The question of how to get into anime is a common one within the otaku community. Whether it's their first anime, or a seasoned watcher trying to expand their repertoire, there is always a debate as to which show is the best to use as an introduction to something new.

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There are, of course, many criteria as to what would make a good gateway show. These include jokes which can be understood by a large audience, first episodes that hook new viewers, a lack of culture shock value, and a beautiful and catchy production. It is hard to find shows that fit in all the slots, but not impossible, with some knowledge of the audience and the medium.

10 Heartwarming: Ore Monogatari!!! For Shojo

Taeko Gouda and Rinko Yamato

Many people are put off by the shojo genre because they think that the shows will not be relevant or relatable to them since the target audience is young girls. However, Ore Monogatari!! makes it clear that this does not have to be the case. The protagonist of this show is actually a teenage boy.

After being judged for his appearance his whole life, he finally meets a girl who looks past his startling appearance and sees him for the softie that he really is. The show is incredibly heartwarming, and the protagonist's thoughts and problems are relatable to practically anyone.

9 All-Around Hilarious: One-Punch Man For Comedy

Saitama One Punch Man

The concept of an overpowered superhero who can save anyone in distress is well known to everyone, even people outside of the anime community. This is why a show like One-Punch Man, which takes the superhero trip and flips it on its head, is a great starter anime.

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The series has also been praised for its iconic comedic scenes, which usually rely on simple but witty gags as opposed to references or any meta jokes too hard to understand for people not involved in the culture around anime.

8 Tense & Well-Made: Demon Slayer For Action

Tanjiro Carries His Wounded Sister In The Snow

Demon Slayer has been praised as an exceptional action shonen since its release. Ufotable did an amazing job in charge of the production of the show, and it blends CG visuals and elements inspired by old Japanese folklore and art into an immersive and beautiful experience.

Despite the way it is rooted in Japanese culture, Demon Slayer is not hard to understand, even without any knowledge of the folklore behind it. The show is based on very simple and universal motives, like "protecting one's family" or "defeating evil." This makes it a very easy show to relate to and to get invested in, no matter the viewer's background.

7 Shocking & Impactful: Attack On Titan For Horror

mikasa glaring from attack on titan

It is no coincidence that with the release of Attack On Titan in 2013 came a drastic increase in new anime viewers. The series was a gateway for a huge amount of people, and for good reason. The concept is simple and catchy: soldiers must defeat man-eating giants and save humanity from destruction.

The first few episodes hook viewers easily with twists and well-executed gore scenes. However, the series has much more to offer than that. Attack On Titan's subsequent seasons seem to get better and better, and it goes from a surface-level shock horror show to a much deeper, fleshed out, and truly memorable series.

6 A Gripping Chess Game: Death Note For Psychological

Light holding the death note

Death Note will likely always remain an iconic anime series that all anime lovers need to watch, but it also makes for a good first series. The conflict in Death Note is very interesting, and the show skillfully creates a fascinating chess game between two characters very early on.

The result is a series that causes little culture shock, and is very hard to put down; the perfect gateway.

5 A Well-Made Classic: My Hero Academia For Shonen

Deku and Todoroki before the Sports Festival

My Hero Academia is often criticized for being cliché, and while it certainly is stereotypical, that is also its greatest strength. The show is so well-loved because it succeeds at taking the familiar and executing it to perfection. Viewers experience the joy of cheering for a classic superhero, the tension of a fight between good and evil, and the pain of a loss, all to the maximum of their potentials.

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Watching My Hero Academia is often like being a child in front of their favorite cartoon again, and that is what makes the show so popular and universally loved. It's easy to connect to, easy to relate to, and easy to be invested in.

4 Gets Anyone Invested: Haikyuu For Sports

Haikyuu team crying

Many fans of Haikyuu!! report once saying that they would never watch a sports anime. People who have never seen a show like this one before might think it pointless to watch animated figures pass a ball around. However, what people don't realize is that it's not at all about the sport; it's about the character drama. The sport is just a medium for conflict between characters, both physically and mentally, and Haikyuu!! is a show that really nails its characters.

Every player is interesting, to the point where even minor manga characters have fans within the viewer base. Overall, Haikyuu!! is tremendously engaging and is an easy way to get hooked on the sports anime genre.

3 Simple & Effective: Your Name For Romance

Mitsuha and Taki Switch Places

Your Name had one hour and forty-five minutes to hook people into the romance genre, and it managed to do so for many. The concept is simple: a body swap between a girl and a boy. The movie is visually brilliant, as expected of a work directed by the extremely renowned Makoto Shinkai.

Many viewers report how impactful the movie is emotionally, describing their laughter and tears while watching it. Many seasoned anime viewers look back at this movie fondly too, and for good reason.

2 Well-Written & Thoughtful: Given For Boys' Love

Mafuyu Sato holding his guitar in Given.

Given not only stands its ground as a good boys' love anime, but it also performs well as a romance anime. The main characters have a lot of chemistry and are interesting on their own despite being based on tropes from the genre. The main couple is a delight to watch on screen.

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Given is also effective as a music anime. The songs from this show became very famous within the community and caused a stir upon their first airing, and the animated band sequences are fun and relatively well made.

1 Heart-fluttering & Realistic: Bloom Into You For Girls' Love

bloom-into-you-maki-talks-with-yuu

Bloom Into You does a brilliant job of illustrating what it's like to be a young girl in love with another young girl. The hesitation, the confusion, the heart-fluttering moments; all of it is perfectly captured within this girls' love anime. There is also a strong element of self-realization and growth within the characters, who in turn are interesting and have plenty of chemistry with each other.

Watching the characters understand what love is and what it means to them is a grasping concept for a show, and Bloom Into You executes it to perfection.

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