Many of you out there probably have fond childhood memories of rushing home from school to catch the newest episode of Dragon Ball Z or Pokemon. Most of my generation grew up watching shows like these before we even knew what anime was. But as you grew older and got into high school anime became something that the "weird" kids were into. Anyone wearing a Naruto or Inuyasha t-shirt was automatically branded a loser. But now, we're all adults. Maybe now you want to give anime a try again. But where do you start? Anime can be quite intimidating. After all, it is a medium, not a genre. Anime is composed of many, many genres with hundreds of different titles, sequels, prequels, etc. So if you are thinking about giving anime another shot, here's what I recommend you start with.
Now let me preface this by saying that I am in no way an anime expert or even that big of an anime guy. I have only watched a handful of shows and there is still lots of things about anime that I don't like. However, I was reintroduced to and gained a new appreciation for the medium through a show called "Cowboy Bebop" which I believe is the perfect gateway into anime.
Cowboy Bebop, released in 1998, follows the lives of a crew of bounty hunters traveling on their spaceship, the Bebop. The show consists of twenty-six episodes, each of which involves the crew hunting down a new bounty. The show is very episodic in the way that you could take a month or two off from watching it and not feel like you are lost with where the plot is going. Now there is an overarching story which involves the tragic and shady pasts of the main characters but those plots are given out in small increments so you never feel like it is a burden just to follow the show. Some animes have multiple seasons and one hundred plus episodes which would seem like an enormous task for a newcomer. That's why the short, episodic nature of Cowboy Bebop is great for newbies.
Another factor in why anime can be tough to get into is the culture shock that usually comes from watching it. Japanese culture plays a huge part in the majority of anime shows which can deter people who may not understand or have little interest in Japanese culture. However, Cowboy Bebop is very western. The fantastic soundtrack is mostly composed of blues and jazz tracks that would make any American feel comfortable. Also, the genres that the show touch on are very familiar to westerners. The idea of bounty hunters hearkens back to old western movies and crime noir. But in reality, Cowboy Bebop is a hybrid of many genres. Sci-fi thrills come in the form of spaceship-to-spaceship dogfights, the episodes that deal with the character's pasts lay down the drama and episodes like the one where the whole crew accidentally ingests psychedelic mushrooms are hilarious. There really is something for everyone.
Relating to culture shock, the language can be an issue for newcomers. Another reason Cowboy Bebop is great is because of how good the dubbed version is. While most anime fans will say that subtitles are the way to go, I would have to disagree. For me, the main draw of anime is the art style. So if my eyes are constantly being drawn to the bottom of the screen to read subtitles than I am missing out on what's going on on the screen. English dubs are often cringe-worthy at best, with the voice actors sounding terribly cheesy and a lot being lost in translation. Not in Cowboy Bebop, though. All the English voice acting is terrific and allows English-speaking viewers to immerse themselves completely in the story and artwork.
Probably the biggest reason I love Cowboy Bebop and consider it to be the gateway into anime, is because of how the show ignores the typical anime tropes. The aren't any giant robots or crazy anime hairstyles. The characters don't talk about fighting for three episodes before actually fighting (looking at you, DBZ), and there are no ridiculously oversexualized female characters. This makes all the characters feel human and relatable.
So if you are anything like I was, looking to give anime a second chance but feel overwhelmed with the sheer mass of options at your disposal, give Cowboy Bebop a try. It might just open you up to a whole new medium of entertainment like it did for me.
