Start with characters if...
You want faster visual recognition, simpler memorization, and a smaller set of anchors to revisit before each daily solve.
Both study paths work, but they teach different things. Starting characters sharpen recognition around memorable anchors, while starting series teach broader clue spread across one franchise at a time.
You want faster visual recognition, simpler memorization, and a smaller set of anchors to revisit before each daily solve.
You prefer learning clue families together, want tighter practice pools, and like building confidence through franchise-mode repetition before moving back into mixed mode.
If you are unsure, start with a few strong characters first, then switch into one easy series. That gives you recognisable anchors without losing the benefits of repeated clue comparison inside a smaller pool.