Anime for people that have never watched anime

[Thaius]

I highly, HIGHLY recommend starting with Avatar: The Last Airbender.

It is not anime: actually, it's an American animated show, a kid's show in Nickelodeon that ran for three seasons before being brought to a close by choice of the creators: it's an epic, emotional, and truly amazing fantasy show that is easily the best I've ever seen.

Now I know it's not anime, but it serves as a good bridge. Often, it's just hard to get used to such maturity within an animated medium. Avatar is a kid's show, but though it starts out expectedly juvenile, it matures over time and becomes a great show. I watched it before I started watching anime, and it helped me be a bit used to it before I started on the anime itself. It's a great bridge to cross before starting in on it.

Then I recommend Death Note (psychological thriller), Full Metal Alchemist (fantasy/action/drama), and Clannad (comedy/romance/drama). These three are, in my opinion, the pinnacles of their respective genres, and will give you a good idea of what to expect from anime of different genres. Also, Clannad will make you cry (specifically the second season, After Story).

Other miscellaneous recommendations are Cowboy Bebop, Orphen (the first season), Darker Than BLACK, Samurai Champloo, and Fooly Cooly (this is a weird one: I recommend getting used to anime in general before starting this one).

EDIT: Also, Trigun. Fantastic anime, even if it has one of the most disappointing endings in the history of endings. But the show is awesome, and more than worth it.

Also, if you've up for a Japanese kid's show, Digimon Tamers (the third season of the show) is actually really, really good. A bit kiddy at first, but sometimes gets rather mature, and tells a great story with awesome characters.

 

[Canadian Briton]

I watch no anime as well though its less a case of I cant find it, on the t.v anyway (because i know it is on the internet) but more of a case that I fear that I will look like a japanophile to my friends.

 

[Lem0nade Inlay]

I started with Bleach...no one here has mentioned that yet...so does that mean it was weird to start with?

Either way, I'm pretty addicted to it.

 

[Vet2501]

Neon Genesis: Evangelion, yes the hero is a bit of a whiny ***** but it's really good if you can get past that.

Any Ghost in the Shell you can find, either the original movie or Stand Alone Complex. Altough for a firat timer they can get very complex which may be off-putting.

Akira, one of the most iconic animes ever.

Excel Saga, I would say perfect for a first timer, there is really no need to pay attention to the story whatsoever as it is ridiculous, and it's really funny.

 

[Ulquiorra4sama]

Guyver perhaps. It starts of gently and has a decent story and a nice amount of action so it should suit well for fist time viewers of anime.

 

[iFail69]

Death Note, Hellsing or Trigun are my suggestions.

Possibly gunslinger girl too actually

 

[ShadowofaAirmen]

As a Vetrien Anime watcher to start off my friends who never watch anime i usally go with Soul Eater or Guren Laggen (unless we want comdey) but heres a Site where you can watch free anime

http://www.goodanime.net/anime-list i go there to watch anime that i never heard of or simple wana test out befor i dedicate my self to buying it...lol ive spent far to much money on this stuff >.< enjoy.

 

[God's Clown]

Cowboy Bebop is a great place to start, and I'm sure you could find the movie on Netflix, if nothing else.

Listen to this man, Cowboy Bebop is THEE anime to start with. It will also probably stay one of your favorites forever.

 

[Boris Goodenough]

Akira and Ghost in the Shell, maybe Fullmetal Alchemist (both Brotherhood and the "original" series) are good.

 

[Illusive DiZ]

I'd try Buso Renkin. I rented from netflix and it's pretty good.

 

[Sunrider]

For mecha and mecha/romance, watch Full Metal Panic instead of the mechas mentioned above. Neon Genesis Evangelion or Eureka 7 might be a bit much to get into when new to Anime. Perfect for your description of "action with some drama in it". Have fun.

EDIT: Oh, I forgot. Baccano! must be one of the most outrageous shows ever, it really is a must-see. It has everything. Humour, suspense, action/violence, a bit of romance. It's just close to perfection.

 

[TheGreenManalishi]

Don't start with the Ghost in the Shell movie, it talks about a lot of things in the GitS universe that don't get explained in the movie. I understood it a lot more after watching about half of the first gig of the Stand Alone Complex series.

 

[Daipire]

Bobo bobobobo

 

[Deadlock Radium]

I'll recommend Bleach, and I think you can find all of the mentioned animes on Gogo Anime [SUB](Google it)[/SUB].

 

[Sojaus]

Eva is most certainly NOT an anime to start on, nor would I recommend Death Note as a first. Both these series are very dark and heavy. Full Metal Panic as Sunrider84 has said is a good Mecha anime to start on, along with others such as Gundam 0080 or Gundam 08th MS team (Personally Gundam Wing is just too effin angsty). So in terms of top 3 i'd have to go with the following (In no particular order):

1- Full Metal Panic
2- Cowboy Bebop
3- Gundam 08th MS Team

For later anime viewing throw in some Outlaw Star, Wolf's Rain a bunch of others other people have mentioned. I'm currently watching Darker than Black which is quite well done.

Cowboy Bebop and FMA...The ORIGINAL; Brotherhood is too over-animated and crazy.

Brotherhood is the essential "Revamp" that FMA needed. It's sticking closer to the actual manga then the original series ever did. Same thing with Dragonball Z: Kai.

Oh, I forgot. Baccano! must be one of the most outrageous shows ever, it really is a must-see. It has everything. Humour, suspense, action/violence, a bit of romance. It's just close to perfection.

What's the big deal about Baccano anyway? I watch the first couple episode and was extremely unimpressed. I just found it to be very slow and the characters quite uninteresting for what I had watched.

 

[Nuclear_Suspect]

'ello there, couldnt pass this thread without signing up and butting in.
Just as a forewarning, I link the the anime-site I use to stream with (http://www.animeshippuuden.com/)

I'll also join in on the whole 'Death Note' [http://www.animeshippuuden.com/watch/death-note/] craze since its cleverly written and often makes you think.

Plot Summary: Yagami Light is an ace student with great prospects, who's bored out of his mind. One day he finds the "Death Note": a notebook from the realm of the Death Gods, with the power to kill people in any way he desires. With the Death Note in hand, Light decides to create his perfect world, without crime or criminals. However, when criminals start dropping dead one by one, the authorites send the legendary detective L to track down the killer, and a battle of wits, deception and logic ensues.

Now all of the really classic 'Action' series have already been mentioned which leaves me to go the more 'advanced' route where some of the plot can get a little 'too japanese' for my tastes.

I would suggest maybe 'Full Metal Panic!' [http://www.animeshippuuden.com/watch/full-metal-panic/] its an action/drama series with 24 episodes, so you wont get chained down with 50 episodes of story and nonsense like some of the longer running shows can do, the good thing about 'Full Metal Panic!' is that if you liked the characters, but enjoyed them more in the few silly moments, then theres a secondary series with them called 'Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu' [http://www.animeshippuuden.com/watch/full-metal-panic-fumoffu/] which is just that, light and fun entertainment, I'd highly recommend it.

Now it may not be TRUE anime, but I'd also like to give 'SPAWN' [http://www.animeshippuuden.com/watch/spawn/] a mention (Yes, that SPAWN, the super hero thingie) because its well narrated and well.. violent.

 

[Nazulu]

You'll probably go for the one that is mentioned the most but I still say Hunter X Hunter. It starts of pretty simple with a G rating, but slowly becomes more interesting as it introduces new characters and reveals the true reality in the fictional world as well as getting darker.

If not then Full Metal Alchemist, out of all the really popular anime, this is the only one that really deserves the praise it gets.

 

[gibboss28]

Only ones I've ever watched are Cowboy Bebop, Evangelion, Death Note & Full Metal Alchemist, all worth watching