# Anime suggestions for a near-first time watcher
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anime-suggestions-for-a-near-first-time-watcher/131292
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [October 8, 2002, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anime-suggestions-for-a-near-first-time-watcher/131292 "2002-10-08T00:55:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)
#### Post date: [October 8, 2002, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anime-suggestions-for-a-near-first-time-watcher/131292/1 "2002-10-08T00:55:44Z")
Due to the fact that many of my friends–including my significant other–have turned out to have a significant interest in anime, I’ve decided to finally–after damn near five years of purpose avoiding this–give anime a shot.
Here’s the thing, though–I have no idea where to start. So, of course, I thought I’d turn to the Dopers to help me out.
I only have limited exposure to anime. I used to watch Sailor Moon, back when it aired on random channels at random times of day (here it was Channel 26–The U), and again when they started airing episodes on the Cartoon Network. I thought it was okay entertainment, even though it was rather on the fluff side. Other than that, though, there’s been no exposure whatsoever.
Basically, I’m looking for something with a good plot (not fluff based). Something that doesn’t have the sole purpose of “let’s see some fights!” Something that isn’t quite so like Sailor Moon. Also, I’m looking for something that I wouldn’t have to import or download on something like Kazaa or Limewire (these things don’t work on my computer)–in other words, something I could maybe pick up at Best Buy or a decent specialty store. Also, it’d be nice if it were pretty… :).
And, um, no hentai. Also, I’m currently refusing to watch Dragonball Z under any circumstances (something between a friend and I, and I’m stubborn as hell, so…).
Otherwise, anything goes. I’d really appreciate it if people would leave a short plot blurb and titles of various possible animes here (or a long description, if you have the time and the inclination). Thanks!
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### Author:  [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)
#### Post date: [October 8, 2002, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anime-suggestions-for-a-near-first-time-watcher/131292/2 "2002-10-08T01:21:36Z")
A few features to start you off:
_Princess Mononoke_–fantasy
_Ghost in the Shell_–SF (It’s what _The Matrix_ wished it could have been.)
_Grave of the Fireflies_–Watch only if you want to cry. Depressing as a dying whimper, but beautiful.
And a couple of series on CN’s Adult Swim:
_Inu Yasha_–There’s quite a bit of fighting, and it’s got some monster-of-the-week-itis, but it’s not fluff. The premise and characters are interesting, and there are none of the filler “power-up/transform” sequences that are so annoying in _Sailor Moon_ and _Dragonball Z_. The monsters are downright nasty.
_Yu Yu Hakusho_–Even more fighting, but not much filler, and decent light entertainment. You’ve got to respect a series that _starts_ with the death of the hero. There aren’t many dubbed episodes yet, so CN is cycling them pretty often.
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### Author:  [@Grelby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grelby)
#### Post date: [October 8, 2002, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anime-suggestions-for-a-near-first-time-watcher/131292/3 "2002-10-08T01:38:02Z")
_Cowboy Bebop_. Kinda the seminal modern anime SF. Rather retro and melancholy, sort of a modernized film noir in outer space, with a healthy dose of wackiness mixed in. It’s a good introduction to anime because it happens to be awesome by its own virtues.
Definitely don’t jump into Lain or Evangelion yet. They are very good, but definitely pretty hard to follow, and weird if you aren’t used to anime.
_Trigun_ might be good - this incredibly powerful outlaw doesn’t remember who he is, which is kind of a problem as everyone is trying to kill him and collect a huge bounty. The genre is sci-fi, as it’s about people who crash-landed on a hostile planet about a hundred years or so before, but it’s a very wild west like setting.
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### Author:  [@Nightsong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightsong)
#### Post date: [October 8, 2002, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anime-suggestions-for-a-near-first-time-watcher/131292/4 "2002-10-08T02:01:02Z")
Hmm. \*Akira[i/] is a classic, but I found that I had to watch it a few times to figure out what the heck was going on, and for me it doesn’t have much staying power.
The _Ah! My Goddess!_ series is good, IMO: more like a series of mini-sitcoms. I like the story behind the plot(s): typical college dude accidentally calls the ‘wish hotline’ and a goddess appears to grant his wish. He, jokingly, wishes for a goddess like her to be with him always! (Ooops.) I got started reading the manga, then found the anime.
And a second for _Cowboy Bebop_.
* * *
\<\< Be-bop a lula… \>\>
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### Author:  [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)
#### Post date: [October 8, 2002, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anime-suggestions-for-a-near-first-time-watcher/131292/5 "2002-10-08T02:08:14Z")
I’ve just started getting into _Cowboy Bebop_, so I was withholding judgement. I will say that I love the opening theme, though.
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### Author:  [@bobo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobo)
#### Post date: [October 8, 2002, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anime-suggestions-for-a-near-first-time-watcher/131292/6 "2002-10-08T02:19:37Z")
I would suggest “Ninja Scroll” (possibly from Manga)… a very good introduction to Anime, only slightly screwed up, but screwed up enough that other anime won’t really stun you… sort of a gateway-drug to other anime… plus the story and subplots are really good…
now, if you want something very dark that will make you think, try “Barefoot Gen”… it’s the story of either hiroshima or nagasaki (sorry, not sure on the spelling, and I haven’t seen it in a while so I can’t be certain on the city) nuclear bombings told from the eyes of a young child… being someone that builds/invents/codes things, it helps remind me that there are somethings I don’t want to help create (ie, I don’t want something like atomic weapons on my conscience)
just my $.02
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### Author:  [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)
#### Post date: [October 8, 2002, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anime-suggestions-for-a-near-first-time-watcher/131292/7 "2002-10-08T04:26:06Z")
Thanks everyone (keep 'em coming 🙂 ).
Also, mods, I’m sorry. I meant to post this in Cafe Society. Maybe you could move it…?
Sorry…
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### Author:  [@zephonith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zephonith)
#### Post date: [October 8, 2002, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anime-suggestions-for-a-near-first-time-watcher/131292/8 "2002-10-08T05:12:37Z")
_Spirited Away_ is showing in some movie theatres now. There’s a list of some places it’s showing at [here](http://nausicaa.net/miyazaki/sen/theaters.php). It’s fantasy, and aimed at children (so it has no sex or violence), but it’s also very enjoyable for adults. (it has the second highest rating of all time at the [Rotten Tomatoes site](http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/SpiritedAway-1116064/))
It’s definitely worth seeing, even for the animation alone, especially on the big screen. There’s a Cafe Society thread about it [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=135553).
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### Author:  [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)
#### Post date: [October 8, 2002, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anime-suggestions-for-a-near-first-time-watcher/131292/9 "2002-10-08T05:45:05Z")
Rurouni Kenshin.
Samurai anime with a little more…sentiment than, say, Ninja Scroll. Good action, but life-affirming and kinda warm and fuzzy in its own kind of way.
Ranma 1/2
A lot of its humor comes from slapstick, but it’s pretty damn funny even if that’s not your bag.
Jubei-chan, the Ninja Girl
I only saw a few episodes of this, but what I saw was frickin’ hilarious.
That should be a good start. I’ll be back. 🙂
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### Author:  [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)
#### Post date: [October 8, 2002, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anime-suggestions-for-a-near-first-time-watcher/131292/10 "2002-10-08T05:56:38Z")
_Patlabor_ either the TV series or the two films. A special police unit in a near future Japan who use large mechs called Labors. Great characters and stories, with less action than you would expect. The Labors have limits to their usefulness, so the members of the unit have to actually think and do some real police work first.
_El-Hazard_ - a fun action fantasy series about several people transported from Earth to a mystical world where they gain special powers. Goofy, silly, a little sexist; but mostly harmless.
I would second _Cowboy Bebop, Princess Mononoke,_ and _Trigun_.
I might throw in one of the shorter Gundam series like _8th MS Team_. Good story and action without getting bogged down in a long storyline or too many characters.
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### Author:  [@Trancey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trancey)
#### Post date: [October 8, 2002, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anime-suggestions-for-a-near-first-time-watcher/131292/11 "2002-10-08T06:52:29Z")
If you want something with humor, then watch Trigun (but in english is the best way to watch it, so you can get the humor, subtitles just don’t seem to do it).\
Another funny one is Chobits, as far as I know, it’s pretty new.
It’s pretty hilarious if you ask me, hehe.
X 1999, the movie is pretty good as well, episodes too. That is if you want something with a little bit of gore.
Hmm, what else…
Kenshin is pretty good to, the “movie-type-thing”, not the episodes.
I My Me Strawberry Eggs, is good too (humorous).
Sailormoon, in my opinion, was the stupidest thing to ever be shown on television.
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### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [October 8, 2002, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anime-suggestions-for-a-near-first-time-watcher/131292/12 "2002-10-08T12:59:57Z")
Start buying the _Star Blazers_ saga. Melodrama, great space battles, some comic relief.
Consider _Robotech_. Very carefully. It turned me into a big anime fan. Well, that, & _Marine Boy_.
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### Author:  [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)
#### Post date: [October 8, 2002, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anime-suggestions-for-a-near-first-time-watcher/131292/13 "2002-10-08T16:46:19Z")
_The Castle of Cagliostro_ for a good introduction to the Lupin III franchise. Also a darn good movie in its own right. _Love Hina_ is a comedy series with a lot of fans (I’m one of them).
I second _Bebop_, _Trigun_ and _El-Hazard_. _Ranma 1/2_ is the anime that got me into anime–very amusing series. .
_Kenshin_ is great, but doesn’t really pick up until disk 6 or 7–if you get into it, you’ll be in for the long haul.
I have to dissent with one of the other recommendations–_Ninja Scroll_ is probably NOT what you’re looking for. It’s good action anime, but it’s fairly low on character development and extremely gory. Lots of fighting, nudity, etc.
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### Author:  [@Trancey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trancey)
#### Post date: [October 8, 2002, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anime-suggestions-for-a-near-first-time-watcher/131292/14 "2002-10-08T16:54:46Z")
Haha, Ranma 1/2 was the starter for me too.
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### Author:  [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2002, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anime-suggestions-for-a-near-first-time-watcher/131292/15 "2002-10-09T00:17:07Z")
You can’t go wrong with Miyazaki. _Princess Mononoke_ is mentioned above, along with the currently-in-cinemas _Spirited Away._ Also check out _Kiki’s Delivery Service_ and _My Neighbor Totoro._ The latter two have reputations as “kiddie” movies, and to some extent it’s justified, but there’s a simplicity and serenity to the storytelling that wins over adult viewers without insulting them the way the typical American kid-movie insists on chases and fart jokes.
After that, you can graduate to _Legend of the Overfiend_ and _Imma Youjo._ Ha! Ha! I crack me up.
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### Author:  [@buckgully](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buckgully)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2002, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anime-suggestions-for-a-near-first-time-watcher/131292/16 "2002-10-09T00:59:38Z")
Robotech, at least the first generation. It’s okay to fast forward through the Minmei singing bits. Unless you actually like it, I suppose.
Blood: The Last Vampire. It’s sort of like Buffy the Vampire Slayer set in mid 1960’s Japan. It has a pretty coherent storyline and has great animation.
Cowboy Bebop, which has been mentioned many times.
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### Author:  [@grendel72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grendel72)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2002, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anime-suggestions-for-a-near-first-time-watcher/131292/17 "2002-10-09T02:17:23Z")
It sounds to me like **Angel** is interested in shoujo anime, like Fushi Yugi, X/1999 and the like. The plots are more character driven, less action driven.
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Grelby \*
> **Definitely don’t jump into Lain or Evangelion yet. They are very good, but definitely pretty hard to follow, and weird if you aren’t used to anime.**
Really? I loved both series (Eva had a little more action than I usually enjoy…) and feel that the “weirdness” was actually more in relation to other anime.
I felt like Lain was a more “western” version of weird- it was very reminiscent of Liquid Television and some of the shorts that were shown on Night Flight.
Eva works on multiple levels, so even if you (like me) don’t get off on the action, there is still the character driven storyline and the symbolism that ranges from obvious and heavy handed to subtle and fascinating.
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### Author:  [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2002, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anime-suggestions-for-a-near-first-time-watcher/131292/18 "2002-10-09T05:54:35Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by buckgully \*
> **Blood: The Last Vampire. It’s sort of like Buffy the Vampire Slayer set in mid 1960’s Japan. It has a pretty coherent storyline and has great animation.**
With all due respect, I found Blood to be…lacking.
If you want good vampire slaying action (as always, IMHO), go with Vampire Hunter D, and VHD: Bloodlust. The animation from the former is a tad dated, but Yoshitaka Amano (just take it for granted that he’s cool) did the character design for it, and it has some great visuals because of it. (I want a cyborg horse.)
Regarding Kenshin, it is kinda ho-hum for the first season (not bad, really, but kind of biding its time), but season two picks up the pace quite nicely. FTR, it’s 95 episodes long, so it could be an expensive series to get into. (I disagree strongly, by the way, about the endorsement for the movie. The movie was distinctly, and merely, “okay.” The OAVs, OTOH, are pretty.)
Okay, all that being said, don’t take this the wrong way, but, um, what’s your gender? If you’re a girl, watch Fushigi Yuugi. It has a plot (two junior high age girls read an ancient, fairly magical book, and get transported into ancient China - named “Kutou” IIRC - and romance, hilarity, and much adventure ensue), is “only” 52 episodes long (hey, you’re the one who said you wanted plot) and is good if (understatement warning)a bit sappy at times.
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### Author:  [@CyberPundit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CyberPundit)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2002, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anime-suggestions-for-a-near-first-time-watcher/131292/19 "2002-10-09T06:45:46Z")
I began watching anime only a few months ago myself and I found the Miyazaki films(especially Princess Mononoke) and Cowboy Bebop a great introduction too.
Of anime not mentioned above, you might want to try Jin-Roh:Wolf Brigade which is a noirish thriller about terrorists, special agencies and multiple conspiracies.
```
And if at all possible see the above-mentioned Spirited Away. Getting to see a great anime on the big screen in America is a rare opportunity not to be missed.
```
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### Author:  [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2002, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anime-suggestions-for-a-near-first-time-watcher/131292/20 "2002-10-09T07:12:15Z")
Dominion tank police parts 1&2 is pretty cool althouhg it never follows up on the promise of the first episode
I like the professional aka “'glogo 13” duke togo is james bond as a amoral sociopath basically and theres a real evil twist at the end
But those are what i watched in the early 90s …
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