So, uh... what's anime?

[SullyMcGully]

Forgive me. I'm homeschooled. 

But seriously, I have NO previous anime experience, aside from what you see in video games. I hear there are some good storylines and I want to get introduced. What are some of the more popular/higher quality/easier to get into anime series out there?

I don't have a lot of money, so anything that's free would be great. I have Netflix, Amazon Prime, and, of course, YouTube. Oh yeah, and I don't speak Japanese. So it would have to have an English translation.

Thanks for the advice guys!

 

[LucarioGamer812]

While I don't watch anime too often, it is very deep for a lot of it, and explores interesting scenarios. One of my favorite animes is an adaptation of one of my favorite game series. I know Crunchyroll is a good place to watch anime for free, though not everything is dubbed, it just about always has been subbed, the only downside is the ads that play (there's roughly 5 ad breaks per episode, and each one can be up to 2-3 minutes) but it's a fair trade off for free anime, and there is premium if you want to avoid ads but it's not necessary (well unless you're trying to catch up on something with a few hundred episodes) And they do have anime from Japan of course, but one thing I know is that they do have some western anime on there, the main one being RWBY, which was made by rooster teeth (the guys who did red vs blue) And a small recommendation, a decent starter anime is Sword Art Online, it's often the most hated anime among the genuine fanbase but is loved by many simple fans (so basically think of it as Awakening) I myself started watching anime on it, and while I respect it, it's no where close to my favorite anime, plus it's a video game related one so it'll be interesting to you I'm sure. Anyways hope you enjoy getting into anime.

[SoulWeaver]

19 minutes ago, SullyMcGully said:

Forgive me. I'm homeschooled. 

But seriously, I have NO previous anime experience, aside from what you see in video games. I hear there are some good storylines and I want to get introduced. What are some of the more popular/higher quality/easier to get into anime series out there?

I don't have a lot of money, so anything that's free would be great. I have Netflix, Amazon Prime, and, of course, YouTube. Oh yeah, and I don't speak Japanese. So it would have to have an English translation.

Thanks for the advice guys!

 

First, you're acting like we need to forgive you for being homeschooled. I was too and I still found out about it thanks to my best friend, so that part of it is invalid, plus you should never be apologizing for how you were schooled - it implies that one manner of schooling is objectively better or worse than others, which is most certainly not true, I would have caused a teacher to kill someone if I'd stayed in public school so homeschooling was the best for me, and it was probably the best for you as well.

Now the question must be asked.

What exactly are you willing to look into? There are animes(Animes? That doesn't sound right) out there that are good but risqué, some that are good because they're so bad, some that are good because they recognize they're just redoing the same basic plot all over again and make fun of this, the list goes on for a LOOONG time. Also, do you need the voices to be in English or will subtitles work? Because One Piece for example is MUCH better in Japanese with subtitles.

Edited August 29, 2017 by SoulWeaver

[Von Ithipathachai]

I myself generally don't watch much anime (or most television for that matter) because I would rather spend that time playing video games or doing something else productive.

Still, there are a few that I like.  One personal recommendation of mine is Outlaw Star, which is basically about mercenaries who go on a treasure hunt in space.  The characters and story are all quite enjoyable and it's relatively short (only about 30 episodes), so it won't take up too much of your time.  You may need to look on streaming sites for good quality episodes.  Most episodes can be found on YouTube, but they've probably been sped up to avoid getting copyright-struck.  Also note that both censored (for airing on Toonami) and uncensored versions of the dub exist.

Sgt. Frog is another big favorite of mine, though it's much longer and I was never able to finish it.  This one is a hilarious comedy about a group of frog-like aliens who get stranded on Earth and struggle to conquer it as they live with the humans.  Unlike Outlaw Star, most episodes can be found on YouTube without major alterations.  Better yet, there is not much in the way of an overarching plot, meaning it can be watched more casually if you so please.

If it's anime movies you're interested in, Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem is a must-watch if you like Daft Punk.  It's more or less a giant music video for their album Discovery and can thus be found on YouTube split up by individual songs.  Make sure you watch them in the album's track order!

[EricaofRenais]

I was homeschooled as well but there was the Fox Box when I was growing up that I watched and they had some good anime, the WB did as well. As to what anime you would like it would depend on what you like to watch for fun because anime has it all. As my personal tastes my absolute favorite series is Saiyuki which you can watch most of on Youtube, EscaFlowne is really good and was the first not kiddie anime I watched, Gun X Sword is fun, the Record of Lodoss war is a really good old anime, Trinity Blood is the Vatican v. Vampires, the Galaxy Railways is about a special forces team set in a universe where everyone travels by space trains and I also recommend any Studio Ghibli film since they are all great.  I have the Crunchyroll app on my Wii U and I watch subbed anime for free with ads which is how I am getting to watch Saiyuki reload Blast one week after it airs in Japan.  Subs tend to be better to me since other then Black Butler I have yet to watch a dubbed anime that got the voices right plus in the dubs they tend to change character ages.

[Ronnie]

Best advice: Don't watch JoJo until you're used to anime. It will weird you out at first.

Good anime to start with is Yu Yu Hakusho, Dragon Ball, Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, or Hunter x Hunter

[Armagon]

1 hour ago, SullyMcGully said:

What are some of the more popular/higher quality/easier to get into anime series out there?

My recommendations in the spoiler tag

Spoiler

My personal favorite anime is Fairy Tail. The premise is about a world where "Magic is Everything" Reinhardt, Fire Emblem Heroes. In this world, there are several Mage Guilds and the one the story follows is the Fairy Tail Guild. The story itself isn't too special, and despite friendship being the main theme, it does overuse the power of friendship in later arcs, but the characters themselves make up for it. There are currently two seasons, both of which have been dubbed, and a third season will air next year.

One of the most popular anime out there and one of my favorites is JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. I'm sure you've at least heard of the memes. The premise of JoJo follows the Joestar bloodline throughout their bizarre adventures, facing off against vampires, ancient Aztec God-like beings, serial killers, and more. There are currently 8 Parts to it, though only the first four parts have gotten anime adaptations. The Parts are 

• Phantom Blood
• Battle Tendency 
• Stardust Crusaders
• Diamond is Unbreakable
• Vento Auero
• Stone Ocean
• Steel Ball Run
• JoJolion

The first six parts are within the same continuity while Parts 7 and 8 take place in an alternate timeline, with Part 8 currently publishing.

The protagainsts of each Part are

• Jonathan Joestar
• Joseph Joestar
• Jotaro Kujo
• Josuke Higashikata
• Giorno Giovanna
• Jolyne Kujo
• Johnny Joestar
• Josuke Higashikata (referred to as Josuke 8 by fans)

I will warn you ahead of time, JoJo can get pretty violent and there are some bloody deaths. It's not super gory or anything just expect a lot of blood. Phantom Blood and Battle Tendency both have dubs, while Stardust Crusaders just got a dub and is currently airing.

One Punch Man. I'm sure you've at least heard of this one. It's got a dub as well.

Noragami is also one of my favorite anime. It takes place in Japan, and the premise is that the main character, Yato, is a Japanese God, but literally the most obscure one. He's the God of deliveries, favors, etc. The show perfectly blends comedy and seriousness. A dub exists.

Now, i don't know if you are willing to watch anime subbed but i strongly recommend Konosuba. It doesn't have a dub but it's hilarious as hell. The premise is that this shut-in teen dies while saving a girl.....except said girl was never in any danger to begin with. So this teen, Kazuma, gets sent to Purgatory, where he has the option of either going to Heaven, or being reborn in a fantasy-like world. However, the Goddess who offers him this choice, Aqua, makes fun of the fact that Kazuma died a pathetic death. So as revenge, Kazuma forcefully takes her with him to the fantasy-world. He recruits two other allies, Megumin and Darkness, but literally the entire group except for Kazuma are useless. Aqua can't do jack shit except purify the dead, Darkness has worst aim than a stormtrooper and Megumin has nuke-level magic but she collapeses for the rest of the day after using Explosion, which is the only spell she will ever use.

Another good favorite of mine is Yona of the Dawn. Which is basically Fire Emblem, kinda. The premise is that the main character, Yona, is forced to flee the castle after her lover, Su-won, kills her father. She, along with her retainer, Hak, then live on the run and recruiting four powerful allies: the Dragon Warriors. Despite the premise, there is a good deal of comedy, but like Noragami, it is able to take itself seriously. The show just got a dub, iirc.

My Hero Academia is another good show that is essentially reverse X-Men. This time, people with superpowers make up a mjority of the populations and the main protagonist, had no superpower (referred to as Quirks). That is until he inherits a Quirk called One for All, thanks to All Might, the most famous hero in the world. Thanks to this, he is able to enroll into UA, the top super-hero school in Japan. Both seasons have a dub.

Of course, if you're looking for a nice peaceful anime to kick back and relax to, i recommend Squid Girl, Himouto! Umaru-chan, and Aho-Girl, which is currently airing. Squid Girl is about a squid girl (duh) who comes to the surface, upset that humanity has polluted the sea. Intent on conquering them, she instead ends up being forced to work at a beach house because she broke the wall. It's a cute show. Himotuo! Umaru-chan follows Umaru, the perfect girl. Good looks, perfect grades, excellent athletic ability. But once she goes home, she becomes a lazy, gamer, anime fan. A lot of people criticize this show because Umaru is annoying but i disagree. I only found her to be annoying in two moments in two episodes. The whole point of the show is how Umaru makes friend using her different personalities, but these different personalities are a part of who she is. She genuinely cares for her friends, and her brother, even if she acts spoiled towards the latter. Umaru is set to get a second season this Fall. Aho-Girl is about the stupidest girl on the planet and everyone has to put up with her crazy shenanigans. I have not laughed at a show this much. 

Squid Girl's first season and Umaru both have dubs (though Umaru's dub is garbage) and Aho-Girl does not have any dubs yet but i still recommend it.

I also recommend Gamers. Gamers is a romantic comedy with a bunch of hilarious misunderstandings. And as the show is called Gamers, you can expect a lot of video game references. And no, we're not just talking the simple Mario reference. The OP of the show referenced Smash Bros, Resident Evil, and fucking EarthBound. The latest episode of the show referenced both Fire Emblem and Final Fantasy Tactics in one sentence, by referring to a game called "Fire Tactics". Oh yeah, Gamers is currently airing and a dub exists as well.

 

If you really start to get into anime, i suggest you create a MyAnimeList. It'll help you keep track of anime you are watching, plan to watch, put on hold, dropped or completed. I'll link you to mine so you can see an example. There's a forum within the site too but the forums are trash imo. Interface is too clunky and anime is just too big of a community too really get immersed in it.

Oh yeah, MAL uses the Japanese names of anime and manga, which is fucking stupid since the English names are 10000x more recognizable, regardless of whether you watch anime subbed or dubbed. What's more recognizable, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure or JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken?

 

 

Edited August 29, 2017 by Armagon

[Dandy Druid]

A mistake...

But seriously, there's different types of genres. Popular ones include Attack on Titan, One Piece, Fairy Tail, Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, and Bleach.

Black Lagoon and Kaichou wa Maid-Sama! are enjoyable too, imo.

Just note that One Piece, Fairy Tail, and Bleach have tons of episodes and have been running for years.

[Armagon]

5 minutes ago, Dandy Druid said:

Just note that One Piece, Fairy Tail, and Bleach have tons of episodes and have been running for years.

Of these three, Fairy Tail is currently on hiatus until next year and Bleach has already ended. One Piece is the longest-running of the three and, despite it being good, it's just way too late to start watching One Piece now. It's currently at 800+ episodes and going.

Edited August 29, 2017 by Armagon

[Rapier]

Uh, most of the anime I've found were by pure chance while I was searching for something to watch on the TV. Being homeschooled has nothing to do with it.

It depends a lot on what you want to watch. I can recommend some "all time classics" that are usually safe bets, though:

 

For fighting animes with simpler stories:

- Dragon Ball (and Z. It doesn't really matter if you start with Z, as I have. Dragon Ball Kai is DBZ with less filler, so go for it if you feel that it is dragging a lot)
- Yu Yu Hakusho

- HunterxHunter

- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (ok, calling its story "simple" is a huge understatement)

- Naruto (I am not very fond of how much it drags, and most of what I know about it came from its fighting games, but it is a very acclaimed choice so I am putting this here)

 

For "deeper" stories:

- Death Note

- Code Geass (I recommend Death Note first)

 

For other anime that don't fit any of the descriptions above:

- The Heroic Legend of Arslan (Not an "all time classic". I've only watched half of it. It resembles a classic FE story)

- Attack on Titan / Shingeki no Kyojin

 

For non anime examples that might count, Avatar (The Last Airbender).

 

As for my personal favorites that might suit someone who's new to anime (that weren't already cited):

- Claymore (the anime also works, but you'll need to read the manga after a while)

- Akane ga Kill (the anime is slightly more different than the manga. It resembles FE in some aspects, especially lack of plot armor. It is very gory, however)

- Elfen Lied (drama, also very NSFW and gory)

Edited August 29, 2017 by Rapier

[Rex Glacies]

I'm surprised you haven't heard much about anime even if you're homeschooled. I mean, even without my friends who don't actually exist I became aware of anime from my sister and simply by being on the internet, because the internet... can teach you lots of things...

Well, that was off topic. Anyway, my favorite anime is Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood... which was unfortunately taken off of Netflix a few months ago. It takes place in a 1900-esque world where there are "alchemists" who can transform certain things into others. The story follows two brother alchemists who, after a horrible accident lose parts of their bodies (one brother loses his arm and leg and uses mechanical ones, and the other brother's soul is attached to a suit of armor) and search for a way to restore themselves. It's an amazing show with one of the best stories I've seen in fiction, dealing with government corruption, religion, and other fairly mature themes (and dealing with them well, I think).

Note: if you wanted to watch it, I would recommend watching the first 15-25 episodes of Fullmetal Alchemist (not brotherhood, they are different) before moving onto Brotherhood. 

Fairy Tail was good, sort of. There were some good aspects, yes, and I loved all the characters, but the storylines were never phenomenal and I felt it became predicable and boring after a couple of seasons.

Death Note (the show, not the recent movie which I have yet to see) is on Netflix, last I checked. It involves a boy who finds a notebook that can kill anyone whose name is written in it. He then sets off on a "crusade" to "purge" the world of evil, while a detective tries to stop him. It is slightly dark as it deals with mature themes, but I'd say it is really good, especially if you like intellectual things.

[Comet]

watch fullmetal alchemist, THEN fullmetal alchemist brotherhood. brotherhood is just a continuation of fullmetal alchemist that sums up the plot of the original in about 10 episodes when you could otherwise be treated to much more fullmetal alchemist. you could also start with SOUL EATER IT'S SO COOL.

the melancholy of haruhi suzumiya, angel beats, deadman wonderland, and baka no test are good too.

lucky star is good but it's pretty much anime references: the anime, so you wouldn't understand most of the references now.

i highly advise that you don't watch anything like fairy tail and one piece since you just have much better ways to spend your time than watching the same cookie cutter scenarios for 800+ episodes, like watching other anime or anything else.

Edited August 29, 2017 by Comet

[sirmola]

One thing that people are not aware of is that the pokemon tv show is an anime. If you have watched it, you know more about anime then you think.

I would recomend starting with a few shorter anime. these are often 12 episodes long, and are a much better jumping off point than something with 600 episodes. Two that I like are Bakano (a story about immortal gangsters in the 20s told in a really well done non-chronological order), and madoka magica (it is a magical girl show, but it is also the sort of show that works best after having watched other anime, including at least one magical girl show). I no longer have a netflix subscription, so i do not know if madoka is still there. YOu used to be able to watch bakano for free and legaly on another website, but i can't find it now.

As for amazon prime, their anime selection stinks. They have very few good anime: "kabeneri and the iron fortress" is good (It's the sort of zombie apocalypse story that really works). THey have a lot of robotech/macross stuff (one of the classic giant robot series, although it origionaly aired in 1985, and is thus not a good representation of modern anime.) Otherwise, the closest you get is "Avatar: the Last Airbender" and the first 3 seasons of its sequal "the legend of Kora" which are not anime (being anime inspired shows from the US), but they are great anyway and you should totaly watch them.

TBH, i would also recommend watching other shows that no one has mentioned after you watch some of these recomendations. I honestly find that I only really understand and fully appreciate a genre when I have watched some bad/generic examples of it, both because then i can appreciate the artistry of the best examples even more, and because parodies, jokes, and deconstructions are less likely to sail over my head. You might also find something you enjoy, even if other shows are objectively better.

[SoulWeaver]

Welp, if we're all just throwing things out there, I found myself greatly enjoying No Game No Life, which somehow falls into all three of the categories I mentioned above - good because it's bad and a bit risqué but recognizes that it's redoing a storyline that's been done to death and makes fun of this fact and is consequently enjoyable. Episode 2 even gives us an in-depth analysis of a rigged Rock-Paper-Scissors game as well as providing one of my current signature quotes. It is quite frankly the dumbest thing I've watched and I loved it enough to order card sleeves for my Pokemon Deck and obtain the theme song off iTunes. You can get it from iTunes, but I don't know if it features subtitles and it claims the voices are only in Japanese. I did, however, find it on Youtube, both subbed and dubbed, and both are good. It's actually based off of a set of novels, interestingly enough.

[Zapp Branniglenn]

*scans thread*

Why has nobody mentioned Miyazaki films? Gods but the state of anime must have changed.

[Ae†her]

A lot of people will say Sword Art Online is a great anime, but I don't see it as that at all. In fact quite the opposite I could go into details, but I don't want to spoil it in case you or anyone else does want to watch it. I will offer recommendations of anime which I think are absolutely fantastic, but with a description so you know if one of them is you're type or not.

1. Steins;Gate: You can watch this dubbed or subbed, I personally prefer the dubbed because the engrish pronunciations of certain words I find cringey. Anyways this is my favorite anime of all time because it delves into Time Travel, but in a more realistic sense using the concept of "World Lines" or as I see it a sophisticated way of using 5-th dimensional reality manipulation. That's the only spoiler I'm revealing. It's heart wrenching, emotional, and it really shows you that things we take for granted in the natural world can haunt us when we manipulate them. It has flaws that I noticed, but I can overlook them and say that this is the best piece of entertainment I've ever seen. WARNING: The first two or three episodes starts of slow, but it eventually dives into the main plot, which will have your heart racing, and in fear of the mechanics of reality in the verse, and the screwed-up way they work.

2. Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuioku-hen (Samurai X: Love and Betrayal): This is an amazing OVA from the main series, Samurai X. It deals with the past and early comings of Kenshin that makes him into the man he is. It teaches you important lessons, and it shows you the struggle of the 16th century Japan, and the cruelty of life. It has in my opinion one of the most interesting characters in anime, namely Seijuro Hiko.

3. Berserk (1997): This is based on the first few chapter of the Berserk anime, and it presents it so well. Berserk is a fantastic medieval adventure anime, and it is a great introduction to an amazing series.

4. Planetes: There is something about space exploration that always gets to me, if a movie handles it well I like it, and if a movie handles it poorly then I hate it, and keep that hate in my guts. In the case of Planetes, it dealt with space junk, and I love it even more than any other space exploration movies and shows that I've seen. Planetes has amazing characters, amazing development, and amazing plot points that make it really memorable to me. It is of course like other anime's I watch inspiring, and I value it so much for what it does with all it's different themes. I highly recommend this, if you're into movies and shows that delve into space exploration.

5. Gankutsuou: the Counte of Monte Cristo: Gankutsuou by far is one of the most interesting anime characters I've seen, and this show that is an alternative version of the original novel The Counte of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas, is just astonishing. The animation in the show alone is already brilliant, and without a doubt the best animation I've seen in an anime show ever (even better than Cowboy Bebop). The show is dramatic, and gives feelings of mystery, terror, and sorrow throughout the plot. It is simply put: marvelous.

6. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Ghost in the Shell takes place in future Tokyo, during a time where nearly all aspects of life have been made cybernetic, and digital. It's a great anime because it explores themes of such a world very well, and it's like watching a cop show, but way more interesting, and with a very interesting set of characters.

7. Fullmetal Alchemist/ Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood: I'm sure you've heard of this somewhere or another, and I say this because it's very popular in the anime community, and sometimes overrated. FMA/ FMAB are both great animes, and is all around great at providing entertainment. People have always seem to said FMAB is better than FMA because it follows the manga, and the ending is way better. I personally don't see that as a reason as to why FMAB can be better as an anime than original. I saw the original and Brotherhood consecutively, and all my memories of those important moments in the show all come from the original because original delved into it much better, and didn't waste time exploring unnecessary characters that didn't really help add any impact to the experience of the show. Although Brotherhood indeed has a better ending, better opening songs, better viewing resolution, and follows the manga the original Fullmetal Alchemist I would recommend over Brotherhood. Still though you can choose if you wish to see the original or Brotherhood version. Most people seem to like Brotherhood over the original if you're curious. Anyways I still recommend this serious which ever show you may decide to watch.

Shows I Liked but Wouldn't Recommend

1. Elfen Lied: (Pronounced Elf-In-Lead) This show although very interesting and complex is for the most part a blood bath, and if you're uncomfortable with continuous nudity then I wouldn't recommend it.

2. Cowboy Bebop: This is a great episodic anime, but it lacks character development and such for the sake of providing you with lessons, humor, and masterful presentation, and giving you a short stories of already complex characters. The show is a masterpiece in a sense, and a classic, but don't let that fool you for it being a full-on story anime that you can follow through, and root and cheer for. It is quite literally a short story about some interesting characters; it has an amazing soundtrack, animation, and presentation. Most of the episodes are filler as well keep in mind, I tend to think that most people will get bored by it. I enjoyed Bebop for the world it gave and the interesting characters, and lessons, but you may not.

3. Mushi Shi: Mushi Shi I found to be interesting, but like Cowboy Bebop it is an episodic anime, and doesn't hide that. It provides a mystical journey of a so called "Mushi Master" who goes around curing people of Mushi. It is brilliant without a doubt, and I favor it above a lot of other anime I watched, but most people are usually not into episodic anime with a lesson in each episode, where each episode has a different story. 

Edited August 31, 2017 by Logos

[Emeraldfox]

Cartoons from Japan. Yet we have people who refuse to call them such for some dumb reason.

[badatfireemblem]

I've only ever really watched anime on Netflix and Amazon, so I can list my favourites from there for you. I generally only watch 'tame' anime which is probably the easiest to start with anyway.

Attack on Titan (Netflix, which also has a series 2 on crunchyroll)

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood (this was taken off UK Netflix but has recently been added again, but I'm not sure about elsewhere)

Kabenari of the Iron Fortress (Amazon)

Cowboy Bebop (Netflix)

Space Dandy (Netflix and same director as above)

Mushi Shi (Netflix)

 

If you're looking at watching high class Japanese animation though, I'd really recommend Studio Ghibli, specifically Howl's Moving Castle and Princess Mononoke. Disney are involved with the western release, so I doubt they'd ever appear on anything like Netflix though.

Edited August 29, 2017 by Natalie

[MisterIceTeaPeach]

Sorry if I might go out of topic, but what has being homeschooled exactly to do with having no knowledge about anime?
I wasn't homeschooled, and I never had to deal with anime at all (even until now). I don't know if it had not been popular in my country. Well Pokémon was a thing of course, but I don't even know if I may call it as a classic anime. It's rather a JP cartoon series for me. 
I just don't really understand the excuse because I can't see a relation at all. Of course anime is rather popular by younger people, but there also animes from the 80s which the parents might have watched, so it's not impossible to get introduced by them.

As for the topic I can't really help unfortunately because I'm sitting in the same boat with the OP. I was indirectly introduced into animes by playing JRPGs. I only watched a few parts of the Tales of Zestiria X and Devil Survivor anime. I can't recommend them to anyone at all even if you're a real fan of these games. It didn't rise my interest in anime at all.

Edited August 29, 2017 by Aya Shameimaru

[Flee Fleet!]

Anime is Japanese animation. Similar to cartoons, but are more in variety, and not just restricted to kids (I think there are less anime specifically for kids anyways....?).

Most anime shows are like 12 or 24 episodes long, iirc.

Regarding English translations, you can either watch anime subs or dubs. Most people tend to prefer English subs (me included), but there are some good dubs present like the Ghost Stories's dub lol

If you want to know which anime are good and which are just awful, I suggest you go to  myanimelist.com or other sites similar like it. Each anime has a rating there, as well as reviews by multiple people.

You could also read Manga, which are basically Anime but in comic book form.

[Armagon]

Regarding the MAL scores, mostly anything that's a 7 or above is considered good, so you generally want to stay in that range or higher.

At the end of the day of course, everything is subjective. MAL isn't the law when it comes to deciding which anime are good or not. You're just more likely to enjoy anything in the 7 range or higher but i did enjoy Izetta: The Last Witch and the Ace Attorney anime, both of which are in the 6 range.

 

 

[SullyMcGully]

11 hours ago, SoulWeaver said:

First, you're acting like we need to forgive you for being homeschooled. I was too and I still found out about it thanks to my best friend, so that part of it is invalid, plus you should never be apologizing for how you were schooled - it implies that one manner of schooling is objectively better or worse than others, which is most certainly not true, I would have caused a teacher to kill someone if I'd stayed in public school so homeschooling was the best for me, and it was probably the best for you as well.

Now the question must be asked.

What exactly are you willing to look into? There are animes(Animes? That doesn't sound right) out there that are good but risqué, some that are good because they're so bad, some that are good because they recognize they're just redoing the same basic plot all over again and make fun of this, the list goes on for a LOOONG time. Also, do you need the voices to be in English or will subtitles work? Because One Piece for example is MUCH better in Japanese with subtitles.

5 hours ago, Aya Shameimaru said:

Sorry if I might go out of topic, but what has being homeschooled exactly to do with having no knowledge about anime?
I wasn't homeschooled, and I never had to deal with anime at all (even until now). I don't know if it had not been popular in my country. Well Pokémon was a thing of course, but I don't even know if I may call it as a classic anime. It's rather a JP cartoon series for me. 
I just don't really understand the excuse because I can't see a relation at all. Of course anime is rather popular by younger people, but there also animes from the 80s which the parents might have watched, so it's not impossible to get introduced by them.

As for the topic I can't really help unfortunately because I'm sitting in the same boat with the OP. I was indirectly introduced into animes by playing JRPGs. I only watched a few parts of the Tales of Zestiria X and Devil Survivor anime. I can't recommend them to anyone at all even if you're a real fan of these games. It didn't rise my interest in anime at all.

I was joking. I'm not actually apologizing for being a homeschooler, homeschoolers are awesome. Sometimes, homeschooling parents are criticized for not providing enough social stimulation for their kids, so we like to joke about how "socially inept" we are sometimes. However, it is true that I am very sheltered in regards to anime. Before today, I'd only heard it be referenced around the forums. I never really watched TV anyway because I'm homeschooled.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll start watching what I can soon.

[Flee Fleet!]

9 minutes ago, SullyMcGully said:

I never really watched TV anyway

Me neither.

I only found out about anime thanks to the glorious Internet, but even then I kept pronouncing it wrong for three months until my sister corrected me.

[Refa]

11 hours ago, Comet said:

watch fullmetal alchemist, THEN fullmetal alchemist brotherhood. brotherhood is just a continuation of fullmetal alchemist that sums up the plot of the original in about 10 episodes when you could otherwise be treated to much more fullmetal alchemist.

You should definitely do this.  Everyone who's watched it likes FMA [citation needed]!

[maybe]

7 hours ago, Natalie said:

I've only ever really watched anime on Netflix and Amazon, so I can list my favourites from there for you. I generally only watch 'tame' anime which is probably the easiest to start with anyway.

Attack on Titan (Netflix, which also has a series 2 on crunchyroll)

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood (this was taken off UK Netflix but has recently been added again, but I'm not sure about elsewhere)

Kabenari of the Iron Fortress (Amazon)

Cowboy Bebop (Netflix)

Space Dandy (Netflix and same director as above)

Mushi Shi (Netflix)

 

this is pretty dependent on region though 

a bit back some friends of mine were telling me some anime i should watch and cowboy bebop and fullmetal alchemist brotherhood were like the two most recommended

but i checked netflix and neither were there (nor were most of the other things they recommended) and i ended up watching cowboy bebop through various streaming sites

so if you're in the us i'm not sure how many of those are there