Best Anime For Beginners: 10 Shows That Are Perfect For Newbies Who Don’t Know Where To Begin
I remember that one of the first anime I watched as an adult was Naruto. Now, no disrespect to this absolute classic but it wasn’t the best place to start given my negligible attention span. This made me fall off watching anime for a year until I decided to join the hype and watch the first season of Jujutsu Kaisen. Since then I have come a long way but I do understand why an outsider might find anime intimidating to begin with. So I am here to help beginner anime watchers to figure out what anime would they be interested in exploring and would want to start with. I have tried to incorporate a little bit of everything so that you can choose what you want to begin your weeb journey with,
1. Death Note (Desu Nōto – デスノート)
Death Note was one of the first animes I watched and ain’t I grateful for that. If you are one to enjoy suspense, and psychological thrillers with mythological lore attached, watch this. The animation, the music, the voice actors and most importantly, the writing is so brilliantly done that you will not be able to help but binge through it. It simply has 37 episodes and one season to keep you interested.
2. Erased (Boku dake ga Inai Machi – 僕だけがいない街)
Erased was suggested to me by one of my best friends when I first started watching anime. I went in not knowing what to expect and was taken on an unexpected journey. Erased is an Isekai anime falling under the genre of mystery, thriller and fantasy. The story has a lot of twists and turns that will keep you eyes glued to the screen. The anime has simply 12 episodes and is ultra binge worthy!
Also Read: Women’s Day Special: 5 Animes To Watch For Well-Written, Badass Female Characters
3. Ghibli movies
Now when I say Ghibli movies, I mean any and every Ghibli movie. Howl’s Moving Castle was my first exposure to anime as an adult and I have never stopped loving it and Ghibli as a whole ever since. The artwork in these movies is beautiful and Ghibli movies always tend to deal with mature themes in such a light-hearted way that will manage to leave a lasting impression on you. My top picks are: Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away, When Marnie Was There, Grave Of The Fireflies and The Wind Rises.
Fun Fact: Spirited Away is the only hand-drawn animated movie and the first non-American animated movie to win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
4. Bungo Stray Dogs (Bungō Sutorei Doggusu – 文豪ストレイドッグス)
So compared to the previous ones, Bungo Stray Dogs is a longer anime. It has 3 seasons + 3 movies, which I know can be a lot if you are new to anime. However, if you are someone who does not have the attention span of goldfish like yours truly, you will thoroughly enjoy it. I personally watched BSD pretty recently but I do recommend it to new watchers as it falls under the genres of action, mystery and supernatural. It also has the perfect blend of intense action scenes with likeable characters and comic relief.
Fun Fact: All the character names, powers (abilities), personalities and lives are based on actual writers from Japanese and English literature.
https://youtu.be/UlnMIhFGcO4
5. Haikyu!! ( 排球 )
Haikyu!! is (and I think forever will be) in my top 5 anime. It is a coming of age sports anime that revolves around the protagonist’s journey in following his passion, Volleyball. The storytelling is so intense and every character is so loveable that you will find yourself cheering for all the wins and crying for all the losses. Haikyu!! (just like BSD) has the perfect blend of intensity, comical relief and loveable characters. It is admittedly long as it currently has 4 seasons but I promise you, it is worth the watch.
6. Kamisama Kiss (Kamisama Hajimemashita – 神様はじめました)
Kamisama Kiss is a fantastical romantic comedy which follows the story of a girl who accidentally falls in love with a deity. Their constant bantering and the way they fall in love is what adds to the comedy and slice of life element of this anime. Plus, the daily situations and characters is what give Kamisama Kiss so much dimension. The anime has 2 short seasons + OVA
7. Horimiya (Hori-san to Miyamura-kun – 堀さんと宮村くん)
I suggested Horimiya for my romance anime binge but considering how short and light hearted it is, I think it is a good anime for beginners as well. The story is a typical slice of life, high school rom-com that does focus on certain mature topics as well. Again, loveable characters and the most adorable love story. With only 13 episodes and 6 OVAs, Horimiya is an easy watch for newbie.
Fun Fact: The manga has a lot of stories and incidents which the anime skips through. So ‘Horimiya’ could perhaps be your first manga too!
https://youtu.be/CNs2IZQZcyI
Also Read: 10 Romance Animes That Should Be On Your Anime List To Binge Next
8. Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji – 黒執事)
Black Butler is a dark fantasy and dark comedy anime with supernatural elements. This one again deals with serious themes of vengeance and contracts with demons. However, don’t be fooled as this anime will put you through a rollercoaster of emotions with its serious and funny moments alike. The anime has 3 seasons but the story will have you interested!
9. Yuri On Ice (ユーリ!!! on ICE)
Yuri On Ice is a sports anime like Haikyu!! which revolves around figure skating as the sport. However, Yuri On Ice also has an underlying BL element to it. The character dynamics are absolutely entertaining and the characters themselves are so interesting that you will be invested in them completely. Yuri On Ice has 12 episodes.
10. Komi Can’t Communicate (Komi-san wa, Comyushou desu – 古見さんは、コミュ症です)
Komi Can’t Communicate is a new anime as compared to the previous ones, the first season being released in 2021 and a new season in the making. This comedy anime follows Shouko Komi, a high school student who is popular because of her good looks. However, despite her popularity, Komi has a communication problem and has difficulty communicating with people. The story follows her trying to get better with the help of her classmate, Hitohito Tadano. So far this anime only has 12 episodes
