As we approach the beginning of the Fall 2024 season, several anime have started to gain attention on MyAnimeList, although this isn’t always due to positive reasons. Some shows, after airing, may have high viewer engagement, but there are also many that face significant drops in interest as users decide whether to continue watching the series or move on to others.
This phenomenon is understandable, as most viewers adhere to the well-known “first episode rule,” where a show’s initial episode must capture their interest to warrant continued viewing. At this point, many fans often feel they have enough information to determine whether a series is worth their time or if they should switch to a different one.
The “first episode rule” has become an unwritten guideline within the anime community, especially on platforms like MyAnimeList.
The logic behind this rule is quite straightforward. Generally, an anime will introduce its concept, initial conflicts, and main characters in its first few episodes. Consequently, at this juncture, many viewers feel they have sufficient data to assess whether a series will continue to captivate their interest or if they should shift to another title.
This trend has been consistently observed with each new anime season, and it significantly affects the statistics related to drop rates of popular anime titles.
To illustrate this concept more clearly, consider a scenario where a viewer watches the first four episodes of a series but finds it unengaging. That would be the point at which they might decide to ‘drop’ the show.
Below is a ranking of the anime with the highest drop rates for Fall 2024:
20. Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles Season 2 – 971 dropouts.
19. Negative Positive Angler – 989 dropouts.
18. Mecha-Ude: Mechanical Arms – 1043 dropouts.
17. Nina the Starry Bride – 1045 dropouts.
16. A Terrified Teacher at Ghoul School! – 1214 dropouts.
15. If My Wife Becomes an Elementary School Student – 1296 dropouts.
14. I’ll Become a Villainess Who Goes Down in History – 1377 dropouts.
13. Good Bye, Dragon Life – 1395 dropouts.
12. The Most Notorious “Talker” Runs the World’s Greatest Clan – 1410 dropouts.
11. Demon Lord, Retry! R – 1414 dropouts.
10. Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii – 1420 dropouts.
9. Tying the Knot with an Amagami Sister – 1431 dropouts.
8. The Healer Who Was Banished From His Party, Is, in Fact, the Strongest – 1432 dropouts.
7. 365 Days to the Wedding – 1434 dropouts.
6. Let This Grieving Soul Retire – 1503 dropouts.
5. Dandadan – 1584 dropouts.
4. Loner Life in Another World – 1972 dropouts.
3. You are Ms. Servant – 2050 dropouts.
2. Blue Lock Season 2 – 2272 dropouts.
1. Uzumaki: Spiral into Horror – 6333 dropouts.
From a positive perspective, the phenomenon of high drop rates for certain anime isn’t solely negative. It also serves as an opportunity for viewers to seek out and explore new works that may be more appealing than their current offerings.
