Looking to start getting into Anime and don’t know where to start? Well, there’s plenty of popular shows to help you begin your Anime journey. There are the ones you always hear about like One Piece, Naruto, Demon slayer, Attack on Titan and so on, but here we’ll be looking at Anime’s to help you get into enjoying the media before jumping straight into the big boys.  

1) Death Note 

This show is a psychological thriller that follows the main character Light Yagami as he tries to create a new world using the inexplicable Death Note that drives him down a path of villainy. He must avoid being caught and found out by his rival L if he is to succeed in his goal of becoming God of the new world.  If you’re looking for a more serious Anime with an entertaining battle of wits, then this is the show for you.  

2.) Saiki K 

Taking a more humorous tone, Saiki K follows the life of an all-powerful psychic as he navigates his way through the world with his bizarre classmates and family members. The interactions between Saiki and his friends are hysterical and fun to watch, making for some of the most enjoyable personalities in Anime characters. The show doesn’t follow a consecutive plot and episodes can be watched out of order; each episode consists of random hilarious storylines broken up throughout.  

3) Hunter x Hunter 

If you’re a fan of action/adventure, Hunter x Hunter is a perfect anime to start with. Despite the Anime being a long one, the first 3 seasons have entertaining straight forward plots that will really hook you for a good binge. The show is centered around the adventures of Gon and his friends as he trains to become a hunter and search for his illusive father. The characters offer audiences a variety of motives and goals that are entertaining to see play out. Despite the 5th season being lengthy and sometimes paced slowly, the battles and seeing the improvement in Gon is worth it.  

4) Toradora 

There are loads of Rom-Coms that exist in Anime, possibly one of the most entertaining for first time watchers is Toradora. This Anime introduces the characters Ryuji and Taiga as they try and help each other in pursuing their love interests and getting through the awkwardness of high school. Watching their relationship develop throughout the show is a truly rewarding experience, and seeing how the characters’ feelings change and what they are willing to sacrifice for their friends is heartwarming and bittersweet at the same time.  

5) Rise of the Sheild Hero 

Isekai is the term for Animes where the main character(s) is transported into another world, Rise of the Sheild Hero is an Isekai recommended to beginners interested in this genre. The show provides a smooth balance between action and adventure, offering complex characters and motives, enjoyable plots and sub-plots, Incredible world building, and a satisfying redemption for the main character, Naofumi. The Anime follows his journey as he meets new companions and tries to get ahead in a world that goes against him, fighting monsters and trials that plague the innocent people of the kingdom.  

6) Kaguya-Sama: Love is War 

If you’re looking for ridiculous humor and fun interactions between characters, consider watching Kaguya-Sama: Love is War. This Rom-Com features the story of a student council for a prestigious school, where the icy student council vice president Kaguya and the stern student council president Shirogane navigate their feelings for each other and battle to see who can make the other admit their feelings first. Watching the show as a first-time anime rom com perfectly introduces new watchers to the exaggerated expressions between characters and the fun nature of the media. The characters are unique and funny to watch as they make big deals out of the smallest things, adding an ironic element to the humor.  

7) One Punch Man 

This superhero show is a favorite among veteran Anime viewers and can be equally enjoyed by people new to Anime. This cartoon offers the audience ironic, ridiculous humor topped with flawlessly done action sequences and battles. The main character Saitama is all-powerful and can take down any opponent with one punch, the overly dramatic villains and heroes create a hilariously ironic plot with Saitama’s unbothered personality and undefeatable skill. This is a great show to binge when you need a laugh, or are interested in watching some crazy battle animation.  

8) Haikyuu!! 

Sports is another genre in Anime that offers entertaining storylines relating to the sport of choice. Haikyuu!! Follows the story of Hinata, who wants to become a great volleyball player by joining his high school team and facing other schools. His rival Kageyama ends up being on his team as a setter, and the two of them create a strong strategy of setting and spiking. The characters are enjoyable, and the volleyball matches are animated beautifully, overall, offering the audience a lovely mix of story, animation, and characters.  

9) Dr. Stone 

This Anime combines a scientific theme with a survivalist plot. The main character Senku is extraordinarily intelligent and must use his smart and informative nature to survive in a world where everyone was turned into stone. He wakes up thousands of years into the future where he must practically restart in the stone age and invent his way up into what the modern world was. He faces conflict and political turmoil with the people who currently live in the stone age and don’t understand his modern innovations and he must learn to adapt and help the people of this new world. The characters and their interactions are enjoyable, and Senku’s wit and broad intelligence is fascinating to watch as he interacts with the world around him.  

10)  A Silent Voice 

The final entry on this list is a movie, one of the best Anime movies a new watcher can see to be introduced into the vibrant world of Anime media. A Silent Voice covers deep topics like depression, anxiety, disabilities, and social issues. It follows the bittersweet story of Shouya, a troubled young man who wishes to atone for his past sins of bullying his deaf classmate, Shouko. Shouya has social withdrawal from others and experiences overwhelming guilt and depression, and Shouko struggles to make friends, and has trouble getting past her insecurities about her disability. This movie teaches a lesson on the importance of mental health, while also sharing the struggles we may face when growing up throughout adolescence. It’s a 10/10 Anime that is highly recommended to those who enjoy meaningful, emotional movies.