I love anime. Many do. However, like many mediums, anime is pretty saturated. The advent of Crunchyroll and its ilk have increased the amount of anime people have access to greatly. Therefore, avid viewers have devised ways to separate the chaff from the wheat. Enter methods like the “Three Episode Rule”

Three Episode Rule

Simply put, the “Three Episode Rule” is the notion that the first three episodes of a show are a good representation of the show as a whole. Taken to its logical extreme, it’s usually expressed as “episodes 1-3 are required viewing before deciding whether a show is worth your time or not”. It seems to be widely recognized, though opinions are mixed on its effectiveness. The origins of this rule are shrouded in mystery (perhaps it’s a Stand Alone Complex in its own right) but shows like Puella Magi Madoka Magica are certainly keeping the sentiment running strong.

One Episode Variant

Interestingly, podcaster, vlogger and reviewer Digibro has subtly taken said rule to task, proposing his own standard, of sorts. Take a quick look at Digibro’s anime stats and you’ll see that a fair amount of anime on his list meet the chopping block – something he’s addressing again in his latest series. While he hasn’t bestowed upon it any special moniker, the gist of his point is that the first episode is usually enough to judge a show by. Though it is no guarantee of overall quality, Digibro argues, good shows tend to have good first episodes.

So…what’s really the difference, then?

An adept reader may claim that the “Three Episode Rule” and Digibro’s one episode variant are largely similar, varying largely in scope. I’d mostly agree, but posit that there’s some nuance here that’s worth sifting through.

First of all, Digibro is very analytical. I’ve seen him dissect an episode of GATE, touching upon production and presentation details I easily glossed over during my viewing. In other words, Digibro and his ilk are adept enough at discerning and dissecting the production M.O. that they only need one episode. For the less analytical, three episodes may allow one to consume the media and passively discern its quality.

This next point is a little uncomfortable to deal with, but I think a lot of us likely don’t know what we like or would consider good. At least not on a deeper level. Casual viewing easily lends itself to the “as long as I’m interested/I’ll know a good one when I see it” method. This method is different from the two others in that it is mostly retrospective. It’s like face-checking every bush in League of Legends or scarfing down a bunch of plants and then deciding it they were poisonous later – it isn’t a vetting method.

Which is right for me?

That’s not so much an indictment as a caveat. Watching a show purely for the enjoyment of the experience with little to no analytic judgement is a totally legitimate way to experience anime and other media. It’s just that, if you can’t or won’t scrutinize a piece of media on a level beyond “the experience as a whole was good/bad” then a one (or any number of ) episode rule won’t do you any good.

So which should you use? If you’ve just gotta dig for every bit of deep meaning in a narrative and composition elements are a deal breaker for you, I’d suggest trying your hand at Digibro’s one episode method. If you’re a little more laid back and are looking for larger narrative elements such as tonal shifts, extended characterization or solidification of a premise, then watching three episodes or so would be best for you. Finally, If you don’t want to run the risk of turning your new show into a high school English lesson, then just watching the show while it interests you is best.