What anime surprised you the most once you actually stuck with it?

I was thinking about how some anime don’t really hook you right away, but end up becoming way better once you give them a real chance. Sometimes a slow start weird premise or art style can be off putting at first, but later the story or characters really click.

For me this happened with a few shows I almost dropped early on such as my happy marriage, but ended up loving once I stuck with them. I’m curious which anime surprised you the most after you pushed past the first few episodes. Was it the story, character development, or something else that changed your mind?

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BroSrsly-_-2026-01-12 19:33

High school dxd

N7CombatWombat2026-01-12 19:35

The Dangers in my Heart. The first 4 or so episodes are a struggle to get through and I thought about dropping it due to lack of interest but kept with it. Now it's my all time favorite coming of age romcom. Everything past episode 4 is amazing with every episode somehow managing to be better than the previous episode. The second season in particular ended up with every episode being my favorite episode of the season.

Geoffk1232026-01-12 19:45

I loved it but the premise feels kind of misleading,

The description kinda talks about Kyotarou being a psychopath but that kinda gets dropped after a couple episodes.

Absolute banger romcom and one of the best shows I had the privilege of watching last year but the synopsis on MAL and Hidive didn't seem to accurately represent the show to me

N7CombatWombat2026-01-12 19:48

I know a number of people who passed it over due to that being presented as the premise, but you need a lot of context to understand that aspect of the MC and why it was there to begin with. Was not a great choice to present it as the main premise of the show like it was though. I'm not sure if that was translation issues, cultural issues, or just bad judgement.

Sea_Storage10532026-01-12 19:37

Black clover. Asta was just so annoying. I watched up to ep 10 and dropped it, but i picked it up again a year later. It improved a whole lot after i got used to asta and then the arcs just kept getting better and better. I didnt realize i finished all the episodes. Now im excited for the next season

UnicornPuppers2026-01-12 19:50

That's good to hear. I think I dropped it around episode 10 too but always see it highly rated so I'll have to give it a go again.

Hour-Management-16792026-01-12 20:59

It's a solid 6/10 anime imo, there are some really likeable characters that carry it

UnicornPuppers2026-01-12 21:02

Anything similar to Black Clover that's a 10/10 for you?

Hour-Management-16792026-01-12 21:08

Not really, black clover takes heavy inspiration from Naruto and One piece, so i would suggest those two while they are household names i wouldn't consider them 10/10

UnicornPuppers2026-01-12 21:27

After Naruto & Bleach, I could never get through One Piece. Definitely classics but would love to see something like they did for Sailor Moon Crystal and condense it down (although I know Crystal was to base it more on the manga but you see where I'm going with this...maybe?)

benoxxxx2026-01-13 06:38

'One Pace' does this. Fan edit, highly regarded. Give it a Google.

ZeroLunatique2026-01-12 21:57

Damn really? I dropped it cuz none of the characters were likable lol

Sea_Storage10532026-01-13 00:41

Nooooo charmy was cute as heck.

Hour-Management-16792026-01-12 20:58

Good lord you just reminded of Asta's obnoxious yelling for the first half of
The anime, i'm
Glad they got rid of
That

MuscleWarlock2026-01-12 23:59

Same. It was a fun time but the screaming every time he opened his mouth grated on me bad

Sea_Storage10532026-01-13 00:40

I felt that way too so i dropped it the first time, but then i read that it’s worth watching. So when i did pick it up again, it was great, i didnt even realize i finished it. He became bearable on the latter arcs

polmeeee2026-01-13 09:03

Same. Been 5 years since I dropped that anime. Will give it a try and binge.

Dumey2026-01-12 19:38

I've commented this before, but SSSS.GRIDMAN fits this prompt for me.

I started watching it because I like Studio Trigger and I like mech shows, but I never really grew up with the Big Robot/Kamen riders/power rangers type of shows, so the first few episodes that pretty much pay tribute to those genres and feel like they're meant to play on a lot of people's nostalgia... really just didn't hit for me. But at a certain point, there's a pretty big reveal about some of the characters that comes with a complete tone shift with how the story is presented, and I was absolutely hooked after that. Turned from a nostalgia-bait big robot kids show into a psychological character drama and I was all for it.

SchemeCivil57062026-01-12 19:38

Kingdom, first two seasons have horrible animation but top tier story line - season 3 might be the best arc in anime/manga and continues on from there

I_am_your_oniichan2026-01-12 20:11

This is the correct answer. Season 3 is the best season of anime ever, such a shame that everyone drops it after episode 1

BillPlunderones23fg2026-01-12 19:38

Attack on Titan i stayed away because of the gore but my friend recommended it with high praise since he hates most anime lol

and found myself really enjoying it

SignificantTransient2026-01-12 19:40

Steins Gate, really. Kinda the gold standard for this.

UnicornPuppers2026-01-12 19:51

Great one! I was confused off the bat so knew it was going to be good LOL

unHolyKnightofBihar2026-01-12 19:40

Nichijou

Clean-Cupcakes2026-01-12 19:42

I had no expectations going in, but by the first episode's end, I knew Medalist was going to be something special.

Interesting_Self50712026-01-12 19:44

Fractale

UnicornPuppers2026-01-12 19:50

I don't think I have the patience to rewatch it but Code Geass was one of those for me. The storyline and character development was actually decent and I liked the turns it took. But when I first started watching I thought it was going to be like any other mech anime.

I also like Dimension W (currently trying to rewatch but the dubbed version is being weird on Crunchyroll). I thought it was just going to be fan service because the main girl is pretty much nude but it turned out to be really good. Since its not super long, its a good rewatch.

Ok, last one is Tiger & Bunny. I didn't think I would like it but holy cow, I loved all the characters and all their super powers. And it ended up not being all about mech suits which from the cover I thought it was just going to be all suit related (to me its like racing cars, its more about the car than the person driving).

Charming_Figure_90532026-01-12 19:56

Steins:Gate

I really nearly dropped it around episode 5....it's a common thing I hear

I think I was poorly and maybe had lost the remote....if I recall 1st time I was kinda roped into '1 more episode' and that hooked me a little more, and then, well yes anyone who's watched the show knows how it snowballs and runs away - and is completly worth watching

Botboi022026-01-12 20:14

Higurashi When They Cry

skullpocket2026-01-12 20:24

Lord of Mysteries

1. The first few of episodes have a lot going on and blends so many genres that it is hard to understand what the actual premise of the story actually is. However, it is because of all the genre blending that makes it a fun watch.

2.It's got a lot of CGI and some of it is done really well, but at other times it seems like I'm watching a short clip of the Neighborhood of Make Believe from Mr. Roger's Neighborhood.

3. It didn't have a subbed version on CR, and hearing it dubbed was jarring, but once I got used to it, the VA was quite well done.

Animesiac2026-01-13 00:47

> It didn't have a subbed version on CR, and hearing it dubbed was jarring, but once I got used to it, the VA was quite well done.

I watched the English sub for Lord of Mysteries every week on CR while it was airing

skullpocket2026-01-13 00:52

I didn't have any option other than the English dub there were as an option for an English sub and English subject.

Animesiac2026-01-13 06:33

> I didn't have any option other than the English dub

That sucks. I wouldn't have watched it if they didn't have the sub, which would have been tragic, because that show was great.

Out of curiosity, do you see them now? I just pulled up ep 1, and was able to see English subtitles. Just wondering if CR fixed whatever was hiding that option from you.

skullpocket2026-01-14 06:19

Just checked. The original Mandarin audio is at the bottom of the list and must have missed it. I have my audio set to Japanese, so when I heard English I checked for Japanese and didn't see it at the top of the list, because there isn't a Japanese dub probably stopped scrolling down the list when the next ones listed were German and Spanish and just kept it on English. The subs are there.

After I grew accustomed to hearing English it didn't bother me, the va all had British accents and it was a Victorian setting, so it helped it feel more authentic.

Regardless, I enjoyed the show and I'm glad I didn't give up on it.

mlcarson2026-01-12 20:54

Clannad. It all came together at the end of season 2.

Mr-Dumbest2026-01-12 20:57

Shinsekai Yori.

fleurbluegirl102026-01-12 20:58

Probably One Piece and Naruto. Both took a few episodes for me to get into and I thought both MC were a bit annoying but ended up enjoying them when I gave both a chance.

Playful_Code_89782026-01-13 20:14

That’s fair honestly. Both of them lean hard into loud stubborn MC energy at the start which can be rough, but once the world and side characters open up it really clicks. They’re definitely better when you let them breathe past the early episodes.

fleurbluegirl102026-01-14 00:11

Yeah exactly that

SliderGamer552026-01-12 21:01

Attack on Titan and Jojo both took multiple seasons to become fans of them (despite adoring both series' first episode). That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy them but I would not have actively called myself a fan until Final Season and Part 3's 2nd half respectively.

Also Samurai Flamenco which has a surprisingly boring first episode that certainly does not prepare you for where it goes.

InfinitePluribius2026-01-12 21:11

School Days. I didn't expect it to get trashier by the end but it did.

Khashishi2026-01-12 21:37

I watched Fox Spirit Matchmaker early enough in my watching "career" that I didn't have a basis of comparison, though I would probably drop it if I started today. The first season is pretty bad in terms of animation and storytelling, but later seasons are much better and some are amazing.

MuscleWarlock2026-01-12 23:58

Black clover. I binged it while on paternal leave and I enjoyed it.

Mainly after the mc stopped randomly screaming

Verarticus2026-01-13 05:05

The Dangers in My Heart comes to mind, as the first 2-3 episodes aren't really bad but could be seen a cringy or generic "perverted boys interact with girls" type of thing until that naturally fades away and the characters have a really well done love story. Hope we get a season 3 ;-;

hdsnwdsn2026-01-13 05:21

TORADORA

i thought it would be another stupid romance high-school thing, but oh my gosh. beautiful. I can't describe what changed me, but im sure you've seen it and know the greatness. imagine, imagine expecting buns and then getting hooked just for it to be supper short and only one season 🫩

Playful_Code_89782026-01-13 18:41

Totally get this. I went in with the same mindset and ended up way more invested than I expected. It’s wild how much emotional weight it packs into one season that’s probably why it sticks with people so hard. Definitely one of those “glad I gave it a chance” shows.

hdsnwdsn2026-01-13 23:19

exactlyyyy and then i came to terms w it and decided I could just watch it again whenever I felt the need.. then it got removed from crunchyroll. And I dont wanna get a whole new subscription for one show, but I'm getting realllll close to it.

benoxxxx2026-01-13 06:45

A Lull in the Sea (Nagi no Asukara) is a prime example this, people who've seen it know what I'm talking about.

The characters are children at the start. Like, actual stupid emotional children who act frustratingly all the time.

But the story progresses. Really progresses. And in directions you'd never guess with a thousand guesses. And the kids grow in to deeply fleshed out characters who you love and feel for. Great show.

ManducoMagico2026-01-13 21:22

god I wish I could experience that journey again, the fact that the relationships need a complicated graph to be followed will never stop amusing me

According-Pea-95412026-01-13 09:15

Re:zero, everything I heard about it was that the mc sucked and the waifu wars, sat down and binged it on a whim after dropping it at ep 13 once. Best decision of my life it's now one of my top 3 anime and subaru is my fav mc in anything.

abandoned_idol2026-01-13 16:18

World Trigger, a battle shounen, is the one "videogame" anime I like.

Every other videogame anime has flaws, but not WT. They announced a season 1 reboot of it recently as well.

It's a PvP Hero-Arena team battle-royale with a matchmaking metagame embedded inside.

Uma-apreciator2026-01-14 21:46

Uma Musume Pretty Derby, I just expected to be just a "cute horse girls doing cute things" anime but in S2 is one of the best sports anime about perseverance and overcoming limits

The OVA, movie and the spin-off carry diferents messages and have a high quality animation

UnderstandingFun42992026-01-16 18:48

Keijo. It started weird but the final battle was good.