A Beginners Guide to Anime

Hey readers, I hope you are all good!

In today’s post we are going to delve into the world of Anime. Now I know you’ve all seen those Michael Jackson ‘Eyes were like mine’ edits all over social media. Maybe that was your first time coming across clips of anime, or you saw some anime you hadn’t come across before. Or you’ve not seen the edits, have no idea what I’m talking about but still curious. Regardless of which group you fall in, this post is exactly what you need to read before getting involved so let’s go!

You might think Anime is just for kids but I promise you they aren’t. They hold some of the best story telling, character development and visuals across the television medium.

Hunter x Hunter 

This Anime is top-tier for many reasons. The transition from being light-hearted into darkness is gradual but necessary as we delve deeper into the story, the characters, and their backstories. The character growth is second to none and seeing the characters go from these young innocent children to strong survivors is really gratifying to watch. It also has one of the most respected, insane arcs in Anime across the board (The Chimera Ant arc), and I remember watching it thinking ‘naaa what is THISSSS’. It was so intricate and heart-wrenching, like it meansss something.

If you like adventure, trials and layered storytelling, then this Anime is absolutely for you!

Naruto & Naruto Shippuden

The next Anime is something most beginners start with, and the origin point of many of our veteran Anime watchers. It is often described as the blueprint of Anime, as this show has many many MANY sons. If you’ve ever seen an Anime about a young (orphan) boy making it through against all the odds - high chances the creator was inspired by Naruto.

The show(s) that introduced a generation to Anime. Naruto (2002) is the first part of the story, and then Naruto Shippuden (2007) is the next part when Naruto is in his teens. After these two shows, the story continues in ‘Boruto’, but we are focused on the Naruto instalments today.

Naruto has a massive cultural impact, and if you Google anime, a drawing of a young boy with blue eyes, blonde hair, and marks on his face is likely to come up. Naruto follows the story of a young ninja of the same name, with dreams of becoming his village’s Hokage. A Hokage is the strongest ninja who leads all the other ninjas in the village. However, Naruto’s entire village has ostracised and shunned him. He is completely alone.

This is another show with excellent character development for many of its characters, not just the main character. There is a lot of world-building (my #realreaders will love this), and understanding of different ‘magic systems’ - so jutsus, fighting styles, etc. We also understand the different clans and ninja villages.

Many people have shared that watching Naruto was life-changing growing up, and still life-changing as an adult, due to its themes on trauma, friendship, willpower, and perseverance. The characters and storylines mirror things we go through in real life: betrayal, loss, wanting to be accepted - the list goes on.

Solo Leveling

If you love action, stories about perseverance, and emotional storytelling, then this one is for you! (Even if it’s not, you have to watch it!). 

This entry is one of the newer anime on the list, as it came out in 2024. Although its new, it’s been making waves and won best new series, best main character, anime of the year, and best action at the Crunchyroll Anime awards 2025.

It’s similar to Hunter x Hunter as it is based on hunters, but follows Jinwoo, a weak hunter who starts to get strong through a mysterious leveling system. It’s great for beginners as it’s new and it has some incredible animation. So far, the story development has been great and doesn’t seem to be too complex (yet). The animation is amazing, and seeing Jinwoo develop is very, very cold. He’s a great main character.

If you like gaming style world building and action then this is for you!!

Sword Art Online

If you like gaming, then this is definitely for you!

Similar to Solo Leveling, Sword Art Online is known for its gaming world-building. The anime is about players trapped in a virtual reality game where death in the game means death in real life. The story follows Kirito, who, alongside other players, must clear 100 floors (levels) to get out of the game. That is the only way out.

Excellent character development is a key theme in anime, and Sword Art Online is no different. The characters we meet at the beginning are not the same people we meet at the end. The amount of adventure, trauma, and soul searching they must do in the journey to survival is immense. They start to question and blur the lines between the game and real life, and what is and isn’t acceptable.

Sword Art Online (SAO) started the trend of “isekai” (stuck-in-another-world) anime.

This is for people who love gaming and/or fantasy.

My Hero Academia

Another personal favourite of mine, and if you love superheroes, then you’ll LOVE this!

This is a great choice for beginners, as it has a great plot: we follow Izuku Midoriya’s journey in a world where most people have powers. We watch him fight the odds to surpass his idol and become the greatest hero of all time. It has a beautiful underdog story, emotional moments, and both the heroes AND villains have depth and backstories.

If you like Marvel/DC and/or action, then you will love this.

Demon Slayer

The Anime that broke box office records. Yep, you heard me correctly.

Demon Slayer is exactly what it says on the tin. In a world where Demons run amok, we follow Tanjiro and his sister, Nezuko, as they try to survive after tragedy struck their family.

This might be the best animation I’ve seen in an anime. The colours, the quality, the fight scenes? Absolutely breathtaking. Watching the stories of the characters, the depth of their trauma and experience, is truly an experience. Witnessing the emotional sibling bond between Tanjiro and Nezuko - it is evidence that good television isn’t restricted to Western media.

The fight scenes are actually insane, btw. SO good. 

This is for people who love great fight scenes, amazing visuals and detailed storylines.

Fullmetal Alchemist 

Some say this is one of the greatest anime of all time. Do I agree? Well, that’s a post for another day x

Regardless of where it stands in the ranking, Fullmetal Alchemist is necessary to watch on your journey into the anime world. It follows the Elric brothers Edward and Alphonse, who are searching for the Philosopher’s Stone after a forbidden alchemy attempt, trying to bring their mother back to life.

While searching for the Philosopher’s stone, the brothers uncover government conspiracies, the dark side of alchemy, and a larger battle between good and evil. The storytelling is incredible, and it is very balanced. There is comedy, but also emotional moments and philosophical questions about the meaning of life and sacrifice. Just know the phrase ‘equivalent exchange’ might stay with you forever.

This one is for everyone.

Attack on Titan 

Oh, the masterpiece that is Attack on Titan (AOT). This was actually the 2nd anime I ever watched, and for me it will always be in the top 5. Maybe even top 3. But let me not get ahead of myself; that will be a post for another day.

This show is truly unbelievable. It’s not even a show, it’s an experience, a movement. The character development is insane, the plot development and writing are so good it’s a bit frightening (haha #bars,) and the impact is truly global. The way the writing is unpredictable and has many twists and links is very, very good. The world-building is incredible and paints a very good picture of the world they are living in.

Okay, but what is the show about, MNIA, I hear you shout - Titans. It’s about Titans trying to eradicate what’s left of the human race.

If you enjoy truly unpredictable plots, dark stories (because this gets DARK), and thrillers, then this is for you!

Haikyuu!!

A Sports Anime????? I know. But watching Haikyuu unlocked a whole new subgenre for me! When you think of anime, you usually go straight to the action ones or the fantasy ones - I feel like nobody steers beginners to the Sports ones, so don’t worry, I will x

This is a volleyball anime, and it might have changed my life. It follows the story of Hinata Shoyo, who dreams of becoming a top volleyball player despite being quite short. It is incredibly inspiring, with emotional highs and lows, and shows the importance of having a good team around you. It’s an anime that shows you that you can keep getting better, you can keep levelling up, and push yourself to achieve more. It shows you that you can achieve your dreams (it sounds soppy, but I’m being so for real, guys).

If you love underdog stories, team dynamics, sports (of course), and inspiration, then you will love this.

Die-hard anime fans might question why I haven’t included One Piece, but remember this is for beginners! So let’s ease them in hahaha.

And there you have it guys, a beginner's guide to Anime! Let us know which one you are going to start with, or if you’ve already watched - which one is your favourite?

I hope you enjoyed the post and have a good day.

- MNIA (MyNameIsAnu)