Second chances for shows

[ryverstar]

Okay, after both the threads for Shows That Disappointed & Shows That Surprised . . . here is the next question. Have there been shows that you did not like on a first viewing, but gave a second chance after a while and actually came to like it? My two examples:

Tenchi Muyo OVA -- This was one of the first shows I rented some 5-6 years ago. The first time I saw it, I was somewhat bored. The weirdest thing was about the character of Tenchi. I did not like him or hate him. The character inspired no reaction whatsoever, and neither did the show. I have never seen a character that generated no reaction whatsoever. A couple of years ago, after reading many reviews and posts, I decided to give the show a second try. On the second viewing the show was pretty good. I really enjoyed it.

Bubble Gum Crisis 2040 -- Also about 5-6 years ago, this was running on Encore. I missed the first 3 episodes but saw the rest. It was too much of a change from the original BGC 2032 (a favorite) for me . . . especially the characters of Sylia and Nene. I (eventually) gave it a second chance via rental (and a 3rd via Rightstuf clearance sale). On its own, 2040 has a darker backstory than its predecessor, which I do not mind at all. Many questions were answered. The backstory of 2040 is much more detailed in its own right. While I still prefer the original, I do like BGC 2040.

[Buster Blader 126]

Technically, I've never had to give any show a second chance, because I'll usually try to finish what I start. If I ever have to stop watching any particular show, the reason is never because I disliked it.

Key word here is try, though. There are quite a few number of series that I had to stop for various reasons, like time, school, or prioritizing other series. Two of the more prominent series using this example are Cowboy Bebop, and Fullmetal Alchemist. I had watched these two series through other means back when I was just becoming a fan, and I stopped watching them due to prioritizing other shows. I only got around to watching them again through their televised runs in Canada, though.

They didn't seem anything too special when I first watched them, though I did like them a little more after watching them again after a long period of time. Though they do remain in my mind as the only two titles so far that I've actually overrated.

Hey, 500 posts. =/

[The Great Bear]

Princess Tutu.

I saw the first 5 episodes for free over The Anime Network on demand. I didn't like it.

People said it got better. So, I bought the first disc and watched it again. Still wasn't impressed. Told to continue, I bought volume 2. And then I started to see why people liked this show. And then it got better. And then it got awesome. Then it dialed back briefly before ending awesomely. It may be the only show that I gave a real chance to, and it was worth it.

[Suwako Moriya]

Seto no Hanayame: People said it gets better once Lunar appears and they were right.

Shugo Chara: I haven't finished this yes, but the show vastly improves after the first seven episodes. Remains to be seen if keeps improving.

[Panko]

Shamanic Princess

watched it all one night, found it to be a little ok but not really worth my time. then i rewatched it about half a year later when i couldn't buy anything new and was just passing time by revisiting shows. something just clicked and apparently i wasn't watching the same show as before, and it was great!

[DiRF]

Outlaw Star - I thought it was alright on the first viewing... but a bit too generic feeling and cliche-d... I watched it a second time about a year later, and seemed to appreciate it more, I really quite like it now.

Spirited Away - I had loved all the Miyazaki stuff I had seen before it, and maybe I was expecting just "another Miyazaki" film... but I thought it was too weird and confusing... then a few months later I watched it again, and really got into it and enjoyed it.

[Lego]

A big one was Onegai Teacher. I knew of it, saw people talking about it, glanced at a random episode and didn't like it. This was around the time Onegai Twins was airing, and I hadn't seen the original Onegai Teacher. But I ended up picking it up cheap during a Rightstuf sale and loved it.

[joelgundam01]

Noir!

I bought the first DVD and by the time I got to the third episode, I couldn't stand watching it anymore. After a few days, I gave the show another shot and actually enjoyed watching the first five episodes and bought the rest. :sweat:

[DiRF]

Of course! Elfen Lied!

Watched the first episode... THAT first episode... oh God... couldn't continue watching it... then a few weeks later got around to watching the rest of it... SOOOOO glad I did.

[Jimmie M]

For me it was Azumanga Daioh. I watched the first episode on the sampler disc that came with Newtype USA and while I thought it was OK, I really didn't see why it was getting so much attention at the time. The entire series was available for rental from Netflix a few months later so I gave it a second try from beginning to end & loved it (I now own all of the singles plus the box & pins).

[TalonG4]

For me it was Aria.
First time I saw it, I thought it looked real pretty but I felt it was slow and boring.
This was before I started liking slice of life type shows and I had never encounterd a show like this before. Where's the plot?

Then I decided to watch the first episode one more time and I liked it a little more. Maybe I was in a better frame of mind for it. Nevertheless, I tried episode two and from then on it became one of my favorite shows ever. Easily in my top five of all time.
I bought the manga as well, (the Aqua series too!)
It also made me a huge fan of the slice of life genre. Hidamari Sketch, Sketchbook Color ~S~ are also favorites of mine that I may never have watched if I had not given Aria a second try.

[SpaceDebris]

Noir!

I bought the first DVD and by the time I got to the third episode, I couldn't stand watching it anymore. After a few days, I gave the show another shot and actually enjoyed watching the first five episodes and bought the rest. :sweat:

Exact same thing happened to me. I even let a co-worker borrow it, and he didn't like it either. I have no idea what made me want to watch the first disc again, but after I did I went out and bought the whole set.

[mrsparklenoodle]

For me it was Azumanga Daioh. I watched the first episode on the sampler disc that came with Newtype USA and while I thought it was OK, I really didn't see why it was getting so much attention at the time. The entire series was available for rental from Netflix a few months later so I gave it a second try from beginning to end & loved it (I now own all of the singles plus the box & pins).

Me too, I watched the first disc and couldn't get into the show, then tried it again a year or so later and was instantly hooked, I rented the whole thing as quickly as possible and then bought the Thinpak, which I am currently watching and thoroughly enjoying (though I want to grab the sixth single for the short movie).

Other shows...

Cardcaptor Sakura - I watched that one a couple of times and it didn't click, then on the third or fourth viewing I really enjoyed it and am currently watching the first collection (I have yet to find the second one) and I have the first and second movies awaiting.

The Animatrix - I found my first viewing (dubbed because there was no subbed version on the UK DVD) a disappointment and then the second utterly engrossed me in every short on the disc, I now love this.

Eureka 7 - the third viewing was much better than the first two, while I still find Talho getting almost raped to be really horrible to watch I do like the show much more overall, I haven't seen further than the first disc, but that's because I'm waiting for a discount on the series or a cheaper collection release, not out of lack of interest.

Otogi Zoshi - the first time I was a little doubtful about the first disc and then put off completely by the second, this time I'm loving the first disc (though the homophobia of one of the characters is still offputting) and will probably be able to get a lot more out of the second disc.

[Vegard Aune]

Lucky Star. I watched two episodes, then forgot about it for a while, then later I heard that it got a lot better later on, and I decided to try it again. It is now one of my favourite shows.

And I guess this kinda counts:
Death Note. This is actually kinda funny: I just came home one day, and found that the online-store I buy most of my manga from had accidentally sent me the second manga-volume. I figured I'd just check it out, but seeing how I didn't quite understand the plot, it seemed to me like little more than a guy killing people and a group of detectives trying to catch a killer. (Looking back at it, how could I not realise that Light was Kira?) Then my sister started watching the anime, and I just watched it with her because I had nothing better to do. After seeing the end of episode 2, I was hooked.

There have also been several shows I've watched, yet not really gotten into before watching it for a while, like One Piece or Bleach. I never really stopped watching those, but it took a while before I got really interested in them.

[Richard J.]

Witch Hunter Robin: I saw the first two or three episodes on [adult swim] way back when it first came on. It just did not get me that interested. About a year or so later, my sister bought the series and convinced me to watch it with her. I ended up liking it a lot more the second go around, not a fantastic series in my opinion but much more entertaining than I initially thought.

I think a lot of how we feel about a series comes from our emotions when we start watching it. If you're in an action mood, a drama probably isn't going to entertain you.

[Keith Palmer]

I stopped watching Hana Yori Dango/Boys Over Flowers a few discs into the series, mostly because of one negative review on one particular anime site... then picked up where I had left off a few years later, with the distinct impression that I shouldn't have let my opinions be twisted like that. I suppose that I've watched fansubs of the first episodes of a few series (GaoGaiGar is one of them) and not been that impressed, but still bothered to start buying the official releases later... maybe having "invested" in the series makes me more inclined to be positive. And, while this isn't quite what the question asked for, the second time I watched RahXephon through in full I liked it better than the first, probably because the characters didn't feel so much to me like they were being mysterious for the sake of being mysterious.

[Spirit Of The Stage]

Maria Sama ga Miteru - I watched the first couple of episodes and found it quite boring - then I found the thread on AoD and they said to give it another chance to witness it's charm. So I did...and fell in love with it. The expansion of the characters, the compelling relationships and just a very different shoujo-ai esque series with a lot of calm, beauty and compassion - not to mention some top quality characters - all of them different from each other - make this a closet favourite. Roll on the box sets.

[lorddream]

Witch Hunter Robin: I saw the first two or three episodes on [adult swim] way back when it first came on. It just did not get me that interested. About a year or so later, my sister bought the series and convinced me to watch it with her. I ended up liking it a lot more the second go around, not a fantastic series in my opinion but much more entertaining than I initially thought.

I think a lot of how we feel about a series comes from our emotions when we start watching it. If you're in an action mood, a drama probably isn't going to entertain you.

I had a similar reaction to Robin. I bought the show on recommendation, but I just didn't care for it the first time I tried to watch it. It took felt like it was going nowhere and I just couldn't get into it, so I gave up after a few episodes.

A year or two later, I gave it another try and I actually thought it was pretty decent. Not one of my all-time faves by any means, but not absolute trash, either.

Shingu is another one that couldn't hook me at first. It was just too weird, and I never made it past the first episode. Right around when the thinpack release came out, I decided to give it another shot, and I really liked it.

[Andrew Cunningham]

Twelve Kingdoms. I watched the first episode, thought all the characters were horribly unlikeable, and ignored it till someone sat me down and forced me to watch more. It wasn't until the second volume where it finally started to turn around.
The novels are far, far, far better - inside her head, it's impossible not to sympathize with her reactions to the world she finds herself in.

[morphix]

Zegapain, watched the 1st 2 vols and I dropped the show. When ADV went under for a bit I needed an anime fix so I picked up vol 3 and I'm glad I did. Looking forward to vol 5 :)

[gnikdrazil]

I've been giving some series that have been in my backlog for quite a while a retry. Recently, I gave Orphen another try. I watched the first 3 DVDs as they were being released back in 2001. I didn't care much for the series until some of the back story was given on the third DVD. I bought the last 3 discs as they were released but didn't watch them.

I have begun walking outside again and as the weather was still fluctuating between nice and cold, I wanted to watch something as I was on my treadmill. I picked up Orphen again and started from the beginning. Overall, it was a good run-of-the-mill sword and sorcery series. I'll be giving Gasaraki another try soon.

[Sensuifu]

Manatsu no Eve/Tenchi the Movie 2. First viewing disgusted me..the incestuous overtone, Mayuka, Yuzuha even the way the regular characters were portrayed somehow disturbed me. I really wanted to like it, but dismissed it as a movie that had nothing to do with Tenchi. A year or so passed and during that time I had watched Tenchi Forever and TMiL got a couple of more spins. Strangely, I had enough courage to rewatch MnE after feeling something was missing. I cleared my head of the trauma I had but was still a little cautious of expecting the unexpected.

Then the 180. It was like a revelation, eliciting a gut reaction that was completely different from the one I initially had during the first watch. I don't know what it was, but I'm guessing the movie had some unique charm I wasn't aware of before. The characters including Mayuka were no longer annoying and I realized Tenchi does indeed have a back, with this movie being the prime example. The characters seemed genuinely human and evoked some real emotion (i.e. Rooftop scene with Tenchi and Ryoko) that I didn't see as much in the 1st and 3rd movies. Granted TMiL did have its moments, especially at the end, but going back and looking at it, it wasn't as 'complete' in portraying the characters in a way that engages the viewer to feel for them. On MnE's second viewing, that wasn't the case for me. Incidentally, it became my favorite Tenchi film and one of my all time favorite movies. Rarely do I change opinions on the second viewing for most shows/movies, but MnE was one of the very few that I did.

[martod]

Karin. I watched about half the first episode and it didn't really click with me, especially because I don't usually like vampire shows. I went back to it a year later and was completely hooked. Now it's one of my favorite shows of all time.

[Orihimes_Boyfriend]

I guess I'd say FLCL. The first time I was confused as hell and thought the animation was sub par and WAY too short. After watching it several times I now love it and understand it more then I did. But its still WAY too short.

[HellKorn]

Neon Genesis Evangelion - Watched the first three episodes years ago. With the English dub.

I did not return to it for a good long while. When I did, watched it in Japanese, got to episode four -- which is still my favorite episode in the series, aside from perhaps 15 -- and now it's remained one of my favorite series even after two re-watches.