Anime is one of the most popular artistic mediums on the planet, but it can also feel quite insular. With series running to the hundreds (sometimes thousands) of episodes, it can be difficult to know where to start. That’s where we come in, with this handy dandy list designed to guide first time watchers, or seasoned vets wondering what to start their friends with, to the best anime to get you hooked.
We’re mainly looking at TV series here, from modern classics to ongoing adventures to iconic older shows every anime fan must see. We do throw in some movies at the end though for people looking for the best way to dip their toes in. Anime has a long legacy that shows no sign of slowing down, and if you want to get in on the action, the best place to start is now.
Delicious In Dungeon
Delicious in Dungeon, sometimes referred to by its Japanese name Dungeon Meshi, is the newest anime on this list, first airing in 2024. It’s framed as a fairly standard dungeon crawling adventure, with a band of warriors delving into the depths of a dungeon and fighting the various beasts they come across. This makes it a pretty easy sell to newcomers who aren’t as familiar with various anime tropes.
However, what makes Delicious in Dungeon unique is that the adventurers survive their long journey in the dungeons by cooking the beasts they slay. It’s not really any different from a hunter eating their kills, but it still feels like a more interesting way to explore character dynamics. It starts slow and light with a focus on comedy, but like a good meal, it builds to something richer at just the right time.
Vinland Saga
A good deal of modern anime glorifies violence by showing characters who can dismember others easily in intense face-offs. All of these characters have one thing in common: terrible things have happened to them, which has made them this ruthless.
Vinland Saga portrays a similar character, Thorfinn, driven mad by his revenge, who goes to great lengths to achieve it, only to find himself without purpose. Through Thorfinn, Vinland Saga explores deep themes of morality with a simple philosophy: eternal peace lies in the path of forgiveness, something that makes it so engaging.
Neon Genesis Evangelion
For people who grew up in the ’90s, Neon Genesis Evangelion was often their introduction to anime. Even if someone is not into anime they’ve probably heard of it, as its impact on pop culture is hard to ignore.
Books That Would Make Incredible Anime
Some books and novels have stories and characters that could be more interesting and emotional in an anime format. Here’s our picks.
Neon Genesis Evangelion tells the story of Shinji, a 14-year-old living in a post-apocalyptic world, who is recruited by his father to join NERV, a military organization created to fight the evil beings known as Angels. The series is one of a kind due to its philosophical storytelling infused with Biblical symbolism, which makes the plot dramatic and keeps the audience thoroughly engaged.
Monster
Drawing inspiration from the 1960s TV show The Fugitive, which follows a falsely convicted doctor on the run while trying to find the real killer, Naoki Urasawa adapted this concept to Japanese culture with a lot of post-World War 2 German influences, creating the series Monster.
Monster mainly focuses on Dr. Tenma, who struggles between staying true to his morals and succumbing to the corruption around him, with its plot weaving multiple character stories into one. The series also draws a broader audience due to the amazing depiction of a pure psychopath, Johan Liebert, and is going to be a very interesting dive for non-anime watchers.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood has consistently been hailed as one of the best anime ever, receiving widespread praise for its tight and clever plot. But the series goes even further with its depth with themes like science, religion, and even nationalism.
Fullmetal Alchemist is the story of the Elric brothers, Edward and Alphonse, both prodigy students of alchemy, a miraculous science that can do incredible things but cannot form life. When the brothers attempt to resurrect their dead mother, the consequences are dire, as they lose parts of their own bodies. Now, they must seek out the Philosopher’s Stone to restore what they’ve lost.
A 13-episode series, Violet Evergarden is widely praised for its storytelling and nuanced character development. The series fleshes its plot in a unique way by introducing a new character in each episode while giving an emotional touch to their backstories.
These stories are laid out from Violet’s eyes, an ex-soldier recovering from her post-war trauma who is offered a new job where she has to write letters for those who can’t express their feelings themselves. Initially, she struggles with it, but soon, through these personal stories, both she and, oftentimes the viewer, begin to understand human emotions more deeply.
Death Note
The psychological thriller Death Note is widely recommended by just about every anime fan. The story begins when Ryuk, a Shinigami, drops the Death Note on the human world, a notebook with powers to kill anyone whose name is written in it.
8 Things That Make No Sense In Death Note
A few unanswered questions in an anime series are fine, but Death Note has a few things that just don’t make any sense and leave behind plot holes.
When high schooler Light Yagami finds this notebook, he starts killing those he finds morally unworthy of society, especially criminals. Unable to stop him, the police work with a mysterious detective named L, who becomes so obsessed with this case that the series transitions into a thrilling battle of the duo trying to outsmart one another. This anime is on its way to becoming a timeless classic and one of the best introductory anime ever.
Attack On Titan
Attack on Titan is worth every bit of your attention due to its bloody action and an eerie atmosphere that wraps you with a palpable fear, something that makes it so iconic. Based on the acclaimed manga by Hajime Isayama, Attack On Titan appears as a story of humanity’s last survivors, besieged by the terrifying Titans, who now must battle for survival.
The series has fewer episodes each season than many other popular series, so it’s easier to get behind the story. That also means less filler between its unexpected plot twists, which will challenge everything you thought you knew about the show.
Cowboy Bebop
Originally airing in 1998, Cowboy Bebop didn’t gain popularity until the early 2000s when it became a global sensation after being introduced to Western audiences through an English dub. The anime is set in a neo-noir space Western world where humans have colonized various places in the solar system.
The story follows the adventures of the Cowboys, a group of bounty hunters who journey through the expansive cosmos in pursuit of their bounties. It mixes lighthearted humor with serious themes like depression and poverty, allowing this anime to remain relevant over the years.
Any Studio Ghibli Movie
Moving from series to movies, the obvious place to start is Studio Ghibli. The studio has been putting out animated classics since the late ’80s, and you can’t really go wrong. Unless you pick Tales of Earthsea or Earwig and the Witch – both directed by Goro Miyazaki, son of co-founder and legendary creative voice Hayao Miyazaki.
Whether it’s My Neighbor Totoro or Spirited Away, every frame in a Ghibli film tells a dream-like story that transports you into beautifully colored worlds filled with imaginative characters and scenarios. Thanks to its traditional hand-drawn style and meticulous attention to detail in every scene, Ghibli movies are beloved the world over. It makes it so that no matter what you think about anime or what kind of anime you’ve watched before, any Studio Ghibli film will blow you away.
Don’t Have Much Time? You Can Watch These Incredible Anime In A Single Day
Here are some of the best short and sweet anime you can binge-watch in a single sitting!
