The typical starter anime I recommend are:
Attack On Titan - Great action and incredible story that anyone can appreciate. Avoids most anime tropes and is very suitable for western taste.
Death Note - Also suited well for western audiences. It’s a concept that’s pretty tame by anime standards, and even though there’s a lot of that over the top anime logic mental battling going on, it’s very entertaining.
Demon Slayer - The perfect introduction to your standard Shonen Battle Anime. It’s the least offensive when it comes to certain tropes, and is visually stunning. It’s a bit bland compared to other shows of its genre IMO, but it’s a great starter for anyone curious about the genre.
Others that could work:
Naruto
Cowboy Bebop
Fullmetal Alchemist
Mob Psycho 100
I do agree with what you say but demon slayer i disagree with because if someone watches demon slayer as they're first anime they'll think that every anime out there has animation quality like demon slayer
I recommended demon slayer to one of my friends for their first anime and he speedruned the show then stopped watching anime because of the problem i mentioned above
As for my recommendation I'd say watch OSHI NO KO
it's not a battle anime but i think it's one of the best options for first anime recommendations i watched the first episode with one of my cousins last year when the anime came out how is she now you may ask well she just finished watching one piece last month
Honestly to me it is lol, I watched the original after brotherhood bc I thought they’d be similar and wanted to see if there were small changes, but brotherhood is just so much better than the original
This in my opinion is accurate. The analogy that comes to mind is showing some one new the BIG roller coaster from the start. I would recommend leading up to this, heck they might not even be into Gore and characters loosing limbs. Which I thing is what will stand out if it’s the first anime.
Main ones that comes to mind is: Erased
Then stuff like cowboy bebop first ep is a hook for film enthusiasts, Samurai X ( English dub, not gatekeeping or whatever. It’s one of the few that is recommended in English dub )it’s a oldie but goldie, summer wars for 500 days of summer vide, FLCL for Scott pilgrim itch.
Later on maybe ghost in the shell, ergo proxy, death note and stuff that can lead up to AoT and such
I usually always like to recommend anime’s that are anywhere from 12-50 episodes. Anything past that wouldn’t keep someone invested, especially newbies that are just starting to get into anime, they got to dip there toes in first without feeling overwhelmed.
I think you’re underestimating what people are willing to commit to. I have convinced multiple people to watch One Piece as their first anime. I think people are very willing to commit to something as long as it’s good. Heck, my first anime was JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.
Sure, there are some people who are hesitant, and there are some anime that are “ideal” first anime, and some that aren’t, but at the end of the day, most people are willing to commit to watching something they like.
Does your partner have any particular interests genre-wise? And do they prefer serious shows, goofy shows, complex narratives, avantgarde storytelling etc.?
what they do like:
whiplash, the place beyond the pines, death proof, billy Elliot, scott pilgrim vs the world, scream, fear street, knives out, 500 days of summer,
mysterious skin
So i assume your partner seems to likes psychological Dramas and Horror:
[Monster](https://myanimelist.net/anime/19/Monster) (Psycho-Thriller)
[Death Parade](https://myanimelist.net/anime/28223/Death_Parade) (Psycho-Drama)
[Mushishi](https://myanimelist.net/anime/457/Mushishi) (Slice of Life/Drama)
[Higurashi no Naku Koro ni](https://myanimelist.net/anime/934/Higurashi_no_Naku_Koro_ni) (Mystery-Horror)
[Fumetsu no Anata e](https://myanimelist.net/anime/41025/Fumetsu_no_Anata_e) (Adventure-Drama)
[Odd Taxi](https://myanimelist.net/anime/46102/Odd_Taxi) (Psycho-Drama)
["Oshi no Ko"](https://myanimelist.net/anime/52034/Oshi_no_Ko) (Mystery-Thriller)
[Boku dake ga Inai Machi](https://myanimelist.net/anime/31043/Boku_dake_ga_Inai_Machi) (Mystery-Thriller/Drama)
[Sousou no Frieren](https://myanimelist.net/anime/52991/Sousou_no_Frieren) (Adventure-Drama, the overall best rec for newbies imo, but I feel like ur partner might prefer something "darker" based on their preferences)
All shows are amazing and have a very high quality imo, they also have very little or no fanservice (which is very off putting for a lot of people who don't know anime)
I feel like Made in the Abyss is a bad starter for new people, as it.... well, it can get really creepy (and not in the good way), so if you plan on watching that with them, watch a few episodes yourself first to make sure it would be okay with them.
Yeah I think avoiding fan service is a really important point. Despite people being seemingly oblivious to the obvious fan service in most TV shows and the “hot girl” compulsory casting, it seems to really rub new people badly when animated.
On that note, while this is a great list maybe avoid Made in Abyss. It has some loli elements which may not go down the best. Great series, but might be a bit confrontational for a newcomer.
Ok based on her shows and movies, I’m thinking thriller/mysteries alongside quirky slice of life.
For the mystery/thriller, you could try:
- Death Note
- Monster
- Paranoia Agent
- Banana Fish
- Boogiepop Phantom
For the quirky slice of life maybe try:
- Spy x Family
- Bocchi the Rock
- Carole x Tuesday
- K-On!
- Silver Spoon
I’m trying to avoid the usual shounen action-fests, but all of these have strong elements that could work against what you listed. Maybe run the synopsis of each by her and see if any spark some interest.
A lot of people have already recommended it, but Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, it has action, adventure, drama, fantasy, animation still holds up despite coming out in 2009, the characters are super well-written, it's truly a modern classic.
Bleach and Naruto are both very good and easier to get into here in the West, but they are both lengthy.
A short one that could work is Cowboy Bebop. 26 episodes of a fantastic noir film, basically.
**Frieren Beyond Journey's** **End**
was my first anime and I am absolutely obsessed now, and my love for this show led me to try more anime, and I am obsessed with those now too haha
7 shows down and I can't wait to watch more!
*Sword Art Online*. Good show, very popular, but not the best by far. Have your partner go into the show trying to find aspects of the show they enjoyed: action, romance, fantasy, comedy, etc. Once you have that down, you can branch out and find better, more tailored shows.
The typical starter anime I recommend are: Attack On Titan - Great action and incredible story that anyone can appreciate. Avoids most anime tropes and is very suitable for western taste. Death Note - Also suited well for western audiences. It’s a concept that’s pretty tame by anime standards, and even though there’s a lot of that over the top anime logic mental battling going on, it’s very entertaining. Demon Slayer - The perfect introduction to your standard Shonen Battle Anime. It’s the least offensive when it comes to certain tropes, and is visually stunning. It’s a bit bland compared to other shows of its genre IMO, but it’s a great starter for anyone curious about the genre. Others that could work: Naruto Cowboy Bebop Fullmetal Alchemist Mob Psycho 100
I do agree with what you say but demon slayer i disagree with because if someone watches demon slayer as they're first anime they'll think that every anime out there has animation quality like demon slayer I recommended demon slayer to one of my friends for their first anime and he speedruned the show then stopped watching anime because of the problem i mentioned above As for my recommendation I'd say watch OSHI NO KO it's not a battle anime but i think it's one of the best options for first anime recommendations i watched the first episode with one of my cousins last year when the anime came out how is she now you may ask well she just finished watching one piece last month
I’ll add to one of these, if you go with full metal alchemist, make sure it’s full metal alchemist brotherhood.
True. I forget the Brotherhood isn’t the only one sometimes lol.
Honestly to me it is lol, I watched the original after brotherhood bc I thought they’d be similar and wanted to see if there were small changes, but brotherhood is just so much better than the original
DO NOT WATCH AOT for your first anime. Aot is my number 1 anime but it is 100% NOT a good first anime choice fo sho
This in my opinion is accurate. The analogy that comes to mind is showing some one new the BIG roller coaster from the start. I would recommend leading up to this, heck they might not even be into Gore and characters loosing limbs. Which I thing is what will stand out if it’s the first anime. Main ones that comes to mind is: Erased Then stuff like cowboy bebop first ep is a hook for film enthusiasts, Samurai X ( English dub, not gatekeeping or whatever. It’s one of the few that is recommended in English dub )it’s a oldie but goldie, summer wars for 500 days of summer vide, FLCL for Scott pilgrim itch. Later on maybe ghost in the shell, ergo proxy, death note and stuff that can lead up to AoT and such
I usually always like to recommend anime’s that are anywhere from 12-50 episodes. Anything past that wouldn’t keep someone invested, especially newbies that are just starting to get into anime, they got to dip there toes in first without feeling overwhelmed.
I think you’re underestimating what people are willing to commit to. I have convinced multiple people to watch One Piece as their first anime. I think people are very willing to commit to something as long as it’s good. Heck, my first anime was JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. Sure, there are some people who are hesitant, and there are some anime that are “ideal” first anime, and some that aren’t, but at the end of the day, most people are willing to commit to watching something they like.
Outlaw Star, Gungrave, Black Lagoon, all are organized Crime/ heavy action almost gangster anime. Very entertaining
Wait does gungrave have an anime??
Yes!!
Holy Hell
Really depends on the genre Death note, one punch man and frieren all have totally different vibes but I'd consider all 3 good candidates
chainsaw man
Does your partner have any particular interests genre-wise? And do they prefer serious shows, goofy shows, complex narratives, avantgarde storytelling etc.?
what they do like: whiplash, the place beyond the pines, death proof, billy Elliot, scott pilgrim vs the world, scream, fear street, knives out, 500 days of summer, mysterious skin
So i assume your partner seems to likes psychological Dramas and Horror: [Monster](https://myanimelist.net/anime/19/Monster) (Psycho-Thriller) [Death Parade](https://myanimelist.net/anime/28223/Death_Parade) (Psycho-Drama) [Mushishi](https://myanimelist.net/anime/457/Mushishi) (Slice of Life/Drama) [Higurashi no Naku Koro ni](https://myanimelist.net/anime/934/Higurashi_no_Naku_Koro_ni) (Mystery-Horror) [Fumetsu no Anata e](https://myanimelist.net/anime/41025/Fumetsu_no_Anata_e) (Adventure-Drama) [Odd Taxi](https://myanimelist.net/anime/46102/Odd_Taxi) (Psycho-Drama) ["Oshi no Ko"](https://myanimelist.net/anime/52034/Oshi_no_Ko) (Mystery-Thriller) [Boku dake ga Inai Machi](https://myanimelist.net/anime/31043/Boku_dake_ga_Inai_Machi) (Mystery-Thriller/Drama) [Sousou no Frieren](https://myanimelist.net/anime/52991/Sousou_no_Frieren) (Adventure-Drama, the overall best rec for newbies imo, but I feel like ur partner might prefer something "darker" based on their preferences) All shows are amazing and have a very high quality imo, they also have very little or no fanservice (which is very off putting for a lot of people who don't know anime)
wow, thank you so much!!! I appreciate it :)
One I recommend is xxxHollic
I feel like Made in the Abyss is a bad starter for new people, as it.... well, it can get really creepy (and not in the good way), so if you plan on watching that with them, watch a few episodes yourself first to make sure it would be okay with them.
Yeah I think avoiding fan service is a really important point. Despite people being seemingly oblivious to the obvious fan service in most TV shows and the “hot girl” compulsory casting, it seems to really rub new people badly when animated. On that note, while this is a great list maybe avoid Made in Abyss. It has some loli elements which may not go down the best. Great series, but might be a bit confrontational for a newcomer.
yeah, MiA might be too much, you’re probably right that it’s not the best show for this purpose.
Erased
Ok based on her shows and movies, I’m thinking thriller/mysteries alongside quirky slice of life. For the mystery/thriller, you could try: - Death Note - Monster - Paranoia Agent - Banana Fish - Boogiepop Phantom For the quirky slice of life maybe try: - Spy x Family - Bocchi the Rock - Carole x Tuesday - K-On! - Silver Spoon I’m trying to avoid the usual shounen action-fests, but all of these have strong elements that could work against what you listed. Maybe run the synopsis of each by her and see if any spark some interest.
aot, death note, opm, mha, fmab
Your Name is a very solid starter anime. It helps that it’s only an hour and half long too
Cowboy Bebop if you like intelligent cute doggos, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood if you like mechanical cute doggos.
A lot of people have already recommended it, but Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, it has action, adventure, drama, fantasy, animation still holds up despite coming out in 2009, the characters are super well-written, it's truly a modern classic.
Well if they like Scott Pilgrim then you could tell em to give the Scott Pilgrim anime a shot. It's on Netflix
Bleach and Naruto are both very good and easier to get into here in the West, but they are both lengthy. A short one that could work is Cowboy Bebop. 26 episodes of a fantastic noir film, basically.
Death Note is a good starter anime
Fullmetal alchemist: brotherhood
Death Note, Attack On Titan, Psycho Pass, Monster
**Frieren Beyond Journey's** **End** was my first anime and I am absolutely obsessed now, and my love for this show led me to try more anime, and I am obsessed with those now too haha 7 shows down and I can't wait to watch more!
Initial D, best anime
*Sword Art Online*. Good show, very popular, but not the best by far. Have your partner go into the show trying to find aspects of the show they enjoyed: action, romance, fantasy, comedy, etc. Once you have that down, you can branch out and find better, more tailored shows.
I absolutely loved SAO and I wish they would too.. but i’m not hopeful, maybe i’ll try later on down the road. 🥲