My Top 10 Anime I'd Recommend to Beginners

There are decades of anime to choose from, hundreds of new series every year, and enough different genres, styles, episode counts, sequels, spin-offs, and bizarre-looking titles to make a complete beginner's head spin.

And that's before you even encounter the really long ones.

"Should I watch One Piece?"

No. Not as your first anime. I love One Piece, but asking someone who has never watched anime to commit to more than a thousand episodes is basically a test of friendship.

So instead of giving you a list of whatever anime happens to be popular right now, I wanted to put together a list based on different kinds of people. Love Disney movies? I've got one for you. Want something short and action-packed? There's something for you too.

Prefer romance, sci-fi, mystery, or something emotional? Yep.

Here are 10 anime I'd recommend to someone who wants to get into anime.

10. Spy × Family — The Safest Recommendation

If you have absolutely no idea what kind of anime someone would enjoy, Spy × Family is probably my safest recommendation.

It's funny. It's wholesome. It's charming. And Anya is adorable.

The premise is wonderfully ridiculous: a spy needs to create a fake family for a mission, except his fake wife is secretly an assassin and his adopted daughter can read minds.

And none of them know each other's secrets. Except Anya. Which is where most of the comedy comes from. What makes Spy × Family such a good beginner anime is that it doesn't demand much from you. You don't need to know anime conventions. You don't need to understand decades of Japanese pop culture. You don't need to commit to some giant 500-episode adventure. You can just sit down and enjoy a funny story about a bizarre little family slowly becoming a real family.

It's one of those shows that's incredibly easy to recommend because there's something for almost everyone. Action? Yep. Comedy? Absolutely. Romance? A little.

Cute family moments? Constantly. It's basically anime comfort food.

9. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners — If You're a Sci-Fi Fan

If you're a sci-fi fan, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is an easy recommendation. It's short. It's intense. And it will probably leave you staring at the credits after the final episode wondering what just happened to your emotions.

Set in the world of Cyberpunk 2077, Edgerunners follows David Martinez, a teenager trying to survive in the brutal futuristic city of Night City. And things get messy. Very messy. What I love about Edgerunners is how much it accomplishes in such a short amount of time.

You don't need hundreds of episodes to become invested in these characters. The world is visually spectacular, the soundtrack is fantastic, the action is insane, and the story doesn't pull its punches.

It's also a great recommendation for people who might normally dismiss anime as something they're not interested in. If you like sci-fi, dystopian stories, futuristic cities, or just really intense storytelling, give it a shot.

Just don't get too attached to anyone.

Seriously.

8. Ranking of Kings (Ousama Ranking) — If You Want Something Wholesome

Don't let the art style fool you. Ranking of Kings looks like a children's storybook, but there's considerably more going on underneath the surface. The story follows Bojji, a young prince who is deaf and physically weaker than everyone around him.

Because of this, he's constantly underestimated and ridiculed. And yet Bojji keeps moving forward. That's what makes him such a wonderful character. He's not the strongest person in the room. He's not secretly an overpowered hero. He doesn't suddenly become amazing because of some magical transformation.

Instead, his strength comes from his kindness, courage, determination, and willingness to keep going despite everything that's thrown at him. Ranking of Kings is wholesome without being shallow. It deals with discrimination, family, betrayal, insecurity, and what it actually means to be strong.

It's also a great reminder that anime doesn't have to look "cool" to tell a powerful story.

7. Violet Evergarden — If You Want Something Beautiful and Emotional

Not everyone wants action. Some people want romance. Some want drama. And some people just want an anime that will emotionally destroy them in the prettiest way possible.

For those people, there's Violet Evergarden. The first thing you'll notice is the animation. It is stunning.

Every background, character expression, landscape, and tiny movement feels carefully crafted. But underneath all those beautiful visuals is a deeply emotional story about a young woman trying to understand emotions and the meaning of the words she was told by someone important to her.

It's quiet compared with most anime on this list. There aren't giant explosions every five minutes. Instead, Violet Evergarden takes its time. It tells stories about love, grief, regret, family, and human connection.

And yes, you might cry. Actually, you probably will. Don't say I didn't warn you.

6. Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) — The "Just Watch It" Recommendation

I actually didn't want to put Attack on Titan on this list. Not because it's bad. Quite the opposite.

I wanted to avoid making this list a collection of the most famous anime ever made. But then I remembered how many people I've seen get into anime because of Attack on Titan.

And honestly... It's a must.

The premise is immediately compelling: humanity lives behind enormous walls to protect itself from terrifying humanoid creatures known as Titans. And then the walls don't seem so safe anymore. What starts as a relatively straightforward survival story gradually becomes something much bigger. Attack on Titan has action, mystery, politics, tragedy, shocking twists, and an enormous amount of world-building.

It's also one of the best examples of an anime that can completely change your perception of what the medium is capable of.

If you think anime is just colorful characters screaming while powering up, watch Attack on Titan.

5. Erased (Boku dake ga Inai Machi) — If You Like Thrillers and Mystery

Erased is one of those shows I recommend almost every time someone tells me they want to get into anime. It's thrilling, dark, emotional, and surprisingly easy to binge.

The story follows Satoru, a struggling manga artist who possesses a strange ability that sends him back in time whenever something terrible is about to happen. Then something much more serious happens, and Satoru finds himself sent years into the past. His mission? Prevent a series of murders from happening. That's basically all you need to know going in. I especially like Erased as a beginner recommendation because it doesn't feel like you need to learn how to watch anime.

It's a mystery thriller first. The time-travel element gives it a unique twist, but the emotional core of the story is what keeps you watching. And because it's relatively short, you can get through the whole thing without feeling like you've signed your life away.

4. Death Note — If You Want Something That Hooks

If there is one anime on this list that I would recommend to almost anyone, it's Death Note.

A teenager finds a mysterious notebook. If he writes someone's name in it while picturing their face, that person dies. What would you do if you found it? That's the hook. And the show doesn't waste much time getting started.

Even if you're someone who normally doesn't watch anime, I think it's almost impossible to hear that premise and not wonder where the story is going. But Death Note gets even better when you realize that the story isn't really about the notebook. It's about what happens when an intelligent person is given essentially unlimited power and starts convincing himself that he knows how the world should work.

Then you add L, one of the greatest rivals in anime, and you get an incredibly addictive psychological battle. You don't need to be an anime fan to enjoy Death Note.

3. One Punch Man — If You Want Something Fun

Maybe you don't want something dramatic. Maybe you just want to have fun. That's where One Punch Man comes in.

The basic premise is ridiculously simple: Saitama is so powerful that he can defeat basically any opponent with one punch. That's it. And somehow, it works brilliantly. The show combines superhero action with comedy and a surprisingly clever parody of the usual shonen formula.

It's also incredibly easy to understand. You don't need a giant mythology or 50 episodes of setup before the fun starts. And when the action kicks in, One Punch Man's first season looks incredible. It's one of those anime where you can show somebody a random fight scene and immediately understand why people get excited about anime animation.

It's funny, it's fast, it's ridiculous, and it doesn't take itself too seriously.

2. Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba)— If You Want Action Without a Huge Commitment

If you're looking for a traditional action anime, Demon Slayer is probably one of the easiest places to start. One of the biggest problems with recommending anime to beginners is length. Some of the most famous series have hundreds or even thousands of episodes. Demon Slayer doesn't ask you to make that kind of commitment.

It gets to the point quickly. You have a simple but effective premise, a protagonist who is incredibly easy to root for, memorable characters, demons, sword fights, and some of the most spectacular animation ever put into a TV anime.

But the animation isn't the only reason it works. Tanjiro is genuinely one of the most likable protagonists in modern shonen. He's kind without being boring, determined without becoming annoying, and his motivation is incredibly easy to understand. You don't have to spend 100 episodes figuring out why you should care about him.

And if you finish an episode thinking, "Okay, I'll watch just one more," Demon Slayer has done its job.

1. Studio Ghibli Movies — If You Love Disney

If you've never watched anime before and you love classic Disney movies, I honestly wouldn't start with a 24-episode TV series. I'd start with Studio Ghibli.

Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away, and Whisper of the Heart are fantastic introductions to Japanese animation because they don't really feel like homework. You can simply sit down, watch them, and enjoy the experience.

The animation is gorgeous. The stories are imaginative. The characters are memorable. And there's a warmth and sincerity to these movies that makes them incredibly easy to fall in love with. And perhaps most importantly, you don't need to understand anything about anime beforehand.

You don't need to know what a shonen is. You don't need to understand anime tropes. You don't need to know anything about Japanese pop culture. They're simply great animated movies.

If someone tells me, "I don't think I'd like anime," Studio Ghibli is probably my first response.