Why watch a show you don't like?

[Archon_Wing]

If I only stuck to shows I knew I would like, I'd be missing out on so many and my favorite character list would be half as big. You can't tell some shows are bad at the start or they will stay bad.

Take Yu Yu Hakusho. Almost nobody talks about the first dozen or so episodes because while they're not bad, aren't anything special and sometimes boring. But it gets pretty damned epic a few dozen episodes in.

There's much to be said about Clannad, Kanon, and Nanoha, since I didn't like their first parts at all either, but I would have been a very different anime viewer if I didn't, most likely for the worse.

I can also keep watching a less than par series if there's something worth watching for in spite of the rest. For example, I think that series like Hana Saku Iroha and Oreimo are incredibly mediocre, if not badly written, series but the likes of Ohana and Kuroneko allow me to bypass such things and enjoy myself while I'm not facepalming at whatever stupid shit the show pulls when they're not on screen.

Finally, there's also shows that provide eye candy and nothing else. This usually applies to mediocre series with fanservice and a good budget.

Also, it's funny to hate sometimes just like the many people that like riffing out there. Watching bad anime once in a while also helps you appreciate good anime. Just don't overdo it because you might become a bitter douchebag, and nobody likes them.

[Hiroi Sekai]

I go by my 7-episode rule. No matter the length, if it doesn't hold me by the seventh episode, that's when I'll walk away. Since I usually don't watch really long series, I think it's a fair number.

Aside from that, if I'm writing a review for my blog I go through every episode for my favourite moments, and these are even for series I wasn't 100% sold on.

Most series aren't 100% throwaway, and I can usually find something I like from them. It's why when a series is able to completely unimpress me, I feel even worse off.

By the way, the seven episode rule spawned in K-ON, where I was somewhat bored with the first 6 episodes and all of it changed when that seventh episode hit.

[NK_500]

I only hate the shows which I saw, which 90% of them are not in my MAL account. Best example for me would be Ouran High School Host Club which I dropped twice. No other characters who offended me than Haruhi that bad.

As for School Days I only hated it after I completed it. At least it gave me an important lesson "if you see it coming, why stand on its way?".

Any yaoi and fujioshi fanservice shows are easy to avoid and so I don't have to talk about it(just like fujioshi towards moe and ecchi shows).

[Infinite Zenith]

Originally Posted by papermario13689

I go by my 7-episode rule. No matter the length, if it doesn't hold me by the seventh episode, that's when I'll walk away. Since I usually don't watch really long series, I think it's a fair number.

You're more tolerant than I am: I go by the three-episode rule. If something doesn't sit well with me in three episodes, I ragequit stop watching it. I also find that I'm less likely to drop something if I can watch most of the episodes in a reasonably short period of time, simply because I can move to the next very rapidly.

From the three-episode rule, I would have dropped K-On! almost immediately, and in fact, that's why I didn't watch it when it first came out in 2009: having watched one episode, I originally felt that my interests did not lie there. It wasn't until I heard some of the music that I changed my mind. I have no regrets

[Hiroi Sekai]

Originally Posted by ForwardUntoDawn

You're more tolerant than I am: I go by the three-episode rule. If something doesn't sit well with me in three episodes, I ragequit stop watching it. I also find that I'm less likely to drop something if I can watch most of the episodes in a reasonably short period of time, simply because I can move to the next very rapidly.

Three's a safe number, so I used to do the same. However, at the time of K-ON's release, I planned to drop it at 3 and someone basically enforced me to keep watching, at least to 7. Ever since, I raised it to seven and realized that would be more than enough for any series to have a chance.

I do agree that the three episode rule will maximize priorities and make everything more efficient, but I also don't wish to miss any potentially good series in that manner.

[Infinite Zenith]

Originally Posted by papermario13689

Three's a safe number, so I used to do the same. However, at the time of K-ON's release, I planned to drop it at 3 and someone basically enforced me to keep watching, at least to 7. Ever since, I raised it to seven and realized that would be more than enough for any series to have a chance.

I do agree that the three episode rule will maximize priorities and make everything more efficient, but I also don't wish to miss any potentially good series in that manner.

I only do the three episode rule because I'm usually busy With that in mind, there are some cases where I've gone back and picked up a show I previously dropped to give it a second shot, and other times where I felt a show to be favourable after completing it, only for my opinions to change later. There's no right or wrong way of enjoying media: at the end of the day, through watching things, I'm left with a better understanding of what tickles my fancy, and what doesn't.

[Kirarakim]

Originally Posted by Archon_Wing

Take Yu Yu Hakusho. Almost nobody talks about the first dozen or so episodes because while they're not bad, aren't anything special and sometimes boring. But it gets pretty damned epic a few dozen episodes in.

I must be the "Almost Nobody" because I love those early episodes of Yu Yu Hakusho. Honestly I kind of liked those episodes more than the tournament/fighting aspect of the series.

But then I liked the 4 main characters and their interactions and that came later.

[Flower]

Sometimes I will watch a series I did not like initially to give it "another try". A recent couple of examples of this are Ryo-kyo-bu!, Oda Nobuna and Sankarea (still seeing if I can finish this one).

The first two are not that bad - I dropped them because they did not catch my interest at the time and I had other series I wanted to watch. Sankarea has been praised by some posters whose opinions I respect, and while I heartily dislike anything to do with flesh-eating zombies I am giving it a try. I have read a fair number of manga chs. available up to now and had mixed feelings about it....

[Chiibi]

I don't get people who do this either. I'm not a masochist. I'm a sadist.

I never do this by choice. Or normally, if I really hate it, I'll turn it off. Sometimes it takes a while for the hate to set in after I've seen it though.

I must be the "Almost Nobody" because I love those early episodes of Yu Yu Hakusho. Honestly I kind of liked those episodes more than the tournament/fighting aspect of the series.

Chalk up this second "Almost Nobody".

[Triple_R]

Personally, the only time I'd watch a show that I truly loathe, and follow it right to the bitter end, is if it's a sequel to a show I did like, and liked alot. Since I'm already emotionally invested in this fictional universe and/or its characters, I feel compelled to watch it to the end.


Now, as for why a fair number of of people do this, I think that some people just love scathing reviews in general (both reading them and writing them). Simon Cowell, Zero Punctuation Reviews, the Angry Video Game Nerd, the Nostalgia Critic, etc... are all clear examples of how a lot of people just love scathing reviews.

And it kind of makes sense when you think about it. People probably love them for much the same reason why people just can't look away from a trainwreck.

I have to admit that some scathing reviews are very entertaining to me, just in how colorful and comically effective they are.

I think some bloggers (including some anime bloggers) gain a following largely due to their scathing reviews. Of course, the price of such popularity is that to "please your audience" you have to watch shows you genuinely consider crap so you have material for your comedic scathing review.

[Kaioshin Sama]

Originally Posted by Jan-Poo

Well... you are one of those guys Kaioshin.
So basically your answer is:

"research purposes"
"Keep informed on series" (the most popular ones?)
"forging personal standard" (do you need to go through 20 or more episodes?)

Can you clarify if there are cases where you kept watching a series that you really didn't like at all, or if, in spite of your criticism, you still enjoyed them a bit?

I have a hard time clarifying that statement further but admittedly it's not something most people would do so maybe it's necessary. Let met try to think of somet way to explain it better. By research purposes I essentially mean being aware of trends and popular opinions. What people like, what they are saying about stuff, how it contrasts with my own views, it's all the sort of thing that interests me as a SocSci student. Basically I like to understand what makes people tick, especially people whose views on things differ wildly from mine. If I look at a show from a different perspective how does it fare compared to my own perspective? These are the questions I like to look for answers too even if I'm not convinced I'm going to find them if I can learn a little bit about others in the process I consider it worth while to drop a post in a thread for a show I'm not too keen on. I think that deals with the first two questions.

Forging personal standards basically means if I can hammer out the things I don't like to see via experiencing them for myself I can better predict if a show is to my tastes or not. Looking for signs, cues and other clues in a series that has already proven to my distaste I can be better equipped to avoid getting tricked into watching a series that won't end up being worth my while in this era of strange genre fusions where even my favorite once surefire good times like mecha series may no longer be what I think it's going to be. Basically this ultimately boils down yet again to a matter of research.

An example of a series I kept watching that I really didn't like at all? Guilty Crown and almost any sci-fi series by Bones in the last few years (Eureka Seven Ao, Star Driver, No. 6) come to mind immediately. Shows I've enjoyed somewhat in spite of frequent criticism for them are almost too many to count, but from this year two examples that spring to mind are Gundam AGE and Total Eclipse. Both have some pretty significant issues with their production, but not enough to completely destroy the enjoyment I get out of watching them. Essentially these are shows wehre the good overwhelms the bad for me, more often than not, though not always.

[Hiroi Sekai]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Personally, the only time I'd watch a show that I truly loathe, and follow it right to the bitter end, is if it's a sequel to a show I did like, and liked alot. Since I'm already emotionally invested in this fictional universe and/or its characters, I feel compelled to watch it to the end.


Now, as for why a fair number of of people do this, I think that some people just love scathing reviews in general (both reading them and writing them). Simon Cowell, Zero Punctuation Reviews, the Angry Video Game Nerd, the Nostalgia Critic, etc... are all clear examples of how a lot of people just love scathing reviews.

And it kind of makes sense when you think about it. People probably love them for much the same reason why people just can't look away from a trainwreck.

I have to admit that some scathing reviews are very entertaining to me, just in how colorful and comically effective they are.

I think some bloggers (including some anime bloggers) gain a following largely due to their scathing reviews. Of course, the price of such popularity is that to "please your audience" you have to watch shows you genuinely consider crap so you have material for your comedic scathing review.

Good point. It's important to remember that these "reviewers" are simply characters. AVGN likes video games, NC likes movies, etc., and it works the same way as Gordon Ramsey's character is just a stage persona. You watch live cooking videos of him, and he's a really fun-loving and nice family man. As such, it's important to separate these reviewers from the "to-the-point" and "strictly business" reviewers. To be honest, I don't trust reviewers at all with what I will and won't like anyways, since preferences are a subjective matter.

When I blog, I try and do so as honestly as possible. Since there's very little I can actually find 100% boring, majority of my posts are just happy in general. I'm not an angry person, so characterizing myself as such would make things quite bad. I think you just need to watch what you like, and share your honest opinions if you wish to. Doesn't mean you can't have some fun doing it though.

[Archon_Wing]

Originally Posted by Kirarakim

I must be the "Almost Nobody" because I love those early episodes of Yu Yu Hakusho. Honestly I kind of liked those episodes more than the tournament/fighting aspect of the series.

But then I liked the 4 main characters and their interactions and that came later.

And that is why I never say "Nobody"

Anyhow, the point I'm making is that if I had condemned the show just because I didn't like the first dozen episodes then I would have never watched a great show. And a dozen episodes is a lot these days, considering it can be an entire series.

Patience is often rewarded.

[Echoes]

Originally Posted by papermario13689

I go by my 7-episode rule. No matter the length, if it doesn't hold me by the seventh episode, that's when I'll walk away. Since I usually don't watch really long series, I think it's a fair number.

Such saint-like patience. That's more than half of your average show. I usually give them two episodes, then I might pick it up again if I hear a lot of positive buzz about later events. Exceptions are made if I think the show has a lot of latent potential.

Originally Posted by papermario13689

Most series aren't 100% throwaway, and I can usually find something I like from them. It's why when a series is able to completely unimpress me, I feel even worse off.

Agreed! That's what I like so much about anime in general, there's usually a silver lining somewhere. Great voicework, nice visuals, opening/ending and a few characters you like can get you through a one-cour series even if the main course isn't stellar. I'm equally distraught when I find something I genuinely dislike across the board, especially if I foolishly end up finishing it. I try not to take that out on the forum too much though.

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

I rarely willing to watch a show that I don’t enjoy simply because my time is too precious for that. Usually, if a show piques my interest, I give it a shot depending on the number of its entire episodes (3 for 12 eps, 5 for 24/25/26 eps, and 10 for 50 eps). In the case of “super” series like Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Bleach, etc, I just read the manga and usually try the first season of the anime and continue on from there as long as it keeps me interested (by also skipping fillers). Otherwise, I’ll just watch it occasionally.

There are exceptions which depends on the situation. For example, when I was in college, my friend gave me a collection of anime titles. Some of them I found boring after trying a few episodes. Still, when I had nothing better to do at the dorm, I watched them just for the sake of it (usually, curiosity became the main drive). That’s basically how I finish some anime series that I don’t like such as DearS, Macross Frontier, Akane-Iro ni Somaru Saka, Tsukihime, Shining Tears x Wind, etc.

I also want to add that, sometimes, fans of a big franchise (like Gundams & Macross) feel obligated to watch whatever show spawned by the said franchise. For example, as a fan of Gundam & Saint Seiya (not mentioning other franchises that I follow) I feel obligated to watch and finish even the terribad outings like Gundam AGE, Gundam SEED Destiny, Saint Seiya Hades Inferno and Elysium just to know what the company was doing to my beloved franchise. It can be tormenting, but I think that's what it means to be a fan .

[Magin]

Off the top of my head, I can only think of a few shows that I've completely dropped for good- Madlax and the final season of Nanoha (A's was excellent, but StrikerS... I couldn't take it anymore, for various reasons), along with Tokyo Magnitude 11.0 (or whatever it was). There's several shows that are on extremely long hiatus, and Madlax could technically qualify there. But anyways, I usually have certain criteria for what shows I will watch (so they usually end up being from the same genre ), and will only watch other shows that I hear extremely good things about.

However, at least half the time I usually end up watching shows that are "meh"- not particularly to my interest, but not superbad either. These shows I usually end up sticking with because they've got just one or two elements that keep me watching. A good example of this is Mouretsu Pirates- although I can't really say it was bad, I had to push myself through it due to a certain element that was semi-present but... well, the space battles were good, and I loved the crew of the Bentenmaru (the high school girls, OTOH...). Not to mention that since this is the main forum I visit on the net, I try to at least watch one show that's under the Currently Airing section, and this was a show that was under that heading at the time (however, I am currently not watching any show under that heading)

[gsilver]

A lot of the time, if I'm watching a show that I don't currently like, it's because I used to like it, and I'm hoping that it will recapture what it used to have. It's also somewhat common for me to be hoping that it will get better... though the latter requires a strong endorsement from someone whose opinion I trust to even give it that much.

Then there is the rare case of shows like Future Diary. The trainwreck was so glorious that I couldn't look away, even if the plot was all over the place, the characters were constantly making the worst possible choices, and I periodically cringed because what was going on was so mind-bogglingly stupid... The trainwreck was too glorious for me to look away.

[MartianMage]

If it's really popular stuff... I'll try to finish it even though I don't find a show that good. It helps for future conversation when these popular animes are brought into the topic...

Although... that doesn't mean I won't drop it if it really bores me to no end and I can't really see any redemption to it... I dropped Railgun and pretty much didn't bother with the 2nd season of Index after trudging through the first season lol. Did the same thing for K-On. :P

[Jan-Poo]

Originally Posted by papermario13689

I go by my 7-episode rule. No matter the length, if it doesn't hold me by the seventh episode, that's when I'll walk away. Since I usually don't watch really long series, I think it's a fair number.

7 episode rule is quite a lot. In the case of a 26 or more episode series I guess it's okay, but when it's 13 or even less, I think that at that point you might as well just watch it to the end.

Many people here mentioned those anime who have a bad or mediocre start and then become awesome. But usually in those cases you just need to ask the general opinion. They'll generally tell you when you should wait a few episodes before judging an anime and when if you didn't like the first you might as well drop it because it won't get any better.

I can't count the times where someone said "watch until the third episode of Madoka", for example.

Though I guess this doesn't work if you are the kind of person that absolutely wants to watch a good shows at the same time as everyone else.

I am practically the opposite, I have a bit of a problem wasting my time with worthless anime, so the only times when I watch anime at the same time they are released is when I know already what they are about and\or I'm moderately sure I'm going to enjoy them (because I know the authors, because the plot is something that particular interests me, or simply because the chara design is so appealing that that alone is worth going though a pointless plot).

For the rest I just wait until I see there's enough people that particularly like it.
And in those case, even if I end up hating it, I won't be able to write anything more than a single post of criticism.

[Hiroi Sekai]

Originally Posted by Jan-Poo

7 episode rule is quite a lot. In the case of a 26 or more episode series I guess it's okay, but when it's 13 or even less, I think that at that point you might as well just watch it to the end.

Many people here mentioned those anime who have a bad or mediocre start and then become awesome. But usually in those cases you just need to ask the general opinion. They'll generally tell you when you should wait a few episodes before judging an anime and when if you didn't like the first you might as well drop it because it won't get any better.

I can't count the times where someone said "watch until the third episode of Madoka", for example.

Though I guess this doesn't work if you are the kind of person that absolutely wants to watch a good shows at the same time as everyone else.

I am practically the opposite, I have a bit of a problem wasting my time with worthless anime, so the only times when I watch anime at the same time they are released is when I know already what they are about and\or I'm moderately sure I'm going to enjoy them (because I know the authors, because the plot is something that particular interests me, or simply because the chara design is so appealing that that alone is worth going though a pointless plot).

For the rest I just wait until I see there's enough people that particularly like it.
And in those case, even if I end up hating it, I won't be able to write anything more than a single post of criticism.

No see, but that's the point- I do come back to finish most of the time. Stuff like Kill Me Baby and PapaKiki I had dropped for the time being, but later on I came back to finish up the last few episodes.

For me, three's a little bit too short. Seven's admittedly long, but a middle ground still misses things for me.