The anime industry keeps expanding exponentially every year, attracting more and more viewers in the process. While anime series and films gained popularity in the West during the 1990s, it wasn’t until much later that it became one of the mainstream media. This is mostly thanks to the streaming platforms where you can find dozens of anime shows. However, finding the right series, especially as a beginner, can be quite overwhelming. Not to mention that as a beginner, anyone would prefer to start with a shorter series that doesn’t require several days or weeks of commitment.
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Streaming platforms would often push long-running anime shows, including those with multiple seasons, towards the audience, but there are a lot of options if you dig deeper. If you’re still looking for exceptionally well-written anime series with complete stories that will be perfect for you to begin your anime journey, we’ve got you covered.
5) Samurai Champloo
Directed by the legendary Shinichirō Watanabe, this 2004 classic is still ahead of its time, whether it’s the animation style or the hip-hop soundtrack in the Edo-themed story. Even more than two decades later, this beloved anime is still considered one of the greatest historical action series of all time. However, the anime wasn’t an overnight mainstream juggernaut upon its release, but instead gained fame over the years, and it’s something everyone should watch regardless of whether they’re an anime fan or not.
The anime is largely episodic in nature, where each episode feels like a self-contained adventure as they build character depth and continue the central quest to find the mysterious samurai who smells like flowers. This incredible story is based on a short manga series written and illustrated by Masaru Gotsubo. Even though some of the anime episodes are fillers, these original scenes only add more depth to the main trio, Mugen, Jin, and Fuu, as they embark on a journey to find a Samurai who smells of sunflowers.
4) Kids on the Slope
Image Courtesy of MAPPA
Not many fans know that Kids on the Slope was also directed by Shinichirō Watanabe, as it remains one of his most underappreciated works even now. Over the decades, Watanabe has released several anime in collaboration with several animation studios, and this might be one of his most unique works ever. What makes this anime truly special is the surreal and calm atmosphere it’s set in, as it follows the lives of young students in a peaceful town during the summer of 1966. Before MAPPA became famous across the globe for Jujutsu Kaisen, the animation studio released several more incredible shows and films that are appreciated to this day.
This beautiful masterpiece premiered in 2012, and it was the first TV series the studio produced. It was a collaborative project with Tezuka Productions. This coming-of-age anime is based on the award-winning Josei manga written and illustrated by Yuki Kodama. Set in a fictionalized coastal town located on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu, this heartwarming series beautifully combines jazz and classical music with a touch of romance and the heartbreak that comes with it.
3) Eden of the East
Image Courtesy of Production I.G.
Eden of the East is considered a forgotten classic these days, even though it was fairly popular during the time of its debut in 2009. This award-winning mystery series is based on an original story by Kenji Kamiyama, a renowned director and writer. Best known for Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Eden of the East remains one of his best works to this day. The story takes place after an unusual terrorist event when Japan was hit by missile strikes, but surprisingly, no one was harmed.
The incident soon became known as “Careless Monday” and was forgotten by the world. However, three months later, an ordinary college student, Saki Morimi, travels to America on her graduation trip and encounters an eccentric man named Akira Takizawa lying naked in front of the White House. Despite his suspicious behavior, Saki befriends him and gets entangled in a dangerous death game as the shocking connection between him and Careless Monday comes to light.
2) Death Note
Image Courtesy of Madhouse
This classic thriller’s popularity is so immense that even non-anime fans know about it. Death Note became a global phenomenon after its debut, and its popularity has yet to die down. The exceptional story makes it a perfect beginner’s show for fans who love psychological thrillers and mysteries. Filled with suspense and supernatural elements, the anime premiered two decades ago, and barely any other series can come close to its level. The anime turns a seemingly ordinary notebook with exceptional powers into a psychological warfare.
The story centers around Light Yagami, who discovers a notebook falling from the sky and learns it was a Death Note that claims to take the life of a person whose name is written on it if the user fulfills certain conditions, which are quite easy to follow. After realizing that the power is indeed real, it doesn’t take long for him to form his own distorted sense of justice and decide to purge the world of all criminals by going on a murder spree.
1) Parasyte: The Maxim
Image Courtesy of Madhouse
Hitoshi Iwaaki’s 1989 manga, Parasyte, claimed its spot as one of the most critically acclaimed series of all time. Madhouse released an anime adaptation in 2014, helping the series reach new heights of popularity. Many series question humanity and what it means to be human, but few do it as beautifully yet heartbreakingly as this beloved psychological thriller. The story follows an ordinary teenage boy who lost his humanity without even knowing what was missing from him.
Shinichi Izumi, a high school student, falls victim to the worldwide alien invasion, where worm-like alien parasites take over human bodies and live among them. However, because he was wearing headphones, the alien ended up infecting his right hand, and the two somehow learn to coexist. As it turns out, Shinichi’s alien doesn’t crave mindless destruction like the others. Left with no other choice, Shinichi decides he must confront the threats in front of him and find a way to save humanity.
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