I've read that a lot of people stopped watching after Kamina died, or that they've heard he's going to so they're not going to bother, and that really makes me sad because his character is so damned important to the rest of the series because of his death. It's the driving force behind the growth of the other characters -- and of course there's a timeskip at around episode 13, so you get to see how the characters grow up, and how that is still with them; how they've never forgotten, how Simon's relationship with him has helped him to become the person he is now, etc. And then finally it comes full circle, and the end is just so beautiful. I would encourage you to keep watching, because if anything the second half of the series sold me on it. I was so impressed by the whole thing.