Where to begin? For people who are about to fall in deep with a new obsession, it’s one of the hardest questions to answer. With anime in particular, there’s an overabundance of options. Luckily, it’s not the 2000s anymore, so American anime viewers aren’t just limited to what Toonami decides to program on Saturday nights. Now the whole history of Japanese animation, from the canonical action classics of the ’90s and the coming-of-age quests of the 2000s to modern shows spanning all types of genres, is available to stream. But because so many of these shows boast dozens or even hundreds of episodes, and some franchises exist in multiple incarnations, we’re still stuck with that question: Where do you start?

Anime is so present in global pop culture that some knowledge is essential for understanding everything else. But it’s easy to get lost in this labyrinth, because anime has different rules and traditions than American animation. Some shows are easier on-ramps than others, and here we’ve compiled an accessible bunch of starting points. Some of these work as introductions by taking a recognizable franchise or pre-existing mythology and running it through the sensibilities of anime by introducing beautiful characters, heroes and villains with compelling lifelong dreams, and/or choreographing kinetic action scenes. Others boast more original concepts but have become so influential that they serve as guides to everything else.  

Thankfully, delving deep into anime never feels like homework. All of these shows are gorgeous and can also be exhilarating, hilarious, inspiring, even terrifying — often within the same episode. Don’t be surprised if this list ends up raising a more urgent question: How do you stop?

Blood of Zeus

The premise of Blood of Zeus will feel familiar to those who’ve dabbled in Greek mythology: An illegitimate, half-human son of the Olympian thunder god embarks on a quest. But the story of Heron is anything but predictable. What begins as Heron’s search for the truth of his parentage becomes, over three seasons, an apocalyptic epic that pits god against god (and a bunch of giants and Titans), with relentless fantasy action and plenty of that titular blood. 

Blood of Zeus

3 Seasons   TV-MA   2020

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BLUE EYE SAMURAI

Though it’s not traditional Japanese anime (since its 3D art style draws more from paintings than manga), Blue Eye Samurai still makes a great introduction to Japanese-style animation — and Japanese history, too. As the title implies, the series is actually about the fusion of Japanese and American/European heritage. Set during the Sengoku period, when the ruling Tokugawa shogunate closed Japan off to all foreign influence, Blue Eye Samurai tells the story of Mizu, the daughter of a Japanese mother and a European father. Hated by everyone, she disguises herself as a man and trains as a samurai to take revenge on the people who have wronged her. There are recognizable pop-culture inspirations, including Mulan and Kill Bill, but creators Michael Green and Amber Noizumi use those ingredients to cook up something genuinely new. Now is a great time to catch up too, since Season 2 is on the way next year. 

BLUE EYE SAMURAI

8 Episodes   TV-MA   2023

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Castlevania

Like Blood of Zeus, Castlevania’s setup might feel familiar even if you’ve never watched an anime. In a medieval world teeming with monsters, a group of adventurers — monster hunter Trevor Belmont , scholarly magician Sypha Belnades , and the half-vampire Alucard — come together to save the world from Count Dracula and his army of vampires. Based on the classic side-scrolling video game franchise, Castlevania builds an immersive world over three seasons and then reaches a whole new level with Castlevania: Nocturne. The second series picks up the story centuries later amid the French Revolution, when Alucard teams up with a Belmont descendant to renew the fight against the forces of darkness. 

Castlevania

4 Seasons   TV-MA   2017

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Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

Despite living 50 years in the future, David Martinez, the lead of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, contends with some pretty classic problems. He struggles with high school and, after losing his mother in a drive-by shooting, also with paying the resulting medical bills. This leads him to the criminal underworld of his futuristic city, where he joins the black market mercenaries known as edgerunners. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners takes place in the same sci-fi world as the 2020 video game Cyberpunk 2077; that game suffered from bugs at its launch, but Cyberpunk: Edgerunners presents a totally cohesive aesthetic that works as a great introduction to sci-fi anime. 

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

10 Episodes   TV-MA   2022

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DEATH NOTE

You’ve never seen a detective show like this. Imagine the Sherlock Holmes stories told from Moriarty’s perspective, and you start to have an idea of what Death Note is like — as long as you also throw in a bunch of Goth demons. When straight-A student Light Yagami discovers a black notebook that will kill anyone whose name is written in it, he starts murdering criminals en masse. But there’s a line between vigilante and serial killer, and Light crosses it — attracting the attention of the world’s greatest detective, known only as L. The ensuing game of cat-and-mouse between the equally brilliant Light and L is thrilling and tense, but there are plenty of laughs, too, thanks to the eccentricities of the death god Ryuk, the original owner of the Death Note, who provides a running commentary in between bites of his beloved apples. 

DEATH NOTE

37 Episodes   TV-14   2006

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Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Most coming-of-age anime begins with young protagonists setting out on a journey to achieve their lifelong dreams. But the Elric brothers have a humbler, more heartbreaking goal: fixing themselves. After destroying their bodies in an attempt to resurrect their dead mother, Alphonse and Edward are determined to find a Philosopher’s Stone powerful enough to restore their human forms. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood goes on to introduce a cast of lovable characters and a clever system of magic. This is the second adaptation of Hiromu Arakawa’s manga Fullmetal Alchemist, and it’s much more faithful than the first. This matters not just for plot but also for characterization and tone. The balance of cartoonish slapstick with deeply serious explorations of war, genocide, and science gone wrong makes Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood absolutely essential. 

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

5 Parts   TV-14   2009

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Kakegurui

Euphoria meets Succession in this anime series centered on a prep school for the children of the rich and famous, where typical academic concerns like history class and intramural sports are all ignored in favor of gambling. Because global finance is about knowing when to bet and when to fold, these young elites are preparing for ruling-class adulthood. But when a new student named Yumeko Jabami shows up at Hyakkaou Private Academy, she turns their world upside down because she doesn’t care about money or status — just the pure adrenaline rush of risking everything on a game. Every episode features a new match for Yumeko and the other characters to gamble on, which makes Kakegurui consistently entertaining — just try not to get addicted. 

Kakegurui

2 Seasons   TV-14   2017

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My Hero Academia

If you’ve never watched anime, you might not realize that you’ve overlooked one of the most popular superhero stories in the world. Helpfully, My Hero Academia contains several elements that fans of American superheroes should recognize: Most people in this world are born with a superpower (or “Quirk”), much like Marvel’s mutants, and especially promising youngsters attend a superhero training school, like the X-Men. But beyond that, protagonist Izuku Midoriya’s quest to become the world’s greatest hero is pure anime. As he finds friends, overcomes rivals, and develops both his powers and his valor, My Hero Academia becomes a perfect blend of American and Japanese comics. 

My Hero Academia

6 Seasons   TV-MA   2016

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Naruto

Naruto is full of ninja, but they mostly eschew silent killings in favor of magical martial arts battles. In particular, the protagonist, Naruto Uzumaki, possesses a special power thanks to the demonic nine-tailed fox imprisoned within him. This secret made Naruto an outcast in his own village, but his dedication to achieving his dream of becoming the village chief (or hokage) slowly earns him respect. Naruto’s ability to turn rivals and enemies into friends is unmatched, and over the course of the series he grows into quite a powerful ninja. Naruto has influenced many other modern anime (including Black Clover and Jujutsu Kaisen). 

Naruto

9 Seasons   TV-PG   2002

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Neon Genesis Evangelion

If you’ve been on the internet, you’ve probably (unknowingly) stumbled across a meme or reference to Hideaki Anno’s series. Set in a future Tokyo constantly besieged by giant monsters known as Angels, Evangelion takes its title from giant robots called “Evangelions” or “Evas,” which can only be piloted by certain people. Protagonist Shinji Ikari is one of those pilots, but he hates violence and is plagued by insecurity, especially in the face of his authoritative father. The series contains a unique blend of epic monster battles, a deep exploration of Shinji’s mental health struggles, lovable characters (especially Shinji’s carefree caretaker, Misato Katsuragi, and his fiery fellow Eva pilot, Asuka), and thought-provoking mythology.

Neon Genesis Evangelion

26 Episodes   TV-MA   1995

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One Piece

If you want to feel fluent in anime, it might be time to experience its most popular show of all time. ONE PIECE starts off simply enough, with a young boy named Monkey D. Luffy setting out to sea in search of a legendary treasure that would make him King of the Pirates. Luffy — who has the ability to stretch his body thanks to the legendary Gum-Gum Fruit — recruits loyal crewmates, explores new islands, and encounters other flavors of Devil Fruit as he battles enemies ranging from the Seven Warlords of the Sea to the World Government. Therefore, as the story goes on, ONE PIECE grows in scale until it becomes a truly global epic. So don’t let the sheer length of the series intimidate you (creator Eiichiro Oda has been writing and drawing the manga since 1997) — just catch a ride with the Straw Hat Pirates and see how far they take you.  

One Piece

33 Seasons   TV-14   1999

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SAKAMOTO DAYS

This is a recent addition to the anime canon, and a very approachable one for newcomers. The basic premise of Sakamoto Days — the world’s premier assassin has renounced his violent ways in favor of raising a family, only to get drawn back in — parallels some classic American action films, like Unforgiven and John Wick. This series also has many unique qualities you can only get from anime. As the show begins, Taro Sakamoto takes on young assassin Shin Asakura as an employee in the convenience store he now runs. Shin’s telepathic ability reveals that Sakamoto still has violent thoughts, even though he doesn’t act on them. The combination of wholesome family vibes, cartoonish violence, and quasi-supernatural abilities makes Sakamoto Days a great starter anime. 

SAKAMOTO DAYS

22 Episodes   TV-MA   2025

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Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

From Bryan Lee O’Malley’s original comic to Edgar Wright’s cult-classic film adaptation, Scott Pilgrim has always been a franchise that blended disparate strands of pop culture: superhero movies, classic 8-bit video games, indie rock, and more. So when this sequel series moves Scott and his friends into the realm of anime (a format that regularly mixes and matches genres), they feel right at home. And by removing Scott from the equation in the first episode, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off becomes a showcase for the series’ ensemble of lovable characters, with plenty of room for meta cultural commentary. If you know and love the previous Scott Pilgrim works, or even just remember living through the 2010s, you’ll get a lot out of this kinetic twist on the formula. 

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

8 Episodes   TV-MA   2023

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