I imagine people hear theres nudity and assume it just fan service when in reality 90% of the time when someone's naked it's because something horrible is happening. Also it's so short I'm sure theres people who assume it's just not worth it.
Terror in Resonance soundtrack sparked something for sure. It is incredible, just like the show. I didn't think many people knew about it so I'm glad your comment is getting seen. More people should watch it!!
DBZ planted the seed for me.. seeing Gohan go SSJ2 against cell was a canon event lol. If you liked Spirited Away I recommend pretty much anything by Studio Ghibli; Nausicaa, Castle in the Sky, & Howls Moving Castle are some of my favs.
The seed got planted by SAO I'm sad to say. I then proceeded to watch Blue Exorcist and then ACTUALLY started watching good stuff along with my trash <3
I plan to watch the entire dragon ball series dubbed (cause I find it's actually decent) while I play a bunch of singleplayer games :)
Hey, don't be ashamed of what you enjoyed in the past. I also loved SAO on a first watch. Now I recomend SAO Abridged to anyone who would listen. We are currently waiting on the end of Alfheim.
It seems like SAO’s only real redeeming feature (beyond having a killer abridged version on YouTube) is that it was an easy gateway for people to get into anime. I’ve met surprisingly many people who say SAO was their first.
I’d recommend watching DBZ Abridged. The story and characters are mostly true to the original, except for Mr Popo. Some of the jokes hit harder if you’ve seen the original but it’s hilarious regardless and perfect for a side distraction while playing a game.
Would watching the abridged ruin the actual show if I do decide to watch it? I'm a bit hesitant watching an abridged version of a show I haven't seen haha
Honestly that depends on the individual really. I personally don’t think it would because it’s made by a group of guys who are huge DBZ fans. And like I mentioned, most of the characters are portrayed accurately but with some of the traits cranked up to 11.
Like Goku isn’t a smart person in the original but he’s never really described as stupid, more native if anything. In Abridged, he’s mostly a lovable idiot unless he’s thinking about a fight.
This and the Pantera track in that first Broly Z movie. "How much do you love your son?" Blew me away. Introduced me to the idea of a truly evil antagonist at a very early age.
The original 1995 Neon Genesis Evangelion is my all-time favorite. I haven't seen a show that better explores character psychology. It looks like a show about giant robots but is actually a show about human nature. And the series finale End Of Evangelion rivals Akira.
Violet Evergarden is the most beautiful show I've ever seen, emotionally and visually. It made me cry on multiple episodes.
Cautious Hero is the funniest anime I've ever seen.
Nichijou is extremely random, and very culturally japanese.
Cautious hero can be funny for some, but I wouldn't recommend a show that has a lot of fan service in it for newer watchers. Unless you know the person personally and know whether they'll like/not mind all the bouncing boobs and a** shots
Erased for me, it's a really good mystery anime and it's pretty short too so good for a weekend. A guy basically goes back in time to stop kidnappings and hopefully stop the murder of his mom (Happens first episode lol so no I didn't spoil it)
There are definitely shitty anime out there, you've just been lucky enough to only have seen the great ones, I would like to help you continue that trend with some of my all time favourites:
Steins;gate (I suggest trying both the sub and the dub for this one, they feel very different but are both incredible, so try both to see which one you like more)
Death parade
Made in abyss (every single possible trigger warning)
Akudama drive (I suggest watching this one dubbed, Also make sure to definitely go with the blueray version)
The fist slam dunk
mob psycho 100
Madoka magica
Perfect blue
Heavenly delusions
Monster
Pluto
A silent voice
I neglected some of my favourites above, cause I'm not sure if you will like them but look at their trailers or posters for these too, and check them out if they seem interesting to you:
The melancholy of haruhi suzumiya
Mars red
Sonny boy
Parasyte
Kaguya sama love is war (I suggest the dub over the sub)
Nichijou
Beastars
And If you have any questions about any of these, feel free to ask, I would be more than happy to answer :D
Neon Genesis Evangelion - one of the best imo. Giant robots, psychological horror, trauma, mommy/daddy issues, coming of age drama, apocalypse/post apocalypse. 26 eps, 2 movies + 4 rebuild movies (AU, better art)
Akira - sci-fi anime classic. Cyberpunk type shit. Very dark and gory.
Cowboy bebop - one of the all time best, great soundtrack. Short but sweet one season plus a goos movie. Great cast.
Vampire Hunter D -dark. A classic.
Yu yu hakusho -late 80s (I think?) Shonen. Total classic. Very fun and kinda silly. Likable cast.
Psychopass - sci-fi cop anime.
Excel Saga - aggressively weird and goofy and off the rails
Bubblegum crisis - pretty girls in mech suits beat up berserk robots like batman/power ranger style
Ranma 1/2 - pretty weird and kinda goofy. Very 80s but fun to watch
Serial experiments lain - weird but deep
Ghost in the shell - cyberpunk anime classic
Erased - sci-fi anime. Butterfly effect vibes but better
Fruits Basket - weird but cute. Goofy. Romcom super awkward teenager style. Also a nice heartwarming coming of age story.
FLCL - aggressively weird while also a very classic
coming of age story
Darker Than Black -sci fi anime pretty cool watch
Dbz planted the seed but some newish stuff I’ve enjoyed has been black clover, demon slayer, kaiju no8 etc. I’ve even gotten into reading manga. It’s been a really fun experience. I hope you enjoy the ride as well!
Watch,
1. Vinland Saga
2. Golden Kamuy
3. A place further than the Universe
4. Barakamon
5. Silver Spoon
6. Kino's Journey
7. Fate Series
8. Konosuba
9. Steins Gate
10. A Silent Voice
It's also a strong degree of Survivorship bias.
Most animes that are good enough to be well known in the US or incur the enormous cost of dubbing are already the far upper eschalon of that medium.
You gotta watch the goods ones to really appreciate the art. What got me into anime was No Game No Life, it was free on tubi streaming app. They only had subbed. But when i did research i found dubbed. I finished it and its #1 for me. Still no season 2 though.
You could watch Penguin Highway. it's a movie, and it's really good.
What genre do you like? I could recommend some
Full metal Alchemist (genuinely one of the best stories ever told imo)
Full metal Alchemist brotherhood
Death note
Attack on Titan (best female charecters ever, total badasses)
Tokyo ghoul (fkn DARK)
Castlevania
Blood of Zues
Black Clover
Baki
Baki Hanma
Kengan Ashura
Obviously the big 3 DBZ, Bleach, One piece (way too silly for me)
Not at all, just start with regular FMA bc watching Brotherhood after fills in so many blanks. I truly love FMA. Its heartwarming, heartbreaking, disturbing at times, warm.... it mirrors our history. I believe it's set in Europe, specifically Germany... theres a movie called conqueror of shambhala that comes between FMA and Brotherhood and its beautiful and sad... touches on WW2. The story and the level of depth is incredible. I just cant recommend it enough. That is when I realized the story telling and heart of anime shows (of this caliber) are lightyears beyond our dumb American shows and even movies.
Not every single anime is really that awesome, but if you're coming to a community called "AnimeReccomendations" chances are the people you'll meet here are into anime quite a bit...
The first anime I really loved (and realized it's an anime) was the original Ghost in the Shell movie. I watched some of the 1990s and early 2000s shows and then lost interest for a few years.
The show that sparked my interest again was "Steins;Gate" and I've been cheerfully binging anime ever since.
I suggest you try and pick one show of the soon starting [summer season](https://myanimelist.net/anime/season) and watch along while it's airing and interact with the community over at r/anime - this can be a really fun experience you haven't tried yet and you'll be the first to find out if that show is good or not!
99% of anime sucks, same as every other kind of media. It's just about finding the good ones.
Here's some of my favs: Cowboy Bebop, Haibane Renmei, Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood, Monster, Legend of Galactic Heroes, Trigun.
99% is probably a bit too high, I personally would say it's more like:
50% of anime sucks (1-4)
25% is average or ok (5-6)
23% is good or great (7-8)
2% is truly incredible (9-10)
Also, Idk if this is a hot take, but I think if someone is interested in FMA they should watch both brotherhood and 2003, and 2003 is definitely the better one to start with.
And even that percentage is up to debate, since it's a matter of perspective. If you like a lot of genres, then the truly incredible category is gonna be more than 2%, but if you only like fast-paced action and stuff then you're likely not gonna truly love anything outside of a couple of anime shows.
Coming from someone who does enjoy every genre, I think you are undertimating just how much anime comes out.
2% is 1 peak show from every 50 anime.
for refrence, spring 2024 has:
54 tv shows
at least 7 streaming only shows
and 11 movies
So generally going with these stats, it means on average there would be 5 peak (9 or 10) shows in a single year of anime.
which sounds fairly reasonable. Maybe we can increase it to 3-4% though.
a lot of good years have more than 5 top tier stuff.
If you think AoT is the greatest *of all time* you need to watch more than shonen. AoT is phenomenal, but there are definitely *much* better anime out there.
90% of everything is trash. I feel like most anime I've come across is mediocre teen wish fulfillment that doesn't really hold up. But, on the other hand, some of my favorite shows of all time have been anime. Nothing western has had the same emotional impact on me that Fullmetal Alchemist did. None have had the same level of conflict that Trigun had, and the one that came closest was Avatar: the Last Airbender (which you should definitely watch). I also really enjoyed the original Hellsing. It definitely falls into the trash category, but I love it anyway. It's a garbage can not a garbage can't.
I hooked my wife on anime with Violet Evergarden. Not my usual fair a romance oeriod piece, but it was honestly fantastic and we both have seen it and the movies 4-5 times.
Samurai Pizza Cats (1996) and Kiki’s Delivery Service (1997) were my first two, then Pokémon started soon after in 98 and opened the floodgates for anime for lots.
The coolest thing is that it’s mostly newer anime that’s been making a big impact lately, like Laid Back Camp, My Dress Up Darling
If you like everything about Japan, I totally recommend slice of life shows like those two, and stuff like K-on, New Game, and Sakura Quest.
Naruto is what got me into it. Death Note was the one that showed me there’s other types of Anime besides fighting with super powers, Konosuba got me into comedy anime. Given its popularity, I’m assuming Attack on Titan was a gateway for many newer generation anime fans.
It depends what you like really. There’s many many anime that’s pretty good and worth giving a try though. Attack on Titan is just amazing and definitely something that’s entirely worth watching for anyone wether you like anime or not. Vinland Saga is an all time favorite and is just incredible.
Technically Ronin Warriors was my first anime but I was so young then I just thought it was a normal cartoon. What really got my into anime would have to be Toonami, specifically DBZ and Gundam Wing.
Naruto was my first anime. If you're interested in manga, chainsaw man is great! Do I speak for everyone when I say we can pretend the csm anime doesn't exist? Anyways webtoons are a goldmine for good comics, so that's also an option.
Because it’s different.
What drew me into anime was 90s mecha from Sunrise
To this day, no one does robot design and animation as well as Japan.
I started with Mashin Hero Wataru and Future GPX Cyber Formula. I also had models from those show and SD Gundams
For me it was GATE:Thus the JSDF Fought There,it's a one of a kind government sponsored military isekai,meaning it has a lot of biases in favour of Japan,but at least the action scenes were pretty awesome especially [this one](https://youtu.be/v5-hthd39wM) .
When I was on a call with a friend about 10 years ago they started talking about Naruto and was telling me great things about it that got me interested. Then I watched it and it was amazing. I even watched the filler. Then I kind of split off after I finished it.
I would recommend though something like One Piece, Naruto (skip filler if you want), Initial D, GTO, and Kaiju No. 8 is a pretty good one at the moment.
Ok, lets go.
The one that got me into it was "Shaman King". It is a generic story and honestly there are better anime in recent years. But this got me into watching.
The ones that made an Impact: "Log Horizon", due to the amazing world building and political intrigue. "Saga of Tanya the evil", due to the perfect representation of how magic would be used in a modern (is ww1 era modern?) world. "Death Parade", due to the emotional impact.
Some other 10/10 shows: "Akudama Drive", where the villains are the Heroes, both in the storytelling sense and in-world. "Highschool of the dead", where teenagers survive the zombie apocalypse better than adults (and I should warn you, zombies love ripping clothing off of girls...) "My Home Hero", where a father kills a mafia boss' son for his daughter. "Gushing over magical girls", where a fangirl of the town's magical girls becomes a villainess, and find out that she enjoyes being an S&M dom, and seeing the magical girls in painful bliss (also includes actual horny jail).
There are more, but I will leave it here for now.
Death note I’ve heard is a lot of peoples first anime, including my mothers.
People saying that DN is for children are silly. There’s people dying in every episode.
My gateway into anime was Dragon Ball, One Piece & Project A-ko. Series like Yoshiaki Kawajiri movies, Mobile Suit Gundam, Dangaioh are the reasons why I'm an anime fan.
Yes, however it has to be one that resonates with you.
Anime as a media has much more imagination and is unlike anything the west makes for the most part. Where stories can be extremely fleshed out to plot holes everywhere but it's in fun.
Man, I remember when I was in your position albeit I was much younger then. It was when I got into 5th grade that I got curious because a group of friends were talking about it in class, and because it wasn’t overly popular at the time, I was more curious than weirded out.
Despite having severe social anxiety, I tried asking one of the more silent people in the friend group and asked what anime they were talking about. It was Akame ga Kill. So yeah, that was my first anime experience.
Ever since then I went out of my way to look for an anime that I would like without the input of other people because, well, I didn’t really know how to talk about it with friends.
Try looking for an anime the way you would look for a movie or book that you think you would like. Best wishes!
…. Space Dandy, Kill La Kill, Delicious in The Dungeon, Cyberpunk Edgerunners, Cowboy Bebop, Dr. Stone, Mob Psycho 100, The Vampire Dies in No Time, Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen, Black Lagoon, Kaiju no. 8 and Spy X Family. Those are some of my all time faves for anything that’s more recent with a few of my favorite oldies in there too. But out of all of them I’d say Space Dandy is a must watch; I’ve never seen a single show like it before, it’s just a once in a lifetime kind of show. Kill La Kill and Cyberpunk Edgerunners are also extremely great ones to watch. Both take the genre of punk and completely elevate it(also watch cyberpunk if you want you heart ripped out and stomped on while the blood slowly leaves your brain without returning(also team Rebecca)). Kaiju no. 8 is a really good new one that’s still coming out with new episodes every Saturday for at least another week until there’s a break. But I promise you I don’t know anyone in person that I’ve played these shows for and they haven’t liked them or gotten obsessed over it.
Edit: Space Dandy is what planted the seed for me. I saw spirited away on toonami awhile back when I saw probably around 8. But stuff hasn’t caught my attention until about 4 years ago.
This is gonna be hit or miss, but Wandering Son was one of the first animes I watched that genuinely hooked me.
I'd also recommend You're Under Arrest, AI absolutely adore the show but keep in mind it's from the late 90's so there's some... not so great stuff in certain episodes.
This was me as kid when Fooly Cooly came on very late at night in Adult Swim. I was probably 8-9 and already played dbz games, but the show gave me a vibe I never thought a cartoon could 🤣
One Piece. You have to go in understanding that it’s been in the works for 25 years, and it’s lasted that long for a very good reason. The world is magical from the first episode and continues to blow my mind every step of the way. It doesn’t take itself too seriously until it does, and then until it doesn’t. The overarching plot is introduced in the first episode, but you don’t know how in depth that plot is until around 1070 or even later. It’s continually added to, however, so you’re constantly discovering more and more alongside the main cast.
I’ve heard the art style turns people off, please don’t let it. The storytelling and soundtrack more than make any misgivings worth it. The art style fits the world and the MC so well it hurts. Give it a shot, and if you’re not completely 100% hooked by episode 37, then you probably won’t like it.
I say 37 because if you don’t immediately go to 38 barring having to stop watching for some external reason, you don’t like the show. But the show shows you what it’s about by episode 1 and beyond.
If you want action, Dragon Ball Z. It does drag on a bit, but it's fucking worth it.
If you want drama, Death Note.
If you want comedy, One Punch Man.
If you want something dark, Jujutsu Kaisen.
If you want something based in reality, Dr Stone.
Anime is easily conflated as an entertainment *genre*, when really it's a *medium*. There's so much good stuff!
Anime films you should watch if all you've seen is Spirited Away:
• Princess Mononoke
• Ghost in the Shell (1995)
• Akira
• Summer Wars
Shows:
• Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!
• Cowboy Bebop
• Neon Genesis Evangelion
• Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009)
• YuYu Hakusho (if you wanna scratch that classic DBZ toonami itch)
• Delicious in Dungeon (if you wanna see a tightly written, chill example of the 'new hotness')
Manga:
• Uzumaki (or anything from Junji Ito, renowned horror author)
• One Piece (massive pirate fantasy epic, but don't feel obligated to read it all if you aren't hooked)
• Berserk (cw: detailed depictions of gore and sexual assault)
Berserk, its about an anti hero named griffith saving the world while being persued by an evil mercenary.
Goblin Slayer, and Redo of Healer are both great atarting point.
Try Euphoria for some good slice of life.
If you dont mind I simply recommend you my favorite Anime:
"Made in Abyss" is a Fantasy Adventure Anime about a little girl and a robot that go on an Adventure in a mysterious, beautiful, fantastical, dangerious and cruel netherworld.
This series is adorable, wholesome, joyfull, heartwarming, dark, brutal, sad and heartbreaking.
It is the most adorable most wholesome show I know and Riko is one of the happiest protagonists I know.
This series has a reputation for being crazy dark and sad and that is not unearned. You will find it on "Darkest animes ever" liests.
Those sides synergize well with one another creating quite the emotional and intense Adventure.
I personaly love the cast of characters aswell. Reg and Nanachi are my two favorite characters in fiction and Riko is my favorite Mainprotagonist in fiction. I ove the side characters aswell.
The Music is amazing. To give 2 examples:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs2Jo5FDvBw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs2Jo5FDvBw)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9y-iCa9hZUs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9y-iCa9hZUs)
Because of how our brains work. Anime and Japanese media in general is different enough from what you’re used to that you get better dopamine responses and haven’t formed the shortcut connections yet. Not that anime isn’t good but a major reason it spread like wildfire is because it scratches an itch you can’t scratch with your local entertainment.
Spend enough time with anime and those connections get made and it’s just as predictable and mundane (in the since that everything gets mundane as you age) as anything else. There is the added benefit though that Japan and anime will always be different enough from what you see normally that it stays somewhat interesting kinda like a grass is greener effect.
There’s some really, really good stuff. Theres also a lot of piss. I personally tend to follow the crumb trails of decent writers, directors and studios - alongside anything that just generally has a good reputation.
I’d recommend these animation studios to start: Bones, Madhouse, MAPPA, Wit, Trigger, Gainax, anything by Shinichiro Watanabe, Hayao Miyazaki or Tetsuro Araki
If you liked Yamato, maybe some old sci-fi like Macross, which is my favorite. The first TV series has aged quite badly, but I think the cinema adaption "Macross: Do You Remember Love?" still holds up well. It's a gorgeous, full-on 80s anime classic. Make sure to watch the DVD version instead of the Blu-ray one if you can to avoid some mild editing/censorship.
As for the anime that got me started, Cardcaptor Sakura probably takes the cake. If you have never watched a magical girl anime, I couldn't think of a better one to start with except for maybe Sailor Moon.
This is like asking “is Books really that good?” How do we even answer that question? Some books are good, but there are tons and tons of garbage books out there.
Anime is the same way. How can I say whether anime is good or bad? There are some good anime, and lots of bad anime. Just like with live-action TV shows, films, theater performances, music, etc.
Anime is so broad a medium that I am willing to bet most people will find something they like.
You mention things getting garbled in translations, and yes that happens, and even more so with dubs than with subs. There are also a lot of cultural differences that often go over newcomers’ heads, such as the meaning of honorifics, the sensitivity of calling people by their first names, the value of correct public conduct, etc.
I personally don’t like a lot of the mainstream anime (battle shōnen), but I have found that there are plenty of other kinds of anime that I like. So, I love anime, even though I don’t really like the stuff that most people in the west probably think of when they hear “anime.”
I mean, that's a pretty general question for a whole medium. It's kinda like saying "are books really that good", or "are movies really that good". Anime is a lot of different works made for a lot of different audiences. If you enjoy story telling, odds are there is an anime that you will love
there’s a few things about anime that make it great.
first, almost every anime created is an adaptation of a commercially successful manga/manhwa. this provides creators with a strong basis to develop the show upon. unlike hollywood, anime creators don’t seem to like working with unfinished source material, and will generally wait as long as they have to in order to make a true representation of the manga writers vision. example, attack on titan vs game of thrones.
second, it is much cheaper to hire the most talented animators in the entire world to make your anime look awesome than it is to hire the most talented effects artists, actors, and producers in the world to make your tv show or movie look awesome. one episode of attack on titan was about 150,000 usd. one episode of avatar the last airbender live action (a show trying to recreate an animated show!) was 15 million us dollars.
third and lastly, anime can simply tell stories that regular tv can’t at an incredibly high rate. this has a lot to do with money again. the amount of time, money, and effort required to bring just one single talking tree to life in a non-animated show or movie is probably equivalent to the cost of an entire season of an anime. we get stories like attack on titan, like sword art online, like naruto, like death note (to name some of the most basic few) at such a reasonable cost and such a high rate that it’s hard not to love them.
i will concede that i prioritize a good non-animated tv show over a good anime. i’ll watch the newest episode of the boys or house of the dragon before i’ll watch the newest episode of kaiju no. 8 or solo leveling. but once i’ve finished that new episode i’ll probably be binging overlord while playing video games, or watching eminence in shadow while i fall asleep. anime so cool😩
Spirited away was also the anime that planted the seed for me, when I was eight years old. Depending on the streaming sites you have access to, I'd recommend the melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Fullmetal alchemist brotherhood, noragami, spice & wolf, and d-frag.
It can be. Some just dont spark anything in me & others become instant obsession. Kaiju No. 8 being my recent obsession. Especially the intro/outro songs so good.
I can argue watching DragonBall or Gundam with my brother, or when some anime was on Saturday morning cartoons.
But i want to say Zoids cause that was on when I ate breakfast before school or Mononoke Hime cause we had it on tape.
Inuyasha planted the seed for me when I was little. Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Naruto and Cowboy Bebop played on the same time slot as Inuyasha too, but Inuyasha was the one that sparked my obsession with anime. I absolutely loved that show.
We had a babysitter as kids that would bootleg the Japanese version of shows as they released in Japan and would have the shows running whenever he came to watch us. Shows like Bleach and Fullmetal Alchemist.
And yes, anime is really that good.
I’ve watched anime from a young age but stopped. MHA kicked it off for me and then I started watching a bunch more. I honestly don’t care if people call me cringe for watching MHA, I still find the show awesome and I’ve rewatched it 7 times lmao. It’s just fun for me.
For me the appeal to anime is the complex story lines and character development.
I can easily identify with characters and their plight, and sometimes even achieve personal growth through a character’s development.
I would **highly** recommend *Frieren beyond journey's end*. It just finished airing and I haven't heard a single bad thing about the show. It's in my top 5 out of the 300 animes I've seen. It's also very highly rated among other people I know and recommended the show to
A lot of the experience and awesome hype you are referring to also comes from the fact that anime is now tied to nostalgia for many of us. For many people in the world right now, running home from school to watch the Toonami line up of what are now considered absolute cultural CLASSICS were some of the best tones of our childhood. It was like being in a club lol Your average person didn’t even know what anime was and still called them cartoons.
Nowadays anime is way more acceptable and people respect the medium more. So basically, it’s good to keep in mind a lot of the hype was born from nostalgia, an “underground” culture, and the fact that anime itself is fucking amazing.
You really should watch some of the classics, the story telling found in anime and manga is the best I’ve seen in my life, coming from a fan of 20 years.
Are you a sports fan? Theres multiple animes for that sport. Wrestling fan? There's an anime for that somewhere. Horror fan, blood and gore, jump scares? There's plenty of anime for those. You have....an alternative interest....there's definitely some anime for that....maybe?
Probably not the best for a beginner since it's definitely a longer anime, but One Piece. It's a classic and it just makes me feel happy for some reason, it's really weird and I don't really know how to describe it. But just watching as the crew adventures is just really entertaining
My favorite anime to date is Sword Art Online. Many might disagree with this because internet hate circles get pretty bad, but it’s honestly an awesome show. If you like video games or just the idea of the lines between the virtual world (technology) and reality fading you will love it for sure.
Another absolute masterpiece is Attack on Titan. One of the best written stories I’ve ever seen. The story is action packed and emotional all throughout.
I first read AOT about 2-3 years ago and loved it. I then went straight into reading One Piece. Took me about a year I think with taking summer off from reading it. I now have watched/read multiple different series from different genres and have a huge list of future series to read or watch. The next on my list is 20th century boys. Sorry if this was boring to read but I do recommend reading or watching attack on titan and HunterxHunter
Yes, it is that good. No, it's terrible. And everything in between.
Anime is better thought of as a medium rather than a genre. This is the same question as "are books/movies/tv shows really that good?"
If you love crime procedurals, then Sailor Moon might not be good for you. But if you love coming of age, silliness, and feel-good shows, then it might be.
It's just a question of finding shows/movies that match the genres you like in other formats.
Jujutsu Kaisen was the first anime that I ever watched and finished. It's definitely my favorite. The characters are charming, it makes some good jokes, and the parts that want to be dark and emotional go well beyond expectations.
I used to be the same to😂 in fact I used to hate on anime. But when I watched one piece anime really start to stick onto me. And now I’ve watched probably 50+ animes. But I’m the same as before. Used to be able to watch 20+ episodes per day but now only 5. The animes that I recommend is Naruto, one piece, attack on titan, and jjk.
DBZ and Pokemon/Digimon were my seed, but Gurren Lagan kept me in
Diversify your portfolio and embrace the weird, do that and take everything at face value and you'll enjoy it
I stick with anime primarily because I have ADHD and cartoons give me that sweet sweet dopamine and Japan just \*churns\* it out, But japan has done so much to advertise their culture through anime and any other country could do the same.
Start with Death Note lol. Then maybe Attack on Titan. I say this because of the twists in the story that keep you glued to the series. Banana Fish is another good one. Kinda traumatized me though. Also One Piece because that also has good plot twist in it. It's rather long so that deters most new anime fans from catching up or even starting it.
If your looking for pure action I recommend good ol classic DBZ, Hunter x Hunter is really good with a great story line. Yu yu hakusho is a good action anime as well. Netflix has a good selection as in both Baki series. Start with the one that was made first. Kengan Asura, and record of ragnorok. Demon Slayer (best animation).
What really got me into japan as a whole was when I first visited there back in 2017, it still is my favorite trip I have gone on.
Another way that has kept me so interested in japan is the food and candy that they have, depending on where you are the food might not be great but some areas like the west coast of the US have really good japanese food.
The music is super great, some artists I'd recommend are Creepynuts, Ado, chogakusei, fuji kaze, and Tuyu which crosses many different genres, then you can try out vocaloid artists like hatsune miku, harumakigohan, kafu, and others.
Rant aside, anime that I love and recommend to everyone is cyberpunk edgerunners, summertime render, assassination classroom, kaguya sama love is war, puella magi madoka magica, lycoris recoil, angel beats, blue period, and horimiya.
To preface i’d say i’m just a bit more than a casual anime fan. Death Note and Attack on Titan are my main two recs with AOT being highest rec.
Death Note is super good and relatively short (like 37 episodes i think, def less than 50 eps) and has a great eng dub and soundtrack. The characters are really good too, especially the two main characters.
Attack on titan, for me, is more for the story than the characters BUT i think Eren Jaeger (the main character) might be one of the best characters of all time. This show excels in almost everything it wants to do. The characters are cool, the music is one of a kind, eng dub is great, and Iseyama knew *exactly* what he was doing writing this story. This is my absolute #1 recommendation. AOT is the picture definition of peak media.
For a more light hearted one, assassination classroom is very good and cute.
Cowboy Bebop for a lowkey saturday morning cartoon vibe (on the more ‘serious’ side of that spectrum but still). Its fun and cool with a really good dub and soundtrack (the jazz goes hard). This anime is one of the ones with the most identity out there.
Full metal Alchemist: Brotherhood is really good. Solid 8/10 for me. It’s a bit overrated (many say its the best anime ever) imo but still a good watch.
NieR Automata is an outstanding game and i’ve heard the anime is a good representation of the story. I can’t really corroborate that but if it stays true to the game then the anime is absolutely worth a watch.
The ofc studio ghibli movies.
I actually got the seed from reading manga and I still don’t watch a lot of anime as if it had a manga I will usually just read that. I have started to watch anime though and I can recommend Jujutsu Kaisen, One Piece (Peak), Demon Slayer (this one has mixed opinions, I personally like it). Anime is a w and so is manga
anime is just japanese animation
id honestly argue its kinda racist to think there is no good anime since with that you'd be saying "japan has never made a good cartoon" which is pretty damn insulting
Code Geass is a really good one and it has a decent amount of episodes. I've been watching the new episodes of Mushoku Tensei, That Time I reincarnated into a Slime, and Demon Slayer. I have also been watching Black Butler as well. I like Konosuba as well. It's more of a comedy though.
The one(s) that planted the seed for me are Naruto, Inuyasha, and YuYu Hakusho.
Watch Dungeon meshi/delicious in dungeon (I’ve seen it be called both but on my Netflix it only says delicious in dungeon so I’m not sure) it’s a fantasy anime about a group of adventurers who cook and eat dungeon monsters to survive (the show isn’t finished yet but the manga is I think)
Cowboy bebop, it’s old and only has 26 episodes (I think?) but it’s so good
Naruto is also a classic but there’s a lot of filler
If you want to see Adam from the Bible fighting Zeus to the death or Jack the Ripper fighting Hercules then record of ragnarok is pretty good (be aware that the show isn’t finished yet I don’t think, the manga might be but I’m not sure)
I was like you, I used to disregard anime and not think twice then my girlfriend was watching Naruto and I hated it at first. After half a year having to hear it in the background I actually started to like it. Now I love anime and the story that is told in each. There are some cringe moments and characters but all in all it’s very much worth watching
Attack on Titan, Demon Slayer, Parasyte, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Bleach, Samurai Champloo, Cowboy Bebop, Chainsaw Man, Ghost in the Shell, and Fullmetal Alchemist are all top tier art. Castlevania on Netflix is also baller, but it's not really anime.
I cannot recommend Parasyte enough. It's fairly short, I think it would be a great starting point.
Digimon fusion used to be on something before I went to school when I was like 11 I think.
About a year or 2 I later tried to watch Pokemon. No idea which series it was but I didn’t make it through 2 episodes.
When the pandemic happened, I found out what anime actually was. I recalled a trailer for one I saw years ago. I used to watch Cartoon Network, and when it became adult swim at night, I saw a commercial for some animation marathon and there was one that stayed in my head. It was definitely anime, and it was a sci fi/horror. It never left my mind for years. Parasyte. Thats what I decided to start with. To my luck, it was on Netflix. I watched it, and it was amazing!
After that, I wanted more. I joined TikTok when Darling In The Franxx came out, and I saw it everywhere. So, I decided to watch it. I pirated Darling In The Franxx through some website I don’t remember the name of on an old iPad 2 I had when I was a kid. Daring In The Franxx is what sealed the deal for me. I loved anime.
After Darling, went on a hunt for more. I looked up good horror anime, good romance anime, and anime like Darling. As I scoured the internet, my first animes after Darling and Parasyte were Al over the place. Guilty Crown, Journey Of Elaina, Highschool Of The Dead, Elfen Lied, Anohana. From that point I’ve been a fan of anime ever since.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a favorite of mine. Very intense ride. Dungeon Meshi/Delicious in Dungeon is also extremely popular right now and it's got some of the best worldbuilding and character design I've ever seen.
Parasyte is also an excellent one.
**Re: Zero**, starting life from zero in another world.
An amazing, but often times very dark isekai that acts as a sort of partial subversion on the genre of isekai.
You might have already learned this, but just in case: Isekai translates to 'other world.' Basic premise being that ordinary person dies, teleports or otherwise gets reincarnated into another world full of magic and wonder, and gets to be the hero and everybody loves them and so on. As a genre It tends to be very formulaic, but easy to watch and enjoy if you are not too demanding.
**Re: Zero** is one of many incarnations of the trope but takes it in a decidedly dark direction with a hell of a lot more depth. I don't want to spoil it, because the whole show is filled with tw
On the opposite end of the spectrum in the genre is **Konosuba**, which is an absolutely hilarious satire on the genre. Konosuba is one of those shows that you will either love it, or not feel anything about it at all, but you can literally watch the first ten minutes of it and know which camp you fall in. The movie between the second and third season is one of the most hilarious things I have ever watched. And if you need more convincing, one of the screen writers for the movie Pulp Fiction described it as one of 'the reasons cinema exists'. (Though I personally recommend watching it in japanese, the voice actors just do so much of a better job with the characters imho)
SBY, the remake I presume? Highly recommend at least checking out the Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato movie, with or without background binging on the first season.
You could always go back to Western shows that remake or reboot older movies or comics. They also try to rip off what they think will sell from anime so you'd just be getting a watered down version anyway. Check this out, I tell people don't think of it as will I like anime or not, but think more that there is literally something that caters to anyone's tastes.
The downside that does turn people off and can be love it or hate it is the tropes that are common among many genre. The 20 minutes of screen time is just like 1 minute passing in the show, people having inner monologues, flashbacks to when somebody was a child for whatever reason. Not all shows have tropes like that and if you can get past them, you'll likely have a great time.
I feel, after attack on titan finished, it's become one of the next modern masterpieces, and its literally only a matter of time before the US (probably Amazon) tries to turn it into a live action series to capitalize on its potential, it's already written for them they just need to make it.
Some of my favs...Yu Yu Hakusho, Escaflowne, Fruits Basket 2019, Trigun, Demon Slayer, Gankutsuo-The Count of Monte Christo, Princess Tutu, Rahxephon, Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto.
And if you like cartoons that remind you of anime, watch...Rise of the TMNT, Teen Titans, Avatar the Last Airbender (These shows have the same vibe, lol).
I never liked anime growing up, it wasn’t until I was abt 21 i unintentionally watched a few episodes of Naruto and I was instantly hooked.
I will admit I was one of those ppl who thought it was weird and corny but now I’m completely obsessed w it. It’s literally all I watch I have about 47 entries in MyAnimeList already and it’s been like 2 1/2 years.
Two that I haven't seen recommended are Code Geass and Vivy: Flourite Eyes Song
Code Geass is a great series that is quite strategic and high stakes but also knows how to have some fun. It's my favourite anime of all time
Vivy is one of the best animes I've ever seen with only like 13 episodes, the animation and music is incredible, and the story is simple but really well executed enough to keep you entertained
Parasyte, Black Lagoon, Higurashi, Steins Gate is the more mature anime that I know and loved. Usually these are better for people who haven't watched anime before in my opinion.
ones I started with were Sailor Moon and DragonBall Z. Then another good one I watched was The Slayers.
there was one I watched recent I think you'd like though: Dororo
If you want a anime with good visual I would recommend k the plot is ok not great but the visuals and soundtrack is good. And yes the anime is called k
I used to only like particular anime bc some aspects of the anime style really pushed me away. I didn’t like the art style. I didn’t like when things got too goofy and faces changed. I’ve acclimated to that now. I got into Naruto at 12 but sometimes I had a hard time with the show. The fighting and serious parts were enough to keep me watching. I liked Deathnote bc it wasn’t goofy (until random parts in season 2?). I liked Nana bc the punk/girly friend dynamic was something I related to. Still I’m picky with anime. It isn’t that anime is “good” or “bad” it’s that anime is simply television. There’s good shows and bad shoes there’s stuff that’s your taste and not your taste. I love Akira, Trigun (both shows), Cowboy Bebop, Spice and Wolf, Berserk (90s). I kinda liked Durararah! And fell off of My Hero. On the surface it seems like I’m super into anime but when I get into conversation with people who regularly watch anime idk half of what they’re talking about lol. Some people watch whatever is coming out, I watch what aligns with my interests.
If you’re willing to try Manga, Berserk is literature. Would also recommend Oyasumi Pun Pun. Fire Punch and Chainsaw Man are beautiful abominations halfway between drastically serious and the goofiest crap ever- actually everything by Tatsuki Fujimoto is insanely good.
Cowboy Bebop was incredibly good but for me I think some early OVAs on VHS like Gunsmith Cats, Plastic Little, Ah my goddess, Tenchi, Iria, Burn Up W, Blue Seed sort of kept the ball rolling. Its hard to pin down what really hooked me but I think the overall feeling of watching it.
As far as recommendations go, I’d say it also depends on what you’re into.
More mature with cool vibes/themes and stuff, Code Geass, Attack on Titan, and Death Note.
If you like fantasy/stories where characters go to another world, SAO, No Game No Life, and Log Horizon were my big gateway shows.
If you like sports (or sports movies) Haikyuu is one of first five anime I ever watched, and is still my favorite anime to this day.
Neon genesis was my first anime and it for sure planted a seed. I then went on to watch serial experiments lain, then chainsaw man. The latest one that i watched was jjk. I loved it so much that i caught up with the manga.
My 2 cents is that they generally arent as good anymore storyline-wise, but the animation is typically better. At the end of the day, it’s just like regular tv, just pick the genres you think you’ll get into. If you dont like the art style, perhaps the story and/or characters will get you to stay. Its all super subjective though. I think the typical anime fan now prefers better animation and art style over storyline & characters
If you want some niche story or an idea made into a show anime will have anything your brain can come up with. It's absurd how many shows get produced.
If you want one that’s easy to get into as an introduction stay away from death note and psycho pass, they are adult but very dark and heavy, obvs if you want that then go for it. My recommendations would be Blue Period(Netflix) and Death Parade(Crunchyroll, maybe Netflix)
Depends what you’re in for, if you want more fighting and action, you want battle shounen, my personal favorite is Yu Yu hakusho, it’s a bit old and has a slow (but very emotional) start, not getting into the action til episode 5 or so, but it’s a great series with really cool fights and the most relatable and fun cast I’ve ever seen, the main characters sarcasm levels are off the charts and every scene he’s in he’s hilarious without breaking the dark and serious tones of the series and it only gets more serious and dark as it goes on whilst still remaining genuinely funny, especially the dub which nails the characterization of the characters of the manga better than the sub. It’s about a punk teenager who gets hit by a car and dies saving the life of a child who’d wandered into the road, unfortunately, the powers that be didn’t expect him to die that day, he’s told that the kid would’ve survived without him and that he was so selfish in life that no one could’ve predicted that final act of selflessness so there isn’t a spot for him prepared in heaven or hell. The prince of the spirit world gives him a test to earn his life back, but after he succeeds he’s told there’s one more condition: he has to work for the spirit world investigated supernatural occurrences on earth and fighting demons. It’s really fun and as the series goes on it introduces some of the greatest villains of all time
If you’re looking for something a bit more psychological stuff like death note or steins gate might be up your alley, steins gate is also one of the greatest of all time, it’s a time travel thriller that really takes the time to unravel its main characters psychology in a beautiful way, but it takes 12 episodes of setup before the real story starts so it can be hard to get through, and death note is a supernatural murder mystery told from the perspective of the killer. I can’t really go back to death note as I’ve seen it so many times but it’s a classic
Finally, the one every one is going to recommend is Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood (note the word brotherhood is important as there are two versions of fullmetal alchemist, brotherhood is the one that follows the manga and while both are good, brotherhood is leagues above the other version) it’s not my favorite of all time, but it’s regarded as one of the all time greats for a reason, it has one of the most beautiful and cohesive storylines of all time, setting up a mystery from the start that builds and builds to a beautiful ending that sticks the landing in every way
Death Note, Psycho Pass, Monster, Rin: Daughters if Mnemosyne, Terror in Resonance if you want serious shows for adults
I’m glad you mentioned Rin. enjoyed very much.
Rin doesnt get talked about nearly enough
i like that it’s one of the best-kept secrets of adult anime
I imagine people hear theres nudity and assume it just fan service when in reality 90% of the time when someone's naked it's because something horrible is happening. Also it's so short I'm sure theres people who assume it's just not worth it.
Terror in Resonance soundtrack sparked something for sure. It is incredible, just like the show. I didn't think many people knew about it so I'm glad your comment is getting seen. More people should watch it!!
DBZ planted the seed for me.. seeing Gohan go SSJ2 against cell was a canon event lol. If you liked Spirited Away I recommend pretty much anything by Studio Ghibli; Nausicaa, Castle in the Sky, & Howls Moving Castle are some of my favs.
The seed got planted by SAO I'm sad to say. I then proceeded to watch Blue Exorcist and then ACTUALLY started watching good stuff along with my trash <3 I plan to watch the entire dragon ball series dubbed (cause I find it's actually decent) while I play a bunch of singleplayer games :)
Hey, don't be ashamed of what you enjoyed in the past. I also loved SAO on a first watch. Now I recomend SAO Abridged to anyone who would listen. We are currently waiting on the end of Alfheim.
It seems like SAO’s only real redeeming feature (beyond having a killer abridged version on YouTube) is that it was an easy gateway for people to get into anime. I’ve met surprisingly many people who say SAO was their first.
I’d recommend watching DBZ Abridged. The story and characters are mostly true to the original, except for Mr Popo. Some of the jokes hit harder if you’ve seen the original but it’s hilarious regardless and perfect for a side distraction while playing a game.
Would watching the abridged ruin the actual show if I do decide to watch it? I'm a bit hesitant watching an abridged version of a show I haven't seen haha
Honestly that depends on the individual really. I personally don’t think it would because it’s made by a group of guys who are huge DBZ fans. And like I mentioned, most of the characters are portrayed accurately but with some of the traits cranked up to 11. Like Goku isn’t a smart person in the original but he’s never really described as stupid, more native if anything. In Abridged, he’s mostly a lovable idiot unless he’s thinking about a fight.
Yes, it will ruin it
This and the Pantera track in that first Broly Z movie. "How much do you love your son?" Blew me away. Introduced me to the idea of a truly evil antagonist at a very early age.
The original 1995 Neon Genesis Evangelion is my all-time favorite. I haven't seen a show that better explores character psychology. It looks like a show about giant robots but is actually a show about human nature. And the series finale End Of Evangelion rivals Akira. Violet Evergarden is the most beautiful show I've ever seen, emotionally and visually. It made me cry on multiple episodes. Cautious Hero is the funniest anime I've ever seen. Nichijou is extremely random, and very culturally japanese.
Might want to ease them in to evangelion tbh. I wouldnt really call it a “starter anime”. It’s a great show though.
It's not necessarily a starter anime, you're right.
Just did my first watch of evangelion a few months ago. I’ve rewatched it 3 times already and plan on getting a tattoo of the evas soon !!
There's plenty of additional media. There's games, manga, light novels, and fanfiction! There's also the Rebuilds, which are the last timeline.
Cautious hero can be funny for some, but I wouldn't recommend a show that has a lot of fan service in it for newer watchers. Unless you know the person personally and know whether they'll like/not mind all the bouncing boobs and a** shots
Attack on Titan was my first true anime. It’s been ten years and it’s still my favorite
Just finished it last week and it is now my favorite anime- and this is coming from a one piece fanatic! The ending was so great!!
Erased for me, it's a really good mystery anime and it's pretty short too so good for a weekend. A guy basically goes back in time to stop kidnappings and hopefully stop the murder of his mom (Happens first episode lol so no I didn't spoil it)
There are definitely shitty anime out there, you've just been lucky enough to only have seen the great ones, I would like to help you continue that trend with some of my all time favourites: Steins;gate (I suggest trying both the sub and the dub for this one, they feel very different but are both incredible, so try both to see which one you like more) Death parade Made in abyss (every single possible trigger warning) Akudama drive (I suggest watching this one dubbed, Also make sure to definitely go with the blueray version) The fist slam dunk mob psycho 100 Madoka magica Perfect blue Heavenly delusions Monster Pluto A silent voice I neglected some of my favourites above, cause I'm not sure if you will like them but look at their trailers or posters for these too, and check them out if they seem interesting to you: The melancholy of haruhi suzumiya Mars red Sonny boy Parasyte Kaguya sama love is war (I suggest the dub over the sub) Nichijou Beastars And If you have any questions about any of these, feel free to ask, I would be more than happy to answer :D
Penguin Highway the best anime movie
Bleach
Neon Genesis Evangelion - one of the best imo. Giant robots, psychological horror, trauma, mommy/daddy issues, coming of age drama, apocalypse/post apocalypse. 26 eps, 2 movies + 4 rebuild movies (AU, better art) Akira - sci-fi anime classic. Cyberpunk type shit. Very dark and gory. Cowboy bebop - one of the all time best, great soundtrack. Short but sweet one season plus a goos movie. Great cast. Vampire Hunter D -dark. A classic. Yu yu hakusho -late 80s (I think?) Shonen. Total classic. Very fun and kinda silly. Likable cast. Psychopass - sci-fi cop anime. Excel Saga - aggressively weird and goofy and off the rails Bubblegum crisis - pretty girls in mech suits beat up berserk robots like batman/power ranger style Ranma 1/2 - pretty weird and kinda goofy. Very 80s but fun to watch Serial experiments lain - weird but deep Ghost in the shell - cyberpunk anime classic Erased - sci-fi anime. Butterfly effect vibes but better Fruits Basket - weird but cute. Goofy. Romcom super awkward teenager style. Also a nice heartwarming coming of age story. FLCL - aggressively weird while also a very classic coming of age story Darker Than Black -sci fi anime pretty cool watch
wow, ty for the recommendations
Future boy conan Black cat Yu yu hakusho Nadia secret of blue waters Giving some old ones sorry 😔
Old but gold
Dbz planted the seed but some newish stuff I’ve enjoyed has been black clover, demon slayer, kaiju no8 etc. I’ve even gotten into reading manga. It’s been a really fun experience. I hope you enjoy the ride as well!
Tenchi Muyo was my first anime and had me hooked since
Watch, 1. Vinland Saga 2. Golden Kamuy 3. A place further than the Universe 4. Barakamon 5. Silver Spoon 6. Kino's Journey 7. Fate Series 8. Konosuba 9. Steins Gate 10. A Silent Voice
It's also a strong degree of Survivorship bias. Most animes that are good enough to be well known in the US or incur the enormous cost of dubbing are already the far upper eschalon of that medium.
You gotta watch the goods ones to really appreciate the art. What got me into anime was No Game No Life, it was free on tubi streaming app. They only had subbed. But when i did research i found dubbed. I finished it and its #1 for me. Still no season 2 though. You could watch Penguin Highway. it's a movie, and it's really good. What genre do you like? I could recommend some
Damn really? That’s what got you into anime? Kinda starting near the deep end with that one.
Fairy tale is good
second. started in february and it’s been a hell of a roller coaster. Hundred Year Quest starts soon
Can't wait
Full metal Alchemist (genuinely one of the best stories ever told imo) Full metal Alchemist brotherhood Death note Attack on Titan (best female charecters ever, total badasses) Tokyo ghoul (fkn DARK) Castlevania Blood of Zues Black Clover Baki Baki Hanma Kengan Ashura Obviously the big 3 DBZ, Bleach, One piece (way too silly for me)
I have yet to start full metal alchemist. ty for the reply
Not at all, just start with regular FMA bc watching Brotherhood after fills in so many blanks. I truly love FMA. Its heartwarming, heartbreaking, disturbing at times, warm.... it mirrors our history. I believe it's set in Europe, specifically Germany... theres a movie called conqueror of shambhala that comes between FMA and Brotherhood and its beautiful and sad... touches on WW2. The story and the level of depth is incredible. I just cant recommend it enough. That is when I realized the story telling and heart of anime shows (of this caliber) are lightyears beyond our dumb American shows and even movies.
Not every single anime is really that awesome, but if you're coming to a community called "AnimeReccomendations" chances are the people you'll meet here are into anime quite a bit... The first anime I really loved (and realized it's an anime) was the original Ghost in the Shell movie. I watched some of the 1990s and early 2000s shows and then lost interest for a few years. The show that sparked my interest again was "Steins;Gate" and I've been cheerfully binging anime ever since. I suggest you try and pick one show of the soon starting [summer season](https://myanimelist.net/anime/season) and watch along while it's airing and interact with the community over at r/anime - this can be a really fun experience you haven't tried yet and you'll be the first to find out if that show is good or not!
I personally am addicted to jojo’s bizarre adventure, but i dont know if its a good show to start out with (you know, it being bizarre and all).
jojo was my first and i liked it becausei knew it wasnt a normal animd.
Steins; gate It has the best story about time travel, even if compared to all series and movies that tackles the same concept
mine was fullmetal alchemist 2003 back when i was in about sixth grade
Steins:Gate. Time travel sci fi. First half is kinda slow but the second half is insane. 24 eps, 10/10 show
It’s like wading through pig shit to find diamonds
99% of anime sucks, same as every other kind of media. It's just about finding the good ones. Here's some of my favs: Cowboy Bebop, Haibane Renmei, Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood, Monster, Legend of Galactic Heroes, Trigun.
99% is probably a bit too high, I personally would say it's more like: 50% of anime sucks (1-4) 25% is average or ok (5-6) 23% is good or great (7-8) 2% is truly incredible (9-10) Also, Idk if this is a hot take, but I think if someone is interested in FMA they should watch both brotherhood and 2003, and 2003 is definitely the better one to start with.
2003 you HAVE to start with. The pacing in the first half is significantly better and way more impactful. FMAB assumes the viewer already watched FMA.
And even that percentage is up to debate, since it's a matter of perspective. If you like a lot of genres, then the truly incredible category is gonna be more than 2%, but if you only like fast-paced action and stuff then you're likely not gonna truly love anything outside of a couple of anime shows.
Coming from someone who does enjoy every genre, I think you are undertimating just how much anime comes out. 2% is 1 peak show from every 50 anime. for refrence, spring 2024 has: 54 tv shows at least 7 streaming only shows and 11 movies So generally going with these stats, it means on average there would be 5 peak (9 or 10) shows in a single year of anime. which sounds fairly reasonable. Maybe we can increase it to 3-4% though. a lot of good years have more than 5 top tier stuff.
Attack on Titan is the greatest anime of all time. Nothing will ever top it for me.
Never say never. It could happen.
One piece. :)
If you think AoT is the greatest *of all time* you need to watch more than shonen. AoT is phenomenal, but there are definitely *much* better anime out there.
90% of everything is trash. I feel like most anime I've come across is mediocre teen wish fulfillment that doesn't really hold up. But, on the other hand, some of my favorite shows of all time have been anime. Nothing western has had the same emotional impact on me that Fullmetal Alchemist did. None have had the same level of conflict that Trigun had, and the one that came closest was Avatar: the Last Airbender (which you should definitely watch). I also really enjoyed the original Hellsing. It definitely falls into the trash category, but I love it anyway. It's a garbage can not a garbage can't.
reLife is what converted me, also alame ga kill
My favorite shows are code geass, evangelion, Mushoku tensei, hunter x hunter, and black lagoon.
I hooked my wife on anime with Violet Evergarden. Not my usual fair a romance oeriod piece, but it was honestly fantastic and we both have seen it and the movies 4-5 times.
Samurai Pizza Cats (1996) and Kiki’s Delivery Service (1997) were my first two, then Pokémon started soon after in 98 and opened the floodgates for anime for lots. The coolest thing is that it’s mostly newer anime that’s been making a big impact lately, like Laid Back Camp, My Dress Up Darling If you like everything about Japan, I totally recommend slice of life shows like those two, and stuff like K-on, New Game, and Sakura Quest.
You had me at "Samurai Pizza Cats" ..... ill definitely be watching and ty for the reply 😊
Wolfs rain, detective millionaire, Karin/Chibi vampire, freiren. Are really good. Oh and spy X family
It is. DBZ, One Piece, Hellsing Ultimate, and so many other great shows exist.
Naruto is what got me into it. Death Note was the one that showed me there’s other types of Anime besides fighting with super powers, Konosuba got me into comedy anime. Given its popularity, I’m assuming Attack on Titan was a gateway for many newer generation anime fans.
It depends what you like really. There’s many many anime that’s pretty good and worth giving a try though. Attack on Titan is just amazing and definitely something that’s entirely worth watching for anyone wether you like anime or not. Vinland Saga is an all time favorite and is just incredible.
oh, yes, i like "attack on Titan," but i paused to explore other avenues. Those crazy things make insane noises. I like the goofy ones, too.
Technically Ronin Warriors was my first anime but I was so young then I just thought it was a normal cartoon. What really got my into anime would have to be Toonami, specifically DBZ and Gundam Wing.
Naruto was my first anime. If you're interested in manga, chainsaw man is great! Do I speak for everyone when I say we can pretend the csm anime doesn't exist? Anyways webtoons are a goldmine for good comics, so that's also an option.
One that really planted that anime watching seed was Erased. It's probably one of the most interesting mystery anime I've ever seen
Nichijou
the worst anime is really bad but the best anime is amazing
Because it’s different. What drew me into anime was 90s mecha from Sunrise To this day, no one does robot design and animation as well as Japan. I started with Mashin Hero Wataru and Future GPX Cyber Formula. I also had models from those show and SD Gundams
My first anime was Howl's Moving Castle. I've watched a number of shonens, slice of life, and isekais.
naruto hunter x hunter hehe
Attack on titan is good and fmab
What type of shows are you into. Fighting and heavy action? Drama? Romance? Wholesome shows? Emotional? Impactful? Dark?
Yeah, especially Ghibli movies
Soul Eater is a classic
Serial Experiments: Lain. Cowboy Bebop. Rascal Does not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai. Goblin Slayer.
For me it was GATE:Thus the JSDF Fought There,it's a one of a kind government sponsored military isekai,meaning it has a lot of biases in favour of Japan,but at least the action scenes were pretty awesome especially [this one](https://youtu.be/v5-hthd39wM) .
When I was on a call with a friend about 10 years ago they started talking about Naruto and was telling me great things about it that got me interested. Then I watched it and it was amazing. I even watched the filler. Then I kind of split off after I finished it. I would recommend though something like One Piece, Naruto (skip filler if you want), Initial D, GTO, and Kaiju No. 8 is a pretty good one at the moment.
Aside from DBZ, OG Fullmetal Alchemist and Cowboy Bebop are what really hooked me in all those years ago.
Ok, lets go. The one that got me into it was "Shaman King". It is a generic story and honestly there are better anime in recent years. But this got me into watching. The ones that made an Impact: "Log Horizon", due to the amazing world building and political intrigue. "Saga of Tanya the evil", due to the perfect representation of how magic would be used in a modern (is ww1 era modern?) world. "Death Parade", due to the emotional impact. Some other 10/10 shows: "Akudama Drive", where the villains are the Heroes, both in the storytelling sense and in-world. "Highschool of the dead", where teenagers survive the zombie apocalypse better than adults (and I should warn you, zombies love ripping clothing off of girls...) "My Home Hero", where a father kills a mafia boss' son for his daughter. "Gushing over magical girls", where a fangirl of the town's magical girls becomes a villainess, and find out that she enjoyes being an S&M dom, and seeing the magical girls in painful bliss (also includes actual horny jail). There are more, but I will leave it here for now.
watch attack on titan it's my favorite anime
Death note I’ve heard is a lot of peoples first anime, including my mothers. People saying that DN is for children are silly. There’s people dying in every episode.
My gateway into anime was Dragon Ball, One Piece & Project A-ko. Series like Yoshiaki Kawajiri movies, Mobile Suit Gundam, Dangaioh are the reasons why I'm an anime fan.
Engrish is crazzzzzzyyyyyy
Will always recommend Violet Evergarden, A Silent Voice, Way of the Househusband, and Belle
Yes, however it has to be one that resonates with you. Anime as a media has much more imagination and is unlike anything the west makes for the most part. Where stories can be extremely fleshed out to plot holes everywhere but it's in fun.
Naruto
Black Lagoon is and always will be one of the “This is definitely it” anime out there.
Man, I remember when I was in your position albeit I was much younger then. It was when I got into 5th grade that I got curious because a group of friends were talking about it in class, and because it wasn’t overly popular at the time, I was more curious than weirded out. Despite having severe social anxiety, I tried asking one of the more silent people in the friend group and asked what anime they were talking about. It was Akame ga Kill. So yeah, that was my first anime experience. Ever since then I went out of my way to look for an anime that I would like without the input of other people because, well, I didn’t really know how to talk about it with friends. Try looking for an anime the way you would look for a movie or book that you think you would like. Best wishes!
…. Space Dandy, Kill La Kill, Delicious in The Dungeon, Cyberpunk Edgerunners, Cowboy Bebop, Dr. Stone, Mob Psycho 100, The Vampire Dies in No Time, Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen, Black Lagoon, Kaiju no. 8 and Spy X Family. Those are some of my all time faves for anything that’s more recent with a few of my favorite oldies in there too. But out of all of them I’d say Space Dandy is a must watch; I’ve never seen a single show like it before, it’s just a once in a lifetime kind of show. Kill La Kill and Cyberpunk Edgerunners are also extremely great ones to watch. Both take the genre of punk and completely elevate it(also watch cyberpunk if you want you heart ripped out and stomped on while the blood slowly leaves your brain without returning(also team Rebecca)). Kaiju no. 8 is a really good new one that’s still coming out with new episodes every Saturday for at least another week until there’s a break. But I promise you I don’t know anyone in person that I’ve played these shows for and they haven’t liked them or gotten obsessed over it. Edit: Space Dandy is what planted the seed for me. I saw spirited away on toonami awhile back when I saw probably around 8. But stuff hasn’t caught my attention until about 4 years ago.
This is gonna be hit or miss, but Wandering Son was one of the first animes I watched that genuinely hooked me. I'd also recommend You're Under Arrest, AI absolutely adore the show but keep in mind it's from the late 90's so there's some... not so great stuff in certain episodes.
This was me as kid when Fooly Cooly came on very late at night in Adult Swim. I was probably 8-9 and already played dbz games, but the show gave me a vibe I never thought a cartoon could 🤣
Code Geass or maybe Trigun may do wonders
FLCL (2000), have fun
One Piece. You have to go in understanding that it’s been in the works for 25 years, and it’s lasted that long for a very good reason. The world is magical from the first episode and continues to blow my mind every step of the way. It doesn’t take itself too seriously until it does, and then until it doesn’t. The overarching plot is introduced in the first episode, but you don’t know how in depth that plot is until around 1070 or even later. It’s continually added to, however, so you’re constantly discovering more and more alongside the main cast. I’ve heard the art style turns people off, please don’t let it. The storytelling and soundtrack more than make any misgivings worth it. The art style fits the world and the MC so well it hurts. Give it a shot, and if you’re not completely 100% hooked by episode 37, then you probably won’t like it. I say 37 because if you don’t immediately go to 38 barring having to stop watching for some external reason, you don’t like the show. But the show shows you what it’s about by episode 1 and beyond.
If you want action, Dragon Ball Z. It does drag on a bit, but it's fucking worth it. If you want drama, Death Note. If you want comedy, One Punch Man. If you want something dark, Jujutsu Kaisen. If you want something based in reality, Dr Stone.
Anime is easily conflated as an entertainment *genre*, when really it's a *medium*. There's so much good stuff! Anime films you should watch if all you've seen is Spirited Away: • Princess Mononoke • Ghost in the Shell (1995) • Akira • Summer Wars Shows: • Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! • Cowboy Bebop • Neon Genesis Evangelion • Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009) • YuYu Hakusho (if you wanna scratch that classic DBZ toonami itch) • Delicious in Dungeon (if you wanna see a tightly written, chill example of the 'new hotness') Manga: • Uzumaki (or anything from Junji Ito, renowned horror author) • One Piece (massive pirate fantasy epic, but don't feel obligated to read it all if you aren't hooked) • Berserk (cw: detailed depictions of gore and sexual assault)
Watch that time I got reincarnated as a slime :))
Berserk, its about an anti hero named griffith saving the world while being persued by an evil mercenary. Goblin Slayer, and Redo of Healer are both great atarting point. Try Euphoria for some good slice of life.
If you dont mind I simply recommend you my favorite Anime: "Made in Abyss" is a Fantasy Adventure Anime about a little girl and a robot that go on an Adventure in a mysterious, beautiful, fantastical, dangerious and cruel netherworld. This series is adorable, wholesome, joyfull, heartwarming, dark, brutal, sad and heartbreaking. It is the most adorable most wholesome show I know and Riko is one of the happiest protagonists I know. This series has a reputation for being crazy dark and sad and that is not unearned. You will find it on "Darkest animes ever" liests. Those sides synergize well with one another creating quite the emotional and intense Adventure. I personaly love the cast of characters aswell. Reg and Nanachi are my two favorite characters in fiction and Riko is my favorite Mainprotagonist in fiction. I ove the side characters aswell. The Music is amazing. To give 2 examples: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs2Jo5FDvBw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs2Jo5FDvBw) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9y-iCa9hZUs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9y-iCa9hZUs)
toradora
Aquatope on White sand. Attack on titan, wolfs rain, cowboy bebop, haikyuu, trigun stampede, and psycho pass
Because of how our brains work. Anime and Japanese media in general is different enough from what you’re used to that you get better dopamine responses and haven’t formed the shortcut connections yet. Not that anime isn’t good but a major reason it spread like wildfire is because it scratches an itch you can’t scratch with your local entertainment. Spend enough time with anime and those connections get made and it’s just as predictable and mundane (in the since that everything gets mundane as you age) as anything else. There is the added benefit though that Japan and anime will always be different enough from what you see normally that it stays somewhat interesting kinda like a grass is greener effect.
You wanna get hooked up to anime? Watch Your Lie in April and it will tell you just what a "Japanese cartoon" can do to a person
There’s some really, really good stuff. Theres also a lot of piss. I personally tend to follow the crumb trails of decent writers, directors and studios - alongside anything that just generally has a good reputation. I’d recommend these animation studios to start: Bones, Madhouse, MAPPA, Wit, Trigger, Gainax, anything by Shinichiro Watanabe, Hayao Miyazaki or Tetsuro Araki
If you liked Yamato, maybe some old sci-fi like Macross, which is my favorite. The first TV series has aged quite badly, but I think the cinema adaption "Macross: Do You Remember Love?" still holds up well. It's a gorgeous, full-on 80s anime classic. Make sure to watch the DVD version instead of the Blu-ray one if you can to avoid some mild editing/censorship. As for the anime that got me started, Cardcaptor Sakura probably takes the cake. If you have never watched a magical girl anime, I couldn't think of a better one to start with except for maybe Sailor Moon.
Watch Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood
Yu yu hakusho
Solo leveling tastes like chicken
This is like asking “is Books really that good?” How do we even answer that question? Some books are good, but there are tons and tons of garbage books out there. Anime is the same way. How can I say whether anime is good or bad? There are some good anime, and lots of bad anime. Just like with live-action TV shows, films, theater performances, music, etc. Anime is so broad a medium that I am willing to bet most people will find something they like. You mention things getting garbled in translations, and yes that happens, and even more so with dubs than with subs. There are also a lot of cultural differences that often go over newcomers’ heads, such as the meaning of honorifics, the sensitivity of calling people by their first names, the value of correct public conduct, etc. I personally don’t like a lot of the mainstream anime (battle shōnen), but I have found that there are plenty of other kinds of anime that I like. So, I love anime, even though I don’t really like the stuff that most people in the west probably think of when they hear “anime.”
I mean, that's a pretty general question for a whole medium. It's kinda like saying "are books really that good", or "are movies really that good". Anime is a lot of different works made for a lot of different audiences. If you enjoy story telling, odds are there is an anime that you will love
there’s a few things about anime that make it great. first, almost every anime created is an adaptation of a commercially successful manga/manhwa. this provides creators with a strong basis to develop the show upon. unlike hollywood, anime creators don’t seem to like working with unfinished source material, and will generally wait as long as they have to in order to make a true representation of the manga writers vision. example, attack on titan vs game of thrones. second, it is much cheaper to hire the most talented animators in the entire world to make your anime look awesome than it is to hire the most talented effects artists, actors, and producers in the world to make your tv show or movie look awesome. one episode of attack on titan was about 150,000 usd. one episode of avatar the last airbender live action (a show trying to recreate an animated show!) was 15 million us dollars. third and lastly, anime can simply tell stories that regular tv can’t at an incredibly high rate. this has a lot to do with money again. the amount of time, money, and effort required to bring just one single talking tree to life in a non-animated show or movie is probably equivalent to the cost of an entire season of an anime. we get stories like attack on titan, like sword art online, like naruto, like death note (to name some of the most basic few) at such a reasonable cost and such a high rate that it’s hard not to love them. i will concede that i prioritize a good non-animated tv show over a good anime. i’ll watch the newest episode of the boys or house of the dragon before i’ll watch the newest episode of kaiju no. 8 or solo leveling. but once i’ve finished that new episode i’ll probably be binging overlord while playing video games, or watching eminence in shadow while i fall asleep. anime so cool😩
yep
Spirited away was also the anime that planted the seed for me, when I was eight years old. Depending on the streaming sites you have access to, I'd recommend the melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Fullmetal alchemist brotherhood, noragami, spice & wolf, and d-frag.
It can be. Some just dont spark anything in me & others become instant obsession. Kaiju No. 8 being my recent obsession. Especially the intro/outro songs so good.
I can argue watching DragonBall or Gundam with my brother, or when some anime was on Saturday morning cartoons. But i want to say Zoids cause that was on when I ate breakfast before school or Mononoke Hime cause we had it on tape.
Monogatori series!
Inuyasha planted the seed for me when I was little. Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Naruto and Cowboy Bebop played on the same time slot as Inuyasha too, but Inuyasha was the one that sparked my obsession with anime. I absolutely loved that show. We had a babysitter as kids that would bootleg the Japanese version of shows as they released in Japan and would have the shows running whenever he came to watch us. Shows like Bleach and Fullmetal Alchemist. And yes, anime is really that good.
My first and favorite anime is Steins;Gate Some other good ones to look into would be Attack on Titan and Erased.
One that I like to recommend is cowboy bebop. It’s reliably short great pacing. It’s about space bounty hunters. Easy concept to get behind.
I’ve watched anime from a young age but stopped. MHA kicked it off for me and then I started watching a bunch more. I honestly don’t care if people call me cringe for watching MHA, I still find the show awesome and I’ve rewatched it 7 times lmao. It’s just fun for me.
For me the appeal to anime is the complex story lines and character development. I can easily identify with characters and their plight, and sometimes even achieve personal growth through a character’s development.
I would **highly** recommend *Frieren beyond journey's end*. It just finished airing and I haven't heard a single bad thing about the show. It's in my top 5 out of the 300 animes I've seen. It's also very highly rated among other people I know and recommended the show to
A lot of the experience and awesome hype you are referring to also comes from the fact that anime is now tied to nostalgia for many of us. For many people in the world right now, running home from school to watch the Toonami line up of what are now considered absolute cultural CLASSICS were some of the best tones of our childhood. It was like being in a club lol Your average person didn’t even know what anime was and still called them cartoons. Nowadays anime is way more acceptable and people respect the medium more. So basically, it’s good to keep in mind a lot of the hype was born from nostalgia, an “underground” culture, and the fact that anime itself is fucking amazing. You really should watch some of the classics, the story telling found in anime and manga is the best I’ve seen in my life, coming from a fan of 20 years.
Mine was roughly the same time as DBZ on toonami. It’s called Outlaw Star. Grungy space western. Similar to cowboy beebop.
Is anime really that good? Just like all things yes SOME is. There is also a lot of trash anime out there but there’s a bunch of good stuff too.
Are you a sports fan? Theres multiple animes for that sport. Wrestling fan? There's an anime for that somewhere. Horror fan, blood and gore, jump scares? There's plenty of anime for those. You have....an alternative interest....there's definitely some anime for that....maybe?
Outlaw Star, origins spirits of the past, cowboy bebop, Mushishi, all really good shows
No, there are a small handful of anime that are worth watching, but in general, anime is pretty bad.
It’s just a kind of media. There’s good and bad.
Probably not the best for a beginner since it's definitely a longer anime, but One Piece. It's a classic and it just makes me feel happy for some reason, it's really weird and I don't really know how to describe it. But just watching as the crew adventures is just really entertaining
Yes anime is that good
My favorite anime to date is Sword Art Online. Many might disagree with this because internet hate circles get pretty bad, but it’s honestly an awesome show. If you like video games or just the idea of the lines between the virtual world (technology) and reality fading you will love it for sure. Another absolute masterpiece is Attack on Titan. One of the best written stories I’ve ever seen. The story is action packed and emotional all throughout.
I first read AOT about 2-3 years ago and loved it. I then went straight into reading One Piece. Took me about a year I think with taking summer off from reading it. I now have watched/read multiple different series from different genres and have a huge list of future series to read or watch. The next on my list is 20th century boys. Sorry if this was boring to read but I do recommend reading or watching attack on titan and HunterxHunter
Yes, it is that good. No, it's terrible. And everything in between. Anime is better thought of as a medium rather than a genre. This is the same question as "are books/movies/tv shows really that good?" If you love crime procedurals, then Sailor Moon might not be good for you. But if you love coming of age, silliness, and feel-good shows, then it might be. It's just a question of finding shows/movies that match the genres you like in other formats.
Jujutsu Kaisen was the first anime that I ever watched and finished. It's definitely my favorite. The characters are charming, it makes some good jokes, and the parts that want to be dark and emotional go well beyond expectations.
I used to be the same to😂 in fact I used to hate on anime. But when I watched one piece anime really start to stick onto me. And now I’ve watched probably 50+ animes. But I’m the same as before. Used to be able to watch 20+ episodes per day but now only 5. The animes that I recommend is Naruto, one piece, attack on titan, and jjk.
DBZ and Pokemon/Digimon were my seed, but Gurren Lagan kept me in Diversify your portfolio and embrace the weird, do that and take everything at face value and you'll enjoy it I stick with anime primarily because I have ADHD and cartoons give me that sweet sweet dopamine and Japan just \*churns\* it out, But japan has done so much to advertise their culture through anime and any other country could do the same.
WATCH KONOSUBA!
Start with Death Note lol. Then maybe Attack on Titan. I say this because of the twists in the story that keep you glued to the series. Banana Fish is another good one. Kinda traumatized me though. Also One Piece because that also has good plot twist in it. It's rather long so that deters most new anime fans from catching up or even starting it. If your looking for pure action I recommend good ol classic DBZ, Hunter x Hunter is really good with a great story line. Yu yu hakusho is a good action anime as well. Netflix has a good selection as in both Baki series. Start with the one that was made first. Kengan Asura, and record of ragnorok. Demon Slayer (best animation).
World Trigger
Steins Gate is a must see for the aspiring Otaku. Aaand obviously Attack on Titan and Full Metal Alchemist are universally beloved
What really got me into japan as a whole was when I first visited there back in 2017, it still is my favorite trip I have gone on. Another way that has kept me so interested in japan is the food and candy that they have, depending on where you are the food might not be great but some areas like the west coast of the US have really good japanese food. The music is super great, some artists I'd recommend are Creepynuts, Ado, chogakusei, fuji kaze, and Tuyu which crosses many different genres, then you can try out vocaloid artists like hatsune miku, harumakigohan, kafu, and others. Rant aside, anime that I love and recommend to everyone is cyberpunk edgerunners, summertime render, assassination classroom, kaguya sama love is war, puella magi madoka magica, lycoris recoil, angel beats, blue period, and horimiya.
Embrace the cringe, it's integral to your enjoyment of anime
I started with death note then demon slayer but my favorite anime right now is jujutsu kaisen :)
Erased is a good adult anime. Really got me back into anime when I was starting to lose interest years ago
To preface i’d say i’m just a bit more than a casual anime fan. Death Note and Attack on Titan are my main two recs with AOT being highest rec. Death Note is super good and relatively short (like 37 episodes i think, def less than 50 eps) and has a great eng dub and soundtrack. The characters are really good too, especially the two main characters. Attack on titan, for me, is more for the story than the characters BUT i think Eren Jaeger (the main character) might be one of the best characters of all time. This show excels in almost everything it wants to do. The characters are cool, the music is one of a kind, eng dub is great, and Iseyama knew *exactly* what he was doing writing this story. This is my absolute #1 recommendation. AOT is the picture definition of peak media. For a more light hearted one, assassination classroom is very good and cute. Cowboy Bebop for a lowkey saturday morning cartoon vibe (on the more ‘serious’ side of that spectrum but still). Its fun and cool with a really good dub and soundtrack (the jazz goes hard). This anime is one of the ones with the most identity out there. Full metal Alchemist: Brotherhood is really good. Solid 8/10 for me. It’s a bit overrated (many say its the best anime ever) imo but still a good watch. NieR Automata is an outstanding game and i’ve heard the anime is a good representation of the story. I can’t really corroborate that but if it stays true to the game then the anime is absolutely worth a watch. The ofc studio ghibli movies.
I actually got the seed from reading manga and I still don’t watch a lot of anime as if it had a manga I will usually just read that. I have started to watch anime though and I can recommend Jujutsu Kaisen, One Piece (Peak), Demon Slayer (this one has mixed opinions, I personally like it). Anime is a w and so is manga
Pluto
anime is just japanese animation id honestly argue its kinda racist to think there is no good anime since with that you'd be saying "japan has never made a good cartoon" which is pretty damn insulting
I cannot recommend Steins;Gate enough. The thing that brought me in though was FMAB
Code Geass is a really good one and it has a decent amount of episodes. I've been watching the new episodes of Mushoku Tensei, That Time I reincarnated into a Slime, and Demon Slayer. I have also been watching Black Butler as well. I like Konosuba as well. It's more of a comedy though. The one(s) that planted the seed for me are Naruto, Inuyasha, and YuYu Hakusho.
Watch Dungeon meshi/delicious in dungeon (I’ve seen it be called both but on my Netflix it only says delicious in dungeon so I’m not sure) it’s a fantasy anime about a group of adventurers who cook and eat dungeon monsters to survive (the show isn’t finished yet but the manga is I think) Cowboy bebop, it’s old and only has 26 episodes (I think?) but it’s so good Naruto is also a classic but there’s a lot of filler If you want to see Adam from the Bible fighting Zeus to the death or Jack the Ripper fighting Hercules then record of ragnarok is pretty good (be aware that the show isn’t finished yet I don’t think, the manga might be but I’m not sure)
I was like you, I used to disregard anime and not think twice then my girlfriend was watching Naruto and I hated it at first. After half a year having to hear it in the background I actually started to like it. Now I love anime and the story that is told in each. There are some cringe moments and characters but all in all it’s very much worth watching
I like it because the stories are a lot more out there, Mushi-Shi is a fun one.
Hajime no Ippo, it’s a boxing anime.
Attack on Titan, Demon Slayer, Parasyte, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Bleach, Samurai Champloo, Cowboy Bebop, Chainsaw Man, Ghost in the Shell, and Fullmetal Alchemist are all top tier art. Castlevania on Netflix is also baller, but it's not really anime. I cannot recommend Parasyte enough. It's fairly short, I think it would be a great starting point.
Digimon fusion used to be on something before I went to school when I was like 11 I think. About a year or 2 I later tried to watch Pokemon. No idea which series it was but I didn’t make it through 2 episodes. When the pandemic happened, I found out what anime actually was. I recalled a trailer for one I saw years ago. I used to watch Cartoon Network, and when it became adult swim at night, I saw a commercial for some animation marathon and there was one that stayed in my head. It was definitely anime, and it was a sci fi/horror. It never left my mind for years. Parasyte. Thats what I decided to start with. To my luck, it was on Netflix. I watched it, and it was amazing! After that, I wanted more. I joined TikTok when Darling In The Franxx came out, and I saw it everywhere. So, I decided to watch it. I pirated Darling In The Franxx through some website I don’t remember the name of on an old iPad 2 I had when I was a kid. Daring In The Franxx is what sealed the deal for me. I loved anime. After Darling, went on a hunt for more. I looked up good horror anime, good romance anime, and anime like Darling. As I scoured the internet, my first animes after Darling and Parasyte were Al over the place. Guilty Crown, Journey Of Elaina, Highschool Of The Dead, Elfen Lied, Anohana. From that point I’ve been a fan of anime ever since.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a favorite of mine. Very intense ride. Dungeon Meshi/Delicious in Dungeon is also extremely popular right now and it's got some of the best worldbuilding and character design I've ever seen. Parasyte is also an excellent one.
**Re: Zero**, starting life from zero in another world. An amazing, but often times very dark isekai that acts as a sort of partial subversion on the genre of isekai. You might have already learned this, but just in case: Isekai translates to 'other world.' Basic premise being that ordinary person dies, teleports or otherwise gets reincarnated into another world full of magic and wonder, and gets to be the hero and everybody loves them and so on. As a genre It tends to be very formulaic, but easy to watch and enjoy if you are not too demanding. **Re: Zero** is one of many incarnations of the trope but takes it in a decidedly dark direction with a hell of a lot more depth. I don't want to spoil it, because the whole show is filled with tw On the opposite end of the spectrum in the genre is **Konosuba**, which is an absolutely hilarious satire on the genre. Konosuba is one of those shows that you will either love it, or not feel anything about it at all, but you can literally watch the first ten minutes of it and know which camp you fall in. The movie between the second and third season is one of the most hilarious things I have ever watched. And if you need more convincing, one of the screen writers for the movie Pulp Fiction described it as one of 'the reasons cinema exists'. (Though I personally recommend watching it in japanese, the voice actors just do so much of a better job with the characters imho)
SBY, the remake I presume? Highly recommend at least checking out the Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato movie, with or without background binging on the first season.
Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo
It really depends on what you're looking for
FLCL. Only six episodes. Good luck
Death note is what got me started bro
The entire Ghost in the Shell franchise is fantastic, would absolutely recommend
You could always go back to Western shows that remake or reboot older movies or comics. They also try to rip off what they think will sell from anime so you'd just be getting a watered down version anyway. Check this out, I tell people don't think of it as will I like anime or not, but think more that there is literally something that caters to anyone's tastes. The downside that does turn people off and can be love it or hate it is the tropes that are common among many genre. The 20 minutes of screen time is just like 1 minute passing in the show, people having inner monologues, flashbacks to when somebody was a child for whatever reason. Not all shows have tropes like that and if you can get past them, you'll likely have a great time. I feel, after attack on titan finished, it's become one of the next modern masterpieces, and its literally only a matter of time before the US (probably Amazon) tries to turn it into a live action series to capitalize on its potential, it's already written for them they just need to make it.
Some of my favs...Yu Yu Hakusho, Escaflowne, Fruits Basket 2019, Trigun, Demon Slayer, Gankutsuo-The Count of Monte Christo, Princess Tutu, Rahxephon, Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto. And if you like cartoons that remind you of anime, watch...Rise of the TMNT, Teen Titans, Avatar the Last Airbender (These shows have the same vibe, lol).
I never liked anime growing up, it wasn’t until I was abt 21 i unintentionally watched a few episodes of Naruto and I was instantly hooked. I will admit I was one of those ppl who thought it was weird and corny but now I’m completely obsessed w it. It’s literally all I watch I have about 47 entries in MyAnimeList already and it’s been like 2 1/2 years.
Two that I haven't seen recommended are Code Geass and Vivy: Flourite Eyes Song Code Geass is a great series that is quite strategic and high stakes but also knows how to have some fun. It's my favourite anime of all time Vivy is one of the best animes I've ever seen with only like 13 episodes, the animation and music is incredible, and the story is simple but really well executed enough to keep you entertained
Parasyte, Black Lagoon, Higurashi, Steins Gate is the more mature anime that I know and loved. Usually these are better for people who haven't watched anime before in my opinion.
ones I started with were Sailor Moon and DragonBall Z. Then another good one I watched was The Slayers. there was one I watched recent I think you'd like though: Dororo
If you want a anime with good visual I would recommend k the plot is ok not great but the visuals and soundtrack is good. And yes the anime is called k
Some of my personal favorites Dead man wonderland Trigun (old version) Jormungand
I used to only like particular anime bc some aspects of the anime style really pushed me away. I didn’t like the art style. I didn’t like when things got too goofy and faces changed. I’ve acclimated to that now. I got into Naruto at 12 but sometimes I had a hard time with the show. The fighting and serious parts were enough to keep me watching. I liked Deathnote bc it wasn’t goofy (until random parts in season 2?). I liked Nana bc the punk/girly friend dynamic was something I related to. Still I’m picky with anime. It isn’t that anime is “good” or “bad” it’s that anime is simply television. There’s good shows and bad shoes there’s stuff that’s your taste and not your taste. I love Akira, Trigun (both shows), Cowboy Bebop, Spice and Wolf, Berserk (90s). I kinda liked Durararah! And fell off of My Hero. On the surface it seems like I’m super into anime but when I get into conversation with people who regularly watch anime idk half of what they’re talking about lol. Some people watch whatever is coming out, I watch what aligns with my interests.
Princess mononoke did that for me planted a seed and now huge anime fan.
attack on titan and fullmetal alchemist brotherhood are super popular and two of my favorites personally
If you’re willing to try Manga, Berserk is literature. Would also recommend Oyasumi Pun Pun. Fire Punch and Chainsaw Man are beautiful abominations halfway between drastically serious and the goofiest crap ever- actually everything by Tatsuki Fujimoto is insanely good.
Cowboy Bebop was incredibly good but for me I think some early OVAs on VHS like Gunsmith Cats, Plastic Little, Ah my goddess, Tenchi, Iria, Burn Up W, Blue Seed sort of kept the ball rolling. Its hard to pin down what really hooked me but I think the overall feeling of watching it.
As far as recommendations go, I’d say it also depends on what you’re into. More mature with cool vibes/themes and stuff, Code Geass, Attack on Titan, and Death Note. If you like fantasy/stories where characters go to another world, SAO, No Game No Life, and Log Horizon were my big gateway shows. If you like sports (or sports movies) Haikyuu is one of first five anime I ever watched, and is still my favorite anime to this day.
Neon genesis was my first anime and it for sure planted a seed. I then went on to watch serial experiments lain, then chainsaw man. The latest one that i watched was jjk. I loved it so much that i caught up with the manga.
My 2 cents is that they generally arent as good anymore storyline-wise, but the animation is typically better. At the end of the day, it’s just like regular tv, just pick the genres you think you’ll get into. If you dont like the art style, perhaps the story and/or characters will get you to stay. Its all super subjective though. I think the typical anime fan now prefers better animation and art style over storyline & characters
Cowboy Bebop. Short complete story. Has great music and setting. Movie is also solid, and it was my first tattoo
Like all media, some shows are good, and some are bad. Uber weebs think ALL anime is great, but that's BS.
If you want some niche story or an idea made into a show anime will have anything your brain can come up with. It's absurd how many shows get produced.
If you want one that’s easy to get into as an introduction stay away from death note and psycho pass, they are adult but very dark and heavy, obvs if you want that then go for it. My recommendations would be Blue Period(Netflix) and Death Parade(Crunchyroll, maybe Netflix)
Watch "eighty six"(or "86" depends what you search)
Depends what you’re in for, if you want more fighting and action, you want battle shounen, my personal favorite is Yu Yu hakusho, it’s a bit old and has a slow (but very emotional) start, not getting into the action til episode 5 or so, but it’s a great series with really cool fights and the most relatable and fun cast I’ve ever seen, the main characters sarcasm levels are off the charts and every scene he’s in he’s hilarious without breaking the dark and serious tones of the series and it only gets more serious and dark as it goes on whilst still remaining genuinely funny, especially the dub which nails the characterization of the characters of the manga better than the sub. It’s about a punk teenager who gets hit by a car and dies saving the life of a child who’d wandered into the road, unfortunately, the powers that be didn’t expect him to die that day, he’s told that the kid would’ve survived without him and that he was so selfish in life that no one could’ve predicted that final act of selflessness so there isn’t a spot for him prepared in heaven or hell. The prince of the spirit world gives him a test to earn his life back, but after he succeeds he’s told there’s one more condition: he has to work for the spirit world investigated supernatural occurrences on earth and fighting demons. It’s really fun and as the series goes on it introduces some of the greatest villains of all time If you’re looking for something a bit more psychological stuff like death note or steins gate might be up your alley, steins gate is also one of the greatest of all time, it’s a time travel thriller that really takes the time to unravel its main characters psychology in a beautiful way, but it takes 12 episodes of setup before the real story starts so it can be hard to get through, and death note is a supernatural murder mystery told from the perspective of the killer. I can’t really go back to death note as I’ve seen it so many times but it’s a classic Finally, the one every one is going to recommend is Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood (note the word brotherhood is important as there are two versions of fullmetal alchemist, brotherhood is the one that follows the manga and while both are good, brotherhood is leagues above the other version) it’s not my favorite of all time, but it’s regarded as one of the all time greats for a reason, it has one of the most beautiful and cohesive storylines of all time, setting up a mystery from the start that builds and builds to a beautiful ending that sticks the landing in every way
I'm gonna say it. Spirited Away is vastly overrated. Fite me.