Tips for Anime Newbies: "Which Anime Should I Start With?"

Anime is a type of entertainment. Just as books, movies, television and video games are. Asking where to start in this medium is a very broad question. There are many types of anime including romance, comedy, science fiction, adventure and much more.Similar to how a teenage girl would choose to watch a romantic mystery and a professional may choose to watch a documentary, your choices will be based on your personal preferences.

Ask yourself questions like:

"Do I want to be intellectually challenged?" "Do I want to cry?" "Do I want to laugh?" "What are some great classics?" "Which titles will my friends/family and I be able to discuss together?" "Can I learn something from this anime?" "Do I want to see sword fights? robot fights?" "Is there going to be mature themes in this anime?"... The list goes on.

Below I listed a variety of some of the best anime of all time. I would recommend the following to anyone.

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion
Genre: Action, Mecha, Psycological

Lelouch Lamperouge is a Britannian prince who was sent to Japan, as a result of bargaining in the midst of war, along with his sister Nunally. One day the Britannian forces raid a Japanese city and wiped out everything in sight. From that day on, Lelouch swore to his Japanese friend, Suzaku, that he would one day obliterate Britannia.

7 years after that eventful day Lelouch has become a strategic genius and a tactical mastermind.On his way to school he is caught up in a "terrorist attack" and meets a girl called CC. CC grants Lelouch the power of kings, a power called geass. This ability allows Lelouch to compel anyone he chooses. Lelouch decides to use this new power to accomplish his goal of destroying Britannia.

In this journey Lelouch becomes the leader of the Black Knight resistance and takes the role of a masked mastermind by the name of Zero.

Death Note
Genre: Psycological Thriller, Mystery, Dark Fantasy

A genius high school student, Light Yagami, who is bored of mundane everyday life, encounters a notebook called the Deathnote. The Deathnote was dropped form the sky by an equally bored "Shinigami"(God Of Death). This book allows Light to kill anyone by writing their name in the book. After multiple experiments and tests Light decides he wants to exterminate all the criminals of the world and become the god of the resulting earth.

When Light's killing spree is noticed, notorious detective "L" takes special interest in this case. In fact he manages to determine the exact district Light is located within days of investigating.Thus starts the battle of intelligence between Light and L. It is a duel to determine the superior mind and ultimately the fate of the world. Will Light triumph and build his ideal world? or Will L crack the mystery and save thousands of lives including his own?

Full Metal Alchemist:Brotherhood (My Personal favorite)
Genre: Adventure, Sci Fi

Brothers Alphonse and Edward Elric lose their mother to a chronic disease. Now they are left with no mother and an absentee father who left years ago.The brothers attempt to resurrect their mother using a forbidden alchemical technique, human transmutation. In this process Alphonse loses his whole body and Edward loses his left leg. To save his brother Edward sacrifices his right arm as well and manages to bound his brother's soul to a metal suit of armor.

With the help of a family friend, Edward is given artificial limbs called "automail". After fully recuperating the Elric brothers decide to embark on a journey for the philosophers stone hoping to find a way to get their bodies back. Little do they know that the truth behind the stone is a dark one.

Welcome to the NHK
Genre: Drama, Romamnce, Dark Comedy

This story revolves around the life of Hikikomori, Tatsuhiro Sato. A hikikomori is an individual who has banished them self from society, a recluse. Simply put a hikikomori is someone afraid of the social world.

Sato is a university dropout that lives a reclusive everyday life. He is conviced that he became the way he is because of the N.H.K. (Nihion.Hikikomori.Kyokai). How could they achieve this? Sato suspects that the NHK are plotting to turn the whole world's population into hikikomori by airing addictive anime.

One day he meets Misaki Nakahara, a girl who wants to help Sato reorient himself into society. Sato signs a contract agreeing to meet with Misaki everyday until he is cured of his hikikomori ways.