Anime is one of my favorite mediums of entertainment. In this article, I have provided a list of 11 anime to start people off their own anime watching journey. Anime, unlike cartoons and mainstream shows, have much darker themes. I love how the amazing action sequences in anime can span several episodes and still entertain viewers enough to not get bored.
1. "Cowboy Bebop"
Spike Spiegel is a bounty hunter in the far future with an easy going attitude and some deadly skill at martial arts. Together with his partners, Jet Black, and (later in the series) Faye Valentine, they go from job to job across the galaxy looking for the high priced fugitives to bag. From the jazz infused opening theme, to the masterful scenery, this anime is one of the most critically acclaimed of all time. Each episode is akin to a mini movie and can also be compared to a work of art.
2. "Death Note"
After an intelligent yet cynical high school student begins to cleanse the world from evil with the help of a magical notebook that can kill anyone whose name is written on it, international authorities call upon a mysterious detective known as "L" to thwart his efforts. The viewer will be on the edge of their seats till the very end of the series, never fully knowing who to root for or what will happen next.
3. "Full Metal Alchemist/Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood"
The Elric brothers' mother is dead and their father has long since abandoned them. Deciding to perform a forbidden human transmutation to bring their mother back, they end up losing their bodies. Now Edward must join the military in order to gain certain alchemical privileges, with his one goal being to restore his brother to his original state. But with war on the horizon it's only a matter of time before they are both forced to question their morals and ultimately decide the value of human life. Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood is a remake of the original Fullmetal Alchemist anime and provides cleaner animation and a more faithful adaptation of the original manga source material. You are essentially getting two different stories with the same characters with both shows having their pros/cons.
4. "Attack On Titan"
2000 years from now, humans are nearly exterminated by titans. Titans are typically several stories tall, seem to have no intelligence, devour human beings and, worst of all, seem to do it for the pleasure rather than as a food source. A small percentage of humanity survived by walling themselves in a city protected by extremely high walls, even taller than the biggest of titans. Flash forward to the present and the city has not seen a titan in over 100 years. Teenage boy Eren and his foster sister Mikasa witness something horrific as the city walls are destroyed by a colossal titan that appears out of thin air. As the smaller titans flood the city, the two kids watch in horror as their mother is eaten alive. Eren vows that he will murder every single titan and take revenge for all of mankind.
5."Naruto"
Naruto has been one of those shows that I can never get tired of no matter how many times I have seen the original Naruto series.and in college viewing the ongoing Naruto Shippuden series. From the hilarious comedy bits to the epic fights, this series truly has it all.
6. "Dragonball Z"
Earlier I said I love the action sequences and this series has some of the most memorable out of any series. Plus, can any fight really be more epic than Goku vs Frieza?
7. "Gurren Lagann"
This classic features strong character development and huge fighting robots. The two combine to make a very memorable anime.
8."Tokyo Ghoul"
No one tires of watching your ordinary average Joe gain supernatural powers, especially when it’s set in a Tokyo where ghouls constantly devour humans. It’s dark, it’s gory, and it’s not afraid to mess with your head and spend episodes at a time building up suspense.
9. "Code Geass"
It’s a story about rising up against oppression, except it’s anime so you get to see it done with mecha and cool superpowers. Also, the action sequences are perfectly coupled with battles of wit and intellect, making it one of the most visually engaging animes out there.
10."Black Butler"
You won’t be able to get enough of the demon butler who hangs around the young rich kid trying to avenge his parents’ death. He’s cool, charming, witty, and pretty much the reason why you won’t be able to stop watching this show once you start.
11."Sword Art Online"
Imagine being trapped in a video game... where death is final. The action sequences pare well with love the story that is present within the show as well.
