Is the First episode really that important?

I’m gonna go on out on a limb and say, yeah, first epidsode really is important. Sure, you can come and yell at me about shows that have a lame first episode, but get better as they go along….

And I don’t care, because if you come and give me some solid recommendations, I win anyway, don’t I? Alas, a first episode is the viewer’s first impression of a series. If the viewer gets a bad first impressions, they won’t be as enthusiastic as they go in. Really, why spend MORE time watching something you didn’t enjoy?

My favorite anime, for example, “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzimiya” has a solid first episode, establishing how ridiculous and wacky this series is going to be. Also, it pretty much sums everything up in the whole series in an incredibly convoluted manner. Another solid first goes to Fruits basket, a Shoujo that while, it looks like generic coming in, gets a few giggles, while leading in to the series main hook. Ninja Nonsense, a fine comedy, starts making you ROFL from the get go. It doesn’t stop in the second episode either. Code Geass, although mostly a boring first, has a pretty awesome ending, setting up a hook. Overall, a lot of my favorite anime start out solid, and build from that foundation. Cowboy Bebop? Starts with a solid episode that tells you next to nothing about the character’s origin, and you like it anyway.

Can a series with a bad first episode be good? Absolutely, I’m usually just more hesitant to show that series to a friend. There’s always room for redemption, but really, when you show up for a job interview, do you wear the same thing you wore to bed or do you wear you’re best suit?