We all have at least one person in our lives who is tempted to start watching anime, but the overwhelming number of choices, subtitles, wacky character designs, occasionally odd sense of humor, controversial moments, or incredibly dark stories put them off. It might be a friend, a sibling, a member of your family, or your significant other; whoever it is, you’re desperate for them to dip their toes into the vast ocean that is anime. But before people swim in the sea, they tend to learn in a pool. That’s exactly where this list comes in, as we’ve compiled the best beginner-friendly anime to ease that person into the medium.
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The shows below all have one or more elements that make them accessible to beginners. Some show off the medium’s best fight scenes while pulling back on overly complicated storylines, others do away with subtitles by blending the style of Japanese animation with English dialogue, and one even feels like a HBO-worthy show in anime form.
1) Demon Slayer
Is Demon Slayer a slightly vanilla choice to recommend to a first-time anime viewer? Probably. But Ufotable’s anime, based on the manga by Koyoharu Gotouge, is the perfect litmus test for new anime fans for a good reason.
The series follows Tanjirล Kameda, who loses his family to vicious demons. His sister has been transformed into one, and he joins the Demon Slayer Corps to find a cure for her. It’s a simplistic plot, and that’s exactly why it’s a great first watch. The straightforward narrative makes room for the phenomenal action that is a staple of many shonen adaptations.
2) Castlevania
We know what you’re about to say, ‘Um, actually, Castlevania isn’t an anime!’ In the technical sense, no, it isn’t. But to a new fan, it’s the perfect gateway drug to move them from Western animation to Japanese anime.
Based on Capcom’s titular video game franchise, Netflix’s Castlevania sees Dracula attempt to bring about the end of humanity after his wife is killed by the heads of the Church. Standing in his way are Trevor Belmont, the last of the great Belmont clan of vampire hunters; Sypha Belnades, a nomadic magician; and Alucard, Dracula’s half-vampiric son.
3) Trigun
To many, the ’90s were the Golden Age of anime, thanks to the likes of Cowboy Bebop, Yu Yu Hakusho, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Slam Dunk, and many more. But you can get to those in time. ’90s anime are considerably slower and more patient than modern shows, and it can feel slightly jarring for someone who’s only watched the most recent shonen anime.
That’s why we recommend Trigun as the perfect entry point into the decade’s anime offerings. It’s a slower-paced series, filled with the introspective storytelling that the decade was renowned for, while also including great action scenes that blend the Western genre with sci-fi. The series follows Vash the Typhoon, who has a bounty on his head of $60 billion. But, he’s seemingly innocent of the crimes he was accused of.
4) Spy x Family
Anime isn’t all about cool guns and ‘splosions. Sometimes you have to take a break from intense action to slow down and enjoy everyday life. The slice-of-life genre is something that’s far more prominent in Japanese anime, manga, and light novels than it is in the West. But the seemingly melodramatic genre is filled with some truly great stories.
Spy x Family is a great starting point for potential slice-of-life fans. Set in an alternate history inspired by 20th-century Berlin, the series follows Agent Twilight, who must put together a fake family (unknowingly comprised of a telepathic child and an elite assassin) to infiltrate the other side. It sounds over-the-top, and it occasionally is. But the bonkers moments are balanced out with incredibly cute and calming scenes depicting their everyday lives between missions.
5) Haikyuu!
Sports anime has seen a massive boom in recent years, and every hardcore anime fan has their favorite sports series (mine being Hajime no Ippo). But, sports anime from the 20th century can be a little bit controversial, and many sports anime have a habit of getting unrealistically intense โ we’re looking at you, Blue Lock.
Haikyuu! takes everything fans love about the sports genre; the motivational speeches, the underdog story, training montages, and relatable characters, and does away with the melodrama and excessive superpowered moves. It follows Shoyo Hinata, a high schooler who will stop at nothing to become a pro volleyball player, despite being the smallest person on the court.
6) Vinland Saga
The entries above are comprised of amazing shonen series. But, for fans looking for something a bit more intense, the seinen demographic might be for you. You’ve likely heard of the big three of seinen โ Berserk, Vagabond, and Vinland Saga. The former definitely isn’t beginner-friendly, and the middle has never been given an anime. That’s why Vinland Saga is a great first-time seinen series.
Set during the height of the Viking era, Vinland Saga follows Thorfinn, a young Norse warrior desperate to avenge his father. But, when that mission for revenge is unceremoniously taken away from him, Thorfinn must find new meaning in life, searching for peace among an insatiably violent culture.
7) Attack on Titan
During its run, Attack on Titan held the anime community in the palm of its hand. The dark fantasy action series features one of the most iconic anime mysteries of all time, in a story that’s packed to the brim with intricate character arcs and plot twists-galore. Attack on Titan is a complicated watch, thanks to the mystery looming over the story and the worldbuilding. But, if you’re fine with a show that doesn’t hold your hand, we can’t recommend it enough.
Attack on Titan is set in a world where humanity lives inside three giant walls to protect itself from the gigantic titans that roam the Earth. When the outer wall is destroyed and titans wipe out a third of the population, Eren Yeager swears revenge against all titans. What follows is a quest to kill the source of the titans and uncover the many mysteries of their world.
8) Monster
Some might disagree with this entry, as Monster, based on the manga by Naoki Urasawa, is a tough watch. But, one of the biggest hurdles for new anime viewers is the medium’s over-the-top elements, like excessive use of the word “baka” and silly comedy. Monster is not that kind of show. It’s a dark and twisting thriller that rivals the likes of True Detective… and it just so happens to be an anime.
Monster follows Dr. Kenzo Tenma, one of Japan’s best neurosurgeons, who is wrongfully convicted of murder. When Tenma escapes, he tries to hunt down the killer and clear his name, taking him down a dark rabbit hole of other gruesome murders across the country.
9) Ghost Stories (Dub)
You might notice a distinct lack of comedy in the above list (aside from Spy X Family). Comedy anime is something of a grey area, even for die-hard fans of the medium, as many jokes fail to translate properly into English and rely on a lived-in knowledge of Japanese culture. So, for your first comedy anime, why not check out the most Americanized comedy anime of all time?
Ghost Stories‘ English dub is a rite of passage for any anime fan. The original series failed in Japan, so when it was licensed to be released in the West, the English dub team was given free rein to rewrite the script in its entirety. The result is one of the most non-PC, out-of-pocket anime dubs of all time, and it’s laugh-out-loud hilarious.
10) Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
When looking for your first anime, you might be tempted to look for the best show around. While that question has caused more fights than saying “Griffith did nothing wrong” (you’ll learn what that means eventually), the general consensus holds Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood as the GOAT. It just so happens that the series is also quite beginner-friendly.
Adapted from the manga by Hiromu Arakawa, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood follows two brothers, Edward and Alphonse, as they search for the legendary Philosopher’s Stone. The series is set in a world where magic can have disastrous consequences, but the boys will stop at nothing to resurrect their dead mother.
Do you agree with the entries on this list? What anime would you recommend to a beginner? Let us know in the comments below.
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Image courtesy of Lionsgate
