Top 3 suggested anime's for someone whose never watched anime

[ShaiiLotti]

If you wanted to get a friend whose never watched anime into it, which what's your top 3 anime suggestions for them?

(This list isn't for me, I do watch anime but.. I have a friend who doesn't and I want to introduce them to it.)

 

[Zephyra]

Hmm... It would help to know what kinds of non-anime shows they prefer. Are they into fantasy, horror, romance, drama, sci-fi, etc? I'll give more than three, but I can narrow it down to whatever their preferences may be.

For Romance, I suggest: Horimiya | My Little Monster | Kaguya-sama: Love is War | Eden of the East
(Take into account that I am female and prefer shoujo types of romance - their mileage may vary.)

For Fantasy: Inu x Boku SS | The Ancient Magus' Bride | Land of the Lustrous

For Horror: Hellsing Ultimate | The Promised Neverland | Angels of Death

For Sci-Fi: Psycho-Pass | Akudama Drive (I don't watch much sci-fi but I've heard Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is good too)

I find that introducing people through anime movies is easier than trying to get someone to watch a whole series right away, however. Definitely get them to watch the classic Ghibli movies like Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle. Your Name and A Silent Voice are excellent ones as well.

Also just going to throw it in here just because it's my favorite anime, but Erased. I think that one's pretty easy to digest for newcomers as well with the absence of many over-the-top anime tropes while still making for a compelling show. I'm also going to suggest Demon Slayer because, while some people really love it or really hate it, it definitely has a certain appeal to people who haven't watched much anime with the abundance of flashy animation and fight scenes.

 

[Baka]

Edit: Just now realized it was TOP 3 lol, so edited and put the extras as bonus lol)

Like the reply above addressed instead of going with the "This is classic! Watch this!" route I would try to suggest a series, movie, OVA etc. from a genre they enjoy.

So for the sake of that I won't go into shounen/shoujo/josei/seinen territory with my recs and just address things with terms like "action" or "romance", even though there are both shoujo/shounen romance and shounen which have a lot of shoujo-elements etc.

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Romance - Wotakoi / Kaguya-sama: Love is War / Fruits Basket (remake)
Bonus: Horimiya / Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun
If they are fine with LGBTQ+ themes - Bloom Into You / Given

Fantasy - Frieren: Beyond Journey's End / The Ancient Magus' Bride / Berserk (1997)
Bonus: Spice & Wolf (either original or remake) / Dungeon Meshi
Isekai bonus-round: Re:Zero / Ascendance of a Bookworm / Konosuba /
Bonus: Mushoku Tensei (though would make them know of the themes and some... scenes this series contains)

Sci-fi - Cowboy Bebop / Psycho-Pass / Akira
Bonus: Ghost In The Shell (two first movies and Stand Alone Complex Season 1 and 2 + Solid State Society)

Mystery - Baccano / Hyouka / Tatami Galaxy
Bonus: Shinsekai Yori / Mononoke / Banana Fish

Thriller - Monster / Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor / Perfect Blue
Bonus: Death Parade

Drama - Clannad (+ After Story) / Your Lie In April / Silent Voice
Bonus: 3-Gatsu No Lion / Rainbow: Nisha Rokubou no Shichinin

Horror - Higurashi: When They Cry / Promised Neverland (S1) / Parasyte the Maxim

Music - Kids on the Slope / K-On!

Action - Black Lagoon / Vinland Saga / Trigun
Bonus: Hunter x Hunter (2014) / Fate/Zero

Wildcards - Ping Pong The Animation / Mob Psycho 100 / Neon Genesis Evangelion / Monogatari-series / Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica / Mushishi / Aria / Welcome to the NHK

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Of course classics are classics for a reason and usually really beloved, so stuff like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Death Note, Attack on Titan and Ghibli-movies are really safe bets. While most of the modern battle shounen is a miss for me I would also suggest Demon Slayer, Boku No Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen if I would think they'd enjoy those. Shinkai Makoto movies (Kimi No Na Wa, Suzume etc etc.) are also really safe bet and would recommend them people who are just getting into the anime.

 

[snicker-sage]

Instead of introducing them to any popular shonens, i will introduce them to Ghibli.

You got a large varieties of movies, plots, characters, settings, etc..

Not to mention that even the females characters are well-written, are lovables, really strong (not in the Captain Marvel way).

 

[Virginia Greene]

The Ghost Stories dub

I haven't kept up with anime for a long time so any recommendation will date me immediately, but I think I'd say Baccano! because it's both short and fun, Fullmetal Alchemist, and then probably School-Live! if I think they'll dig the genre

 

[supernovas]

yotsuiro biyori — it’s so sweet and cozy, and every episode is a pretty much a stand alone but there is enough of an overarching plot if that’s their thing.

buddy daddies — it’s a completed series, found family vibes. great blend of action, humor and heart imo.

suzume — a movie over a full series may be easier? and this one is so beautiful, just absolutely stunning. sure, yeah one of the main characters spends 80% of the movie as a chair but like… it’s fine.

 

[Seranda]

That's very difficult, I have to consider the person's age, and interests. Across the board I would say,

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood as I consider this the single greatest anime of all time

YuYu Hakusho as it's aged like fine wine and remains an absolute classic

Deathnote for the psychological thriller, though I guess it can be boring if you aren't looking for that sensation.

@Baka Parasyte was fucking legendary.

 

[Chippairaptor]

The Ghost Stories dub

Ah, I see you enjoy culture as well.

Off the top of my head, I would say

• Cowboy Bebop
• FLCL
• FMA Brotherhood

 

[raison detre]

For somewhat less popular choices/hidden gems, my personal recommendations would be:

• Odd Taxi
• Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song
• Kingdom (First season is fully CG, so a hard sell, but it's fucking worth it man)

Honorable mentions: Dr. Stone, 86 and Haikyuu (even if you don't care for sports anime, it's still great)

 

[Baka]

@Baka Parasyte was fucking legendary.

Absolutely. My go-to recommendation to any fan of body-horror (especially since Junji Ito anime-adaptations are underwhelming to say the least. Hopefully Uzumaki will fix this)