We’ve all been there. You log in to your Crunchyroll or FunimationNow account and start streaming anime titles that you know and love, and suddenly you get a recommendation of a new title that’s either subbed, or just got Simul-dubbed. You watch said new title up to about the fourth or fifth episode (because most seasons nowadays are between 12-26 episodes depending on what you watch), and for some reason…you drop it. This probably doesn’t exist in the medical world, but for today’s post we’ll be calling it; Anime Drop-Out Syndrome (ADOS).

Have you ever found yourself trying to get hyped up for a new anime title, only to drop it halfway through the season? If you’ve been that guy or gal that this has happened to, then we’ve got the five common reasons why that is…

1. Lack of Character Development

Not all shows suffer from this, but there are a handful that might need to step it up in this area. when it comes to an anime title (depending on the genre) most anime fans like a good story with some awesome character development. There are some exceptions to this cardinal rule however, as character development comes with the progression of the story’s plot.

2. Lack of Substance / Too Confusing Plotline(s)

Sometimes in anime you can have some great character development and good lines, but if the plot has little to no substance (or is even too confusing), some fans will drop it. Like character development, a plotline is like the glue that holds the entire series operation together. Ecchi and Harem titles fall into this category sometimes, but that leads us to our third reason why fans drop out from certain titles…

3. Overbearing Fanservice / Abuse

You already know what to expect when it comes to Ecchi and Harem titles in anime, however there are some who know how to navigate through these particularly rough waters, and add fanservice when and where it’s necessary. Having too much fanservice takes away from the whole plot (if there is one), and if there’s too much abuse (ex. girl punching guy multiple times throughout an episode or series), fans will drop it like a rock.

4. Too Many Fillers

Okay, there’s somewhat of an exception to this one as well, although it depends on what series you watch. Fillers of course are a series of episodes that take a detour from the main plot, or is a whole new plot in itself. While it may potentially cause a show to drag on longer than it should (and cause some fans to drop out), some fillers may have the potential to be just as exciting as the main storyline.

5. Your Priorities Change

When responsibilities pile up, you suddenly realize that you don’t have as much time to watch anime as often as you used to. Maybe when you were in middle/high school you had a little more time to fire up your Crunchyroll account and start watching some stuff, but as you got older (got married, kids, mom/dad got sick, etc.) your priorities changed and you lost interest in the titles that you used to be interested about. To some of us this has already become a reality, but deep down inside there’s always a small part of you that keeps anime close to your heart.

So there you have it. These five things are quite common with (most) anime fans. As the season changes so does your taste in certain titles, but when it comes to a true fan, anime will always have a special place in their hearts.