I’m not a total stranger to anime. In middle school, my best friend had introduced me to some good shows and I liked them, but I only watched episodes when we were together. The stigma that anime is “cringe” or “weird” kept me from watching on my own. Also, I just didn’t feel like I had the “right personality” to watch anime, which of course is silly. Anime is garnering more attention in the mainstream and people who used to bash it before are giving it a chance, which is great!
If you’re not sure exactly what anime is, it’s a style of Japanese animation that can be geared to adults as well as children depending on the genre. Not all anime is made in Japan, a lot is made in Korea as well and American animation studios have begun making some of their own too. The art style and ways of storytelling are unique and becoming more and more appealing to general audiences. I’m not immune to the pull of anime, especially as a viable form of escapism as quarantine continues! Here’s some information to get you started if you want to venture into anime (curated by myself and a few friends):
These are some anime genres with short explanations and related series:
- Shonen/Shoujo – translated to “for boys” and “for girls” respectively. These are aimed toward pre-teen and teen audiences, although they can be entertaining to viewers of all ages. Shonen tends to be more action-driven (think Dragon Ball Z) where Shoujo tends to be more cutesy and romantic (think Sailor Moon).
- Seinen/Josei – translated to “anime for young men” and “anime for young women”, these are each grittier anime that discuss topics that are more of interest to young adult viewers such as romantic drama and exploration, life struggles, and coming of age issues. You might think about One-Punch Man or Honey and Clover.
- Slice of Life – This is exactly what it sounds like. It follows the lives of individuals or groups of individuals about events occurring in their daily lives. It focuses on detail on small things such as being a passenger on a car trip with loved ones or enjoying the beauty of the outdoors. This genre can be considered boring for people who are more into action but can be really lovely for those who need to slow down a little bit and stay grounded. Kiki’s Delivery Service is a popular slice of life movie produced by Studio Ghibli.
- Iyashikei – This worked translates to “healing”. This genre overlaps with others frequently so you could have a laid-back slower paced series or an action-packed one with supernatural elements., but the overarching theme is healing from trauma and learning how to cope with troubling emotions. Mushishi and Laid Back Camp are good ones to start with.
- Mecha – These anime are also as they seem. They feature protagonists and critical characters that have mechanical elements. Characters might be cyborgs, robots, or otherwise use technology and machines to fight. Neon Genesis Evangelion is a fan favorite in this genre.
- Supernatural – Again, this is a straightforward genre. Characters in this genre interact with spirits, ghouls, extraterrestrials, etc. These anime can be humorous, dark, dramatic, laid-back, etc. Death Note and Fruits Basket are two more mainstream ones.
The second to last step before viewing some shows is to decide whether you want to watch subbed anime or dubbed anime. There is still a large dispute in the community whether subbed shows are better than dubbed shows and vice versa. Subbed anime are those that keep the original audio released normally in Japanese. Subtitles (subs) are provided in English or your preferred language so you can follow along. Subbed fans argue that this is the most authentic experience because it uses the original voice actors and the language matches up better with the animation of the character’s words. Dubbed anime are those that replace the original audio with voice actors of different languages. So while you are watching, the characters are speaking English or your preferred language and subtitles are not necessary. Despite the debate, one is not better than the other, as long as you are enjoying yourself and are able to follow along with the story.
Last, you should consider where you want to view your anime. There is a small selection of anime to view on Netflix, including Netflix originals. Some of the originals are ok, but they’re not my personal favorites. Hulu has a much wider selection to choose from and includes many subbed and dubbed versions of the same anime series, but it is still relatively limited. Hulu does have the remaster of Fruits Basket though, which is a big plus for me! If you’re really interested in anime and want to jump in further, you can check out sites like Crunchyroll, Kissanime, and Funimation are three popular anime-only streaming platforms.
So, that’s all you need to know to get started on your anime journey! Have fun and enjoy,