My First Anime

As an anime enthusiast, there’s something undeniably magical about reminiscing over the very first anime that captured our hearts and plunged us headfirst into the captivating world of Japanese animation. I have been asking questions on my social media platforms and decided to carry those over here on the blog.

In 2016, I wrote a post about my first anime, but now, almost a decade later, I’m excited to revisit those moments and share a bit more about each ‘first’ anime milestone in my journey as an avid anime fan. As I go through mine, I would love to know more about yours too.

My First Anime That I Did Not Know Was Anime:

The very first anime I ever watched was probably one of the ones played on TV when I was in primary school. To show my age, this was the early 2000s, so I was around 7 years old when this started, and it carried on until I was about 11 years old. Every Monday through to Friday at 4:30 p.m., I found myself excitedly sitting in front of the big box TV with my fellow aftercare goers, waiting for the cartoons to start. We did not even know the word ‘anime.’ As a group (there were probably around 16 of us), we would quiet down and be absorbed in what was airing. The episodes would shape the games and discussions of the next day. It was of vital importance to us. Then, once the 5 p.m. showing was almost done, I knew my father would be arriving to pick me up and take me home. This would upset me; it meant I would miss the end of the episode, the conclusion, the cliffhanger. Yet no matter how many times I begged, my dad would not wait for the episode to end. Now, as an adult who has re-watched these, I know I probably only ever missed the last minute or two of actual content – but that is still a lot. I may still be upset over that.

As for which anime was my first, it was probably either Yu-Gi-Oh, Pokemon, Dragon Ball, or maybe even Hamtaro. I can’t remember which one I watched first, as it would all depend on which aired first, and that was too long ago to recall.

The First Anime That I Watched Knowing It Was an Anime:

The very first anime I watched and followed, knowing it was an anime, was none other than BLEACH. It started at 5 p.m. on Fridays on ANIMAX, and I knew that when the episode finished, I would have to leave the house immediately, otherwise, I would be late for work. That was when I was a budding anime otaku at 16 years old. I can remember how quickly I became addicted to BLEACH and my annoyance at the fact that ANIMAX never showed past the bridge scene where Ichigo was about to fight Byakuya in order to rescue Rukia, episode 41. I followed this uninterrupted for 41 weeks for it to end at such a critical moment. I have not forgiven ANIMAX for this. I still bear a grudge; I did not even know about manga at this point. The fact I didn’t get to watch further. I look at it as both a blessing and a curse. If they had shown me more, I might not have made some of the friends I did, nor might not have taken the anime journey I have. It was only through a friend years later that I finally got to watch the rest of BLEACH.

I am so glad that BLEACH was my first anime since, thanks to it I have made decent and lifelong friends (shout out to Connie and GemGem!). It somehow worked out that BLEACH was the perfect conversation starter and icebreaker that led to further conversation. It was also the one that opened my eyes to the wonder that is anime. To this day, it still has some of my favourite intros and endings, the best theme song, and some of my ultimate favourite characters. BLEACH will forever hold a special place in my heart.

Otherwise, one of my first ever anime episodes was either Eureka 7, Angelic Layer, or Pheonix. I am leaning towards Angelic Layer, the beach episode.

The Anime That I Watched for My First Subbed Anime:

BLEACH also happens to be the very first anime that I watched in Japanese with English subtitles. There was a big adjustment period where I had to figure out the reading and watching aspects while realising that even though I was a fast reader, I had to be faster. It did come with the added benefit of not needing to watch it with a lot of sound. I needed it to be ‘just loud enough’ because I would watch it till the early hours of the morning, and it meant I was not disturbing my parents. Which meant I could sneakily watch and not get in trouble because of school in the morning. This then started me on a wonderful journey of watching anime that did not have English dubs.

The First Anime I Watched That Was Pirated

Shock and horror, the answer is once again, BLEACH. However, it shared space on the disc with another, Black Butler. I was so upset that BLEACH had not continued on ANIMAX. I adore my friend who went above and beyond and got me BLEACH; you will always be my favourite just for this (and maybe solving the puzzles for me in Dragon Age and maybe the electricity thing recently – okay it’s being an amazing friend overall).

Of course, this was not right, but in a country where anime was near impossible to get legally, we made our own plans. Which then led to anime exchanges and trusting near strangers with your external. This path is what led to the start of All About Anime and Manga. That desire for connection and interaction with fellows in a country that is more often than not forgotten on a global scale, especially with territories streaming rights. To this day, we struggle and are often excluded, but it is getting better and our voices are being heard.

My First Streaming Site(s) I Used to Watch Anime

When I finally got my hands on accessible and consumable internet I did what any anime fan would – I looked online for my fix. Yes, there was YouTube, but I dismissed that because it was rough and it sucked. Then I stumbled upon a site that remains dear to my heart, but I no longer use it because along the way I discovered – oops that site was and still is illegal. Plus, with their watermark, I can not freely post on my socials and here on the blog. If you look far enough back, I am sure you can still spot an image or two with their watermark. Of course, I am referring to Kiss. I am not going to link or say the full name, because those in the know, know and I do not want to promote illegal sites.

Especially since there are now affordable streaming services like Crunchyroll and Netflix. Yes, I know the history of Crunchyroll also waves the pirate flag, but they have since gone legitimate. Cruchyroll also happens to be the first legal anime streaming site that I used – once they were already legal. I was late to the game, okay. I was already in my 20’s at this point. 

My first anime movie will have to wait, as that is another post and planned anime talk Tuesday question.  Share your thoughts, stories, and experiences in the comments section below. Let’s celebrate our shared love for anime and the diverse paths that brought us to this vibrant community. Together, we’ll continue to explore the boundless world of anime and make new memories that will undoubtedly last a lifetime.