The Screen Scribe

I’ve been asked many times in my thirty-plus years why do I watch anime? Usually, the question is followed by the typical litany. It’s a cartoon. It’s for children. It’s stupid. These are gross misconceptions of what was once a niche media outlet but in the last decade or more has evolved into a powerhouse media juggernaut that has taken Western pop culture by storm. Just because it’s animated does not necessarily mean it’s for children. Certainly, I began watching it as a child. Like most people my age I have fond memories of watching Dragon Ball Z, Pokémon and Mobile Suit Gundam Wing after school and at weekends. Of course, at the time I didn’t know these were Japanese anime, but my induction to this wonderfully unique media had begun.

For those of you unfamiliar with the term, Japanese anime is the animated adaptation of Japanese manga, essentially Japanese comic books. In simple, Western terms, cartoons. But anime is so much more, with very little in common with Western cartoons. But this mistaken association between anime and children’s cartoons does a disservice to one of the most diverse, innovative and complex forms of entertainment modern culture has to offer. Some of best anime are mature, incredibly violent, realistic and most definitely not suitable for children. Certainly, I can bet that many, maybe not all, but most readers will have at least heard of Attack on Titan. A dark, brooding, and viscerally violent title that has more in common with Game of Thrones than say, Pokémon. It’s also one of the titles that thrust anime into the mainstream spotlight way back in 2013. Fast forward twelve years and anime has become far more accessible to mainstream media consumers, with streaming services like Netflix assembling a respectable catalogue of both well-known and original content, with Violet Evergarden, Castlevania, Arcane, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners and recently Devil May Cry becoming critical darlings for the streaming giant.

To revisit my earlier question, why do I watch anime? I watch anime because of its stunning artistic visuals, incredible fight scenes, relatable and complex characters on par with peak Game of Thrones, beautifully rousing and haunting soundtracks, and emotional, complex, human stories. Anime is a medium that can be enjoyed by all ages, girls and boys, men and women, and very likely you have already watched something inspired by anime. The influence of anime can be seen throughout much of Hollywood’s biggest hits, with the Matrix, Stranger Things, Inception and Avatar all inspired by well-known and classic anime titles, genres and tropes.

So, as that old saying goes, don’t knock it until you try it.

And if you want to try it, which I recommend you should, take a look at the recommendations list below as well as the titles I’ve already mentioned. I know it can be quite daunting due to sheer number of anime available as well as the confusing genre titles, so I’ve broken down the most popular genres and anime I’ve watched and the best each has to offer as well as watchability level. You never know, you might surprise yourself and actually enjoy it.

• Shonen – Most popular genre, young male oriented (mostly PG), typical tropes are adventure, comedy, lots of battles, friendship and quests.
  • Dragon Ball Z (Beginner, but has 200+ episodes, and multiple shows)
  • Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (Intermediate)
  • Demon Slayer (Beginner)
  • Attack on Titan (Intermediate / Advanced)
  • Death Note (Advanced)
  • Solo Leveling (Beginner)

• Seinen – Adult men, mature version of shonen. Most definitely not PG.
  • Psycho-Pass (Intermediate)
  • Tokyo Ghoul (Beginner)
  • Hellsing Ultimate (Intermediate)
  • The Fate series (Advanced, has multiple entries and timelines, begin with Fate/Zero)
  • Ghost in the Shell (Advanced, begin with the 1995 film, then move onto the Stand Alone Complex series, main inspiration for the Matrix)

• Mecha – Revolves around the piloting of giant machines with an emphasis on war, battles and sometimes space warfare.
  • Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (Intermediate)
  • Mobile Suit Gundam (Beginner, has multiple entries, I would recommend Wing, Seed, 00, and Iron-Blooded Orphans)
  • Neon Genesis Evangelion (Advanced)
  • The Vision of Escaflowne (Beginner)
  • Darling in the Franxx (Beginner)
  • 86: Eighty-Six (Intermediate)

• Isekai – Protagonist is reincarnated into another world, typically a fantasy type, and becomes the main hero. Known as portal fantasy in Western culture, much like the Chronicles of Narnia.
  • Sword Art Online (Beginner)
  • Re:Zero (Intermediate)
  • Rise of the Shield Hero (Beginner)
  • Tower of God (Intermediate)