I want to get into anime.

[kayisking]

Excactly what it says. It's a side of nerddom that I have ignored for too long. You may reccommend me shows, sites, articles and anything else that you think will help me get into anime. Just keep in mind that I have absolutely zero knowledge of anime so when you recommend me a series, please don't make it something that requires me to have seen the twenty sequels before it.

Discuss below!

Ps. Please excuse my poor English, I am not a native speaker.

 

[MasterOfWorlds]

Your English actually isn't that bad. It's much easier to understand than some of the people I've seen post.

On topic though, I recommend Code Geass. It has two seasons, but neither is particularly long. Black Lagoon, also two seasons. Claymore, which is one season. Berserk, also one season. Gantz, also one season.

For the slightly lighter side of things, you can watch Clannad, Toradora!, or any number of anime. There are a lot out there, but surprisingly, there are very few bad ones. You might not get into some as much as others, but most are at least OK.

 

[Wuggy]

Well, first of all: I don't watch anime. So no worries about the sequel thingiemagicker.

I'd recommend Death Note. One of the two animes I've watched, it's a series that has been finished and it's great.

 

[aba1]

Anime is just cartoons that are from Japan so like anything what sorta genre are you looking at? There is about every single genre just like movies from drama/chickflicks to westerns

 

[aeroblaster]

Never seen anime?

Ok first, you have to watch some Dragonball Z. Amazing.
SECOND, you HAVE to see Trigun. Classic masterpiece.
Thirdly, watch Naruto, Bleach, or One Piece and see which one you like and stick with it. They're the 3 most popular anime's that are currently running. And they're looooong already.

Then there's others "must sees" such as Gundam Wing, Code Geass, Death Note (if that's ur style ), and Cowboy Bebop.

Woo. Go enjoy some anime.

 

[Kerrie Garbett]

Watch the Death Note anime, I haven't meet a person that hasn't liked it and I think it'll be opening to the world of manga because it isn't that... how to say it? japanese-y? for people to get lost in a culture hole.

 

[Thespian]

I'd say watch S-Cry-Ed. It's pretty damn cool, there's twenty-six episodes and they are all on youtube, I think.

 

[madwarper]

If you're just getting into anime, I'd recommend starting off with some of the Miyazaki's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayao_Miyazaki#Filmography] movies, specifically Princess Mononoke [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Mononoke].

Getting into the movies takes considerably less investment, in both time and capital, than trying to get into a long running series.

 

[Retronana]

Nobody mentioned Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann yet? It's like the citezen kane of mecha anime, which it a achieves through stupidly awesome fights and likeable characters, it's only 2 seasons long as well. I'd really recommend it.

Although it's been said before but Berserk is worth a look if you don't mind the old animation as well as cowboy bebop.

Finally I'll throw out welcome to the NHK, you don't really know if you'll be into it before you start watching but it's hilarious, emotional and depressing all at the same time.

 

[SimonCharlesHanna]

I only just recently got into anime.

Death Note and Full Metal Alchemist were the two that got me into it

i'd definitly recommend DEATH NOTE if your a first timer.

 

[Avayu]

I'm not the greatest expert on anime either, but I can tell you what got me into it.
Try Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. It's a great (post-)cyberpunk political action thriller with a few dashes of philosophy in it. The animation is very good, the action is cool, the story interesting and the characters of Section 9 (the protagonists) probably define badass black ops team. Also, and that's something I think is important, it has a very good dub, which, in my experience, lowers the access dificulty into anime.
The two Ghost in the Shell movies are also very good, but the second one is a pretty big mindscrew.

Also, check out Cowboy Bebop. It's a classic for good reasons.

 

[BENZOOKA]

Death Note is excellent.

After that, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

 

[SonofaJohannes]

Well, what genres do you like?
If you want action: Gurren Lagann
If you want romance: Kimi ni Todoke
If you want comedy: Cromartie High School

All of them are excellent animes, and short. Except for Kimi ni Todoke, which is 2 seasons, but damn, those are some good seasons.
Soul Eater was what got me into anime, but Code Geass has always been my favourite, and I strongly recommend it. Lucky Star might be too hardcore if you're new to anime, but you might learn to love it. Eventually.

 

[Macgyvercas]

While it has a very high degree of niche appeal, I'd recommend giving Spice & Wolf a shot. Another one I recommend is El-Hazard: The Magnificent World (the OVA, not the TV series. The OVA was far superior)

 

[Frybird]

I got into Anime with Ghost in the Shell (the first movie), and although it might not be the best starting point in terms of accessiblity, it was certainly great to start a few-year-long Anime Fan/Japanophile Streak for me. It has a great visual style, is VERY deep and keeps you engaged even in long, talky scenes.

As Avayu, i'd certainly recommend Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, wich is not only one of the best Anime TV Series, but also a very accessible one due to being very "western" in comparison. It's kinda like a police procedual with Cyborgs and Cyberspace.

Cowboy Bebop is also a great recommendation. It alternates very well between funny, serious, adrenaline fuled and sometimes even scary.

Noire is also a very cool although not overly complex series that mainly shines through excellent action scenes and a highly unpredictable storyline.

Other than that:
Animatrix (Anime Shorts based on the Matrix, excellent Showcase in terms of variety and style)
Fullmetal Alchemist (another one of the very best, although i'd recommend the "original" Anime over Brotherhood, wich is more rushed and more "all over the place")
Princess Mononoke (just great)
Tokyo Godfathers (another very accessible, "western" kind of movie that still has a lot of heart)
Summer Wars/The Girl Who Leapt through Time (both by the same guy, excellent visuals, likable characters, fun stories that have also some depth. Summer Wars is a little more complicated and weird though)


And ALWAYS Remember, as with everything, 90% of all Anime is shit. But there is still much good stuff.

 

[InsanelyZanter]

Anime has a sense of humor and knack for oddball moments that can be off-putting to the newcomer. I'm always shocked when Geass and Gurren lagann get recommended here, trying to find shows with more anime-style weirdness would be hard.

I recommend starting with the more "actually" mature titles like Ghost In The Shell, Death note and the Myazaki films. Then try Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, and Fullmetal Alchemist.

(Fullmetal has two series, start with the one simply called "Fullmetal alchemist" The sequel-ish show, FMA Brotherhood, is a retelling that follows the source material more closely. The first about twenty episodes of both series cover the same events, but Brotherhood rushes through them. And a lot of the more dramatic scenes deserve the extra runtime.)

After that? Gurren lagann, Soul Eeater, and Code Geass.

(Although, personally, I feel Geass cycles through various stages of quality. The rebellion, fight scenes, and drama are awesome. But then the main characters chase a cat for twenty minutes, a schoolgirl entertains herself with a table corner and a terrorist is forced into a catsuit. Hard to get attached.)

 

[Comando96]

Anime frightens me some times due to the fact what it can turn into... and what fans can become... just be aware...

I know a tiny tiny amount. Laputa is a classical anime I remember from when I was young. It is a film and not a series. I believe it is a 7+ so fine for all.

The only series I know of is HighSchool of the Dead... because zombies + anime blood is fucking awesome xD

It is quite good as a zombie series goes, also there has only been the first series totalling 12 episodes so it isn't out of your reach with insane and utter stupid levels of continuity. You could even watch them online... if legal... which I don't know if it is...
Does have nudity in 1 episode (mainly 1), and combined with zombies and lots of blood it isn't family friendly Its an 18 for sure.

 

[Sonicron]

I'd advise that, for the beginning, you stay away from the overly long shows - you know, stuff that's up to 300+ episodes and still running.

The very best shows I can recommend are:
- Full Metal Alchemist
- Cowboy Bebop
- Neon Genesis Evangelion (plus the alternate ending movie 'End of Evangelion')

All of these are already concluded and each span anywhere between 26 and 52 episodes. FMA has a serious plot frequently interspersed with some humor, Cowboy Bebop is humor interspersed with serious action, and NGE is an excellent classic with biomech action that gets rather philosophical, mindfuck-y and somewhat depressing around the mid-way point.

Furthermore, I enjoyed Noire (26 episodes). Not one of the most exceptional works out there, but still quite entertaining; also a rather serious deal with a lot of action and unexpected plot twists.

Finally, I can't really recommend Death Note, at least not as much as other anime I've watched; the first two thirds of the show are not exactly bad, but in my opinion it's not the second coming of Christ everyone on the Internet makes it out to be.

-EDIT-
I know this comes down to personal preference, but I recommend watching the English dubs.

 

[MasterOfWorlds]

While it has a very high degree of niche appeal, I'd recommend giving Spice & Wolf a shot. Another one I recommend is El-Hazard: The Magnificent World (the OVA, not the TV series. The OVA was far superior)

I actually recently watched both seasons of Spice and Wolf because I saw you mention it in another thread and I liked your avatar. I really enjoyed it, so I must say thank you.