So I'm going to introduce anime to someone. I need recommendations on what would be a good show for her. It has to be in English. She likes girly, horror, drama, and feelgood movies to name some interests. I have a few in mind but I haven't watched as much anime as some of you here and since I don't really watch dubs I'm also stuck there.
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Anime recommendations for a new comer
- Thread starter LogicStep
- Start date
Black Republican
Member
School Days 
I'd say Death Note may be a good entry. It has a decent amount in common with American serialized drama, avoiding some of the common off-putting tropes to newcomers of anime (squeaky hyperactive characters and the like), while still having the sort of plot hooks you'd expect from anime. It's very dark though, so it's going to be more in line with the horror preference rather than feel good.
Cowboy Bebop would be great as well, for similar reasons.
Cowboy Bebop would be great as well, for similar reasons.
The Incarnation
Member
Detective Conan.
ShaoranWright
Member
Black Republican
Member
As someone not very into the medium I'd probably stick with what you had in mind. Anything that breaks through the fandom bubble, even if it's not the best, often breaks through for a reason and tend to be good for newbies.
So:
Cowboy Bebop
Ghibli films
Death Note
Attack on Titan.
Fullmetal Alchemist or Brotherhood (at least when it is not attempting to be funny).
Akira
off the top of my limited head.
So:
Cowboy Bebop
Ghibli films
Death Note
Attack on Titan.
Fullmetal Alchemist or Brotherhood (at least when it is not attempting to be funny).
Akira
off the top of my limited head.
TangerineCloud
Banned
Eden of the East. My girlfriend hates anime but actually got into that one. It's an interesting drama that never gets too dark and is pretty light on stuff that might turn off an anime newcomer (fanservice, shitty "comedy" scenes, etc.). Great dub, too.
Like others have said, Death Note is a pretty solid intro anime. One of those anime that I hear a good number of non-anime fans say they're into.
I'm also watching Moribito at the moment and so far it seems like it'd be a good intro anime. Though the setting may be a turn-off for some.
Like others have said, Death Note is a pretty solid intro anime. One of those anime that I hear a good number of non-anime fans say they're into.
I'm also watching Moribito at the moment and so far it seems like it'd be a good intro anime. Though the setting may be a turn-off for some.
Newtype-001
Member
Ouran Highschool Host Club sounds up with what you're asking. The dub is also real good. One of the first anime i started watching.
Marauder Shields
Member
Just started watching this after a recommendation from my brother. Not a big anime watcher but so far I've enjoyed it.
hosannainexcelsis
Member
I would recommend movies in this situation, because they don't require as much of an extended time commitment as ongoing series do. Here are some top choices that are likely to appeal to her:
Colorful
Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro
Millennium Actress
My Neighbors the Yamadas
Only Yesterday
Time of Eve
Tokyo Godfathers
When Marnie Was There
Whisper of the Heart
Wolf Children
These are all warm-hearted with uplifting endings. They should all have English dubs, though I can't vouch for their quality in most cases. The Ghibli films should have acceptable English dubs at least.
Colorful
Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro
Millennium Actress
My Neighbors the Yamadas
Only Yesterday
Time of Eve
Tokyo Godfathers
When Marnie Was There
Whisper of the Heart
Wolf Children
These are all warm-hearted with uplifting endings. They should all have English dubs, though I can't vouch for their quality in most cases. The Ghibli films should have acceptable English dubs at least.
shadow_shogun
Member
Monster, this has to be the best choice for your friend. Great thriller/horror story and has an awesome dub.
Newtype-001
Member
Summer Wars is also a great heartwarming movie.
teruterubozu
Member
Yup, that's pretty much the gateway list right there.
Azumanga Daioh: Many consider this the forebearer of the highschool sitcoms (or slice of lifes as some call them), so can be seen as the vanilla flavour while all other later shows had to come up with their own gimmick to differentiate from it. It's from 2002 so DVD quality is your only option as I believe it wasn't made to upscale (it's an early digital anime). Back in the day when there was far less choice when it came to shows this came across as one of the more popular shows (I wasn't really into anime back then so this was from an outsider's eye).
K-On: The gold standard of the highschool dramas from the later years and since it's a KyoAni show it's animated well. Maybe The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya for a scifi spin. Both were popular as newcomer shows back in the day for a reason. Avoid Lucky Star. Requires a lot of knowledge of the Japan and the anime world to really appreciate.
Studio Ghibli: Goes without saying really. They are the mainstream anime outlet for a reason. For dubs I recommend Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Spirited Away was the film to really get me into the medium but I really can't stand the voice they gave Chihiro in the English dub. Save that for when your friend is open to watching in Japanese.
K-On: The gold standard of the highschool dramas from the later years and since it's a KyoAni show it's animated well. Maybe The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya for a scifi spin. Both were popular as newcomer shows back in the day for a reason. Avoid Lucky Star. Requires a lot of knowledge of the Japan and the anime world to really appreciate.
Studio Ghibli: Goes without saying really. They are the mainstream anime outlet for a reason. For dubs I recommend Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Spirited Away was the film to really get me into the medium but I really can't stand the voice they gave Chihiro in the English dub. Save that for when your friend is open to watching in Japanese.
Listen to this person.
Also Toradora, Azumanga Daioh or Say I love you(thought the dub for the latter is a bit terrible)
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time: Good anime movie
Summer Wars: Same
Angel Beats: Key anime so it will some of the checks on your list
Clannad: Same
Psycho-Pass: Hits some different checks
FMA:Brotherhood: Pretty much my go to reccomendation for first time anime viewers
Death Note: Same
Eureka Seven: Same
These are all dubbed anime that I would recommend to someone new based on your first post. There are probably some more female oriented series that someone could recommend, but I don't know too much about them.
I forgot that Toradora got dubbed a while back lol.
Summer Wars: Same
Angel Beats: Key anime so it will some of the checks on your list
Clannad: Same
Psycho-Pass: Hits some different checks
FMA:Brotherhood: Pretty much my go to reccomendation for first time anime viewers
Death Note: Same
Eureka Seven: Same
These are all dubbed anime that I would recommend to someone new based on your first post. There are probably some more female oriented series that someone could recommend, but I don't know too much about them.
I forgot that Toradora got dubbed a while back lol.
sixteen-bit
Member
Patlabor
2 people were banned for recommending this iircSchool Days
stop
hosannainexcelsis
Member
This is maybe a little better than the first two replies in this thread, but not by much.
Is it really that hard to give honest, useful recommendations instead of trying to destroy the poor innocent girl here?
hosannainexcelsis
Member
It's pretty long though, and I'm not sure if the opening will be attractive enough to make her stick with it. If I were to recommend a Morio Asaka directed shoujo series, I'd recommend Nana. It's also long (though not as long as CCS), and the adult drama in its first episode is a pretty good hook and atypical for what people think of as "anime".
Dedication Through Light
Member
Tsuritama is a must watch.
NaDannMaGoGo
Member
As far as (psychological) horror goes, I'd recommend the film Perfect Blue.
Admiral Woofington
Member
-Little Witch Academia. It's on Netflix, relatively fast watch.
-Monster (suspense and drama, elements of horror). Easily one of the best, definitely watch.
-Most Ghibli films tend to be lighthearted/feel good or with a nice positive message so give a try to those.
- Natsume Yuujinchou (not sure if there's a dub but DEFINITELY this, love it so much. Pretty damn feel good, sweet and charming).
- Space Brothers (overall feel good but has drama elements, plus a pug so insta-win). Bit of a slow burn though.
- Nichijou. Very nice visuals and the show can get a bit too 'sweet'/kawaii at points. Not everyone here liked it, but hey give it a try maybe you will.
hosannainexcelsis
Member
Despite this being DTL, this is actually not a bad recommendation. Approachable, colorful, and a good sci-fi-infused character drama.
theechrisfox
Member
Black Butler. Its very entertaining.
If you can get your hands on some BD copies of Ghibli films, just start at Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.
Also, if you don't want to filter the troll recommendations, pop by the seasonal anime threads. They're not just a hub for premiering shows.
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1159004
I'm far from being a big anime fan, but my two pence:
Any Studio Ghibli film. Spirited Away seems to be the one people enjoy most, including most girls I know, though my personal fave is Princess Mononoke.
Blood: The Last Vampire was one of the earliest things I got into - it's a short film, maybe 50 minutes long. Simple story. Not much to it, but a badass high school/vampire horror vibe. Really easy to follow.
I also really enjoy Trigun. Silly but also action packed. Neon Genesis is really great, too, obviously - has some good female characters and great style. My girlfriend enjoyed it.
Aim high and keep it aimed high, I'd say.I enjoyed the dubs on all of those well enough.
Mushishi seems like a good bet, too. Only watched a little bit. Solid dub, nice feel-good pacifist anime.
nintendoman58
Member
I can recommend Puella Magi Madoka Magica on that regard, as it definitely has those kinds of elements in it.
Monster is probably the best.
Else, Shin Sekai Yori - i can't vouch for the dub, but as far as psycological stories go, it's top tier.
... Do we really need that shit every time.
Else, Shin Sekai Yori - i can't vouch for the dub, but as far as psycological stories go, it's top tier.
School Days
... Do we really need that shit every time.
hosannainexcelsis
Member
If you want to go with a Ghibli film, I'd recommend Castle of Cagliostro, which is not Ghibli but is Hayao Miyazaki in his adventure mode before he formed Ghibli, Only Yesterday, which is a gentle drama about a woman reflecting on her childhood, or When Marnie Was There, a serious but ultimately positive film dealing with depression. Depends on what tone you're looking for.
Spirited Away is the most well known, but like I said earlier, personally I'd wait to watch that in Japanese, but that's just me being picky. Laputa: Castle in the Skyhas some nice Miyazaki elements from flying to fantasy locations. It even has Mark Hamill what with all the current Star Wars buzz going around (I don't really know Star Wars).
Nausicaa, which is technically pre-Ghibli but spiritually Ghibli.
John Kowalski
Banned
Hyouge Mono. If you're into japanese aesthetics and history you really need to watch it, it's fiction but it's made with such love for the setting and themes. Very strong characters and writing, especially the VO.
Wow lol, i didn't read the OP at all.
Wow lol, i didn't read the OP at all.
LegendofDragoonLives
Member
Attack on Titan is definitely the best gateway anime to get people into it. Just put the niche animes you like or other people list straight to the ignore list from this thread smh. Two other solid choices are also Death Note and Cowboy Bebop, but CB takes a bit of time to really get hot so keep your friend's ADHD in mind beforehand. Ghibli movies are a good shout out and based on your comments about it, you should be allright.
I know it's not an anime really, but Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of the greatest things ever. I'm about to finish season 3 and it is seriously up there in my top 10 greatest TV shows of all time list.
jesus shit
AoT was fucking torture to watch week-by-week – but from what I've heard it's really good to binge watch (eg Netflix) so probably a good suggestion. Got a good sense of drama. Even if the story is rapidly going off the rails.
jesus shit
AoT was fucking torture to watch week-by-week – but from what I've heard it's really good to binge watch (eg Netflix) so probably a good suggestion. Got a good sense of drama. Even if the story is rapidly going off the rails.
UnluckyKate
Member
good list
Admiral Woofington
Member
Take your pick really.
- My Neighbor Totoro
- Spirited Away
- Howl's Moving Castle (bit divisive here, but mostly loved around the internet)
- Kiki's Delivery Service
- Castle of Cagliostoro (absolutely fantastic film, not Ghibli and you don't really need background on the characters, it's an adventure film of a group of thieves with a heart of gold helping out a kingdom and a princess).
- Castle in the sky (probably my pick)
- Porco Rosso
You can't go wrong with any of the above.
What? Did I miss something?