The Arrowverse has been around for over five years, and the number of fans has grown exponentially since then. Because the CW quickly went to work on several shows to spin off from Arrow, more and more people have dipped their toes into the Arrowverse. The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and Supergirl, each have their own fans.

Due to the similarity of the four shows, fans of one are likely to be fans of the others. The payoff by watching all of them is that the crossovers are much more exciting to watch as characters from each show work together to solve a threat much bigger than themselves.

However, to become an unabashed fan of the Arrowverse, many of them have seen several problems with each show and have chosen to ignore them. Due to the shows being run by the same people, they often have the same issues that continuously pop up. It's safe to say that the shows are different than when they debuted and a lot of watchers have been lost along the way.

While being a fan of the Arrowverse isn't a bad thing now, there are at least 20 problems that big fans of each show choose to ignore.

20 Those Leather Jackets

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Because each show in the Arrowverse is based on comic books, the creators have had to bring some of the classic villains and heroes into the universe. That said, the nature of the shows don't allow them to spend as much time or money getting the costumes right as a big budget movie would.

This leads a lot of the newer costumes in the Arrowverse feeling rather similar.

If you could sum them up in two words, it would be "leather jacket." Look at the designs of Mr. Terrific, Vibe, Elongated Man, and Vixen. Each of them are wearing a leather jacket with new colors. This is becoming a bigger trend as each show moves forward. There seems to be less thought put into the costumes.

19 Poor CGI

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This isn't a problem that can be easily fixed. Because the shows all air on the CW, they have to work with the network's budget. Keep in mind that the CW has a fairly low budget when compared to other television networks. Because of this, a lot of the special effects are going to take a serious hit in execution.

While there have been some standout CGI sections in each show (especially Gorilla Grodd and King Shark), there are arguably more bad effects than good ones. The Flash has some very plastic-looking speedsters in some shots and the stunts not done practically in Arrow are quite obvious. As the shows embrace a more colorful cast of characters and powers, they have to use CGI even more, which means that they'll dip in quality, generally.

18 Drama For Drama's Sake

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One of the biggest complaints about the Arrowverse TV shows is that there are a lot of moments of drama that aren't there to service the story. They're there because any show needs a fair amount of internal conflict to keep things interesting. While we do acknowledge that type of conflict, the way that the CW manages it could be a lot better.

A lot of the drama feels much more like a teen drama than a sophisticated superhero serial show.

The standout examples of this come from the third and fourth seasons of Arrow that had Felicity and Oliver go through a lot of conflict that was much more irritating than anyone expected it to be. Since then, the drama has only gotten worse across the board.

17 Useless Characters

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When Arrow debuted, it had an arc planned for Thea. When The Flash debuted, it had a purpose for Caitlin Snow. As both shows went on, the writers had no idea what to do with either character. The Ronnie Raymond storyline was wrapped up, so they kept giving Caitlin a love interest until they turned her into Killer Frost with no real payoff. Furthermore, Thea had no purpose, especially after leaving Team Arrow.

Another problem with the Arrowverse is that they often don't know what to do with certain characters. After a specific arc, that's as far as the characters go. Then they just throw drama and character moments at the wall until something sticks. Heaven forbid useless characters get eliminated doing heroic deeds.

16 Over-Designing Characters

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One of the biggest complaints with the Arrowverse is that the costumes look largely the same. Most of them include colorful leather jackets and not much else. That isn't the case with all of the characters, though. There are a few who have the exact opposite problem. Their designs are too over the top for the universe and clash as a result.

The standout example of this is Savitar, who was made to look like a futuristic monster.

He felt extremely out of place and his design didn't really work. The key to getting good costume design is striking a balance between unique and over-the-top. They are comic book characters, but their appearances have to fit the tone established in their respective universes.

15 Love Stories Because "Reasons"

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Romance will always have a place in pop culture. It used to be a trope in common movies just to insert a love story because it appeals to a wider demographic. Thankfully, that trend is starting to go away. If only television would take the hint as well. The Arrowverse is extremely guilty of this, constantly introducing a love story for the characters on all fronts.

To be fair, there are some love stories that are well-done and justified (like Barry and Iris). That said, having Oliver date Felicity on and off like three times and giving Dinah Drake a love plot with Vigilante doesn't service the story. Caitlin Snow had been through Firestorm, Hunter Zolomon, and Dr. Alchemy, before she decided to be single and isolated. When used without real purpose, a love story is only grating.

14 That Action Choreography

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The Arrowverse has been hit or miss when it comes to action choreography. While it's not quite a complaint with The Flash or Supergirl (considering that their main characters are both superpower-based), it has popped up in Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow.

Arrow has had some great choreography (season 5 being the highlight), and it has also had some poor choreography. When depicting hand-to-hand fights, it's important to stay realistic, grounded, and not flashy. Unfortunately, the creators get so invested in doing many cuts and special flips that it starts to become too ridiculous for our taste. Considering that a Netflix show like Daredevil nailed this aspect so well, it's a bit more noticeable when the Arrowverse doesn't always manage it properly.

13 Problem Of The Week

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As you become invested in the Arrowverse, it's hard not to notice that there is a formula going on at times. With Arrow, the premise is that Oliver Queen is progressively fighting criminals who threaten Star City. Barry Allen is beating metahumans in Central City. The Legends of Tomorrow are solving anachronisms throughout time.

The list goes on.

Each of these premises allows the writers to format the shows like a "problem of the week" scenario. Essentially, Oliver can fight a new criminal, Barry can take down a new metahuman, and the Legends can have a cute historic reference every week. As the shows go on, if they want to expand their audience, they may want to make each episode feel more important.

12 Formulaic

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When talking about the MCU, there are a lot of people who complain that each movie feels painfully similar to the last. Whether or not that complaint is justified, the same could be said for the Arrowverse. When you watch Arrow, you're getting a very similar level of acting, storytelling, and character dynamic than when you're watching Supergirl or The Flash.

Having the same people work on each project means that each show is going to be fundamentally the same.

There is a big bad in each season, there is a team operating to solve the problem, there is some drama along the way, and some love stories thrown in for good measure. The CW may want to consider having different people work on each show to give them their own distinct feel.

11 Awkward Pop Culture References

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Remember in The Flash when Team Flash had placed a former STAR Labs employee in the metahuman prison considering how he was constantly in pain because of sound. Cisco is standing on the outside playing "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley. There are a lot of awkward pop culture references in each show.

Legends of Tomorrow probably handles it the best, using the references to build an entire episode around, but the others aren't quite so lucky. Oliver Queen has made some awkward comments about It's a Wonderful Life, and Cisco is a pop culture reference machine. The problem here is that they feel like subtle advertisements for other projects rather than there to service character development. We already get that certain characters are geeks- there's no need to constantly remind us of that.

10 Awkward Political Commentary

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Politics are a hot topic of conversation. The moment anything big is plastered on the news in America, there are a lot of people who inject their own opinions into the issue. Often times, serious debates permeate social media, with friendships and credibility on the line.

One of the more recent "hot button" issues is gun control.

That said, of all the TV shows and movies that decided to tackle it, who expected Arrow to deal with it? There was an entire episode dedicated to whether it was important to have stricter gun control laws or allow people to carry freely. Likewise, Supergirl has dealt with a lot of feminist topics and the difference between how generations have their own versions of the movement. Topics like this (as they're presented in the Arrowverse) feel like the writers are pushing an agenda rather than a story being told.

9 Acting Troubles

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When it comes to the CW, you shouldn't expect Hollywood levels of acting. That said, there are moments when certain actors don't bring their "A" game in each episode. There are a few cast members who shine (Jesse L. Martin and Tom Cavanagh have mastered their craft), but they are few and far between.

Grant Gustin has had his fair share of cheesy acting, often resorting to shaking his head when he experiences conflict. Legends of Tomorrow also seriously struggled in its first season, having a few new actors who had yet to get into their acting chops. To be fair, this isn't a problem solely related to the Arrowverse, as there are plenty of superhero TV shows that don't have great acting.

8 Wasted Villains

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There are a lot of great DC villains. Even with characters like the Flash and Green Arrow, there are plenty of popular and well-constructed bad guys for these heroes to fight.

While the Arrowverse has used a lot of them, only a few were ever treated properly.

When hearing that Komodo was coming to Arrow, there was potential for the writers to bring a demanding presence to the small screen due to the excellent Outsiders War comic introducing the character. The fact is that many of these awesome characters get wasted. Komodo only appeared in one episode and wasn't interesting at all. Shrapnel was just a guy who knew how to use bombs. And the Rival was little more than a goofy bird-looking speedster.

7 Inconsistent Explanation Of Powers

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When dealing with a fictional world, it's important that the writers establish what the rules of the universe are and stick to them. The Arrowverse has managed this on a general level, but once you begin breaking it down into more specific details, it's clear that the powers and what they do are all over the place.

Due to the nature of the Flash as a character, the writers can't be totally consistent with his speed levels for the sake of not making him overpowered. That said, when he seemingly can't dodge a blast from a gun, it's a bit hard to believe for the Scarlet Speedster. On top of that, it's extremely undefined as to how long Vixen's powers last, as they're never shown just going away after a certain period of time.

6 Long Seasons

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The majority of the Arrowverse shows have seasons that run over 20 episodes (Legends of Tomorrow is slightly under that number). While 20 episodes is fairly standard for television shows on the CW, that number can be quite daunting for the writers.

Keep in mind that they have to find enough content in order to fill all of that time.

This, in the long run, leads to plot threads that never go anywhere, character drama that feels entirely forced, and episodes that don't accomplish anything in the grand scheme of the narrative. At some points, the shows feel like a slog simply because they take so long to get through.  No doubt, the CW could solve some of the Arrowverse's problems if they allowed each season to be shorter and trim the fat.

5 The Same Difference

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Each show in the Arrowverse doesn't follow a main character, but rather, a team of different characters who play off of each other in every episode. Oliver Queen has Felicity, Diggle, and the new team to back him up. Barry Allen has Iris, Joe, Cisco, and Caitlin, in his corner. Legends of Tomorrow hinges around an entire team of superheroes as well.

While exploring a team dynamic isn't bad, the CW is so afraid to shake that formula up that everything, no matter how much it changes, manages to feel like it's the same. The Flash season 4 opened with the loss of Barry to the Speed Force, but he was back before the end of the episode. Likewise, Arrow season 6 opened with the audience not knowing who survived the Lian Yu explosion, only for us to find out that it was just Samantha Clayton who perished.

4 No Stakes

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With superhero shows, each episode is building to a final confrontation with the main hero in costume against the villain who fully embraced their powers. Their fight should be epic, meaningful, and have some stakes for the parties involved. Unfortunately, the Arrowverse doesn't always know how to do it, making certain battles feel like they go through the motions.

The only example where the Arrowverse bucked this trend was with Crisis on Earth X, where Martin Stein was eliminated in battle.

Other than that, each show is so adamant about keeping its characters alive that it never feels like anything is going to change as a result of the conflict. Flashpoint only lasted an episode. Supergirl's love life didn't affect her for very long.

3 Disregard For Source Material

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One of the most popular arguments when talking about live-action adaptations of books is by criticizing the production for "not being like the book." When considering that the adaptations are a certain director's interpretation of the events that happened in the book modeled to fit the new medium, that criticism breaks down fairly quickly.

What does get quite disrespectful is when an adaptation pays no regard to the source material, nearly throwing all of it out the window. The Arrowverse has done this several times. They turned Caitlin Snow into a Jekyll/Hyde type of character. Wild Dog only resembles his comic book counterpart in name nowadays. Lastly, the Atom is more like Iron Man than the Atom from the comics.

2 The Problem With Side Characters

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With TV shows that go on for so long, one of the ways that networks pad out the runtime is by introducing new side characters designed to have recurring appearances in the show. The Arrowverse plays with this strategy as well, except the characters that they introduce tend to be quite grating (for the most part).

One of the worst characters in the entire Arrowverse is Felicity's mother, who feels so tonally inconsistent with the rest of the show.

That's also without mentioning the various boyfriends that both Thea and Felicity had that were just regular people and had nothing to do with the story at hand. Legends of Tomorrow fares better than the other shows, due to allowing a revolving door of superheroes rather than random side characters that drag the story.

1 Extremely Cheesy Moments

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The musical episode of The Flash was a nice nod to both Grant Gustin's and Melissa Benoist's time being on the cast of Glee. That said, it had some cheesy moments that were so painfully awkward to behold. The biggest one was Barry singing a song to Iris at the end of the episode. It went on for nearly three minutes and was extremely cheesy (obviously a pre-recorded piece that Gustin was lip syncing to in the show).

It's mostly the romantic moments in each show that are cheesy (Mon-El describing a woman as his "kryptonite" definitely takes the cake there). That said, everyone defines "cheesy" in their own ways. Some people may watch these scenes and find them more endearing and romantic.