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10 Anime That Only Get Good After A Few Episodes

Some anime are electric from the first minute, but it’s much more common for series to slowly creep out of their comfort zone.

There is such perpetual excitement surrounding the animated industry because it is an endlessly innovative and versatile entertainment medium. There are hundreds of anime series that are considered foundational classics, however, each year presents more subversive and challenging stories for the public to discover. Some anime are electric from the first minute, but it’s much more common for series to slowly creep into their comfort zone and figure out where their strengths lie.

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It is not easy to distinguish between anime with slow starts that are worth the investment and those that never fully come together. There is so much anime out there that it’s only natural for viewers to jump ship when something isn’t working, but there are some special shows that are just late developments.

10 Dragon Ball GT Doesn’t Really Find Its Footing Until The Baby Invasion


Anime Dragon Ball GT Black Star Dragon Ball Pan Reflection

The harshest critics of Dragon Ball GT, the controversial sequel series, I would say all 64 episodes are skippable. The quirky anime establishes a distinct voice and attempts to return to the original. Dragon Balls lighter aspects, which was a jarring pivot for those who craved Dragon Ball Z brand action. Dragon Ball GT The course corrects with the introduction of Baby and a greater focus on battles, but this is not until the 17th episode of the series. There was so much concern that the public would not stay beyond Dragon Ball GT opening episodes that the English dub of the series even skips the first 16 installments and starts right with Baby.

9 Gintama comes to life once the audience meets all the characters in Edo


There are few anime series that follow their own rules more than Gintama. The prolific long-running shonen series. deftly navigates between emotional melodrama, surreal comedyand perfect parodies of pop culture. gintama It starts off with an odd approach that’s meant to give manga readers something to hang on to, but it’s a confusing introduction for anime newcomers. Some people immediately connect with the series’ unique sensibilities, but for others gintama it doesn’t shine fully until its many supporting characters are fleshed out. of gintama The wild cast of characters is the beating heart of the anime and essential to its success.


8 Black Clover’s young hero is a lot to handle at the start of the series


Asta in Black Clover Episode 170 ending scene

Shonen series love to embrace the underdog archetype and begin their adventures with protagonists who have a long way to go on their way to becoming heroes. Consequently, many shonen series struggle with protagonists who are too strong and overdo it with their inexperience.

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7 Steins;Gate and its Trippy narrative take time to prove their points


Rintaro and his friends meet in Ikebukuro at Steins Gate.

There are endless stories of time travel crumbling under the weight of their own lofty ideas. It is difficult to explore that territory in an original way, but also free of inconsistencies. jugs; door is a masterpiece when it comes to serialized storytelling and layered characterizations, but the The anime’s biggest hurdle is getting through the initial season. of 12 episodes. The beginning of jugs; door It’s not bad, but the pacing requires a lot more faith from its audience, but at the same time it’s essential to the longer story the series tells. The patience of the first season allows subsequent episodes to hit harder.


6 The First JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Saga Plays As A Somber Set


Anime JoJos Bizarre Adventure Phantom Blood Young Jonathan Evil Dio Awakens

by Hirohiko Araki JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure has proven to be one of the most creative and original series of its kind. jojo It encompasses many of the action-heavy tropes that consume the shonen genre, but the series frequently reinvents itself through its shifting generational storytelling. Each main chapter of jojo focuses on a different member of the Joestar family tree, but this structural convention is not apparent when the The anime begins with ghost blood. This introductory saga is absolutely essential to JoJo’s Bizarre Adventurebut it is also the shortest with only 9 episodes and they have a very different look than what follows.


5 Kill La Kill’s tonal extremes are looser as the series begins


Ryuko is bored in class in Kill La Kill

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kill the prey subverts standard fight sequences, alien invasions, magical girl transformations, and Shakespearean melodrama, all with absolutely stunning visual effects courtesy of Studio TRIGGER. A lot of things are happening in kill the prey that’s easy to miss at first glance; creates an elevated world that benefits over time.


4 Attack On Titan’s delicate world-building wears some viewers down


Every few years, there are certain anime series that connect on unprecedented levels and completely take over the fandom. attack on titan is one of the most rewarding anime of the last decade and will end on a high note instead of watering down its message. The final seasons of attack on titan they’re especially satisfying with how they connect the dots with so many elements from the anime’s early seasons. These parallels are a testament to Attack the titans impressive foresight. However, the first episodes are a bit lost in the universe of the series and stumbles upon the introduction of many characters.




3 Higurashi: The full picture of When They Cry requires patience


higurashi 2006

It’s never a good idea to judge a book by its cover and there are anime series like Higurashi: when they cry that intentionally exploit such surface-level assumptions. Higurashi watch a lovable cast of young characters, but soon their frivolity of everyday life is overrun by serial murders, a mysterious and unconventional virusand vengeful deities who can manipulate time and space. The tradition of Higurashi The franchise has become more complex, but all of these supernatural twists enhance the ever-evolving story. There is much to deconstruct in Higurashi and so the first episodes of the anime are also the simplest.


two The opening episodes of Made In Abyss cling to happiness before darkness comes


Riko, Nanachi and Reg surrounded by flowers.

It’s always a treat when an anime’s story and themes are executed so elegantly through the tone and pacing of its episodes. made in abyss It begins as an upbeat adventure as young Cave Raider Riko befriends a robot boy, Reg, and they venture into unprecedented territory. Each descending level of the titular Abyss is considerably more dangerous and the anime’s attitude reflects this impending doom. made in abyss becomes a mature and devastating storybut its initial installments make it seem more like a children’s fantasy series.


1 Yu Yu Hakusho steps forward once the Dark Tournament begins


NEXT: 10 Ongoing Anime That Are Starting To Get Good

Hetalia's England (left);  Yume from Pupa (right)


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