How do I get into anime

[Sixes]

.... what?

had to check your profile to see your age, and saw you're in uni. ok ... well ...

Why? You "need advice how to get into the genre" ?
Most of these posts are going to be lists of anime stuff which you can find everywhere, and some will be actual help to ease you in, but again ... why

You don't like something but feel some kind of urge anyway, it feels like a "chore"?
If you don't like it, don't watch it, simple, don't feel a need to please a community or be a stereotype ... you're an individual, not an archetype "nerd/geek whatever ! you are you, you don't like anime, which is an artstyle btw, not a narrative ... that is all there is

I don't see a problem with asking how to get into something. You can recognise that there are likely better shows in a category without having been exposed to them. Besides, anime is a medium, not a genre. Telling this guy that he just "don't like anime" is akin to telling somebody who's only ever read Twilight or Harry Potter that reading probably just isn't for her.

Anyway, I'm a big fan of Baccano! (The exclamation mark is part of its stylisation. I'm not shouting my opinion at you.)

It's set mainly in 1930s America (prohibition era) and in two time periods, and the narrative jumps both between and within the periods and follows a lot of different characters (the series actually plays a little with the idea of narrative itself, with a character in the first episode asking what makes a main character, where a story really begins, etc). Because of all this it's pretty hard to keep track of what's going on, but you start getting the gist eventually and the moment towards the end when everything comes together is fantastic.

There is a supernatural element, but it's pretty low-key and nowhere near as pronounced as in other anime. It's also almost entirely free of a lot of anime cliches, and I'm pretty sure that the characters who have them are at least partly a satire. They're also two of my favourite characters. There isn't much introspective character-study or anything, but it's made up for by a large, complex, and massively entertaining plot. And besides, plot informs character informs plot.

I don't even watch that much anime, but I'd consider this one of my all-time favourite TV shows. Not just anime, like: all TV shows. To top it off the English dub is fantastic, which is rare, and probably more appropriate considering it's set in America. That should help ease you in.

Of course, there's also other shows which have already been mentioned, like Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell, both of which are great (although I've only seen the Ghost in the Shell films) and not too 'out there' in terms of anime tropes. But Baccano! is better.

 

[DeadFOAM]

Find a series you like. Its not so much as "getting into anime," as anime is a large umbrella term. Compare anime to "movie" or similar. Anime has lots of stuff contained within the term. There's horror, comedy, romance, action, or anything else. It's just a matter of finding what you like.

My personal favorites are (in no real order):
-FullMetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (a series about 2 boys trying to regain their bodies after a horrible mistake that later evolves into a huge plot involving the fate of their world.)

-Mirai Nikki (a series about 12 people with the ability to foretell the future in various ways competing against each other to replace God, all with differing motivations.)

-Higurashi no naku koro ni (a mystery series about the tragic events happening in a small town. Warning: contains very disturbing content.)

-GunXSword (the story of a wanderer and the events that happen around him)

-Trigun (a western-influened series about a wandering gunslinger with a large bounty on his head. The plot revolves around him, his past, the people trying to capture him for the bounty, and the like)

-Azumanga Daioh(a silly, non-serious series about the lives of 6 high school students.)

There is a series for anybody. You mention Naruto and Pokemon. As much as I love Pokemon, they're the equivalent of Saturday morning cartoons. Fun to watch, but not much substance to them.

 

[Kragg]

.... what?

had to check your profile to see your age, and saw you're in uni. ok ... well ...

Why? You "need advice how to get into the genre" ?
Most of these posts are going to be lists of anime stuff which you can find everywhere, and some will be actual help to ease you in, but again ... why

You don't like something but feel some kind of urge anyway, it feels like a "chore"?
If you don't like it, don't watch it, simple, don't feel a need to please a community or be a stereotype ... you're an individual, not an archetype "nerd/geek whatever ! you are you, you don't like anime, which is an artstyle btw, not a narrative ... that is all there is

I don't see a problem with asking how to get into something. You can recognise that there are likely better shows in a category without having been exposed to them. Besides, anime is a medium, not a genre. Telling this guy that he just "don't like anime" is akin to telling somebody who's only ever read Twilight or Harry Potter that reading probably just isn't for her.

That is exactly what I was saying, I was even going to use the book analogy at some point ... he said he didn't like it, I didn't. I'm looking at it from the other side, you don't have to read every book to see that you don't like reading. if you don't like reading you shouldn't be forced to because your peers do

 

[Vankraken]

Outlaw Star. I don't really like anime and even I find it to be amazing.

 

[spartan231490]

Just look into anime that are in genres you appreciate more than you straitforward action style. Try out "code geass" and "death note," those two are more involved than naruto and pokemon, but if you need something a more in depth give "Phantom, requiem for the phantom" a shot. "Kenichi" is a 26 episode anime that will probably never be finished(the voice actress for the love interest died). It's heavily action geared but I can't help but recommend it.

I've never been a great fan of convoluted and thought provoking anime, I watch anime to kick back and turn off my brain, but those first three will be a decent start. Others on this site will be able to point you in the direction of others. Actually, "Kiba" would probably be a good one for you to look into as well. I'd say it's between code geass and Phantom, requiem for the phantom in terms of balance between action and thought provocativeness.

 

[Sixes]

That is exactly what I was saying, I was even going to use the book analogy at some point ... he said he didn't like it, I didn't. I'm looking at it from the other side, you don't have to read every book to see that you don't like reading. if you don't like reading you shouldn't be forced to because your peers do

But equally, it's unwise to discount such a large body of media based on a couple of examples from it. Both Harry Potter and Twilight are fantasy books for children (the latter of which is very badly written). It could be reasonable to suggest that someone who has only read them doesn't like children's fantasy (although I think even that is a bit of a stretch), but, especially for an adult, there's so much and so varied a selection of other stuff that it seems silly not to try them simply because you disliked a couple of books in a very particular niche. Especially one which implicitly caters to a different demographic.

It's pretty much the same case here. Naruto and Pokemon are both children's fantasy (although admittedly fantasy is more ubiquitous in anime), and considering the guy wants something more substantial, which isn't something kids' shows are known for, I feel it's jumping the gun to suggest he just give up entirely on anime.

 

[Dr. Cakey]

I get bored easily, so a lot of what people have recommended I've been like "wtf dat sux".

Mushi-Shi is okay. But, yeah, slow and stuff. Never finished it.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. That's the first of the two Ghost in the Shell anime series, right? Because if it is, it's s***.

Ghost in the Shell. Did you know the guy who made this started out as a hentai artist? It shows. Good, yes, but because it's kind of old people hype it up.

The Big O. Saw one episode. Thought it sucked. Apparently people love it. Was it because I watched the dub, or am I just intellectually superior to everyone else?

Ergo Proxy. I would like to blame my being bored on the dub. Either that, or because it was so dark I couldn't see anything.

Last Exile: I got bored. What was I missing?

Monster: Zzz...

Clannad: Couldn't even stomach the first episode. Inclined to blame it on the dub, but...

Samurai Champloo: No, this is pretty good, but what it's doing on a list without Fullmetal Alchemist, Death Note or Code Geass is beyond me. Frankly, if Bleach or Naruto were to condensed to only their good parts, they would probably be better than Samurai Champloo. At least I think so.

Claymore: Same as Champloo. The anime also ends abruptly, as it was not renewed for another season while the manga continued onward.

I would like to second Durarara!! because it hasn't gotten enough love. Same to Baccano! - although it is done out of chronological order and with three separate stories told from multiple perspectives simultaneously. Major blood and gore. I would mention Death Note and Code Geass, but they've been heard from enough.

Evangelion gets a (*insert MovieBob voice)
EVANGELION
IS
WEIRD!

And a bolded, underlined Your Mileage May Vary.

Some time you should get somebody to compile a "filler-free" list of Bleach and Naruto episodes so you can watch the story without the filler arcs. Makes the stories slow as molasses instead of slow as concrete.

P.S. For comedy I recommend Lucky Star, K-ON!! (basically Lucky Star but not quite as funny), and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.

 

[Odbarc]

Story wise, I found [Deathnote] to be quite good (season 1). Cliffhangers at the end of episodes with well written plausible conclusions (given the in-show-logic).

Dragonball Z (or DB:Kai because it's got much less filler for the same story) is a classic in my opinion. It's the very definition of guys who can fly mysteriously and shoot energy beams at each other.

 

[SpectacularWebHead]

I hate most anime. After a while it all becomes so much garbled nonsense. But even I, the great hater of all animangananime, Would have to reccomend Death note in the original japanese with english subtitles. It's hard to fault it, it's truly brilliant, and it avoids all that angsty bollocks that most other animes are drawn to.

 

[AceTrilby]

I'm certainly not the person to ask on this subject, since I immediately pounced on fairly obscure and weird animes - the first anime I watched start to finish was Highschool of the Dead, followed by Sekirei (for the record, I freaking LOVE Sekirei.)

But my advice is to just pick something with blurb that sounds interesting and go for it. Worst thing that can happen is you get disappointed and try another series.

Failing that, watch Darker Than Black. If the theme song alone doesn't get you pumped to watch, nothing will.

EDIT: also try RIN: Daughters of Mnemosyne. Really dark cyberpunk-y series, set in different time periods, starring an immortal private detective.

 

[ZehMadScientist]

Try out Steins;Gate.

I haven't watched the anime myself but I have read the visual novel and apparently the anime is very faithful. The story is very well done with a lot of hard sci-fi, the characters are quite enjoyable and there are no massive explosions every 5 seconds (it isn't action).

What this awesome person said. And I can confirm the faithfulness; it is the best adaptation I have seen to date.

Some people just don't like anime or manga, like my cousin.

I recommend Durarara!! for anyone looking for a terrific 26 episode anime and Fairy Tail (although that may be for the fans of anime)

Also this. And Baccano while you're at it.

The best way to get into anime is IMO the Studio Ghibli productions.

Also, try Death Note, it's what got me into anime.

For now, stay away from SHAFT productions. I think they are the most awesome shows in the history of awesome, but I can see how it can be off putting to others.

 

[Yopaz]

So maybe anime just isn't your cup of tea and you shouldn't worry too much over not liking it. I like some anime, but far from all. I often feel like there are too many episodes to actually manage to stick with it.

However I would recommend you watching Welcome To The NHK for a decent story, dark humour and some character development.

Love Hina if you want some simple fun. Nin x Nin = Shinobuden also gives you some random spaced out fun.

Dragonball was good in the start, but I only read the original manga and I didn't bother with the anime. However things just get weird when you go too far in that series and almost everything that happens before can be disregarded as if they never happened. Yeah, it gets bad. I wouldn't bother past Buu saga.

 

[thestickman91]

I'll be shocked if someone hasn't already suggested this but you should watch Hayao Miyazaki films. Because they are movies they wont require a huge investment of your time and have an art style that holds up even decades after they were made. Also the dubs tend to be high quality. I would recommend Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and Princess Mononoke in particular. Other than that there have been some very good suggestions above me. Fullmetal Alchemist, Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Darker Than Black(Can be confusing if you dont pay close attention), Trigun are all good places to start.

But Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and Princess Mononoke really are both great films

 

[Et3rnalLegend64]

I got into anime with Death Note. Then I got recommended FLCL, then that moved onto Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gurren Lagann, and so on.

It really just depends on what you're looking for. Aside from the writing, do you want high action, romance, Slice-of-life, etc. We really need more details before we can recommend something to your tastes.

Also, the obligatory anime guide I post every time one of these threads shows up.

Spoiler: Anime guide

This list is genius.

OP:If you don't want the "everything causes an explosion" situation, you should generally avoid the Shonen/Shounen genre.

Gunslinger Girl is a show with good music and well done art. It can kinda be divided into parts highlighting the various cyborg girls' relationships with their handlers and parts where those cyborg girls shoot the bad guys. That's a pretty simplistic explanation, so you'll have to check it out yourself.

Azumanga Daioh is a simple slice of life. Slightly cutesy, but really fun. Not much in the way of a plot, but the characters stick with you.

Any of Hayao Miyazaki's films. Strong lead characters and the films have amazing art/music. Always worth watching. My personal favorite is Spirited Away.

 

[ImperialSunlight]

I essentially suggest to just watch more anime. Pokemon isn't a very good representation of anime as a whole and Naruto is, in my opinion, rather bad in general, particularly from an "intelligent" standpoint. So, I suggest, if you want to get into anime, look up different anime and read summaries, etc. Then watch whatever interests you. I personally recommend Death Note, Code Geass, Fullmetal Alchemist, FLCL, Gurren Lagann and Neon Genesis Evangelion. Those are ones I would go to if you want "intelligent" anime that make you feel interested in the characters and don't have generic situations, but you should watch whatever you want, regardless. Also, I would recommend Soul Eater, even though it's more on the action side of anime.

 

[xshadowscreamx]

hellsing and elfen lied won me over

 

[Dr. Cakey]

Failing that, watch Darker Than Black. If the theme song alone doesn't get you pumped to watch, nothing will.

NOW I'VE LOST IT
I KNOW I CAN KILL
THE TRUTH EXISTS BEYOND THE GATE

EDIT: also try RIN: Daughters of Mnemosyne. Really dark cyberpunk-y series, set in different time periods, starring an immortal private detective.

A show that exists to get its main character naked and mutilate her. Yeah, that's really gonna make people like anime...

Because I failed to mention it before, I second Steins;Gate. I failed to finish it before it was removed from Crunchyroll (because Funimation picked it up) and have regretted it ever since.

Oh, and I recall someone mentioning The Future Diary AKA Mirai Nikki. Personally I'd recommend getting one or two anime under your belt before starting it because it toys with a couple anime tropes. I haven't quite finished, but from where I stand the first handful of episodes are the best, but that's still going from like a 9.9 to a 9.0, so whatever. Also has one of the most psychotic/amazing/psychotic openings you'll ever see:

<youtube=ql0NtjXIv_s>

 

[malestrithe]

I would suggest watching a lot of anime. Watch a lot of different stuff. There is a lot of it from different people and different genres.

I watched a lot of the movies and failed ovas that were prevalent in the early 90s in the united states. Most were meh, some were great, others terrible. Some were so bizarre that they linger in my brain to this day.

I would do some research into titles to see if they interest you then go from there.

 

[chadachada123]

Okay so i'm not the greatest anime fan I used to occasionally watch pokemon and Naruto but watching them felt like a chore.
Just need some advice on how I can truly get into the genre I can see the attraction but I have never felt any real connection to any sort of characters in tv anime.
For me most of the situations seem to simplistic and for me it's hard to get around the juxtaposition where nearly every situation causes a massive explosion.
Personally I like the more in depth storyline I am a massive fan of the mass effect style of writing where you develop a relationship with the characters.

Just going into the collective wisdom of the escapist community give me some intelligent and epic anime's want to hopefully get into it before Avcon so give me what you've got

If you're looking for intelligent/epic, look no further than Paranoia Agent.

It's fucking insane, and only 13 episodes long.

Similarly, Full Metal Alchemist (both the original cartoon and Brotherhood) are just non-stop awesomeness in its most distilled form, while also having some pretty deep characters and a story that, well, makes-some-damn-sense.