I was always fascinated by the pretty-looking, big-eyed characters that my friends used to draw back in school. That is when I got to know about anime, don’t get me wrong, I always knew about Pokemon, Dragon Ball, and Naruto but wasn’t aware that all of these could be clustered together and were the invention of a major Japanese industry.
Having limited screen time and not enough knowledge, my anime excursion had to wait until the pandemic shut the whole world down, leaving my laptop and me alone with a lot of time on my hands.
One thing I really liked anime for was that there were no limits to what could be achieved, and no storyline was too absurd. You could make a man be transported to another world where he turns out to be the greatest conqueror or display spiders that eat little stars for nutrition. It is all believable and, when done right, even better than the real world.
Adding to that were the incredible storylines that veteran anime watchers were used to, but for me, it opened up a new and unexplored world. In addition, the art style, when well brewed, leaves you stunned and looking for more.
At the heart of all the absurdity, fantasy, giant robots, unbelievable fighting techniques, and so on are the characters that teach you about intense emotions such as grief, anger, desire, or greed to simple daily life pleasures, happiness, and love.
I am glad I stumbled upon the cosmos of anime, where there is something for everyone. Here’s a list of anime from various genres that are entertaining and a great place to start!
Haikyuu!!
This one happens to be one of the first anime that I watched, and not only did it get me invested in its storyline and anime in general, Haikyuu!! Also got my attention to the details of a sport I have and probably will never play, volleyball.
I went in with no expectations but got hooked on it in no time. The adorable characters, the motivating storyline, and the simple life of the high school boy in this wholesome anime have left a huge mark and also gained a vast audience worldwide.
We have the young schoolboy, Shoyo Hinata, who gets heavily inspired by the skills of Tenma Udai, also known as ‘The Little Giant,’ who plays for the Karasuno High Volleyball Club.
Both of them, at first glance, might not strike one as highly skilled in a sport such as a volleyball, but this doesn’t stop Hinata, who just witnessed Tenma’s phenomenal spiking skills as he set out to learn the sport himself.
He joins the volleyball club of his school but finds no other members in it, and when he finally forms a team by convincing his friends to join, the team faces a crushing defeat in the tournament they compete in.
The team they played against had quite the reputation and consisted of a player nicknamed ‘The King of the Court, Tobio Kageyama. Hinata and Kageyama thus form a rivalry and make mental notes to defeat each other in high school.
As fate would have it, both of them end up at the same high school, Karasuno High, and encounter each other in the volleyball club. The club, however, has lost its charm since the departure of ‘The Little Giant’ and has gained the undesirable title of ‘The Wingless Crows.’
Dedicated to doing away with the title, the team works hard and makes drastic changes to their functioning. They eventually realize that the two rivals, when paired up, can achieve so much more than they anticipated.
Complimenting the former King of the Court’s setting skills, Hinata’s spiking skills and insanely quick vertical jump leave the audience in disbelief, and the opponents face a crushing blow.
With other teams preparing themselves for the shock attack and strategizing ways to outdo their move, Karasuno High needs to up their game as well, with every member giving it their all.
What follows through the course of the show is Karasuno’s journey to the top. On the way, we witness friendships, competition, age-old rivalries, and admiration that the players have for each other, no matter which team they play for. These young players have the utmost respect for the sport and exhibit true sportsmanship.
- Genre: Sports
- Studio: Production I.G
- Duration: 85 episodes, 4 seasons + 5 OVA + 4 movies
- Score on MAL: 8.44
- Where to watch: Netflix
Also read: Haikyuu Watch Order – Episode Guide
Link Click
Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang, along with Qiao Ling, run a small photography shop called the ‘Time Photo Shop.’ On the surface, it looks like a usual shop, but the services offered by them can alter the present, past, and future.
The two protagonists, Cheng and Lu, solve the cases that their customers bring to them, and they do this with the help of a photograph that the client brings to them. The duo has the power to travel 12 hours ahead of the time frame in which the photo was taken, and Cheng takes control over the person who took the photo, possessing their body.
While Cheng is living the life of the person who took the photo briefly, Lu Guang guides him from their shop and makes sure that the events are not altered too much as they might then risk the present. The two also have only one chance to get it right, as they can only travel through the photo once.
Cheng Xiaoshi doesn’t only own the skin of the person. He feels what they felt, has access to some of their memories, and thus truly experiences everything that they went through for those 12 hours, and knowing how the events are lined up, not changing the past, is usually a painful challenge for him.
Cheng and Lu solve multiple cases that involve child abduction, lost friendships, corporate infiltration, and so on. They solve the case for their clients while making sure the past is not changed too much.
The events thus far might sound straightforward in theory, but the owners of the photography shop get involved in an intense case that they might be able to solve, but not without a lot of risks, and the stakes in this one are too high.
The first episode sets the premise pretty well and not only gets you invested in the storyline but also gives away enough to keep you thinking and wanting more.
Link Click that translates to 时光代理人, Shiguang Dailiren is a Chinese animation. It was created by Studio LAN and Haoliners Animation League. The show has garnered quite a large audience owing to its gripping plot and storytelling. With the second season set to release on 14 July 2023, it is the perfect time to binge it if you haven’t already.
- Genre: Time traveling, Drama
- Studio: LAN Studio
- Duration: 12 episodes
- Score on MAL: 8.72
- Where to watch: Crunchyroll, Funimation
Also read: 41 Anime Similar To Link Click To Watch
Devilman Crybaby
Akira Fudou and Ryou Asuka are childhood friends who reunite when Ryou asks for Akira’s help in defeating devils. Akira has been a weak-hearted and emotional person all his life and agrees to help his friend without a second thought, regardless of the dangers this might bring about for him.
The devils in question need to assume a human vessel in order to wreak havoc, and if the human has a weak personality or lacks determination, their body gives up, and they become the devil.
The two of them enter a club that seems to be a Sabbath where sinister rituals and immoral activities fill the environment by a cult that seems to be satanic. In a turn of events, demonic possessions begin in this very club, giving way to bloodshed and death as Ryou attempts to defeat the demons.
Caught in the chaos of it all, Akira watches as his friend struggles to keep up and jumps in to help Ryou but ends up merging with the devil Amon. The seemingly soft-hearted Akira thus turns into a Devilman who has the same soft heart but the powers of the devil.
Akira can now put his powers to use to defeat others who have turned into demons along with Ryou. However, his powers have awakened unexplored parts of Akira, and the cost that he has to pay for this newfound capacity is a heavy one.
What follows are some of the most gruesome and gory scenes and uncensored activities that include violence and bloodshed, hence a fair warning to people who don’t gravitate toward this kind of storyline as this anime does not hold back, but to its credit, the horrifying scenes lead up to a climactic ending and were not put there just to add shock value.
The course of the show that depicts the dark side of human nature, such as mass hysteria, fragile civilization, hate crime, manipulation, and discrimination, among other things, prepares you for what comes next.
The anime makes you root for its main characters, who are developed in the most emotional and human way. They have their flaws but are good people, and the course of events makes it a high-stakes situation for the viewers.
The last two episodes were intense and tear-jerking, to say the least, and have left a deep impression. The memorable and heart-wrenching scenes towards the end, which had a fitting build-up, are things that I still think about, and props to Netflix for presenting this anime with an experimental art style in its rawest form.
- Genre: Gore, horror
- Studio: Science SARU
- Duration: 10 episodes
- Score on MAL: 7.76
- Where to watch: Netflix
Also watch: Devilman Watch Order: Anime, OVAs & Movies
Violet Evergarden
Violet Evergarden has only known one thing, to fight in a war. She was raised for the sole purpose of exterminating enemies on the battlefield. She starts out as someone who seems to be devoid or unaware of emotions to an empathetic person.
Four years past the war has ended, Violet finds herself struggling in her designated foster home and thus leaves. Her skills and experience in the war are now rendered useless as the world is evolving and moving past The Great War and its effects.
She works at a postal service where she discovers the work of an Auto Memory Doll who writes letters for people who may not be able to write them for themselves. These memory dolls understand the feelings of those who want their letter to be written and present their words onto paper, capturing the true emotions as much as possible.
Violet gravitates toward this concept and goes forward with the job of an Auto Memory Doll, transcribing people’s feelings. She has prosthetic hands owing to the war and now can write and type out letters for a long time without tiring her hands.
Through the job of transcribing, Violet learns about the emotions that she might not have understood deeply up until now. It takes time for her to understand the gravity of these emotions she is coming across for the first time through her clients.
With the help of her job and those around her, she wishes to give meaning to the words her commander had said to her on the battlefield, whose news of survival she awaits.
The dysfunctionality of not being able to fully grasp the intensity of one’s emotions is portrayed in an honest and beautiful way in the anime. Violet doesn’t mean harm to anyone but is yet to understand fully what it means to care for others and be cared for. She has heard the words ‘I Love You’ but longs to understand what it means to love someone.
Through her journey as an Auto Memory Doll, she sets out to find her missing pieces through the emotions of her clients who are dealing with diverse issues. She learns how important it is to heal, how to help others, and learns how to feel and accept her emotions.
The anime focuses on the emotional journey of the protagonist while inculcating storylines of her clients who are themselves on a journey of their own and often strikes a chord with the viewers as well as Violet.
- Genre: Drama, Fantasy
- Studio: Kyoto Animation
- Duration: 13 episodes + 1 OVA + 2 Movies
- Score on MAL: 8.67
- Where to watch: Netflix, Funimation
Also read: Violet Evergarden Watch Order Guide
FLCL
Naoto Nandaba is a sixth grader who lives in the city of Mabase, where nothing exciting ever happens. He lives with his widowed father and his grandfather, both of whom are quite the character. His older brother has left the town to pursue basketball in America, leaving his girlfriend, Mamimi Samejima, who develops an unusual relationship with Naoto.
Naoto’s ordinary life takes a huge turn when one day Haruko Haruhara, an energetic, Vespa-riding, bass guitar-flaunting freak, comes along and crashes into his life. Their first encounter involves CPR and revival through a bass guitar, tire tracks, and horns on Naoto’s head. This insane entry, however, is just the beginning.
As Naoto swears to make this his last encounter with the strange woman, Haruko Haruhara finds a place to live in Naoto’s paternal house as a live-in maid; hence their paths get intertwined, much to Naoto’s disapproval.
The absurd concepts and visuals of this anime are paired with the mission to save the world, efforts to overcome alien invasion, and eventually discovering the truth about Haruko Haruhara, who claims to be an alien investigator affiliated with the Galactic Space Police Brotherhood.
Naoto not only gets associated with Haruko’s mission but becomes an important element and gets caught up in the chaos. The injury Naoto suffered in their first encounter created a portal for giant robots that wreak havoc. We eventually realize the deeper meaning behind these robots sent by Medical Mechanica.
This anime, with its eccentric characters, stunning art style, and outlandish story, is a coming-of-age story told in the most unbelievable way.
Once you absorb the story, you understand the themes of relationships, love, childhood, and individuality depicted that are told through the perspective of a kid and an adult in this masterpiece of an anime.
In the short span of just six episodes, the anime manages to delve into intense human emotions such as growing up, rather, trying to grow up, facing rejection, grieving, and the challenges faced by someone trying to move on.
Deep themes are explored through the use of different characters who come up in different episodes that depict different emotions. It takes time to fully understand the hidden metaphor, but this anime is well worth a couple of revisits to pick up on the hidden details you might have missed.
Created more than a decade ago, the anime is still relevant, and the incredible art style only adds to its brilliance.
- Genre: Mecha, Parody, Psychological, Avant Garde, Science fiction
- Studio: Gainax, Production I.G
- Duration: 3 seasons, 6 episodes
- Score on MAL: 8.03
- Where to watch: Hulu, Funimation, Crunchyroll
Odd Taxi
In the world of anthropomorphic animals based in Tokyo, we get a look into the life of the walrus named Hiroshi Odokawa, who lives a peaceful life and is usually a private and asocial person.
Hiroshi Odokawa is a taxi driver who picks up various people with different personalities and engages with them in a conversation.
Hiroshi’s customers include the eccentric Taichi Kabasawa, who doesn’t quite have a job but is determined to be famous one day; the mysterious and tired Miho Shirakawa, who is a nurse by profession, Dobu, who is a famous local thug; a college student looking for a date, and a duo named the ‘Homo Sapiens’ who are trying their luck at comedy.
One day his easy-going life comes to a halt when a girl goes missing, and the police trace their leads back to Hiroshi. Hereon, Hiroshi Odokawa has to look out for not only the corrupt police but also the gangsters, called yakuza.
The anime is one of those that starts off slow but builds up to a satisfying revelation. Multiple plot lines are explored and introduced at the beginning that might seem irrelevant, but you couldn’t be more wrong as every detail adds up to something worthy of your time.
Furthermore, each of the characters depicts human-like qualities exposing real-life challenges and insecurities, which makes you care about them and the consequences of their action. You want to see them win even if their decisions aren’t the most reasonable because you identify with them.
With a peculiar style of writing where every little detail is placed for a reason and adds to the greater storyline, this anime is one of the most rewarding ones. The kind where if you re-watch it, you are bound to find a detail you couldn’t observe earlier.
Unique marketing was adopted for the show, where a lot of taxis in Tokyo had the anime playing in the back seat for their customers, which, it is safe to assume, contributed to its viewership and a whooping rating of 8.69.
- Genre: Mystery, Anthropomorphic
- Studio: OLM, P.I.C.S.
- Duration: 13 episodes
- Score on MAL: 8.69
- Where to watch: Crunchyroll
Also read: ODD TAXI Anime Film Earns 130 Million Yen Worldwide in Less Than A Month.
Mob Psycho 100
Shigeo “Mob” Kageyama is an eighth-grade student who wants to lead an ordinary life. He finds it difficult to lead an ordinary life owing to his inner psychic abilities, which he has understood how to use but is not aware of the full potential of his powers.
Mob only uses his abilities to impress his crush Tsubomi who eventually gets bored of his repeated tricks.
He does not realize the full potential of his powers, nor does he realize the threats that could result from his abilities leading to danger for those around him. He constantly tries to live an emotionally stable life in order to keep his powers in check.
Mob meets Arataka Reigen, a self-proclaimed psychic whom Mob thinks would help him learn how to control his powers. It turns out that Arataka Reigen is a con artist who exploits Mob’s psychic powers for money.
Eventually, Mob learns how to use his psychic powers on command and gets proficient in exorcising evil spirits, so much so that it becomes a part of his monotonous life. The powers that he has been able to harness up until now are, however, just the beginning.
Mob’s enormous potential, if paired with uncontrolled emotions, can wreak havoc with a possible catastrophic event leaving Mob in a completely different state than he is used to. Day by day, Mob’s abilities are reaching new heights, and it is becoming impossible and dangerous to stop him.
- Genre: Superpower, Comedy
- Studio: Bones
- Duration: 3 seasons, 37 episodes
- Score on MAL: 8.49
- Where to watch: Netflix, Hulu, Crunchyroll
Also read: Top 18 Mob Psycho 100 Facts You Missed
One Punch Man
Saitama has relentlessly trained for three years to become a hero and thus fulfilling his childhood dream. In the process of his training, he loses his hair but gains immense physical abilities where he can defeat anyone with only one punch.
Saitama’s ability that fulfills his dreams ends up becoming a source of boredom as he no longer enjoys defeating anyone since they are not a match and are defeated on the first attempt.
One day, Saitama attracts the attention of Genos, a 19-year-old cyborg, after Saitama defeats a monster that defeated Genos. Impressed by his skills, Genos suggests that the two of them join the Hero Association in order to acquire certification for their heroism.
Saitama, although not too keen initially, agrees to go forward with the plan after he realizes that he is not as sought after or even known as he thought he was. Things escalate quickly once the two join the Hero Association to gain some recognition.
Saitama is underappreciated for his efforts and the work he does after joining the Hero Association. Things quickly change as the Association is constantly met with invasions and threats to their planet. These invasions become more frequent, posing a challenge to the Hero Association.
Through his journey, Saitama makes friends and foes and is now able to put his abilities to use.
- Genre: Parody, Superpower
- Studio: Madhouse
- Duration: 2 seasons, 24 episodes + 12 OVAs
- Score on MAL: 8.50
- Where to watch: Netflix, Hulu, Crunchyroll
To Your Eternity (Fumetsu no Anata)
A white orb is created by an otherworldly, God-like being and sent to Earth. The orb can take the form of the beings that it observes and captures. The orb starts out as a rock and then turns into moss due to the rise in temperature.
The orb remains in its moss form until one day, it comes across an arctic wolf that is on the verge of dying, and the orb takes its form, gaining consciousness for the first time through the wolf. Not much later, he meets the young master of a dog, Joaan, that used to look like the wolf who is waiting on his family to return with fruits and fish, and he hopes to reunite with them.
Eventually, the orb takes the form of the young master and eventually comes to be named Fushi. Fushi ends up in Ninannah, where he meets March, a young girl who has been chosen as a sacrifice to Oniguma, a white bear.
The young and lively March is the one who baptizes Fushi with a name and teaches him general ways of behaving and speaking. Fushi, along with Pioran, an elderly woman with a tainted reputation, and Parona, an older sister figure to March, helps her escape the sacrifice only to be imprisoned.
Ultimately, Fushi needs to flee the place to escape Hayase, who plans on controlling Fushi for his personal gain. He is joined by Pioran in his escape, where they are met with more mysterious challenges that they must overcome to survive.
Although initially emotionless, Fushi slowly learns to capture not only the body but also the emotional aspect of humans. He meets people that add immense value to his being. He learns about the people who have been turned away for their outward appearance and people who are seeking to find their identity, and he learns about love and the heartbreaking pain of loss.
Some of the episodes are made just for the subtle and calming effect of the characters and their personality developing and leaving an impression on the viewers. Adding to this, the character arc of Fushi is filled with laughter and tears. We see him smiling for the first time, but we also see him losing a close one.
Fushi embraces the people he meets, unknowingly leaving a positive impact on them. His honest curiosity to learn about the species whose body he possesses is pure and free of judgment.
His mind is free of malice and greed, and with a child-like attitude, he sets out on his expedition. The people he meets are welcoming to him, often helping him to figure out how to live without any expectations. Their fascination with an immortal being and kindness towards someone who needs help gives a lot of character to the anime.
- Genre: Supernatural, Adventure, Drama
- Studio: Brain’s Base
- Duration: 2 seasons, 40 episodes
- Score on MAL: 8.36
- Where to watch: Crunchyroll, Prime Video
Perfect Blue
Member of the J-pop idol group CHAM!, Mima Kirigoe decides to pursue a career in acting and hence leaves the group, to which their fandom has a mixed reaction. Mima, already struggling to deal with the transition, starts to falter even more when she comes to know about a stalker.
The stalker is an obsessed fan who cannot fathom the transition of the innocent Mima to an actress taking on mature roles. Mima also discovers a website by the name ‘Mima’s Room,’ which consists of her daily life thoughts and actions along with diary entries in great detail.
An important part of Mima’s life, Rumi Hidaka, a former pop idol and Mima’s manager, advises Mima to ignore the invading website. She also suggests Mima turn down the role in a television series because it involves objectionable scenes and might go against the image she has held until now.
Tadokoro, also working for Mima, worked hard to get Mima the role, and despite Rumi’s disapproval, Mima decided to go ahead with the job. The Drama called ‘Double Blind starts to take a toll on Mima’s psychological state as she finds the role way more challenging than she anticipated.
Adding to the stress of filming the series, she is also struggling to keep her mind off of the website, she lives in fear of the stalker, and the fact that CHAM! is doing even better without her presence leads her to suffer from psychosis.
Mima’s condition keeps worsening as she is unable to do away with any of the stressors, to the point where she is unable to differentiate between reality from fantasy. This aspect has been portrayed in an incredible way as the viewers are also unable to tell reality apart from make-believe.
What follows in the movie are horrific events in Mima’s life as she witnesses gruesome incidents and struggles to get a hold of her personal life and emotions. She barely has anyone to trust and finds solace in Rumi, her manager, who can see the terrible state Mima is in but is unable to help.
The movie has an unexpected ending that stirred a lot of conversations and hidden meanings. The toxic aspects of the entertainment industry have been portrayed in a raw form, and the movie, although released in 1998, is relevant to this day.
- Genre: Psychological, Avant Garde, Horror, Showbiz
- Studio: Madhouse
- Duration: 1 hour 21 minutes
- Score on MAL: 8.54
- Where to watch: Prime Video, Apple TV, Crunchyroll
Also read: Perfect Blue Ending Explained: A Look Back At The Legendary Anime
