‘What animes do you recommend for beginners?’, ‘What are some good anime recommendations for female beginners?’
I received a lot of inquiries like these every day. If you are a beginner or non-anime fan (male or female), then I suggest you start with the following classic Japanese anime to ‘find your taste’ first.
Actually, I am in the process of rewatching some of them so I also added my take to each of these animes.
Table of Contents
Soul Eater
Series Length:
50 Episodes
Synopsis of Soul Eater:
Crazy fun and deceptively deep, Soul Eater is a story of growth and tribulation. Maka Albarn and Soul Eater are a meister and weapon combo at the Technical School for Weapon Meisters and have to collect 99 evil souls followed by one witch soul in order to make Soul Eater fit for use by the headmaster Shinigami (that’s his name lol) against the forces of evil. There are a few other key teams as well: Black Star and Tsubaki, and Death the Kid (Shinigami’s son) along with the Thompson twin sisters. Together they must all defeat evil and protect the school in order to save the world.
My Take:
After seeing the silliness of some of the scenes in the first few episodes I had serious doubts that I would like this anime, but it surprised me and turned out to be one of my favorites! You should give it a chance as well; I think you will like it. ==> Read my full Soul Eater anime review.
Trigun
Series Length:
26 Episodes
Synopsis of Trigun:
Set on the fictional planet known as No Man’s Land, the plot follows Vash the Stampede, a famous gunman who is constantly fighting bounty hunters seeking to obtain the immense bounty on his head. As the narrative progresses, Vash’s past is explored. Trigun originated from Nightow’s fascination with Western movies.
My Take:
There are a lot of famous love and peace quotes from Vash the Stampede. Most anime stories engage with moral questions on some level. But Trigun’s central theme is the nature of morality itself. It asks, “What does it take to live a truly good life?”
Bleach
Series Length:
366 Episodes
Synopsis of Bleach:
When you bleach out black hair, you get orange… the color of Kurosaki Ichigo’s hair. Why does his hair color matter to the naming of the anime? Kurosaki Ichigo is the main character of Bleach. He is a 15-year-old boy who can see the spirits of the dead. One fateful night, as a result of his ability to see spirits, he meets a death god (Shinigami) named Kuchiki Rukia who transfers her power to him so that he may rescue his family from the soul-eating spirits known as Hollows. Ichigo must now adjust to his new role as he faces new challenges as a Shinigami.
My Take:
I was almost immediately taken in by this anime and marathon watched the entire first, second, and third seasons because I just couldn’t stop! The story is well written, the anime itself is very well drawn and shaded and the (Japanese) voice acting is top-notch. I think anyone who loves anime MUST watch this.
Naruto
Series Length:
220 Episodes
Synopsis of Naruto:
Uzumaki Naruto is a young boy with dreams of becoming Hokage (the village leader). He is stubborn, loyal, and strong-willed almost to a fault. Also, he is a prankster who likes to play jokes and vandalize to make others laugh. The anime starts when Naruto is in the middle of Ninja school and failing his courses, and takes you on his journey to be acknowledged by his peers and become a skilled ninja.
My Take:
I was reluctant to watch this anime… I mean really? Kid ninjas? I figured it would be crap and wanted nothing to do with it. My fiancé prodded me into it by telling me that if I hated it after 20 episodes then I could stop watching and he wouldn’t bug me anymore. Well, that’s all it took, 20 episodes and you will be hooked. It is actually a very deep anime that hides behind a seemingly childish exterior and will be highly worth your time.
Side note:
stop at about episode 135 or you will run into the horrible filler of doom, which does nothing for the story or its characters.
Naruto: Shippuden
Series Length:
500 Episodes
Synopsis of Naruto: Shippuden:
The continuing story of Uzumaki Naruto and his quest to become Hokage (the village leader). The same cast of characters you know and love are back and grown up quite a bit. Each of them has increased in skill and maturity and they all have a new set of goals in addition to those of the first series. Naruto is still stubborn, loyal, and strong-willed; however, he is now tempered with some maturity and the wisdom of experience and loss.
My Take:
The continuation of the Naruto series is even better than ever. It starts off with a bang and keeps the momentum going. There isn’t much filler to worry about, and the filler present isn’t half bad. Each character has really deepened and I have grown so incredibly attached to them all it is silly. If you love the first Naruto… you HAVE to watch this one or you won’t be complete!
Death Note
Series Length:
37 Episodes
Synopsis of Death Note:
Bored with his job of killing humans with his death note (a black notebook with the power to kill anyone whom you write the name of inside), Ryuuk (a Shinigami – or god of death) drops his death note into the human world and waits for someone to pick it up. Enter Yagami Light, a prodigy high school student who is bored with his life as well. He discovers the power of the death note and decides he will take on a crusade to rid the world of evil, running into obstacles as the legendary detective known only as L comes after him for murder.
My Take:
Amazingly written, Death note is like watching an incredible chess match with death as the end result for the loser. Everything was superbly done from the drawing and shading style to the (Japanese) voice acting. It has a sinister tone throughout and will be sure to entertain you.
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion
Series Length:
25 Episodes
Synopsis of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion:
Lelouch Lamperouge is a high school student who is smart and cunning beyond his years and determined to get revenge for the destruction of his boyhood home, District 11. The ruling force, the Empire of Brittania has long ruled with the use of mech-suit robot weapons called “Knightmare Frames”. Although Lelouch is incredibly smart, he also often skips school to gamble and play chess. Lelouch gains the power of the Geass when, after skipping school one day, he comes across C.C. and she gives him the power in exchange for promising to fulfill her greatest wish. The story twists and turns from there leading to Lelouch’s ultimate goal of crumbling the Empire of Brittania.
My Take:
This story has so many twists it will make you dizzy! Every time you think you know something it blows you away, and it was so much fun to watch. A must-see for certain.
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2
Series Length:
25 Episodes
Synopsis of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2:
The rise to power of Lelouch continues and a year has gone by since the events in the first season. The Empire of Brittania has become even more ruthless against Lelouch’s previous followers and struggle to suppress further uprisings. Lelouch himself has no recollection of the events that had transpired and it is C.C. once again who sets events into motion when she restores his lost memory. Once he has his memory back, Lelouch is more determined than ever to achieve his goals.
My Take:
After immensely enjoying the events of the first season, I was ecstatic to see this season released. I watched in suspense as, once again, the twists and turns of the plot kept me on the edge of my seat.
Elfen Lied
Series Length:
13 Episodes
Synopsis of Elfen Lied:
Lucy is a Diclonius, a kind of mutated human that has two horns on its head and telekinetic abilities. All of the Diclonius have been captured and held in captivity out of fear that they will become the destruction of mankind. One night Lucy escapes but gets shot in the head in the process and this causes her to have a full personality change and only be able to say “Nyuu”. She is rescued and finds happiness until the lab people who held her captive find her and she tries to remain free.
My Take:
While this anime is bloodshed-heavy and has nudity, it is also quite endearing to watch as Lucy searches for happiness. I loved this anime and still like to watch it over and over.
** Bleach, Naruto, and Naruto: Shippuuden is long-running series that contain many episodes not linked on this page. The links provided give you a small taste of the series as a whole. **
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