Anime is a medium that consistently wows viewers time and time again. Breathtaking action, amazing visuals, and stellar voice-acting are three of the many pillars that make this medium great, and a strong first impression serves as the perfect cherry on top of this addictive cake. However, there are times when some shows can take a while to get going, which can be a pain at times.
This is mainly due to the story either being set up, new characters being introduced, or a bunch of other small things that combine to make the beginnings of certain anime slightly tedious. The following shows suffer the most from this, although the vast majority of fans concur that getting through this initial slow buildup is worth it for the brilliance of later story arcs.
10 Gintama
Gintama takes the crown for being one of the funniest and most well-written shows around, with its filler also being a blast somehow. The show is a great example of how to create anime-specific content, shining brilliantly at times.
That being said, people who are just getting into Gintama will find the first episode to be somewhat of a mess. It's a pretty bad way to start off with this show, but it slowly gets better from the next episode onward, with some of the arcs in Gintama being absolutely spectacular.
9 Black Clover
Black Clover is another example of a shonen anime that takes a while to get going. People absolutely hated Asta in the start for being the most cliched anime protagonist around, with the series taking a good fifty episodes to finally find its footing.
However, getting through this slog is worth it, since the anime is a textbook example of a shonen that spends a long time building its world before expanding its scope. Black Clover might not break any new ground, but that doesn't matter if its concepts are still rock-solid and executed properly.
8 Bleach
There was a time when Bleach was a part of the Big Three along with Naruto and One Piece. Those were truly great times for a series that steadily went downhill following the amazing Soul Society arc before crashing and burning in the end.
What makes this drop in quality even worse is that the starting few moments of Bleach are somewhat of a slog to get through, as is. While the Soul Society arc might make this wait worth it, the lack of consistency is still disappointing regardless.
7 Steins;Gate
The first two episodes of Steins;Gate are extremely slow and pretty boring at times. The confusing nature of these episodes might turn people off from watching the entire show, which is a shame.
After all, Steins;Gate really picks up after this initial slow start and becomes one of the greatest anime ever made. The plot might be complicated but is presented in a manner that slowly puts its pieces together before delivering a nigh-perfect payoff.
6 Baccano!
Speaking of anime with complicated stories, it's hard not to talk about Baccano! The show is pieced together in a non-linear manner, which can be pretty challenging to follow due to how disjointed the story feels... especially in the early going.
It's only after people stick to this series for a while do they finally understand what the show's all about. This wait can be pretty long, and it wouldn't be surprising for viewers to watch this anime for a second time after having an idea about the twisty nature of the plot.
5 Berserk
To say that Berserk was even remotely bad at any moment is tantamount to heresy. However, a slow start doesn't necessarily mean a bad one, and Berserk showcases why taking things slow early on can have a massive impact further down the line.
Guts seems like a savage being for no reason, but it's only when people find out about his history that they realize how he became the iconic swordsman we all know and love. It's a beautiful and slow start that makes later moments in the manga all the more powerful.
4 Vinland Saga
The fact that the entire first season of Vinland Saga is nothing more than a prequel shows just how massive the scope of this amazing series is poised to be. After all, this prequel itself featured a ton of amazing scenes that made it such a great show.
The first few episodes take a while to pick up, but it's after Thorfinn starts sailing with Askeladd that the show truly picks up. Given that this is just a taste of things to come, fans can't wait to see what the next season of Vinland Saga has to offer.
3 Dr. Stone
The idea of the entire world being trapped in a petrifying apocalyptic event sounds disastrous, and that's pretty much what happened in Dr. Stone. However, a brilliant scientist and his friends managed to undo these effects and start life anew in the new Stone Age.
Dr. Stone is easily one of the most unique shonen anime around, although it takes a while to get the ball rolling. After Senku splits up with his friends and goes to Ishigami Village, things really pick up.
2 JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
When an anime adaptation for JoJo's Bizarre Adventure was finally announced, fans were elated at the idea of this legendary manga getting the recognition it deserves. However, these fans also realized that the first few episodes of the anime would be a chore to get through.
Phantom Blood is a decent arc, but there's no denying that it has aged poorly. Jonathan is a boring protagonist and the arc itself is pretty formulaic. It's great that this arc is followed by Battle Tendency, which is considered by many to be one of the better stories in the series.
1 Fate/Zero
The first episode of Fate/Zero is a massive exposition dump that can turn people off from the entire experience. A single episode might not equate to a slow start, but it's the meandering pace of Fate/Zero in this episode that makes it somewhat of a chore to get through.
A lot of people outright gave up on this show after this weak first impression, which is understandable. However, people who manage to get through this slow opening will find themselves enjoying a genuinely amazing shonen anime with one of the best final stretches ever.