So you want to start watching anime but you aren’t sure of where to start? Want to understand the references your geeky friends make? Don’t worry! We got you completely covered, whether you prefer romance or action, comedy or mystery, this list has something for everyone. And if you already are into anime but want to find some great recommendations for your friends, this list will also help you!
So you like action and comedy? Always up for epic matches? We got you: Dragon Ball Z/Super
I know, I know. I’m starting heavy right here, Dragon Ball is definitely a classic that never ceases to amaze both new and old fans. So many good animes have found inspiration for their stories within Dragon Ball.
In Dragon Ball, we follow the adventures of Goku who is a Saiyanjin, meaning that he is from the planet Saiyan where all of its people are warriors, this makes them very strong and resilient with unimaginable fighting skills. Goku, however, grows up on Earth and considers himself a human but he and his friends find themselves constantly facing horrible enemies that threaten to destroy them or the Earth or the universe! Yikes! That escalated quickly!
It is actually no wonder that a lot of tropes of the shonen genre come from Dragon Ball! For those who aren’t familiar, Shonentha is the anime genre t is targeted to boys, whoever this definition can be changed (considering that not only boys watch these animes) to the animes that focus mostly on action and comedy in PG-13 kind of way.
This leads us to our next recommendation: One punch man!
This anime is quickly becoming a classic due to its hilarious use of tropes and parodies within its plot but make no mistake, as funny as this anime is, it is still one of best animes ever. In One Punch Man, we follow the adventures of Saitama, who lives in an unnamed Earth-like super-continent planet where powerful monsters and villains have been mysteriously appearing and causing disasters. Saitama who has trained himself to the point of literally being able to defeat them all with one single punch, finds himself feeling bored of his life. As the series goes on, Saitama encounters superheroes, villains, and monsters. He also gains a pupil, Genos, who is a cyborg on a revenge quest to find another cyborg that slaughtered his entire family and hometown. Follow the adventure of these two as the also join the Hero Association to gain official recognition!
Our next recommendation is more on the romantic comedy side: Ouran Highschool Host Club
This anime is truly a classic when it comes to romantic comedy and its catchy opening song will surely leave you wanting more!
Ouran Highschool Host Club is the story of Haruhi Fujioka, a scholarship student at the prestigious Ouran Academy, a high school for rich kids. While looking for a quiet place to study, Haruhi stumbles upon the mysterious Third Music Room, a place where the Ouran Academy Host Club, a group of six very handsome male students gather to entertain female students with snacks, tea, and good conversation. Haruhi, being a bit of a klutz, ends up breaking an expensive antique vase valued at ¥8,000,000 and is told that she must work as a host to be able to pay for it! Will Haruhi will her short hair and boyish look be able to pull that off? And will she find romance in the way? Check the anime and find that out!
For our next recommendation, we have something more of a psychological thriller: Death Note
Imagine that you’re the picture perfect high school student, and suddenly a little black notebook falls out the sky. This notebook claims that any person’s name that is written in it, will die. That is exactly what happened to Light Yagami and naturally, he doesn’t believe it until he tests the Death Note and realizes that is it actually true! Furthermore, he meets Ryuk, the spirit of death who is the actual owner of the notebook who simply wishes to see what Light will do with the notebook. Will Light be able to change the world with the Death Note? Or will the power corrupt him? Only one way to find that out: watching this thrilling story.
And our last but not least recommendation is one of the most famous animes ever, the worldly renown: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
While this anime actually has two versions, we will focus on Brotherhood because it is the one version that caused the most stir in the past decade.
The story follows the struggles of the Elric brothers, Edward (oldest) and Alphonse. They’re both alchemists who are trying to find the Philosopher’s stone to bring back their deceased mother but as their search goes on, they find out some much more about the government, alchemy and the secret behind the stone.
What is great about this series is how quickly you get absorbed by the plot and how familiar the characters become to you. It really shows you how deep the connections are between us as humans and that we cannot gain anything without giving something in return. Trust me, by the time you finish watching that anime, that phrase will have a new meaning to you!
So, are you ready to meet your new favorite anime? Which one will you watch? And if there’s any other you consider a great gateway, let us know and remember that there is always an anime that will cater to your tastes, don’t be afraid to look for more!
