First Episode Syndrome

[@sideburngthepeacebringer27]

Sometimes instead of dropping, you forget to finish it.

[@PointyBoi]

Excellent way to put it

[@saarsayag8235]

Yeah it does happen sometimes

[@ricardomunoz8988]

And sometime you can't wait a whole week for the next ep so you just pick the manga

[@a3per818]

@@PointyBoi Definitely what happened w/ zom 100, took months for the final episodes to come out and most people (including me) just stopped caring. Ironically, Zom 100 animators were going through the same conditions portrayed in the anime.

[@zuckersaft9748]

like bro I prob watched 1k Anime. But only first episode and then forget that it existed

[@weeaboocandles1383]

what i’m getting from anime’s that suffer from the “first episode syndrome” is that they probably would have done so much better as a movie rather than a series. People are always talking about how certain movies would do better as series because of the pacing, but certain series would also do better with having “less” time to fill like in a series would. I feel like they would keep pacing, like how Zom100 had an incline in climax but they have to start the incline all over more often then not when a new episode is started.

[@gege1178]

This is definitely a big part of if but I think the most important reason for first episode syndrome is more fundamental to the story’s flow. And that is in all of these cases there’s a very significant shift in tone and story objectives after the first episode looking at all of the episodes mentioned in this video; zom100, the first episode is focused on the soul crushing nature of a terrible job, and the rest of the series is about the cast’s miss adventures in the apocalypse. Oshi no ko, the first episode was all about Ai her passions and the mystery around her, the rest of the series is more focused on aqua, and figuring out who Ai’s killer is (this does change too). To your eternity : (I recommend you complete watching it it does get way better after a few episodes the beginning of the second arc is a bit of a slog ngl) anyway the first episode is very subtle and down to earth with this very clam yet sad tone, the story is relatively simple yet has a lot of deep themes and high fantasy ideas.that changes after episode 1, the tone does change at least slightly every arc, but now there’s a greater focus on adventure and some comedy and the story does add more fantastical elements. School live : the first episode is all about tricking you into thinking that this is just a cute girls doing cute things show while sprinkling in some unease, leading up to the final reveal in the end of the episode. The rest of the story is more so a full on zombie survival story. You see my point the change is necessary for the story to happen, but that change also leaves behind some elements of what made the first episode so good in the first place.

[@asnowy]

To be fair to Zom 100, thats very much how the manga is, despite being zombie adventure type thing, it also is very much so a slice of life type anime, sure there are overarching plots of trying to cure the zombie apocolypse but at the end of the day they just kinda do little silly things each new chapter

[@RenderingUser]

Zom100 only exists to just be fun. No problem with zom100 there

[@Methodius-and-Cyril]

In America we call that the “Pilot Episode”.

[@Jery-ej3iz]

Cartoon pilot episode: wow this show has potential! I can’t wait for more episodes! Anime pilot episodes: I’m either going to binge watch the whole show or completely drop it!

[@MK-zl1kc]

Pilot episodes usually aren't relevant to the canon rest of the series

[@5am.mp4]

im pretty sure pilot and first ep arent the same thing pilot is more like a preview/trailer episode

[@HomuraAkemiOfficial]

@@5am.mp4No, it’s to see how the public reacts to the main plot/characters of the story. Then, they decide whether to scrap the idea completely or continue.

[@kasinooni9241]

@@5am.mp4most anime start of as mangas and the first few chapters are basically like a pilot to see if they should keep sterilising the series. So when adapted it pretty much is like the pilot of the series.

[@CatFish21sm]

Around 15 to 20 years ago First Episode Syndrom was used as a derogratory term to refer to people who only watched one episode and quit. Back then we had what everyone called the three episode rule because most anime will cover one full arch of the manga in the fist three episodes. This gives a much better picture of what the entire series will be like than the first episode alone. Furthermore back then Mangaka and animation studios weren't as concerned with first impressions as they are now. Its becoming very common now that people will decide whether or not they like an anime based only on the first episode so a lot of animation companies are trying to make the fist episode better and better, or atleast more representative of the entire anime as a whole. BTW back then even the 3 episode rule was heavily debated because many of the best anime (Especially those with more than 40 episodes) didnt start to get good until after episode 20. The first two seasons were just build up and it really paid off. Unfortunately those kinds of masterpieces aren't animated very often any longer because people aren't patient enough to stick around and watch that long before the anime gets good. That said, you can't really blame people, back then there weren't nearly as many anime being released yearly and of those only a portion were even subbed let alone dubbed so the ones that made it out side of Japan were usually the ones worth watching anyway. Anyway to the point, you may have picked the term up from one of these really old posts and just misinterpreted it or something.

[@phantom-ri2tg]

And I will never agree with the three episode rule because if I think I dislike a series not far in the opening I am rarely ever wrong. While there are a few flags that you won't enjoy a series. The big thing is there are signs that a series has the potential for you to enjoy even if you don't fully know the direction. You do not need three episodes to tell most generic anime is generic.

[@CatFish21sm]

@@phantom-ri2tg I never agreed with the Three episode rule either. Until recently I always held that you can't judge an anime until atleast the end of the first season. For newer anime though you can tell pretty well whether you will like it or not from the first episode because they are made with the first episode rule in mind. But if you go back about 20 years they were very different. Some anime used the entire fist season as a red herring, like tenchi muyo or Shakugan no Shana. Then there are others where it starts off slow to world build and character build and the "real" story doesn't kick off till later in the anime. The vast majority of the One Piece community agrees that you can not get a good understanding of the series until atleast 44 or 45 eps in. A lot of older anime were like that. Magi isn't even that old but it starts off similar to how a lot of anime form the older era started, silly, goofy, wacky, but by the end turned very serious with some very deep and dark themes. There's also HxH and don't even get me started on Soul Eater. The anime for Soul Eater only covered the introduction arch in the manga after the anime ends the manga gets very dark very fast. So while newer anime are made with the first episode rule in mind, a lot of the older ones didn't even consider it, they didn't even consider a three episode rule.

[@strawhaaton]

​@@CatFish21sm reading the Soul Eater manga was an insane trip. I only ever read a handful of manga, and I'm glad Soul Eater was one of them. Reading that shit right after having watched the anime was quite something

[@CatFish21sm]

@@strawhaaton Same Soul Eater is one of the manga that got me into Manga in the first place. I had a lot of people tell me how the manga differed from the anime, especially the ending of the anime and so I read the manga to see what I was missing and was blown away.

[@phantom-ri2tg]

@@CatFish21sm What I said doesn't change for back then. Thing is yes there are some times I don't know if I will enjoy a series early on. But not knowing if I will enjoy a series. Is not the same as knowing I won't enjoy a series.

[@HaganeNoGijutsushi]

There was a manga on Jump not long ago that suffered what we could call "first chapter syndrome". It was called Earthchild. The first chapter is _fantastic_ , it's an original and emotional one-shot story that works perfectly well on its own. Then there was some absolute nonsense following it, which got swiftly cut by the legendary Jump Axe before it even hit 3 volumes worth of material.

[@PointyBoi]

You know I didn’t even consider manga when I made this video, but you’re right, there’s shitloads of manga that fall apart after the first chapter. Funnily enough, the ones I’m remembering were from Jump as well.

[@HaganeNoGijutsushi]

@@PointyBoi might be because Jump specifically has a format where people publish a pilot one shot first and then get serialised. So some might just put all their ideas in the one shot, which then they polish as the first chapter of the new series, but then are immediately overwhelmed and fold.

[@spiralore]

I read the first chapter now. Ty, was fun

[@unknownunknown849]

LOOK INTO MY CRYING EYES TO YOUR ETERNITY HAS BROKEN ME I SWEAR YOU NEED TO FINISH IT PUT IT ON IN THE BACKGROUND OR SMTH BUT PLEASE IT GETS SO SO GOOD it may seem to have first episode syndrome but it really goes into the growth of fushi as a person and i NEED MORE PEOPLE TO GIVE IT MORE EPISODES

[@SomeSwordsmenOnTheInternet.]

Preach ❤

[@telosnium]

ON GOD

[@RahwaAsfaha-rt1rc]

Seriously

[@PointyBoi]

Okay fuck, the people have spoken. I guess I gotta finish To Your Eternity.

[@Midahwashere]

I've read all of to your eternity and holy shit fucking SHITE the amount of fluids that have escaped my face holes..

[@yodxxx1]

I hate to add this to the list, but Uzumaki The anime is based on such good source material, and they put so much effort into recreating it, but in animated form, but then for whatever reason, starting from tthe second episode, production quality slips from fantastic adaptation to "something a 3d artist could have whipped up in the same time it taker for the episode to play"

[@meowitskit449]

i will never find a singular anime that's as good as to your eternity's first episode. the rest of the anime is still amazing, but MAN the first episode was life-changing for me. i STILL can't watch it without crying.

[@basileusbasil4041]

I had a similar experience with Interview with a vampire, the first episode was something else.

[@HenrysHavoc]

I felt the opposite tbh! I thought the first ep wasn't really my thing but I loved everything that came after in S1 (S2 was a bit of a decline but S1 was phenominal), can't wait for S3 though 🔥

[@sheabrouwer3590]

​@@HenrysHavocI really liked the first episode, since it kept me questioning. Why did they leave Joaan? Would Joaan really make it? Will Joaan grow old then die? If so how would he? Violently? Ect ect. In short him dying in the first episode caught me really off guard. It might have been obvious to other people but based off the number of episodes I was sure they would grow close and Joaan would have to learn to live without Fushi. Fushi being such a great person really made the death tough. As the youtubers pointed out it felt complete by the end of the first episode. Although the rest of the season was nice! Seeing him learning how to live, loving, dying. It was all nice! Season two wasn't as impact full. I mean I like the expansion on Fushi's power at times it felt too much like a slice of life. The castle was a bit nicer but the part where Fushi's friends are brought back to life and then quickly their lives are summarized. Was a bit disheartening. I still have a bunch of questions which bothered me a bit. Like what happened to the original Fushi? Did he go to heaven? Did the immortal try to revive him? Will the black robe creator grant the immortal freedom? Or will the immortal actually take his place? I don't have high hopes for season 3 but if it answers some of my questions I'll be happy. I love anime so much!! The sharing of stories made with many images played quickly to resemble movement. It's all so nice!! To your Eternity made me think a lot about purpose, life death love. I guess it gets bonus points for making my smooth brain think!

[@CheeseDanishMysteriousness]

@@sheabrouwer3590 had a bit of a stroke reading this but i think i've understood what you mean, the kid at the start's name isnt fushi.. we never learned his name.. fushi is the orb that transforms, the person in the winter is simply "the white haired boy"

[@hanabananasmilana]

YES thats what i was thinking!! that episode changed me and made me simp for tsuda

[@meijuta]

I appreciate that you actually made captions. I didnt need them, but i still appreciate it.

[@PointyBoi]

I figured since the audience is anime fans then they might like to have subs haha

[@hlibprishchepov322]

​@@PointyBoienglish is not my native and subtitles help a lot. Sometimes i am not shure what where said and need to double check it

[@RandomERA79]

​@@PointyBoiIt just helps me focus I realize im actually a really poor listener and focus better when I'm using more than one sense

[@Spookevloper]

Bluelock would be “First Season Syndrome”

[@aquilschutte]

​@beyeneosebo4726your nose has such a unique shape

[@denki2558]

What do you mean? The second season does not exist. It doesn't. 😊

[@jennaok1576]

@@denki2558boi the second season is good what r you on

[@jaredelliott5778]

@@jennaok1576bro likes watching PowerPoints

[@ducksick9973]

idk,it's too edgy when the realization that it's people having murderous tendency over football hits

[@squishy.mp4]

Thank you for all the Wonder Egg Priority clips, that show is criminally underrated.

[@TylerMcEnteggart]

Honestly I would recommend picking up to your eternity again it gets so much better trust me whilst the emotional part goes away for a short time it does come back in the next few episodes

[@PointyBoi]

Fair enough, I guess I should give it another go.

[@Reralex]

​@@PointyBoi the author of A silent voice knows what she's doing with this story, not everything has to be emotional, it would be repetitive. But when it hits...

[@KarpoCottage]

@@PointyBoi Don't pick up the manga though. It get's so bad you'll cry.

[@kasinooni9241]

@@PointyBoiThe plot gets slightly convoluted but I don’t think the stakes or emotional impact ever truly leave.

[@D.P.Throat]

​@@PointyBoiActually don't, it gets worse and worse. As a manga reader I have no fucking idea how the fuck the author didn't end it yet.

[@Awwab-b2w]

out of all animes I've watched, Nothing beats Oshino ko "First Episode Syndrome"

[@HaganeNoGijutsushi]

Yeah, Oshi no Ko isn't bad (well... the part covered by the anime isn't bad), but it's in a similar situation to other mentioned shows: it shifts from that very dense and charged emotional narrative to a classic shonen-esque take on "becoming the best at " with a bit of romance and an edgy side. It's good but it's just not quite as impactful.

[@Awwab-b2w]

@ well that’s another story I only mentioned first ep

[@maddiphen2538]

I agree very much. It's not to say Oshi no Ko a bad anime per say, episode 1 was so epic whatever the author wants you to feel afterward, it's meh

[@lenamasou8066]

The thing with oshi no kos first episode is, that it adapted 7 chapters of the manga whereas the other episodes stick to a more traditional rate. So obviously the energy of the first ep is different to the rest of the show

[@natalimoina]

1st EP was the worst one, pdf file crud, inc, etc.

[@ninabasinska7980]

I dropped oshi no ko exactly because of that - treated first ep as a standalone movie about a tragedy of Ai, and simply wasn't interested in revenge/teen drama/whatever was teased to come next.

[@avr4ge]

Man... that would be crappy. You won't know who's gonna be the father or who actual killed them. That's mental

[@saarsayag8235]

You should at least give it a try without acting like you know exactly what will come next. And if you don't like it, stop watching it. It's not like you're gonna lose something for watching a few more episodes

[@Misouorz]

Why would u do that lol

[@abbyp9394]

@@saarsayag8235 what they'd lose is time they could spend on something they're actually interested in

[@NihongoWakannai]

​@@saarsayag8235 there are 1000 anime that people would tell me "just give it a chance and watch more episodes!" And if I gave them all a chance I'd be spending all my free time watching trash anime.

[@cutebunnymirai5700]

school live's manga was peak. i was so disappointed with how they butchered the anime beyond the first episode. entire plot points were ignored and random things like the dog being a main character were added. it sucks because school live is one of my absolute favorites if not favorite manga.

[@phantom-ri2tg]

The protagonist is a rare good example of someone playing The Heart. *Manga spoilers halfway on anime plot* The protagonist is revealed to not be delusional. The heart is a person who stands unyielding against stress for the sake of others. and it is annoying they instead left the protagonist portrayed as someone to be pitied on a story that explored carrying the burden of stress. Edited after saw spoiler tag was buried.

[@PointyBoi]

Interesting, I hadn’t considered that it might be a bad adaptation. I might have to check out the manga.

[@yabazyabacoffee]

OMG YES, I actually first watched school live and enjoyed it but then I read the manga and felt so betrayed because of how much they altered/changed

[@meandtheboyss]

​@@PointyBoi do it, the adaptation takes too much freedom, the source is just so good

[@NaThingSerious]

I feel like manga really has this more, anyone who is familia with manga will know the first chapter is usually like 2x as long as all the others and usually much more packed with action. With some, the first chapter serves as a brilliant way to introduce the main themes and the story, with others it starts amazingly but then ever other chapter is just nothing in comparison.

[@PointyBoi]

Yeah I was speaking about this with someone in another comment, seems to be a bit of a Jump phenomenon haha

[@inbetween1-042]

The opening, the prologue, the first part of a story will always be better in most cases than the following parts. The reason is simple; the creator of said story had already gone over the opening over and over, fine tuning it over and over, before putting it on paper and publishing. But then...what comes next? If one publishes a story that is still incomplete, with being given deadlines for the next parts, what comes next is tainted by that deadline. And sometimes, after the first part, creative block settles and everything goes blank. What comes next? And for some people, the bare bone of a story is already lined out. But then...what happens to flesh it out? And for others, the beginning and the end are already decided. Already fine tuned and polished...but how to get there? It is why the first part and the final part will often be the best part of a story because the middle part is hard to flesh out, hard to envision, hard to polish and fine tune, especially with a deadline.

[@diablo.the.cheater]

An example where this is not usually true is in fanfiction. In fanfiction the first parts are usually the worst and as it goes on it only gets better and better or doesn't improve. This is because fanfiction is released episode by episode as they come out of the author hands without too much editing or going over. To this we add that the authors usually are kind of novish so as chapters go on they improve as authors and so do improve their writting of the chapters.

[@ozargaman6148]

Re:Zero could've been a first episode syndrom if the rest of the show wasn't absolute peak Edit: hey guys wanna actually read the comment before going to tell me how the show was good?

[@3dsmaster537]

The first episode of re:zero isn't even close to the best of the series

[@ozargaman6148]

@3dsmaster537 good point

[@benzene_sandwich]

re zero is just peak and everyone knows it

[@erfanthered9801]

I'd say it's the opposite. Re:Zero's first episode is incredibly bad and made me quit the show. Thankfully, I came back to watch it after a few years, as the rest of the series is amazing.

[@jwideuluisinaein]

I didn't wanna continue after seeing that first episode, so I didn't

[@ManiacLight]

Owari no Seraph is the first example that came to my mind, the first chapter is so good, sets the mood and the worldbuilding pretty well, just to throw everything in the trash on the next chapter changing aspects on the worldbuilding and turning it into and school/action anime

[@deadclawh3851]

Caseoh ate season 3 😭

[@Chrollostasis]

To Your Eternity is aggressively peak, the first episode was just a masterpiece, that's really all, I get calling the moments before Fushi learns speaking as a discount Dororo, but watching as he grows as a person, pretty much going from a child to a fully grown adult, was a great journey, watching as he learns what his feelings mean, his joys, his rage, as he himself evolves. Although he is meant to be the means of preserving humanity from a mass extinction event, all he wants is to live with them, he doesn't want his immortality, he doesn't want his worshippers, he just wants to live a normal life.

[@plucas1]

"School Live" is the anime that instantly popped into my head as soon as you defined First Episode Syndrome. It's a very good series overall, but that first episode delivers a gut punch I have rarely seen elsewhere, in anime or outside of it. Another good modern contender for FES is "Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury's" Episode 0. the rest fo the series was also really good, but episode 0 was so outstanding and self-contained it was like its own mini-movie.

[@presidentialyaoi]

SCHOOL LIVE MENTION I LOVE SCHOOL LIVE

[@cheesypoohalo]

I'm actually surprised by this one counting as FES, School Live is a solid series even beyond the first episode Spoilers but the part where the girl gets bitten, god damn bro I was on the edge of my seat, I really felt for the characters the longer things went on for and the show just kept playing with my emotions, easily one of my favourite animes

[@jjdraws]

Pluto has one of the best first episodes that literally made me cry

[@Vlooitjie.]

the whole pluto made me cry haha,, it made me watch monster as well, and then i picked up the 20th century boys manga series (these were all made by the same guy

[@jjdraws]

@Vlooitjie. The exact same string of events happened to me lol what a coincidence

[@Xtreme-yb9yo]

@jjdraws omg the second half of the first episode was the most incredible thing ive seen in a while. A rich retired blind man and a traumatized guilt-filled war robot in such an interesting premise, with such a satisfying and melancholic conclusion. It easily was the best part of Pluto but the rest of the series was still quite good, just not the heights that Monster achieved imo

[@jjdraws]

@@Xtreme-yb9yo I'm telling you the second half of the episode can be a whole anime movie on its own the studio I would pick would be Ghibli

[@elusiveir]

8-10 years thats how long it will take to watch every anime

[@IannisROGameplay]

when the corpse party bgm started playing i locked in

[@nonosomi2261]

the music choices in this video are nice nods to some of my favourite series. thank you.

[@that1chalkblob]

Great video, Pointy. On a side note, I actually really love your references to other creators. I feel like for some it's an unspoken rule to not mention people outside of your inner circle of collaborators and friends but quickly adding bits on the Trash Taste boys and on Scamboli Reviews is actually so nice, I think it brings you closer to the audience in a way, like you're not a detached entity living off of your own thoughts but a normal person like me and the next guy who laugh at our phones when a funny nerd says a joke. Thank you for that and also for the quality of your videos, I can see how time consuming it is and I wish you the best in attracting the fanbase you deserve. Happy new years!

[@PointyBoi]

I don’t really feel the need to be secretive or anything about creators that I watch, because at the end of the day I’m just another nerd that watches too much youtube haha. Thank you for the kind words, appreciate it.

[@frauleinbiblioteka]

seeing sonny boy visuals in the video brings me much joy, that thing does not get nearly enough appreciation

[@michaeloconnor5904]

Summertime Render immediately springs to mind.

[@leyvadira]

I was so sure you were gonna mention Sword Art Online. I personally don't think that first episode was a masterpiece but for the time it came out where anime wasn't so mainstream and Isekai Harem wasn't so widespread, the idea seemed fresh and it got hype, but now everyone seems to completely hate it. I still remember watching anime in totally legal sites and the trending page was #1 Attack on Titan and #2 SAO.

[@Devulini]

totally legal???😭😭🧐

[@reimudoki]

Not many people have to sleep with the lights on after watching Higurashi, but many do after reading it.

[@araara5901]

Omg please give to your eternity another chance! I promise it does not go down the dororo direction that was cut short (if ykyk 😭). No characters beside Fushi really stay for long, really highlighting how scary the passage of time is. No matter how much Fushi grows and forms new bonds, he will ultimately end up alone. Even if you didn’t enjoy the arc with that little girl, keep watching it as it takes a really interesting turn.

[@PointyBoi]

I didn't realise To Your Eternity was so beloved, I've had so many comments telling me I need to finish it. Guess I have to now.

[@chiekenen]

@@PointyBoi yup! you should. I honestly love how no episode really felt like a waste or some nonsense filler. For reference, the mangaka who made it (Yoshitoki Ōima), also made "A silent voice" :3 (Im vouching for the good writing)

[@araara5901]

@@PointyBoi yayyy 👏

[@thentheric6361]

To Your Eternity is a very interesting story, a bit like going through Frieren's entire life instead of just the miniscule fraction spent with the Journey to the North. It's not for everyone, but it takes an idea and develops it to completion.

[@shardulkakade9365]

On the flip side there's a ton of stories with the opposite problem, and that's usually worse. Don't get me wrong, tonnes of stories have slow starts, but some anime have actively **worse** first episodes, like black butler, berserk (although that is intentional to set the tone of the story, content wise it is far inferior to the other chapters), overlord and also plenty of people hate gintamas first episode, but id say that's more of a slow start than an actively worse episode. The main reason for this first episode syndrome is mainly the narrative structure, namely the starting incident. The spark that gets the plot going. For example in Zom 100 the zombie apocalypse can only occur once. After we know theres an apocalypse no plot point can match the absolute joy we all felt when the colours return to the world. Then there's the hook. Every single story(barring a few exceptions which are more of an episodic nature/monster of the week/vibe) needs to have something to make audiences click the next episode button. As you get invested in the story more, the hooks need fades. Stiens;Gate actually has a pretty great first episode setting up the world and the mystery, then it goes into establishing the characters which is much, **much** slower than the first episode, but picks up pace once again sometime in the middle and then just goes on to the best penultimate episode in all of anime(the ultimate episode crown can only go to code geass). But i think the best second episodes in anime deserve a lot of love as well because sometimes the second episode is better than the first because the world is set up and exciting things can start/continue. Zankyou no terror has a superb second episode, which coupled with its soundtrack in the first part of the second ep, hits you like a gut punch. Code geass also has a second episode that gets the plot revving (also giving a good idea of what to expect for the rest of the season) and the ending of the second episode is also brilliant, and has far reaching consequences. Even death note's second ep is better than the first. Great video and don't worry, there'll be plenty of other opportunities after oshi no ko that you can work on. I was genuinely surprised at how low the views were. Keep up the good work.

[@PointyBoi]

Thank you, appreciate the support! Steins Gate is an interesting one because after that massive climax in the middle I feel like it was still able to ride that high all the way until the end of the series. With Zom, I have no idea how they could have extended that moment, you're right that once it was done there was just no way to top it later.

[@Frostaltered]

I dont feel Zom100 peaked at ep 1. I feel it kept getting better as the series went on.

[@luhriel1268]

Playing Celeste and suddenly hearing Celeste music in an unrelated video is crazy.

[@Pinetree-e7h]

omg to your eternity bro s1 was a banger i thought the deaths are gonna stop after meeting his masked brother, i just missed his companions man

[@paperverp]

Who be up firsting their episode rn?

[@PointyBoi]

In the club straight up firsting it

[@5am.mp4]

ZOM 100 IS SUCH A GOOD EXAMPLE I WAS ASTOUNDED BY THE FIRST EPISODE AND THEN WAS HONESTLY DOZING OFF FOR MOST OF THE REST OF THE SHOW I HATE FIRST EPISODE SYNDROME

[@zs3473]

i liked the rest of the show 💔

[@pastelcatnip]

Okay, how shonen brained do you have to be to be dozing off during ZOM fucking 100?

[@QueenFondue]

Ikr, it made me really sad. Honestly, I feel like every anime I've tried for the last few years has this problem. It just stops being interesting after the pilot.

[@5h3nn0ng]

I cannot in good faith like zom 100 solely because how they treated their staff. It was literally the thing they were critiquing about Japanese work culture. It just feels hypocritical to support them

[@ron4202]

​@@pastelcatnip "Someone doesnt agree with me, so I am gonna insult them" ahhh comment

[@JustJamieJam]

New underground anime youtuber that's peak? Hell yeah.

[@PointyBoi]

Appreciate the kind words!

[@PrinceOfSlytherin]

Lol didn't even notice

[@soupopera-art]

ily for making me watch school-live!, it was AMAZING >o

[@hlibprishchepov322]

"To your eternity" like friern and re:zero. Mc was created kinda immortal to protect world from evil. He finds a lot of friends who would like to help him but as mortals they die each time. That anime about afterlife and facing a death.

[@beefydonut6977]

Ninja Kamui is a prime example of this

[@adcakeartspersonal]

... to your eternity is amazing.. the first episode sets up what to expect for the series.. trust me it's a great show..

[@goatskin4487]

To your eternity improves a lot it isn't fair to try and judge it off the few episodes after the first.

[@DaniellaYunaki]

Did not expect to hear the corpse party BGM but it made it 10x better

[@PointyBoi]

I’m getting a lot of comments on the corpse party music, happy to see that so many people have played it.

[@vermelliwoolf8889]

Fr Corpse Party’s osts are so good I’m genuinely happy when I hear those osts in recent videos, I like that people remember these games. Tbh the best one will always be “Corpse Party: Blood Covered - Repeated Fear” and no one can convince me otherwise. I wish Book of Shadow wasn’t that super boring Point&Click. :(

[@zipzop7873]

The hero has returned has exactly the episode syndrome but it still peak , its a webtoon and goddam is it peak

[@DamageMaximo]

To Your Eternity is amazing, and even if the animation quality dropped, the story and emotional moments kept going strong.

[@YdenMk-II]

While it wasn't the first episode, The Sunday Without God's first 3 episodes was incredible and the show couldn't reach those heights afterwards.

[@theblackswordsman6489]

celeste music shivered my timbers

[@theblackswordsman6489]

ib music healed me tho, i forgive you

[@mountaindizzle3453]

Late to the video and this is very irrelevant but my ears have never perked up at background music faster than when I heard some Yu-Gi-Oh duelist of roses battle music at one point. It was very brief but I was surprised because you're the first person I've ever heard to use any music from that game despite it having an insane OST. Well done.

[@PointyBoi]

Duelist of the roses is legit one of my favourite games. I played the shit out of it when I was a kid

[@ВикторияФлоридова-м9з]

No DUDE WHAT? YOU WATCHED ONLY FEW EPISODES OF TO YOUR ETERNITY ??? Yes the first episode great but we continue to explore and relate to the characters and ultimately there are a lot of good moments, and not spoiling but second season still delivers

[@ВикторияФлоридова-м9з]

And not going to lie this moments stand next or better than first one

[@Moltageist]

I don't drop anything as it's not that hard to finish a 12-episode anime

[@renuk8560]

Creating new terms but feeling like you heard them from others is soo relatable

[@The_Real_CJSamurai]

The Corpse Party sound track got me reminiscing

[@ydrib6086]

4:00 he also destroys the black bars at the bottom and top

[@sonak78]

I never see anime youtubers referencing the seasonal anime i watch all the time, and you showed a lot of clips of my favorite ones, so cool. I really think To Your Eternity had an AWESOME first episode, and it makes sense to wait for something similar after watching it, but i really recommend watching the rest because, same as oshi no ko, it leaves that original plot to go into other great things, maybe the little kid wanting to be a momma wasn't the best, but im sure you'll love Gugu's arc.

[@AbhigyanKundu]

I remember the first episode of 'detective is already dead' and 11:34 perfectly describes it

[@M0722-g1d]

sometimes I just move to manga instead of anime because its a lot more quicker

[@i3zy392]

back in 2020 i went on a 1 episode spree of all the newest animes at the time and i can confirm this “first episode syndrome” thing is real. sometimes they put so much into that first episode and it just never picks back up and grabs you the same way again

[@lunadedog29]

i think... this video of yours did quite well... blew up even. well done! its really well made

[@AtelierOfWeebs]

A good example of first episode syndrome: Ninja Kamui, you know what I mean

[@alephcentauri]

late comment, but oshi no ko turned out to be my favorite show of all time. i had just picked anime back up after many years and it was the first one to truly, truly, blow me away. if there's anyone out there who dropped oshi no ko after the first ep: i'm heavily biased, but i encourage you to give it a shot. just look at the entirety of season 1 as exposition for the "real" story.

[@Jackster8484]

There is a rule that you should watch the first 3 episodes of an anime to see if its good or not, but I feel with that rule and First Episode Syndrome. I feel that a show is trying to wow me, but I get kind of annoyed at it for doing so. Like its trying to be better then it is and not be itself. I feel one has to get to episode 4 before you can tell if it has gotten into a grove and can keep it up. Sonny Boy was ok in the first three episodes, but I didn't feel I was in the show until episode 4. And then I felt I could sink my teeth into the main dish. I recently started watching "to love ru" and that show kept on introducing charters into the show for you to not lose interest. It was only by episode 12 where it could start to mix around and have fun with its cast.

[@PointyBoi]

Interesting, I personally was quite invested in Sonny Boy right from the start. I remember being very excited to keep watching just to find out what the fuck was even happening.

[@Jackster8484]

@@PointyBoi Like I was invested, but I felt it didn't really stop starting until episode 4. It was still introducing pieces.

[@RogerSmith2004]

Back during the production of Canaan in 2009, director Masahiro Ando was struggling with the kind of audience that drops a series only after one episode: "It's challenging to let people just watch a series. ... Nowadays, young people are surrounded by abundant amusements. They can spare time only for a couple of series. That's why most of the series are dropped only by the impression of episode 1." "It was surprising to know that the audience want a clear presentation of 'What this anime is about' in the first episode." "Super-high density and pace of the story is one of the ideas. I'm still seeking the solution to appeal to such people effectively."

[@benjamingoldstein9156]

Sometimes all you need is one episode. Sometimes 3 is enough. If I hate all the characters, I don't finish one episode. if the funny bits are boring, or the action doesn't engage me, I'm out. If the romance is meh, I might continue to 3.

[@Fleetfoot]

@@benjamingoldstein9156 Rule of 3 is important, When I watched Frieren the first episode didn't captivate me much but I persisted and thank god I did

[@SLimes-ce3id]

For me onk first episode was great, but I personally liked other episodes more. Especially a lot of season two and some of season one. I feel like the only interesting thing about first ep of onk was Ai's death, but in other episodes there were more that was explored and I personally dont think onk falls into the first ep syndrome

[@ClaywareDLC]

I've always just called it "frontloading."

[@hhhaskin]

SONNY BOY MENTIONED RAAAHHHHH

[@Craftingkilla]

i cant believe my list for First Episode Syndrome animes was the exact same as yours. this has to be a term used before

[@aurox5474]

Ive never seen a better fist episode than Oshi no Ko's, I was screaming at the top of my lungs in shock and disbelief to my bro on a discord call 😂😂, i even called what was gonna happen 20 minutes earlier as a joke but then THAT scene actually happened and i was just sitting there in shambles 💀💀

[@Manbaby21]

GAKKOU GURASHI MENTIONED 🔥🔥🔥

[@TrefalgarDLawIsTheGoat]

Wow I think this is very well put together, I hope you gain more subs as you deserve it!

[@PointyBoi]

Appreciate it, thank you!

[@le_nozo]

love the corpse party ost you chose for the bg lol

[@luizmassucatto]

Uzumaki defines First Episode Syndrome perfectly

[@blowphysh5467]

Psycho Pass definitely suffers from first episode syndrome

[@aquahoshino45510]

gakkou gurashi is my favorite anime and manga of ALL TIME i literally screamed when it was mentioned omgomgomg

[@sreezonpanchbibi9932]

Kinda surprised the video started with a celeste ost. It's so good but I've never seen it being used outside of celeste related videos. Going back to the topic of the video, I feel like there definitely are a few anime that makes the first episode setup as grand as it can because it needs to be able to hook on to the viewer's attention. I usually decide an anime that I will finish no matter what at the beginning and then start watching so I don't really experience the first episode syndrome much. I think that an anime tries to use that setup for as much attention as it can but then go on with the story with might not usually be what people expect so it becomes a let down. Idk why I wrote this much. I never really comment on video but I felt like sharing my thoughts so I did. Love to the creator and to anyone who's willing to read this paragraph xd

[@HeavensMemory]

I guess sometimes the first episode has just such an impact, that it is hard to keep up the momentum afterwards, especially with series that have an exta long first episode. It's like opening a door to a brand new world and being amazed by all the promises it offers, either actual promises or your owm imagination running wild. And then you come to a halt and are wondering "Well, what now?". It might be still interesting, but the first wave of excitement is gone and sometimes its hard to get going again. Could be that the production team put alot of extra effort and polish into the first episode, that just isn't there later. Or maybe the pacing of the following episodes feels off. Or the first episode created alot of expectation for how the story is going to play out and that 's just not what is going to happen.

[@RogerSmith2004]

Yeah I have been reading about anime for decades and have never heard the term "first episode syndrome". I will tell you that when Kotoura-san was airing back in 2013, that was considered an example of what you are thinking of. Where people were really blown away by the premiere, but then felt the rest of it wasn't nearly as good. A personal example for me was A-Channel. It has this really cinematic first episode, but then the rest of it is kind of a more standard 4-koma adaptation, with the big stand out being that every episode has a different insert song montage.

[@PointyBoi]

Thank you for confirming, I was low key expecting a bunch of people to tell me I stole the term from some big anime channel or something haha

[@ThisGuy1219]

Idk. Something about it tickles my brain somehow. It sounds vaguely familiar. Damn you Mandela!

[@melonsodalady2825]

i was literally about to comment about kotoura-san, it's actually the show that got me into anime because i saw a youtube video called "Kotoura-san ( It will Make u cry --Garanteed !! ) Sad Anime Scene" then i was just super disappointed with the rest of the show. glad i actually continued watching other anime though lolol

[@devilofether6185]

I have finished to your eternity; and I agree, the second season is the slowest, and it takes too long for anything really interesting to happen; but in my opinion, future episodes after that reach the first episode heights

[@Debuso4541_]

That's why I only watch first episodes and put them in a tier list

[@Szystedt]

Well, as suggested, I went ahead and watched the first episode of School Live. I'm not sure if I'll finish it, but the first episode was definitely worth it, despite knowing with almost pure certainty that there would be a twist ending eventually!

[@saseee]

Celeste music do be slapping hard at the start🔥

[@SoCalledEgg]

my ass watching MHA for four seasons waiting for it to "get good"

[@JustJamieJam]

What's the song that starts at 11:17? It's ringing something in the back of my brain, RPG horror related maybe?? I'm going insane trying to remember

[@PointyBoi]

It’s the title theme from Ib

[@JustJamieJam]

@@PointyBoi THATS IT!

[@Monzzhu]

Corpse Party, DotR and Ib soundtrack? Nice.

[@Jlukasph]

Imagine announcing out loud that welcome to the nhk is your favourite anime

[@ricardomunoz8988]

what makes all of this a first episode syndrome is "well that's it" feeling, like the mc already finished his character's arc and it stand on it's on. So now the only way to keep going is to introduce new more characters' with baggage that that mc had to help mend rinse and repeat. similarly to comedy and monster of the week show formula where everything goes back to default status. as in Oshi No Ko case you replace the entire main cast. it feel more like a Final Fantasy direct sequel eg FFX to FFX-2. Rather that going into a new installment so ep 1 is the main game everything after that is dlc

[@bananabro1010]

First few seconds I’m hearing Celeste music. Good taste bro

[@RGC_animation]

A non anime but still animated show that suffers from first episode syndrome is the indie series Hazbin Hotel. The pilot episode on KZbin was so creative and showed very cool concepts, but the rest of the series, while still good, never managed to live up to the pilot.

[@Mialikesthings]

It got picked up by Amazon, didn't it?

[@Prasinosxalvas]

Damn man your videos are really good quality wise. You deserve more subscribers

[@PointyBoi]

Thank you, appreciate it!

[@alaALBI]

still sad for the oshi no ko ending (manga)

[@garfieldjohnnyjonhson]

Amazing video, you deserve more recognition wtf

[@PointyBoi]

Haha thanks, maybe if I actually uploaded consistently ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@MacKEK]

finally someone said that

[@smith3463]

What about Last Episode Syndrome where the beginning is mid but the end GLORIOUS

[@pisaschitt787]

It shouldn't be a syndrome at all. A perfect and satisfying should reward viewers who stick around even if the beginning of the story is wonky

[@WolfOfWalfas]

"If you haven't seen the first episode of School-Live!..." Lol, this and Oshi no Ko are the only shows here I HAVE seen. X'D And, yes, the first episode is incredible... in hindsight, IMO. Honestly, I think Geoff from Mother's Basement put it best in his video on the power of first-episodes as an advertisement for their respective series when he said it seems like a "standard, maybe even bad moe clubroom show" (I'm sure I'm paraphrasing here, but it was something to that effect). While I respect the discussion of School-Live! here (and the fact that you actually pronounced the title with the correct "live"), I have to personally disagree with it as an example of "first episode syndrome". To me, it's an episode with a great twist and not much else, followed by an absolutely phenomenal psychological-horror which is still the only piece of media to have ever actually disturbed me. And, yes, you'd better bet I'm gonna start using the term "first episode syndrome" to describe this phenomenon! I've seen plenty of my own examples that I think apply quite well. Better prepare for those royalties to start piling-up!

[@ade1174]

I agree that the first episode of Zom 100 is the best, but the flight attendant and super hero episodes were also really good, and I found them quite moving.

[@slurpyeel]

lol i can appreciate the celeste, corpse party and Ib music used ^^

[@phantom-ri2tg]

Just saying for School Live I say it does get better later. It is another case where details were left out of the anime. Including one very major reveal *Spoiler* She is not delusional. It was an act she put on to give a sense of normalcy to her friends. I think it is great as one of the best examples of The Heart I have seen. Not only did she resist the stress of the apocalypse but she also managed to not break character all that time. functioning as the glue that kept their group together.

[@kai6492]

if someone said zombies were related to 'schoolliv' i wouldve left when you said to go watch it but i frankly didn't care otherwise cuz i figured it was basic like most tend to be. sounds so cool i got chills hearing about it

[@altrivotzck6565]

Gakkou gurashi is truly the peak of this idea. I've thought about this topic many times over the years (not naming it "first episode syndrome", but just thinking about the phenomenon), and I always end up thinking about Gakkougurashi I can't remember which one of them I experienced first, but the first chapter of the gakkougurashi manga is the exact same way. The epitome of "the first episode/chapter was the best." I've read further in the manga, and I didn't really like it that much. It was okay. However, that first chapter always pops back up in my mind. Such a great "one shot" with a bonus manga attached. Another series I often end up thinking of when I think of this phenomenon is called "Hatsukoi Zombie" The first few chapters of the manga really piqued my interest, back when I was a teenager, but the rest of the manga turned out to just be a subpar love triangle manga that slowly got worse over time. It wasn't "bad", mostly mediocre, but it made Nisekoi look like a masterpiece.

[@MsTatakai]

and then there is last episode syndrome... Last episode finish in a hype moment so you have to read the manga to continue like... Magi for example