Since I've had Buffy on the brain lately for the first time in a awhile, let me break it down.
Now the Seventh Episode is often not vital to the "plot", most Buffy examples actually don't feature the Big Bad, they're usually introduced in episodes 3-5 and may reappear in episode 8, but their plot-line mainly kicks off in the second half. Rather it's important to the emotional Story, the Character Development and the Themes. Often I've noticed it having a tendency to be important to that season's romantic story-line(s). Sometimes episode 14 has a similar Romantic significance, which could be because it's a multiple of 7 or maybe a reference to Valentines Day.
Season 1 Episode 7 was the episode titled Angel.
This episode features the Big Bad, but it's importance is still more like what I just laid out above, indeed it's named after the Love Interest.
Season 2 Episode 7, Lie To Me.
This one again features the Big Bads, but that's because Spike and Dru are more directly linked to the Romantic Story-line then most future ones will be. In the way the show is interpreted by The Passion of The Nerd's Episode Guide, this episode contains a vital mission statement to the show's moral philosophy.
Season 3 Episode 7, Revelations.
This episode is again a vital escalation in the Angel story-line of the season. But it's also vital to Faith's story-line, her trust issues in general and putting her for the first time in conflict with Buffy. Perhaps the Faith importance is consistent with the romantic importance, depending on how you interpret things.
Season 4 Episode 7, The Initiative.
This one is important to the Big Badish story-line but mainly because season 4 was inherently different from most seasons in that regard. It is still the real beginning of season 4's romantic story-line. And the introduction of Spike's new status-quo, who has been and will be important to romantic story-lines.
Angels Season 1: Bachelor Party.
It's the first Doyle centric episode. And it ends with the set up for the first full crossover story-line.
Buffy Season 5: Fool For Love.
The beginning of the end of Buffy's current relationship and a vital stage setter for what will dominate her love life for the rest of the show.
Angel Season 2: Darla.
The romantic story-lines of this season are all about Darla.
Buffy Season 6: Once More With Feeling.
The Musical Episode, while the romantic story-lines come up, this is perhaps the least directly about those so far. It makes itself a turning point for every story-line, but chiefly is where the Scoobies finally learn how Buffy really feels about being being brought back to life.
Angel Season 3: Offspring.
Darla shows up pregnant, do I need to say anything else?
Buffy Season 7: Conversations With Dead People.
This more then any other is the real beginning of the final season's arc. It's romantic importance is there, we learn something about what's going on with Spike. Like the Musical it tried to make itself important to every plot, though it's strangely the only episode of the series Xander isn't in.
Angel Season 4: Apocalypse, Nowish.
The introduction of the sorta Big Bad. And it's a turning point in the romantic story-lines as well.
Angel Season 5: Lineage.
Important to Wesley's romantic story-line, since it's mainly a Wesley episode over all. Given earlier patterns I kinda wish episode 8 had been this season's episode 7. Both Angel Season 5 and Smallville season 2 named their 7th episode Lineage, this one aired a year after that one.
So, that is the list of episodes that TVTropes page used to talk about for Buffy and Angel, though what I said about them is kind of different. To what extent this happens outside the Buffyverse is hard for me to objectively determine. For example the extent to which I used to see it on Smallville I think may have mostly been my looking for it.
But I think a factor in why Noir so quickly sucked me in as the first not a kid's show Anime I watched.was in how the way it was structured happened to echo Buffy(Like how Episode 5 was the formal introduction to the antagonist force.), though having 4 more episodes to it's total length kind of made the 16/17 significance happen twice, the other being 20/21 which was the same number of episodes from the end as 16/17 would be in a 22 episode show.
Episode 7 of Noir was The Black Thread of Fate. The Soldats were to my recollection not relevant at all. The most important thing about this episode is how it's the first time we see definitive evidence our protagonists have come to actually care about each other. A brief throw away scene is also when we see Chloe for the first time, it feels like an after credits scene yet that's not where they put it. Also the title of the episode echoes the title of the show itself, Noir being the French word for Black.
On Madlax episode 7 was the first part of a two parter and the point at which the seemingly two different shows we were watching begin to come together. I feel like episode 7 of El Cazador de la Bruja can also fit this pattern.
Witch Hunter Robin would have fit if only they switched episodes 7 and 9.
Episode 7 of Code Geass begins with our first flashback and ends with Zero's first defeat, episode 7 of R2 was Lelouch's Achilles in his Tent moment.
Lupin III Part IV has two episode 7s due to two intended episodes becoming OVAs in Japan but being added back to the series for the Adult Swim airing. It's the order without the OVAs that makes it kinda fit.
In Katana Maidens episode 7 is where the Avengers are finally assembled. I think episode 7 of Darling in The FranXX's significance is self evident. Episode 7 of Doki Doki Precure inspired something I did on Tumblr once.
http://jaredmithrandir.tumblr.com/post/139417960233/magicalgirlconfessions-doki-doki-precure-won
I love you Glitter Force but I hate how you screwed up the episode order symmetry here.
But let's take a look at Anime that is too old to be accused of doing this because Buffy did it.
If you view Misty as a love interest on Pokemon, then episode 7 was the real establishment of her character even though she'd been there from the start. I also wonder if episode 5 being Ash's first Gym Battle could be compared to the significance I read into Buffy's episode 5s?
The fact that the classic Sailor Moon Anime fits this pattern more in it's DiC episode order I find really interesting. In that version episode 5 introduces Ami, episode 7 introduced Rei and episode 10 was the defeat of Jadite, all three things that could be compared to how Buffy seasons would be structured with episode 10s usually being semi-finales before a hiatus. The Anime version connects Rei to the romantic story-line since she was dating Mamoru/Darrien briefly. These episodes aired in English in 95, is it possible Joss had watched them?
The statement Joss once made about originally not wanting Angel to be a fighter makes me wonder if in general his role in the story was partly inspired by Tuxedo Mask (and the other part by The Vampire Diaries). I've been thinking of doing a separate post on if Buffy could be considered a Magical Girl Warrior.
In the live action Sailor Moon series episode 7 is made an important development in the Tuxedo Mask/Sailor Moon relationship. In Sailor Moon Crystal which more directly follows the Manga episodes 6 and 7 both are major Tuxedo Mask developments, and the end of 7 is when Sailor Venus first appears.
All I'll say about episode 7 of Utena is that when production issues delayed the intended episode 6 it was swapped with episode 8, another Nanami "filler" episode. Which tells me Ikuhara or Enokido for some reason saw it as important that Unfulfilled Juri be the seventh episode.
Feel free to leave comments about what Episode 7s of various TV Shows or Cartoons you think are interesting.
Update 2022: The Seventh episode of Detective Conan was the first episode where Ran almsot figures out the truth, and it's pretty good.
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