movies/tv Anime: Which show should I start off with?

[OkBuddy 586]

OK, so here's the thing. I really respect the manga/anime style of art. I consider it to be one of the greatest forms of art out there. But for me to truly like it, I should ether read Manga or watch Anime. Well, I'd rather start off with Anime, since it's much more convenient. Problem is, I don't know where to start.

So do you guys have any shows that I can start off with? (Please, don't do anything that would be on a channel like 4kids or cartoon network. I don't consider that real anime.) (And on cartoon network, I mean on Saturday mornings, not anything like Toonami.)

[Samurshy 708]

  On 2012-09-12 at 3:42 AM, 'DJ PINK-3' said:

OK, so here's the thing. I really respect the manga/anime style of art. I consider it to be one of the greatest forms of art out there. But for me to truly like it, I should ether read Manga or watch Anime. Well, I'd rather start off with Anime, since it's much more convenient. Problem is, I don't know where to start.

So do you guys have any shows that I can start off with? (Please, don't do anything that would be on a channel like 4kids or cartoon network. I don't consider that real anime.) (And on cartoon network, I mean on Saturday mornings, not anything like Toonami.)

 

Start watching naruto dubbed from http://dubhappy.com/anime/naruto/ it is uncut and funimation dubbed not 4 kids. Naruto was my all time favorite anime growing up so I highly recommend it. Edited September 12, 2012 by Bronynonymous

[Gone Airbourne 21,977]

For me the first anime series I watched when I was younger was DBZ. But I really reccomend you watching full metal alchemist, soul eater, death note, flcl, inyuyasha, high school of the dead. Those are some great anime to start you out with all of them are excellent I have seen them and let me tell you they are awesome! My favorites were FMA & Soul eater

[Whiteshade 1,426]

Oh there's a ton of good ones. Here's a few from my list:

 

Angel Beats! (14eps) - That ending. Also has guns, comedy, romance, and TK. One of the best.

Baccano! (14eps) - Dat narrative perspective. Also has guns, comedy, decent plot, etc.

Blue Exorcist (25eps) - Episode 2, daaaaaaamn. Wow. Also has Mephisto Pheles in it, best troll character ever.

Code Geass (50eps) - It's like Gundam and chess combined. Also protagonist has swag.

Darker than Black (42eps)- It's about contracted assassins. Also nice backstory, and good conspiracy feel throughout. Also epic fighting.

Death Note (37eps) - Decent plot, decent mystery. Drops off after you-know-what, but still finishes epically.

Lucky Star (24eps) - So random, so much references, so cute. This and Haruhi are is the only ones I recommended without fighting in it.

Haruhi (42eps + a movie) - Haruhi OP. Nerf. Also has Nagato in it. Random anime but very good.

Edited September 12, 2012 by Whiteshade

[Samurshy 708]

  On 2012-09-12 at 3:55 AM, 'Whiteshade' said:

Code Geass - It's like Gundam and chess combined. Also protagonist has swag.

 

 

Protagonist in a way is antagonist... I started reading the new prequel manga and I have to say, that is an epic manga. Still I stand by my Naruto suggestion, really you should watch at least the first 5 or 6 episodes of Naruto before making a judgement call. Bleach is also a good one, but Naruto has ninjas! Deadman Wonderland is a good short series, but I would also recommend Baka and Test for a short series. It really depends on what you are looking for. Naruto, Bleach and Deadman are all action packed shounens. Baka and Test is a comedy with some action, but mostly comedy. Also Okami-san is a great anime. So is Sora no Otashimono, and Familiar of zero. Wanna watch a zombie anime? Watch Highschool of the Dead. Wanna watch a anime with a plot that rivals shakespearean plays? Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood is the way to go. Wanna watch a good harem? Rosario Vampire is pretty awesome in that regards. Shakugan no Shana is another action packed shounen. Well there is my list. Enjoy. Edited September 12, 2012 by Bronynonymous

[Zoop 8,384]

I don't really know what you'd consider 'real anime' to be, but some things that I've enjoyed...

 

• Azumanga Daioh

Silly light-hearted slice of life stuff. Good if you want to grin a lot.

 

• Now and then, Here and There

If you want to feel terrible about everything, this is a good option. Includes some... less than comfortable themes, though.

 

• Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica

Take your standard 'magical girl' anime themes, and throw them into a show written by someone known for creating extremely messed up stuff. Not exactly a feel good story.

 

• Spice and Wolf

Story of a traveling merchant who ends up in the company of a pagan wolf deity. The book is better, but the anime is pretty good.

 

• Fate/Zero

Prequel to Fate/Stay Night, which is somewhat shit and not worth watching (again, the book is better). It outshines its predecessor by a wide margin, and is pretty as hell.

[Samurshy 708]

Oh one more I forgot that was a pretty good anime I just watched recently. Symphogear: Two years ago, a pair of idols, Tsubasa Kazanari and Kanade Amō, collectively known as ZweiWing, fought against an alien race known as Noise using armor known as Symphogear. To protect a girl named Hibiki Tachibana, who got severely wounded by the Noise, Kanade sacrificed herself. Two years later, as Tsubasa has fought the Noise alone, Hibiki ends up gaining the same power as Kanade.

 

 

I forgot another one, that is perhaps one of the best short series I have seen. Ga-rei: Zero: A prequel to a manga series known as Ga Rei, it is about this girl who grew up helping her sister fight monsters, one day her sister turns evil and she has to make a decision to slay her sister or be slain herself. Very gory, very intense. The first episode will leave you wondering WTF did I just watch?

Edited September 12, 2012 by Bronynonymous

[Cranium Tyranus 216]

If your into drama that never gets truly resolved, watch Inuyasha, but you'll be watching it for a while.

If you like action and lot's of it, dragon balls Kai cuts out all the filler, it only goes up to the Cell saga in English, but your not missing much after frezia anyway.

If you like a good story that doesn't take too long to tell, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood is a good one.

Like comedy? Cromartie highschool, Desert Punk (raunchy as all get-out, but still funny) and excel saga, (off the charts funny, but still raunchy at parts)

I can't really think of much more right now, but I'll let you know if I do, also if English dub isn't a must, I got plenty of other one's.

Also, if your into marvel, they have a couple series based off of Wolverine and Iron man/tony stark going to Japan because fighting.

[Castoro Chiaro 181]

I recommend the first Fullmetal Alchemist anime. My best friend from school isn't an anime fan, and she LOVES that series. Very compelling characters, and just a great story in general. It holds a pretty dear place in my heart; don't think I've ever gotten as attached to an anime series on a personal level as I have that one.

 

My personal favorite anime is Samurai 7, an adaptation of the film The Seven Samurai. It's a show with very little lag time; there's almost always something happening, and the plot is always moving forward. The animation for the fight sequences is beautiful, and the characters themselves are quite diverse and interesting.

 

If you like more surreal stuff, Paranoia Agent is just brilliant. Every episode is told in a different style, and it's just a mindf*ck all the way through. I love it to pieces.

Edited September 12, 2012 by Castoro Chiaro

[Ink 191]

I just kinda feel like saying that manga is much more convenient than anime - you can move at your own pace and skip the boring filler, for example. Lots of awesome manga that were never even made into anime, too, or at least did it poorly.

 

I'll be classic and suggest DBZ, though. There's a reason it's one of the most popular anime around, even after all these years.

[pinkiefan1287 610]

Well what kinds of things do you like? Are you into action, comedy, romance, giant robots, or what? Also how are you viewing anime online like Youtube, or Netflix, or are you going to go out and buy some.

Still if want some choses I can give you some.

 

Yu Yu Hakusho is a good classic anime, with good action, story, and other good stuff.

 

Hayate the combat butler is just an odd wake anime. It has a lot of other anime refreezes. So you may like that one

 

Ronin Warriors also has some good action in it.

 

Maybe you like animes with school girls in them. Lucky Star is a good one if u want a slow pace anime that's not to hard to follow. Azumanga daioh has good comedy in it to.

 

Negima has all kinds of stuff in it. A 10 year old wizard boy, a ninja girl, vampire girl, ghost girl, a robot girl. This is a wacky anime.

 

If you want to try Gundam then go with Gundam Wing.

 

Also here are some that are good. Soul Eater (action), Clannad(tear jerker), Eden of the East (mystery), Outlaw Star (Space Anime)

 

So I hope this helps you get started on the path of anime.

[Autumn Skies 49]

I recommend Sailor Moon above all the other animes I'm about to list:

 

Code Geass

Gurren Lagann (pretty short, only 27 episodes, I believe)

Spice and Wolf

Azumanga Daioh

FLCL (short, sweet, and funny)

Desert Punk

Fairy Tale

Tenchi Muyo

Kino's Journey

 

 

Seriously though, I highly recommend watching Sailor Moon. It's a decently long series and one of the greatest "classical" animes. Plenty of action and it even has its fair share of humor.

 

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT watch the english dub. I'm sorry for those who grew up with the English dub and actually liked it, but the Japanese original has so much more to offer and plus there's no censorship. (Not saying there's nudity. None that shows off any features, that is.) The English dub cuts out plenty of episode and plus the final season of Sailor Moon was never dubbed over. (Also the English voice acting is just painful to listen to.)

[TheAsterite 15]

I extremely recommend you try this anime called Kaiba. It's definitely one of the most unique anime's I've seen in a long time visually and story wise. The series isn't that well known, but don't let that stop you.

 

The story's about a kid with a hole in his chest named Kaiba in a world where memories can be stored in chips. The first half of the series starts with Kaiba waking up with amnesia (yeah yeah, old trope I know) learning about the world and meeting interesting people. Second half deals with a conspiracy and Kaiba learning about his past. It's only 13 episodes long so there's no excuse not to watch it. Also it's one of the only animes to make me cry

 

Edit: The second being the end to Azumanga Daioh

 

Be warned, however, the anime deals with adult themes. It covers things like death, personal identity, corruption, love, and a lot of stuff.

http://anilinkz.com/kaiba-episode-1

 

http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvQwAdR25lk

Edited September 12, 2012 by TheAsterite

[Koori 156]

It kinda depends on what kind of anime do you like.

 

If you like magical girl kind of anime, then I'd strongly recommend Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon (200 ep). It kinda has everything. Action, comedy, romance etc.

 

If you like a random kind of anime, then Lucky Star is a good one for you.

 

If you like action and are not scared to see (a lot of) blood or death, then I'd recommend Ginga Nagareboshi Gin and Ginga Densetsu Weed. Full Metal Alchemist isn't bad either.

 

If you like romantic kind, then I'd recommend Hello! Sandybell. A very good classical anime.

 

I don't know what else to recommend. Those are the best ones I've seen.

[Whiteshade 1,426]

  On 2012-09-12 at 5:11 AM, 'Autumn Skies' said:

I recommend Sailor Moon above all the other animes I'm about to list:

 

Code Geass

Gurren Lagann (pretty short, only 27 episodes, I believe)

Spice and Wolf

Azumanga Daioh

FLCL (short, sweet, and funny)

Desert Punk

Fairy Tale

Tenchi Muyo

Kino's Journey

 

 

Seriously though, I highly recommend watching Sailor Moon. It's a decently long series and one of the greatest "classical" animes. Plenty of action and it even has its fair share of humor.

 

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT watch the english dub. I'm sorry for those who grew up with the English dub and actually liked it, but the Japanese original has so much more to offer and plus there's no censorship. (Not saying there's nudity. None that shows off any features, that is.) The English dub cuts out plenty of episode and plus the final season of Sailor Moon was never dubbed over. (Also the English voice acting is just painful to listen to.)

 

I'm probably being an anime nazi here, but Fairy Tail, not "Fairy Tale". Pretty good anime, but I wouldn't put it into my shortlist as the plot isn't the best. The concept and the fighting are certainly decent though.

[Autumn Skies 49]

  On 2012-09-12 at 6:03 AM, 'Whiteshade' said:

I'm probably being an anime nazi here, but Fairy Tail, not "Fairy Tale". Pretty good anime, but I wouldn't put it into my shortlist as the plot isn't the best. The concept and the fighting are certainly decent though.

 

Haha, sorry. It's been forever since I last watched it. It's not my favorite anime, but it's not completely terrible as long as you're not expecting the best thing ever.

[Flying Whales 311]

  On 2012-09-12 at 3:55 AM, 'Whiteshade' said:

Angel Beats! (14eps) - That ending. Also has guns, comedy, romance, and TK. One of the best.

I’m watching that as I type this now. I would highly recommend this, it was an amazing anime, pretty sad though. I loved TK by the way!

 

I would also recommend Highschool of the Dead too that was a really cool anime as well.

 

This is in my opinion a hugely underrated anime, Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom

[AegisReflector 886]

I first started off with the Dragon Ball series. You can probably just watch DBZ, since Dragon Ball doesn't get good until the World Martial Arts Tournament and Dragon Ball GT is quite shitty.

 

Also, might I recommend smaller anime first? Start off with Samurai Champloo, Cowboy Bebop, Fooly Cooly, Lucky Star, Fullmetal Alchemist/FM: Brotherhood, etc.

[Flying Whales 311]

  On 2012-09-12 at 6:16 AM, 'AegisReflector' said:

Fullmetal Alchemist/FM: Brotherhood

How could I forget about this one? FMA Brotherhood is god mode among anime, it was hands down my favorite anime anime of all time. Everything about it was very well done.

[tanoshii 131]

I may as well recommend Gurren Lagann since that is the one that got me into anime. It doesn't take itself too seriously and I found it to be a lot of fun to watch.

 

I'll just leave this here, it's got categories so you can narrow down your choice a bit.

 

Edited September 12, 2012 by FL_

[Discordian 6,015]

I hope you aren't suggesting that Sonic X, Yugioh, One Piece and the like aren't real anime. They most certainly are, regardless of what 4Kids did to them. The only actual definition of anime is that it is animated shows made in Japan. Nothing more and nothing less. Society has dubbed that anime and cartoons are different but in essence they aren't.

 

But at the same time they are because the culture surrounding them is different and there are many tropes and artstyle similarities that you will find in anime more than any other.

 

Don't ever let anyone tell you something like Avatar isn't anime. It is, just not made in Japan. Just like "Manga" is the Japanese variant of "Comic Book" but is under the same rules: The culture and art is often quite different than those made in other regions.

 

Manwha is exactly the same too. Manwha is the Korean version of Manga/Comics and they resemble Manga from Japan more closely than they do Comics from the US. The name is little more than semantic and linguistic differences.

 

Oh also, don't let anyone tell you manga is better than anime by default or vice versa. True enough there are a lot of manga that never get turned into anime but there are some anime that are turned into manga.

 

Sometimes the anime and manga will be different as well even if they are the same franchise. (Look at Trigun)

 

As for recommendations: Darker Than Black and Blassreiter are good starts.

Edited September 12, 2012 by Resulli

[FedoraMemes 582]

Personally, it depends what your into. If you like more mature themed anime (not necessarily sexual) then go for Death Note, Highschool of the Dead, Elfen Lied, Ghost in a Shell or Full metal Alchemist.

 

If you wanna go for the more mainstream anime, with fighting and stuff, choose Bleach, Naruto or Soul Eater.

 

If you're really unsure, check out The Anime Thread and see what really suits you.

 

Hope I could help!

[Devious Detonation 442]

I would totally advise you to watch Clannad without crying.

Try to beat me. I didn't cried and I saw the whole damn thing! It is a bit easier when you have a rougher story than the things that go on in the anime.

[Vicke 3,189]

I would advvice you to watch either Naruto or Strike Witches.

 

Naruto got the great action and a lovely story.

 

Strike witches got boobs,humor and big guns.

[Smokin'HotRarity 182]

Lucky Star, each ep is only about 20 mins long, there's only 26 of them so completing the series isn't a real chore. Also its funny and there's no gore and stuff either.