Are specials worth watching?

I have never watched an anime special because I have believed them to be of low quality and loosely connected to the parent story even less so than an OVA but as I don't like to be prejudice if someone could give me a counter argument saying why they maybe worth watching I would appreciate it. Like I said I haev no actual experience with Specials so please fell free to go into detail in your opinions.

 

Yes, but I only know of a few exceptions. Most specials are, indeed, rather pointless, but when they do provide context to the main story, they can be sooo good.

1. Shiki Specials is my favorite special of all time. It's much more tears-inducing than the main series, providing context for one of the side characters from the main series - and what context indeed! She goes through some pretty heartbreaking stuff, which I won't spoil. But needless to say, it's an important special.
   
   
2. MewTwo Returns. Yes, this is a special, the one where we get to see what happens after MewTwo Strikes Back.
   
   
3. Kino's Journey: Tower Country. Considering the episodic nature of the main series, this might as well be considered as another episode. It's quite a good side story too that's worth watching.
   
   
4. Lupin III vs. Detective Conan. So much fun, this special. Two of the most iconic characters in both the detective genre and the crime genre in anime come together to face-off! I prefer the movie, but this first time encounter was fun too.
   

So basically, yeah, specials can be good too, either adding important context to the main story, or just providing extra stories for the fans who already love the main series. Citing sturgeon's law wouldn't be quite appropriate in this case, as it's more like 70% of specials are bad, not really 90%. A number of them can be quite funny if you enjoy the main series, and if you don't, then you're not missing out on much either since they're bonus stories.

 

I'll go so far to say this one is mandatory.

 

There's no real reason not to watch them.

Even those incredibly cringy and horrible specials have some merit to them.

In my case, I search for specials and OVAs after watching a really good series -- simply to grasp the series for a touch longer.

 

I suppose it does depend on what type of special it is... Some seem to work similar to an OVA episode explaining those few cliff hangers actual series seemed to have left... most of the special episodes I've seen are usually just a type of celebration episode/s showing the characters happiness which in a way, lightens the series up a bit, especially if you had an all violent or gore series with no sense of humour... similar to Higurashi No Naku Koroni series (All out horror with not enough humor) Higurashi No Naku Koroni Kira seemed to break some of that tension with stupidity but it was enlightening and I wouldn't call that an OVA series, but more of special episodes to celebrate Higurashi No Naku Koroni.

 

I don't normally watch specials, maybe unless I REALLY like the main show. Like OP said, it doesn't really add to the main shows content most of the time, in my opinion.
OVA's i'll watch. Specials, nah.

Also, I want to say School Rumble OVA's are the worst.

 

Can't really say if specials are worth a damn. Who knows?

 

torrentz I have never watched an anime special too

 

100% worth watching especially if your a ecchi fan. Ecchi specials and OVAs are where some shows really deliver the goods. Even for non ecchi shows they might be worth watching for light humor. I almost always watch specials and OVAs if I liked a show because its an extension of something I liked. The only downside is they usually aren't dubbed.

 

I would say yes, but for me it depends on how much I liked the actual anime or series and how interested I actually am in seeing the specials or OVA. Most of the time when I have checked out specials/OVA's there usually good.