Anime 101

Mr. Hunter’s Crash Course

There’s usually two kinds of people, people who watch a lot of anime, and people who’ve never given it a try. There’s a rare, third breed of people, people who have seen a few titles and enjoyed them, but don’t watch anime regularly. This is an article for people who’ve never given anime a try.

Considering I’ll be posting once a week about games and anime, I might as well try to convert some of my readers to the joys of anime early. I’ll work on turning you into gamers later, but that’s a bit of a tougher sell.

Trying to define anime is difficult, and easily merits its own article, but I’ll break down the basics. Anime in the west is used to describe any animation produced in Japan. In Japan, “Anime” comes from the word “Animation” and describes all works regardless of origin. In Japan, Frozen would be considered anime, weird huh?

In Japan, anime is not viewed as a niche interest but rather a major part of mainstream culture appreciated by diverse audiences. Anime productions big and small have had profound impacts on Japan's media landscape, technological innovations, and pop culture over the decades.

While I personally watch anime in Japanese, since I’m trying to learn the language, there are plenty of great English dubs available for most shows. When I first started watching anime I watched primarily in English.

For some people subtitles can be a major distraction when trying to watch a show. Or in the case of anime, might fly by too quickly for some viewers to read. While the lip sync may be slightly off, I wholeheartedly endorse watching anime with a dub in your native language, especially if you’re new to the art form.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

This first pick is a Netflix original anime released in 2022, based on the 2020 action RPG Cyberpunk 2077. While it shares a setting and a few characters with the game, no prior knowledge is required to enjoy this show. At 12 episodes long this show manages to be a thrillride from start to finish.

Set in the futuristic and dystopian Night City, this series follows David Martinez as difficult life circumstances force him into a life of crime as a mercenary, an Edgerunner. Following his adventures as an Edgerunner, a strong cast, excellent pacing, and gorgeous animation will certainly leave you satisfied. 

With no planned second season this standalone work provides a great entry point into the art of anime. As a quick content note, this anime can be quite intense, with plenty of blood, gore, nudity, and strong language. Definitely not an appropriate anime for kids.

For those with an interest in sci-fi settings, a penchant for action, and really anyone with eyeballs, I'd wager this anime could at least peak your interest in the art form. If this is the only anime you ever watch, well at least you watched a good one.

Kotaro Lives Alone

If high-octane action isn’t your thing, let's swing in the exact opposite direction, an adorable comedy show about a 4 year old boy who lives all by himself. Also coming out in 2022, this Netflix anime adaptation is just 10 episodes long, but quite the standout for laughs while tugging on your heartstrings. 

Kotaro is a 4 year old boy, but is living alone while attending kindergarten, the kind of wild premise you can only find in anime. Kotaro is a mature, and precocious young boy, who truly does seem to be able to take care of himself, not that he should have too. 

Through his various adventures we watch as he builds community with those around him, slowly letting various adults into his life, changing theirs in the process.

There are some dark undertones around Kotaro’s past that would have led to his unique situation, but it’s well balanced with the found family that begins to form around Kotaro. 

This is a charming show that goes down easy, short but sweet, and is guaranteed to make you feel for Kotaro, even if the initial outlandish premise takes a bit to get used to. As far as anime goes, this is one of the tamer premises that I’ve seen, so it might help you practice the suspension of disbelief you’ll need to become an avid anime viewer. 

Yuri!!! On Ice

Moving away from the world of Netflix anime, my next pick is Yuri!!! On Ice. Even the show itself is excited! I’m not a huge sports anime fan, but this title is a worthwhile exception.

Our protagonist Yuri experienced a crushing defeat at Grand Prix Finals, and is in a major slump, thinking about quitting ice skating altogether. Enter Victor, a Russian figure skating champion who is determined to coach Yuri to new heights.

While this show is certainly about the sport of figure skating, and features plenty of beautiful choreographed routines complimented by fantastic animation, it’s also about Yuri and Victor’s developing relationship.

Anime often tiptoes around its queer characters, but this show has them front and center. Yuri and Victor’s relationship builds slowly and naturally, and presents them as equal partners that grow to have a mutual love for one another. 

It’s a great show that has enough heart to appeal to those who really couldn’t care less about figure skating, but is made with an appreciation for the sport and a love for it’s characters. 

Chainsaw Man

Taking another left turn, we have a show less concerned with heart, and more concerned with what’s on the outside, boobs. Another 2022 release Chainsaw Man took the world by storm, with its darker tone and more, uh, unique protagonist Denji.

Denji is a poor young man who is forced to fuse with his pet Pochita, granting him the ability to transform parts of his body into a chainsaw. With his new powers he joins the Public Safety Devil Hunters, a government agency fighting devils across Japan, not that he had much choice in the matter.

This show feels like a cousin to Cyberpunk Edgerunners in many ways, it’s action packed, bloody, and has incredible animation.

While Cyberpunk Edgerunners feels like a more western story in an anime format, Chainsaw Man feels like more traditional Japanese anime in a slightly different package. 

Chainsaw Man feels like a good entry point for those who might be interested in the shonen genre, best known for shows like One Piece, Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, and many more. Unlike those long, long running shows, Chainsaw Man only has one season (for now) with only 12 episodes.

Casting aside motivations like friendship, adventure, or achieving your dreams, Denji is after things like money, boobs, and sex. He’s crass, rude, and a lot of fun to watch. His misadventures will keep you on your toes, love him or hate him, you’ll be in for a ride.

Spirited Away 

I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least mention Hayao Miyazaki, sometimes considered the Walt Disney of Japan, he has created some truly incredible works, and is one of the most accomplished filmmakers in all of animation.

This movie is pretty near and dear to my heart, a comfort movie that I’ve dove into time and time again when I need to take solace in accepting change in my life, and learning to appreciate everyday things like food, or the value of hard work.

While Studio Ghibli movies aren’t widely known for their compelling plots, I think this is certainly one of the stronger stories. 10 year old Chihiro is on her way to her new home, leaving behind her old life and her friends, much to her chagrin.

After taking a wrong turn into the spirit world, her parents are turned into pigs by the witch Yubaba. Chihiro takes a job working in Yubaba's bathhouse to find a way to free herself and her parents and return to the human world. 

The movie is top notch all the way down, from the animation, to the music, to the performances. It’s an incredible showcase of what Ghibli does best.

While it can be a little slow, as Ghibli movies can be known to do, it gives the world and the characters room to breathe, and allows you to immerse yourself in the world and ponder its characters. 

Class Dismissed!

There are plenty of ways to break into anime as an art form, and what works best may vary from person to person. But if at least one of these titles piques your interest, I’d highly recommend giving it a shot.

The first two titles are readily available through Netflix (Spirited Away might be available as well), but for Yuri!!! On Ice and Chainsaw Man, my recommendation would be Crunchyroll.

Crunchyroll (after they bought out Funimation anyways) has been my go to platform for all things anime. If you’re new to the world of anime, definitely use the free trial to check out some of these shows before you commit.

I firmly believe anime has something for everyone. It’s not a genre like so many people believe it to be, it’s an art form. While it may share some sensibilities across genres, I know there’s a title out there for everyone, regardless of how much they may say they don’t like anime.

If you checked out any of these shows, let me know what you thought! If I didn’t pick your favorite anime and you think it’s a great entry point for the format, leave a comment down below!

I hope you’ll at least give anime a try, since it’ll give you a window into Japanese culture, and help you get even more out of all areas of this blog!