Happy Caturday everyone! If you don’t know what Caturday is then you must not be a fan of the friendly felines we call cats. If you have been following me over on my Instagram then you are well aware that I have two loving kitties who own my soul. I mean…I’m pretty sure that I am their pet human and not the other way around. They rule my house and everything in it. That’s just how the world works. Prepare for world cat domination! #plzsendhalp
Anywho…today is going to be a little step by step guide of what anime to watch if you are currently interested in watching anime but you don’t know where to start. Just like books, anime takes up a lot of my other free time. IT’S A NEVER ENDING CYCLE OF SHOWS TO WATCH! Once you start one anime a slew of others come out and then you just sit there crying on the inside because you know you will probably be old/grey by the time you finish your list. Whew…that was a long sentence! Sorry about that. Ahem.
Let me give you a little forewarning about Japanese animation. Do NOT be surprised by nudity, curse words, very over the top plots, character relationships with siblings/cousins (yes these happen frequently), tentacles, or any other thing you might not comprehend at first. Many anime’s consist of a multitude of the things I just listed, so you definitely have to watch anime with an open mind and an open heart. Japanese culture is VASTLY different than Western culture so keep that in mind when starting a new show/series. I’ll try to keep most things light and fun (for the most part anyways). Time for SUGGESTION SATURDAY! *Que confetti and fireworks*
1. One Punch Man-5 out of 5
“The seemingly ordinary and unimpressive Saitama has a rather unique hobby: being a hero. In order to pursue his childhood dream, he trained relentlessly for three years—and lost all of his hair in the process. Now, Saitama is incredibly powerful, so much so that no enemy is able to defeat him in battle. In fact, all it takes to defeat evildoers with just one punch has led to an unexpected problem—he is no longer able to enjoy the thrill of battling and has become quite bored.
This all changes with the arrival of Genos, a 19-year-old cyborg, who wishes to be Saitama’s disciple after seeing what he is capable of. Genos proposes that the two join the Hero Association in order to become certified heroes that will be recognized for their positive contributions to society, and Saitama, shocked that no one knows who he is, quickly agrees. And thus begins the story of One Punch Man, an action-comedy that follows an eccentric individual who longs to fight strong enemies that can hopefully give him the excitement he once felt and just maybe, he’ll become popular in the process.”
2. Nagi no Asukara (A Lull in the Sea)-5 out of 5
“Long ago, all humans lived beneath the sea. However, some people preferred the surface and abandoned living underwater permanently. As a consequence, they were stripped of their god-given protection called “Ena” which allowed them to breathe underwater. Over time, the rift between the denizens of the sea and of the surface widened, although contact between the two peoples still existed.
Nagi no Asukara follows the story of Hikari Sakishima and Manaka Mukaido, along with their childhood friends Chisaki Hiradaira and Kaname Isaki, who are forced to leave the sea and attend a school on the surface. There, the group also meets Tsumugu Kihara, a fellow student and fisherman who loves the sea.
Hikari and his friends’ lives are bound to change as they have to deal with the deep-seated hatred and discrimination between the people of sea and of the surface, the storms in their personal lives, as well as an impending tempest which may spell doom for all who dwell on the surface.”
3. Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso (Your Lie in April)-5 out of 5
“Music accompanies the path of the human metronome, the prodigious pianist Kousei Arima. But after the passing of his mother, Saki Arima, Kousei falls into a downward spiral, rendering him unable to hear the sound of his own piano.
Two years later, Kousei still avoids the piano, leaving behind his admirers and rivals, and lives a colorless life alongside his friends Tsubaki Sawabe and Ryouta Watari. However, everything changes when he meets a beautiful violinist, Kaori Miyazono, who stirs up his world and sets him on a journey to face music again.
Based on the manga series of the same name, Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso approaches the story of Kousei’s recovery as he discovers that music is more than playing each note perfectly, and a single melody can bring in the fresh spring air of April.”
4. Ano Natsu de Matteru (Waiting in the Summer)-5 out of 5
“While testing out his camera on a bridge one summer night, Kaito Kirishima sees a blue light streaking across the sky, only to be blown off the railing seconds later. Just before succumbing to unconsciousness, a hand reaches down to grab ahold of his own. Dazed and confused, Kaito wakes up the next morning wondering how he ended up back in his own room with no apparent injuries or any recollection of the night before. As he proceeds with his normal school life, Kaito and his friends discuss what to do with his camera, finally deciding to make a film with it over their upcoming summer break. Noticing that Kaito has an interest in the new upperclassmen Ichika Takatsuki, his friend Tetsurou Ishigaki decides to invite her, as well as her friend Remon Yamano, to join them in their movie project.
In what becomes one of the most entertaining and exciting summers of their lives, Kaito and his friends find that their time spent together is not just about creating a film, but something much more meaningful that will force them to confront their true feelings and each other.”
5. Cowboy Bebop-5 out of 5
“In the year 2071, humanity has colonized several of the planets and moons of the solar system leaving the now uninhabitable surface of planet Earth behind. The Inter Solar System Police attempts to keep peace in the galaxy, aided in part by outlaw bounty hunters, referred to as “Cowboys”. The ragtag team aboard the spaceship Bebop are two such individuals.
Mellow and carefree Spike Spiegel is balanced by his boisterous, pragmatic partner Jet Black as the pair makes a living chasing bounties and collecting rewards. Thrown off course by the addition of new members that they meet in their travels—Ein, a genetically engineered, highly intelligent Welsh Corgi; femme fatale Faye Valentine, an enigmatic trickster with memory loss; and the strange computer whiz kid Edward Wong—the crew embarks on thrilling adventures that unravel each member’s dark and mysterious past little by little.
Well-balanced with high density action and light-hearted comedy, Cowboy Bebop is a space Western classic and an homage to the smooth and improvised music it is named after.”
And of course I have a TON of other recommendations I could give you! Feel free to ask me if you are looking for something a bit more genre specific. I have watched quite a bit of anime to give you guys a general idea of what is good and what isn’t. #animeislife
