My friend told me to skip the first 12 episodes of a show and I wish I hadn't

My buddy Mark, who's been into anime for a long time, told me to just start 'One Piece' from episode 13. He said the first dozen episodes were slow and the real story began after that. So I did it. I jumped right in, and I was totally lost. I had no idea who these people were or why they were together. The jokes fell flat because I didn't know their history. After three episodes of feeling confused, I went back and watched from the start. Those first 12 episodes set up everything. They made me care about the crew. Mark's advice came from a good place, but it was wrong for a new viewer. Has anyone else gotten bad skipping advice that ruined a show for them?

2 comments

2 Comments

vera_dixon891mo ago

Disagree with the whole premise here. Skipping filler is how you find out if a show's core plot hooks you. If you're lost after jumping in, maybe the writing just isn't that good at catching you up.

nora_barnes1mo ago

Totally get why you went back. Honestly @vera_dixon89, skipping filler is one thing, but skipping the actual start of the story is a different game. Those early episodes build the foundation, you need to know why the crew is even together. Starting later just leaves you confused about the jokes and the bonds.