As the weather gets colder, it creates the perfect opportunity to bundle up and start a new show–or even a new genre. Whether you've been a fan of cartoons like "Avatar" since you were a kid or have never given animated shows a second thought, anime could be just what you're looking for. Most anime are adaptations of manga, which is similar to comic books. Anime can range from romance to action to psychological thrillers, depending on what you're feeling.
Here are some of the best starter shows to try out:
"Death Note" (2006)
"Death Note" is a classic, well-known psychological thriller about a student, Light Yagami, who finds a notebook on the ground, known as the "Death Note." He soon finds out that the strange notebook grants him the power to kill someone simply by thinking of their face and writing their name down in the book. With Light's overbearing sense of justice, he begins to kill criminals left and right under the pseudonym Kira. His father, a police officer, teams up with the best investigator in Japan named L. L is determined to stop Kira at any cost. "Death Note" takes watchers through the journey of this investigation and the battle of who will come out on top. "Death Note" is 37 episodes long and is available to watch on Hulu, Funimation and Crunchyroll.
“Jujutsu Kaisen” (2020)
This supernatural fiction is about a high-school student, Yuji Itadori, who gets his entire world turned upside down. After his grandfather dies, Itadori joins a club at his school, which is unknowingly attracting "curses" to the school after they unsealed a rotten finger. These curses can either be small or embody beings and become extremely powerful. After chaotic events occur, Itadori ends up swallowing the finger, embodying the curse of Ryomen Sukuna. Itadori is recruited by one of Jujutsu High School's finest teachers, Satoru Gojo to train and become a sorcerer. Viewers watch as Yuji and the other first-years master sorcery and try to defeat the curses. "Jujutsu Kaisen" is 24 episodes long and available to watch on HBOMax, Crunchyroll, Netflix and more. Season two is scheduled to air early 2023.
"Attack on Titan" (2013)
"Attack on Titan" may be a bold choice to start with because you may never find anything better. What the internet calls "peak fiction," Attack on Titan has been running on air for nine years now, and the final part of season four is scheduled to air early 2023. "Attack on Titan" is about a boy, Eren Yeager, who is determined to find freedom. Eren and his two friends, Mikasa and Armin, along with the rest of the residents of Shiganshina, live within "the walls," which were built in place to keep giant beings, called titans. Titans are anywhere above 3 meters tall and eat humans. One day, the Colossal Titan broke down the wall and wreaked havoc alongside the Armored Titan. Viewers watch as Eren, Mikasa and Armin join the Scout regime to attempt to stop the titans, save Eldia, and most importantly, find freedom. There are currently 86 episodes and "Attack on Titan" is available to watch on Netflix, Hulu, Funimation and more.
“Cowboy Bebop” (1998)
"Cowboy Bebop" is a classic, old-school action/adventure anime from the 90s. Aboard the Bebop, partners Spike Spiegel and Jet Black are cowboys, A.K.A. bounty hunters. As they scramble for change and try to find bounties to go after, they go on many adventures and pick up a special corgi, Ein, meet a vigilante, Faye Valentine and soon team up with a tech-savvy little girl, Ed. As viewers watch the members of the Bebop travel through space and try to keep enough food in their stomachs, the characters' past is revealed. A feel-good show that is only 26 episodes is sure to make anyone smile. "Cowboy Bebop" is available to watch on Hulu, Netflix, Crunchyroll and more.
"My Hero Academia" (2016)
"My Hero Academia" is an action show about a world that has accommodated the genetic mutation of superpowers, also called quirks. Most of the population has some form of a quirk, extravagant or small, but not everyone. In this world, people can use their quirks to become heroes and spend their lives saving people and doing good deeds. Izuku Midoriya, also known as Deku, was born without a quirk but wasn't ready to give up his dream of becoming a hero. After meeting the number one hero, All Might, Deku's life changed for the better. The anime takes viewers through Deku and his friends' adventure of becoming a hero at the number one hero school, U.A. High School. "My Hero Academia" is currently at 113 episodes and is available to watch on Hulu, Funimation, Crunchyroll and more.
