I'll generally read at least the first volume (I don't usually start reading until at least a full volume has been released). If anything catches me - art, story, characters, humor, mystery, etc. - then I'll keep reading for at least another volume.

Now & then there will be something that just makes me totally lose interest, in which case I'll quit reading unless I have reason to believe it'll get better (for example, someone who likes a lot of the same manga as I do absolutely loves it).

If it's a shorter series (5 volumes or less, for sure) then I'll just read the whole darn thing even if I don't like it much, just so I know how it all works out in the end.

"[English] not only borrows words from other languages; it has on occasion chased other languages down dark alley-ways, clubbed them unconscious and rifled their pockets for new vocabulary."
-James Nicoll, can.general, March 21, 1992

I start judging it immediately, but I'll still read at least the first volume no matter what. If it continues to not appeal to me after that, I stop reading.

Glados is a bitch. She made me kill the companion cube, the only friend I'll ever have. 😢

Chibidoro-sama=Neko-freak

I'll read everything to the last chapter, even if they suck a lot. I tend to reserve my opinions until the series is either complete or long enough to deserve an expressed opinion (around 7-8 volumes in general), especially for popular series. This is because of stuff like Katikyoushi Hitman Reborn, which pretty much sucked until the fights and special abilities were used for combat purposes. I also don't like the notion of missing out on a good series by prematurely judging it and tossing it aside.

"When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained."

• Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain

1 chapter.

Then I either continue or drop it or suspend it.

Though I only recommend titles that I know extensively, such as ones that I've completed or up to the latest chapters. If someone asks me about a series and I've read some of it, I'll tell them that I've read up to which part and what I think of it up to that point, the rest is up to them.

[img]http://dragcave.net/image/XIBD.gif[/img][img]http://tinyurl.com/8uczzq/.gif[/img]

It usually takes several chapters before I know if I am gonna like it or not.

"Squeak Squeaken, Squeak Squeaker"

Normally, I read at least one chapter before I decide whether to continue it or not. Though, there has been a case or two in which I read the first 2 or 3 pages before dropping it.

[img]http://i56.tinypic.com/acfmfo.png[/img]

If your friend didn't keep reading BECK then I'm sure ahoaho and I would've kicked his ass bigtime. My answer to your question is 3 chapters to 1 volume for shoujo and anywhere from 3 to 10 volumes for shounen/seinen.

Quote from NanashiRyuu

If your friend didn't keep reading BECK then I'm sure ahoaho and I would've kicked his ass bigtime. My answer to your question is 3 chapters to 1 volume for shoujo and anywhere from 3 to 10 volumes for shounen/seinen.

A can of whup ass would have been opened.

I usually finish everything that I start, and then I make my judgement.

Listen here
Livin just to keep from dyin
[img]http://imagegen.last.fm/TheDarkTen/recenttracks/imgooley.gif[/img]

depends on the genre, if it's a typical shounen or shoujo romance, it gets about 4 chapters. genderbenders and seinen get atleast a few volumes

but then again if a series is good enough later on, i'll end up hearing about it sometimes and can re-pick-up

Usually up to volume 10 if it's a long ongoing series, if it isn't a few volumes in. The ones that don't really shine till volume 10, are usually the ones I have a keen interest on. They don't peak right away, they gradually build up story and characters and there is still a lot that can be done.

Ten volumes is a bit much imo. Could have read many more mangas by then. I usually give it about two volumes give or take, considering how long the chapters are and how fast the story goes,.

i pass my judgement in about 3 chapters

I generally try to ride it out for the first two or three volumes for shoujo, and at least ten for shonen, just because shonen authors tend to improve SOOOO much but take longer to do so. But overall I'm pretty stubborn...I mean, I've only dropped seven series out of the hundreds that I've read, so unless it really sucks, I force myself to finish.

poof "SHOUJOMAN IS HERE!"
Just Lynz, drop the -ajw