You’ve heard of that thing called "anime" before. Maybe in passing, listening to someone excitedly talk about the new episode of something called “Naruto” or “One Piece.” Or maybe you know exactly what anime is. You know it’s animation created in Japan. You used to watch a little bit back in the day when it was on Toonami, hosted by Cartoon Network in the late afternoon.
If you were to try to "get into" anime, so to speak, there are many ways that you could go about doing that. You could jump right into a series that has well over 500 episodes at its disposal, like shows I mentioned earlier, or you could click on some random show and pray it’s not weird enough to dissuade you from your anime viewership. Instead of risking what could be a really weird time for you — because let’s face it, there’s a lot of ridiculous stuff out there — I have a guide for you to ease your way into the world of anime.
To kick things off, you’re going to have to realize there’s a curve to the shows that you may or may not watch. It can get cheesy, so if you can’t handle that, this is your warning. If you are OK with that, you will have a much better time. Something else to be wary of is the fact that seemingly one in four shows has a cast of characters with oversized boobs. I’ve come to a point in my anime-watching career that I don’t even question it anymore: they’re just there now.
Another important thing to note about anime is that you will come to a point where you can only watch shows with subtitles because there are so many that have yet to be “dubbed,” which means they haven’t been brought to the Unites States for the translated English version. So if you’re going to watch anime, get ready to listen to Japanese people saying Japanese things that you don't understand.
Now that I’ve warned you, I’ll suggest a few shows to start you out with. All have been very popular within the anime community, even for those who aren’t big anime fans like myself.
1. "Cowboy Bebop."
x26 ep + 1 movie
"Cowboy Bebop" has been around since the late '90s and has been preserved because of its greatness; it got a lot of people into their love of anime. The show follows what is essentially a space mercenary named Spike Spiegel who travels through space in search of a way to make ends meet. It presents a very colorful cast of characters that you will genuinely care about as the show progresses. This is one of the most highly rated shows that has ever been released, so you know it’s going to be good.
Similar shows include "Trigun" and "Samurai Champloo."
2. "Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood."
FMA: x51 ep + 2 movies
FMAB: x64 ep
"Fullmetal Alchemist" and its counterpart "Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood" tells the tales of the Elric brothers, siblings who have learned how to use the science magic that is alchemy. Both series start with them trying to bring back their recently deceased mother, but failing and losing either an arm and a leg for one brother and the entire body of one for another. These shows can be for just about anyone. If you’re looking for comedy, you’ve got it. Looking for action? You’ve got it here, too. If you're looking for a seriously great plot, you’ve definitely got it. You can watch either series, or both if you truly desire. "FMA" was made first, but strays from the original material after a while. "FMAB" sticks with the original material (the manga) the entire way through.
Similar shows include "Hunter x Hunter," "D. Gray Man," and "Attack on Titan."
3. "Attack on Titan"/"Shingeki no Kyojin."
x26 ep + 2 recap movies
"Attack on Titan" is a show that has taken the world by storm, and yet another show people who don’t necessarily watch/like anime end up loving. It takes place in a world where our main character, Eren Jaeger, lives in a city that is protected by a large wall. Obviously, that large wall serves a purpose: to keep out giant creatures called Titans. They are giant, man-eating creatures that look like weird naked human giants. Some are hilarious looking, some are weird looking, but the bottom line is, they’re all freaking terrifying because their main objective is to eat humans. It’s a truly fantastic series that is filled to the brim with great characters and a lot of intense action. Also, as a heads up, there is an obscene amount of blood and death. No one is safe in this show. Literally no one.
Similar shows include "FMA," "Neon Genesis Evangelion," and "Akame ga Kill."
These three shows are definitely ones you can watch to start your anime viewership. I hope you find something you can enjoy out of this list!
