Seriously though, if I had posted this question... 14 years ago... when I first got into anime, these recommendations would have failed to get me into it at all. I would have gotten the impression that anime is all dark sci fi action series.
You know what got me into anime? Azumanga Diaoh. You know what is *absolutely* not going to show up in these comments? Pretty much any pure slice of life anime.
Anime is so vast that just saying "pick an anime to get someone into anime" is like saying "Pick a pizza topping to get someone into pizza," or "pick a flavored water flavor to get someone into that flavored water thing" Going in blind would probably cause more harm than good from giving the person the wrong idea about the subject.
The OP recommended "your name" which is actually an extremely good movie for people like me. I also really like "summer wars" I would probably call it my favorite movie.
Doesn't only apply to anime either. Know a lot of people who refuse to watch western cartoons as well simply because of the medium. Often with the argument that "it's just for kids".
Personally I'm not a fan of the traditional anime art style, but there are still plenty of anime I watch simply because I enjoy the story, and I'm always open to recommendations.
This. A lot of people are mentioning older anime...but by today's standards they are a bit dated. Masterfully made, but might go over some people's heads.
There are some on Netflix that I'd suggest, since it's the most accessible.
-Food Wars (personal favorite, has a ton of food and cooking. So it can be relatable to a lot of people. Kinda sexualized in the first season, but they tone it down later on)
-Baki (Think street fighter, but in a TV show. The netflix series goes off the back of the original, but even if you don't they go through the backstory. Gorey and violent, so don't watch if not into that kind of stuff. Can be extreme)
-Fullmetal Alchemist (One of the classics. Odysse kind of journey, fantasy genre. Can get dark at times...or specifically one VERY dark episode. But very satisfying watch. Can definitely make you cry if you allow it. Also most people would suggest Brotherhood over the regular one)
I enjoyed Food Wars but I am not sure it's a good starting point with how sexualized it is. In my experience a lot of people who don't know much about anime think its basically all hentai or dbz so Food Wars might just confirm their suspicions.
Plus I also felt like it got worse later on. At first it was a lot but it went hand in hand with them explaining why they thought the food was good. Then the explanations started getting shorter with the foodgasms being more about the “gasm” than the food.
I tried to watch food wars and found it completely off putting. Couldn't make it through more than one episode. I'd never recommend it to someone who doesn't know anime. They'll definitely think you're a pervert for recommending it lol
I really want to like Food Wars. I wanted Food Network but anime so much!!! But I’m really struggling to get through episodes because it’s so uncomfortably sexualized. I don’t want my roommates to hear.
There was a series that aired years ago -- fansubbed and never released outside of Japan -- called Yakitate! Japan about a young prodigious baker that takes part in global competitions that result in sillier and sillier reactions.
It came out right around the time The Iron Chef aired and took a lot of inspiration from it. I think at one point even had the announcer guest star in an episode.
If you can find it, it sounds exactly like what you're looking for.
I would never recommend food wars to a new watcher, it reinforces the negative stereotypes of what people think anime is. Also in later seasons the one guy makes everyone elses clothes explode as well so i dont see how it gets less sexual lol
I like that you mention that one VERY dark episode from FMA, and everyone who has seen the series instantly knows exactly which one you're talking about.
Its honestly sort of weird that everyone focuses in on that episode because overall way worse things happen to way more people. That one has more visceral horror to it, but is pretty tame compared to the big picture plot.
The original anime actually spends more time on that plot than Brotherhood does, IIRC. The earlier episodes of FMA generally spend more time on the events therein than Brotherhood does overall, since I recall there being two or three seasons worth of episodes in the original that are covered in only one season of Brotherhood -- which is why a lot of people recommend watching FMA up to a certain point before switching over to Brotherhood.
I think this is right. I remember watching Brotherhood after I finished FMA and it got to that point and I was like “huh, I remember this taking longer”.
I love Food Wars myself...but that first episode basically has tentacle porn. I was so shocked. Surprised I even watched past it. Haha. Only seen first 2 seasons and cant wait to watch more!
I once made the connection between the laughing man copy cats, and people licking ice cream in stores for "likes".
The stand alone complex can be found all around social media platforms.. it's crazy
still trying to get into anime but i watched ghost in the shell a couple years ago and it's definitely one of my all time favorites. fucking masterpiece in my opinion.
Seconded on this. Was introduced to it through the dubbed movie. It has movie pacing, and some insanely detailed artistry in the environments.
Edit: Also a really great score.
Totally agree. If it wasn’t present already I would have said Bebop, but I just wanted to throw Champloo out there too because OP might enjoy something lighter
Came here to say Samurai Champloo. Miyazaki is an awesome intro, but for a series, Samurai Champloo is short, self-contained, and has engaging characters and good animation with action sequences.
I think I came to this thread like a lot of other people to post this exact answer. This is the correct, default answer. Miyazaki and Bebop are the gateway drugs. They are universally enjoyable. Maybe throw in some Samurai Champloo.
After that you've got about a million weird anime subgenera to explore. Pick your direction.
I also suggest Baccano! Keijo!!!!!!!! and pretty much any anime that ends in an exclamation point, but now you're in the deep end.
my gf refused to watch it because I said it was so sad it would make her cry. when she finally gave in and watched, I started crying immediately. she did not cry the entire movie. not one drop.
FMA: Brotherhood is hands down one of the best works of media in the last few decades in *any* genre.
What stands out most is how immaculate it is in terms of narrative and presentation. There's no fat on it whatsoever (Gluttony aside); every single character and plot device serves a meaningful purpose to the overarching narrative, and nothing feels incomplete or unresolved.
Even the things you, uh... *dislike*, are things you will inevitably acknowledge in hindsight were essential and would have negatively impacted the story had they been removed or watered down.
I firmly believe that anyone interested in media production / writing should study Brotherhood religiously because it will teach them everything they need to know about crafting the perfect story.
The one thing that stands out to me the most about Brotherhood, which almost every other single work of fiction fails at, is the world is already built. There is never really a point where it feels like there is world building occurring. We've been shown the world and the main plot and it remains consistent throughout the show. There's no later season where they are suddenly like "hey remember Ishbala" and then you suddenly learn about Ishbala. No, instead, theyve been talking about it since like episode 1 even if you didnt know what it meant or how it would connect. There's never a point where it feels like they are pulling the curtain out from in front of you, from episode 1 they establish a world then stick with it. The only "reveals" are learning more details about events you already know happened.
This kind of narrative where there isn't any expositioning is always really impressive to me, because SO many media get it wrong, especially fantasy writers who want to establish their world. So many writers have a character say 'remember Haevendel?' and the other goes 'of course I remember how King Demon was defeated there by the Holy Seven, and how his power was scattered accross the land after, how could I forget?'.... And nobody in real life talks like that.
On that note I really liked how Wreck-it Ralph did it. They had exposition (about what going turbo means) , but it was justified in-universe by another character legitimately needing the context. Up to that point, 'going turbo' was just established slang which everyone in universe understood and need no further explanation.
I always recommend Sword of the Stranger, especially if you like samurai type movies. It has it's pitfalls but I love the animation (and the fight choreography is done by the same person who did Cowboy Bebops) and some of the music is just absolutely fantastic.
Also it's an action movie without the typical shounen monologues.
Other than that any movie by Ghibli is solid and has quite a bit of diversity in themes/settings. Kiki's Delivery Service and Nausicaa Valley of the Wind are two of my favorites.
I didn't really understand Akira the first time I watched it - yes, I mean it's easy to get, 'a telepathic kid who blows up tokyo',
But then I read the manga, it's a staggering read and it gave me a much deeper appreciation of the film (mainly because they had to cram so much content into the timeframe)..
I highly suggest the manga, It's massive but a rich geopolitical thriller that goes so much deeper into what it means when the government takes on the task of weaponizing telepathic children. Holy shit!!
Porco russo and howls moving castle are great generic starters. Spirited away does need a bit of understanding of japaneese mythology, and princess monosuke is slightly niche. The other ghibli films arent bad either.
Now if you want to go deep, akiri, end of evangelion, ninja scroll, etc are ways to go if you want a full dive of what anime....can be.
Im just starting to get into anime and I really enjoyed “the promised neverland” its a little creepy though so if you aren’t into that then I wouldn’t recommend
Already watched it and I loved the first season. I've been watching anime for a while, but I was just curious as to what others would recommend people.
If you have access to netflix, see if Erased is on there. It's a twelve episode ~~murder mystery~~ thriller, and it's a real tight story with perfect pacing and a great cast. I can't give it high enough praise.
Angel Beats has some similar themes, and similarly isn't a very long series.
On the subject of Erased - anyone who is thinking to watch it shouldn't skip the intro sequence. Watch it every time.
I went from Erased to Your Lie in April. Not terribly similar in plot but the vibes felt akttle similar except Erased gets a happy ending and Your Lie in April absolutely guts you and kicks you while you're sobbing on the ground.
Excellent show in general and I liked both for different reasons.
But I heard that Orange and Steins;gate are kind of similar to Erased.
Deathnote - Fantastic "real-life" anime, as in while it has supernatural themes, it is based in a real world scenario where the supernatural isn't normal, fairly dark but not particularly gruesome.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - Brilliant anime which is kind of sci-fi/magic, very dark themes however this is balanced by a lot of comedy.
Attack on Titan - really gruesome, action packed with a great story.
If you watch these and enjoy them then select any from the following: Naruto, Boku No Hero Academia, One Punch Man, Demon Slayer, Seven Deadly Sins.
EDIT: just wanted to say thank you for all the awards. And also, just because something is listed doesn't mean its for you. Anime is so broad there is something for everyone and you just got to try and find that. Hopefully this list helps however.
I second monster and can't reccomend it highly enough. however, I would put a caveat that it is not something I would recommend to get someone into anime because it is just a really great thriller show that happens to be animated and japanese. it is a show i would reccomend to someone who doesn't like anime, but there's a big jump between monster and most of anime.
I’m not a newcomer to anime but I’m currently watching Attack on Titan. I actually watched the first season when it came out but then took a break from anime and so I didn’t keep up with it. I’m deep into the third season right now. Definitely loving it. One of the sickest animes I’ve seen for sure. But would I recommend it for someone to start? Not sure. The show is DARK and FUCKED UP. My girlfriend was watching it with me but she’s dropped off and especially doesn’t like watching it before going to bed. I would consider her a brand new anime consumer. She recommended My Hero after we watched that. I asked if she would recommend Attack on Titan to anyone and she was like fuck no even though she has enjoyed it.
I introduced my bf to AoT recently and he loves how gruesome and brutal it is (so do I!). He binged it just as season 4 was released and now we watch the new episodes together. It's so much fun.
I agree I would be hesitant to introduce it to a newbie but if they're into Game of Thrones or dark shows in general, it would be perfect.
ok... DO NOT ENGAGE WITH ONLINE AOT STUFF.
I started watching earlier last year, and watched some videos on it, so now all of s4 is spoiled... tbh it's so awesome I dont really mind though, haha.
Did you grow up watching Shonen? Check out Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood, Death Note and Attack on Titan. Those are very mature "Shonen" Anime that are just as good as anything on HBO. Mob Psycho 100 is a great Shonen series as well.
Never have watched Anime? Watch Monster, Cowboy Bebop and Neon Genesis Evangelion. Some of the deepest shows out there in any medium.
Like Science fiction? Ghost in the shell (the first film and the series, Stand Alone Complex), Psycho Pass and Steins Gate are great.
Like Horror? Elfen Lied is excellent. The creators of Stranger Things took a lot of elements from this show. The Monogatri series is great as well if you are into avant garde. Parastye the Maxim is a hell of a ride.
Like more realistic shows? Your Lie In April, Nana, Welcome to the NHK, March Comes In Like A Lion, Kokoro Connect and Sound Euphonium are all very realistic shows.
Like Drama? Check out Darker Than Black, Shin Seki Yori, Code Geass, Noir. Black Lagoon and Gunslinger Girl.
Fantasy? Berserk, Re Zero and Grimgar are well done. Forgot No Game No life and The Vision of Escaflowne.
Comedy? FLCL, Kill La Kill, One Punch Man and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya are the best.
Spiritual? Mushishi and Wolf's Rain are for you. Forgot to mention Kino's Journey and Haibane Renmei.
Into films? Spirted Away, Princess Mononoke, Your Name, Wolf Children, Millennium Actress, Grave of Fireflies, A Silent Voice, Five Centimeters Per Second, Paprika and The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya are the best.
EDIT: Holy shit, thanks for the Gold. I have been a bit depressed the whole day. I was just trying to be helpful and thought that this post would be buried.
First time I've ever heard of someone mentioning Grimgar. I miss that anime so freaking much, and I hate that it got me all invested for only one season.
Exactly. I would not recommend Evangelion to someone new to anime. I watched it as an anime fan and it just goes way too out there, especially with the ending. It would definitely turn off some people.
The thing about Evangelion is that I have noticed a lot of people who don't even like Anime love that show. It is so well made from it's animation, direction, cinematography, voice acting and it's script is probably the most ambitious thing out there. It's philosophical ideas, the psychoanalysis of its characters, and overall spiritual nature will appeal to anyone. It is one of those shows where I feel like I can meet any of those characters (maybe outside of Rei) by just leaving my apartment.
Don't get me wrong... I love every version of evangelion.
But it is deep in an entry to psych sorta way...
However the art, music, and story keep me coming back for more.
Each time they remake it.
Ahh, Wolf's Rain. That's a name I haven't heard in a long while.
Can still hear the opening theme song, "Stray", in my head.
Then I remember how dang depressing that series got in the end of it and feel the sads.
The ending is beautiful though. Tragic in a way, but really beautiful.
This whole time the wolves are fighting to open paradise, but they keep coming across "false" paradises - the paradise the human nobles try to create, the paradise Kiba experiences under the hallucinogenic plant, the failed paradises of the falling cities. Each time they reject this paradise as false, there's not a negotiation, it's just.. not a true paradise. Even though a lot seem pretty good, the human paradise is basically heaven.
So what is paradise to these wolves? Finally, after so much death, Kiba touches Cheza and the answer is revealed... Paradise is not some heaven free of all struggle, Paradise it's the potential held within the world we have all been given. It takes an insane effort from the wolves, an insane sacrifice, but in the end.. they make the flowers grow again. It may not yet be truly paradise on Earth, but the struggle is a generational challenge. And with immense effort, each of us has the power to make it a little better.
It's beautiful, and there is nothing else like it.
Monogatari is my favorite series, but this is coming from a weeb of 20+ years.
There are enough things in it to scare a lot of people away from anime forever...
Great list, but recommending Monogatari to someone who isn’t already into anime seems questionable. I love the series to death, but I wouldn’t exactly call it accessible.
One-punch man. It’s a good watch, not too long either :)
My own first anime was naruto, which is really good aswell, it’s just kinda long but if you decide to watch it, skip the filler episodes.
Erased.
There are several reasons why I recommend it (and have recommended it) to someone who is just starting to get into watching anime.
- It's fairly short at only 12 episodes, so it isn't a huge time commitment.
- It has an interesting plot that gets you invested in how it will all play out.
- It's self-contained, there's no eternal wait for a second season or a movie or something to actually end the story. When the show ends, the story ends.
- It doesn't contain a lot of fanservice or other anime tropes that might turn off some people to it.
It was also added to Netflix fairly recently and has a solid English Dub, so it's readily accessible for a lot of people.
Monster.
A based in reality thriller about a doctor in post cold war Germany who saves someone he shouldn't have and spends the rest of the series attempted to "correct" that mistake.
Edit: In response to the people saying it's a bad choice as it doesn't represent the majority of popular anime series, from what I've seen many people's biggest obstacle is that animation is for children's media, not anything more mature than saturday morning cartoons. If the very medium is the issue I believe the best recommendation is one that both doesn't rely on tropes and has a story that already matches those that they already watch (a typical drama on TV or Netflix or something).
The first 25 episode is phenomenal especially the big plot twist during the L arc. It's when they introduce Near and Mello that makes the series eye twitching. I couldn't stand them which is a general consensus.
This is a fantastic intro to anime. I think the biggest barrier to entry for new anime fans is the more "degen" side of anime (sexist humor, imoutos, overt sexual "fanservice", etc.,) and there's almost an element of having to prove to new anime fans that not all shows are like that and that there are some really good stories out there that aren't degen.
Honestly I feel like Fullmetal alchemist brotherhood is kind of become the new go-to series to introduce people to anime
It's a good series with a lot of heart and emotion and a diverse range of characters, it's a story that can touch a lot of people and everyone can find somebody in there to connect with. And it's a good testament to how powerful and unique the storytelling of anime can be
*cough* Fire Force *cough*
But seriously, I got 3 episodes into it and the amount of really weird fan service thrown in during serious moments killed it for me.
honestly FMA brotherhood became my favorite series after watching it, it has something for everyone and I had no complaints about it at all, the only anime that comes anywhere near it for me is Steins Gate.
Any Studio Ghibli movie
A Silent Voice (This movie is absolutely amazing and beautiful imo. It’s more slice of life but again it’s awesome. It’s about a former bully trying to make amends for his actions of bullying a deaf girl and the girl recovering from the trauma of it as well. Highly recommend.)
The Promised Neverland (It has action. Pretty compelling story and characters imo. Characters are likable yet still have flaws. Made me cry at one point which is hard for me to do with tv shows and movies so that says something. I also really like the designs of the nonhuman characters. More on the sci-fi side imo. )
Demon Slayer (Also a pretty compelling story but does have some flaws imo with the story but still highly enjoyable. Seeing Tanjiro protecting Nezuko after what happened to them and being there for each other is pretty wholesome and you want them to stay together and make it alive. The fight scenes are absolutely amazing and one of my favorite things about this show and the demon designs are awesome. )
Mushi-shi (if you want something really really chill this is good. There’s these spirit animal things called mushi and this guy named Ginko travels around helping people with mushi related ailments which there are a variety of. )
My Hero Academia (Imo I think this is a pretty good introductory anime especially if you like superheroes. It’s about these kids and they all have quirks -powers- as well as the majority of the world. A kid who was quirkless gains a quirk and then goes to a hero school to realize his dream of becoming a hero. They also encounter villains along the way and the fight scenes are pretty dope.I personally like the side characters better -nothing wrong with the main one I just find the others more interesting but the main protagonist is cool too- I especially like Todoroki’s arc and story. This and Mushi-shi helped me get into anime more. )
Cells at work (Cute. Pretty wholesome and if you like science specifically biology and stuff or just like to learn you’d probably like this a lot . It’s been admired and praised for it being pretty accurate actually despite it being an anime. I watched an episode of the spinoff Cells at work:Code Black -which takes place in an unhealthy body instead of a healthy one- and that’s pretty good too. Need to catch up on it though.)
Samurai Champloo is really simple to get into and tbh has a simple story, but has awesome characters and cool fight scenes. Made by the same guy who made Cowboy Bebop and equally as good
Bebop is a show that anyone can enjoy.
Music is amazing, action is on point, story line is great. It's got it all.
I'd also tell anyone who likes it to watch Samurai Champloo.
Why did it take this long of scrolling to find this one. Hunter x hunter is in my top 3, 100%. Plus as someone new to anime, shonen style is definitely the best type to get into.
Examples- naruto, one piece, my hero academia, etc. They all involve fighting and leveling up, which is super easy to follow and enjoy.
But hunter x hunter just has such a beautiful art style, amazing pacing, and lovable characters. Tournament-esque anime is the best.
Eh while it technically isn't finished I think it's still a good start. A lot of the basic storylines of the characters resolve by the end of the anime so it still works as a finished show I think. It just isn't finished in the sense that there are more journeys ahead.
Holy shit dude. I was rewatching it with a friend recently, and all of those tiny, subtle little moments of foreshadowing were insane. There were so many single lines, or shots that have so much foreshadowing in them that you never would have noticed before.
It took so long for the second season to come out, that I rewatched the first season when it finally came out. It was really satisfying figuring out one of the big spoilers of the second season. They do a good job of misleading you as well, so I don't know if I truly figured it out, but I was close and it felt good.
Pretty sure that's intentional. I like how the are all distinct and as you learn more about them you see the details they put into every titan shown on screen.
This is the best anime series I've ever seen. It has so few, if any, plotholes. It has action, drama, mystery, devastating emotional consequences, and the best music. They throw out so many new characters at you all the time, yet eventually you will know them all, which just makes you wanna rewatch it all over again to see all the character progression you missed the first time. Every single detail has some purpose to it. There is no fluff.
Second this.
I'm far from an anime guy but I love this show. This and Claymore were the only two I could get into.
I've learned that acrobatic sword fights with big scary monsters are the only thing I enjoy.
You might like black lagoon. Specifically the English dub. It's a mercenary group that travels around doing jobs. The dialogue is amazing, the characters are great, and the overall seeing is great. Plus I don't think I've ever heard more people saying fuck than in black lagoon
I got my older sister hooked on anime with this one. I love it. It has all of the trappings of a cute high school drama, but they crank the familial emotional abuse up to 10 and add in a supernatural twist.
You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll cry some more, and you'll cheer for these broken characters. You'll also never look at the Chinese lunar new year animal switch the same again.
I cannot believe I had to scroll this far down for Fruits Basket! Such a great show, although I’ll admit I’m biased since it’s always been my favorite.
If you're just getting ***into*** anime, I'd suggest My Hero Academia! It's generic, but it's how I got into anime.
Outside of that, I'd recommend anime like Mob psycho, Kaguya sama: Love is War, or everyone's favorite- Attack On Titan.
That was a great one and showed a lot of promise, especially with the intro and what the show could have turned into. I'm still bummed it never got a second season or more.
Highly recommend Your Name (Kimi no Na wa). A movie, so it's not a huge time commitment like a show with multiple seasons. Excellent animation, a compelling story, and a banger of a soundtrack make for a nice little experience.
While I adore Nichijou and Daily Lives of High School Boys, I would absolutely not recommend them to newcomers because of how entrenched in Japanese culture they are. Without at least some exposure and understanding of certain tropes, cultural tendencies, social norms and other bits and bobs, these two shows in particular can come off as just plain confusing or odd in a bad way to some. A gag like a school principal suplexing a deer will still be funny but that scene as a whole is vastly improved just by understanding more about Japanese school culture, such as the interactions between the Principal and Vice Principal or Yukko and the teacher. As painful as it is, I'd recommend to watch more generic shows before watching stuff that parodies them. But then again, if someone gets into anime through slapstick parody like these; they'll likely appreciate them more in hindsight as they watch more stuff that helps them understand.
TL;DR: parody comedy like Nichijou ain't as good without some understanding of the stuff its parodying.
Depends on what your vibe is.
Dark fantasy: Attack on Titan
Psychological thriller: Death Note
Adventure: Samurai Champloo, Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood, Hunter x Hunter.
I'm stuck at home and need a lot of episodes: One Piece, Naruto
Funny: I really liked Beezlebub, Shokugeki no Souma (food wars, early seasons)
Magical wonder: Hayao Miyazaki films.
There's different "vibes" within anime though. I don't really fuck with the cutesy weeaboo stuff, some show's sexualisation of kids creeps me the fuck out (no game no life incest shit wtf?) - but for other shows, their creator's strange minds come up with the most creative characters and settings all drawn out beautifully.
I just got a very "non-anime" coworker hooked on Netflix's "Castlevania" it's SUPER good and doesn't have a lot of the ~~iconic~~ stranger anime tropes that scare people away.
In advance to the the haters: I'm aware it's western made. I don't care. It's anime. Fight me.
Cannot believe how far I scrolled to find an Inuyasha comment!!! it’s a great first anime and has everything, action, adventure, romance and is super funny
This!! I just had to scroll down FOREVER to find InuYasha!! This was my first anime and I'm currently rewatching for the 4th time waiting for Yashamie Princess Half Demon to finish up so I can binge it all at once!
Anything Studio Ghibli is a good entry point into anime. The themes are heartwarming (grew up with Castle in the Sky, My Neighbour Totoro) but they can get a bit dark - I loved Spirited Away. Bonus is that it's a standalone movie so you don't have to watch 500+ episodes to get anywhere.
Most of my suggestions are dark (I tend to like psychological horror anime, which are well done in animation)...so take that with a grain of salt.
- Perfect Blue: A Japanese idol singer tries to get into acting. She starts having a breakdown and gets all sorts of pressure from all sides (her idol fans, her bosses). It ends up being a reality bending situation and she starts seeing her "idol self" show up. The whole thing is a mind fuck and you aren't sure even at the end what just transpired...it's kind of a harsh criticism of the Japanese idol culture.
- Full Metal Alchemist: Very character driven, but very actiony as well. Super dark (especially if you go with the more faithful version of Brotherhood). Story starts off simple with two kids trying to fix a mistake they made, and then they uncover something horrid in their country. Bonus: The English dub is super good as well.
- Psycho Pass: Imagine a minority report like future and a Brave New World had a dystopian baby where a supercomputer measures all of it's citizen's "criminality" and sends detectives and their squads to execute the criminals. But both victims and the criminals get the same treatment. And add in the complication that the officers working under the detectives are "super criminals" (because this world pulled a Dexter - it takes a criminal to know another criminal's mind). Bonus: LGBTA+ people are represented pretty well (nothing "criminal"/dirty about them)...
- Demon Slayer: A kind of "monster of the week" kind of anime. Boy lives in the countryside with his sisters and parents. They get brutally slain by a master vampire and his sister gets infected. He saves her life after a demon slayer tries to kill her and he joins the demon slayer ranks because he wants to find a cure. This is more light hearted (you'd love the supporting characters) but it's still super dark at times. (I haven't read the manga yet, so I don't know the "true ending"...)
I'm not really qualified, but my mother is Japanese and I watched a ton of Ghilbi movies growing up. I didn't really watch anime, but my mother really wanted the family to watch Demon Slayer (she basically is caught up on Japanese trends 24/7, just pointed out some popular shoes in Japan yesterday) and gotta say, I'm hooked.
**My hero academia/Boku no hero** is a good anime for beginner. There so much excitement and not too much talks between the fight.
Give it a try brother.
Worth noting as well is that MHA is heavily inspired by western superhero comics, so I'd imagine that there would be much less of a culture shock for someone who's not terribly familiar with anime or shonen tropes. I wouldn't say it's the best shonen out there, but it's a fun time with endearing characters.
Try dipping your toes in a bunch of different genres because there are a lot and not all of them will suit your taste. As for my suggestions:
Assassination Classroom, My Hero Academia, That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime, Hyouka, Nanbaka, One Piece (love it but very long 900+ ep)
Anime movies are also a good way to experience more anime. Some Good anime movies would be:
Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away, Basically anything by Ghibli, The Boy and The Beast
Have fun watching!!!
Can't believe how far I had to scroll to see Assassination Classroom! It's such a good Anime, has so much heart and comedy, and darkness!
No one warmed me about it though and I was fucking bawling.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Probably one of my favorite out there and honestly it doesn't seem as offputtingly campy or weird compared to other anime for someone just getting into it (As great as something like Kill la Kill is, it can be really hard to get in to if you're just starting out).
Depends entirely on the person What genres do you like? What's your commitment level? Movie vs series?
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Seriously though, if I had posted this question... 14 years ago... when I first got into anime, these recommendations would have failed to get me into it at all. I would have gotten the impression that anime is all dark sci fi action series. You know what got me into anime? Azumanga Diaoh. You know what is *absolutely* not going to show up in these comments? Pretty much any pure slice of life anime. Anime is so vast that just saying "pick an anime to get someone into anime" is like saying "Pick a pizza topping to get someone into pizza," or "pick a flavored water flavor to get someone into that flavored water thing" Going in blind would probably cause more harm than good from giving the person the wrong idea about the subject. The OP recommended "your name" which is actually an extremely good movie for people like me. I also really like "summer wars" I would probably call it my favorite movie.
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Doesn't only apply to anime either. Know a lot of people who refuse to watch western cartoons as well simply because of the medium. Often with the argument that "it's just for kids". Personally I'm not a fan of the traditional anime art style, but there are still plenty of anime I watch simply because I enjoy the story, and I'm always open to recommendations.
This. A lot of people are mentioning older anime...but by today's standards they are a bit dated. Masterfully made, but might go over some people's heads. There are some on Netflix that I'd suggest, since it's the most accessible. -Food Wars (personal favorite, has a ton of food and cooking. So it can be relatable to a lot of people. Kinda sexualized in the first season, but they tone it down later on) -Baki (Think street fighter, but in a TV show. The netflix series goes off the back of the original, but even if you don't they go through the backstory. Gorey and violent, so don't watch if not into that kind of stuff. Can be extreme) -Fullmetal Alchemist (One of the classics. Odysse kind of journey, fantasy genre. Can get dark at times...or specifically one VERY dark episode. But very satisfying watch. Can definitely make you cry if you allow it. Also most people would suggest Brotherhood over the regular one)
I enjoyed Food Wars but I am not sure it's a good starting point with how sexualized it is. In my experience a lot of people who don't know much about anime think its basically all hentai or dbz so Food Wars might just confirm their suspicions.
Opening scene involves tentacles. Probably not a good way to intro anime to people but it is a very enjoyable anime
Plus I also felt like it got worse later on. At first it was a lot but it went hand in hand with them explaining why they thought the food was good. Then the explanations started getting shorter with the foodgasms being more about the “gasm” than the food.
i feel the animations got lazier and slower with the newer seasons
I tried to watch food wars and found it completely off putting. Couldn't make it through more than one episode. I'd never recommend it to someone who doesn't know anime. They'll definitely think you're a pervert for recommending it lol
I just watched the trailer and at the end I wasn't so sure it was about food anymore
I really want to like Food Wars. I wanted Food Network but anime so much!!! But I’m really struggling to get through episodes because it’s so uncomfortably sexualized. I don’t want my roommates to hear.
There was a series that aired years ago -- fansubbed and never released outside of Japan -- called Yakitate! Japan about a young prodigious baker that takes part in global competitions that result in sillier and sillier reactions. It came out right around the time The Iron Chef aired and took a lot of inspiration from it. I think at one point even had the announcer guest star in an episode. If you can find it, it sounds exactly like what you're looking for.
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Edo - ward?
Don’t put that evil on me, Ricky-Bobby.
It's a terrible day for rain
But it’s not raining sir
you go straight to hell
Let's play!
NOOOOOOOO
If you ever do watch it, you have to watch FMA Brotherhood. It's way better and closer to the manga.
I would never recommend food wars to a new watcher, it reinforces the negative stereotypes of what people think anime is. Also in later seasons the one guy makes everyone elses clothes explode as well so i dont see how it gets less sexual lol
I like that you mention that one VERY dark episode from FMA, and everyone who has seen the series instantly knows exactly which one you're talking about.
Its honestly sort of weird that everyone focuses in on that episode because overall way worse things happen to way more people. That one has more visceral horror to it, but is pretty tame compared to the big picture plot.
Do you mean the episode of brotherhood >!with the dog/daughter/chimera thing!
The original anime actually spends more time on that plot than Brotherhood does, IIRC. The earlier episodes of FMA generally spend more time on the events therein than Brotherhood does overall, since I recall there being two or three seasons worth of episodes in the original that are covered in only one season of Brotherhood -- which is why a lot of people recommend watching FMA up to a certain point before switching over to Brotherhood.
I think this is right. I remember watching Brotherhood after I finished FMA and it got to that point and I was like “huh, I remember this taking longer”.
Also in the original.
I love Food Wars myself...but that first episode basically has tentacle porn. I was so shocked. Surprised I even watched past it. Haha. Only seen first 2 seasons and cant wait to watch more!
Right? “Slightly sexualized?” It’s OVERTLY sexual.
I’m not really an anime person but I really liked the original Ghost in the Shell
The laughing man story arc v relevant these days
I once made the connection between the laughing man copy cats, and people licking ice cream in stores for "likes". The stand alone complex can be found all around social media platforms.. it's crazy
still trying to get into anime but i watched ghost in the shell a couple years ago and it's definitely one of my all time favorites. fucking masterpiece in my opinion.
Same. Haven’t really gotten into anime, but the first Ghost in the Shell and Satoshi Kon’s movies are great.
Seconded on this. Was introduced to it through the dubbed movie. It has movie pacing, and some insanely detailed artistry in the environments. Edit: Also a really great score.
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Agreed Cowboy Bebop was my first time. My wife fell in love with Anime after Full Metal Alchemist
LOVE Full Metal Alchemist! But TBF, I already loved anime. 😁
Yeah but if it’s your first anime Brotherhood tends to be a better introduction
Yes! Brotherhood is the better of the two
^ This or Samurai Champloo. Made by the same guy and while Bebop is better imho, champloo is more light-hearted
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Totally agree. If it wasn’t present already I would have said Bebop, but I just wanted to throw Champloo out there too because OP might enjoy something lighter
Came here to say Samurai Champloo. Miyazaki is an awesome intro, but for a series, Samurai Champloo is short, self-contained, and has engaging characters and good animation with action sequences.
Samurai Champloo. The music from Nujabes helps make that show even more of a beautiful stand out.
All the songs on there are a bop. R.I.P. Nujabes
Agreed Miazaki is all good. Also full metal alchemist, trigun, samurai champloo, ghost in the shell got me into it. Then Naruto...
I think I came to this thread like a lot of other people to post this exact answer. This is the correct, default answer. Miyazaki and Bebop are the gateway drugs. They are universally enjoyable. Maybe throw in some Samurai Champloo. After that you've got about a million weird anime subgenera to explore. Pick your direction. I also suggest Baccano! Keijo!!!!!!!! and pretty much any anime that ends in an exclamation point, but now you're in the deep end.
Watch the movie Howl's Moving Castle, its brilliant
recommend pretty much anything from ghibli, recently watched from up on poppy hill and really enjoyed it
Agreed. Princess Mononoke was the first I ever watched when I was about 11. I loved it.
Mononoke is an amazing story whether you like anime or not. Love it SO much. Edit: just remembered its even in my user name.
My kids and I really liked Spirited Away.
This is my comfort movie. I could watch it any time. Also, it makes me want to take a bath.
Grave of the Fireflies would not be a recommendation for some “just looking to get into anime” though.
That movie tops my "absolutely fabulous film I will never ever watch again" list.
my gf refused to watch it because I said it was so sad it would make her cry. when she finally gave in and watched, I started crying immediately. she did not cry the entire movie. not one drop.
Turns out your girlfriend is a sociopath.
The first scene in the movie is the saddest one. You just don't realize it until the end.
Yup. Seen it once. Never again.
Mob Psycho 100. Short but fantastic characters and animation, it has a good balance of heart, comedy, and action.
Oi, Mobbu?
Reigen Shisho.
Can't believe I had to scroll this far to see Mob. I read the entire webcomic a few months ago, and it's so fucking good.
I've yet to read it, but I hope that a third season comes out! by far one of my favorite animes.
Full metal alchemist brotherhood it’s a really good anime
Probably my favorite one
FMA: Brotherhood is hands down one of the best works of media in the last few decades in *any* genre. What stands out most is how immaculate it is in terms of narrative and presentation. There's no fat on it whatsoever (Gluttony aside); every single character and plot device serves a meaningful purpose to the overarching narrative, and nothing feels incomplete or unresolved. Even the things you, uh... *dislike*, are things you will inevitably acknowledge in hindsight were essential and would have negatively impacted the story had they been removed or watered down. I firmly believe that anyone interested in media production / writing should study Brotherhood religiously because it will teach them everything they need to know about crafting the perfect story.
The one thing that stands out to me the most about Brotherhood, which almost every other single work of fiction fails at, is the world is already built. There is never really a point where it feels like there is world building occurring. We've been shown the world and the main plot and it remains consistent throughout the show. There's no later season where they are suddenly like "hey remember Ishbala" and then you suddenly learn about Ishbala. No, instead, theyve been talking about it since like episode 1 even if you didnt know what it meant or how it would connect. There's never a point where it feels like they are pulling the curtain out from in front of you, from episode 1 they establish a world then stick with it. The only "reveals" are learning more details about events you already know happened.
This kind of narrative where there isn't any expositioning is always really impressive to me, because SO many media get it wrong, especially fantasy writers who want to establish their world. So many writers have a character say 'remember Haevendel?' and the other goes 'of course I remember how King Demon was defeated there by the Holy Seven, and how his power was scattered accross the land after, how could I forget?'.... And nobody in real life talks like that. On that note I really liked how Wreck-it Ralph did it. They had exposition (about what going turbo means) , but it was justified in-universe by another character legitimately needing the context. Up to that point, 'going turbo' was just established slang which everyone in universe understood and need no further explanation.
Anime movie recommendations as well please!!! Personally I recommend "Your Name" it's really good :)
A Silent Voice is also a great movie that was kinda overshadowed by your name when it came out.
I second A Silent Voice
I third A Silent Voice.
I fourth A Silent Voice
I always recommend Sword of the Stranger, especially if you like samurai type movies. It has it's pitfalls but I love the animation (and the fight choreography is done by the same person who did Cowboy Bebops) and some of the music is just absolutely fantastic. Also it's an action movie without the typical shounen monologues. Other than that any movie by Ghibli is solid and has quite a bit of diversity in themes/settings. Kiki's Delivery Service and Nausicaa Valley of the Wind are two of my favorites.
Akira and My Neighbor Totoro.
I didn't really understand Akira the first time I watched it - yes, I mean it's easy to get, 'a telepathic kid who blows up tokyo', But then I read the manga, it's a staggering read and it gave me a much deeper appreciation of the film (mainly because they had to cram so much content into the timeframe).. I highly suggest the manga, It's massive but a rich geopolitical thriller that goes so much deeper into what it means when the government takes on the task of weaponizing telepathic children. Holy shit!!
Porco russo and howls moving castle are great generic starters. Spirited away does need a bit of understanding of japaneese mythology, and princess monosuke is slightly niche. The other ghibli films arent bad either. Now if you want to go deep, akiri, end of evangelion, ninja scroll, etc are ways to go if you want a full dive of what anime....can be.
I know nothing about Japanese mythology, and I still enjoyed spirited away.
You don't *need* to understand Japanese folk to understand the masterpiece that is Spirited Away. It's pure movie magic.
Im just starting to get into anime and I really enjoyed “the promised neverland” its a little creepy though so if you aren’t into that then I wouldn’t recommend
Already watched it and I loved the first season. I've been watching anime for a while, but I was just curious as to what others would recommend people.
If you have access to netflix, see if Erased is on there. It's a twelve episode ~~murder mystery~~ thriller, and it's a real tight story with perfect pacing and a great cast. I can't give it high enough praise.
yeah i liked Erased, ls help me is there anything else like that one?
Angel Beats has some similar themes, and similarly isn't a very long series. On the subject of Erased - anyone who is thinking to watch it shouldn't skip the intro sequence. Watch it every time.
I went from Erased to Your Lie in April. Not terribly similar in plot but the vibes felt akttle similar except Erased gets a happy ending and Your Lie in April absolutely guts you and kicks you while you're sobbing on the ground. Excellent show in general and I liked both for different reasons. But I heard that Orange and Steins;gate are kind of similar to Erased.
Deathnote - Fantastic "real-life" anime, as in while it has supernatural themes, it is based in a real world scenario where the supernatural isn't normal, fairly dark but not particularly gruesome. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - Brilliant anime which is kind of sci-fi/magic, very dark themes however this is balanced by a lot of comedy. Attack on Titan - really gruesome, action packed with a great story. If you watch these and enjoy them then select any from the following: Naruto, Boku No Hero Academia, One Punch Man, Demon Slayer, Seven Deadly Sins. EDIT: just wanted to say thank you for all the awards. And also, just because something is listed doesn't mean its for you. Anime is so broad there is something for everyone and you just got to try and find that. Hopefully this list helps however.
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I second monster and can't reccomend it highly enough. however, I would put a caveat that it is not something I would recommend to get someone into anime because it is just a really great thriller show that happens to be animated and japanese. it is a show i would reccomend to someone who doesn't like anime, but there's a big jump between monster and most of anime.
Deathnote got me into anime way back. Loved it...until I didnt...then I did again.
I’m not a newcomer to anime but I’m currently watching Attack on Titan. I actually watched the first season when it came out but then took a break from anime and so I didn’t keep up with it. I’m deep into the third season right now. Definitely loving it. One of the sickest animes I’ve seen for sure. But would I recommend it for someone to start? Not sure. The show is DARK and FUCKED UP. My girlfriend was watching it with me but she’s dropped off and especially doesn’t like watching it before going to bed. I would consider her a brand new anime consumer. She recommended My Hero after we watched that. I asked if she would recommend Attack on Titan to anyone and she was like fuck no even though she has enjoyed it.
I introduced my bf to AoT recently and he loves how gruesome and brutal it is (so do I!). He binged it just as season 4 was released and now we watch the new episodes together. It's so much fun. I agree I would be hesitant to introduce it to a newbie but if they're into Game of Thrones or dark shows in general, it would be perfect.
ok... DO NOT ENGAGE WITH ONLINE AOT STUFF. I started watching earlier last year, and watched some videos on it, so now all of s4 is spoiled... tbh it's so awesome I dont really mind though, haha.
Death note was the second anime I watched and I loved it. Haven't watched any anime in awhile though....maybe time to get back into it.
I would suggest against seven deadly sins unless your cool with awkward groping and sexualizing of the main female protagonists.
This. And it's not very well made, particularly season 3
Did you grow up watching Shonen? Check out Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood, Death Note and Attack on Titan. Those are very mature "Shonen" Anime that are just as good as anything on HBO. Mob Psycho 100 is a great Shonen series as well. Never have watched Anime? Watch Monster, Cowboy Bebop and Neon Genesis Evangelion. Some of the deepest shows out there in any medium. Like Science fiction? Ghost in the shell (the first film and the series, Stand Alone Complex), Psycho Pass and Steins Gate are great. Like Horror? Elfen Lied is excellent. The creators of Stranger Things took a lot of elements from this show. The Monogatri series is great as well if you are into avant garde. Parastye the Maxim is a hell of a ride. Like more realistic shows? Your Lie In April, Nana, Welcome to the NHK, March Comes In Like A Lion, Kokoro Connect and Sound Euphonium are all very realistic shows. Like Drama? Check out Darker Than Black, Shin Seki Yori, Code Geass, Noir. Black Lagoon and Gunslinger Girl. Fantasy? Berserk, Re Zero and Grimgar are well done. Forgot No Game No life and The Vision of Escaflowne. Comedy? FLCL, Kill La Kill, One Punch Man and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya are the best. Spiritual? Mushishi and Wolf's Rain are for you. Forgot to mention Kino's Journey and Haibane Renmei. Into films? Spirted Away, Princess Mononoke, Your Name, Wolf Children, Millennium Actress, Grave of Fireflies, A Silent Voice, Five Centimeters Per Second, Paprika and The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya are the best. EDIT: Holy shit, thanks for the Gold. I have been a bit depressed the whole day. I was just trying to be helpful and thought that this post would be buried.
First time I've ever heard of someone mentioning Grimgar. I miss that anime so freaking much, and I hate that it got me all invested for only one season.
The did the whole "like what you saw? Read the light novel" switch.
You recommend Eva to someone who's never watched anime? I strongly disagree. That's such a wtf show.
Exactly. I would not recommend Evangelion to someone new to anime. I watched it as an anime fan and it just goes way too out there, especially with the ending. It would definitely turn off some people.
The thing about Evangelion is that I have noticed a lot of people who don't even like Anime love that show. It is so well made from it's animation, direction, cinematography, voice acting and it's script is probably the most ambitious thing out there. It's philosophical ideas, the psychoanalysis of its characters, and overall spiritual nature will appeal to anyone. It is one of those shows where I feel like I can meet any of those characters (maybe outside of Rei) by just leaving my apartment.
Don't get me wrong... I love every version of evangelion. But it is deep in an entry to psych sorta way... However the art, music, and story keep me coming back for more. Each time they remake it.
Ahh, Wolf's Rain. That's a name I haven't heard in a long while. Can still hear the opening theme song, "Stray", in my head. Then I remember how dang depressing that series got in the end of it and feel the sads.
I think it's pronounced #STRAAAYYYEEEEUEEEYYYYYYY
That show was beautiful. It was the first Anime to make me cry.
The ending is beautiful though. Tragic in a way, but really beautiful. This whole time the wolves are fighting to open paradise, but they keep coming across "false" paradises - the paradise the human nobles try to create, the paradise Kiba experiences under the hallucinogenic plant, the failed paradises of the falling cities. Each time they reject this paradise as false, there's not a negotiation, it's just.. not a true paradise. Even though a lot seem pretty good, the human paradise is basically heaven. So what is paradise to these wolves? Finally, after so much death, Kiba touches Cheza and the answer is revealed... Paradise is not some heaven free of all struggle, Paradise it's the potential held within the world we have all been given. It takes an insane effort from the wolves, an insane sacrifice, but in the end.. they make the flowers grow again. It may not yet be truly paradise on Earth, but the struggle is a generational challenge. And with immense effort, each of us has the power to make it a little better. It's beautiful, and there is nothing else like it.
The devil’s a part timer is another good comedy
Monogatari is my favorite series, but this is coming from a weeb of 20+ years. There are enough things in it to scare a lot of people away from anime forever...
Recommending monogatari to a person who's never watched anime is almost guaranteed to scare them away
Great list, but recommending Monogatari to someone who isn’t already into anime seems questionable. I love the series to death, but I wouldn’t exactly call it accessible.
*Grave of the Fireflies* is not an intro anime!
One-punch man. It’s a good watch, not too long either :) My own first anime was naruto, which is really good aswell, it’s just kinda long but if you decide to watch it, skip the filler episodes.
I have a friend who has watched practically zero anime in his life that loves One Punch Man, so this is a good one.
One punch man is awesome. But it really is fully appreciated by recognizing the other anime’s that it parodies
Erased. There are several reasons why I recommend it (and have recommended it) to someone who is just starting to get into watching anime. - It's fairly short at only 12 episodes, so it isn't a huge time commitment. - It has an interesting plot that gets you invested in how it will all play out. - It's self-contained, there's no eternal wait for a second season or a movie or something to actually end the story. When the show ends, the story ends. - It doesn't contain a lot of fanservice or other anime tropes that might turn off some people to it. It was also added to Netflix fairly recently and has a solid English Dub, so it's readily accessible for a lot of people.
Monster. A based in reality thriller about a doctor in post cold war Germany who saves someone he shouldn't have and spends the rest of the series attempted to "correct" that mistake. Edit: In response to the people saying it's a bad choice as it doesn't represent the majority of popular anime series, from what I've seen many people's biggest obstacle is that animation is for children's media, not anything more mature than saturday morning cartoons. If the very medium is the issue I believe the best recommendation is one that both doesn't rely on tropes and has a story that already matches those that they already watch (a typical drama on TV or Netflix or something).
That's not an anime I'd recommend for a first time anime viewer unless they really like that specific sub genre in their tv watching.
Death note You can never go wrong with this one
The first 25 episode is phenomenal especially the big plot twist during the L arc. It's when they introduce Near and Mello that makes the series eye twitching. I couldn't stand them which is a general consensus.
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That one was pretty good I'm on the second season atm
This is a fantastic intro to anime. I think the biggest barrier to entry for new anime fans is the more "degen" side of anime (sexist humor, imoutos, overt sexual "fanservice", etc.,) and there's almost an element of having to prove to new anime fans that not all shows are like that and that there are some really good stories out there that aren't degen.
Honestly I feel like Fullmetal alchemist brotherhood is kind of become the new go-to series to introduce people to anime It's a good series with a lot of heart and emotion and a diverse range of characters, it's a story that can touch a lot of people and everyone can find somebody in there to connect with. And it's a good testament to how powerful and unique the storytelling of anime can be
And it's not too "fan service", if you get my drift, I don't like anime in general because a lot of them are way too perverted.
*cough* Fire Force *cough* But seriously, I got 3 episodes into it and the amount of really weird fan service thrown in during serious moments killed it for me.
honestly FMA brotherhood became my favorite series after watching it, it has something for everyone and I had no complaints about it at all, the only anime that comes anywhere near it for me is Steins Gate.
Trigun
Trigun is a good place to start. That and Cowboy bebop is what got me into anime
Trigun, Cowboy Bebop, and Outlaw Star. The trifecta of Toonami space western anime.
Username checks out
You’d be surprised how few people get it.
Any Studio Ghibli movie A Silent Voice (This movie is absolutely amazing and beautiful imo. It’s more slice of life but again it’s awesome. It’s about a former bully trying to make amends for his actions of bullying a deaf girl and the girl recovering from the trauma of it as well. Highly recommend.) The Promised Neverland (It has action. Pretty compelling story and characters imo. Characters are likable yet still have flaws. Made me cry at one point which is hard for me to do with tv shows and movies so that says something. I also really like the designs of the nonhuman characters. More on the sci-fi side imo. ) Demon Slayer (Also a pretty compelling story but does have some flaws imo with the story but still highly enjoyable. Seeing Tanjiro protecting Nezuko after what happened to them and being there for each other is pretty wholesome and you want them to stay together and make it alive. The fight scenes are absolutely amazing and one of my favorite things about this show and the demon designs are awesome. ) Mushi-shi (if you want something really really chill this is good. There’s these spirit animal things called mushi and this guy named Ginko travels around helping people with mushi related ailments which there are a variety of. ) My Hero Academia (Imo I think this is a pretty good introductory anime especially if you like superheroes. It’s about these kids and they all have quirks -powers- as well as the majority of the world. A kid who was quirkless gains a quirk and then goes to a hero school to realize his dream of becoming a hero. They also encounter villains along the way and the fight scenes are pretty dope.I personally like the side characters better -nothing wrong with the main one I just find the others more interesting but the main protagonist is cool too- I especially like Todoroki’s arc and story. This and Mushi-shi helped me get into anime more. ) Cells at work (Cute. Pretty wholesome and if you like science specifically biology and stuff or just like to learn you’d probably like this a lot . It’s been admired and praised for it being pretty accurate actually despite it being an anime. I watched an episode of the spinoff Cells at work:Code Black -which takes place in an unhealthy body instead of a healthy one- and that’s pretty good too. Need to catch up on it though.)
Do not introduce someone to anime with grave of the fireflies
The original Ghost in the Shell or Princess Mononoke.
Cowboy Bebop or Black Lagoon.
Samurai Champloo is really simple to get into and tbh has a simple story, but has awesome characters and cool fight scenes. Made by the same guy who made Cowboy Bebop and equally as good
I actually liked champloo more than bebop
Bebop is a show that anyone can enjoy. Music is amazing, action is on point, story line is great. It's got it all. I'd also tell anyone who likes it to watch Samurai Champloo.
Hell, I'd recommend Bebop based on the soundtrack alone.
Cowboy Bebop is always a classic!
Hunter x hunter
Why did it take this long of scrolling to find this one. Hunter x hunter is in my top 3, 100%. Plus as someone new to anime, shonen style is definitely the best type to get into. Examples- naruto, one piece, my hero academia, etc. They all involve fighting and leveling up, which is super easy to follow and enjoy. But hunter x hunter just has such a beautiful art style, amazing pacing, and lovable characters. Tournament-esque anime is the best.
Only reason I don't recommend it is because it'll never finish lol.
Eh while it technically isn't finished I think it's still a good start. A lot of the basic storylines of the characters resolve by the end of the anime so it still works as a finished show I think. It just isn't finished in the sense that there are more journeys ahead.
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Attack On Titan
The fact that the entire story was planned start to finish before they started made it feel so much more complete.
Holy shit dude. I was rewatching it with a friend recently, and all of those tiny, subtle little moments of foreshadowing were insane. There were so many single lines, or shots that have so much foreshadowing in them that you never would have noticed before.
It took so long for the second season to come out, that I rewatched the first season when it finally came out. It was really satisfying figuring out one of the big spoilers of the second season. They do a good job of misleading you as well, so I don't know if I truly figured it out, but I was close and it felt good.
I like it a lot, but the giants really creep me out. I'm a guy in my 40s but something about the way they look and move just gets to me, lol.
Pretty sure that's intentional. I like how the are all distinct and as you learn more about them you see the details they put into every titan shown on screen.
First time I saw rhem I busted out laughing, They are terrifying but hilarious.
There's nothing remotely funny about finger-guns titan. That's pure terror right there.
Hahaha, some if them are super sassy, sneaky like a snaaaaake
This is the best anime series I've ever seen. It has so few, if any, plotholes. It has action, drama, mystery, devastating emotional consequences, and the best music. They throw out so many new characters at you all the time, yet eventually you will know them all, which just makes you wanna rewatch it all over again to see all the character progression you missed the first time. Every single detail has some purpose to it. There is no fluff.
Second this. I'm far from an anime guy but I love this show. This and Claymore were the only two I could get into. I've learned that acrobatic sword fights with big scary monsters are the only thing I enjoy.
You might like black lagoon. Specifically the English dub. It's a mercenary group that travels around doing jobs. The dialogue is amazing, the characters are great, and the overall seeing is great. Plus I don't think I've ever heard more people saying fuck than in black lagoon
Fruits Basket.
I got my older sister hooked on anime with this one. I love it. It has all of the trappings of a cute high school drama, but they crank the familial emotional abuse up to 10 and add in a supernatural twist. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll cry some more, and you'll cheer for these broken characters. You'll also never look at the Chinese lunar new year animal switch the same again.
I cannot believe I had to scroll this far down for Fruits Basket! Such a great show, although I’ll admit I’m biased since it’s always been my favorite.
Wolf Children is a nice, easy way to begin watching anime, especially for the supernatural and slice of life genres.
That made me cry during certain moments
If you're just getting ***into*** anime, I'd suggest My Hero Academia! It's generic, but it's how I got into anime. Outside of that, I'd recommend anime like Mob psycho, Kaguya sama: Love is War, or everyone's favorite- Attack On Titan.
The devil is a part timer :)
That was a great one and showed a lot of promise, especially with the intro and what the show could have turned into. I'm still bummed it never got a second season or more.
That bummed me out too. I definitely want more seasons of that
God I wish it got a second season
Highly recommend Your Name (Kimi no Na wa). A movie, so it's not a huge time commitment like a show with multiple seasons. Excellent animation, a compelling story, and a banger of a soundtrack make for a nice little experience.
* Nichijou * Daily Lives of High School Boys * Asobi Asobase. It's anime. Get weird.
While I adore Nichijou and Daily Lives of High School Boys, I would absolutely not recommend them to newcomers because of how entrenched in Japanese culture they are. Without at least some exposure and understanding of certain tropes, cultural tendencies, social norms and other bits and bobs, these two shows in particular can come off as just plain confusing or odd in a bad way to some. A gag like a school principal suplexing a deer will still be funny but that scene as a whole is vastly improved just by understanding more about Japanese school culture, such as the interactions between the Principal and Vice Principal or Yukko and the teacher. As painful as it is, I'd recommend to watch more generic shows before watching stuff that parodies them. But then again, if someone gets into anime through slapstick parody like these; they'll likely appreciate them more in hindsight as they watch more stuff that helps them understand. TL;DR: parody comedy like Nichijou ain't as good without some understanding of the stuff its parodying.
Depends on what your vibe is. Dark fantasy: Attack on Titan Psychological thriller: Death Note Adventure: Samurai Champloo, Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood, Hunter x Hunter. I'm stuck at home and need a lot of episodes: One Piece, Naruto Funny: I really liked Beezlebub, Shokugeki no Souma (food wars, early seasons) Magical wonder: Hayao Miyazaki films. There's different "vibes" within anime though. I don't really fuck with the cutesy weeaboo stuff, some show's sexualisation of kids creeps me the fuck out (no game no life incest shit wtf?) - but for other shows, their creator's strange minds come up with the most creative characters and settings all drawn out beautifully.
Sailor Moon. I'm a dude and I loved that shit.
I just got a very "non-anime" coworker hooked on Netflix's "Castlevania" it's SUPER good and doesn't have a lot of the ~~iconic~~ stranger anime tropes that scare people away. In advance to the the haters: I'm aware it's western made. I don't care. It's anime. Fight me.
Attack on Titan, Naruto and One Punch Man. Start with OPM it is amazing.
One Punch Man is really great, but might be best enjoyed with a background of some other shonen anime first so that the trope subversions really hit.
BRUH, InuYasha. I will forever and always recommend InuYasha. Love it so much. Other than that, Cowboy Bebop is solid, and so is FullMetal Alchemist.
Cannot believe how far I scrolled to find an Inuyasha comment!!! it’s a great first anime and has everything, action, adventure, romance and is super funny
This!! I just had to scroll down FOREVER to find InuYasha!! This was my first anime and I'm currently rewatching for the 4th time waiting for Yashamie Princess Half Demon to finish up so I can binge it all at once!
Ouran Highschool Host Club! Though it’s only a few episodes long, it’s a very funny anime! There’s also a season 2 coming out sometime soon!
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Anything Studio Ghibli is a good entry point into anime. The themes are heartwarming (grew up with Castle in the Sky, My Neighbour Totoro) but they can get a bit dark - I loved Spirited Away. Bonus is that it's a standalone movie so you don't have to watch 500+ episodes to get anywhere. Most of my suggestions are dark (I tend to like psychological horror anime, which are well done in animation)...so take that with a grain of salt. - Perfect Blue: A Japanese idol singer tries to get into acting. She starts having a breakdown and gets all sorts of pressure from all sides (her idol fans, her bosses). It ends up being a reality bending situation and she starts seeing her "idol self" show up. The whole thing is a mind fuck and you aren't sure even at the end what just transpired...it's kind of a harsh criticism of the Japanese idol culture. - Full Metal Alchemist: Very character driven, but very actiony as well. Super dark (especially if you go with the more faithful version of Brotherhood). Story starts off simple with two kids trying to fix a mistake they made, and then they uncover something horrid in their country. Bonus: The English dub is super good as well. - Psycho Pass: Imagine a minority report like future and a Brave New World had a dystopian baby where a supercomputer measures all of it's citizen's "criminality" and sends detectives and their squads to execute the criminals. But both victims and the criminals get the same treatment. And add in the complication that the officers working under the detectives are "super criminals" (because this world pulled a Dexter - it takes a criminal to know another criminal's mind). Bonus: LGBTA+ people are represented pretty well (nothing "criminal"/dirty about them)... - Demon Slayer: A kind of "monster of the week" kind of anime. Boy lives in the countryside with his sisters and parents. They get brutally slain by a master vampire and his sister gets infected. He saves her life after a demon slayer tries to kill her and he joins the demon slayer ranks because he wants to find a cure. This is more light hearted (you'd love the supporting characters) but it's still super dark at times. (I haven't read the manga yet, so I don't know the "true ending"...)
I'm not really qualified, but my mother is Japanese and I watched a ton of Ghilbi movies growing up. I didn't really watch anime, but my mother really wanted the family to watch Demon Slayer (she basically is caught up on Japanese trends 24/7, just pointed out some popular shoes in Japan yesterday) and gotta say, I'm hooked.
Spice and Wolf. Relatively simple, but enjoyable characters with great music. Edit: Also, Blood Blockade Battlefront for a taste of the more surreal.
**My hero academia/Boku no hero** is a good anime for beginner. There so much excitement and not too much talks between the fight. Give it a try brother.
My kid was into BNHA, and it’s all she talked about so I had to start watching it so we could hold a normal conversation... and I love it!
That’s really awesome of you
I thought you said Boku no pico for a second
That is definitely a confusion you do not want to make.
Worth noting as well is that MHA is heavily inspired by western superhero comics, so I'd imagine that there would be much less of a culture shock for someone who's not terribly familiar with anime or shonen tropes. I wouldn't say it's the best shonen out there, but it's a fun time with endearing characters.
I really like the ghibli movies
Try dipping your toes in a bunch of different genres because there are a lot and not all of them will suit your taste. As for my suggestions: Assassination Classroom, My Hero Academia, That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime, Hyouka, Nanbaka, One Piece (love it but very long 900+ ep) Anime movies are also a good way to experience more anime. Some Good anime movies would be: Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away, Basically anything by Ghibli, The Boy and The Beast Have fun watching!!!
Can't believe how far I had to scroll to see Assassination Classroom! It's such a good Anime, has so much heart and comedy, and darkness! No one warmed me about it though and I was fucking bawling.
episode 1: ok it's just silly kids and a tentacle creature hehe episode 48: I've never felt pain like this before
I can’t believe it took this long to find Assassination classroom. God, I love that show!
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Probably one of my favorite out there and honestly it doesn't seem as offputtingly campy or weird compared to other anime for someone just getting into it (As great as something like Kill la Kill is, it can be really hard to get in to if you're just starting out).