People often wonder what anime they can use to introduce their friends or family to anime to show how it differs from ‘cartoons’. The usual go-to recommendations are either gore based or a tad too pervy. Sometimes the recommendations are anime with way too many episodes which is often intimidating and not appealing for those who have no interest in anime.
I have put together a list of anime recommendations that are good, have deep plot lines that will show the more mature side of anime and have a good chance of hooking your friends and hopefully get them asking for more anime recommendations.
Noragami
Stream on iQIYI, Prime Video
Yato is a minor deity and a self-proclaimed “Delivery God,” who dreams of having millions of worshippers. Without a single shrine dedicated to his name, however, his goals are far from being realized. He spends his days doing odd jobs for five yen apiece until his weapon partner becomes fed up with her useless master and deserts him.
Just as things seem to be looking grim for the god, his fortune changes when a middle school girl, Hiyori Iki, supposedly saves Yato from a car accident, taking the hit for him. Remarkably, she survives, but the event has caused her soul to become loose and hence able to leave her body.
Terror in Resonance
Stream on Crunchyroll
Painted in red, the word “VON” is all that is left behind after a terrorist attack on a nuclear facility in Japan. The government is shattered by their inability to act, and the police are left frantically searching for ways to crack down the perpetrators. The public is clueless—until, six months later, a strange video makes its way onto the internet. In it, two teenage boys who identify themselves only as “Sphinx” directly challenge the police, threatening to cause destruction and mayhem across Tokyo. Unable to stop the mass panic quickly spreading through the city and desperate for any leads in their investigation, the police struggle to act effectively against these terrorists, with Detective Kenjirou Shibazaki caught in the middle of it all.
Psycho-Pass
Stream on Crunchyroll
Justice, and the enforcement of it, has changed. In the 22nd century, Japan enforces the Sibyl System, an objective means of determining the threat level of each citizen by examining their mental state for signs of criminal intent, known as their Psycho-Pass. Inspectors uphold the law by subjugating, often with lethal force, anyone harbouring the slightest ill-will; alongside them are Enforcers, jaded Inspectors that have become latent criminals, granted relative freedom in exchange for carrying out the Inspectors’ dirty work.
Into this world steps Akane Tsunemori, a young woman with an honest desire to uphold justice. However, as she works alongside veteran Enforcer Shinya Kougami, she soon learns that the Sibyl System’s judgments are not as perfect as her fellow Inspectors assume. With everything she has known turned on its head, Akane wrestles with the question of what justice truly is, and whether it can be upheld through the use of a system that may already be corrupt.
Assassination Classroom
Stream on Crunchyroll, BiliBili, Netflix
When a mysterious creature chops the moon down to a permanent crescent, the students of class 3-E of Kunugigaoka Middle School find themselves confronted with an enormous task: assassinate the creature responsible for the disaster before Earth suffers a similar fate. However, the monster, dubbed Koro-sensei (the indestructible teacher), is able to fly at speeds of up to Mach 20, which he demonstrates freely, leaving any attempt to subdue him in his extraterrestrial dust. Furthermore, the misfits of 3-E soon find that the strange, tentacled beast is more than just indomitable—he is the best teacher they have ever had!
Death Parade
Stream on Animation Digital Network
After death, there is no heaven or hell, only a bar that stands between reincarnation and oblivion. There the attendant will, one after another, challenge pairs of the recently deceased to a random game in which their fate of either ascending into reincarnation or falling into the void will be wagered. Whether it’s bowling, darts, air hockey, or anything in between, each person’s true nature will be revealed in a ghastly parade of death and memories, dancing to the whims of the bar’s master. Welcome to Quindecim, where Decim, an arbiter of the afterlife, awaits!
Death Note
Stream on Crunchyroll, Netflix
High school student and prodigy Light Yagami stumbles upon the Death Note and—since he deplores the state of the world—tests the deadly notebook by writing a criminal’s name in it. When the criminal dies immediately following his experiment with the Death Note, Light is greatly surprised and quickly recognizes how devastating the power that has fallen into his hands could be.
Class President is a Maid!
Stream on HIDIVE, iQIYI, Animation Digital Network
Being the first female student council president isn’t easy, especially when your school just transitioned from an all-boys high school to a co-ed one. Aptly nicknamed “Demon President” by the boys for her strict disciplinary style, Misaki Ayuzawa is not afraid to use her mastery of Aikido techniques to cast judgment onto the hordes of misbehaving boys and defend the girls at Seika High School. Yet even the perfect Ayuzawa has an embarrassing secret—she works part-time as a maid at a maid café to help her struggling family pay the bills. She has managed to keep her job hidden from her fellow students and maintained her flawless image as a stellar student until one day, Takumi Usui, the most popular boy in school, walks into the maid café.
Akame ga Kill!
Stream on Netflix, HIDIVE, BiliBili
Tatsumi, is a fighter from a small village travels to the capital with hopes of making money with his two friends to send back to their struggling village. Once at the capital Tatsumi is quickly swindled out of all his money. After a quick succession of tragic events, Tatsumi finds himself drawn into a group of assassins. He can either join them or die.
Ancient Magus’ Bride
Stream on bilibili, Crunchyroll, iQIYI
Despite having the ability to see otherworldly creatures, Chise Hatori has never considered herself lucky. Ever since her parents abandoned her at a young age, it has been the centre of her hardship, driving her to the point of selling herself to the slave market, just to secure a place she can call home.
Presented to the bidders as a rare ”Sleigh Beggy”—beings who have an unusually high affinity to magical energies—Chise’s last remaining hope appears in the form of Elias Ainsworth, a mysterious magus more beast than man. Rather than keep her as a slave, he has decided to make her his apprentice, as well as his bride.
Your Lie In April
Stream on bilibili, Crunchyroll, iQIYI, Netflix
Music accompanies the path of the human metronome, the prodigious pianist Kousei Arima. But after the passing of his mother, Saki Arima, Kousei falls into a downward spiral, rendering him unable to hear the sound of his own piano.
Two years later, Kousei still avoids the piano, leaving behind his admirers and rivals, and lives a colourless life alongside his friends Tsubaki Sawabe and Ryouta Watari. However, everything changes when he meets a beautiful violinist, Kaori Miyazono, who stirs up his world and sets him on a journey to face music again.
Attack on Titan
Stream on BiliBili, Crunchyroll, Disney+,Netflix
Centuries ago, mankind was slaughtered to near extinction by monstrous humanoid creatures called titans, forcing humans to hide in fear behind enormous concentric walls. What makes these giants truly terrifying is that their taste for human flesh is not born out of hunger but what appears to be out of pleasure. To ensure their survival, the remnants of humanity began living within defensive barriers, resulting in one hundred years without a single titan encounter. However, that fragile calm is soon shattered when a colossal titan manages to breach the supposedly impregnable outer wall, reigniting the fight for survival against the man-eating abominations.
With all that said…
Introducing someone to anime can be tricky, you want something that captures the heart, creativity, and emotional depth that makes the medium so special, without overwhelming them with fanservice, endless episodes, or confusing tropes.
Whether your friend connects more with the emotional pull of Your Lie in April, the psychological intrigue of Death Note, or the philosophical weight of Psycho-Pass, each of these series offers a different entry point into the world of anime.
Start with one that best fits their personality or interests, and let the stories do the convincing. Before long, you might find them browsing for their next watch, and that’s when you’ll know you’ve successfully converted another anime fan.
What anime do you tend to recommend to people just starting their anime journey?
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