5 Ways to Help You Keep Watching an Anime Series You Hate

Anime, Spring 2018

Sometimes we find ourselves watching a show that we dislike yet we continue following said series instead of just dropping it.

No shame in that. It happens. I know I struggle with this all the time (or at least used to; I was a bit too eager to drop shows last season).

Maybe you want to adhere to a particular genre or niche, or you want to see what everyone is fussing about. With that being said, if you’re not having fun with a show then it might be for the best if you drop it.

Buuuuut that’s not what this post is about.

That’s right, I’m here today to suggest 5 methods you can use to continue with a series you hate or at least care little for! If you’re finding it difficult to watch a particular show yet still want to keep following aforementioned series, then this list is for you! Here we go!

Let the Hate Motivate

I don’t really advocate this, but perhaps you can stick around and watch a series you despise to the very end so you can thoroughly trash it in a post or a tweet thread. The release of all this built-up negative emotion might prove to be cathartic.

With that being said, you better be able to support your arguments with reasoning and examples or else you might just be accused of being a bandwagoner, or a hipster, or a whiny brat.

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Then again, my Sin: Nanatsu no Taizai episode 1 review is somehow within my top 10 posts ever in terms of view count. Maybe people do like reading angry or dismissive rants!

Mainly Focus on (a) Side Character(s)

Maybe becoming attached to a quirky side character can help you get through a show, especially if you find the protagonist to be insufferable.

Relying on this method can provide unreliable results if the side character rarely receives any screentime, however.

Consider the Character’s Perspective

Right now there’s a lot of ill will being focused on a particular character in a particular series.

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Chill out, guys, she’s, like, 15.

It’s perfectly fine to dislike a character, but do keep in mind that these characters are bound to be flawed and make poor judgment calls because they simply aren’t aware of specific (and often important) things.

To be honest, I’m not a fan of Ichigo’s behaviour in episode 14 of Darling in the FranXX, either. But after taking some time to think about the situation, I’ve come to realize that she’s just a stupid flawed kid who is making some mistakes. Don’t you make mistakes? I make them all the time. I’m making one right now by staying up this late to write this top 5 list.

Sometimes Things Do Get Better

At least when it comes to an anime series, at least. SOMETIMES a show will improve.

With that being said, it’s definitely a gamble. So on that note, please don’t sue Remy Fool if you try to give a show a shot and it horribly backfires since you hate it from beginning to end.

Read Other Opinions

We all miss things from time to time. No one is perfect.

And the things we misunderstand or misinterpret might cause us to intensely dislike a show.

That’s where reading what other people have to say comes into play. Maybe they caught something that could potentially change your perception of a series. Orrrr maybe you’ll just read a bunch of hot and opinionated takes that only serve to make you angrier or feel lonelier since no one else seems to agree with you.

It’s a risk and I’m not sure it’s worth it in the end if I have to be completely honest. But, hey, if you’re being a masochist and you want to continue watching a series despite hating it for some reasons, then maybe you should give this a shot. Who knows? It might save the show for you if you hear what others have to say.

Honorable Mentions:

That’s all I have today, folks.

Do you all ever force yourself to watch a show you hate? Have you any secret methods to keep punishing yourself? I would love to hear more in the comments section!

Thank you for reading.

27 thoughts on “5 Ways to Help You Keep Watching an Anime Series You Hate”

  1. All it took was one or two bad experiences before I started dropping shows despite any obligation. But there are many shows that lots of other people like but you might not, so when I decide to watch those shows to understand their perspective I will take these things into account!

    Letting the hate motivate is something out of my control which I do anyway, but considering things from their perspective is a good idea because it gets me out of trying to think about the writers and constantly criticising them!

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    1. Awww yeah those bad experiences really makes you rethink about the shows you follow. But yeah, everything is subjective in the end. Well, mostly everything.

      Sometimes the writers do do some outlandish stuff, though, so I definitely see your point!

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  6. Considering I never drop shows no matter how bad they are, I’ve found myself clinging to all kinds of reasons, including some of these ones.

    Usually for me, it boils down to “I am a completionist and therefore I MUST finish this show” or “Maybe it’ll have something worthwhile buried under all this stuff I don’t like”.

    “Sometimes things do get better” is my most used reason though, and in several cases it’s helped me find a favourite show. Reborn! remains my go to example of when this worked out really well for me.

    Great post Remy. Super relatable and very useful.

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    1. Mmmm I imagined this would be a familiar topic for you. I’m also glad this was relatable since that means it was somewhat spot-on, then!

      Ahh, I remember. From nearly dropped to favourite. What a leap for Reborn!

      Oh, you’re too kind, Lethargic. Thank you!

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  8. This discussion is very relatable. Haven’t we all suffered through a few abhorrent series? For me, if I’ve already invested in watching at least half of a series (hoping it will improve), I will usually stick around until the end. Applying the “three episode rule” before deciding to call quits on a series is my go-to method to avoid being sucked into terrible series.

    Although I can’t recall a series that was less than stellar turning out much better than I expected, I have begun a few series with minimal expectations, only to be pleasantly surprised by the end. Toradora! and Kill la Kill are a couple examples of series that turned out to be far better than I anticipated.

    Great post Remy! Thank you again.

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    1. Yeah, we’ve all done it. Sometimes they hide their true colours until it’s too late!

      Those seem pretty solid guidelines to me.

      Ah, keeping expectations to a minimum might be for the best. I’m glad you ended up enjoying Toradora! and Kill la Kill! They’re both great in my opinion, too.

      Thanks, Kimmie! And I appreciate that you swung by.

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