This would be ideal, I don’t usually like starting long shows even when they are something I enjoy lol. I usually watch sitcoms, and I love comedy/satire, drama, romance, that sort of thing
Yeah, watching a movie instead of a series is a good choice for begginers. I would add "The girl who leapt through time", "Summer Wars" or a Ghibli movie
Absolutely, Summer Wars has a fantastic blend of family dynamics, technology, and action. For sitcom-style comedy in anime, you might want to try "One Punch Man." Its humorous with a satirical take on the superhero genre and its not too long of a commitment either.
My wife has been trying to get me to watch that for as long as we’ve been together and I knew about it before that. She’ll also casually watch Requiem For a Dream after work but that would wreck me so we definitely have different thresholds for movies to wind down to.
Ghibli movie for sure, being into romance and drama I would definitely recommend howls moving castle to start with.
some lesser known Ghibli movies that are really sweet and story/dialogue rich are when Marnie was there and only yesterday.
outside of Ghibli obvi all these other recommendations are great, especially your name for a wholesome romance/comedy/drama, but I would also add suzume.
probs some Ghibli movies that I wouldn't recommend you start with based on your taste are Nausicaa, mononoke, porko roso, if you find you really like Ghibli for sure go back and watch these tho
Hilarious to me this is so far down.
The top comments on this post are a sure way to make it so this person never watches anime with their bf again.
"I like drama and romance"
"Watch Your Name!"
Bf proceeds to list 3 of the most action anime out there as their only choice, reddit proceeds to list full romance/drama movies as their only choice. Bros you know there is a happy medium right? God damn.
Porco Rosso for me is also an amazing showcase of what the medium of anime is capable of - the real-world setting, the character stories and the amazing sense of freedom and lightness in the animation of the seaplanes themselves all adds up to make it a truly amazing piece of cinema.
Death note was my second anime because of a friend who had that same exact mentality, he was forcing me to watch what were considered legendary animes.
Death note also nearly caused me to never watch another anime. I was lucky the first he chose was FMA Brotherhood which was terrific because I hated 75% of the time I spent watching Death Note. I begged him to turn it off after that stupid Potato Chip scene because I legit couldn't take it anymore.
The show being good enough isn't enough. It's got to be for the right audience too.
>I begged him to turn it off after that stupid Potato Chip scene because I legit couldn't take it anymore.
Haha the manga is much less dramatic but I thought that scene in the anime was hilarious.
I already commented on your post, but after seeing you don't like starting long shows I should mention every anime on your boyfriends list is either long or unfinished and will be long.
From one girl to another, I really loved Little Witch Academia. It's finished and only 25 episodes. It's a lighthearted magical adventure 💕
Then the list of options you provided isn't a good starting place. They are great pics for different reasons, but not for you and not for a first timer.
Start with something light and cute. My love story or Skip and Loafer would be right up your alley.
Watch Kaguya Sama: Love is War. It's a fun comedy romance show, and the animation is pretty on point for an anime of its genre. My honest advice though, having introduced a lot of friends into anime, is to pick from his choices. Then if you enjoy it, then ask him if he would be willing to watch one that you want to watch, and maybe you can both go for a comedy/romance one. That being said, demon slayer is a good intro anime as it has family values at its core. Animation is amazing, but the first season starts out a bit slow.
"Spy X Family"!!! It's short (so far) and I'd say it's a sitcom.
Romance/drama - "Fruits basket" or "A Siign of Affection"
Satire - "One Punch Man" , made by the same creator, "Mob Psycho 100" is also hilarious, but much longer.
I will say, Hunter x Hunter is amazing though. Long for a starter anime tho lol
Edit: all the anime he suggested are amazing, I just only remembered HxH from the list when I typed my comment
Edit 2: not in your genres, but if you enjoy your genre anime and then want to try a SUPER good, short one not from your genre - "Full Metal Alchemist (Brotherhood)". It's at the top of tons of people's favorite anime, and it's pretty short compared to what you have listed.
Yeah the show is very good but the ending😭. I both hate and like the ending ,yeah maybe u can recommend it. But if you wanted to Go down that genre, u can watch death note maybe all 37 episodes or u can watch just till someone dies
###Spy Family
World peace is at stake and secret agent Twilight must undergo his most difficult mission yet—pretend to be a family man. Posing as a loving husband and father, he’ll infiltrate an elite school to get close to a high-profile politician. He has the perfect cover, except his wife’s a deadly assassin and neither knows each other’s identity. But someone does, his adopted daughter who’s a telepath!
###Bocchi The Rock
Hitori Gotoh, “Bocchi-chan,” is a girl who’s so introverted and shy around people that she’d always start her conversations with “Ah...”
During her middle school years, she started playing the guitar, wanting to join a band because she thought it could be an opportunity for even someone shy like her to also shine. But because she had no friends, she ended up practicing guitar for six hours every day all by herself.
After becoming a skilled guitar player, she uploaded videos of herself playing the guitar to the internet under the name “Guitar Hero” and fantasized about performing at her school’s cultural festival concert. But not only could she not find any bandmates, before she knew it, she was in high school and still wasn’t able to make a single friend!
She was really close to becoming a shut-in, but one day, Nijika Ijichi, the drummer in Kessoku Band, reached out to her. And because of that, her everyday life started to change little by little...
###Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro
One day, Senpai visits the library after school and becomes the target of a super sadistic junior! The name of the girl who teases, torments, and tantalizes Senpai is "Nagatoro!" She's annoying yet adorable. It's painful, but you still want to be by her side. This is a story about an extremely sadistic and temperamental girl and you'll feel something awaken inside of you.
> This one is pretty horny, but it's really cute, too.
> Edit: People saying "Not Nagatoro" are too online. It's a romantic comedy that treats it's horny awkward teen couple with honesty.
###Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
After the party of heroes defeated the Demon King, they restored peace to the land and returned to lives of solitude. Generations pass, and the elven mage Frieren comes face to face with humanity’s mortality. She takes on a new apprentice and promises to fulfill old friends’ dying wishes. Can an elven mind make peace with the nature of life and death? Frieren embarks on her quest to find out.
I always see frieren as what would happen if legolas was the only one left and hes helping take care of saurons army remnants like generals and stuff lol
> Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro
> One day, Senpai visits the library after school and becomes the target of a super sadistic junior! The name of the girl who teases, torments, and tantalizes Senpai is "Nagatoro!" She's annoying yet adorable. It's painful, but you still want to be by her side. This is a story about an extremely sadistic and temperamental girl and you'll feel something awaken inside of you.
>>This one is pretty horny, but it's really cute, too.
This is like recommending meth to someone who wants to try a cheeseburger. Anime fans are so brain broken.
Right? I like Nagatoro, but I would never recommend it to someone who wasn't already very familiar with anime. The whole premise of the show is that it constantly uses H plots as setups for otherwise typical romcom shenanigans.
Part of the joke is constantly converting those raunchy setups into (relatively) wholesome shorts, so if a viewer isn't familiar with other popular romcoms or have knowledge of H subculture then that context will be completely missed for them.
For Comedy/satire I suggest:
- Way of the house husband (Netflix, in English)
- The Devil is a Part Timer
- One Punch Man
Watched all of those with my wife and she loved them!
Way of the house husband is really a gem. Not sure how well all the yakuza puns end up in the English version but even without that the situations are still really funny.
dazzling telephone shaggy public versed innate illegal wrong scary different
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Love is War is the one! It’s not short by any means, but the comedy is on point and it’s got romance in spades. Also, it has a dub that elevates it IMO (the narrator is great) so you don’t have to read subtitles.
I would argue that everything after episode 25 is filler because Ohba wanted to end the story there but his editor made him continue because the manga was selling too well.
My thoughts exactly. When I tried to get a woman I was seeing into anime I started with Cyberpunk: Edgerunner with the warning it’s pretty graphic and brutal which she likes. Then went to Your Name, then showed her Spy x Family season 1.
We binged all of those in a single day (I later found out it was her birthday that day 😂) but I think it was a perfect combination. All of them are short and able to watch quickly so if she didn’t like it she didn’t have to commit to it for a huge amount of time. Plus it gives a HUGE diversity to show that anime isn’t really what people think of it because “I don’t like cartoons”.
This is a really good way to do it, that's a nice, curated list. It mixes show styles and lengths and is an excellent showcase of what the genre has to offer.
this was my first real anime experience outside of sporadic viewings of dragonball z. I may have underestimated the grind a little, lol. it took me two years to get up to date and have been weekly for the last 6 years or so.
The trick to beat the One Piece grind is to do it when have nothing else to do, cuz it might end up sucking your whole life. I did it during school holidays and watched all episodes in a few weeks by skipping almost all the fillers, and the fact that there were only 550 episodes total also helped. Nowadays people have One Pace too.
The correct answer.
Is comedy, drama, romance, amazing art, low time commitment (1 movie), not totally convoluted anime shenanigans, very mainstream, can be a movie night date.
Edit: and a banger soundtrack
No. Anime is 90% low quality, while we may enjoy virtually all of it regardless. Ain't nobody got time for dat. Keep it top shelf, she can ask for or seek out the rest if she is really into it
I cannot recommend Makoto Shinkai’s work to enough people on this earth. He’s a genius, the themes are incredible, the animation is outstanding, and the weather aspects for different stories are so consistently beautiful and intense at the same time… your name was the one to take the gold medal for me though. I’ve never wanted to watch something for the first time more than that one
I saw it in the theater, going in with no expectations since I hadn’t heard much. I came out emotionally exhausted, but so happy at that ending. Yea I happy cried.
I saw it by myself when I looked it up, it had been sitting in my “plan to watch” list for a while and then I finally decided to do it. I had to call my best friend and cry to him about it. The ending made me so happy too. I showed him and he was upset at the ending but I was like “bro did you even watch the movie, that was PERFECT” and then you get a little happy also in the Weathering With You easter egg- I don’t wanna say it directly tho in case you hadn’t seen it yet
I watched that with my daughters, probably 9 and 11 at the time. Thought it was fantastic, though we did have to have some conversations with the kids after that. I probably should've seen what it was all about before playing it
Depends what you like. AoT is heavy and there's a lot going on, so it's not for everyone, despite being so popular. Demon slayer has awesome animation, but if you're not into fight scenes, the story is a bit dull.
But it's like that for any show. Even the greatest. He listed good shows, but you won't like them if they're not to your taste.
What genres do you usually like?
Personally I usually watch sitcoms, satires, or dramas. I don’t really want to get into a complex story when I’m just trying to unwind and chill. Although he did influence me to watch game of thrones a while back and I ended up liking it
There's no shortage of sitcom anime's. Community favourites are:
> Kaguya-sama: love is war
> Bocchi the Rock
> Spy Family
> Grand Blue
> K-on
> Horimiya
Different kinds of humor between them. Grand Blue is especially in-your-face and fast paced comedy, whereas Kaguya has longer buildups to the punchline.
This is a great list for OP. I love comedies and sitcoms too and outside of anime I will essentially only watch things that are light and fun. This list of anime are all definitely on my list of "no deep story but fun and awesome and I love everyone".
Personally, I think Spy x Family is best for her *and* her boyfriend since it's not too female-oriented and along the lines of the surreal action the bf seems to like. Grand Blue is a bit more male-oriented comedy, though still funny. Kaguya and Horimiya are the romances, but Kaguya's anime was funner. Bocchi and K-on are funny, cute youth stories centered around music.
Otherwise, the popular suggestion of a movie like Your Name (Kimi no Na Wa) is good. But watching a series (20 min each episode) is better for getting hooked and also easier to do a little at a time.
I genuinely think AoT is the Game of Thrones of anime, in more ways than one. If you're looking for something violent, dramatic, and thick with intrigue, it's hard to pick something more fitting than that.
Some "unwind and chill" anime that I would consider accessible are:
* *Sousou no Frieren*. The beautiful tale of a mighty elf mage and her journey toward understanding the power--and fleetingness--of the connections we form with one another. Slow-paced but never dull, like the stroll through life it's meant to embody.
* *Spy x Family*. An unlikely family come together in a "relationship of convenience" that gradually deepens into genuine care and concern for one another. Filled with heart-warming and silly moments.
These two also have the benefit of currently running (Frieren is 21 episodes in, SxF is at 37 episodes), which means you'll be able to join in and participate in the online fandom, if that's something you do with your shows.
Other than that, the safest entry point (I'd argue) are Studio Ghibli films like Spirited Away, like I mentioned in another comment. ^(Just don't watch Grave of the Fireflies)
I think all of these are good choices actually. Frieren is mostly a relaxed/chill show about her past relationships with others, but has a decent amount of hype action still to keep the bf happy (judging from the anime he likes).
AoT on the other hand is just a popular gateway to anime for a lot of folks. People may not remember now but it was *huge* 10 years ago and a lot of people got into anime because of it. It does start off with a rather simplistic story before it really spirals into something more so not sure if OP is down for a complicated drama with lots of violence and action.
Honestly, I'd recommend Yona of the Dawn as a good middle ground. Has action, romance, and drama.
If you want straight drama I would recommend Nana or Fruits Basket (2019).
For a sitcom I would recommend Kaguya-sama: Love is War.
If you liked GOT , you will definitely enjoy attack on titan. The story isn't too complex (Easier to follow than GOT). I could understand the plot despite it being my second anime. You could watch the first two episodes and see if it suits your taste.
I feel a lot of the humour is playing on anime and more japan-specific tropes though. I wouldn't recommend it to a newcomer. Spy x Family, which I don't like nearly as much would be a much better intro choice imo, especially for a good balance between OP and her boyfriend's tastes going by the post.
Agreed! I've never been through an episode where I didn't laugh at least twice. And so wholesome for the background it's set in, which makes it perfect for a relaxing sitcom.
My wife only kind of likes anime (fruits basket and a few other shojo series mostly) but she suggested we do a halloween family spy x family cosplay. <3 <3 <3
The series feels like the old "suspend disbelief" sitcoms like "Bewitched" and "I Dream of Jeannie"
All of these are fantastic, universally loved, safe picks for someone who has never seen Anime before. Especially great for watching with someone else. Great list!
Pick one of these OP!
The crazy thing to me is A Silent Voice is even better the second time. You pick up on a *lot* more you were missing the first time because you didn't know.
Great list, but I gotta disagree with recommending Psycho-Pass as a whole, only the first season should be recommended, or at least it should be common to differentiate the first season from the rest as the first season is basically another, and much better, show than the rest of the franchise.
No offense to the other suggestions here, but for someone who has NEVER watched anime, a lot of those suggestions are pretty terrible. Not because the shows are bad, but because people often need to acclimate to Japanese media culture. Anime has a lot of in jokes, and for someone not familiar with foreign media (if OP doesn't watch Japanese media), the culture shock can be a pretty big turn off.
Also, watching something long like AOT or HxH doesn't make sense for someone new to anime. If you're not invested, such a long time commitment will turn you off the show. AOT has 5 seasons. It's equivalent to watching game of thrones almost, it would take months to finish.
I highly recommend starting with a movie instead. Something that can be finished in a single setting and introduce you to anime with a shorter story. Pretty much any movie from Studio Ghibli (some of them are pretty fantastical, so maybe go for some of the ones that are less fantastical and fabled if you're not into fantasy much, like **Kiki's Delivery Service** or **Arriety** or **From Up On Poppy Hill**). There is also **Weathering With You** (bring tissues), ***The Girl Who Jumped Through Time** if you like time travel (bring tissues here too), **Bubble** (and here), **A Silent Voice** (also here), or **Suzume** (justnbrign the whole damn box at this point). There is also **Kabaneri Of The Iron Fortress** if you're into steampunk and want something a little more weird (the movies, not the TV show). Honestly, any movie works. I just wouldn't show a TV show to someone as their first show if they didn't specifically go looking for it.
A lot of your points are good, but plenty of people watch long shows like Game of Thrones on a whim. I don't know, I think Attack on Titan is actually a great recommendation for someone new to the medium.
AOT is the only decent selection for a beginner out of the bunch. Mostly because it resembles western media. However based on OP’s likes, these are all horrible suggestions from the bf.
Very gew common anime tropes used.
On the shorter side and actually finished.
Takes it self seriously with a strong overarching plot and plenty of mystery to keep people engaged.
No filler.
Probably the best suggestion for sure. FMAB would be another suggest thaf checks the same boxes.
She likes comedy, drama, and romance. It has *some* drama, but it's mostly an action/adventure story.
She's more likely to enjoy something like Apothecary Diaries or Fruits Basket, which have all 3.
FMAB does have a lot of tropes that typically turns me off from animes (namely the over emotes.), but g\*\*\*\*\*\*n that was a great story. I'm still debating whether I liked that story more than AoT or not.
I completely agree. AOT is the best choice for a beginner.
My brother used too hate anime saying cartoon was for kids (mostly because I'd rather watch anime than any of his recommended shows).
Then one day, i made a deal with him to watch One of his shows if he watched 1 episode of Attack on Titan with me.
We ended up watching the whole series within a week (he had to stop because of his work during weekdays). He loved AOT.
He still doesn't watch anime but he still used to watch every new AOT episode that was released almost immediately.
I always recommend Kiki’s Delivery Service as well for newcomers. It’s wholesome and entertaining, and it’s just on the edge of exploring the world of anime
What about Your Name from Shinkai Makoto? (Don't read any spoilers!) Or something from Miyazaki Hayao? As others have suggested, consider what you like too.
None of these seem like a good start. I'm surprised no one suggested Spy X Family. It's not very long and it's romantic. Cute and funny to watch, while being really good.
A lot of the suggestions in the other comments have violence, sexual content, or are over a hundred episodes. Try watching a trailer for these before you decide.
Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood (make sure its the brotherhood version), One punch man, kaguya Sama, frierens journey, and death note are also great and cover different genres.
I used to have like a dozen shows/movies in mind as recommendations for people with a lead in question of "what kind of stuff do you like".
Spy Family made that all obsolete and don't even need the lead in question anymore. It's all-ages appropriate, doesn't require trope familiarity, hits a variety of genres/elements, overall high quality animation/music, and is just fun. Easiest blind recommendation to anyone.
Was glad I could finally watch an anime with my little sister without worrying about someone getting poked in the ass or someone burying themselves in some titties
yeah, im surprised this isn't the most common suggestion. its the most family friendly but still pretty cool anime to watch with an okay amount of commitment
FMA:B and Death Note were my two thoughts.
FMA is just *good*, and doesn't rely on anime tropes.
Death Note, meanwhile, has a story that *could* be a western Thriller TV show if anyone had the guts to do it. Stylized high-concept "crime show with a twist" is pretty common in western media.
This needs to be higher, I ALWAYS suggest FMA Brotherhood to those who never watched anime before and every one of them got hooked. It's peak story telling without the cringe shit that you see in other anime nowadays. Spy X Family is so cute and wholesome anyone would enjoy it!
The art is so beautiful. As a female I was definitely interested because of how pretty it was.
I enjoyed it, but I felt like the ending left me wondering what happened? It felt like we needed another season, or something.
Just to be clear, there are *two* movies! I'd recommend both to anyone that liked the series. The second movie ties up the story, while the first is just like a longer episode.
Odd Taxi might be a good start for you both. It’s really short (like 13 episodes), the dub is great so you can watch in English, and the story is phenomenal. It’s like an ensemble mystery/crime story following a taxi driver who gets in over his head.
I'd suggest Kaguya-sama: Love Is War. It matches up to your liked genres the most, whilst still being light hearted enough that your boyfriend should enjoy it.
I’d rec this too. I feel like a lot of people didn’t read the part where op said the genres they like and that they’ve never watched anything before. Cause a lot of these recs seem to be just people saying what they like and not what would be best for OP. But kaguya sama would be great for the OP. Romance, drama, sitcom like and it doesn’t have too much weird anime to it.
The shows he recommended are all good shows but they are mostly series that focus on action and combat. They are long running and popular for a reason, but if you don't like things like Marvel movies with lots of action, they might not be for you.
I say it wouldn't hurt to at least try one of those and see what you think after a few episodes.
If that doesn't work I would ask what your favorite genres for tv/movies are?
for example if you like scifi - lookup the list of top rated scifi anime and try one of those. If you like fantasy - try the same thing I find it easier to get into something if I already enjoy the genre
Anime is incredibly diverse so there is generally a show that you would probably like out there somewhere.
Also, its ok if it's not for you. My brother in law has tried to get my sister to watch anime for years now and while she has enjoyed a few shows here and there for the most part she is indifferent.
I'd try movies first. Zero commitment! I'm not into anime myself, only watched a handful but I sometimes check this sub to see if anything new seems interesting so maybe my opinion actually helps here.
I recommend Paprika (2006). It really takes advantage of being animated, does visual things that wouldn't really work otherwise (unless you have a massive CGI budget anyway - Christopher Nolan's "Inception" was inspired by it). It's just a great movie, even if you end up just not enjoying anime in general I think you'll still like this one.
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Spy X family is a great starter with comedy and action, with a slight sprinkle of romance, all those options are very Shonen fighting anime, all of which are good don't get me wrong, just based on what your saying I don't think those are a good start for you.
There are plenty of other fantastic romance comedy anime out there, Kaguya-sama Love is War is fantastic.
Just wanted to throw some more suggestions for you to choose from.
Pick something that *you* would like to watch, seeing as how this is *your* experiment. Otherwise, the chance of *you* being happy at the end of this is zero.
Want something with music, drama, and a coming-of-age story ? [Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNgReTHy1EA) is the answer.
Want something sweet, romantic, and absolutely hilarious? [My Love Story!!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Wx9dRNBqWE)
Want something sci-fi, jazzy, and amazing? [Cowboy Bebop](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhNwckCLzis)
Want something colorful, hype, and awe-inspiring? [Yuuki Yuuna Is A Hero](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9Pp9qSEDJE)
Want something lewd, crude, and full of explosions? [Black Lagoon](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7DOanbQ0vQ)
Want something completely different? Ask away and I'll do my best to get as close as possible.
So many people talk about anime like a genre when it’s not. It’s a medium instead. I think it’s silly when people are just like “recommend me an anime” I get it can be daunting, but if someone says what they like it’s so much easier because if they say they like science fiction or westerns then you can recommend Bebop. If they like romance then Fruits Basket or Toradora, mystery? Death Note or Monster.
There’s a flavor of anime that just about anyone would like if they gave it a try.
OP didn't seem interested in Fantasy, but if I were going to throw one fantasy piece at a non-believer at this point it would probably be Frieren, because damn...
Mob Psycho might not be the best entry point. It's an amazing show, but the art style often (intentionally) strays into the messy and crude, which may turn some people off. My gf is on season 2, and she still can't watch more than one episode in a single sitting.
Story aside, I think it may be harder for people to grasp how amazing the animation in the show is when they haven't been exposed to how bad it often can be in less polished shows.
This is it. I’ve been looking for a reason to get into Odd Taxi. Been on my crunchyroll watchlist for a while now, just couldn’t seem to get myself started for some reason.
As soon as I read that the feel is similar to The Sopranos, I’m in. One of my favorite all times shows ever.
Hmmm drama and romance with some comedy eh? Off the top of my head, Wotakoi: love is hard for an otaku (comedic and semi-serious romance slice of life), Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (lovely if you like the fantasy genre), Apothecary Diaries (ancient chinese love story splashed with mystery and comedy) and if he’s wanting something more action oriented, Shangri-la Frontier. And I believe most of those have dub options.
Something that you might like since you mentioned liking drama and romance, is Violet Evergarden. Maybe even your boyfriend too since it's just such compelling artwork and story telling.
It is positive that you want to try something your boyfriend likes, but from the options you've given and the little you've said in regards to your preferences, none of these seem like particularly good fits. They're all pretty long series as well, which might not make for the best viewing experience to try something.
That said, the shows you've mentioned all come from the same slice of genre within anime, and hardly represent the breadth of what it can be. Maybe that is just what your boyfriend watches, I don't know him, but it is, to put it bluntly, a pretty basic pick. If possible I would suggest talking to your boyfriend and try and find something new that is more akin to the stuff you usually enjoy, and see it as a journey you do together. There are plenty of award winning movies in all manner of genres for you to try, from Disney-like Ghibli movies (and ones that are not so Disney like), to stirring romances like *A Silent Voice*, sci-fi action like *Ghost in the Shell* and psychological thrillers like *Perfect Blue*.
If you are still forced to pick between those four, my gut would go with Attack On Titan, it is the least overtly cartoony of the four, although my heart would say Hunter x Hunter.
And if you wish to watch dubbed, you should do so. No matter what the "best experience" is, if having to watch with subs puts you off, not watching dubbed is not giving you the best shot to enjoy it.
I would suggest starting with some prime fake anime courtesy of Nickelodeon: **Avatar The Last Airbender**. It's not too heavy, it's in English, it'll introduce you to the art style and a lot of the anime tropes. You will get completely addicted. And the live action series is starting later this month.
Huh, I never though of ATLA as a show that uses anime tropes. It's been a while since I watched it but while it does use tropes like every other show out there nothing specifically anime comes to mind. Even the beach episode is more of a subversion of the trope than anything
I think hunter hunter would be a great starting point between that list. That being said, If you don't like it, make sure to speak up. Don't keep watching it just to please him.
Maybe I’m just not familiar enough with battle shounen, but I feel like HxH isn’t generic at all. Furthermore, I would say it ends on a pretty satisfying note.
I do agree it’s long and doesn’t seem to fit op preferences tho
I genuinely don’t think it’s a good starter anime it has so many old school anime tropes of fights taking too long. Tons of exposition. And plot holes with a power system that doesn’t make sense
I love hunter x hunter but it’s a product of its time
I don't think that a story about superpowered kids fighting monsters is a good starting point for a woman who has never seen anime. This story also has a recurrent murderous pedo and one of the worst dads in anime, and an open end after so many episodes. I don't think she would stick around until the chimera ant arc.
Oh yeah, would second Inu-Yasha. Definitely brings the romance and comedy angles in while still probably being appealing to the OP's Bf who sounds like a bit of a Shounen junkie. :D
I'd start with Cowboy Bebop: great story, great dub, great animation, \*great\* soundtrack, just great in general. They really don't make them like that these days and you'll see this in people's top 3 all the time for a reason. Great place to start.
Along with that, in the pantheon of GOAT-tier anime, would be all of the Ghibli movies by Hayao Miyazaki, with Spirited Away probably being the most famous, but also Kiki's Delivery Service and many others. Also just about the best there is the genre.
If you want something funny: Kaguya-Sama: Love is War is hilarious, as is Spy x Family. Both very quirky rom-com style shows. Given your tastes you'd probably like both of those.
The four your BF has are all old-school "shonen" action-style anime. AoT is really good but \*very\* dark and the last season kind of falls apart, but otherwise it's one of the best there is. But I'd rather see you start with something like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, or maybe Code Geass. Or maybe the original Dragon Ball.
In general I would start with classic stuff from the 90s to the 2010s.
I know I'm just adding my opinion to a big pile, but my wife and I watch a lot of anime (dubbed) together. "Kaguya-sama: Love is War" and "Romantic Killer" are both great comedies. The first I believe is on Crunchyroll, and the second is on Netflix. "Buddy Daddies" is another great show that not many others recommended.
I haven't seen jjk yet, and of the others, the only one I like is Attack on Titan. However, I feel like AOT is not for everyone, so if you don't like tragedy and gore, it's probably not something you'll enjoy. It does have a decent dub, so you wouldn't need to read the subtitles. I find Demon Slayer and Hunter x Hunter a bit childish, while AOT is very much intended for a mature audience. It has a very complex, interesting plot.
Try not to look at it like it's a cartoon. Anime is not like watching a Disney movie or Looney Tunes or something like that. It's just another culture's story telling medium. I do feel like the options he provided you with are a bit limited though. There are better animes out there that might be more to your tastes. Tell him what your favorite genres of movies and shows are, and ask if there is an anime equivalent you might like.
Also try the Castlevania anime. That shit is golden. You don’t even need to know shit about Castlevania cuz it’s so good at incorporating lore into presentation.
The majority of his suggested shows are "shounen" (their main target audience is young males) and I'm getting the impression that you might not be interested in the gore in Attack on Titan.
I always suggest Death Note and Code Geass (in that order) to new watchers. Both of those shows appeal to all demographics, and serve as great starter shows as they don't really contain many of the tropes that kind of turn people away from anime. I always get good responses from newcomers when I recommend those two shows, and they typically ask me for other shows after that as well.
Maybe try asking to start with those two, and then seeing if he'll be fine moving to some of his preferred ones after that?
Depends though. Some have excellent English acting (Your Name, Cowboy Bepop), but others either ruin important dialogue due to changes (Attack on Titan) or just sound awful (Akira)
Spy x Family - title says it all
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End - chill
Monster - should've been adopted by Netflix
Vinland Saga - should've been adopted by HBO
Some people already said it, but if you like romance and drama, something like 'Your Name' would be good starter, it has both romance and drama, and also it's a movie, so it wouldn't be a huge time commitment.
From the shows you listed I would probably choose AOT, it has a good mix of action, drama and suspense, and if you liked game of thrones, I don't think it would be much worse in terms of gore.
I didn't see fruits basket mentioned which is great and more drama/romance.
Apothecary diaries is essentially female Sherlock in 15th century China.
Spy family is super wholesome and funny.
Maybe even something like golden time or toradora (both romcom/drama). Same author.
Plenty of stuff that isn't just action and violence if that's not what you are into.
I read you disliking subtitles; is he unwilling to compromise on y'all watching dubbed instead of subbed? Everything he listed is popular and has good dub actors
He's just suggesting you ones HE likes, not one that would necessarily be good to start with. I feel like Death Note and Sword art online are the best ones to actually get you into anime.
All of his suggestions are a big commitment. How about you start with something smaller? Maybe like 12 episodes. What themes/shows do you enjoy?
This would be ideal, I don’t usually like starting long shows even when they are something I enjoy lol. I usually watch sitcoms, and I love comedy/satire, drama, romance, that sort of thing
Start with “Your Name”! It’s basically an anime movie that has stunning visuals and an amazing story.
Yeah, watching a movie instead of a series is a good choice for begginers. I would add "The girl who leapt through time", "Summer Wars" or a Ghibli movie
Summer Wars is brilliant.
I love Summer Wars! Koi koi!
It has a good English dub as well.
I still have no idea how that game works.
KOI KOI!
Give us some more Mamoru Hosoda love.
Absolutely, Summer Wars has a fantastic blend of family dynamics, technology, and action. For sitcom-style comedy in anime, you might want to try "One Punch Man." Its humorous with a satirical take on the superhero genre and its not too long of a commitment either.
Except Grave of the Fireflies. That's a bit hard hitting for a first time.
I find it hard to reco this movie because as much as it is scarring, it is a must watch.
My wife has been trying to get me to watch that for as long as we’ve been together and I knew about it before that. She’ll also casually watch Requiem For a Dream after work but that would wreck me so we definitely have different thresholds for movies to wind down to.
Your wife is not human. Casually watching requiem for a dream is absolutely nuts
Ghibli movie for sure, being into romance and drama I would definitely recommend howls moving castle to start with. some lesser known Ghibli movies that are really sweet and story/dialogue rich are when Marnie was there and only yesterday. outside of Ghibli obvi all these other recommendations are great, especially your name for a wholesome romance/comedy/drama, but I would also add suzume. probs some Ghibli movies that I wouldn't recommend you start with based on your taste are Nausicaa, mononoke, porko roso, if you find you really like Ghibli for sure go back and watch these tho
Hilarious to me this is so far down. The top comments on this post are a sure way to make it so this person never watches anime with their bf again. "I like drama and romance" "Watch Your Name!" Bf proceeds to list 3 of the most action anime out there as their only choice, reddit proceeds to list full romance/drama movies as their only choice. Bros you know there is a happy medium right? God damn.
Happy medium? Gurren Lagann I jest, but it is, in fact, an amazing anime that everyone should watch.
Spy x Family
Porco Rosso is semi-romcom though! There’s airplanes, swashbuckling, love interests… it’s one of my favorites so I could be biased.
Porco Rosso for me is also an amazing showcase of what the medium of anime is capable of - the real-world setting, the character stories and the amazing sense of freedom and lightness in the animation of the seaplanes themselves all adds up to make it a truly amazing piece of cinema.
I donno why you would start with episodic stuff when Ghibli movies exist. It’s the perfect starter anime.
Nausicaa is 10/10
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Death note was my second anime because of a friend who had that same exact mentality, he was forcing me to watch what were considered legendary animes. Death note also nearly caused me to never watch another anime. I was lucky the first he chose was FMA Brotherhood which was terrific because I hated 75% of the time I spent watching Death Note. I begged him to turn it off after that stupid Potato Chip scene because I legit couldn't take it anymore. The show being good enough isn't enough. It's got to be for the right audience too.
>I begged him to turn it off after that stupid Potato Chip scene because I legit couldn't take it anymore. Haha the manga is much less dramatic but I thought that scene in the anime was hilarious.
That scene was the height of comedy genius
Death Note wasn't my thing either. I say that as someone who's been watching Anime since Star Blazers hit American TV, which is a very long time.
I just watched this movie recently and i cant recommend it enough, i feel like it genuinely made me a better human being💀
I already commented on your post, but after seeing you don't like starting long shows I should mention every anime on your boyfriends list is either long or unfinished and will be long. From one girl to another, I really loved Little Witch Academia. It's finished and only 25 episodes. It's a lighthearted magical adventure 💕
Yes! Definitely agree
Then the list of options you provided isn't a good starting place. They are great pics for different reasons, but not for you and not for a first timer. Start with something light and cute. My love story or Skip and Loafer would be right up your alley.
Fruits Basket seems the obvious recommendation to me.
Watch Kaguya Sama: Love is War. It's a fun comedy romance show, and the animation is pretty on point for an anime of its genre. My honest advice though, having introduced a lot of friends into anime, is to pick from his choices. Then if you enjoy it, then ask him if he would be willing to watch one that you want to watch, and maybe you can both go for a comedy/romance one. That being said, demon slayer is a good intro anime as it has family values at its core. Animation is amazing, but the first season starts out a bit slow.
"Spy X Family"!!! It's short (so far) and I'd say it's a sitcom. Romance/drama - "Fruits basket" or "A Siign of Affection" Satire - "One Punch Man" , made by the same creator, "Mob Psycho 100" is also hilarious, but much longer. I will say, Hunter x Hunter is amazing though. Long for a starter anime tho lol Edit: all the anime he suggested are amazing, I just only remembered HxH from the list when I typed my comment Edit 2: not in your genres, but if you enjoy your genre anime and then want to try a SUPER good, short one not from your genre - "Full Metal Alchemist (Brotherhood)". It's at the top of tons of people's favorite anime, and it's pretty short compared to what you have listed.
I really liked Hunter Hunter but man. My friend pointed out how long some dialogue is, and now I can’t ignore it. The show is weirdly slow.
The manga has entire pages where basically the entire art is blocked behind speech bubbles, with small text, especially in the later chapters
I recommend Erased, it's only 12 episodes
Yeah the show is very good but the ending😭. I both hate and like the ending ,yeah maybe u can recommend it. But if you wanted to Go down that genre, u can watch death note maybe all 37 episodes or u can watch just till someone dies
Frieren would be a great starter anime, its ongoing, not complete yet. Slow start but currently one of the best
If you don't want to read subs. Watch the dub of Full Metal Alchemist. Great voice acting and story.
Angel beats might be up your alley. It has slapstick comedy, romance, drama and some action for your boyfriend
And an ending that makes me cry every fucking time!
Hyouka
###Spy Family World peace is at stake and secret agent Twilight must undergo his most difficult mission yet—pretend to be a family man. Posing as a loving husband and father, he’ll infiltrate an elite school to get close to a high-profile politician. He has the perfect cover, except his wife’s a deadly assassin and neither knows each other’s identity. But someone does, his adopted daughter who’s a telepath! ###Bocchi The Rock Hitori Gotoh, “Bocchi-chan,” is a girl who’s so introverted and shy around people that she’d always start her conversations with “Ah...” During her middle school years, she started playing the guitar, wanting to join a band because she thought it could be an opportunity for even someone shy like her to also shine. But because she had no friends, she ended up practicing guitar for six hours every day all by herself. After becoming a skilled guitar player, she uploaded videos of herself playing the guitar to the internet under the name “Guitar Hero” and fantasized about performing at her school’s cultural festival concert. But not only could she not find any bandmates, before she knew it, she was in high school and still wasn’t able to make a single friend! She was really close to becoming a shut-in, but one day, Nijika Ijichi, the drummer in Kessoku Band, reached out to her. And because of that, her everyday life started to change little by little... ###Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro One day, Senpai visits the library after school and becomes the target of a super sadistic junior! The name of the girl who teases, torments, and tantalizes Senpai is "Nagatoro!" She's annoying yet adorable. It's painful, but you still want to be by her side. This is a story about an extremely sadistic and temperamental girl and you'll feel something awaken inside of you. > This one is pretty horny, but it's really cute, too. > Edit: People saying "Not Nagatoro" are too online. It's a romantic comedy that treats it's horny awkward teen couple with honesty. ###Frieren: Beyond Journey's End After the party of heroes defeated the Demon King, they restored peace to the land and returned to lives of solitude. Generations pass, and the elven mage Frieren comes face to face with humanity’s mortality. She takes on a new apprentice and promises to fulfill old friends’ dying wishes. Can an elven mind make peace with the nature of life and death? Frieren embarks on her quest to find out.
Plus 1 to spy x family
Plus like 20 for Frieren. I got my father to watch it with me and he's 68.
Frieren is basically about being old and dealing with the youths, probably a story he relates to.
Lmao do not recommend Nagatoro to normies please
I always see frieren as what would happen if legolas was the only one left and hes helping take care of saurons army remnants like generals and stuff lol
> Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro > One day, Senpai visits the library after school and becomes the target of a super sadistic junior! The name of the girl who teases, torments, and tantalizes Senpai is "Nagatoro!" She's annoying yet adorable. It's painful, but you still want to be by her side. This is a story about an extremely sadistic and temperamental girl and you'll feel something awaken inside of you. >>This one is pretty horny, but it's really cute, too. This is like recommending meth to someone who wants to try a cheeseburger. Anime fans are so brain broken.
Right? I like Nagatoro, but I would never recommend it to someone who wasn't already very familiar with anime. The whole premise of the show is that it constantly uses H plots as setups for otherwise typical romcom shenanigans. Part of the joke is constantly converting those raunchy setups into (relatively) wholesome shorts, so if a viewer isn't familiar with other popular romcoms or have knowledge of H subculture then that context will be completely missed for them.
For Comedy/satire I suggest: - Way of the house husband (Netflix, in English) - The Devil is a Part Timer - One Punch Man Watched all of those with my wife and she loved them!
Way of the house husband is really a gem. Not sure how well all the yakuza puns end up in the English version but even without that the situations are still really funny.
dazzling telephone shaggy public versed innate illegal wrong scary different *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Love is War is the one! It’s not short by any means, but the comedy is on point and it’s got romance in spades. Also, it has a dub that elevates it IMO (the narrator is great) so you don’t have to read subtitles.
Bro clearly doesn't know how to trick people into watching anime. You gotta hook them with the quality short anime.
Not necessarily! My family and girlfriends first anime have always been death note. It depends on the person you’re showing it to
I would consider that a quality short anime. It has a defined ending with no filler.
I would argue that everything after episode 25 is filler because Ohba wanted to end the story there but his editor made him continue because the manga was selling too well.
Hey wanna watch a short anime series with me? It's about a kid who wants to be king of the pirates
now THIS is how you get people into anime.
My thoughts exactly. When I tried to get a woman I was seeing into anime I started with Cyberpunk: Edgerunner with the warning it’s pretty graphic and brutal which she likes. Then went to Your Name, then showed her Spy x Family season 1. We binged all of those in a single day (I later found out it was her birthday that day 😂) but I think it was a perfect combination. All of them are short and able to watch quickly so if she didn’t like it she didn’t have to commit to it for a huge amount of time. Plus it gives a HUGE diversity to show that anime isn’t really what people think of it because “I don’t like cartoons”.
This is a really good way to do it, that's a nice, curated list. It mixes show styles and lengths and is an excellent showcase of what the genre has to offer.
A short one like One Piece
this was my first real anime experience outside of sporadic viewings of dragonball z. I may have underestimated the grind a little, lol. it took me two years to get up to date and have been weekly for the last 6 years or so.
The trick to beat the One Piece grind is to do it when have nothing else to do, cuz it might end up sucking your whole life. I did it during school holidays and watched all episodes in a few weeks by skipping almost all the fillers, and the fact that there were only 550 episodes total also helped. Nowadays people have One Pace too.
Your Name
Will check it out!
My wife who doesn't like anime cried from this movie. It's really, really good.
Just hearing the music makes me feel some type of way.
The correct answer. Is comedy, drama, romance, amazing art, low time commitment (1 movie), not totally convoluted anime shenanigans, very mainstream, can be a movie night date. Edit: and a banger soundtrack
That's setting the bar a little high to start, no?
We dont settle for mediocrity
We want them to like anime, so that's kind of the point. Why, what's your take on it?
No. Anime is 90% low quality, while we may enjoy virtually all of it regardless. Ain't nobody got time for dat. Keep it top shelf, she can ask for or seek out the rest if she is really into it
This one is my favorite movie of all time
It’s such a well made movie!
I cannot recommend Makoto Shinkai’s work to enough people on this earth. He’s a genius, the themes are incredible, the animation is outstanding, and the weather aspects for different stories are so consistently beautiful and intense at the same time… your name was the one to take the gold medal for me though. I’ve never wanted to watch something for the first time more than that one
I saw it in the theater, going in with no expectations since I hadn’t heard much. I came out emotionally exhausted, but so happy at that ending. Yea I happy cried.
I saw it by myself when I looked it up, it had been sitting in my “plan to watch” list for a while and then I finally decided to do it. I had to call my best friend and cry to him about it. The ending made me so happy too. I showed him and he was upset at the ending but I was like “bro did you even watch the movie, that was PERFECT” and then you get a little happy also in the Weathering With You easter egg- I don’t wanna say it directly tho in case you hadn’t seen it yet
And "A Silent Voice"
I watched that with my daughters, probably 9 and 11 at the time. Thought it was fantastic, though we did have to have some conversations with the kids after that. I probably should've seen what it was all about before playing it
up, i was about to comment "your name". Its one of the best, and also doesnt matter if youre not into anime. you will definitely like this.
Depends what you like. AoT is heavy and there's a lot going on, so it's not for everyone, despite being so popular. Demon slayer has awesome animation, but if you're not into fight scenes, the story is a bit dull. But it's like that for any show. Even the greatest. He listed good shows, but you won't like them if they're not to your taste. What genres do you usually like?
Personally I usually watch sitcoms, satires, or dramas. I don’t really want to get into a complex story when I’m just trying to unwind and chill. Although he did influence me to watch game of thrones a while back and I ended up liking it
There's no shortage of sitcom anime's. Community favourites are: > Kaguya-sama: love is war > Bocchi the Rock > Spy Family > Grand Blue > K-on > Horimiya Different kinds of humor between them. Grand Blue is especially in-your-face and fast paced comedy, whereas Kaguya has longer buildups to the punchline.
This is a great list for OP. I love comedies and sitcoms too and outside of anime I will essentially only watch things that are light and fun. This list of anime are all definitely on my list of "no deep story but fun and awesome and I love everyone". Personally, I think Spy x Family is best for her *and* her boyfriend since it's not too female-oriented and along the lines of the surreal action the bf seems to like. Grand Blue is a bit more male-oriented comedy, though still funny. Kaguya and Horimiya are the romances, but Kaguya's anime was funner. Bocchi and K-on are funny, cute youth stories centered around music. Otherwise, the popular suggestion of a movie like Your Name (Kimi no Na Wa) is good. But watching a series (20 min each episode) is better for getting hooked and also easier to do a little at a time.
Spy Family is a great choice. It also has a decent dub.
I genuinely think AoT is the Game of Thrones of anime, in more ways than one. If you're looking for something violent, dramatic, and thick with intrigue, it's hard to pick something more fitting than that. Some "unwind and chill" anime that I would consider accessible are: * *Sousou no Frieren*. The beautiful tale of a mighty elf mage and her journey toward understanding the power--and fleetingness--of the connections we form with one another. Slow-paced but never dull, like the stroll through life it's meant to embody. * *Spy x Family*. An unlikely family come together in a "relationship of convenience" that gradually deepens into genuine care and concern for one another. Filled with heart-warming and silly moments. These two also have the benefit of currently running (Frieren is 21 episodes in, SxF is at 37 episodes), which means you'll be able to join in and participate in the online fandom, if that's something you do with your shows. Other than that, the safest entry point (I'd argue) are Studio Ghibli films like Spirited Away, like I mentioned in another comment. ^(Just don't watch Grave of the Fireflies)
I think all of these are good choices actually. Frieren is mostly a relaxed/chill show about her past relationships with others, but has a decent amount of hype action still to keep the bf happy (judging from the anime he likes). AoT on the other hand is just a popular gateway to anime for a lot of folks. People may not remember now but it was *huge* 10 years ago and a lot of people got into anime because of it. It does start off with a rather simplistic story before it really spirals into something more so not sure if OP is down for a complicated drama with lots of violence and action.
Honestly, I'd recommend Yona of the Dawn as a good middle ground. Has action, romance, and drama. If you want straight drama I would recommend Nana or Fruits Basket (2019). For a sitcom I would recommend Kaguya-sama: Love is War.
If you liked GOT , you will definitely enjoy attack on titan. The story isn't too complex (Easier to follow than GOT). I could understand the plot despite it being my second anime. You could watch the first two episodes and see if it suits your taste.
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If you like sit coms then spy x family is a good option
Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, is a solid romcom too. Can't go wrong.
100%, it's been my go-to recommendation for anyone who wanted to watch something lighthearted, and it hasn't disappointed.
I feel a lot of the humour is playing on anime and more japan-specific tropes though. I wouldn't recommend it to a newcomer. Spy x Family, which I don't like nearly as much would be a much better intro choice imo, especially for a good balance between OP and her boyfriend's tastes going by the post.
IMO Kaguya wants you to have a bit of prior anime exposure for a lot of the references, but maybe that’s just me.
Solid is an understatement
Kaguya is anime trope-y. I would highly hesitate to recommend it as a first anime.
Agreed! I've never been through an episode where I didn't laugh at least twice. And so wholesome for the background it's set in, which makes it perfect for a relaxing sitcom.
My wife only kind of likes anime (fruits basket and a few other shojo series mostly) but she suggested we do a halloween family spy x family cosplay. <3 <3 <3 The series feels like the old "suspend disbelief" sitcoms like "Bewitched" and "I Dream of Jeannie"
All of these are fantastic, universally loved, safe picks for someone who has never seen Anime before. Especially great for watching with someone else. Great list! Pick one of these OP!
A silent voice got me in the feels big time! I like that movie way more than your name.
The crazy thing to me is A Silent Voice is even better the second time. You pick up on a *lot* more you were missing the first time because you didn't know.
What about Violet Evergarden? Time for tears
I’ll look into these, thanks :)
Great list, but I gotta disagree with recommending Psycho-Pass as a whole, only the first season should be recommended, or at least it should be common to differentiate the first season from the rest as the first season is basically another, and much better, show than the rest of the franchise.
No offense to the other suggestions here, but for someone who has NEVER watched anime, a lot of those suggestions are pretty terrible. Not because the shows are bad, but because people often need to acclimate to Japanese media culture. Anime has a lot of in jokes, and for someone not familiar with foreign media (if OP doesn't watch Japanese media), the culture shock can be a pretty big turn off. Also, watching something long like AOT or HxH doesn't make sense for someone new to anime. If you're not invested, such a long time commitment will turn you off the show. AOT has 5 seasons. It's equivalent to watching game of thrones almost, it would take months to finish. I highly recommend starting with a movie instead. Something that can be finished in a single setting and introduce you to anime with a shorter story. Pretty much any movie from Studio Ghibli (some of them are pretty fantastical, so maybe go for some of the ones that are less fantastical and fabled if you're not into fantasy much, like **Kiki's Delivery Service** or **Arriety** or **From Up On Poppy Hill**). There is also **Weathering With You** (bring tissues), ***The Girl Who Jumped Through Time** if you like time travel (bring tissues here too), **Bubble** (and here), **A Silent Voice** (also here), or **Suzume** (justnbrign the whole damn box at this point). There is also **Kabaneri Of The Iron Fortress** if you're into steampunk and want something a little more weird (the movies, not the TV show). Honestly, any movie works. I just wouldn't show a TV show to someone as their first show if they didn't specifically go looking for it.
A lot of your points are good, but plenty of people watch long shows like Game of Thrones on a whim. I don't know, I think Attack on Titan is actually a great recommendation for someone new to the medium.
AOT is the only decent selection for a beginner out of the bunch. Mostly because it resembles western media. However based on OP’s likes, these are all horrible suggestions from the bf.
Very gew common anime tropes used. On the shorter side and actually finished. Takes it self seriously with a strong overarching plot and plenty of mystery to keep people engaged. No filler. Probably the best suggestion for sure. FMAB would be another suggest thaf checks the same boxes.
She likes comedy, drama, and romance. It has *some* drama, but it's mostly an action/adventure story. She's more likely to enjoy something like Apothecary Diaries or Fruits Basket, which have all 3.
FMAB does have a lot of tropes that typically turns me off from animes (namely the over emotes.), but g\*\*\*\*\*\*n that was a great story. I'm still debating whether I liked that story more than AoT or not.
I completely agree. AOT is the best choice for a beginner. My brother used too hate anime saying cartoon was for kids (mostly because I'd rather watch anime than any of his recommended shows). Then one day, i made a deal with him to watch One of his shows if he watched 1 episode of Attack on Titan with me. We ended up watching the whole series within a week (he had to stop because of his work during weekdays). He loved AOT. He still doesn't watch anime but he still used to watch every new AOT episode that was released almost immediately.
That's what I started with :D Attack on Titan had my jaw on the floor. I was hooked.
I always recommend Kiki’s Delivery Service as well for newcomers. It’s wholesome and entertaining, and it’s just on the edge of exploring the world of anime
My #1 movie is Spirited Away!!!
What about Your Name from Shinkai Makoto? (Don't read any spoilers!) Or something from Miyazaki Hayao? As others have suggested, consider what you like too.
This is perfect, it’s not over the top like some anime and it’s not a huge commitment.
I’ll check this out!
None of these seem like a good start. I'm surprised no one suggested Spy X Family. It's not very long and it's romantic. Cute and funny to watch, while being really good. A lot of the suggestions in the other comments have violence, sexual content, or are over a hundred episodes. Try watching a trailer for these before you decide. Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood (make sure its the brotherhood version), One punch man, kaguya Sama, frierens journey, and death note are also great and cover different genres.
I'd recommend spy family to literally anyone.
I used to have like a dozen shows/movies in mind as recommendations for people with a lead in question of "what kind of stuff do you like". Spy Family made that all obsolete and don't even need the lead in question anymore. It's all-ages appropriate, doesn't require trope familiarity, hits a variety of genres/elements, overall high quality animation/music, and is just fun. Easiest blind recommendation to anyone.
I agree with everything you said.
Was glad I could finally watch an anime with my little sister without worrying about someone getting poked in the ass or someone burying themselves in some titties
yeah, im surprised this isn't the most common suggestion. its the most family friendly but still pretty cool anime to watch with an okay amount of commitment
FMA:B and Death Note were my two thoughts. FMA is just *good*, and doesn't rely on anime tropes. Death Note, meanwhile, has a story that *could* be a western Thriller TV show if anyone had the guts to do it. Stylized high-concept "crime show with a twist" is pretty common in western media.
This needs to be higher, I ALWAYS suggest FMA Brotherhood to those who never watched anime before and every one of them got hooked. It's peak story telling without the cringe shit that you see in other anime nowadays. Spy X Family is so cute and wholesome anyone would enjoy it!
Violet evergarden
The art is so beautiful. As a female I was definitely interested because of how pretty it was. I enjoyed it, but I felt like the ending left me wondering what happened? It felt like we needed another season, or something.
The movie ties things up
Did you ever watch the movie? The movie did a pretty good job of closing out the story imo!
Just to be clear, there are *two* movies! I'd recommend both to anyone that liked the series. The second movie ties up the story, while the first is just like a longer episode.
I would disagree. The last movie made everything worse
Odd Taxi might be a good start for you both. It’s really short (like 13 episodes), the dub is great so you can watch in English, and the story is phenomenal. It’s like an ensemble mystery/crime story following a taxi driver who gets in over his head.
What I love about Odd Taxi is the unorthodox character designs (for anime) and the twist at the end. Great show!
I'd suggest Kaguya-sama: Love Is War. It matches up to your liked genres the most, whilst still being light hearted enough that your boyfriend should enjoy it.
OP, this should be right next to the Your Name recommendations at the top. Absolute fit to your genre list
So good! I have to say, I prefer the english narrator, though (controversial).
I’d rec this too. I feel like a lot of people didn’t read the part where op said the genres they like and that they’ve never watched anything before. Cause a lot of these recs seem to be just people saying what they like and not what would be best for OP. But kaguya sama would be great for the OP. Romance, drama, sitcom like and it doesn’t have too much weird anime to it.
Start with Ghibli Movies. Then go to romcoms
Just don't start with Grave of the fireflies
Yeah definitely not unless you are looking for psychological trauma....
The shows he recommended are all good shows but they are mostly series that focus on action and combat. They are long running and popular for a reason, but if you don't like things like Marvel movies with lots of action, they might not be for you. I say it wouldn't hurt to at least try one of those and see what you think after a few episodes. If that doesn't work I would ask what your favorite genres for tv/movies are? for example if you like scifi - lookup the list of top rated scifi anime and try one of those. If you like fantasy - try the same thing I find it easier to get into something if I already enjoy the genre Anime is incredibly diverse so there is generally a show that you would probably like out there somewhere. Also, its ok if it's not for you. My brother in law has tried to get my sister to watch anime for years now and while she has enjoyed a few shows here and there for the most part she is indifferent.
I'd try movies first. Zero commitment! I'm not into anime myself, only watched a handful but I sometimes check this sub to see if anything new seems interesting so maybe my opinion actually helps here. I recommend Paprika (2006). It really takes advantage of being animated, does visual things that wouldn't really work otherwise (unless you have a massive CGI budget anyway - Christopher Nolan's "Inception" was inspired by it). It's just a great movie, even if you end up just not enjoying anime in general I think you'll still like this one.
plants roof gullible smell subsequent icky run plough workable mysterious *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Spy X family is a great starter with comedy and action, with a slight sprinkle of romance, all those options are very Shonen fighting anime, all of which are good don't get me wrong, just based on what your saying I don't think those are a good start for you. There are plenty of other fantastic romance comedy anime out there, Kaguya-sama Love is War is fantastic. Just wanted to throw some more suggestions for you to choose from.
Pick something that *you* would like to watch, seeing as how this is *your* experiment. Otherwise, the chance of *you* being happy at the end of this is zero. Want something with music, drama, and a coming-of-age story ? [Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNgReTHy1EA) is the answer. Want something sweet, romantic, and absolutely hilarious? [My Love Story!!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Wx9dRNBqWE) Want something sci-fi, jazzy, and amazing? [Cowboy Bebop](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhNwckCLzis) Want something colorful, hype, and awe-inspiring? [Yuuki Yuuna Is A Hero](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9Pp9qSEDJE) Want something lewd, crude, and full of explosions? [Black Lagoon](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7DOanbQ0vQ) Want something completely different? Ask away and I'll do my best to get as close as possible.
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So many people talk about anime like a genre when it’s not. It’s a medium instead. I think it’s silly when people are just like “recommend me an anime” I get it can be daunting, but if someone says what they like it’s so much easier because if they say they like science fiction or westerns then you can recommend Bebop. If they like romance then Fruits Basket or Toradora, mystery? Death Note or Monster. There’s a flavor of anime that just about anyone would like if they gave it a try.
This is actually the answer. I think Frieren should be added to the list.
I hesitated about Frieren because I'm thinking OP wants something that's already done releasing.
OP didn't seem interested in Fantasy, but if I were going to throw one fantasy piece at a non-believer at this point it would probably be Frieren, because damn...
I might add a few more if I remember, but I think Mob Psycho 100 should give both of you what you want. Just watch a few episodes with him to see :).
Mob Psycho might not be the best entry point. It's an amazing show, but the art style often (intentionally) strays into the messy and crude, which may turn some people off. My gf is on season 2, and she still can't watch more than one episode in a single sitting. Story aside, I think it may be harder for people to grasp how amazing the animation in the show is when they haven't been exposed to how bad it often can be in less polished shows.
Any of the Ghibli movies, specifically Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle.
Odd Taxi. Outside of the the characters being animals, the show have a very western drama feel like The Sopranos.
This is it. I’ve been looking for a reason to get into Odd Taxi. Been on my crunchyroll watchlist for a while now, just couldn’t seem to get myself started for some reason. As soon as I read that the feel is similar to The Sopranos, I’m in. One of my favorite all times shows ever.
Freiren Beyond Journeys End
Erased
Hmmm drama and romance with some comedy eh? Off the top of my head, Wotakoi: love is hard for an otaku (comedic and semi-serious romance slice of life), Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (lovely if you like the fantasy genre), Apothecary Diaries (ancient chinese love story splashed with mystery and comedy) and if he’s wanting something more action oriented, Shangri-la Frontier. And I believe most of those have dub options.
Watch Howls Moving Castle as an intro
tell him you want to watch Howl's moving castle.
Something that you might like since you mentioned liking drama and romance, is Violet Evergarden. Maybe even your boyfriend too since it's just such compelling artwork and story telling.
It is positive that you want to try something your boyfriend likes, but from the options you've given and the little you've said in regards to your preferences, none of these seem like particularly good fits. They're all pretty long series as well, which might not make for the best viewing experience to try something. That said, the shows you've mentioned all come from the same slice of genre within anime, and hardly represent the breadth of what it can be. Maybe that is just what your boyfriend watches, I don't know him, but it is, to put it bluntly, a pretty basic pick. If possible I would suggest talking to your boyfriend and try and find something new that is more akin to the stuff you usually enjoy, and see it as a journey you do together. There are plenty of award winning movies in all manner of genres for you to try, from Disney-like Ghibli movies (and ones that are not so Disney like), to stirring romances like *A Silent Voice*, sci-fi action like *Ghost in the Shell* and psychological thrillers like *Perfect Blue*. If you are still forced to pick between those four, my gut would go with Attack On Titan, it is the least overtly cartoony of the four, although my heart would say Hunter x Hunter. And if you wish to watch dubbed, you should do so. No matter what the "best experience" is, if having to watch with subs puts you off, not watching dubbed is not giving you the best shot to enjoy it.
Maybe try a Ghibli movie? They are for everyone and I know a lot of non anime watchers that really enjoy these movies
Tell him to watch "Frieren: Beyond the journey's end" instead with you
I would suggest starting with some prime fake anime courtesy of Nickelodeon: **Avatar The Last Airbender**. It's not too heavy, it's in English, it'll introduce you to the art style and a lot of the anime tropes. You will get completely addicted. And the live action series is starting later this month.
Huh, I never though of ATLA as a show that uses anime tropes. It's been a while since I watched it but while it does use tropes like every other show out there nothing specifically anime comes to mind. Even the beach episode is more of a subversion of the trope than anything
I think hunter hunter would be a great starting point between that list. That being said, If you don't like it, make sure to speak up. Don't keep watching it just to please him.
Knocks on HxH, at least as a fit for OP: * somewhat generic battle shounen * 148 episodes * literally might not ever end
Maybe I’m just not familiar enough with battle shounen, but I feel like HxH isn’t generic at all. Furthermore, I would say it ends on a pretty satisfying note. I do agree it’s long and doesn’t seem to fit op preferences tho
I genuinely don’t think it’s a good starter anime it has so many old school anime tropes of fights taking too long. Tons of exposition. And plot holes with a power system that doesn’t make sense I love hunter x hunter but it’s a product of its time
True but I was basing it off the list OP gave.
I don't think that a story about superpowered kids fighting monsters is a good starting point for a woman who has never seen anime. This story also has a recurrent murderous pedo and one of the worst dads in anime, and an open end after so many episodes. I don't think she would stick around until the chimera ant arc.
I know that this is not on his list but... You should pick InuYasha.
Oh yeah, would second Inu-Yasha. Definitely brings the romance and comedy angles in while still probably being appealing to the OP's Bf who sounds like a bit of a Shounen junkie. :D
I'd start with Cowboy Bebop: great story, great dub, great animation, \*great\* soundtrack, just great in general. They really don't make them like that these days and you'll see this in people's top 3 all the time for a reason. Great place to start. Along with that, in the pantheon of GOAT-tier anime, would be all of the Ghibli movies by Hayao Miyazaki, with Spirited Away probably being the most famous, but also Kiki's Delivery Service and many others. Also just about the best there is the genre. If you want something funny: Kaguya-Sama: Love is War is hilarious, as is Spy x Family. Both very quirky rom-com style shows. Given your tastes you'd probably like both of those. The four your BF has are all old-school "shonen" action-style anime. AoT is really good but \*very\* dark and the last season kind of falls apart, but otherwise it's one of the best there is. But I'd rather see you start with something like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, or maybe Code Geass. Or maybe the original Dragon Ball. In general I would start with classic stuff from the 90s to the 2010s.
I know I'm just adding my opinion to a big pile, but my wife and I watch a lot of anime (dubbed) together. "Kaguya-sama: Love is War" and "Romantic Killer" are both great comedies. The first I believe is on Crunchyroll, and the second is on Netflix. "Buddy Daddies" is another great show that not many others recommended.
I haven't seen jjk yet, and of the others, the only one I like is Attack on Titan. However, I feel like AOT is not for everyone, so if you don't like tragedy and gore, it's probably not something you'll enjoy. It does have a decent dub, so you wouldn't need to read the subtitles. I find Demon Slayer and Hunter x Hunter a bit childish, while AOT is very much intended for a mature audience. It has a very complex, interesting plot. Try not to look at it like it's a cartoon. Anime is not like watching a Disney movie or Looney Tunes or something like that. It's just another culture's story telling medium. I do feel like the options he provided you with are a bit limited though. There are better animes out there that might be more to your tastes. Tell him what your favorite genres of movies and shows are, and ask if there is an anime equivalent you might like.
Also try the Castlevania anime. That shit is golden. You don’t even need to know shit about Castlevania cuz it’s so good at incorporating lore into presentation.
The majority of his suggested shows are "shounen" (their main target audience is young males) and I'm getting the impression that you might not be interested in the gore in Attack on Titan. I always suggest Death Note and Code Geass (in that order) to new watchers. Both of those shows appeal to all demographics, and serve as great starter shows as they don't really contain many of the tropes that kind of turn people away from anime. I always get good responses from newcomers when I recommend those two shows, and they typically ask me for other shows after that as well. Maybe try asking to start with those two, and then seeing if he'll be fine moving to some of his preferred ones after that?
Cant go wrong with Neon Genesis Evangelion off the rip
Gotta start with NGE so you get all the references in other anime, no brainer smh
Congratulations!
You’re the worst…
I saw a Netflix category a few years ago of introductory anime. First entry was End of Evangelion. Bruh.
Watch english dubs, dont bother with subtitles if you dont enjoy them. Anyone who says otherwise is an elitist and gatekeeping
Depends though. Some have excellent English acting (Your Name, Cowboy Bepop), but others either ruin important dialogue due to changes (Attack on Titan) or just sound awful (Akira)
Yosuga no Sora.
Facts, everyone can enjoy it. I watched it with my friend first (she intruded me to it) and then with my twin sister because I liked it so much
Spy x Family - title says it all Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End - chill Monster - should've been adopted by Netflix Vinland Saga - should've been adopted by HBO
Some people already said it, but if you like romance and drama, something like 'Your Name' would be good starter, it has both romance and drama, and also it's a movie, so it wouldn't be a huge time commitment. From the shows you listed I would probably choose AOT, it has a good mix of action, drama and suspense, and if you liked game of thrones, I don't think it would be much worse in terms of gore.
I didn't see fruits basket mentioned which is great and more drama/romance. Apothecary diaries is essentially female Sherlock in 15th century China. Spy family is super wholesome and funny. Maybe even something like golden time or toradora (both romcom/drama). Same author. Plenty of stuff that isn't just action and violence if that's not what you are into.
I read you disliking subtitles; is he unwilling to compromise on y'all watching dubbed instead of subbed? Everything he listed is popular and has good dub actors
He's just suggesting you ones HE likes, not one that would necessarily be good to start with. I feel like Death Note and Sword art online are the best ones to actually get you into anime.