a baby named Arthur Leywin. This isn’t a simple power-fantasy where the protagonist is instantly amazing at everything; it’s a journey of self-discovery and emotional growth.
The core appeal of the original TBATE lies in its central character, Arthur Leywin. His previous life as King Grey was one devoid of love and genuine connection, leading him to view himself as a calculating, scheming analytical mind. As Arthur Leywin, he is forced to confront his past and learns to embrace the familial love he never had. The web-novel and manhwa excel at showing his vulnerability and his internal conflict between his old, detached persona and his new, more compassionate one.
He is a flawed, dynamic character who makes choices that can be both illogical and deeply human, proving that even a powerful protagonist faces real stakes and profound emotional challenges. This is the emotional anchor that the anime needed to preserve. The narrative of TBATE also stands out by avoiding common clichés like harems and by giving a satisfying, well-planned plot that doesn’t rely on predictable power-ups or generic villains. The fact that Arthur Leywin is not invincible and suffers genuine losses, even getting his “ass handed to him” in later arcs, is a refreshing departure from the norm.
A Tale of Two Productions: The Anime’s Critical Failings
The critical reception of The Beginning After The End Season 1 anime review was overwhelmingly negative among established fans, and for good reason. The most immediate and glaring issue was the production quality, which fell far short of a beloved series. The show was produced by Studio A-Cat, a company known for its work on other low-budget projects.
From the moment the first episode aired, fans lamented the visuals, pointing out the “janky CGI” and an overall “lifeless” feel to the art and compositing. Critics and fans alike noted that the still panels of the manhwa often had more fluid choreography and emotional “life” than the anime’s moving pictures. One particularly sarcastic comment captured the sentiment perfectly: “They were not kidding that the webcomic had better animations”.
The source of these visual shortcomings can be traced back to what appears to be a fundamental disconnect between the project’s ambition and its budget. The research suggests that the project was underfunded from the start, forcing Studio A-Cat to cut corners and reportedly outsource entire episodes to “unknown Chinese studios”. This outsourcing led to a lack of cohesion and care, with some of the subcontracted work appearing to be done by artists who did not understand the “needs or wants of the target audience”. A second season for
TBATE has been announced for 2026, but the backlash has already spurred a fan petition for a redo by a better studio. This entire situation highlights a critical issue in the industry: even with a hugely successful source material from an author like TurtleMe, a project can be doomed if the business and production side fails to invest the necessary resources to do it justice.
Another major complaint highlighted in every The Beginning After The End Season 1 anime review was the rushed narrative. The 12-episode season attempted to cram in content from 53 manhwa chapters, a breakneck pace that stripped away the nuance and world-building that made the original so special. This compression turned a complex, deliberate story into what many described as “another slop isekai”.
The paradox of this failure is that the anime’s poor quality unintentionally served as a powerful marketing tool for the original. Many viewers, intrigued by the premise but disappointed by the execution, were compelled to seek out the source material and discovered the immense quality they had been missing. The anime’s failure as a faithful adaptation was its accidental success as a “gateway drug” to the novel and manhwa.
How Key Changes Damaged the Story
The apathetic approach by Studio A-Cat extended beyond simple animation quality; it eroded the very emotional core of the series. The narrative of The Beginning After The End is, at its heart, about Arthur Leywin shedding his past life’s coldness and embracing the love of his new family. The anime’s rushed pacing cut many of the light-hearted, heartfelt moments that were crucial to this character development. The removal of these scenes—which may seem minor—actually gutted the central thematic journey.
The emotional stakes felt diminished because the audience was never given the time to fully connect with the characters and see their relationships grow. Without these moments, Arthur Leywin appears as a generic, edgy protagonist rather than a deeply flawed and conflicted individual seeking redemption, which is the true essence of his character.
The following table provides a clear, side-by-side comparison of specific plot points to illustrate the apathetic nature of the adaptation.
| Narrative Point | Source Material (Manhwa/Novel) | The Beginning After The End Season 1 Anime |
| Arthur’s Power Awakening | When Arthur Leywin awakens his mana core, the house “explodes to rubble” from the force, a moment of immense, raw power. | Arthur’s awakening is downplayed; he merely “bursts the roof” without any broader collateral damage. |
| Sylvia’s Appearance | Sylvia is a “walking expressive shadow knight” with a dynamic, captivating presence that subverts expectations. | The anime portrays Sylvia as a “FROZEN STATUE THAT DOESN’T MOVE,” removing all expressiveness and presence from the character. |
| The Auction Scene | The family is present in the royal box, which is a key detail for later events. The ensuing confrontation with the royal mage is a tense, non-verbal exchange. | The scene is “heavily changed,” removing the family from the box and staging the confrontation privately, altering the emotional and plot dynamics. |
| Character Dialogue | The source material includes lengthy, introspective monologues and meaningful dialogue that build characters and the world. | The anime cuts “a lot of stuff,” including key exposition and dialogue, to streamline the plot, often simplifying complex emotions and motivations. |
A Glimmer of Hope
Despite the critical disappointment, the The Beginning After The End Season 1 anime review is not without its positive remarks. New viewers, especially those with no prior knowledge of the source material, often found the show to be a “diversion and entertainment,” a serviceable isekai to watch between bigger, mainstream anime.
The show’s voice acting was widely praised as “solid” and the opening theme song, “KINGSBLOOD” by the Canadian solo artist KALA, was a standout element that fans genuinely loved. KALA, who wrote the song after reading the entire story from TurtleMe, created a track that resonated with the themes of the series, earning him a place in the hearts of the TBATE community.
The most significant glimmer of hope is the official confirmation of a second season, set to premiere in 2026. This news comes after a barrage of criticism and even a fan petition to redo the adaptation. This presents a pivotal moment for the series. The second season could either repeat the same mistakes by Studio A-Cat, further alienating the fanbase, or it could be a chance for redemption.
The fan backlash has been vocal and persistent, and it is plausible that the production team and the author, TurtleMe, have taken the feedback to heart. A new season with a more appropriate budget and a greater respect for the source material could be a true “new beginning” for the anime adaptation.
The The Beginning After The End Season 1 anime review reveals a narrative of high expectations met with critical disappointment. The primary source of the failure stems from a combination of poor production quality and a rushed narrative approach by Studio A-Cat. By condensing the rich, complex source material, the anime sacrificed key emotional beats and character development, particularly for Arthur Leywin.
While it served as an unexpected marketing tool for the original work, it failed to capture the spirit and depth that made TBATE a masterpiece of modern web-fiction. The announcement of a second season offers a tantalizing chance for redemption, but its success will depend entirely on whether its creators can learn from the missteps of this first, misguided beginning.
Summary of The Beginning After The End Season 1
- The Beginning After The End Season 1 anime received a largely negative reception from core fans due to a combination of production and narrative issues.
- The primary critique focused on poor production quality, including “janky” CGI and “lifeless” compositing by Studio A-Cat.
- The 12-episode season condensed 53 manhwa chapters, resulting in a rushed plot that cut essential world-building and emotional moments.
- Narrative changes simplified the complex character of Arthur Leywin and undermined his central journey of emotional growth.
- Despite the negative reviews, the anime was considered a “diversion” by some viewers and successfully drove new readers to the superior source material by TurtleMe.
- The show was produced by Studio A-Cat and directed by Keitaro Motonaga, with the popular opening theme “KINGSBLOOD” by KALA.
- A second season is officially confirmed to premiere in 2026, offering a potential “new beginning” for the adaptation.
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