The popular manhwa series The Beginning After the End is getting an anime adaptation, but the first trailer is causing great disappointment among fans. After the success of Solo Leveling, expectations were high for a quality implementation, but now they are being lowered.
Which anime is it about? The popular manhwa series The Beginning After the End (TBATE) is receiving an anime adaptation. The story follows the reincarnation of former king Gray into a magical world where he begins a new life as Arthur Leywin.
The announcement of the adaptation initially sparked great enthusiasm among fans, especially after the overwhelming success of Solo Leveling, which has set certain standards for manhwa adaptations.
Many likely hoped that TBATE would be adapted with similar quality. However, the announcement trailer in October 2024 dampened expectations and stirred disappointment and doubts about the quality of the adaptation among many fans.
On March 5, 2025, a new trailer followed with the release date for TBATE – but if some fans have their way, it should not come to that.
For reference, this is what the trailer for Solo Leveling looks like:
Instead of excitement, criticism pours in
Why did the trailer cause disappointment? The anime adaptation is being produced by the Japanese studio A-Cat, whose previous works have been rated relatively mediocre. In the comments on YouTube and X, fans mainly criticize the weak animations, the unappealing CGI use, and the lack of dynamics in the fight scenes.
Especially after the high-quality adaptation of Solo Leveling, expectations for manhwa anime are particularly high, but The Beginning After the End does not seem to meet these so far. Many fans fear that the series will suffer from mediocre production quality and therefore will not utilize the potential of the beloved original.
“I wanted to cry when I saw the trailer”
How is the community reacting? After the trailer was posted on X on March 5, 2025, one user demanded that production should be halted: “Stop this before it’s too late” (X.com).
Other comments also show that fans are dissatisfied and angry with the work of Studio A-Cat:
- One user demanded drastic consequences: “Shut down this studio and sell the rights to a really good studio, so they don’t ruin our chance for a great adaptation. Such a brilliant project should not fall victim to such a lazy production.” (- Speedgio0 via X)
- “What a terrible animation and CGI is this? Man, it’s over before it even starts. Another good title ruined.” (- swlukasas via X)
- “It can’t be that they took one of the most popular manhwas, stripped it of all personality, and gave it the most mundane isekai animation ever. I wanted to cry when I saw the trailer.” (- ErenJaeger89671 via X)
What is the anime actually about? The Beginning After the End is a fantasy manhwa series. The story follows the protagonist Arthur Leywin, a former powerful king named Gray, who is reincarnated in a new world after his death.
In his new life, he retains the memories of his former self and uses his knowledge and abilities to survive in a world filled with magic and dangerous creatures.
The series is a mix of adventure, magic, combat, and personal development, where Arthur tries to avoid the mistakes of his past and create a new future for himself.
What happens next? Despite the numerous negative reactions, it is important to remember that only short trailer snippets have been shown so far. The final quality of the anime will only be revealed on April 2, 2025, when the series officially begins.
The Beginning After the End will consist of a total of 24 episodes, released in two parts. Whether the production can convince fans despite the disappointing first impression remains to be seen.
While the future of The Beginning After the End remains uncertain and fans eagerly await the final implementation, there are already anime that have proven how well complex worlds and unusual stories can work: In a brilliant anime on Netflix, a strange man lives in the mouth of a lizard man
