I'm introducing my friend to anime...

[KnightOfFive]

May i Re-recommend Fruits Basket? The series is nothing short of adorable (not to mention pretty darn funny). You really don't need immersion into the tropes of shoujo manga to appreciate it honestly. The cultural context is a bit unfamiliar at times but that's hardly a barrier since the character's natures pretty much speak fir themselves.

As for Ouran i think that would be an EXCELLENT first choice, heck after naruto it was what got me really into anime.

Code Geass also certainly has it's potential being a simply epic series. And as one of my all time favorites as well as yours I would certainly say that if not your friend's first it certainly should be introduced to her, given her taastes as you desscribed them I think she would appreciate it

[airichan623]

Well I gave her Fruits Basket and Summer Wars to watch. Furuba was really my first non-kids anime (first was Tokyo Mew Mew) and I loved it. (still do).

As for the others, we will see how these two go.

[Cianter]

But was it your first anime?

I have to admit, my tastes are such that I would have never ever went near anime again if I'd watched it. I don't like the FB anime at all. So I think it's a personal taste thing, and if it seems in-line with her friends' likes, then it would be fine.

I think it was like the second or third. I think Blue Dragon and Gundam SEED came first, not sure though, lol And you don't like it Wowza, that's a first, lol

[Maokun]

I can help to notice that most people that pushed for Fruits Basket here saw it when they were 15 or something? Well, hopefully your friend is young at heart and won't have a reason to believe that anime is tween stuff if that's the best representative you could give her.

I mean, I loved Pokemon back when I was 14 but I'm sure as heck not going to try to use it as a gateway anime to my young adult friends.

[airichan623]

I think Gundam SEED came first:P

Another seed fan? I love you.

I can help to notice that most people that pushed for Fruits Basket here saw it when they were 15 or something? Well, hopefully your friend is young at heart and won't have a reason to believe that anime is tween stuff if that's the best representative you could give her.

I mean, I loved Pokemon back when I was 14 but I'm sure as heck not going to try to use it as a gateway anime to my young adult friends.

Actually I started when I was 13, but I never really understood everything about it or fell in love with it until I was 16 or so. But seriously, her pushing it away as a tween show is probably not gonna happen, seeing as she watches and enjoys ATLA, which is marketed as a show for 10-12 year olds.

[Yami]

I would replace Full Metal Alchemist with Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood.

I would also add Angel Beats to the list. ^__^

Madoka Magica and Durarara would also be good options along with GURREN LAGANN and Guilty Crown.

[alma]

Every anime fan needs to watch Haibane Renmei. The whole series is on Hulu NOW!

I willl watch it then. Tx

[Imperial]

Try anything dubbed first and try them with genshiken and gungrave

[mechana2015]

I don't think Genshikan is a good introductory show for people that don't know anime well. The show is based almost entirely on humor centered around a knowledge of Japanese anime fan culture and the steriotypes related to it, which would be over the head of most new fans (and quite a few older ones as well).

[Neane]

I would replace Full Metal Alchemist with Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood.

I would also add Angel Beats to the list. ^__^

Madoka Magica and Durarara would also be good options along with GURREN LAGANN and Guilty Crown.

I am not 100% certain if Gurren Lagann is a good introductory show for people that are not anime-fans.

Also, I don't think Guilty Crown is a good show to show to anyone who is new to anime.


I would also say that Madoka is not a good choice due to the fact that it is what I like to call "An anime-fan's anime".

[eightluvver888]

Clannad, maybe? Though it doesn't get really good until the second season...

[Atria35]

Actually I started when I was 13, but I never really understood everything about it or fell in love with it until I was 16 or so. But seriously, her pushing it away as a tween show is probably not gonna happen, seeing as she watches and enjoys ATLA, which is marketed as a show for 10-12 year olds.

However, ATLA has fully realized characters and deals with some very adult themes (war, genocide, racism, sexism) from the first episode. Fruits Basket fails to have a compelling lead with Tohru (utter Mary-Sue with no personality until the last episode), and the family issues are barely mentioned or gone into until the last three. Up until then, it really is super-fluff with nothing to it. It's not anywhere in the same class as ATLA.

[airichan623]

However, ATLA has fully realized characters and deals with some very adult themes (war, genocide, racism, sexism) from the first episode. Fruits Basket fails to have a compelling lead with Tohru (utter Mary-Sue with no personality until the last episode), and the family issues are barely mentioned or gone into until the last three. Up until then, it really is super-fluff with nothing to it. It's not anywhere in the same class as ATLA.

Touche, my dear. I'll just see what she thinks and then continue from there.

[maeiounj]

If she wants artsy like stuff, introduce her to Ghibli films, and some from notamation, and maybe Mushishi. Ghibli has the dubs aviliable, and mushishi is on netflix. For the notimation network like Honey and clover, Kunchuu Burranko, kino's journey, time of eve, etc. And yea anything by the same director for summer wars, would be a good one. In fact the director is making a new one about wolf pups.


Seems she also likes action, so get her into shonen stuff. The classic that are here shown in america, maybe Digimon, sailor moon, etc?

And if all else fails, then just show her stuff you like. Its then easier to have the same interests if she likes the same shows as you do.

[airichan623]

If she wants artsy like stuff, introduce her to Ghibli films

I said in the first post that Studio Ghibli's are no brainers.

[Smileloviene]

Monster.

Ok, I can't let this one pass without comment.
To a person new to anime: DO NOT show them that one. It's one of my very very favorite, but it has way too many dark themes, sexual content, etc. to be good for someone not used to anime. I find people first getting into anime stuggle taking a "cartoon" seriously, and that is a very serious anime, so not good for someone new to anime. Just my two cents, but I think that would turn a first timer away from anime pretty fast.

I'm going to recommended Scrapped Princess.
Scrapped Princess is 26 episodes long. It's relatively clean and it's not to wired.

Eh... sure, pretty clean... but that was actually one of the first ones i watched and it was NOT what got me into anime, haha. It threw me off pretty bad. It's just a little... odd. But that might just be my opinion

Hm... I hope your friend likes Fruits Basket. If she doesn't I would just say it might be because that dub is a little weak. Maybe that was just me, but i saw a little and thought it was. (Then again, i'm a HUGE fan of the manga so naturally dislike the anime in general... so my opinion may be too biased)

If she likes funny but heartwarming sort of stuff, I second Angel Beats It might be too bizarre for a first timer though, and i don't know how good the dub is, sigh... Regardless, I hope you have some success in your endeavor

[KnightOfFive]

I said in the first post that Studio Ghibli's are no brainers.

I've gotta find out where I can watch those or buy the DVD's.

[airichan623]

Hm... I hope your friend likes Fruits Basket. If she doesn't I would just say it might be because that dub is a little weak. Maybe that was just me, but i saw a little and thought it was. (Then again, i'm a HUGE fan of the manga so naturally dislike the anime in general... so my opinion may be too biased)

If she likes funny but heartwarming sort of stuff, I second Angel Beats It might be too bizarre for a first timer though, and i don't know how good the dub is, sigh... Regardless, I hope you have some success in your endeavor

Well she's liking Furuba thus far, but I would say the dub is superior to the sub because of Yuki's voice. -_- On Angel Beats!, I recently watched that on Netflix, and it was...ok, as well the dub. Both were not my favorite.

I've gotta find out where I can watch those or buy the DVD's.

Some of them are available all the time at Target, and check you local library or video rental store.

[Neane]

I find people first getting into anime stuggle taking a "cartoon" seriously, and that is a very serious anime, so not good for someone new to anime.

So you are saying that instead of showing a woman who is around the age of 20 a show that could air on a Channel like FX, that woman should be shown a show like K-on!?

[airichan623]

So you are saying that instead of showing a woman who is around the age of 20 a show that could air on a Channel like FX, that woman should be shown a show like K-on!?

Um...I don't think that's what they meant. Besides, K-ON! from what I hear is a more otaku pandering in nature.

[Atria35]

I've gotta find out where I can watch those or buy the DVD's.

You can order them online (Amazon and Rightstuf.com are good places to start, and since they're licensed by Disney you can buy them on their website). Over the last few years they've been showing them in theaters all over the country as they come out - point in case Howl's Moving Castle, Ponyo, and Borrowers Arriety, which all were shown at my small, local theater.

[Maokun]

Neane point stands, though. I think that for a person in her twenties that's is giving a chance to a medium much maligned and stereotyped, nothing could be better than an example that an anime title can be deep, enthralling and adult. I would only not recommend Monster for its length.

Speaking of which, now I want to recommend 5cms/s mostly because it initially offers a bit of the expected fare and then turns it on its head. Besides it is just gorgeous.

[airichan623]

I just bought Paprika and Baccano. I think those are up next for watching.