When people hear the word anime. I know a lot of people think about women's cleavage, gore, weird demons and some weird stuff. In all honesty, anime to me is just a better version of cartoons that we have here in America.

I remember my first time watching anime. It was a long time ago on Toonami and the show was Dragon Ball Z. From then on, anime became a love of mine. I know that seems strange, but anime is just awesome to watch. It can give you great animation, convincing characters, great story plots and comedy. Some anime shows are meant for everyone, but there are plenty that younger audiences should stray away from. I want to give you my reasons for watching and loving anime with some show recommendations along the way.

First, anime gives us some of the best characters around the world. For example, Naruto from the show "Naruto," is one of the most famous characters in all of anime history. "Naruto" gives the viewer the best of both worlds in terms of action and comedy. The show is about a young ninja who has a demon fox spirit sealed inside of him. He is an outcast but has dreams of becoming the Hidden Village's Hokage (which is like a king or president). He is a funny little blonde guy who has a lot of heart. If you want something to start off with then this is the show for you.

Another reason why I love anime is that it can get dark real quick in a series. I'm not goth of course, but having shows show the darkness in humanity or in their reality can be entertaining. This is best seen in "Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood." I won't give away the particular incident because it would ruin the series, but trust me it adds to the overall series. This show is about two brothers in search of a powerful item called the philosopher stone. They learn that the world is unforgiving and they have to grow up faster than they wish.

If you think that you want to continue your adventure in anime then the next shows you have to watch would be "Tokoyo Ghoul," "Death Note" and "Attack on Titan." These are some of my favorite shows and they are some of the best-received shows in anime. They are not for the faint of heart because they deal with death and sometimes gore as well. I personally think this is where anime does its best job. We are used to seeing "adult" themes in live action shows, but with anime, it is done through animation with the best graphics you will ever see. It takes the cartoon genre to a new level and gives us the best fight scenes, drama, mystery, tragedy and sometimes comedy.

Anime isn't for everyone. I know plenty of people will have their misconceptions about the genre and steer far clear of it. That is okay because no matter what, anime has and will thrive throughout the world. It gives us the best in animation and in general television. If you do choose to watch anime, watch the mainstream shows first. Just so you can get the general feel of it. Once you watch a first full series, trust me you will become addicted to the genre.