Inspired by/adapted from a comment I made on this post.

I’ve seen a few next gen sequels (Soul Eater Not, Fruits Basket Another, Yashahime etc.), but never to the end. It’s particularly egregious in manga format – it’s just that a lot of the sequels never get picked up for anime adaptions, because in TV Tropes terms, it’s Continuity Lockout – you have to consume the original to understand aspects of the sequel and existing fans will be the most likely to consume the sequel. This is why I like series like Saiyuki – those mid-2000s anime where basically nothing ever changes so you can jump in and out of the story, having not suffered from loss of plot comprehension.

However, for long-running original series like Inuyasha in particular, there won’t be a lot of new ground left to mine between a successful manga and anime plus a lot of fans move on after the original (and maybe spinoffs) with not a lot of goodwill for a sequel. This can also be seen in long-running works with a “generational shift” instead of an outright sequel – Sailor Moon‘s next generation (starting from the introduction of Chibi Usa) are pretty maligned despite still being attached to the original, particularly in the anime format.

Fruits Basket Another is a particularly bad one because you cannot tell the difference between Sawa and Tohru aside from their general moods, plus it does the whole thing where a bunch of original series characters had babies (which…it’s best not to think about how closely the Sohma family are related to make the sequel work in a realistic manner).

My favourite next gen sequel would actually be Fushigi Yuugi: Genbu Kaiden, which isn’t anything we’re discussing here (it’s a prequel) but functions much the same way as a spinoff or next gen sequel, due to how a few of the characters show up in the original (although they’re older, but one of said characters has the power to turn back time on themselves) and Genbu Kaiden explains how they got there.

Dos for a good next gen sequel (in my eyes):
– Make your next gen characters distinct from the original cast. This is harder to do with a large original cast, as every successful stereotype will have been mined before.
– Explore different ground from the original – maybe through the lens of a different gender and/or time period (Yashahime does both). Different worldbuilding which builds on the original’s works particularly well in this regard (like in Soul Eater Not).
– Show where your original main cast has moved on to – even if it’s “all the girls became housewives”, which a lot of series (in different demographics and even with characters who you don’t expect to be housewives!) are prone to do. This ensures greater continuity between series and gives a nod to existing fans.

Don’ts for a good next gen sequel (in my eyes):
– Try to appeal to a younger crowd than the original (like Chibi Usa) unless the marketing data actually says you’re getting that demographic more than your intended one. Most of the time, this backfires, particularly when the creators are “How do you do, fellow kids?” about it.
– Try to hide where the main cast have gone, only to make it obvious through the kids whose kid is whose. This is something Fruits Basket Another does and although the guessing game was fun…for a limited time…I would have preferred they just spoilt things outright so I could see the original cast again (even if the main cast’s female members – and female-presenting, in the case of Ritsu – were all houseparents).
– Make your show a Cute Girls Doing Cute Things show when the original wasn’t, especially if CGDCT shows are in vogue right now (looking at you, Soul Eater Not…).

---