Anime First Episodes

[Dagger]

I try not to judge an anime by its opening episode, but it's difficult to avoid doing so. In my experience, an excellent show will [i]always[/i] have a suitably impressive beginning. This holds true for many series, including RahXephon, Last Exile, Fruits Basket, and Yu Yu Hakusho.

I find that if a show has a bad first episode, I simply lose all interest in seeing the rest of it. Inuyasha initially drew me in because of its interesting and well-directed inception; I gave up on Get Backers after watching only one episode. I [i]wanted[/i] to like Naruto, but its first episode led me to believe that the series wasn't quite so good as everyone seemed to think.

So here's my question: After seeing a mediocre (or really terrible) first episode, are you willing to forgive a show for its initial shortcomings and continue watching it?

~Dagger~

[Kanariya]

[size=1][color=chocolate]Usually, I do give up on an anime if it does have a weird/non interesting beginning. To me, it wouldn't be worth it if the first episode is bad. But again, that's how to get to know more anime and enjoy more. So it's in the middle for me.

I'd look up on the internet to see if the show got good ratings, and then I'd take a chance on it. But usually, if an anime starts out with a sucky episode, I won't watch it.[/size][/color]

[Kent]

Ok, basically, :D...

I [b]used[/b] to rent anime. After renting a dozen shows that were just worthless, I gave up. It was always the first impression that told me whether or not I was going to bother watching the show ever again.

As for the first episode in the series itself, I would continue watching a series even if the first episode didn't hook me.

Sorry to contridict myself, but to illustrate my point...

Kenshin, first time I saw it in video was on cn (sad yes :( ) but I knew the series was awesome overall. I watched the first show and stayed around for the next one. But when I was buying video and renting video to get my anime fix (back then the net wasn't so popular), I always had to go by the first impression.

Does any of that make sense... I will edit. :D :confused:

[AzureWolf]

What's not to make sense in that, Kent? Haha, it's a very coherent comment.

Anyway, yes, "first impressions are lasting." For anime, this fact stands out even more. Why? Because it's hard to find an unbiased review/outlook on an anime. Anime has just not gotten that kind of coverage. You will always find someone shocked that Website X gave a score higher for NEW_ANIME_HERE than Cowboy Bebop or EVA, and to "correct" the score, that person gives an extraordinarily low score to the series. The most blatant (and my favorite) example is currently down, or else I'd give you a link... :(

Until everyone can accept that the "golden age of anime" is not in the past, but possibly in the future (or even present), I don't think reviews are a reliable source for anime recommendations. In short, I'm one of the few who believes that the anime classics will be the anime we are watching now, or will watch in the future.

Boy, what a tangent. The point is, reviews are useless for anime, so you have to fall back on something else. You can't watch every anime all the way through (although my best friend begs to differ), so you gotta go with the ones that [B]immediately[/B] say to you, "I'm a bloody classic, watch me." For example, I was a little skeptical about the concept of "nuns with guns" for Chrno Crusade, but the first episode blew me away. Awesome art and animation, magnificent presentation (the opening and ending are beautiful), dynamic and amiable characters, perfect soundtrack, and a story that captures your interest from the get-go. Although the series' comical edge is changing to a more serious atmosphere, it's still one of the best anime series I've seen, and I can say that with only 5 episodes released.

I also do watch a series because I've liked what the studio has been doing, as is the case with Avenger. It's a disappointment, but it's gotten better as I've watched more - not great, but still improving. Unlike their previous works of .hack//SIGN and Noir, Bee Train's Avenger does not have an entrancing first episode. Still, it's Bee Train, so I'm going to follow the series all the way to it's ending - luckily being only the 12th or 13th episode. :)

Additionally, having friends who have similar tastes and watch more than you is also a good reference.

Nonetheless, the first episode is probably the most important factor to an anime. It introduces you to a variety of things. First off, it introduces you to the concept. Let's use Naruto as an example. You figure out from the first five minutes that the series is about a ninja village who has a michieveous ninja Naruto, who is also the kid who has a demon sealed inside him. I love ninjas, so it's a shoo-in for me already. Second, it introduces you to the characters. If you don't like the characters, you probably aren't going to like the series. Finally, the first episode also shows you the angle/presentation/that special thing of the series that makes it special, unique, or interesting. Naruto has that "magic," and the first episode abused it successfully. I'd say what it is, but I don't want to ruin it for those who haven't started watching the series yet (and it's [B]not[/B] Naruto's "special" technique).

Man, it's been so long since there's been anything to discuss, so forgive my long, drawn-out, off-topic post. :o

[Hittokiri Zero]

First impressions are lasting but can also be misleading. Take a series like Gundam SEED and you see exactly what I mean, while the series started out like a carbon copy of many previous Gundam series and didn't have much going for it soon after it did start to pick up and became a highly enjoyable series for both Gundam and non-gundam fans alike. Other series like Get Backers when they first start out you have no idea what your going to get by watching the first few episodes alone =\. One thing that does turn me off from some animes though are the Opening Sequences and endings. If the music isn't good and it just doesn't look attractive it is hard to be un-biased... It happened to me with Get Backers but luckily I stuck with it and watched the whole thing through XD.

[Moor_Child]

My problem is that I haven't seen much anime from beginning to end. In fact most of the anime I've seen I didn't see the first episode. But, since I love anime so much I'll usually go ahead and watch all of it. Anime is really the only thing I watch anymore, which may seem kinda sad, but it's not like I watch it all the time. The only anime that I thought had a somewhat boring beginning was s-CRY-ed, but I stuck with it anyway and now it's really starting to get interesting.

So, my point is--yes, I am willing to forgive a show for its initial shortcomings and continue watching it.

[Hittokiri Zero]

Oh yes then there are other shows that you watch the beginning and think hey this might be good then they drag on forever and ever XD. *Has flashback to 5th grade when he liked Pokemon and DBZ* :P.

[AzureWolf]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Hittokiri Zero [/i]
[B]Oh yes then there are other shows that you watch the beginning and think hey this might be good then they drag on forever and ever XD. *Has flashback to 5th grade when he liked Pokemon and DBZ* :P. [/B][/QUOTE] Yes, well, you've ever heard of the phrase, "All good things must come to an end?" Unfortunately, Pokemon, DBZ, and Yugioh never figured that out...

[Hittokiri Zero]

It's quite sad actually in the case of DBZ if the series was cut oh say 151 episodes short. Then it could actually have been something great when you compare it to other animes, okay maybe if threw away the horrible animation and sound effects it had a chance, but I just can't stand it when an anime can't seem to take it's footing within the first few episodes and [i]never[/i] ends. I think like you said the statement "all good things must come to an end" was never really taken into account while creating DBZ, Yu-Gi-Oh, and other animes of the likes. Or then again maybe it was but it seems to hold true that success can corrupt a good thing.

[The Mac Attack]

Conversely for me it's usually the final episode which dictates whether I like a series or not. A series could mediocre for a majority, but have a stunning ending which can make up for all of it.

One example of mine is Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040. I probably would've given it three stars, had it not been for the very final scene. It may have been a little cliche, yet I found it quite moving and added an extra star to my score.

An example of an ending which ruined a series for me was Dragonball Z. The means of defeating Kid Buu seemed a bit uninspired and cheesy to me. The following filler episodes were total "jump the shark" moments as well.

There are some anime which I'm definitely going to see through because they had great first episodes though. They are Love Hina and Haibane-Renmei. I had never seen quite a comedy such as Love Hina and so I instantly fell in love it. I'm continuing Haibane-Renmei in the hopes that the characters realise how sad the world they're living in is, and actually do something about it. If they don't though I'm going to be extremely dissapointed.

[duorocks17]

You know how the old saying goes.."You can't judge a book by it's cover" the same holds true for anime. Sure, some of the first eposides might really suck, but that just means whoever wrote it didn't know how to use a "hook", a literary technique that grabs the readers/watchers attention. I've known at least two shows...although i can't think of the names right now....that had really crappy begins, but as the story progressed, it got more and more interesting and kept me watching.

I at least try to give a series a chance, but if i get at least 10 eposides into it and it still sucks...that's when i give up. Also, i sometimes end up starting a series off in the middle of it, and then wishing i could go back to see how it all started. well...that's my opinion...anyway...

[Katana]

I usually go by how an anime's first episode is.
Series that have good beginning episodes:
Yu Yu Hakusho, Inuyasha, FLCL, Trigun
And more. (Although the first episode I saw of Trigun was Love and Peace ^^)
"Don't judge a book by it's cover" holds no meaning to mean, so sorry duorocks17. I've never found that saying to be true, whether it be people or animes.
What I don't like in an anime's first episode is if it just throws you right in there. There was this one anime, what was it...*thinks*...I believe is was Reign: The Conquerer. (Of course, that show is so freakin' scary I don't consider it an anime ^^; ). Also, Blue Gender didn't have that fantastic of a beginning, so I lost intrest in it very quickly.

[Xai]

[color=silver]I have to at least watch 5-8 episodes before I give up on a show.

Even if the first episode isn't particularly exiting, I still like to see where the story goes after that. Although there are exceptions.[/color]

[CB Shin]

Not to get off subject here, but it's strange. When I was younger (11) I first saw Cowboy Bebop. The very first episode. Somehow, I thought it was somewhat boring, but it really made me think. The ending of that one touched my heart in a way. The action wasn't that bad compared to the more comical sessions of Cowboy Bebop, but then I was comparing that one to more action-packed anime like Inuyasha or Outlaw Star. Since then, I've been a fan of Cowboy Bebop and it has been my favorite anime. So, to answer your question, I'd say no. I don't give up on an anime simply because of its first episode. Who knows? I might find a new anime that I like better then CB. (doubt it :D)