>>Japan’s government is positioning anime and related media as a core industry under its ‘New Cool Japan Strategy’, setting an ambitious target of reaching 20 trillion yen (or US$130BN) by 2033.
The Japanese government's policy brief of 'New Cool Japan Strategy' PDF
What are some good animes for a first time viewer? I've grown bored of the typical story lines of traditional TV shows, and my friends keep telling me to try anime because they explore more novel themes and more out-of-the-ordinary scenarios. So any recommendations for something that is really different, in any sort of way?
Edit: lots of recommendations, thank you all a lot for providing some starting points for a beginner!
Seconding Fullmetal Alchemist. I hear the remake (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood) is usually regarded as the better version. More suggestions: Neon Genesis Evangelion, Death Note, Sousou no Frieren, Cowboy Bebop, Nichijou, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Bakemonogatari. There's also quite a few good movies, anything by Studio Ghibli is great, and so are Akira, Perfect Blue, and Ghost in the Shell.
Some of those those aren't really going to appeal people unfamiliar with the conventions of the genre and some of the big personalities, e.g. Evangelion is a deconstruction of the once popular giant robot genre and Hideaki Anno's personal couch trip rolled into one.
Brotherhood follows the plot of the source material comic, which is regarded as having a better ending. The original series aired concurrently with the comic and had to diverge when it passed where the ongoing comic ran out of chapters.
Your friends might be overselling it. Even as an anime fan myself, most anime is mindless drivel with works that leave a lasting impression few and far between.
Hard to make a recommendation without knowing what genres you like but the recent "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End" was a very well done story told from the perspective of a member of a fantasy-style adventuring party who outlived her fellow party members that reveals its tale through her memories of her friends and the changes their party's travels left behind on the lives of ordinary folk.
Cowboy Bebop (the 1998 anime series, not the dreadful recent live-action movie) and Trigun are considered classics in the space western genre, with a solid mix of drama and occasional humor.
As others have mentioned, the movies from Studio Ghibli are rightly regarded as classics, although I would personally limit that to their pre-2002 movies; their later movies have somewhat of a more mixed reception. To western audiences, Princess Mononoke is probably the most well known. If you want something less fantastical, Kiki's Delivery Service might be worth looking at.
In terms of rom-coms, I'd suggest the less well known His and Her Circumstances, despite its incompleteness. A lot of its humor and drama is conveyed through energetic visuals that wouldn't really be feasible when filming human actors.
As another person posted, I think your friends might be overselling. Most anime is utter dross, and sometimes very weird / weirdly sexualised (eg. clearly underage characters who the fanbases pretend are 1000 years old).
The most well-known are typically the (very few) ones worth watching, eg. Attack on Titan, Death Note.
If you've sort of heard of the name or seen references to it, it's likely to be one of the more popular ones and is maybe worth a look. Besides those, it's fighting through weeds to find anything that's really any good.
Watch Mother's Basement and Glass Reflection's seasonal anime reviews on YT and see if anything grabs you. "novel themes" is too broad a topic, it's going to depend on what your genre taste is, especially as a first time viewer.
Otherwise, here's some other options, just because I liked them (or the manga):
> Watch Mother's Basement and Glass Reflection's seasonal anime reviews on YT
That's actually surprisingly helpful, and goes beyond just the few moments people will respond to my comment, so thank you for that! I'll give it a try.
>>Japan’s government is positioning anime and related media as a core industry under its ‘New Cool Japan Strategy’, setting an ambitious target of reaching 20 trillion yen (or US$130BN) by 2033.
The Japanese government's policy brief of 'New Cool Japan Strategy' PDF
https://www.kantei.go.jp/jp/singi/titeki2/chitekizaisan2024/...
What are some good animes for a first time viewer? I've grown bored of the typical story lines of traditional TV shows, and my friends keep telling me to try anime because they explore more novel themes and more out-of-the-ordinary scenarios. So any recommendations for something that is really different, in any sort of way?
Edit: lots of recommendations, thank you all a lot for providing some starting points for a beginner!
I have watched 3 animes- Solo levelling, Full metal alchemist and Attack on Titans. I liked them.
Edit: I realised i watched Full metal alchemist: Brotherhood didn’t know two versions existed
Seconding Fullmetal Alchemist. I hear the remake (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood) is usually regarded as the better version. More suggestions: Neon Genesis Evangelion, Death Note, Sousou no Frieren, Cowboy Bebop, Nichijou, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Bakemonogatari. There's also quite a few good movies, anything by Studio Ghibli is great, and so are Akira, Perfect Blue, and Ghost in the Shell.
Some of those those aren't really going to appeal people unfamiliar with the conventions of the genre and some of the big personalities, e.g. Evangelion is a deconstruction of the once popular giant robot genre and Hideaki Anno's personal couch trip rolled into one.
Brotherhood follows the plot of the source material comic, which is regarded as having a better ending. The original series aired concurrently with the comic and had to diverge when it passed where the ongoing comic ran out of chapters.
Spy X Family. Super fun characters
Your friends might be overselling it. Even as an anime fan myself, most anime is mindless drivel with works that leave a lasting impression few and far between.
Hard to make a recommendation without knowing what genres you like but the recent "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End" was a very well done story told from the perspective of a member of a fantasy-style adventuring party who outlived her fellow party members that reveals its tale through her memories of her friends and the changes their party's travels left behind on the lives of ordinary folk.
Cowboy Bebop (the 1998 anime series, not the dreadful recent live-action movie) and Trigun are considered classics in the space western genre, with a solid mix of drama and occasional humor.
As others have mentioned, the movies from Studio Ghibli are rightly regarded as classics, although I would personally limit that to their pre-2002 movies; their later movies have somewhat of a more mixed reception. To western audiences, Princess Mononoke is probably the most well known. If you want something less fantastical, Kiki's Delivery Service might be worth looking at.
In terms of rom-coms, I'd suggest the less well known His and Her Circumstances, despite its incompleteness. A lot of its humor and drama is conveyed through energetic visuals that wouldn't really be feasible when filming human actors.
Frieren, Spy x Family, and Your Name would be my 3 picks for a new anime viewer.
Orb: on the movements of the Earth
It's on Netflix. So underrated.
And Blue Period, also on Netflix.
As another person posted, I think your friends might be overselling. Most anime is utter dross, and sometimes very weird / weirdly sexualised (eg. clearly underage characters who the fanbases pretend are 1000 years old).
The most well-known are typically the (very few) ones worth watching, eg. Attack on Titan, Death Note.
If you've sort of heard of the name or seen references to it, it's likely to be one of the more popular ones and is maybe worth a look. Besides those, it's fighting through weeds to find anything that's really any good.
Watch Mother's Basement and Glass Reflection's seasonal anime reviews on YT and see if anything grabs you. "novel themes" is too broad a topic, it's going to depend on what your genre taste is, especially as a first time viewer.
Otherwise, here's some other options, just because I liked them (or the manga):
- FLCL
- Made in Abyss
- Baccano!
- Chainsaw Man
- Psycho Pass (first season only)
- Dorohedoro
- Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex
- Serial Experiments Lain
> Watch Mother's Basement and Glass Reflection's seasonal anime reviews on YT
That's actually surprisingly helpful, and goes beyond just the few moments people will respond to my comment, so thank you for that! I'll give it a try.
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