Key takeaways
- Best Anime That Got Better After Season One The best anime that improved after season one are Haikyuu!! in Season 2, My Hero Academia in Season 2, Kaguya-sama: Love Is War in Season 2, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure in Part 2,…
Best Anime That Got Better After Season One
The best anime that improved after season one are Haikyuu!! in Season 2, My Hero Academia in Season 2, Kaguya-sama: Love Is War in Season 2, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure in Part 2, and Gintama after its early setup period.
“Better” can mean different things: stronger animation, a more focused story, deeper characters, better comedy, or a wider sense of scale. The important distinction is whether a show rewards patience or merely changes direction. The guide below identifies the point where each series finds its footing and whether you should continue, skip, or start with a later arc.
Quick comparison: where each anime improves
| Anime | Weak or uneven starting point | Breakthrough season or arc | Best reason to continue | Can you skip ahead? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haikyuu!! | Season 1, especially the opening episodes | Season 2, from the Tokyo training arc onward | More tactical volleyball and stronger team chemistry | No; watch Season 1 |
| My Hero Academia | Season 1, which is short and introductory | Season 2, especially the Sports Festival | A larger cast and more meaningful rivalries | No; Season 1 establishes essential relationships |
| Kaguya-sama: Love Is War | Season 1, where the formula can feel repetitive | Season 2, with more emotional consequences | Comedy develops into character-driven romance | Not recommended; early jokes build later payoffs |
| JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure | Phantom Blood, Part 1 | Battle Tendency, Part 2 | Faster pacing, better fights, and a more playful tone | You may start with Part 2, but Part 1 adds useful context |
| Gintama | Its first 20–30 episodes | Later early arcs, then the Benizakura arc | Comedy gains emotional stakes and long-form storytelling | No; the slow beginning introduces the cast |
| Food Wars! | Season 1, which relies heavily on its gimmick | Season 2, during the Autumn Elections | Sharper competitions and clearer character goals | No; the tournament setup matters |
Haikyuu!!: the clearest Season 2 upgrade
Exact turning point: Season 2, beginning with the Tokyo training camp and the matches that follow.
Season 1 already has strong character introductions, but its early episodes spend considerable time teaching the rules, establishing Karasuno’s players, and explaining the basic rivalry between Shoyo Hinata and Tobio Kageyama. The team is entertaining before it is especially sophisticated.
Season 2 improves the formula by making volleyball strategy central to the drama. Players work on weaknesses rather than simply unlocking new abilities, and matches become contests of positioning, stamina, observation, and adaptation. The supporting teams also receive enough development to feel like genuine opponents.
Decision: Do not skip Season 1. If the first few episodes feel like a conventional sports introduction, continue until the team’s first major tournament match. Season 2 is where the series becomes a consistently intelligent sports drama rather than just a charismatic underdog story.
My Hero Academia: wait for the Sports Festival
Exact turning point: Season 2, particularly the U.A. Sports Festival.
The six-episode first season is mostly foundation. It introduces Izuku Midoriya’s power, the rules of hero society, and the classmates who later drive much of the conflict. Its short length means it does not have much time to demonstrate what its large ensemble can do.
Season 2 gives those characters competing ambitions. The Sports Festival provides focused matchups, personal histories, and a clear reason for classmates to challenge one another. The show also becomes more visually inventive as different abilities are used in combination rather than presented as isolated superpowers.
Decision: Watch all of Season 1, then judge the series after the Sports Festival. This is a good choice for viewers who want an ensemble action anime but found the opening too earnest or predictable. Skipping the first season would remove context for several emotional confrontations.
Kaguya-sama: Love Is War: when the mind games gain consequences
Exact turning point: Season 2, with the festival and student-council storylines providing the biggest improvement.
Season 1 has a distinctive premise: two proud students use increasingly elaborate schemes to force the other to confess first. The joke is effective, but the repeating structure can make the early episodes feel like separate sketches.
Season 2 keeps the rapid comedy while allowing embarrassment, jealousy, insecurity, and friendship to carry over from one episode to the next. The characters stop being merely clever opponents and become people whose self-protective behavior has real consequences. That change gives the jokes more weight without losing the absurd presentation.
Decision: Continue if you enjoy the premise but want more romance and character progression. Do not start with Season 2 unless you have already seen a summary of Season 1; many of the best payoffs depend on small earlier details.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: skip Part 1 only if pacing is a deal-breaker
Exact turning point: Part 2, Battle Tendency, which is commonly presented as Season 1’s second half in the 2012 television adaptation.
Phantom Blood is important but comparatively brief and conventional. Its gothic revenge story establishes the Joestar family, the supernatural threat, and the series’ distinctive dramatic intensity. It can feel stiff beside what follows.
Battle Tendency is faster, funnier, and more inventive. Joseph Joestar solves problems through deception and improvisation rather than relying only on strength. The fights become elaborate puzzles, and the tone develops the flamboyant humor associated with later parts.
Decision: Watch Part 1 if you value continuity and want the full family mythology. If its pacing is preventing you from reaching the series’ strengths, reading a brief recap and starting Part 2 is a reasonable compromise. Do not jump directly to later parts without learning the basic Joestar history, because recurring names and abilities have deliberate connections.
Gintama: the slowest investment with the largest payoff
Exact turning point: The series becomes more reliable after roughly 20–30 episodes, then makes a major leap with the Benizakura arc.
Gintama begins as a loose science-fiction comedy about odd jobs in an alternate Edo-period Japan. Early episodes introduce a large cast, recurring jokes, and the setting’s unusual mixture of samurai drama and alien technology. The problem is that the show is still assembling its comedic rhythm, so the first several episodes can feel episodic and unfocused.
Once the characters are established, the series can switch from absurd comedy to serious action without losing its identity. The Benizakura arc is an especially useful test: it shows whether Gintama’s emotional and dramatic side works for you.
Decision: Continue if you like character-based comedy and are willing to invest time. Gintama is not a good choice when you need immediate plot momentum. Skipping randomly through the early episodes is also risky because later emotional scenes depend on the cast’s accumulated relationships.
Food Wars!: the tournament structure makes the concept work
Exact turning point: Season 2’s continuation of the Autumn Elections, although the tournament begins in Season 1.
The first season introduces the competitive cooking school and its exaggerated sensory reactions. That gimmick can dominate the opening episodes, making the show seem more interested in spectacle than culinary strategy.
By the Autumn Elections, the contests have clearer rules and opposing philosophies. Ingredients, preparation methods, timing, and presentation become part of the tactical drama. Rival characters also receive defined goals, so victories and defeats feel less arbitrary.
Decision: Continue through the first major tournament before deciding. This is best for viewers who enjoy competition anime and can accept theatrical food presentation. It is not worth pushing through if the fan-service-heavy tone is already a deal-breaker, because that aspect does not disappear.
Decision matrix: which show deserves your time?
| If you want… | Choose | Patience required | What to expect after the improvement point |
|---|---|---|---|
| The quickest noticeable upgrade | Haikyuu!! | One season | More tactical matches and stronger ensemble writing |
| Superhero action with a larger cast | My Hero Academia | One short season | Rivalries, tournament structure, and expanded abilities |
| Romantic comedy that becomes emotionally richer | Kaguya-sama: Love Is War | One season | Continuing character development beneath the jokes |
| Stylish fights and eccentric humor | JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure | About half a season | More inventive battles and a looser, faster tone |
| A very long comedy-to-drama commitment | Gintama | 20–30 episodes or more | Emotional arcs with substantial dramatic payoff |
| Cooking battles with tournament tension | Food Wars! | One season | Clearer rules, sharper rivalries, and more strategic contests |
How to decide when to stop pushing through
Give a show enough episodes to reach its stated strength, but do not treat patience as an obligation. For Haikyuu!!, My Hero Academia, and Kaguya-sama, Season 2 is a fair checkpoint. For JoJo, Part 2 is the practical checkpoint. For Gintama, try the early character episodes and the Benizakura arc before committing to its much longer run.
If the improved season changes a problem you had—such as shallow rivalries, repetitive structure, or weak pacing—it is worth continuing. If it only adds more of something you already dislike, such as the tone or fan service, skipping the series is the better choice.
Final recommendations
Start with Haikyuu!! for the safest recommendation: Season 1 lays necessary groundwork and Season 2 delivers a clear increase in strategic depth. Choose Kaguya-sama: Love Is War if you want comedy that gradually becomes romance. Choose JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure if you are comfortable recapping Part 1 to reach a more energetic style quickly. Choose Gintama only when you want a long-term investment in a cast that eventually supports both ridiculous comedy and serious drama.
