Anime: Where to Start

Anime is a Japanese form of animation that has grown increasingly popular over the past few decades. 

Often adapted from comic books referred to as manga, the vast number of TV shows and movies in the distinct art style can make it hard to know where to start. Die-hard enthusiasts will say that watching anime in Japanese with subtitles is the only way to go. For those who are new to the art form, however, most of the best anime to start with have English-dubbed versions.

“Naruto” is a great first anime to watch and is among the most popular anime of all time, with a 2022 study by Broadband Choices stating it was the most globally searched anime in the world with 16.2% of all anime-related searches, with “Pokemon” at a distant second place of 8.8%. The show is an action drama about ninjas and the world around them.

The story is loosely based on Japanese folklore, telling the story of an orphan boy who became a vessel for the soul of the Nine-Tailed Fox, an evil spirit that killed his parents. While Naruto is defined by his good-spirited nature, his curse leaves him cast aside by his peers, leading to a series-long conflict as he tries to use the beast’s power for good while it tries to take over his body. 

With more than 700 episodes and 11 movies, the series follows Naruto's character development from childhood to adulthood as he grows stronger while facing increasingly difficult odds. The world-building is unforgettable, with the show's clearly defined geography and politics playing a significant role in the plot. This makes “Naruto” a great first anime for fans of shows like “Game of Thrones,” who may have never considered watching anime but love watching characters change over time while large-scale plotlines build up.

For those who prefer a shorter TV series, popular options include “Death Note,” “Cowboy Bebop” and “One Punch Man.” These are short anime that consist of roughly 50 or fewer 20-minute episodes, a number seen as somewhat short by the anime community, with shows like “Naruto,” “One Piece” and “Bleach” reaching hundreds of episodes.

“Death Note” is a slow burn that runs with a single concept from the first episode. An intelligent student in Japan finds a book that causes the death of whoever's name is written in it. After taking it upon himself to write the names of violent criminals in the book, an equally smart detective catches on and attempts to bring him to justice. The anime follows the cat-and-mouse game between the antihero protagonist and the authorities as they compete to outsmart the other.

“Cowboy Bebop” is the oldest show on this list, consisting of only 26 episodes and somehow managing to perfectly blend the aesthetics of sci-fi and westerns in a show about bounty hunters and space travel. The show stands alone in its iconic art style and jazz soundtrack, attracting a fan base large enough to warrant Netflix to create a live-action adaptation.

“One Punch Man,” unlike the previously listed anime, is a comedy. With its name deriving from the main character's consistent ability to defeat anyone in one punch, the show parodies superhero tropes by introducing numerous new villains and telling their tragic origin stories, only for them to fall to the protagonist who constantly interrupts them, zones out while they speak and runs late to fights. The show is a great option for casual watchers who don't want to watch a serious anime that requires commitment. 

Studio Ghibli films are iconic masterpieces with some of the most impressive hand-drawn animation ever put on a screen, often voiced by notable actors and actresses in English such as Christian Bale, Keira Knightley and Robert Pattinson. 

One downside that some anime TV shows face is the use of "filler," which refers to episodes in a series that are noticeably insignificant or drawn out, ultimately slowing down the plot and making the show less enjoyable as a whole. However, each Studio Ghibli film tells an entire story in just a couple of hours or less, consisting of a variety of fantasy films so unique that they are best watched without knowing the plot.

Some of the best examples are “Spirited Away,” “Howl's Moving Castle” and “My Neighbor Totoro.” For movie enthusiasts, the good news about Studio Ghibli is that its movies are occasionally shown in theaters years after their release.