Anime That Otakus Hated But Ended Up Loving

Users of a popular anime commentary forum have been embroiled in a fascinating debate about their experiences with anime they initially despised, but later came to love after giving them a chance. This phenomenon, which can be considered a radical change of opinion, has generated a lively and thoughtful exchange among members of the community.

The discussion thread has revealed a variety of reasons why users originally dismissed certain anime, ranging from prejudices about genre or art style to misunderstandings about plot or characters. However, the most notable thing is how these same anime managed to conquer the hearts of the naysayers once they decided to give them a fair chance.

The change of heart has been described by many as an eye-opening experience, where initial perceptions were challenged and replaced with a deep appreciation for the unique qualities of each series. Users have highlighted the importance of keeping an open mind and being willing to revise their preconceived opinions, as this can lead to surprising discoveries and a greater appreciation of the vast and diverse world of anime.

"Fairy Tail. I used to make fun of that show because of the ridiculousness of the characters, but now I'm watching it again for the fifth time."
"Go Live. I thought it was an average fanservice anime 4 years ago. It wasn't completely fanservice. But the dark plot is nowhere mentioned. It starts with a fluffy tone, turns dark in the later arcs. I got tired of waiting for the next season, I read his light novels. Shit is dark if you think about the family tree."
"It's funny, since you mentioned it as an example, but that happened to me with Shingeki no Kyojin. I was so fed up with the time intervals between seasons that I quit the show entirely, but as a full series it's so much better. Waiting 4 years to sit in the woods for a bunch of episodes (S1-S2) killed my joy for the show watching weekly, but if you can sit back and watch it from start to finish, season two isn't as ridiculously slow as it felt to me in 2017."
"Initial D, I used to say that an anime about racing sounded crappy... until I saw it. Now it's in my top 10
"On Animax, I used to avoid supposedly girl shows like K-ON, Lucky Star, Maid-Sama, or even slice-of-life like Little Busters. Suffice it to say that I have rectified those failures."
"Re:Zero, I'm glad I gave you a second chance."
"Kimetsu no Yaiba. Zenitsu bothered me a lot, but once I got to the Infinity Train I didn't care anymore. I've yet to see the arch in Blacksmith's Village, but it's a time for simple, elegant shounen so far, and I like that!"
"Anime in general as it seemed weird to me but NHK ni Youkoso! (Welcome to the N.H.K.) It made me enjoy it."
"I let the haters of Sword Art Online influence me for a couple of years. I'm glad to enjoy it again."
"For me it was Gintama, I've tried like 5-7 times to watch it and I always stop between the tenth and twentieth episode because I found it so boring, the last time I tried it (with more shounen anime in my brain) I finally ended up enjoying it."
"When I first saw Sound! Euphonium, I really liked the first two seasons and Liz and the Blue Bird, but I was very disappointed with the third movie. I hated the movie for years because I always thought the second season was a good place to end the series, only for this movie to come along, make me eat my words, and then end on a cliffhanger as it hurtled through most of the second year."
"The truth is, I hated the first season of Shingeki no Kyojin and left it because when everyone came out to praise it. But about 5 years later I gave it another chance and I wasn't disappointed. I still think the first season is the weakest."
"I can't stress this enough, but the longer/crazier a title is, the more likely it is to be better. Watch 100 Girlfriend's. That alone should be a joke and a thumbs up, but it doesn't. It's a surprisingly deep story that really shows how unique each woman/man is and that loving them is most likely as unique as they are. Plus, it's fucking hilarious."
"I'm A Villainness, so I'm Taming the Last Boss. I quit when it started to get interesting, but I came back months later and enjoyed it. It has substantial flaws in its pacing due to how the studio adapted a volume to four episodes. But I like it."
"I wasn't really into hardcore action before, like Berserk, Claymore, Black Bullet, etc., but I started to enjoy fight scenes more and more and now it's like "our genre" to watch when my boyfriend and I want to watch anime together. On my own, I still prefer adventure and fantasy (and romance, I'm not going to lie: I'm going crazy with Cherry Magic and A Sign of Affection)."
"I used to dislike Don't Toy with Me Miss Nagatoro because the first few episodes left me feeling bad. But honestly, after watching more, it's a pretty solid series. It's not amazing, but it's quite entertaining once the characters develop a bit."
"I used to hate Toradora! Because the protagonist girl was just such an unreasonable bitch to the other protagonist. Then you get more into the plot, and it changes your mind so quickly."
"Girls Band Cry. I told myself I wouldn't watch it because of the CGI, but I'm glad I was wrong."
"Fist of the North Star".
"JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, I thought it was too ridiculous for my taste, now look at me."
"Sousou no Frieren, I used to say it was overrated, it's not great and everything, but now it's a fucking masterpiece for me."
"Monogatari Series, when I watched Bakemonogatari I didn't like it because it was slow and it wasn't my anime style."
"It's not that I didn't like it, but I preferred Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood to the 2003 anime when I was younger. In a way, I prefer the old one now. He gets too much hate. FMAB is not as perfect a fit as it is portrayed."
"Anime in general. I was a kid when someone showed me school days and Le Blue Girl as a joke and thought all anime was just low-brow porn. Now, I literally don't care, but back then I was very conservative and it took me all the way back to high school. A friend introduced me to Full Metal Alchemist and I fell in love with anime."
"My Hero Academia... I used to hate it because of the fandom and such, but then I went through 5 episodes and I've been hooked."
"I didn't like mechas until Code Geass, even though the mecha part isn't essential at all, but it changed my perception. Also Spirited Away. I thought it was an overrated children's movie because it was Japanese. But my best friend told me to give it a try, and I really liked it."
"Our Last Crusade or The Rise of A New World. In the beginning, when it came to anime, what mattered most to me was how interesting the narrative was, and Our Last Crusade was one of the few series that didn't get me too hooked on the story, but now that I look back on it, I appreciate other aspects, like how amazing the animation was for its time. It's beautiful and has a unique visual style that makes me look forward to season two."
"One Piece. He thought his characters were too silly to be taken seriously, like the villains and their huge asses, as well as their overly comical reactions. But now I love it. I finally decided to give it a try when I saw how well it's going, the world-building, the stories around it and just the story in general without too many loopholes and stuff pulled out of ass and boring fillers like in Naruto."
"Bleach. I watched a few episodes and was like, "It's funny, but what the hell is this? But a few years later I started watching it again and I got to the Soul Society arc and that's where it got awesome."