Forum - View topicAnime's 3-Episode Rule: Is It Still Valid?
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louis6578
 Posts: 1861 |
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While the length for when to give up on a show varies, I think the minimal chance you should give any anime that doesn't offend you on a personal level is the full first episode. These days, that's enough to at least know if you'll like the thing.
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TnAdct1
Posts: 117 |
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In terms of the three episode rule and this season, there's one show where it's not going to work: Bofuri Season II.
On some other places that I visit, I have been reading about some people dropping the show after the most recent episode, complaining about the show rushing things and Maple being too OP. As someone who has been reading the WN, I actually felt that the stuff that the stuff covered in episodes 2-4 were actually some the weaker material in it (5th Layer wasn't really explored that much in the WN as well, while the 6th Layer and 7th Event lacked the ensemble aspect that helped make things more interesting). However, I also know full well about the exciting events that take place in the 7th Layer, with me actually skipping the 7th Event to go directly to the start of the 7th Layer upon reading about one moment that will more than likely be appearing on the episode airing this coming Wednesday. Thus, I could understand the opening episodes not being up to par with Season 1, as the content itself was weak in the WN, with Silver Link rushing through it in order to get to the more entertaining stuff much quicker (instead of having to wait until late February for it). |
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kotomikun
Posts: 1205 |
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This version usually makes sense. Someone in the Fire Hunter thread added the interpretation of "if the first episode is good, but the second one sucks, watch the third before dropping it," which also works. The problem is that the rule is most often interpreted as "if you watched less than 3 episodes of a show and dropped it, you didn't give it a fair shot." No one seems to have a single example show that most people agree requires 3 episodes to get a feel for; even Madoka, the show that popularized this concept, has plenty of people who thought the first episode was enough of a hook. Maybe we should think of this as a preference, instead of a law that we all have to follow. We now have a review batch each season of the first episode (sometimes first two) of each show, so you can preemptively drop a show based on someone else's impression of one-third of three episodes. If you want to watch 3+ episodes of every show anyway, no one's stopping you; but not everyone is able or willing to do that. You could make the argument that if everyone did that, some types of slow-burn plots might be more popular, but many people would find this too demanding and stop watching anime entirely. Better to just let people make their own decisions in their own ways. |
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Feng Lengshun
 Posts: 50 Location: Indonesia |
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I personally don't see a point in committing either way. Watch anything that looks interesting, for as long as you enjoy it, and if you don't enjoy it or you got busy, then drop it anywhere anytime - if it's actually good, then people will talk about it, and then you can watch it again.
Everyone's just looking for the next entertainment, no need to make a big deal out of it as if you need to finish every show or watch only good shows. Side note, this is also why I think people should stop being so hysterical about spoilers. You can enjoy anything, even if you've been spoiled on it. If anything, it makes you more of an informed viewer, and you can appreciate a story better for its craft in its entirety, than just its slight of hand at that moment. I can understand not wanting to know everything about a show, but there's nothing wrong with looking up some spoiler to see if it'll be a story for you or not. |
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18185 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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Late to the party here because of a frightfully busy few days, but as a very long-time anime fan, I've never put much stock in the 3 episode test. Is it a reasonable amount of commitment to give a series a chance to prove itself? Sure. But it's never been universally-applicable, and I don't see current series being much different on that than, say, series airing one or even two decades ago.
I have had many, many anime series over the years win me over with just a strong first episode, including some of the most prominent titles of the past 15 years. There have also been others that I've been iffy about after one but was solidly won over after two. (Toradora immediately comes to mind as an example of the latter, and it's especially applicable since I doubt that the weaker episode 3 changed anyone's mind about the series.) Neither of those feels substantially more common this season or in recent times than in any other anime era I've experienced. So yeah, any observation that the 3 episode rule is fading from relevance is subjective and overblown, since it was never prevalent to begin with. |
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Spastic Minnow
 Bargain HunterExempt from Grammar Rules  Posts: 4609 Location: Gainesville, FL |
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Hey, I'll drop a series 10 episodes out of 12 if I suddenly realize it's just run off the rails.
Currently trying to motivate myself to watch the last 3-4 episodes of A Couple of Cuckoos... which at 20 out of 24 or so finazlly got to the point where I muight as well finish it... but if I don't- not much of a loss. JUst drop a show when you realize it's not working. If you had to go 3 to convince yourself- great, but don't feel confined by it. |
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Mr. sickVisionz
 Posts: 2173 |
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When I first got into anime, I had some odd compulsion to finish everything I started watching even if I wasn't enjoying it. I been stopped doing that. I don't think you have to watch anything for any amount of time but my personal rules are:
* If a show super sucks then I stop watching it, no matter how little of it I've seen. * Sometimes a show doesn't super suck, but it isn't particularly good either and it's like, "maybe this could end up as something I don't love but I don't consider a waste of time having completed it"... I'll give that 2-3 episodes. The plot might change but the do I like this or not-ness of a show generally doesn't change from my experience. I've never actively disliked a show after 3 episodes, watched more of it and at the end I was like, "that was great!". Japan is a different culture but I still think they they put their best foot forwards and strive to make a good first impression. If that is them putting their best foot forward then you should take it for what it is imo. |
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Desslok
Posts: 178 |
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There's been a couple of shows for me that had a terrible first episode, but pushing on to the 3rd often sold me. The most recent example was I figured what the hell - lets finally see what One Piece was all about. I'd heard the name as long as I can remember, the show always has good buzz about it, I figured it was finally time to climb that mountain.
That very first episode was maximum cringe. As in I almost didn't get through it - but I figured "Fine, I'll stick to the rule and invest two more episodes into it". By the 3rd, I figured out the stride of the show. By that point, I found the show charming in it's goofyness - enough so that I stuck it out through the end of the first story arc (what, about episode 8 or 10 or so). At the end of the day, I didn't feel my time was wasted, I enjoyed what I did watch, but it just wasn't for me. I wouldn't have gotten to that point if I hadn't followed The Law. |
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