You may have thought, "Wow, I want to watch anime because my friends do or for some other obscure reason, but I have no idea where to start!" If that's the case, then you're in luck, because in this post I will share with you the complete foolproof moron-friendly guide to starting anime. This, I affectionately dub, the Anime Starter Pack (1st ed.)
1. Anime vs cartoons
More likely than not, you have heard somebody call anime a "cartoon". And I'll be truthful here, that's perfectly understandable if you have absolutely no experience or knowledge with anime. But if you want to start watching anime, then it's a given that you should know the difference.
Simply put, anime is short for Japanese animation. Cartoons are kinda like a westernized anime. However there's a vast difference in the mood, tropes, values, and overall feel of the animation when it comes to anime and cartoons. It makes sense. Anime stories typically don't fall into the categories that cartoons do, because the Japanese value different things.
There's also the obvious difference of language. Cartoons are pretty much strictly English and the same goes for anime, except with Japanese. However there are some exceptions...
2. Subs over dubs
If you are seriously planning on viewing anime as a sort of side hobby or whatnot, then there is only one thing that I ask of you: do not watch the dub. Just because there is a dub does not mean that you should watch it. Subs are a wonderful thing. They translate the message (although sometimes a bit off, when it comes to fan subtitles) while retaining the same emotion and power in the original voice.
Dubs are never better than their sub counterparts. Hell, a lot of the anime out there are sub-only, and really, there are only a few anime that have really good dubs (and these are the ones that usually make the big bucks). Even then, subs are just the way to go, for full enjoyment and perception.
3. Ongoing and aired
Let's start with ongoing anime (anime that is airing). Anime airs on a seasonal basis, with new arrivals every season. One season for an anime will consist of 12 episodes or 24 episodes, with some variance (ex. the odd 13-episoder or 26-episoder). Each season will air one episode every week. If you do a little thinking, you'll see that this system works nicely, with each season having ample time to air and a break in between every season.
And as for aired (completed and finished) anime, you can watch it at whatever pace is comfortable. It's one of the neater things about aired anime. You can also kinda look it up and you'll have a solid idea of how good it will end up being in the end.
4. Crunchyroll is your best friend (and so is MyAnimeList)
Crunchyroll is an amazing service. Even without membership you're getting full episodes of anime (albeit airing anime are shown one week late) at a decent quality. It's completely legal and a great place to start out. It's especially friendly and pandered towards a western audience. They also have most anime, and get the lion's share of the ongoing titles every season. Easily one of the most popular streaming services that we have over here in North America.
Buuuuut some things you just can't find on Crunchyroll... so where do you turn at that point?
Honestly, a quick Google search will get you some not-so-legal methods of watching said anime. I'm not going to list any of the sites here personally, but you should have enough common sense to not go clicking around randomly. Please search at your own risk.
There's also a bunch of stuff on YouTube, if you haven't tried that.
MyAnimeList is a site that pretty much has the entirety of anime in a database. Pretty much any anime of even the slightest significance can be found on MyAnimeList, with ratings, genres, and a synopsis. Another great thing about MaL is that you can easily create an account and keep track of all your anime.
5. Anime to start off with
For a synopsis and more info, go on over to its MaL page.
Mirai Nikki is somewhat like eating food while it's fresh out of the oven. As one of your first watches, it will be a really really good watch. It does have a lot of violence, gore, and blood, so those who aren't really into that kinda stuff should stay away. There is a bit of a love story in there, and I think that it's such an unorthodox watch that it's good (at least for anybody new). Once again, another anime "classic" that you should watch.
For a synopsis and more info, go on over to its MaL page.
Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun is a romantic comedy (commonly called romcom) of sorts, focusing on the life of a highschool boy who is secretly a popular girls' manga artist. The comedy is near gold and all the characters are genuinely lovable. Really easy to watch and laugh along with. It's kinda flown under the radar, and it never jumps right to mind, but Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun is superb for what it's worth.
For a synopsis and more info, go on over to its MaL page.
Sword Art Online. As much as I may hate to say it, SAO is a good fit for anybody looking to venture into the unknown world of anime. There's the intriguing and thrilling idea of a video game world where death in the game means death in life, and everything else is pretty solid. In fact, the show would be much more favourable with me if it weren't for an arc of two. Actually the first arc was (for the most part) really good, it's just that the second arc was a complete and utter mess. Just watch it before you've seen much of anything else.
For a synopsis and more info, go on over to its MaL page.
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