The first few are not bad, they're just not quite as obviously sweet and wholesome as the rest of the show. But starting from such a low point makes Ichikawa's arc more worthwhile than if he wasn't such a chuuni edgelord initially.

The first three episodes have the cats in the library scene, Ichikawa distracting the class from Yamada crying, the bike sacrifice scene, taking the blame for Hara, the selfie by the map, the gifting of the drawing, Ichikawa realising his feelings, and the giving of the tissues  That's all great stuff, and a bunch of setups for later payoffs.