Ya hate to hear it…. that damned phrase.
“Anime is for kids.”
Whenever I hear someone utter these words, I fight the strong urge to punch them in the teeth, then wear a face with a smile and say “Sure, whatever helps you sleep at night.” Because you see, ignorance is bliss. In his video titled “Why Anime is Better than Reality TV“, US YouTuber iamlucid puts this feeling quite politely, saying:
It’s uncomfortable and awkward to fully express your emotions to the whole world, and that too, fake it. While there are a plethora of talented actors who excel at this, it’s still not as raw and original as it can be conveyed in hand-drawn animation.
Of course, these are just mere words relentlessly trying to paint a perception- almost scandalous- for the common eye, and one just can’t understand it without experiencing the thrill themselves. So allow me to introduce you to the world of anime, shall you choose to take the red pill. Behold. A rude awakening.
DEATH NOTE: (PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER/ACTION ANIME) (SKIP IF ALREADY SEEN):
Ah yezzz….. you must’ve at least heard of it. The timeless classic; masterpiece of the anime world. This is where almost everyone starts, and you should too. Believe me when I say this, it’ll easily be one of the best shows you’ll EVER watch.
What starts as a harmless little class topper wanting to do something for the betterment of this rotten-with-filth world, unravels into a chaotic chess board of a battle between yin and yang, involving thousands of slayed pawns. All because of some weird mystic book that kills whoever’s name you write in it. With brilliant storytelling, voice acting (Japanese and English, at least) cinematography and sound design, Death note rightfully earns its spot in the hall of fame.
Still not sold? I challenge you. Just watch the first two episodes, and then watch your heart give in to the temptation to complete it.
ONE-PUNCH MAN: (COMEDY/ACTION ANIME)
A premise so ridiculous, it’s actually brilliant.
Its about a dude who’s so strong, he defeats all his enemies with just one punch. Yeah…
It’s interesting to see how they made an amazing show out of such a silly plot. I’ll tell you how: satire of the modern day TV show. The writer, ONE (alias), mocks the typical story lines where the main character dude powers up every time and changes hair color and stuff to ‘surpass’ his own limit. And to me that’s hilarious, and makes this show even more beautiful and fun to watch.
P.S. The action is of top notch quality as well.
ATTACK ON TITAN: (ACTIOOOOOON, EXTRA O’S FOR EMPHASIS)
Okay now this is really good. Just hear me out, you don’t want to miss this, please.
Humans living in fear, inside 50 meter high walls, for protection against even bigger man-eating humans?
…Called Titans? ?
…Wut???
Seems a bit too mad, I know. I was unconvinced too until I got to the 11th episode- and then, a beautiful epiphany! The story is a breath of fresh air amongst a sea of unoriginal content and is the most valuable asset of this masterpiece itself.
The action though.
Imagine people with swords flying via support from grapple extensions and gas tanks, tearing through 3-story-building-sized Titans like a paper shredder. You can’t, I know. Gotta watch it to find out.
VIOLET EVERGARDEN: (SLICE OF LIFE/DRAMA ANIME)
Lets step out from the world of fast-paced action for a bit. This is different. Very different.
This is the type of anime that makes you reconsider your perspective about life- making you wonder what you could potentially do with it. Pinnacle of slice of life, I call it.
The story is set in motion after a war; where the main character- a girl raised solely for the purpose of war- is left alone with only remnants of her past life. The show revolves around her struggle to find purpose. Brilliant pacing and God-Tier animation quality is the cherry on top of this trip to another world, where we experience life from a different perspective, witness growth, and learn from it.
SWORD ART ONLINE: (ACTION/ADVENTURE/ROMANCE ANIME)
A classic Isekai anime. Isekai is a very popular genre of anime where people from Earth somehow end up in another fantasy world. Trapped or not, accidental or experimental, you know its going to be an adventurous ride into an uncharted world.
I’m going to be honest. I don’t particularly like romance stuff, though I don’t hate it either. But for the singles who love to watch relationships blossom in TV shows and develop high expectations from a potential future relationship- along with epic sword fights and politics in a virtual world- this is the real deal.
I really enjoyed this one because of how well rounded this show is. It has its moments of intense action, psychological conspiracies (a very cool plot twist there is) and of course, some lovey-dovey stuff. The animation and soundtracks are amazing as well. Be warned about the pacing though- if you have time for a few filler-like episodes (irrelevant to plot), take the leap of faith.
CONCLUSION
These are my recommendations for a beginner, and it’s just a little bit of the anime world. After watching these, you shall go forth and broaden your horizons. Allow the sun to dawn on a rosy sky and cascade a buzz in your life.
