Summary
Anime exploded in North America in the 90s thanks to cartoon blocks like Toonami. Over the years, their presence on basic cable broadcasts only became more prevalent. Now it’s easy to watch virtually any anime, with bothsubbed and dubbedcontent on platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Crunchyroll, and more.
One could argue that there may be too many choices now. What should beginners start with? What should veterans see next? Some of these recommendations blend together, but they are not all about the best of the best. Instead, these recommendations are worth watching because of what they brought to the genre over the past few decades. It’s more of a history lesson and a sample platter of important anime that made a cultural impact, with a few oddballs thrown in for good measure. It’s hard to rank these anime, as they all offer something different, but wide appeal and lasting impact will factor into their ranking.
Aggretsukois a great place to start for anyone not accustomed to anime, and a great example of what the slice-of-life genre is like. Even though the characters are adorable anthropomorphic animals, their stories couldn’t be more relatable.
Retsuko is a Red Panda who works in a dead-end accountant job where it seems like no one respects her. Through trials, she learns lessons along the way, deepens relationships, and sings metal on the side. It’s one of those key anime that can actually help people understand their own issues if they too have stressful office jobs.
Dr. Stonehas a unique take onan apocalyptic disaster, as one day all of humanity is turned to stone. Thousands of years later, Senku, an aspiring young high school scientist, frees himself from his stone prison and discovers that humanity still exists, but they live in small pockets and are more akin to cavemen.
While some of the science is a bit fantastical, it is an educational anime that goes through how it might be possible to make soda or cellphones from nothing. Each new discovery is more wondrous than the last, and Senku’s inventiveness is why it’s worth a watch.
Food shows startedto explode in the late 2000s between shows likeDiners, Drive-Ins, and Dives,Man vs. Food,Worst Cooks in America, and so on. For all those people who love food shows,Food Warsis a must-watch, as it takes the level of creativity and adoration surrounding food and cranks it up to a hundred.
It’s safe to say no one has seen anyone dream of being covered in honey or exploding their clothes off after trying a dish on a show likeHell’s Kitchen. It’s funny and informative, and food has never looked this good before.
Lupin is a cultural iconin Japan, and a character who will seemingly never die. Instead, he is reinvented time and time again to adapt to new eras. The core concept between each series and movie follows Lupin the 3rd, a master thief, who goes on capers for the love of the chase.Lupin the 3rd Part 4: The Italian Adventureis the best place to start, as it begins a new revival for the character. To understand anime and perhaps even Japan as a country, a Lupin anime is necessary to digest.
There’s no escaping the cultural impact thatAttack on Titanhas had over the past decade, but the anime is now finally over, along with the manga. It is an action series that is just as gripping as a live-action show likeGame of Thrones,with plenty of horror elements too. No key characters are safe, which is a lesson that viewers learn quickly. There’s nothing quite like the nightmares within this post-apocalyptic fantasy world wherein giant human-like titans hunt humans and devour them in giant gulps.
Cowboy Bebopis a relatively short anime with only one season, so it doesn’t require a lot of commitment. The main characters get introductory episodes and some key backstory plot points, but mostepisodes are standalone adventuresabout a bunch of bounty hunters in space.
For a 90s anime, the quality of its animation and storytelling outdoes even some modern examples. It’s a good example of a futuristic anime that is grounded, and one that is well-liked by both anime and non-anime fans.
Mechs are a big part of anime, and there’s no mechafranchise bigger than Gundam. Diving into most of the standalone and interconnected seasons can be a daunting task, as most have over fifty episodes apiece. That’s whereMobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Teamcomes into play.
There are only twelve episodes, the animation quality is high since this is an OVA, and the mechanized battles and the overall story are more grounded than most seasons. Viewers can think of it as a war show fought with mechs instead of on-the-ground soldiers.
There is probably not a bigger anime thanDragon Ball Z,nor will there ever be. The manga and anime debuted in the 80s and gained popularity in the Westin the 90s. Because it has been around so long, it has become integrated into popular culture.
It’s not the most sophisticated action anime of all time. There’s a lot of yelling, smashing of fists, and energy blasts without a lot of strategy, but it’s like the Rosetta Stone of Shonen anime. WithoutDragon Ball Zthere would be noMy Hero Academia,Naruto,Bleach, and so on, which is why it is a must-watch.
