Anime for Beginners!
It’s a new year, new you, and you’ve finally decided to give anime a chance. The only problem is you don’t know where to start. I got you!
Has anime’s rising popularity in the US finally tempted you give it a try? Don’t know where to start because you’ve been under the impression that anime is just cute girl cartoons or buff dudes yelling their attacks? Well this post is here to give you a guide on how to start your anime watching journey. I want to show you that it’s more than cute girls cartoons and loud fighting dudes (it’s okay if that’s your thing btw; cute girl slice of life anime are good, and action heavy shonen are fun). I apologize in advance for recommending some pretty dark, heavy series, but what can I say…they’re good!
Sub vs. Dub
One of the most exhausting debates in the anime community is whether watching anime subtitled with the original Japanese audio is superior over watching it dubbed in English and vice versa. I do think each method has its advantages. With subtitles, you’re getting accurate translations that complement certain nuances of the Japanese language that play a role in the plot. With dub, you can devote your time to the visuals of the anime rather than reading subtitles. I’m here to tell you to just watch it the way you feel comfortable watching it. Good thing is a fair amount of shows give you the option to watch it both ways. I now prefer watching it subbed, but I did start out watching it dubbed. Don’t let some gatekeeping, sub-watching snob deter you from enjoying it dub, and don’t be afraid to try the original Japanese audio with subtitles. It’s a judgment free zone on this newsletter.
How to stream it
You can find anime on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, and Amazon Prime (don’t get me started on how poorly these streaming giants promote anime though). However, Funimation and Crunchyroll are anime’s go-to streaming services in the US. Their subscription plans are pretty cheap, and they even offer free plans (with ads of course). Then there’s always the illegal streaming sites; I’m sure a google search will get you where you need if you’re low on cash. I don’t condone watching anime illegally especially considering the many reasonable options there are, but I ain’t no snitch. Watch at your own risk of viruses, lewd pop up ads, etc.
Below are some shows I believe are pretty good beginner anime. I’ve split them up categorically by genre that I think best fits and to better help beginners find something related to their interests. Some of these categories overlap; for example, many of the shows could be considered classics apart from Cowboy Bebop and FMA: Brotherhood.
The Classics: Cowboy Bebop and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
When any group of people discuss “the classics” in literally anything, there always seems to be a difference of opinion over what certifies something as a “classic.” When discussing anime classics, Cowboy Bebop and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood are favorites in this category. Cowboy Bebop can be largely credited in garnering a new wave of Western anime viewers in the early 2000s. FMA:B is the highest ranked anime on myanimelist.net. The praise for both these shows is more than justified and are perfect gateway anime for beginners.
Cowboy Bebop is a mishmash of science fiction, neo-noir, and spaghetti western that follows a crew of bounty hunters as they navigate through a crime-ridden outer space in mostly episodic one-off adventures. The show’s main character, Spike Spiegel, is the definition of cool, but he’s also way more than that. As the show advances you get glimpses of his past and other events that drive the bigger and overarching plot of the show. The animation holds up really well for a show that originally ran in 1997-1998 especially if you’re in the mood for a vintage, nostalgic art style. Probably the most important aspect of the show is the soundtrack. To put it simply, it absolutely SLAPS (I proudly own the vinyl of this soundtrack btw). With mostly jazzy sounds it perfectly complements the cool, stylish vibes the show gives off. Just give the opening song below a listen, and you’ll see what I mean.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is an excellent shonen that doesn’t feel like a shonen at all. FMA:B follows Edward and Alphonse Elric, two alchemist brothers who after a failed attempt at performing illegal human alchemy want to restore their bodies that were lost as a result of said failed alchemy. It’s a well-written show with a vast variety of fleshed out characters that hits real deep themes such as how power corrupts, racism, and the effects of war and genocide. The show even manages to balance humor and exciting action scenes despite the dark mood. Also, please give it a watch so we can hate on the worst father in all of anime, Shou Tucker.
Thriller: Death Note, The Promised Neverland
Perhaps you’re interested in a tense, cat-and-mouse thriller that’ll have you at the edge of your seat. Death Note and The Promised Neverland do just that. What sets these two apart from most shonen is that they’re not action heavy as they both feature of intelligent characters that get by using their brains.
Death Note follows high school student, Light Yagami, as he happens to find a supernatural notebook that grants the owner the ability to kill anyone anyway they want just by writing their name in the notebook; he uses the notebook to massacre anyone he deems unworthy of living wanting to create a world without crime. Of course, no one should ever have that type of power so many people try to stop Light, but the only problem is that Light is way too smart to let himself reveal that it is him even taking up the alias “Kira”. It’s intense stuff. It’s so intense there’s even a scene where Light makes eating potato chips so dramatic.
The Promised Neverland is a newer thriller show that already has plenty of critical acclaim. It’s set in the year 2045, three orphans find out that the orphanage and the life they’ve been living has been a lie; they are being raised up to be killed and eaten by demons. It’s full of twists and suspense as these kids have to find a way to get out of the orphanage while outsmarting their caretaker. I’m currently following it along as its 2nd season is streaming now, and I hope you will too so we can root for these kids to have a better life.
Cyberpunk: Akira, Psycho-Pass
Disappointed in the absolute disaster that is/was the release of CyberPunk 2077, but still are yearning for dystopian, futuristic content? Well anime has got you covered. Though the cyberpunk genre in anime isn’t as prevalent as it once was in the late 80s-90s, there still is an appreciation for the sub-genre that’s brought some of the most visually appealing and thoughtfully engaging anime to date.
Akira (1988) could very well be one of the most important pieces of science fiction ever. Not just in anime, but in all of science fiction! Set in the futuristic metropolis of Neo-Tokyo in a dystopian 2019 (even more dystopian than the actual 2019 was), Akira follows biker gang leader, Shotaro Kaneda whose friend, Tetsuo Shima develops telekinetic abilities capable of creating utter destruction. It’s pretty bloody and violent, and as a result it showed that animation wasn’t just for kids. It’s visuals are top-notch; one of the most visually appealing things you’ll ever see in animation are the little color trails the bikes leave as the gang rumbles through the city. Here’s the original movie poster to give you a taste of how dope the visuals are.
Psycho-Pass takes place in a futuristic Japan in which a technological upgrade called the Sybil System is able to numerically measure a person’s probability to commit a crime. There’s more technological mumbo jumbo to it, but I’d rather the show do the explaining should you decide to watch this. In other words, this type of world is freaky and dangerous as it has the potential to alert the authorities and label a person a criminal should someone become unstable. It’s an engaging show with galaxy-brained themes that’ll really have the viewer fucked up thinking about how a world so reliant on technology makes people lose the ability to make their own judgments based on their own views.
Hero Series: One-Punch Man, My Hero Academia
If by chance you’re not yet exhausted by superhero movie over-saturation due to Disney’s constant rollout of Marvel movies/series and whatever DC is doing, then One-Punch Man and My Hero Academia are for you. I’d say even if you are tired of hero movies I believe these two shows are a nice pace of change from what Marvel and DC have to offer.
One-Punch Man is about an ordinary-looking hero named Saitama who trained so hard that he became too strong (and bald) – often able to defeat villains in one unmotivated punch. This show takes place in an earth that is constantly plagued by planetary level threats, and even then, Saitama remains bored of winning so easily. I lump this show in with Amazon Prime’s The Boys as it is a satire on the action hero genre though not nearly as dark as The Boys. It’s funny, witty, and full of stunning, action-packed fights that you can have fun breezing through.
My Hero Academia is essentially Sky High but actually good (don’t know if there are any Sky High fans out there, but I’ve always hated that movie). MHA is set in a world where a majority of the world has powers (some super, some not so super) called quirks, and being a hero is actually a career path one can pursue in this world. Izuku “Deku” Midoriya is one of the few exceptions as he doesn’t have a quirk. Despite that he wants to go to the most prestigious hero academy to become a hero like All Might – a Superman-like hero who acts as a pillar of hope and justice for the people of Japan. The introduction of every episode has Deku narrating saying, “this is the story of how I became the number one hero” so you already get the idea that he accomplishes his dream, but the journey to number one hero is well worth the watch as you get intense action, straight up feels, a fun cast of characters, and really enjoyable story telling.
Game of Thrones-type beat, but better: Vinland Saga, Attack on Titan
Maybe you’ve watched Game of Thrones, and ultimately want something just as dark and serious with a similar setting but won’t let you down the way that those last 2 seasons of GoT did. I’m here to tell you that anime has got you covered once again.
Vinland Saga is a historical fiction series that features Danish Vikings as they controlled England at the start of the 11th century. It’s part coming-of-age story and part revenge story as the story combines Canute’s rise to power with Thorfinn’s revenge plot with the horrors of war and being a Viking in the background. Its appealing to people outside the anime world due to exhilarating action and its complex characters and their development. It easily became my favorite anime of 2019 when it released. I don’t think I’ve ever rooted for an anti-hero/antagonist as much as I have rooted for Askelaad.
Attack on Titan takes place in a world where people live in cities surrounded by giant walls that protect them from frightening, gigantic, man-eating Titans. The story follows Eren Yeager, who after witnessing his mom get eaten by a Titan and his hometown destroyed, vows to destroy every single Titan. It’s an absolutely wild show full of hopelessness that isn’t afraid to kill a character you may like. Throughout the story you get more exposition on the origins of these Titans as well as many jaw-dropping reveals. The supposed last season of Attack on Titan is currently going on right now so I’ll save a more in-depth review of the show once it has concluded.
The Big 3 of Shonen: Naruto/Bleach/One Piece
I’ve thrown the word “shonen” around a lot since starting this newsletter, and maybe I should explain the term to those who aren’t in the know about the anime/manga world. Shonen is a genre of anime or manga that is marketed towards young boy-to-teen audiences (around the ages of 12-18). Why there’s a genre that is catered to only boys is beyond me, but shonen is easily the most popular form of anime and manga. While they don’t all fit this description, a majority of shonen revolve around a young male hero and focus on action, adventure, and fighting with Dragon Ball being one of the most influential shonen in the last 30 or so years. Dragon Ball went on to influence the creation of “The Big Three,” 3 series that were the highest selling Shonen Jump series for a long period of time.
It’s really take your pick if you want to start any one of these 3. Naruto is probably the most well known of the 3. (I’m pretty sure you saw people Naruto run to Area 51 when that was a thing on social media). It follows misfit and outcast, Naruto Uzumaki, as he tries to become Hokage, the title given to the strongest ninja in the Hidden Leaf Village. Fun fact: Naruto is the anime I first started when I decided to get into anime 5 years ago. Bleach is probably the least popular of the 3, but is still deserving of its popularity. It follows Ichigo Kurosaki who has to become a substitute Soul Reaper and fight ghost monsters called Hollows. If you couldn’t tell from my first post and the name of this newsletter, One Piece is my personal favorite of the 3; it follows Monkey D. Luffy, a rubber kid who sets out to sea in hopes of becoming “King of the Pirates.”
They’re all pretty long series so be ready to commit as each show has plenty of original, self-contained arcs that connect in an overarching plot. I recommend if you’re looking for action, fun characters, fun characters screaming their moves out loud, and surprisingly dark themes for shows catered to young boys (anyone can enjoy shonen imo).
The anime I’ve listed above are just a few titles that I believe are perfect should you decide you want to start getting into anime. It’s pretty amazing how diverse the genres can be, and this isn’t even scratching the surface of what anime has to offer! I feel bad for leaving out some other types of shows, but it is what it is. Hopefully these will suffice as a beginner. If you decide to start watching more anime as a result of this post, awesome. If you decide that anime isn’t your thing, that’s fine too.
If/when you’re ready to level up and get into some bizarre, over-the-top shows like Neon Genesis Evangelion, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Kill la Kill, Devilman Crybaby, and many more hit me up, and I’ll be more than glad to give you recommendations.
Thanks for reading, and sorry for the delay in getting a new post out. Lack of motivation and time as well as life kept getting in the way. For my next post I want to take time to either watch a short series or a movie so that will be done once I decide what to watch.
Love it. Bike scene from Akira is an all timer. Though with Akira (and Ghost in a Shell), I feel as though I like the idea and the aesthetic more than the execution. Nice to have these broken down into sub categories, diving into anime can be overwhelming!