Anime is one of the most popular forms of entertainment in current media, and yet I've found that it can also be one of the most divisive. Despite anime offering many unique and memorable stories that can't be offered by any other mediums, I find that many people are put off from it because either they see it as weird or have no idea where to start with just how many series there actually are.

So, in this post, I want to help anyone who’s confused by the weird and wonderful world of anime and offer the 5 Anime series that I could easily recommend to either a newcomer of the medium or anyone looking for a new show to sink their teeth into.

So, without further ado, let’s get started!

1. Death Note



If you’ve ever been interested in watching anime or had a friend who loves anime, chances are you’ve heard of Death Note before. It’s without a doubt one of the most popular anime to come out of the 2000s and became a somewhat cultural phenomenon when it first came out. Luckily, this is for good reasons.

Death Note follows the story of Light Yagami, a high school student performing incredibly well in his studies but feels bored and fed up with how unfair he thinks the world is. That is until he finds the fabled “Death Note” on the ground outside his class and quickly discovers that anyone whose name is written in the notebook dies. Using this newfound power, Light vows to completely purge the world of all the people he views as rotten, i.e. Criminals, Rapists, Murderers, to create a perfect world. Of course, this isn’t made easy for Light as the world’s greatest detective known only as “L” is on the hunt for him. And so, a giant cat and mouse chase starts between Light and L, both trying to catch each other in the name of the justice they believe in.

The dynamic between Light and L as well as how they try to outsmart one another is what makes the show so compelling to watch. You never truly know who the cat is and who the mouse is a lot of the time, meaning you’re left in suspense wondering if either of their plans will work. The show has also filled the brim with memorable characters, shocking moments and interesting themes relating to justice and crime with how far someone is willing to go for what they believe is the greater good, even if it means doing horrible things or becoming evil yourself.

So, if you haven’t checked it out, do it and let this show grip you with suspense to the very end.

2. Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann


Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is absolutely bonkers. It’s the perfect example of how over the top and silly an anime can get. It’s a show about giant robots fusing together to create bigger giant robots that are then used to destroy other giant robots, it’s incredibly nonsensical. But despite how insane this show gets, it still somehow manages to stay grounded in reality because of how relatable and likable the characters are, leading you to care about what happens next and where the story goes.

A young boy named Simon lives underground with his supposed “Big Bro” Kamina. Kamina is tired of living underground doing the same thing every day and wants to reach the surface to become a hero, whereas Simon is content just staying underground. Until one day, Simon discovers a miniature mech while excavating, which he and Kamina use to finally reach the surface. 

And saying any more than that would be spoiling the magic of Gurren Lagann. Part of what makes the show so fun is how unpredictable its plot is and how willing it is to go as over the top as humanly possible, which in turn lead to many moments in the show that are so unbelievably ridiculous you can’t help but watch it in awe. The fight scenes are all amazingly animated, the soundtrack does a great job at getting you pumped up and the voice actors for the English Dub do an incredible job as well.

If you’re looking for a show that will excite you with its action or a show with lovable and root-able characters, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is the show for you either way.

3. Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood


Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood is an interesting show because it isn’t the first anime adaptation of the original Fullmetal Alchemist manga. There was originally a Fullmetal Alchemist series that aired in 2003 and while that show is still very good, Brotherhood as a series was completely designed to improve on the original series with less filler and more manga accuracies, creating a series that many consider one of the greatest of all time.

Edward and Alphonse Elric are two brothers that also happen to be famous alchemists. An alchemist is a person who can seemingly use magic to transform their environment or manipulate elements around them. However, the alchemy they use follows the strict rule of “equivalent exchange” that Ed and Al know too well. When they were children, their mother tragically passed away and foolishly they tried to bring her back to life using alchemy, which didn’t work and resulted in Ed losing his arm and his leg, and Al losing his entire body and having his soul trapped inside a suit of armour. Having failed at trying to get their bodies for many years, the brothers suddenly learn of a gem called the “Philosopher’s Stone” that may hold the key to getting them back to normal.

One of the absolute best aspects of this show is that unlike a lot of other anime series, every episode in Brotherhood feels important and adds to the story. There are practically no filler episodes even when the series is one of the longer ones on this list, leading to the show having outstanding pacing. The story, lore, locations, and characters just keep building and building as the show goes on keeping you invested and interested the whole way through. The animation is great, the characters and their designs are brilliant, and the show has some of my personal favourite villains out of any anime.

If you’re willing to exchange your time for this show, then give it a watch and get sucked into its incredible world.

4. Baccano!


Quentin Tarantino is one of the most loved film directors in Hollywood right now. Not only has he made many critically acclaimed films, but he also has an incredibly unique way of telling a story. The reason I bring him up is that Baccano! is essentially what it would be like if Quentin Tarantino directed an anime. It has all the typical Tarantino tropes; a massive cast of characters, multiple different storylines being told out of order, being horrifically violent and most importantly, being damn good.

Summarising the plot of this show is not easy, as there are so many different storylines throughout it that all interconnect with each other that it’s hard to know where to even begin. These include a story of a famous train called the “Flying Pussyfoot” and what gruesome events occur during its journey, a mysterious group of gang members who seemingly cannot die, and multiple different mafia groups all out the kill each other. The storyline can be slightly alienating at first as there is SO much going on at once with TONS of characters, but as the series goes on the overall story starts to become more and more clear as well as how all the stories connect with each other.

Another stand-out merit of this show is its characters. Considering how many of them there are, you’d think that the show would have a hard time making them all unique and memorable, but it somehow manages to pull it off. While many of them aren’t necessarily deep or have rich backstories, they’re all entertaining to watch in their own way. The 1930s Noire type-setting is also a great star of the show as it’s a setting that’s rarely touched in anime, making the style of the show amazingly distinctive. (The soundtrack is also a complete 10/10, including the OP.)

Stick with Baccano! and you’ll be given a great story that wraps up in an insanely satisfying way.

5. Samurai Champloo


Samurai Champloo is a show that on paper, sounds odd. It’s a show set in 1800s era Japan that has the style and vibe of modern-day hip-hop and rap, with the soundtrack and editing also being inspired by that style. It really shouldn’t work and yet somehow, the two styles blend together perfectly with lovable characters and an engaging storyline, creating what might well be my favourite anime series ever.

In the Edo-era of Japan, Fuu is working as a waitress in a teahouse despite being very clumsy. One day while serving tea, she runs into a mysterious samurai called Mugen, who (after she’s harassed by some of the customers) offers to protect her in exchange for food. However, another samurai known as Jin enters the teahouse, who Mugen decides to take on in a sword fight, leading to the house burning down and both Mugen and Jin being arrested. Fuu manages to save them both from being executed and in exchange, wants them to help her find a mysterious samurai who smells like sunflowers. And so, the three of them start their journey around Japan to find the samurai while also making sure they earn enough money to survive.

The trio of characters this show works around is the main reason why it works so well. All of them have amazingly interesting backstories and personalities, as well as having humorous and likable chemistry. Mugen is a hot-shot who just wants to fight for the sake of fighting, Jin is cold and calculated but also has a softer side and Fuu is determined to complete her mission despite her not being good at… well, anything. As the show goes on, the three develop a genuine bond through all the scenarios and dangerous situations they find themselves in, as well as forming bonds with the different people they meet in their journey across Japan.

While the show does have the overarching goal of finding the sunflower samurai, many of the episodes just involve Jin, Mugen and Fuu interacting with new characters and trying to solve a mystery in that one episode, which makes nearly any episode of the show easily accessible as it doesn’t have to rely that heavily on continuity.

If you’re looking for a fun show that you can watch just to have fun, relax and enjoy yourself, Samurai Champloo is one you shouldn’t skip out on.


And that’s the end of the list! I hope you found it useful and let me know if you want to see more blog posts like this in the future. Thanks for reading!


None of the properties or images featured in this article belong to me. All shows and images showcased belong to their respective owners.
Image Sources:
https://nerdist.com/death-note-12-hour-audio-drama-adaptation/
https://aminoapps.com/c/anime/page/blog/tengen-toppa-gurren-lagann-anime-review/1et6_uzl8aQXxZxPzxj7bXK5vK6wpq
http://www.themagicrain.com/2017/12/fullmetal-alchemist-brotherhood-2009-throwback-anime-review/
http://getwallpapers.com/collection/baccano-wallpapers
https://playmatworld.com/products/copy-of-365-samurai-champloo


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