Want To Get Into Anime? Here’s What You Need to Know!

It’s no secret that I’m really into anime. I’ve been watching it since I was a kid, racing home after school to catch the afternoon Toonami block (back when they aired Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Z, and that weird edited version of Outlaw Star). Even if you haven’t been a longtime anime fan like I have, fear not: there’s still plenty of time for you to get into them.

But even if your enthusiasm is there, it can be hard to figure out exactly where to start. There are so many decisions to make – dub or sub? What genre? What about those popular shows that everyone always talks about?

Here are a few of my tips when starting to get into anime, and how to choose shows that you can leap into. 

Narrow It Down By Genre

This isn’t specific to just anime, but when just starting out in any new fandom, I think a good place to start is to look at which genres and subjects you’re drawn to. You can find inspiration for this with other forms of media that you enjoy – look at the comics, RPGs, video games, even books and movies – and use that to narrow it down.

For example, I’m drawn to a wider variety of genres (horror, action, romantic comedy, sci-fi, high fantasy) but there are particular kinds of storytelling and plot building that I like: I’m into more psychological leaning shows, or ones that deconstruct ideas of what society or a particular idea within society looks like. I enjoy a cohesive story rather than one-off stories; and I’m really drawn to stories that are character driven.

Even within larger genres like action or drama, there are subgenres or themes that you can use as inspiration to figure out whether a show would be something that peaks your interest.

About Those Long Running Shows

Most anime series last only one season, and can typically run about 25 episodes. There have been exceptions to this – the first season of FLCL only has 6 episodes; Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood will run you 64 episodes. But while these are lengths that most viewers are comfortable with, the shows that are widely familiar tend to go way over this length – like over 500 or 600 episodes.

You know the shows I’m talking about: Naruto, Dragon Ball, One Piece, the list goes on. While it might be tempting to immediately hop into those shows to see if you would enjoy anime, I would advise against it… at least, until you know that you enjoy the genre and are sure that you want to invest in it*.

(*It’s thought that it takes about 3 episodes of a 25-episodes show to tell if it’s something that you would enjoy. But for shows that have much longer run time, it could take as long as 50 episodes until the main plot really begins to build.)

You can still incorporate these longer, more popular shows into the next important point, which is…

Researching!

I’m using researching very loosely here, but it might be a good idea to do your homework when it comes to looking at which shows can be a good match.

So let’s say that you know you’re interested in a good action show with supernatural elements, but aren’t ready to dive into a show like Bleach. You can still incorporate the information of Bleach into your researching, even if you haven’t watched it. More popular shows tend to have better recommendations, so looking at what comes up in related searches is a better likelihood that you can find something more your speed.

Researching different production studios, writers, and voice actors once you become more familiar with anime can also help you find shows that you may enjoy. Personally, I like watching Glass Reflection for his reviews (and he always includes pretty good recommendations of two shows, which help if it’s a new-to-you genre as well).

Dubs v. Subs

Within the anime community, there are arguments that go back to the beginning of time on whether dubs (English adaptations of Japanese anime) or subs (anime aired in its original Japanese, with English subtitles) are better. And my short response to this is: it’s a personal preference, and you’re allowed to go between the two.

I’m not a sub purist by any means. My go-to choice between the two tends to be dub, though I’m more likely to choose subs in certain instances, like when shows that run simulcast (or, air simultaneously in Japan and overseas; usually during new releases) and I don’t want to wait the weeks/months before it’s dubbed.

For shows that have a lot of information to digest, it’s easier for me, as a native English speaker, to choose dub because I can process what’s happening a little quicker. But subs give you the ability to see the anime as it originally aired, allowing you to hear the original voice actors who may have different interpretations of characters than their dub artist counterparts.

As you become more familiar with anime, there are more well-known voice actors and that may impact your ability to remain objective when hearing them cast in a role (even now there are some actors that I always envision in a certain role, even if they’ve had other projects since).

One Last Thing

These are all loose guidelines, but remember that this is supposed to be fun. Don’t worry too much if the first few shows that you give a go turn out to be flops — it can be a trial and error to find a show that you can really sink your teeth into. But when you find that series that speaks to you, that scratches all of your itches in what you’re looking for, it can be a great feeling.

Happy watching!