Anime is quite underrated in the United States. When we were young, we'd often watch series like "Dragon Ball Z," "Sailor Moon," or "Yu-Yu Hakusho" and assume that they originated from the U.S. and that they were cartoons, but there are vast differences! For anyone who is interested in getting to know the anime culture and watch great series, here is a list to reference!
1. "Boku No Hero Academia"
GiphyThis series is fairly new but it is a great addition to shounen anime! It takes all the tropes that fellow series do and actually implements them correctly! The concept of a series based on superheroes in training is interesting, but the main attraction lies in the well-developed world and characters (including side-characters) that everyone takes a liking to. You can't help but root for everyone in the various situations they end up in.
2. "KonoSuba"
Natsume Akatsuki
This is a comedy series where its simplicity helps any new anime-goer get into the genre. It's funny, sweet, and appeals to the finer aspects of human interactions.
3. "Your Lie In April"
GiphyThis series is about a prodigy pianist who has not played due to childhood trauma and eventually meets a girl who teaches him to love playing music once again. This episodic series appeals to emotion with its heartfelt scenes and beautiful animation.
4. "Shokugeki No Soma (Food Wars)"
GiphyIf you enjoy food, then get ready for an anime that goes in-depth with the array of senses one feels when tasting good food! Some of the characters can be overly dramatic in their reactions to tasting fine cuisine, but overall, the anime is comedic, well-drawn, and has a pretty decent soundtrack.
5. "Danganronpa"
GiphyIf you like mystery or detective games mixed with comedy and nonsensical whims, this anime might just be for you. It's a little more on the violent side considering it's whole premise is about a group of kids trapped in a school with a diabolical teddy-bear that seems to want them to play a killing game. Essentially, last one to survive wins, but each week, a new person dies by the hands of one of the students and the rest must have a jury to figure out who did it. If they guess right, they move on to the following week...but if they guess wrong... they all die. Yikes.
6. "Daily Lives of High School Boys (Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou)"
Square Enix
This anime is ripe with creativeness as the main trio go about their ordinary and daily lives with a hint of imagination. While they may seem to be doing next to nothing to a regular bystander, in their minds they are exploring all kinds of situations in their bizarre fantasies. This slice of life anime is nice to watch casually and just enjoy the aspects of regular life.
7. "Free! - Iwatobi Swim Club"
GiphyIn recent years, sports anime has really begun to kick off, but one that is still soaring through with its popularity is "Free!" This anime is quite simple, it's about a swim club and their activities mixed with fascinating characters and real-life situations. Another good watch for anyone leaning more to sports or shirtless men.
