my thoughts on the recent surge of anime interest and advice for folks who want to get into it but don’t know where to start

Lately on social media, anime has been a big topic of discussion. I don’t know if I can say for sure that its popularity is increasing; anime has had both diehard and casual fans in the U.S. for years prior to now. Yet, it seems that more than ever, people are being more vocal about their love for anime, which has sparked interest in the Japanese animation style for people who are new to it. I’ve been watching anime since I was a kid, and I think it’s great that more and more people are finding something to enjoy in anime’s vast amount of content. But of course, everyone doesn’t share that sentiment. There are longtime fans who aren’t thrilled about anime entering the “mainstream”, citing their love of the Japanese animation style as playing a factor in them getting picked on in their youth and thinking it is unfair that it’s now considered “cool” to like it. I would never want to minimize their experiences, but I will say this; gatekeeping a whole sect of animation will not take back the bullying that they endured and if people want to watch anime they’re going to, regardless of how someone else tries to make them feel about it. Just something to think about.

As I said, I think the fact that anime gaining more and more new fans is awesome. Especially because anime isn’t a genre like many people think. In Japan, anime literally means “animation” so regardless of the country of origin, if the medium is animated, it’s anime. That being said, outside of Japan, especially in Western Civilization, anime exclusively refers to animated shows and movies produced in Japan. Even reducing the content’s origin to Japan still leaves viewers with a lot to choose from. There are thousands of shows and movies that fall into that large criteria.

If you are one of the many people who have recently decided to dip a toe in the anime ocean, all of these options may seem a tad bit overwhelming for you. And I’m gonna be honest, picking a good “starter anime” is very important. Not in the big scheme of things, like it’s not gonna change the course of your entire life, but still. You start off with something a little too niche, like say a show about a group of middle school students who have to murder their teacher, who happens to be a yellow tentacled alien, because he intends to blow up Earth at the end of the school year, you might end up turning your tv off and never looking back. And if you’re wondering, that is the actual plot of an anime. More specifically, it‘s the plot of the show “Assassination Classroom”, which is available on Hulu. And that’s not even close to being the strangest plot anime has to offer. Pick the wrong show and it can get real weird, real quick.

That being said, it’s not easy to sort through thousands of shows and find something you like immediately. But that’s why I’m here! I have picked three popular, excellently written, and beautifully animated shows that are perfect for beginners. My picks feature motifs and themes that are prevalent to the animation style while still being palatable for someone who is used to western animation. I don’t want the term “starter anime” to give the idea that the shows I’ve selected are simple cartoons. Many an adult fan has shed real tears for these characters. But showing is always better than telling. So I hope you give them a chance and let the stories speak for themselves. You’ll find the link to my anime starter pack below.

Link to Starter Pack for Anime Amateurs: https://ewatchestv.blog/2019/10/18/a-starter-pack-for-anime-amateurs/‎(opens in a new tab)