If you're anything like me, it took a solid few years to finally get into anime. Part of that was that I just couldn't really be enveloped in something so completely that it motivated me to actually get into the whole genre of anime. However, once I found that one anime that really pulled the trigger so to speak, I was hooked and I have been fully immersed for a few years now. If you or a friend are trying to get into anime but don't know where to start, this list will get you started in the right direction! If anime proves to be a thing you can get into, all of these are series that you should watch at some point.

1. Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin

My best friend tried for our entire high school career to get me into anime, but even when they managed to find something I enjoyed, nothing got its hooks in deep enough that it motivated me to watch anything on my own, away from my best friend's company. However, after we graduated in the summer of 2013, a particular new anime was aired that took many fans by storm, including me. Attack on Titan was the anime that finally flipped the switch that got me to explore anime and gave me the motivation to watch on my own, at my own pace. Attack on Titan has become very popular, and for good reason. With an intriguing, politically and mystery oriented plot and plenty of action, drama, and copious amounts of gore, it has plenty of things that would attract viewers in hoards. Several hundred years ago, humans were nearly exterminated by the Titans. Titans are enormous beings who seem to have no intelligence and devour human beings seemingly for pleasure rather than as a food source. A small percentage of humanity survived by walling themselves into a city protected by extremely high walls, even taller than the largest known Titans. Return to the current timeline, and the city has not seen a Titan in over 100 years. A young boy named Eren, his foster sister Mikasa, and their friend Armin witness something horrific as the city walls are destroyed by an unfathomably huge Titan that seems to appear out of thin air. As smaller Titans flood the city, the kids watch in horror at the hellacious landscape that unfolds before them. Eren vows that he will murder every single giant and take revenge for all of mankind. If you like this series, there is a second season in the works (though who knows when it will ever actually air *ahem*...), as well as several spin-offs based on various parts of the original series. I would recommend this as a good anime to help get used to subtitle reading. The English dub sounds awkward compared to the English sub, so if you can, subtitles are the way to go on this one!

2. Ouran High School Host Club

Ouran High School Host Club is generally agreed upon in the anime community as a must see and is very well liked. In fact, a lot of people say that if you say you don't like Ouran, then you've either never seen it or you're lying! For those looking for a fairly light-hearted and highly comical introduction to anime, this would be a solid bet. Fujioka Haruhi begins school on a scholarship at a fancy, rich-kid academy called Ouran Academy. One day while trying to find a quiet place to study, Haruhi breaks an antique vase worth millions of yen. As a student only able to attend the school on scholarship in the first place, Haruhi takes this as a death sentence, but they make a deal that Haruhi can work off the debt via participation in the school's Host Club. So, Haruhi goes to join this Host Club and become a male host. Here, Haruhi and the audience encounter a HOST (pun intended) of interesting characters who take the viewer as well as Haruhi on a wild, fun-filled ride. One interesting thing about this anime is that while it may seem very funny and light on the surface, it actually takes advantage of this to show a progressive view on multiple social issues. One of these is that while Haruhi is female and pretends to be a male host, it is canon that Haruhi is not necessarily female-gendered. This among several other things makes Ouran not only enjoyable, but also likeable and appealing to a very wide variety of audience types. In addition to this, I'm usually quite critical of English dubbed anime and I personally find their quality to be generally inferior to the English subbed versions, but this is one notable exception where the dubbed version is just as hilarious as the subbed version. So, if you're not sure about being able to keep up with the speed of subtitles or getting used to hearing a different language than you're reading or whatever else, you can feel assured that the dub is as much of a worthwhile venture as the sub. Unfortunately, there was never another season made, but the fandom has yet to give up hope of there ever being a continuation. Even if they don't continue the original, hopefully they'll just do a remake at some point and then continue the remake. That is what we are hoping for at this point!

3. Death Note

Death Note is another mainstream classic that if you haven't heard of it, you probably haven't been in the anime scene more than a few minutes. Originally aired in 2006, this 2000's mainstream classic is still tremendously popular today as one of the "Starter Pack" for people who are interested in anime or for people who are new to the genre and are just beginning to expand their pallet. Yagami Light is an extremely intelligent and bored teenage boy. That is, until he finds the Death Note lying around outside his school and decides to try his hand at the most intense and high stakes game since Battle Royale. The twists and turns in this series make for an exciting ride that will keep you guessing and anxious until the very end. If you can, this would also be a good one to stick to the subbed version.

4. Blue Exorcist/Ao no Exorcist

Another highly accessible selection, Blue Exorcist is another series that comes in the 2000-2010's Anime Starter Pack. The literal son of Satan, Okumura Rin, and his twin brother Yukio become exorcists in order to avenge who they consider to be their true father and to fight demons, all while trying to keep Rin's powers in check and make sure that those scheming in the Underworld do not find him in their clutches. Intense action, dazzling fight scenes, and plenty of humor can be found in this popular and worth watching series. The dub is passable, but the character's voices match up with their personalities much better in the sub. In the event that you like this series, there are also some OVAs and a movie that you can indulge in. However, this one was also given the short end of the stick when it came to number of seasons. Will there be more? The world may never know!

5. Black Butler/Kuroshitsuji

Black Butler is infamous in both good and not so good ways. While it is an anime that most people who are new to anime will watch and probably enjoy, particularly female viewers, it tends to be associated with and more popular among people who are part of a younger demographic. So, if you're looking for something more mature, this will likely not float your goat. But, give it a try if you want and see what happens. Be warned, most of the fandom does not acknowledge the second season (entitled Black Butler II) due to its highly non-canon plot and the introduction of characters who tend to grate most viewers in exactly the wrong way, regardless of the fact that they are rather brilliant foils to the main characters of the first season. If you watch Black Butler, you may want to skip Black Butler II and jump straight over to the Book of Circus and Book of Murder continuations, which are much more pleasing to even casual fans of the series. Again, the subbed version will be much more aurally pleasing than the dub. Ciel Phantomhive, the young Earl and heir to the Phantomhive business and fortune encounters tragedy in his early life that leads him to make a deal for revenge with a demon who becomes his butler, Sebastian. They have a contract that requires Sebastian to help him achieve his goal and while they're at it, he is to be his butler and essentially take care of him while they solve mysteries in Victorian Era London. What could possibly go wrong with a 10 year old Earl accompanied by a demonic butler and their ragtag group of specially skilled servants solving mysteries in the seedy London Underground?

6. Sword Art Online

If you ever thought living in a video game would be a dream come true, Sword Art Online will probably change your mind. After purchasing a wildly popular new game and "console" that allows you to enter the world of virtual reality to play the new video game Sword Art Online, Kirigaya Kazuto, better known as Kirito, becomes one of thousands of people trapped in this state of virtual reality. Now that might not be too bad for some if it weren't for this condition: if you lose all your Health and die in the game, you also die in real life! There is no way to escape the game except to beat it, but who is not only willing enough to risk it, but skilled enough to accomplish such a feat? As players begin to turn on each other and mysteries start to crop up, what will become of those who manage to survive their virtual armageddon? Sword Art Online is another one that has become hugely popular over the last few years. Again, this series is also one where the sequel/s is a subject of debate among fans and people who watched the series in an attempt to figure out the hype. Now, while this is a good Starter Pack series, many will argue that after the first 12 episodes or so, it loses interest and impact. While I would agree that it does lose a good deal of its original impact, it is still interesting enough and worth watching at least to the end of the first 24 episode run. What makes it a good starter is that the concept and initial plot are interesting, the stakes are high and exciting, the fight scenes are grandiose, the characters are fairly likable and the animation is beautiful and dramatic. That being said though, there are quite a few ways that this anime falters, but they may not be apparent to someone who is still new to anime and watching with stars in their eyes, so it will most likely prove enjoyable overall. The plot deviates to something that is arguably less interesting and absolutely less high stakes than the first 12 episodes of the original 24, and the characters seem to lack in depth development overall by the time 24 episodes have gone by. One thing that bothered me in particular was that throughout the first 12 episodes, there were several extremely long time skips that they easily could have expanded upon to fix some of those previously mentioned problems, but did not. Oh well, you can't have everything. Well, maybe you can, since this show not only got a second 24 episode season entitled Sword Art Online II, but rumor has it that there could be yet another season for a show that was pretty satisfactorily done after 24 episodes, for some after just the first 12.

7. Kill la Kill

Newer on the scene than most others on this list, Kill la Kill made its debut in late 2013 and early 2014 and made huge waves as it did so, even influencing an entire slew of fan and industry panels, musical and voice acting guests and events, and of course an ungodly amount of cosplayers at Anime Expo that year. Equally balanced between ridiculous humor and issues that just barely take themselves seriously and energetic and suspenseful fight sequences, Kill la Kill makes for an overall enjoyable experience and its accessibility to viewers of all kinds also lends a hand to this. However, due to the suggestive and frequently revealing nature of the show, viewer discretion is advised, especially for someone who may be in the younger crowd. Matoi Ryuuko is looking to get revenge on the person who killed her father, the owner of the other half of a giant scissor blade. In the process, Ryuuko meets Senketsu, a talking sailor style school uniform that also doubles as a weapon. In the process of all this, Ryuuko stumbles onto a much larger, intertwined plot, that seems to pull at the very threads of existence! Let's hope they unravel the mysteries before their weapons do!

8. The Devil is a Part-Timer!/Hataraku no Maou-sama!

The Devil is a Part-Timer! is also relatively new, but is short, hilarious, and easy to digest. If you have ever wondered what would happen if famous, powerful dark demons and warlocks and such became trapped on Earth, this is the answer, and it will probably make you cry from laughter at least once. Although the ending is a little open, due to its relatively recent release, there is still hope for a second season even though there is yet to be any official word on whether it will happen or not. That aside, this anime is great for passing the time while laughing and not needing to think about much of anything really. Unless of course you're usually preoccupied with thoughts about why Lucifer can't shake his addiction to internet shopping or why Satan is serving burgers to humans at the anime equivalent of McDonald's. But if those are questions you have that need answering, instead of thinking, just go watch this show!

9. Soul Eater

Though it's a good starter anime, Soul Eater is a little bit on the long side, so I would say don't watch this one very first, but put it towards the top of your pile. Clocking in at 51 episodes, it could be hard for someone who is brand new to anime to take on a series that is more than 24-26 episodes, since anime burnout can happen. But, if you're up for that, go for it. Soul Eater revolves around 3 groups of students, Maka & Soul Evans, Black Star & Tsubaki, and Death the Kid with Patty and Liz Thompson, who are working to become proficient weapon meister and human weapon pairs. Attempting to make the latter a "Death Scythe", which is the highest title for a weapon and thus fit for use by the Shinigami, they must collect the souls of 99 evil humans and 1 witch. Besides taking the time to gather souls, these students also defend Death City from some of the most powerful creatures while still attending school and improving their skills.

10. Tokyo Ghoul

Tokyo Ghoul, another new popularity magnet among anime and manga, aired the first season in the summer of 2014 to an already massively growing audience due to the reputation gained from the manga. While the manga is better overall, for someone who is not familiar with the manga, this anime adaptation is still a solid watch and will hook its viewers into the series, without drowning them in too much content too quickly. Kaneki Ken is just an ordinary university student who enjoys reading, hanging out at coffee shops with his best friend Hide, and getting up the courage to ask out a pretty girl who conveniently likes his favorite author on a date when he sees her at the coffee shop he and his best friend frequent. Unfortunately, Kaneki is probably at the top of list of not only unlucky, but also tragic protagonists in anime and manga and everything is about to go downhill and fast. As it turns out, the girl he has a crush on and asks on a date is a literal man-eater! That is, she's a ghoul- a human looking creature who looks and mostly acts human, except for one thing. She survives by eating human flesh and Kaneki seems to be just what the doctor ordered. Through a series of most unfortunate events, Kaneki finds himself not only deeply entwined in this world and the mess that is human-ghoul relations, but finds himself torn and straddling the border between the two. This series constantly pulls you in deeper and deeper and before you know it, you will be deeply attached to the characters and unable to extricate yourself from them. Be warned that the second season of this show does not follow the canon manga plot line, but rather offers an "alternate timeline" for how things could have been. I would recommend if you like the anime, that you check out the manga as well. This way, you can see what the second season offers an "alternate timeline" to.

11. One Punch Man

Quickly picking up steam and popularity despite its newness to the anime community is comedy and super hero parody One Punch Man. Saitama is a hero for fun, but laments his strength at times because all of his enemies are defeated in, well, one punch. A series that definitely doesn't take itself seriously, but still balances the humor and parody elements with plot and character progression as well as plenty of action and absurd power displays that fascinate the audience, it is definitely worth the watch when you need a laugh and some adrenaline. Based on its popularity, a second season seems likely. So, when you feel like there should be more at the end of the first season, don't fret! Given how popular this series is right now, a second season extremely likely. The question only remains, as always, when.

Ready for something with more substance? Try these!

Next Step 1. Fullmetal Alchemist

Fullmetal Alchemist is a little on the long side, so again, be careful with watching this first. However, the plot, characters, animation, and music are all fantastic. Especially when considering the remake, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. The main debate with this series is whether you should or should not watch the original 2003 version in addition to the remake. I would suggest you watch both at some point in time so that you could see how they are different and decide which one you prefer. Though I will warn you, I have never met anyone who didn't prefer Brotherhood over the original 2003 version. But, to each their own! This anime follows the Elric brothers, Edward and Alphonse, on their journey to become State Alchemists and to find that which they lost to tragedy several years prior.

Next Step 2. Fairy Tail

Fairy Tail is beginner friendly, but also exceedingly long. And not only is it getting close to being 300+ episodes, it's still going! So beware this one sitting at the top of your pile unless you are really motivated to watch several hundred episodes of the same series early on in your anime exploration. In the event that you are, this is one of the more easily digestible series that are quite lengthy. The arcs are mostly fairly short compared to other lengthy series making it easy to concentrate and remember the objective at hand and while still interesting, most things are generally pretty straightforward. Lucy Heartfilia has always wanted to be a Fairy Tail mage, and on her way to try and find the guild to become one of them, she runs into one of their rather destructive members, Natsu, who helps her find her way in the new guild as they make friends and embark on quests together to make a living.

Happy anime watching!