The act of finding anime for non-anime watchers is a very painstaking task. While most people simply dismiss anime as cartoons, many believe that these shows do not hold the maturity or the sense of reality to be actually worth their time invested.
To break such barriers and to dispose of such taboos, we would like to suggest a list of the top 5 anime for non-anime watchers, and when these fulfill your expectations, you can always find categorized listicles at Spiel Anime to take you further and deeper along this journey into the anime-verse!
Top 5 anime for non-anime watchers (ranked)
5. Demon Slayer
MAL Rating:Â 8.49
Genre:Â Action, Fantasy
Platforms: Netflix, Crunchyroll
Total Seasons:Â 4
- Demon Slayer has been one of the most phenomenal series to have made an impressive run recently. The series became so popular that the manga and the anime were devoured by fans across the world.
- Demon Slayer follows the life of Tanjiro and his demonic sister Nezuko, who travel across lands in search of a cure.
- However, Demon Slayer explores the themes of friendship, horror, violence, love, and a medieval catastrophe.
Demon Slayer has a very detailed form of storytelling and it becomes very easy for the newcomer to anime to adopt and understand its simplicity, while the plot not being entirely simplistic. The story is complex, yet not complicated and the idea of demons and humans in conflict is fantastical yet real for lovers of fantasy and fiction. Demon Slayer also comes with phenomenal animation and the elements of death and loss become very provoking in nature, making it a must-watch for non-anime watchers.
4. Jujutsu Kaisen
MAL Rating:Â 8.82
Genre:Â Action, Fantasy
Platforms: Netflix, Crunchyroll
Total Season: 2
- Jujutsu Kaisen manga is nearing its end while the anime has only begun with the series of tragedies.
- This gives us a scope for transition as the anime delves into deeper complexities of the series, while the series itself isn’t greatly complicated.
- Jujutsu Kaisen provides more of a visual and aesthetic treat for the audiences during its initial run, while the latter part of the story is extremely and entirely heartbreaking.
Therefore, Jujutsu Kaisen holds its reputation as one of the most popular shows of 2023, even breaking its own records in the process. The entire show is filled with carnage, loss, and destruction towards the middle, while the end specifically focuses on death. However, the beginning is as cheerful as it can get, and therefore, the show seems to grow in its audience.
3. Attack on Titan
MAL Rating:Â 8.54
Genre:Â Action, Drama, Suspense
Platforms: Disney+, Crunchyroll
Total Season:Â 4
- Attack on Titan is more psychological than it is emotional, and it is wrapped in a web of complexities and theoretical constructs that define the narrative.
- It follows the story of Eren and his comrades and their walled city, which is under the looming threat of humongous and monstrous creatures called Titans which feed on humans.
- From the very moment that the story begins, it operates in a very nonconforming manner and the story eventually wipes off the difference between the good and the evil.
AoT remains one of the best anime for non-anime watchers due to its mature themes and the existential question that it poses forward. It is a story of sacrifice and acceptance, and it rightly justifies the good and the bad, the right and the wrong, the holy and the evil, in very objective terms but with an element of absurdity in them.
2. Death Note
MAL Rating:Â 8.62
Genre: Supernatural, Suspense
Platforms: Netflix, Crunchyroll, Hulu
Total Episodes:Â 37
- Death Note is a very interesting story of murder and crime. It is a thriller that is less of a narration and more of a confrontation with society.
- It is very mature and adult in the sense that the themes of death and crime are as visual as they can be.
- Moreover, the dialogues and the narrative are aided by a dark visual theme, where the palette is mostly presented through gloomy tones.
Death Note is basically the story of a boy who makes it his responsibility to punish the wrongdoers and a detective who makes it his only mission to catch this messiah of unlawful deliverance of punishment. The idea of justice is therefore very conflicted in the story and it is entirely subjective throughout. Towards the end, however, tragedies unfold like tidal waves and it only gets harder to keep track of the good and the evil.
1. Your Name
MAL Rating:Â 8.84
Genre: Drama, Supernatural
Platforms: Netflix, Crunchyroll, Prime Video
Total Runtime:Â 1hr. 46mins.
Your Name is the classical Makoto Shinkai masterpiece which has a rating of 8.4/10 on IMDb and 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, a staggering high of 8.8/10 on MyAnimeList. It is a story of love, romance, and fantasy, where two teenagers are connected by a magical connection that decides the fate of their own and the people associated with them.
Without giving any spoilers, Your Name is a must-watch for all of the new anime viewers as it introduces profound love through animated storytelling. It is visually and thoughtfully enchanting and it is indeed very tough to ever get enough of it. It is also the only movie in this list which comprises mostly of series, because it is according to my personal opinion that everyone deserves a chance at falling in love with anime through Your Name.
Conclusion
The article has explored the theoretical analysis of the suggested series, but proposing anime for non-anime watchers is a slippery slope to walk on. While some like it, others generally don’t, and the suggestions therefore always remain dynamic and in sync with the popular appeal. For more regular anime updates, subscribe to our newsletter at Spiel Anime!