weird how we need multiple episodes to learn how to recognize a good anime in 1 episode

Here's the thing with arguing on whether to pick up a series based on a first episode. If a show fails to deliver something interesting in the first episode, then the pilot failed its job. Episode 1 needs to do one thing and one thing only... ...to get you wanting to watch Episode 2.

Never forget The Endless Eight, and Those Who Survived. [tears]

When I first watched Lucky Star, I was immediately hooked in those first 8 minutes. Just the weirdness of characters talking for 8 minutes about how to eat food was so strange that I felt an immediate need to keep watching. By the end, I was a fan, and when I finally picked up the DVD set years later, I marathoned it as soon as I was home.

I forgot just how Clannad the Haruhi faces were it's been a while

I'm very simple man, I see Haruhi Suzumiya, I smash that like button

I think, aside from being my first ever slice-of-life, moe type anime, what I love the most about Lucky Star is the fact that it starts as if it were in the middle of a running season. I love that there's no inner monologue from a character describing another person, there's no lengthy exposition to get us, the viewers, to understand why we should like this character. It just starts with 10 full minutes of how the girls eat food, and I instantly felt immersed into the group as well as loving each character from the get go. I probably haven't seen that many slice-of-life animes, so maybe there are others that start with no introduction either, but I just love that we're just dropped into it.

i find it funny as i always vowed lucky star as one of the best first episodes ever BECAUSE it throws you in without any introduction as one of the most "wtf" discussions that could happen in a classroom i totally felt like the "exchange student" thats gonna have to deal with these people for a year and theyre the ones that pulled me to their table i found it brilliant and its still one of my favorite and most suggested slice of life/comedy animes out there, the other one being azumanga daioh

Lucky Star is still my go-to anime to bench watch

The first episode of Azumanga Daioh I think was a better version of Lucky Star's first episode because it grabbed your attention with its humor and the characters weren't just standing around talking.

If I were to use this comment section to barter with when salt was a currency, I would be awfully rich.

One of the biggest problems with people in this comment section is that they don't know the difference between "I don't like it because it's not my kind of show" and when something is "bad". Saying that you don't like slice of anime doesn't make Lucky Star bad. It simply means that the show isn't for you. The same could be said for Haruhi. While for me personally it transcends the fact that I don't like high school anime (I can probably count on one hand the amount of anime that base a majority of their time within a school that I've finished), if you have nothing but contempt for that kind of show, then OF COURSE it's not for your taste. Your taste has nothing to do with whether or not the show is made of good quality for the people who do like that show. Also, people in this comment section have no idea what "moe" means and seem to use it for every high school anime they watch. Haruhi, regardless of whether you like or don't like the show, is not moe.

Baccano is literally one of my favorite animes. I had almost no idea what was happening during the first half of the first viewing, since it was so complicated and kept jumping back and forth between stories, but the rewatch was the best

The first episode of Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress and Zankyou no Terror were great, but the rest of these shows went on to be complete trash. Your 'technique' just doesn't apply everywhere.

I remain unconvinced honestly

I tried getting through Lucky Star episode 1 three times and never made it through lol

I think some of the frustration being expressed in this and the previous episode's comment section stems from the gap between what we expect from the title of this series, and the actual content of the episodes. I am very much enjoying Digibro's discussion of various animes and how their opening episodes relate to the series as wholes, but when I clicked this video, I thought he would be giving us a toolkit with which we could (attempt to) judge the quality of animes based only on a viewing of their first episodes, and thereby speed up our selection process. I like this series, regardless of my feelings about the various animes being discussed, but the title feels a bit misleading.

I see a lot of people complain about the fact that in these 2 episodes digi defended very specific 1' episode from series that he really like. I think those people are right. The best way to explain the problem is comparing these 2 videos with the "asterix war sucks" series: in that series he talked a lot about the problem of asterix BUT he used those problem to talk about the problems of the entire genre (and A-1 picture) like the cliche, the male character and bad world creation. IN this series Digi focus a lot (really a lot) on very specific anime with controversial 1' episode, he didn't talk about a good show with a good 1' episode that everyone loves. If i have to say what i learned from these 2 episodes is "Digi really like criptic 1' episode that are easier to understand once you have watched all the episodes" which goes against the logic of "recognize greatness from 1 episode". I won't say that he is wrong, there are show that are great in the first episode and you feel "this will be great" but there are A LOT of show that start great and go down. I get that this is not a discussion about how important is the ending in a show (that should be another video) but i still think this was not the best way to explain how 1 episode is enough, the message is more something like "if you see a weird 1' episode continue watching the series so everything will make sense".

How to Recognize a Great Anime in just one episode (but only if you've already seen the whole series)

There's a flaw in your argument: You're positing that Lucky Star is a great show.

*Watches vid* *Learns everything about haruhi and gets everything about stein's gate spoiled* *Is still confused how to know if an anime is good by one episode*

If I had to pick out one anime with an incredible first episode, it would have to be the original Fullmetal Alchemist. You get a great introduction into Ed and Al's central brother relationship, a feel for the show's varying tones (fit with humor, action, contemplation, and outright fear), and a great introduction to some of the show's central themes (religion, the boundaries of science, how to move on from the past). It was truly excellent, and perfect for the series.

oh my God I need to watch Lucky Star again

I don't see why this youtube channel isn't more popular. Love this in depth analysis.

So good series have good first episodes, therefore if the first episode is good then the series is good. If I followed this advice I never would have finished Berserk which is my favorite manga.

Prohibition-era Chicago* You know... where all the mobsters in the '20s were.

This video has given me a brand new appreciation for first episodes I had never had before for many of my favorite anime. I would like to thank you for this amazing analysis of first episodes that do not, at least at first glance, seem to be all that interesting or maybe very confusing for viewers but in reality prepare the world you are jumping into. Thank you for your video Digibro and I hope to see more soon.

Good Advice man, and great analysis. Keep it up :)

This time it isn't a Steins;Gate Episode 1 review, and thankfully so. A Part 2 was very much needed to expand on your point. Good video Digibro.

Daily reminder that there is a scene in Lucky Star where they discuss their periods.

5:30 I haven't seen Haruhi yet, but are those Pheonix Wright references?

Like the content hope you keep up the new series

Let's get some things straight guys. This is just *ONE* perspective Digibro is presenting. Whether you believe his perspective, the "Three-Episode Rule" or finishing an anime from start to finish, all of these methods are just theories on figuring out if there is a minimum episode requirement to figure out if a show is *worth* watching at all. I honestly disagree with this method but I can see its' potential for some more genre-savvy viewers. Just use the method that works best for you.

I love Lucky Star and still do

i watched the first episode of lucky star and kept asking "when are they gonna stop talking about food?" but after the episode was over i thought "i wonder what they would have said about hotdogs, tacos, doughnuts, etc?" i found that talking about food developed the characters so well that i thought of them as almost real, while not seeming forced. that's good writing.

"Lucky star is a cross between an adaption of a 4-koma manga and a free form radio program." Extremely salient point. Thanks digi.

but is the first episode of your favorite anime trash heh

Ponytail best Haruhi

Absolutely love these videos! By the way, when is the next Digi Bro's let's play?

I was actually hooked on Lucky Star from the very first episode, as I related so much to the chocolate cornet scene. Every interaction and line in that scene is almost EXACTLY what I say to my friends when we're all together, so I just felt like I was hanging out with my best friends immediately. I had no clue it was so divisive in the community xD. I also highly appreciated the show immediately for having the guts to have an 8 minute scene of PURELY talking about an insignificant food.

So to tell if an anime is going to be good by its first episode, you have to be steeply immersed and familiar with anime... ...How does this help a newcomer like me?

This comment section. I've seen more positive energy from a graveyard. At least there are flowers.

man, digi. I normally like your work but this, I just couldn't get past the 5 minute mark. because I seriously need to watch this show. It looks amazing.

I only recently watched Lucky Star for the first time, but it's absolutely one of the best shows I've ever seen. I think it's been long enough that the world definitely needs another Lucky Star.

When you said eating was your favorite pastime I realized why I have different taste in anime to you

Maybe the reason you've never seen a good show with a bad first episode is *because* you drop everything after the first episode? ............... Idk it could be the reason......?

My friend and I were so shocked with the first episode of Harumi, we rewatched it again. We then both concluded that we loved it and rewatched the funny scene of the machine gun backlash.

As an Anime novice at the age of 21 I'm glad you are making this series. It is helpful in digging through the pile.

Your perspective seems to focus on style more than substance when you evaluate a first episode, which is where I think some people might not relate. I've heard so many people complain about Durarara because "nothing happens" for the first few episodes, in much the same way that people complain about Steins;Gate for not being interesting until later in the plot. I think that if you view these things with an eye for style and an appreciation for buildup/development, the times in each of these shows that the plot seems to not be progressing as much are just as good at representing the mood of the entire anime as the most intense moments. The problem is, a lot of people don't pay that close of attention to things like that, they are just interested in where the plot is going and how quickly it can get there. I think that's the reason why a lot of people say to watch 3 episodes first, because normally if you don't pay attention to the style of an anime, you'll at least get an idea for exactly where the plot is going by then, or maybe if you haven't evaluated for yourself if this is something you will or will not like by the first episode, you'll notice within 3 episodes if you have or haven't been enjoying yourself so far. I can personally agree with you and not feel guilty for dropping a mediocre anime after one episode, but for some of my friends that may not view it the same way as me, I'll still probably recommend that they give it a few episodes because to them it might seem to change in quality by then.

Digi, I understand that you are an american. BUT FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, SAY YOUR FRENCH WORDS RIGHT. C'EST RAISON D'ÊTRE, pas "reason de tear, I can't speak French for shit". PUTAINS, C'EST EMBÊTANT!

I won't lie, as much as I enjoyed the rest of the video that little shout-out to MrBTongue was a highlight for me.

Baccano is the only series to date where after having finished the binge watch of the series, I watched it again then and there.

Just been reminded tenfold that Episode 1 of Lucky Star is easily, EASILY my favourite first episode of anime. For new viewers, I'd honestly recommend the show in English if you wanna see people really breathe life into their roles.

Poor titling. This series is not "how to recognize a great anime by its first episode", it's "Digi defends a few specific first episodes that other people tended not to like". That has fuck all to do with the title of these videos. It's fine to hear WHY you liked these first episodes when other people didn't, but it doesn't actually explain HOW a person is supposed to be able to judge an anime by its first episode alone.

The genius of Haruhi is the deep, moving slice-of-life story coming and staying in the foreground, not because of but despite the "ironies." The system of "meta" references is like the colorful but absurd chatter of high school students through which profound and urgent existential situations insist on appearing.

As a small aside, I just want to say thank you for turning me onto MrBtongue's channel. He has some really great vids that are right up my alley, especially on game design and narrative construction. I always appreciate it when KZfaqrs give their peers shout-outs, especially when they generate such good content.

Highschool DxD is best anime.

"You may understand this specific part of the episode if you rewatch it after watching the whole series" You've defeated the purpose of your own series of videos.

The release order of the light novel was actually the same as the broadcasted anime. The short stories were released in a collection after the climax, but written and released originally in magazines before this.

I enjoyed this video. I was a bit more skeptical from the first video which focused mainly on Steins;Gate, but I found this particular installment to resonate with me a bit more, probably because you brought up and expounded on a group of different anime that I find to be very good, but had very controversial and polarizing first episodes which is the point of the video. I can't wait to see what part 3 has to offer and how you are going to critique Joker Game.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya has a lot of layers. So, it's an onion.

I saw from your vlogs that the next video is going to be analyzing first episodes of anime that were mediocre or downright bad. I can think of very few people who were praising these first episodes, however. Are you going to get into anime that had legitimately very strong opening episodes but ended up terrible by the end? Is there a way to recognize warnings of something like that happening down the line?

Your argument for the affects of light novel based series has me thinking about the path that durararara took as it wound down over its later seasons

Hey Digi I remembered you mention about four horsemen of the anime apocalypse on your other video. Would you ever make a video on that?

Just a Quick question: i heard that the original Novel for baccano was written by the same guy who did durarara(also the same directors):are they similar? i love baccano but have never seen durarara

I get the feeling most the people disagreeing with this video have not been in anime for very long, and/or only stick to the top rated shows and haven't spent much time trolling the endless trash anime that comes out every season. Once you've been into anime a few years and have watched a bit of everything, yes you can tell whether a show is good or bad within the first episode, hell usually within the first five minutes. Are there exceptions? Sure, and I always keep an ear to the ground for shows I initially dismissed improving, but they're rare. 99 times out of 100 you can tell.

Well u made me wanna watch haruhi, baccano, and lucky star again :) u do forget how good some series really are

i had no idea what it was about lucky star that got me hook on it when seeing the first episode and hearing our main character just talk I don't know what i got myself into but i wanted to see more

The one thing this video really illustrates is how even this whole deal of "how to recognize a great anime in one episode" just won't work for most people. The fact of the matter is that whether or not a series is bad is extremely subjective. The same goes for whether or not the first episode of a great series is bad. Haruhi's first episode is generally considered rather abysmal as a first ep because it plays out like a mess that is only really comprehensible as the series goes on. Hell, a lot of the arguments given here for why it was actually good where made in hindsight, the only notable exceptions being production value and "uniqueness", both of which have shown time and again to not be the most reliable signals used to identify neither a good nor a bad overall product. The problem I have with this kind of videos, however is how they are presented as THE way to identify good shows from the get go, which it just isn't. The fact that it clings to the idea that a good show isn't preceded by a bad first episode when Digi's opinion is so obviously different from the general consensus on many things only makes this more jarring. The reason why I find it so is probably because it heavily reminds me of clickbait articles that establish an extremely variable and subjective premise. Think of an article titled "How to know if your new boyfriend is your ideal man (in just one night)!", which then goes on to say that if he carries you to your bed every third hour and has toned abs, then that's it; he's ideal.

"Reason da terr?" Are you trying to say raison d'etre?

Baccano! might be my most favourite anime of all time. I'm really glad someone else realized how complicatedly interesting and wonderful it was!

It just how much investment you put into watching the first episode to the third one and then deciding on if you what to continue or drop it.

Does someone want to suggest a CGDCT on par with lucky star? Nothing has quite compared since I saw it

The video was interesting, but still judging a show based on the first episode is totally stupid. I mean sure you can judge the show for being something you may or may not like, but when it comes to whether the show is gonna be great or not, you may guess based on your experience but that's about it, you'll end up misjudging a few shows eventually.

I just started watching Haruhi a couple of days ago and you're completely right.

Can the next vlog be you marathoning lucky star? For whatever reason I really want to see that.

... But... You didn't sell me on your premise. What you did was basically argue that these "bad starting episodes" of great series were actually "good starting episodes". You did nothing to help us "recognize a great anime in just one episode". Sure, those episodes may have been good setups for what was to come, but that's not what the video is supposed to be about. How can you tell from the beginning that they were good setups and it was going to be great?

I say it's all a matter of opinion

I noticed the climax and was like "this was DEFINITELY close to the end wasn't it." I should've gone with broadcast.

cant wait for the part 12 c

Digibro, you are making the obvious mistake of reasoning backwards in time and ignoring the experience learned in the interval as important. You cannot justify the opening of Haruhi with episode 00 in any way. That episode makes NO sense on it's own. Does not fit into the story anywhere (even less than the short stories) and if you newer watch it, you will NOT MISS ANYTHING. Granted this can be said about 5 of the Endless Eight episodes, but that's for a different reason. Starting Haruhi with Adventures of Mikuru Asahina only leaves the audience confused in the "WTF did I just watch" sense. Episode 01 on the other hand (while being a conventional first episode) has enough material to introduce the world and most of the characters and ends reasonably well to make you want more (or at least keep you interested).

Also, um, aren't you undermining your own point here a bit? You just said that if one watched Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya in production order, the first episode (broadcast second) wouldn't be as good of an introduction as the first one of broadcast order. So if Kyoto or the network decided to air them in production order, wouldn't three-episode test be a better measure of quality?

I especially love that FIRST EPISODE. Though that on 2nd watch the first time I watched I did chronologically all 28 eps

What's also some nice attention to detail on the Haruhi one is that their student film is also slightly unsaturated, like how a lot of live-action shows in the early 2000's tended to be.

True True. Haruhi and Lucky Star are still quite boring though, I think.

I have only seen the beginning of Hunter x Hunter (2011) and I think it has one of the worst first episodes I've ever seen (especially compared with the 1999-Version). I'm not sure if it will get better, but there seems to be a lot of people who praise it for being one of the best anime of all time, and I trust most of these people. I'm kind of interested what your opinion to Hunter x Hunter and it's first episode is.

last time I was this early Britain was still in the EU

thank you for making this, now I have more anime to watch! -.*

It's pronounced Baccàno, not Bàccano. It's an Italian word, not Japanese

Y-you disliked Joker Game...and like Lucky Star? I can't do this anymore, the existential crisis I'm feeling is too much to bear.

5:10 OMFG I NEED A GIF OF HER FACE TURNING. That is the greatest thing i've ever seen in anime

Digibro's next series: how to recognize a great meal in one bite

I honestly gave up in the middle of Lucky Star's first episode. The main character was looking up to be a one-trick pony, with her only joke being "she's an otaku but is good at everything", which I can't say I like, since it seemed like pandering. Not to mention, the food scene was incredibly boring. Someone please tell me it gets better.

Extremely long-winded explanation that drifts off into you dumping more unrelated information into this. I could've as well just watch 03:00-05:00 and then skip to 17:46. But I think I still got your point without getting lost in babbling. xD And allthough I think I got your point, I dropped all three examples you showed off after like 2-3 episodes. So how does it help me recognizing a great anime if it's just a matter of taste in the end? That's probably only a good trait for yourself as a reviewer but not really important for me as a casual viewer.

I was new to fansubbed anime way back in 2007. I started catching up to the Japanese in Naruto episodes, and afterwards I watched The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya because literally everyone was raving about it. After being confused by the first aired episode of Haruhi, I decided to switch over to the chronological order, but I still loved it. It became my favorite anime because it was different and more interesting than the shounen stuff I was watching on Toonami. Shortly after I finished Haruhi, Lucky Star started airing. What perfect timing. With all that Haruhi hype going into the show, I was easily hooked. I didn't care that the food discussion wasn't particularly entertaining because this show had the cutest character designs I had ever seen at that point as well as the best OP I had ever seen at that point. Being young and really new to the types of anime that never aired on American TV, I was really impressed by just about everything those two shows threw at me. Never once considered that what Kyoto Animation was really aiming for in those shows' first episodes. Perhaps when I was 13 - 14 years old, I wasn't simply someone who was easy to impress. These shows really earned their impressiveness from the beginning. Thanks for the vid, Digi!

"After rewatching the first episode (...) I immediately found myself wanting to marathon the series all over again" Is the most accurate way I've seen someone describe my own love for Lucky Star. You Sir, deserve a cookie.

... Here's the thing. The majority of your argument is based on hindsight knowledge after seeing the entirety of the anime and going BACK to the first part. You talk about qualities you recognize later on into the series which help to act as plot devices, this being especially true for your last video. The problem with this is that these are elements you normally wouldn't recognize immediately unless you've already WATCHED three or four episodes overall. I'm not saying that your belief is wrong (I don't have an opinion either way as I mostly watch through or read through anything I'm recommended) but rather the way you're structuring your argument is wrong. Your argument should look at the episode as a stand alone piece first and foremost without prior knowledge yet you seem to spend the majority of the time arguing on how the first episode's qualities are related to later elements which you would miss entirely if you had chosen not to watch the series (Aka, elements which should be completely removed from this argument as we're recognizing it on a dry run through having just seen the first episode).

The first episode of Suzumiya was terrible bad

As long as it sparks interest to watch the next one, it's done it's job on a basic level.

Episode 00 of Haruhi Suzumiya was the first episode I saw of that series. It came up as a suggestion on KZfaq and I clicked on it without ever even hearing about the series. Naturally I thought it was so weird but when I discovered there were other 'normal' episodes I knew I just HAD to watch it. Excellent anime