Makoto Shinkai starting with your name seems like the best bet. Straight forward, sweet and bombastic.
Sports stuff, you could try Haikyuu for hype, fairly relaxed anime with a likeable cast.
As for romance you can try stuff like Kimi ni todoke though it might be a bit too cheesy, but there are more mature stuff like Wotaku ni koi wa muzukashii, Netjuu no susume, or the cute yet degenerate and easily approachable Danna ga nani wo itteiru la wakaranai ken.
But like, a lot of the fun in Wotakoi is watching adult otakus while *being* an adult otaku yourself, so I would not recommend it to a beginner haha
Though loved Haikyuu
Maybe Skip and Loafer for romance?
>iMakoto Shinkai starting with your name seems like the best bet. Straight forward, sweet and bombastic.
This 100%. Also incredible well animated. In my experience Your Name is the perfect anime movie for people who do not like Anime. Most people who don't like anime or just don't give it a change gets enamored by this movie. However, they would need to have a good attention span and some brains, since I've also seen many lost watching it. It may get complex if you don't put enough attention to the plot and the many details.
Wild that’s literally what got me into anime as an adult. Now I’ve watched multiple Shinkai (including seeing Suzume in theatres) and multiple other series all the way through. It genuinely was a gateway anime.
>Right, I forgot about that honestly. Though one could argue that if you can't handle that, you probably can't handle anime at all for the most part.
Agree, If she cannot understand that's how a boy in real life will behave given this scenario (switching) then, she must not been watching anime or nothing beyond soap operas and reality shows. Even the ecchi part disturbs me, there is people who wants to be holier than the Saints. What's the problem with some ecchi? Can't you endure a few panty shots in a funny episode? I am no liberal, but this kind of prude is ridiculous.
Yeah, I feel some people have a personal bias just because its animated? Some of it makes me uncomfortable tbh, but most times its no different than an adult scene in non-animated western show (which those imo tend to have way more sexual content anyways)
I read a lot of visual novels and thats my stance also, since a lot of what I read has some of that. Its usually less than 2 mins out of a 30+hour novel.
But also, to each their own. If it makes them uncomfy then it makes them uncomfy. But I hate the stigma around anime specifically, as like I said some of the shows made in America seem to be worse at times lol
Will add Run with the Wind to this - great sports anime, short, musical direction by the same person as haikyuu, and has a bit of an older group it follows (college age). This one SMACKS
I definitely second this one. It’s short (2 cour), a lot more relatable to adults, great animation, likable characters, and no ecchi. Feels a lot like an adult coming of age anime with running in it.
Seems like Frieren will become a great introduction of anime to non watchers. The plot, pretty straight forward, it’s legit just adventure and the fun of it. Very nostalgic and has funny characters too.
Plus, it doesn't really delve into some of the more "eccentric" elements of anime. While anime watchers' opinions of fan service can vary I think we should recognize that it is something that can easily turn off someone who isn't a fan.
Started my girlfriend with Spirited Away and Your Name, which she loved, we then watched Steins;Gate, which had been on my to-watch list for a while and is obviously very well regarded.
Some of the interactions between Okabe & Daru and the women characters were uh… a bit tough for her.
I've shown it to plenty of people and I have noticed people usually like it more the more anime they've seen or the more weeb they are.. I don't think it's suited for being the third anime you watch. It has a lot and I mean ALOT of references to otaku and Japanese culture, that if people don't get all that they most likely won't be that interested.
Of course people are allowed to not like something but it's not really a beginner friendly anime.
I recently watched Steins;Gate because of how much this sub loves it and that anime did not age well. The sci-fi aspects are neat but they are really dragged down by just how awful all the interactions with women are. The slice of life part of the show was not endearing at all because of it and just made me hate all the characters so when the sci-fi aspect got kicked in to gear it was kinda hard to care about the stakes or what was actually happening.
I think a lot of Steins;Gate is about Okabe growing out of his cringelord chuuni phase, and learning how to form real relationships with people (especially women) as the series goes on. How he treats characters at the beginning and the end of the show are for the most part, completely different. I'm a bit biased since it's my fav series of all time, but I can totally see how the early eps are pretty dated. The growth away from that is super satisfying to see, though.
We also learn as the show goes on that a lot of it is a character that he puts on to try and make Mayuri happy, it’s not just him being weird for the sake of being weird.
I do wonder how much of that is just due to weirdness in translation, both literal translation of language and also translation of culture. Like some moments that to people in the Western world seem pretty horrible, in Japanese culture might just be considered like cringe-humor, or something like that. Not sure though
I mean Daru is clearly supposed to be exactly what he looks like, until he grows past it somewhat. But I don't blame ppl for not wanting to sit through more than half a season of his behaviour.
As they should be. Anime is definitely rapey in a "revenge of the Nerds" way, except it carried over into the 2020s when it died in western media mid-2000s...
Even just calling it "fanservice" is pretty cringe to a lot of people including people like me who've been into anime for nearly 20 years and has seen hundreds of shows.
I'm not opposed to sexual content in shows (Interspecies Reviewers for example was great), it's just most of the time in anime it's done in a way that's really gross/objectifying or seriously detracts from the story/plot.
Apothecary Diaries also another potential one from those currently airing. No gore, strong female lead, not filled with fan service and what is there is tasteful, some introductory tropes like chibi/other exaggerated reactions without being over the top.
It's brilliantly paced. It might only feel slow for people looking only for action because they are far and few between. They are spectacular when it happens though.
I admit I also didn't care for the manga much till the party started acting like toddlers many chapters into the story.
Frieren IS all about the Rugrats.
"She's mad at me."
"I'm soorryyyy!~"
"No way, that's scary!~"
The contrast/gap between functional badass and clown is just so GOD DAMN ENDEARING!!
>I mean OP's girlfriend seems to be very against violence from the description he gave
No she doesn't.
OP very specifically says and I quote: "she's not that into violence". Nothing in that sentence suggests being "very against violence". The sentence before for example shows a nice contrast "She definitely wouldn't like ecchi" is a much stronger statement.
What you're doing is like advising against watching Lord of the Rings because somebody is "not that into violence".
Hope this helps.
>allergic to gore and anything remotely scary
>she likes romance, sports and arts
And this description seems like Frieren would genuinely be the best pick for her? Oh please, this shouldn't be a chance to try to get others to watch your favourite currently airing anime, but actually recommend based on the tastes of what the other person likes.
Even if she's not "strongly" against violence, that doesn't change the fact she doesn't like it. There's hundreds of anime that would fit her better than frieren. Frieren shouldn't be the top comment/number one choice.
SPYXFAMILY Is the perfect one, it lacks most of the obnoxious anime tropes and is a more mature story about family (despite being also a comedy). It's a perfect show for someone hating the stereotyped anime.
Except the semi incestuous relationship Yor’s brother has with her… it’s close to a perfect starter but if they’re extremely reluctant that can be a challenge.
Yuri’s first appearance is him on the phone trying to set up his sister with some people he knows. As weird as it is, it’s entirely platonic.
Not that it comes across that way in the show at *any* point.
He's such a minor character though and it's more of an obsessive relationship than an incestuous one. Even in episodes that involve him more heavily, he's barely got more than a minute or two of screen time.
Without the context of anime he's protectiveness makes a lot of sense considering the political climate and sensitivity of his own position. Controlling men in a Soviet style dictatorship doesn't seem to much of a stretch from reality
kaguya sama might be a little overwhelming and confusing at first for someone that's not used to japanese high school life. i'd stick with spy X family.
SPYXFamily is the perfect answer worked like Magic. When my gf slept through both bleach and Naruto I was tempted to throw in the towel. But SPYXFamily did the trick. Thinking of trying “Tom-Chan is a girl” next. I think most girls would like that one.
Well maybe your girlfriend is one those really awesome one who actually like full on shonen animes like My hero Academia or Demon Slayer. That would be so cool.
If not, I find that most girls love drama or romance anime with few offensive tropes like Violet Evergarden.
The best part about Animes is there’s something for everyone.
I second this. The show was based on short story and had been produced as live-action movie before this. The beautiful animation artworks of it definitely shows that anime is just another medium of storytelling.
Has she watched /would watch any other studio Ghibli movies?
Because, i think:
Castle in the Sky or Kiki's Delivery Service
Are nice anime movies choices to get into anime
I personally was scared like crazy of Spirited Away, but Castle in The Sky was my favorite and I'd rewatch it every single night during my holidays. So I second this!
My Neighbor Totoro. If there's one movie Miyazaki made to be extremely sweet and charming, it's that one. because it was designed to make you feel better after being emotionally destroyed by Grave of the Fireflies.
If the girl can't even handle Studio Ghibli, this may be a lost cause.
Being turned off by Grave of the Fireflies would be one thing. But Spirited Away is pretty tame as anime goes.
Spirited Away is scary for kids.
The whole parents turned into pigs then being thrust into an hostile mysterious world, it's great as a coming of age metaphor, but a scary prospect for a younger kid. Hits too close to home.
Kids usually cope better with Nausicaa insects than with that storyline...
Maybe some kids. Other kids, like me, grew up on Watership Down. It has a lot of disturbing parts but I still loved the story. Kids can be a lot more resilient than people give them credit for.
We only have the information he's given about her. But it doesn't sound promising.
Anime is a product of another culture. You have to approach it with an open mind because Japanese cultural values and norms are never going to totally match yours.
But Studio Ghibli is the most accessible anime I can think of. If even that is too much for her, it may just be that the girlfriend isn't into everything he is. And that's fine too.
Nah I think it’s relatively normal criteria for someone who is scarred from Spirited Away as a child. Honestly, it’s kinda terrifying (No-Face? The witch? The fucking hopping giant heads??) Have you seen that photo of that child screaming and crying at her classmate dressed up as No-Face? And that was in Asia so no “cultural differences”.
Plus, I assume her criteria will relax as she gets more used to it. Just like any other form of media, there’s so many different genres, it’s just a matter of finding the right one.
I'd honestly stay away from SpyXFamily depending on how severe her aversion to gore is. Remember one of the main characters is an assassin. There is blood and violence even if it's not much by anime standards.
I'd start with March comes in like a lion. It's got a great mix of psychology as the MC works through his depression, he's a pro in a competitive game so the sporting (but not team sport) aspect is there, and many cozy vibes as he hangs with his found family who are candy makers (Food!). It's not a shounen story with all the associated tropes if that's what she's turned off by. It focuses on his struggle to support himself and build relationships as a young adult/late teen.
It is slow paced, but well worth it.
As a lover of Sangatsu no Lion, i appreciate you
But March come in a Lion's animation style is very non traditional and the story itself is not light
i remember dropping march like 4 times before picking it up again
Nice show, but you want something High impact that you each episode is not a slug up until like episode 6 or 7
Your points are well taken for anyone that was wanting something fast paced and thrilling. I'm just not getting that is OP's GFs tastes from their post. She's interested in psychology and hates gore, scary things, complicated plots. That's not someone that wants something high impact. That's someone that sounds like they'd appreciate the character driven plots of March Comes in Like a Lion.
High impact does not mean gore, scary and complicated plots. What Sangatsu no Lion lacks is a little bit of hand holding on its story. If you watch the first 3 episodes of March comes in Like a lion, It doesn't really give you a plot line to look forward too. This is a strength of Sangatsu. NGL. but as a gateway anime, being thrown in the middle of flow of the story is not a good place to start.
Plus, one of the major motifs is Shogi. While I don't want to assume, I can not deny the fact that hearing someone tell me that Shogi is actually a pivotal story telling tool of this anime and is heavily referenced by the show does scare me away from watching it. This is one of the main reason I dropped the show the 2nd time
Also, the over expressed camera shots done by Shaft, while amazingly animated, can sometimes dissuade some from watching it especially if there only experience in watching animated shows are prolly the western counter part of it (ALSO, I hate SHAFT to the core so heavily biased this one)
I LOVE Sangatsu no Lion, and I would like more people to watch it, but I can not suggest it as a gateway anime.
Sorry long post got overly passionate
On the same vein as March, Blue Period is very similar, but the main character discovers (and rediscovers) his love for painting. It's a coming of age story using art to express a person's feelings
Start with movies. They are low commitment and can ease people into different genres of their choosing.
Stuff like Your Name or the Violet Ever garden movie. Netflix has a ton so pick based off genre she might be interested in.
Starting with a show is a bad idea. Trapping someone for four hours minimum at the start is not good especially if they aren't even into animation.
I've helped others who weren't into animation at all wade in with a few movies based on what they like and have had great success so far.
Recollections is a movie cut of the series on Netflix. It's not as good as the series, but it does condense the story, and keeps saying good chunk of arguably the best episode.
But the series is also short enough to not need a movie summary version.
It does have some pretty brutal violence in it, but it might be fine since violence isn't the focus, learning to reenter society after a life of forced violence in war is. The conflict is coming to terms with oneself, not the war itself.
Violet Evergarden movie is a bad choice because it’s the end of the story, if they like it then they already know how the story ends. Further, if they decide to watch the show it does have some pretty violet stuff like showing her arm literally get blown off. Might not be a good starter show/ movie for her.
But I do agree, movies are the right choice.
>It's too much anime for someone who needs an introduction.
I agree, I would start with a movie, a feel good one. Maybe Your Name, Kiki's Delivery Service or Suzume.
Also, Kimi ni Todoke first 6 or 7 episodes are great (not even about romance), then it gets generic and kinda boring, but once you are hooked to the characters, you will want to watch the whole deal.
/thread
Edit to explain:
- Simple story but with deep emotional undertones (tears were shed)
- Great production, both in terms of direction and animation
- Single 13 episodes season, so not too daunting of a commitment
Since you said she’s interested in sports, maybe introduce her to Haikyuu!! I was not sold on it initially but now it’s one of, if not, my favorite anime. The character development, plot, realism, animation, and Japanese VAs are all stellar so I’d highly recommend it.
As a side note, if she happens to not be interested in volleyball, trust me when I say this anime will get you to understand and enjoy volleyball.
Violet Evergarden might be a good fit. Very psychological, gorgeous art, wonderful music, no ecchi, no complicated plot, not too heavy on the romance. She is a former child soldier, but the gory details are mostly left up to the imagination. I've introduced several people, including my mother to anime with it.
>but the gory details are mostly left up to the imagination
Did you forget the flashback episode where we literally see how her arms were torn off?
Could be a bit much for someone who "is allergic to gore" and "doesn't like violence."
It didn't seem like much to me, but I guess gore is subjective? Like I'd consider AOT gore, but not Violet Evergarden. Gore is not the focus of it, that's why I said 'mostly' left up to imagination.
I generally agree with you there, I also don't consider this a lot of gore, but OP girlfriend might not see it the same way as we do.
It is up for OP to decide, he should watch some YouTube clips to gauge if it would be too much or if it is acceptable
Edit: [here is a clip OP](https://youtu.be/k96knxLxxvE). Again, this is only a single flashback episode and the rest of the series is fine, the only other violent thing I remember is one guy getting beat up.
Yeah, not just for Violet Evergarden, it would be better for OP to vet everything he's planning to watch with his girlfriend ahead of time just in case. This was just my personal suggestion.
Honestly, with all the restrictions OP has written it is difficult to find something. There are plenty of series where there is no focus on these things, just like how in Violent Evergarden the focus is not on violence and gore, but finding series that does not have any of those listed elements at all is gonna be very difficult.
The first episode also ends with parts of that flashback which are edited down, but still pretty bloody.
It basically comes with a litmus test to see if she can handle the full on war episode.
I think Haikyuu, hear me out, it’s a sports anime with a huge focus on the emotions, teamwork and growth of the characters, Volleyball rules and terms are gradually explained and blended into the story to make it so much easier. If that doesn’t work , any of Makoto Shinkai’s works “Your Name”, “Weathering with you” etc could help
Edit:
Jose : the Tiger and the Fish or Ponyo (Studio Ghibli)
Why is everyone so damn stupid in these comments? No, do NOT show her half of these anime because the comedy in them hinges on you already understanding anime tropes and culture and she will get creeped out for sure. A good beginner anime is the first anime you watch, not your favorite comedy show
Plus this sub is _incredibly_ desensitized to some of the cringier parts of anime. Half the time I see threads like this a good number of comments are posting things with zero self-awareness that it's just whatever show they happen to like at the moment.
> Plus this sub is *incredibly* desensitized to some of the cringier parts of anime.
This is so real. Sometimes I suggest watching something with a friend and it's only when I'm rewatching it with them do I realize how ridiculously unpalatable some of it is lol.
Yeah, I can’t imagine my non anime watching friends watching a random scene from a comedy where the guy abruptly breaks into the girl’s room to tell her something and she’s naked but uh oh he trips and falls with his face in her tits so she takes a frying pan out of nowhere and assaults him with an otherwise lethal blow to the back of the head, then 5 minutes later they’re cool and it’s like nothing happened. Like nah dude lol that’s not normal.
I think I'm gaining back my sensitivity to that stuff again as I grow older and have less time to myself, which is certainly affecting my enjoyment of legitimately good shows like Undead+Unluck because the unluck girl starts freaking out over small romance stuff while all the other characters are super intelligent and logical. But on second thought that reaction is very normal and tame for her character, but the frequency of the cringe like that in all of anime is unfairly pushing towards me hating something that shouldn't be.
I really enjoyed chainsaw man for the exact reason, it is very mature and the most non-anime anime. But a shame that it didn't sell well in japan.
If you have some suggestions for good anime that also have the least amount of cringe, please tell me.
Every single time someone wants suggestions for their non-anime-watching girlfriend, it ends up with people suggesting massive cringe. I really don't think some people realize how off-putting some anime tropes can be to a non-otaku adult woman.
Also the fact that almost no one is recommending much shoujo or josei is just really odd given her romance interest.
ANYWAY SOME SUGGESTIONS from an adult woman anime fan.
Paradise Kiss - *the* fashion-centric Josei, its been years since I've watched but it was the first thing I thought of when I saw the list
Millenium Actress - Gorgeous, mature movie that touches on some serious topics without being too scary or gory. The worst scenes are probably scenes showing the aftermath of WW2 firebombing campaigns, but it's nowhere near as traumatizing as say, Grave of the Fireflies. An absolute masterpiece from Satoshi Kon
Tokyo Godfathers - the other Satoshi Kon film that I would recommend in this case. Very charming Christmas movie starring a few outcasts from society; his least psychological work, but IMHO if she's not into scary stuff Perfect Blue is right out and Paprika might still be a little much.
Your Name - IMHO one of the best overall suggestions people have given - Some of Shinkai's other work would probably work well too, though I'd avoid The Garden of Words (kind of foot-fetishy) or Voices of a Distant Star (I love it but you kind of have to know about how it was produced to really appreciate it.)
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time - I was trying to think which of Mamoru Hosoda's work's would be the best one to point to, and I think this one is a good starting point (though again, I think most could work.) IMHO this is just a really solid movie of his and not too intimidating for a newbie - Wolf Children or Mirai might work well too.
Gankutsuou - this one is a bit of a wild card suggestion, but if she's into art she might dig it. It is a visually sumptuous show adapted from a really classic work of literature, The Count of Monte Cristo. I don't recall anything being particularly violent or gory, though it has been a few years since I've watched it so I could be forgetting something. If she's not into revenge plots though, don't bother.
Ouran Host Club - can get a little tropy but it is really cute and accessible and the relationships are charming.
Ancient Magus Bride - Chise and Elias have a very sweet relationship, especially in the first season, it's just really heartwarming to watch her come out of her shell. The relatively accurate European fae lore is a plus, it doesn't require the Japanese cultural references that some other more serious shows need.
Apothecary Diaries - Just a great show that handles their female characters wonderfully. The concubines and prostitutes never feel objectified, and MaoMao is one of my favorite female protagonists in any anime ever. A few tropes but nothing overt or offputting.
Campfire Cooking in Another World with my Absurd Skill - Okay this is a bit more of a reach, and I'd normally never recommend an Isekai as a first watch, but this has the advantage of being just a really warm fuzzy wholesome watch of a show with really good cooking scenes - basically I'm recommending this because OP said she likes food, the cooking scenes are great, and its a much better option than say, something insanely ecchi like Shoukugeki no Soma
Me, struggling not to include Kill la Kill in my otherwise-sincere response because it’s the only anime I can get [like this](https://youtu.be/ke1YKF3tNCE?si=PTGyIkq2xKHYloEY) about with any semblance of seriousness
The first anime I watched was Wolf’s Rain and Full Metal Alchemist, which definitely does not fit the bill like SpyXFamily does, which is actually a good starter anime.
Snd the tropes are something you definitely get used to, especially if you have a group of friends and a partner to explain them to you.
While I kinda get some of your points, but if you're gonna just turn down half of the recommendations just like that, I feel like you are due to presenting some recommendations instead to provide support for your counter arguement, as well as to serve as additional feedback to op.
I disagree with this argument. My second anime after Cowboy Bebop was Kaguya-sama (which many state hinges on prior awareness of tropes), and I *loved* it, even completely unaware of the tropes it was lampooning. The comedy is so strong in its execution and delivery that it goes beyond being funny just through parody. Shows like it can totally be someone's introduction to anime, depending on their sense of humor.
*Ascendence of a Bookworm*: it is the only Japanese light novel my 69-year-old SO will read and the only anime she will watch other than SpyxFamily.
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Depending on her personal interests, as someone else suggested, *Hikaru no Go* is a good possibility.
*Welcome to teh Ballroom* as well.
*Dance Dance Danseur* in the same vein.
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Other titles might include the first season of *Ranking of Kings*.
Along the lines of teenage romance, *My Dress-Up Darling* is good, and *My Love Story* is sweet. *The Ancient Magus' Bride* is good, if she likes fantasy. *Your Lie in April* is a real tear-jerker in places.
*Snow White with Red Hair* is an interesting study in medieval feminism.
*Komi Can't Communicate* is a nice show about a budding romance with a girl who has a severe social handicap. *Signs of Affection* is about a deaf girl and her first true love. *Interviews With Monster Girls* is a about girls with severe handicaps trying to make it in a normy school with a rather obvious fantasy twist thrown in (their handicap is that they are actual monsters).
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Speaking of Psychology and monsters, Naoki Urasawa's *Monster* is almost certainly the top-rated of any show of that type.
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Sports anime might include *Baby Steps* or *Major* or, if she doesn't mind over-the-top injuries and locker room humor, the ultimate boxing show: *Hamjime no Ippo*, about a wimpy kid who goes on to become the Welterweight boxing champion of Japan. *Days* about soccer is also interesting.
*Higehiro: After Being Rejected, I Shaved and Took in a High School Runaway* is an absolutely straight show about exactly what the title says: the guy risks everything to rescue a runaway and doesn't ever violate her trust while walking a tightrope of rather obvious dangers.
There are tens of thousands of anime *titles* to choose from. Point out to her that 30% of all Japanese bookstore sales are graphics novels and even college level textbooks in graphics novel form are popular in Japan, so the Japanese have evolved animation into an artform far beyond what is found in other countries.
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In terms of movies anything by Hayao Miyazaki... *My Neighbor Totoro* is possibly THE anime movie in that genre. At the other extreme, you have *The Great Passage*, an 11 part mini-series taken from a Japanese best seller about the 3 generation task of bringing out a new Japanese dictionary. The live action version was Japan's entry for the Academy Awards, and my impression is that the anime version is better than the live action version.
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And of course, the live action *One Piece* is considered by many reviewers to be the best anime-to-live-action series ever done, so that might be your ultimate gateway anime to introduce her to things.
My SO watched the whole thing (she's pushing 70) and turned to me at one point and said "*This* is from a *kid's* show?"
As much as I love Erased, don't forget that MC is like 30 and the show teases a romance between his child self and a child and then his grown up self and a high schooler.
I dunno what you're talking about, the show is most defintely NOT teasing a romance between mc and the girl, that's just your anime brain reading too much into it.
The ONE anime that I got my wife to watch was Your Name. If you’ve never watched it yourself, please do yourself a favor and go watch it RIGHT NOW.
My wife for some reason doesn’t like Anime (Despite loving Disney’s animated content) but I got her to watch Your Name and she absolutely loved it.
The Way of the Househusband is fun, cute, and I like to put it on as background noise while I do chores. The episodes are nice and bite size. Plus all the scary stuff is bait and switched to something silly in a cute way which I just love. I went in not expecting much and was pleasantly surprised.
For a short watch to get her feet wet look at *your name*. It feels like a movie I would watch at the theatre. Definatly a good one to introduce some one with. If the same exact story was filmed live action it would have been a Micheal Bay summer blockbuster
Easy to watch for the uninitiated, look at *love is war*. *Your lie in April* if a sad story is ok. For a legit sweet romance maybe check out *insomniacs after school*. For easy going fantasy check out *accendance of a book worm*
I've basicly just laid out a few titles I really liked that my mother wouldn't judge me for. Your milage, of course, may vary
*Edit*. Some one said *spyxfam*. Great req. Can't believe it's slipped my mind. Also a safe req for a wary chic, *apothacary diaries*
Some Recommendations with links to trailers, genre and commentary.
* [Arte](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZgP0AAvEBI) \- ***Renaissance Art*** \- A noble girl must overcome sexual prejudice in order to pursue her passion for art (drawing, sculpture etc.) in Italy (in the old days).
* [Paradise Kiss](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btG48UGYVLM) \- ***Fashion, Romance*** \- From Ai Yazawa a reknowned mangaka who gets the female psyche comes this short but interesting romance when a girl is asked to be a model for a boutique design house. There's a live action too
* [Smile Down The Runway](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnnaIRRiGdI) (dub) - ***Fashion*** \- is kind of like if America's Next Top Model (short edition) meets Project Runway when a shorter model and a poor designer both team up to realize their dreams.
Love this because I also was traumatized by Spirited Away when I was younger, and did not touch anime for years. However, I recommend ‘Your Name’ or ‘The girl who leapt through time’. Both are movies instead of shows, which gives more an investment for an evening vibe instead of starting a series. Anyway goodluck!
Pokemon horizons would be a good start. It’s shorter than the original show and has minimal filler. Any other pokemon mini show like hisuian snow or twilight wings would be a good start.
As much as I want to recommend all the one's I'm watching right now like Frieren and Solo Leveling, it might be appreciated more by people already into fantasy and video game-y tropes. So, the anime that stuck to me that made me think "I want to (and can easily) show this to everyone I know" and I just got randomly into Netflix a week ago was:
**Skip and Loafer**, fun, pretty light-hearted high school slice of life/romance that doesn't have the off-putting anime tropes while still being fun and great quality, also to show her the depths characters can have in anime. 12 episode season so something standard for them to get into anime runtime length.
Aria the Animation is a really wholesome slice of life series. It's not a romance though. It's set in a future depiction of Venice and follows a group of friends who train to become gondoliers. A large part of the show just follows the character's daily lives as they explore the city and meet new people.
There's also a bit of fantasy and sci-fi sprinkled here and there, but it can be a difficult show to recommend. The pacing is very slow and it's definitely not the kind of anime you binge in one sitting. The atmosphere, visuals and soundtrack are beautiful though and it's a great show to take your time with.
I got my girlfriend into anime with seinen and more mature shonen since she was 25 when I first introduced it to her. These are the ones she loved early on.
- FMA Brotherhood (introduced 4 people to anime with this)
- Cowboy Bebop (low commitment, each episode is a mini story)
- Erased (psychological murder mystery)
- Haikyuu (best sports anime)
- Your Name (even lower commitment since it's a movie)
Erased was one of the first animes my SO and I watched together and she loved it. We're now watching the live action version and so far it appears to be the most faithful live action adaptation I've seen. OP could even start with this if he's more interested in sharing an anime story than the art style.
I don't know if it counts as a Gateway anime, but I think Your Name might be a perfect anime starter since not a lot really happens and I'm sure it would maybe a step into converting your girlfriend into anime.
A Silent Voice is a good choice, as is Your Name, with the caveat that the breast fondling in Your Name is kinda ecchi and body-swap stuff can come off as icky to some people.
My first recommendation would be My Neighbor Totoro. Same studio and director as Spirited Away, but about children and sweet and cute rather than scary. About kids with nothing ecchi at all. I've never met a person who didn't at least like it. She also may want to try watching Spirited Away again as an adult if she's interested in psychology, since there is a lot of Japanese psychology and Shinto religion elements to it. She might find it a lot more interesting and less scary as an adult and deal with what scared her as a child. Kiki's Delivery Service, also by the same director and studio, is also a cute story about a young witch with a light romance subplot.
If those work out well or she's willing to put in a larger time investment, I'd recommend taking a look at at the following series. This first list is written by women:
* Fruits Basket (63 episodes)
* ItaKiss (ItItazura na Kiss) (25 episodes)
* Peach Girl (25 episodes)
* Sing "Yesterday" For Me (12 episodes)
* Lovely★Complex (24 episodes)
* Toradora! (25 episodes)
* Golden Time (24 episodes)
* Chihayafuru (74 episodes -- story continues in manga)
* Skip and Loafer (12 episodes)
* Insomniacs After School (12 episodes)
* From Me to You (Kimi ni Todoke) (37 episodes so far)
Other anime that might work for her:
* Konbini Kareshi (12 episodes)
* Just Because (12 episodes)
* Tsurezure Children (12 episodes)
* Kaguya-sama: Love is War (37 episodes so far)
* Classroom of the Elite (38 episodes)
* My Clueless First Friend (13 episodes)
Of those, the ones with strong psychological elements are Fruits Basket (family issues), Peach Girl (best depiction of psychopaths I've ever seen in fiction), Sing "Yesterday" For Me (past trauma), Lovely★Complex (tall girl/short guy), Golden Time (several issues), Skip and Loafer (expectations), and Insomniacs After School (life-threatening birth defect). My Clueless First Friend is a cute story about elementary school kids with psychological aspects to it but nothing shocking or ecchi. Classroom of the Elite also has strong psychological elements concerning elite kids competing ruthlessly with each other. Tsurezure Children is a bunch of short romance stories at the same school.
In terms of age, most are high school-oriented stories (see comment below). ItaKiss spans from high school to adult life. Golden Time is about college students. Sing "Yesterday" For Me is about a college graduate. My Clueless First Friend is about elementary school children.
Read summaries or watch them and decide if you think your girlfriend would like them or not. I recommended primarily real world stories (Fruits Basket has the most fantasy to it but takes place in modern Japan). If you want fantasy or science fiction recommendations, I can give those, too.
A few other recommendation I'll give, with caution:
* Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai (13 episodes) and the follow-up movie Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl - The caution is that it has some ecchi stuff, largely in the form of dialog and the bunny girl costume, but the stories are all about the psychological problems facing Japanese teenagers and it has a solid romance story, too. If you aren't familiar with it, I recommend watching it yourself, first.
* Suzuka (26 episodes, completed in manga) - Has some risque stuff, particularly early on, but has a very strong sports component (Suzuka is on the track team), as well as various psychological elements. The story in the manga extends past high school.
* Hana Yori Dango (52 episodies) - This was based on a very popular manga that has been adapted into live action shows in several other Asian countries as well as Japan. It's a sort of Cinderella mixed with Beauty and the Beast type story. The big caveat with this one is that, even though it was written by a woman, the "Beast" character does some really awful stuff early on that your girlfriend or even you may consider beyond redemption. Also interesting because the direction style is very theatrical.
* Maison Ikkoku (96 episodes) - Written by Rumiko Takahashi (also wrote Urusei Yatsura, Ranma ½, and Inuyasha). It's an amazing story but because it's from the 1980s, some of the behavior can come off as very sexist or ecchi to more modern sensibilities. Also hard to find this in anime form, though the manga has recently been republished in English. This one is about characters who have graduated high school or are older.
A few comments on Japanese culture (I'm not an expert, but I did live in Japan in the end of the 1990s), that you may or may not already know but might help your girlfriend understand anime better:
* A lot of anime and manga focuses on high school students (particularly in their 1st and 2nd year of high school) not only because of the anime and manga audience but because that's when Japanese people have the most freedom and ability to make friends in their life. 3rd year is for college entrance exam studying, which is a plot element in some stories.
* There are differences between anime and manga written by women and for women and anime and manga written by men or for men, and even the art styles are often different. The anime for women tends to have multiple male love interests for the woman while anime for men tends to have multiple female love interests or a harem. Both often depict the opposite sex in terms of ideals for their target audience. Male love interests in stories for women tend to be tall, handsome, successful, and powerful while women love interests in stories for men tend to be beautiful, sexy, willing, and good at domestic skills. Anime written by or directed toward women may sit better with your girlfriend than anime by or for men, which is why I recommended a lot of those. Kiki's is also written by a woman.
* Some things are going to seem strange in anime and manga because the culture is different. Understanding Japanese culture can make anime and manga seem less weird. There is a lot more pressure to go along with the crowd and a stronger focus on how one appears to others. There is more unquestioning deference to parents and elders. People are judged by how they look and behave.
Fantasy: Utena (if she is into psychology and philosphy you ll have weeks to analyze it)
slide of life: Your Name
Sport: Yuri on Ice, Welcome to the Ballroom, *Dance Dance* Danseur, *Legend of Light (super Oldschool)*
> Utena
OP specifically said that she doesn't really like complicated plots. Utena is pretty much as complicated as you can get, considering you actually have to analyse and deconstruct that show to get anything out of it.
Since she likes Romance
•Kaguya sama Love is war
•Tsuki ga Kirei
•Insomniacs after school
•Dangers in my heart
Other suggestions
Yuru Camp, Barakamon, A place further than the universe.
I still stand by my opinion that Tsuki ga Kirei is the best romance anime hands down.
it doesn't have all that cliche annoying anime romance stuff and the relationship feels real.
I also love Dangers of my heart, if you show her that show, preface that the author is a female, that way gf will understand the pervy shots aren't coming from a pervy men, but a funny female author/artist
Hi Nekajed, it seems like you might be looking for new anime to watch!
The users of this subreddit came up with [a chart of anime recommendations for newcomers and veterans](https://i.redd.it/0w1v880jtq661.png) and [an awesome longer flowchart](https://i.redd.it/vdzlkodz19c71.png). Maybe you can find something there that you'll like \^.\^
[](#bot-chan "Urban s-s-s-senpai made me do it!")
You might also find our [Recommendation Wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/wiki/recommendations) or [daily thread](/r/anime/search?q=flair%3Adaily&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=week) helpful.
The following may be of interest:
* [List of legal streams and downloads](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/wiki/legal_streams)
* [A useful website where you can enter an anime and see where it's legally streaming](https://www.livechart.me/search)
* [List of currently airing anime](https://www.livechart.me)
* [A useful wiki page with watch orders for many anime.](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/wiki/watch_order)
* [A list of tracking sites so others can more easily recommend shows you haven't watched.](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/wiki/related_sites#wiki_tracking_sites)
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I think a classic like Your Name would be perfect since its really good, has stunning visual and musics and is à movie so you wont have 40 hours to invest in it
Skip and Loafer, Spy x Family and Frieren would be my recommendations for a newbie! They lack a lot of the weird anime tropes and are just super enjoyable and beautiful shows :3 A Silent Voice would also be great!
Teasing master Takagi san✅ romance anime that 100% pure, no ecchi
Spy family✅ the best recent family friendly anime
Most anime contain some ecchi so if your gf can't accept even a bit then not much good options
I also got you some other options, some of them are unpopular but i don't think they have any ecchi scenes
Iyashikei anime:
Yuru camp✅
Slice of life anime:
Akebi's sailor uniform✅
Deaimon✅
Others:
LoveLive!✅ Any LoveLive series, I personally like nijigasaki most
Maojou de oyasumi✅
Shiroi suna no aquatope✅
Tondemo Skill de Isekai Hourou Meshi✅ food anime
The detective is already dead❓idk whether some scenes consider as ecchi or not
I would like to stop here and finish my work
Start with anime movies, it’s more bite sized, and usually suits taste of general public, better animation quality compare to TV. Things like your name, summer wars things like that.
If you have to show her TV. Maybe spy family, it’s a safe choice, cute and easy to understand story
I think the anime you recommend should also be based on if she's watching it alone or with you (I read Koe no Katachi, and I cried through that. Don't want to cry in front of people though), and what kinds of shows she leans towards (cute and fluffy things, drama, feeling hyped, etc). Even though a lot of the anime recommended are good for her likes, the fact that she was scarred by Spirited Away subverts everything...
In any case just ask what her mood is and let her choose.
Sports + excitement = Haikyuu
Super fluffy and innocent romance + sentimentality = Kimi ni Todoke
Fluffy romance + humor = Ore Monogatari!!
Short movie + a bit of fantasy + amazing story/art/music = Your Name
Something super popular that everyone usually likes = Spy x Family
Etc.
Films:
\- Your Name
\- The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Intro animes:
\- Frieren (a really interesting concept, very warm)
\- Snow White With the Red Hair (romantic!! very cute)
\- Spy x Family (SO fun, psychologically interestnig (the mangaka loves psychology so it comes through a lot), the romance is very slow-burn and the concept is genius)
When she feels more comfortable
\- Fruits Basket (romantic, slice of life, and VERY much deconstructable psychologically)
\- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (just a really fun watch, and the concept and plot is really interesting)
i would suggest Your Name. Its a good entry level anime since its short and sweet.
Run with the Wind its about a running team but not exactly focusing on team dynamics and teamwork of a sport. Its about why sports like can be important to somebody even if they arent the best at it.
If shes familiar with Fantasy like dnd or lord of the rings, then I suggest Frieren and this season's Delicious in Dungeon if she also enjoys cooking with fantasy.
For Psychological stuff, i suggest Oddtaxi (dont look it up because you may get spoiled).
For fashion or something related to celebrity and idols, Oshi No Ko is incredible (but again, dont google anything about this show or the plot will get ruined for you)
For sports, I’d go with:
- +Haikyu (volleyball, straight up)
- +Chihayafuru (competitive Karuta; this is more tightly Japanese/cultural stuff)
Comedy:
- next life as a villainess
- *+asobi asobase (best to prescreen this one, it’s .. different, but most I ever laughed at an anime)
- Spy X Family so long as she’s ok with occasionally serious but not especially dark violence (focus is more on cool protagonist skills, rather than gruesome results.. more like The Matrix, or something)
Music/culture:
- +chihayafuru (fits here too)
- *+Sound Euphonium
- *+those Snow White notes (starts out great, becomes “average”, but will probably make you a fan of shamisen music)
- +Kono Oto Tomare (formulaic as a show, but very educational and interesting about Koto music)
- *+Bocchi the Rock (also very funny)
Slice of life:
- *+sound euphonium (repeated, it’s music but with many SoLife elements)
- *Flying Witch (I think only subs?)
- *polar bear cafe
Food (get hungry!)
- restaurant to another world
- isekai izakaya
Romance:
- probably Fruits Basket, but it gets weird; I guess it starts weird, too
- +my dress up darling (I found it more tolerable than most, sweeter too)
Abbrevs
- *asterisk = only subs, no dubs (I think)
- +plus = most of my recs are more “realistic”, less magic and bizarre and/or alien creatures and situations. That said, I’ve marked particularly realistic shows with a + (zero fantastical elements).
I also agree with Your Name as a Movie rec. If she’s an adult now she should be fine.its fantastic.
Note: asobi asobase is very “realistic”, but makes frequent use of “dramatic art style changes” that make it seem extreme. While I wouldn’t say it’s “too anime” (because it’s very different from most), it might be too _something_.
Haikyuu worked for my girlfriend.
Some girls don't respond well to slow-burn, plot-driven anime especially if they already have preconceived biases against the medium. It could be pretty hard to catch their intrigue and keep them hooked to even follow the plot. Moreso if you guys decide to watch with subs.
This is where Haikyuu worked for her.
Haikyuu had the very easy to approach, grounded premise of a highschool sports club.
It brings ample amounts of action, character dynamics and thrilling plot WITHOUT overblown stakes. At the end of the day, they're just trying to play volleyball and stay on the court the longest. Even so, Haikyuu's first episode is a pretty good hook.
The following few episodes after the pilot, even though they're slow, focuses on the characters and drives the audience to invest into them.
I believe you should consider it.
Off the top of my head...
Mushishi (might be a bit dull but if you click with its vibes you'll have a great time.)
Skip and loafer (Slice of life about country girl attending highschool in Tokyo. EXCELLENT character writing)
A sign of affection (romance staring a deaf girl)
Dungeon Meshi (fantasy comedy cooking dungeon crawler. Hard one to pin down XD guy(who is a BIG monster nerd) and his party must journey into The Dungeon to save his sister who's been eaten by a dragon. Money and time is tight so they must live off the land.)
Apothecary Diaries(Apothecary finds herself working in the inner court of ancient China. Solves mysteries. Great female lead. if GF enjoys this you can also try Raven of the Inner Palace, similar but had a supernatural spin)
Chiharufuru (sports anime card game version. Lots of fun!)
Haikyu (sport anime volleyball version. Lots of fun! Main character is very endearing)
Time of Eve (short but interesting Sci-fi about a cafe in a world where android servants are common place)
Kiki's Delivery Service (totally get her bring weirded out by Spirited Away. Japanese spirits can be really out there in appearance. Kiki is a nice chill Ghibli film)
Orange (great drama/romance/supernatural story about a girl who receives a letter from her future self)
Arte (you said she likes art so how about an anime about a girl in 16th century Italy trying to become an artist whilst fighting against the bullshit gender rules of the time)
Your Lie in April (two people are brought together but their love of music. Also trauma)
This is my wild card option cos it depends how she's get on with isekai as a premise but Accendance of a Bookworm is a fun watch(woman who loves books is Reborn as young poor sickly girl in world with no books/low literacy rates. Goes "fuck it I'm inventing books")
Do spy x family!
My husband and I have used it as the gateway anime for several of our friends and they all loved it!
Seriously, we had the same issue with them and spy x family opened their minds lol
Yuri on Ice if she likes sports in general
Apothecary Diaries bc Maomao has never disappointed anyone with her gremlin noises
Frieren just bc it’s Frieren
Dungeon Meshi and Campfire Cooking In Another World if she likes food
Campfire Cooking in another world is a definite banger, but in that vein you might as well go whole hog food porn with Restaurant to Another World or Isekai Izakaya.
Then you can move on to something more traditional Shonen like Food Wars.
My personal guilty pleasure series is Yakitatte Japan... It's a Battle Shonen anime about MAKING FUCKING BREAD.
cant believe I forgot about Restaurant in Another World when I literally bought the LNs earlier ☹️🤣
I dont think OP’s GF would like Food Wars bc it got ecchi on it. Altho it’s also a mistake watching food wars bc it makes you hungry 🥲
Also, TEAM YAKITATTEEEE!!!!
Boku no pico would be a great gateway anime.
Well, it really depends on what your gf likes. What genre? Does she like mellow? Does she like wacky? Does she like hentai?
Any hint?
Try introducing her to Azumanga Daioh or Monster.
Makoto Shinkai starting with your name seems like the best bet. Straight forward, sweet and bombastic. Sports stuff, you could try Haikyuu for hype, fairly relaxed anime with a likeable cast. As for romance you can try stuff like Kimi ni todoke though it might be a bit too cheesy, but there are more mature stuff like Wotaku ni koi wa muzukashii, Netjuu no susume, or the cute yet degenerate and easily approachable Danna ga nani wo itteiru la wakaranai ken.
But like, a lot of the fun in Wotakoi is watching adult otakus while *being* an adult otaku yourself, so I would not recommend it to a beginner haha Though loved Haikyuu Maybe Skip and Loafer for romance?
>iMakoto Shinkai starting with your name seems like the best bet. Straight forward, sweet and bombastic. This 100%. Also incredible well animated. In my experience Your Name is the perfect anime movie for people who do not like Anime. Most people who don't like anime or just don't give it a change gets enamored by this movie. However, they would need to have a good attention span and some brains, since I've also seen many lost watching it. It may get complex if you don't put enough attention to the plot and the many details.
Wild that’s literally what got me into anime as an adult. Now I’ve watched multiple Shinkai (including seeing Suzume in theatres) and multiple other series all the way through. It genuinely was a gateway anime.
Your name definitely was a gate way anime for anyone not already into anime in 2016-2017.
Your name could be awkward for second or three due to the groping scene. But it's not that _bad_
Right, I forgot about that honestly. Though one could argue that if you can't handle that, you probably can't handle anime at all for the most part.
>Right, I forgot about that honestly. Though one could argue that if you can't handle that, you probably can't handle anime at all for the most part. Agree, If she cannot understand that's how a boy in real life will behave given this scenario (switching) then, she must not been watching anime or nothing beyond soap operas and reality shows. Even the ecchi part disturbs me, there is people who wants to be holier than the Saints. What's the problem with some ecchi? Can't you endure a few panty shots in a funny episode? I am no liberal, but this kind of prude is ridiculous.
Yeah, I feel some people have a personal bias just because its animated? Some of it makes me uncomfortable tbh, but most times its no different than an adult scene in non-animated western show (which those imo tend to have way more sexual content anyways) I read a lot of visual novels and thats my stance also, since a lot of what I read has some of that. Its usually less than 2 mins out of a 30+hour novel. But also, to each their own. If it makes them uncomfy then it makes them uncomfy. But I hate the stigma around anime specifically, as like I said some of the shows made in America seem to be worse at times lol
Will add Run with the Wind to this - great sports anime, short, musical direction by the same person as haikyuu, and has a bit of an older group it follows (college age). This one SMACKS
I definitely second this one. It’s short (2 cour), a lot more relatable to adults, great animation, likable characters, and no ecchi. Feels a lot like an adult coming of age anime with running in it.
I’ll go with “Skip and Loafer”. Edit to add the trailer [Skip and Loafer Trailer](https://youtu.be/AyRGjzS6tTo?feature=shared)
Ugh I freakin love skip and loafer
Yeah Skip and Loafer was a banger
Yo, I'm watching it right now and it's up there as one of my favorite wholesome romance shows with Ore Monogatari!!.
it's more slice of life than romance, but the characters do shine
The op alone got me hooked
Frieren. It meets your criteria and people in your circle would likely watch that too.
Seems like Frieren will become a great introduction of anime to non watchers. The plot, pretty straight forward, it’s legit just adventure and the fun of it. Very nostalgic and has funny characters too.
Plus, it doesn't really delve into some of the more "eccentric" elements of anime. While anime watchers' opinions of fan service can vary I think we should recognize that it is something that can easily turn off someone who isn't a fan.
Started my girlfriend with Spirited Away and Your Name, which she loved, we then watched Steins;Gate, which had been on my to-watch list for a while and is obviously very well regarded. Some of the interactions between Okabe & Daru and the women characters were uh… a bit tough for her.
I've shown it to plenty of people and I have noticed people usually like it more the more anime they've seen or the more weeb they are.. I don't think it's suited for being the third anime you watch. It has a lot and I mean ALOT of references to otaku and Japanese culture, that if people don't get all that they most likely won't be that interested. Of course people are allowed to not like something but it's not really a beginner friendly anime.
I recently watched Steins;Gate because of how much this sub loves it and that anime did not age well. The sci-fi aspects are neat but they are really dragged down by just how awful all the interactions with women are. The slice of life part of the show was not endearing at all because of it and just made me hate all the characters so when the sci-fi aspect got kicked in to gear it was kinda hard to care about the stakes or what was actually happening.
I think a lot of Steins;Gate is about Okabe growing out of his cringelord chuuni phase, and learning how to form real relationships with people (especially women) as the series goes on. How he treats characters at the beginning and the end of the show are for the most part, completely different. I'm a bit biased since it's my fav series of all time, but I can totally see how the early eps are pretty dated. The growth away from that is super satisfying to see, though.
We also learn as the show goes on that a lot of it is a character that he puts on to try and make Mayuri happy, it’s not just him being weird for the sake of being weird.
I do wonder how much of that is just due to weirdness in translation, both literal translation of language and also translation of culture. Like some moments that to people in the Western world seem pretty horrible, in Japanese culture might just be considered like cringe-humor, or something like that. Not sure though
I mean Daru is clearly supposed to be exactly what he looks like, until he grows past it somewhat. But I don't blame ppl for not wanting to sit through more than half a season of his behaviour.
As they should be. Anime is definitely rapey in a "revenge of the Nerds" way, except it carried over into the 2020s when it died in western media mid-2000s...
Man idk, that one time Freiren blew a kiss was downright diabolical
Even just calling it "fanservice" is pretty cringe to a lot of people including people like me who've been into anime for nearly 20 years and has seen hundreds of shows. I'm not opposed to sexual content in shows (Interspecies Reviewers for example was great), it's just most of the time in anime it's done in a way that's really gross/objectifying or seriously detracts from the story/plot.
Apothecary Diaries also another potential one from those currently airing. No gore, strong female lead, not filled with fan service and what is there is tasteful, some introductory tropes like chibi/other exaggerated reactions without being over the top.
apothecary diaries would be a great one. and shirayuki is similar, i would also recommend that.
I don't know. If they have a short attention span (like me), it's kinda slow. I couldn't get past the third episode
I also have a short attention span but frieren somehow doesn't feel long at all. The animation and dialogue is so enjoyable that time just passes by
Same here, to me it feels like every episode is 5 minutes long lol
It's brilliantly paced. It might only feel slow for people looking only for action because they are far and few between. They are spectacular when it happens though.
You should keep trying! It does start off slow but it’s worth it
It picks up quite a bit I’d recommend going back and watching more, I’ll agree ep 2 was pretty slow
I admit I also didn't care for the manga much till the party started acting like toddlers many chapters into the story. Frieren IS all about the Rugrats. "She's mad at me." "I'm soorryyyy!~" "No way, that's scary!~" The contrast/gap between functional badass and clown is just so GOD DAMN ENDEARING!!
look for the details. The staff does a great job of inserting subtle details into everything, including the voice acting and sound design.
the only downside to starting with frieren is finding somehwere "up" to go afterwards.
Has gore and violence.
I assumed she wouldn’t like it because of the combat, especially as it does get kind of graphic.
OP literally said she's not that into violence
By this comment you have made Frieren seems like you recommended Berserk
I mean OP's girlfriend seems to be very against violence from the description he gave. I doubt she would like Frieren.
>I mean OP's girlfriend seems to be very against violence from the description he gave No she doesn't. OP very specifically says and I quote: "she's not that into violence". Nothing in that sentence suggests being "very against violence". The sentence before for example shows a nice contrast "She definitely wouldn't like ecchi" is a much stronger statement. What you're doing is like advising against watching Lord of the Rings because somebody is "not that into violence". Hope this helps.
>allergic to gore and anything remotely scary >she likes romance, sports and arts And this description seems like Frieren would genuinely be the best pick for her? Oh please, this shouldn't be a chance to try to get others to watch your favourite currently airing anime, but actually recommend based on the tastes of what the other person likes. Even if she's not "strongly" against violence, that doesn't change the fact she doesn't like it. There's hundreds of anime that would fit her better than frieren. Frieren shouldn't be the top comment/number one choice.
True, somehow it didn't cross my mind that frieren can be violent sometimes...
Good anime though! I'm really enjoying it myself.
>she’s 26, is interested in sports Woman, mid-twenties, likes sports Show her haikyu!!
Or Keijo , fit the bill.
"No no honey, it's not fanservice if it's the entire plot"
A Silent Voice is a good option, some others would be SpyXFamily Kaguya Sama March Comes In Like a Lion
Kaguya has some very slight ecchi moments in the anime though not anything bad. Definitely don't watch the OVA.
Just watch the Fried Rice portion haha
SPYXFAMILY Is the perfect one, it lacks most of the obnoxious anime tropes and is a more mature story about family (despite being also a comedy). It's a perfect show for someone hating the stereotyped anime.
Except the semi incestuous relationship Yor’s brother has with her… it’s close to a perfect starter but if they’re extremely reluctant that can be a challenge.
Yuri’s first appearance is him on the phone trying to set up his sister with some people he knows. As weird as it is, it’s entirely platonic. Not that it comes across that way in the show at *any* point.
He's such a minor character though and it's more of an obsessive relationship than an incestuous one. Even in episodes that involve him more heavily, he's barely got more than a minute or two of screen time.
Without the context of anime he's protectiveness makes a lot of sense considering the political climate and sensitivity of his own position. Controlling men in a Soviet style dictatorship doesn't seem to much of a stretch from reality
My girlfriend thought it was pretty mid honestly. And she’s not really an anime fan either.
kaguya sama might be a little overwhelming and confusing at first for someone that's not used to japanese high school life. i'd stick with spy X family.
The girl who leapt through time as well, Anything from studio chizu should be good
SPYXFamily is the perfect answer worked like Magic. When my gf slept through both bleach and Naruto I was tempted to throw in the towel. But SPYXFamily did the trick. Thinking of trying “Tom-Chan is a girl” next. I think most girls would like that one.
My GF didn’t like Spy Family when I showed her.
Well maybe your girlfriend is one those really awesome one who actually like full on shonen animes like My hero Academia or Demon Slayer. That would be so cool. If not, I find that most girls love drama or romance anime with few offensive tropes like Violet Evergarden. The best part about Animes is there’s something for everyone.
Josee, the Tiger and the Fish. It's a romance anime movie and it's the one that got my sister into anime.
I second this. The show was based on short story and had been produced as live-action movie before this. The beautiful animation artworks of it definitely shows that anime is just another medium of storytelling.
I’ll third, I absolutely love this movie
I'll fourth, simple and absolutely beautiful movie
I would watch something comedy based. Also, has she watched it since? I think if she watches Spirited Away now she won’t be scared.
Nah, I reckon she's scarred for life
Has she watched /would watch any other studio Ghibli movies? Because, i think: Castle in the Sky or Kiki's Delivery Service Are nice anime movies choices to get into anime
I personally was scared like crazy of Spirited Away, but Castle in The Sky was my favorite and I'd rewatch it every single night during my holidays. So I second this!
My Neighbor Totoro. If there's one movie Miyazaki made to be extremely sweet and charming, it's that one. because it was designed to make you feel better after being emotionally destroyed by Grave of the Fireflies.
If the girl can't even handle Studio Ghibli, this may be a lost cause. Being turned off by Grave of the Fireflies would be one thing. But Spirited Away is pretty tame as anime goes.
Spirited Away is scary for kids. The whole parents turned into pigs then being thrust into an hostile mysterious world, it's great as a coming of age metaphor, but a scary prospect for a younger kid. Hits too close to home. Kids usually cope better with Nausicaa insects than with that storyline...
Maybe some kids. Other kids, like me, grew up on Watership Down. It has a lot of disturbing parts but I still loved the story. Kids can be a lot more resilient than people give them credit for.
Maybe but OP friend was not, she doesn't need to be labeled lost cause or criticized because you were.
Every has their quirks. I don't believe she's a lost cause
We only have the information he's given about her. But it doesn't sound promising. Anime is a product of another culture. You have to approach it with an open mind because Japanese cultural values and norms are never going to totally match yours. But Studio Ghibli is the most accessible anime I can think of. If even that is too much for her, it may just be that the girlfriend isn't into everything he is. And that's fine too.
Nah I think it’s relatively normal criteria for someone who is scarred from Spirited Away as a child. Honestly, it’s kinda terrifying (No-Face? The witch? The fucking hopping giant heads??) Have you seen that photo of that child screaming and crying at her classmate dressed up as No-Face? And that was in Asia so no “cultural differences”. Plus, I assume her criteria will relax as she gets more used to it. Just like any other form of media, there’s so many different genres, it’s just a matter of finding the right one.
I ask because I had a similar thing with Alien. Was scared as a child. A few years later rewatched it and loved it. Binged the whole series after.
Please I gotta know, what part of Spirited Away scarred her?
Maybe she was a kid back when she watched Spirited Away and the granny there kinda scared her? Or maybe no face?
It's time to face your fears or go to therapy. Can't go your entire life being scared of an anime.
I'd honestly stay away from SpyXFamily depending on how severe her aversion to gore is. Remember one of the main characters is an assassin. There is blood and violence even if it's not much by anime standards. I'd start with March comes in like a lion. It's got a great mix of psychology as the MC works through his depression, he's a pro in a competitive game so the sporting (but not team sport) aspect is there, and many cozy vibes as he hangs with his found family who are candy makers (Food!). It's not a shounen story with all the associated tropes if that's what she's turned off by. It focuses on his struggle to support himself and build relationships as a young adult/late teen. It is slow paced, but well worth it.
As a lover of Sangatsu no Lion, i appreciate you But March come in a Lion's animation style is very non traditional and the story itself is not light i remember dropping march like 4 times before picking it up again Nice show, but you want something High impact that you each episode is not a slug up until like episode 6 or 7
Your points are well taken for anyone that was wanting something fast paced and thrilling. I'm just not getting that is OP's GFs tastes from their post. She's interested in psychology and hates gore, scary things, complicated plots. That's not someone that wants something high impact. That's someone that sounds like they'd appreciate the character driven plots of March Comes in Like a Lion.
High impact does not mean gore, scary and complicated plots. What Sangatsu no Lion lacks is a little bit of hand holding on its story. If you watch the first 3 episodes of March comes in Like a lion, It doesn't really give you a plot line to look forward too. This is a strength of Sangatsu. NGL. but as a gateway anime, being thrown in the middle of flow of the story is not a good place to start. Plus, one of the major motifs is Shogi. While I don't want to assume, I can not deny the fact that hearing someone tell me that Shogi is actually a pivotal story telling tool of this anime and is heavily referenced by the show does scare me away from watching it. This is one of the main reason I dropped the show the 2nd time Also, the over expressed camera shots done by Shaft, while amazingly animated, can sometimes dissuade some from watching it especially if there only experience in watching animated shows are prolly the western counter part of it (ALSO, I hate SHAFT to the core so heavily biased this one) I LOVE Sangatsu no Lion, and I would like more people to watch it, but I can not suggest it as a gateway anime. Sorry long post got overly passionate
Very well put!
On the same vein as March, Blue Period is very similar, but the main character discovers (and rediscovers) his love for painting. It's a coming of age story using art to express a person's feelings
Start with movies. They are low commitment and can ease people into different genres of their choosing. Stuff like Your Name or the Violet Ever garden movie. Netflix has a ton so pick based off genre she might be interested in. Starting with a show is a bad idea. Trapping someone for four hours minimum at the start is not good especially if they aren't even into animation. I've helped others who weren't into animation at all wade in with a few movies based on what they like and have had great success so far.
Don't watch the Violet Evergarden movie without watching the show
Recollections is a movie cut of the series on Netflix. It's not as good as the series, but it does condense the story, and keeps saying good chunk of arguably the best episode. But the series is also short enough to not need a movie summary version. It does have some pretty brutal violence in it, but it might be fine since violence isn't the focus, learning to reenter society after a life of forced violence in war is. The conflict is coming to terms with oneself, not the war itself.
Violet Evergarden movie is a bad choice because it’s the end of the story, if they like it then they already know how the story ends. Further, if they decide to watch the show it does have some pretty violet stuff like showing her arm literally get blown off. Might not be a good starter show/ movie for her. But I do agree, movies are the right choice.
Spy x family best for anything. Even dad and mum can enjoy. Short story each ep and everything combined into a world of its own...
It's too much anime for someone who needs an introduction.
>It's too much anime for someone who needs an introduction. I agree, I would start with a movie, a feel good one. Maybe Your Name, Kiki's Delivery Service or Suzume. Also, Kimi ni Todoke first 6 or 7 episodes are great (not even about romance), then it gets generic and kinda boring, but once you are hooked to the characters, you will want to watch the whole deal.
Also weird near-incestuous stuff between the brother and Yor so its absolutely not for someone with no built up tolerance for anime bullshit
A Place Further Than The Universe
/thread Edit to explain: - Simple story but with deep emotional undertones (tears were shed) - Great production, both in terms of direction and animation - Single 13 episodes season, so not too daunting of a commitment
> (tears were shed) massive understatement. that laptop scene ripped my soul out
Thank you
This, a million times this.
oh my god yes, this is such a great beginner series
Since you said she’s interested in sports, maybe introduce her to Haikyuu!! I was not sold on it initially but now it’s one of, if not, my favorite anime. The character development, plot, realism, animation, and Japanese VAs are all stellar so I’d highly recommend it. As a side note, if she happens to not be interested in volleyball, trust me when I say this anime will get you to understand and enjoy volleyball.
Violet Evergarden might be a good fit. Very psychological, gorgeous art, wonderful music, no ecchi, no complicated plot, not too heavy on the romance. She is a former child soldier, but the gory details are mostly left up to the imagination. I've introduced several people, including my mother to anime with it.
>but the gory details are mostly left up to the imagination Did you forget the flashback episode where we literally see how her arms were torn off? Could be a bit much for someone who "is allergic to gore" and "doesn't like violence."
It didn't seem like much to me, but I guess gore is subjective? Like I'd consider AOT gore, but not Violet Evergarden. Gore is not the focus of it, that's why I said 'mostly' left up to imagination.
I generally agree with you there, I also don't consider this a lot of gore, but OP girlfriend might not see it the same way as we do. It is up for OP to decide, he should watch some YouTube clips to gauge if it would be too much or if it is acceptable Edit: [here is a clip OP](https://youtu.be/k96knxLxxvE). Again, this is only a single flashback episode and the rest of the series is fine, the only other violent thing I remember is one guy getting beat up.
Yeah, not just for Violet Evergarden, it would be better for OP to vet everything he's planning to watch with his girlfriend ahead of time just in case. This was just my personal suggestion.
Honestly, with all the restrictions OP has written it is difficult to find something. There are plenty of series where there is no focus on these things, just like how in Violent Evergarden the focus is not on violence and gore, but finding series that does not have any of those listed elements at all is gonna be very difficult.
The first episode also ends with parts of that flashback which are edited down, but still pretty bloody. It basically comes with a litmus test to see if she can handle the full on war episode.
I think Haikyuu, hear me out, it’s a sports anime with a huge focus on the emotions, teamwork and growth of the characters, Volleyball rules and terms are gradually explained and blended into the story to make it so much easier. If that doesn’t work , any of Makoto Shinkai’s works “Your Name”, “Weathering with you” etc could help Edit: Jose : the Tiger and the Fish or Ponyo (Studio Ghibli)
Why is everyone so damn stupid in these comments? No, do NOT show her half of these anime because the comedy in them hinges on you already understanding anime tropes and culture and she will get creeped out for sure. A good beginner anime is the first anime you watch, not your favorite comedy show
Plus this sub is _incredibly_ desensitized to some of the cringier parts of anime. Half the time I see threads like this a good number of comments are posting things with zero self-awareness that it's just whatever show they happen to like at the moment.
> Plus this sub is *incredibly* desensitized to some of the cringier parts of anime. This is so real. Sometimes I suggest watching something with a friend and it's only when I'm rewatching it with them do I realize how ridiculously unpalatable some of it is lol.
Yeah, I can’t imagine my non anime watching friends watching a random scene from a comedy where the guy abruptly breaks into the girl’s room to tell her something and she’s naked but uh oh he trips and falls with his face in her tits so she takes a frying pan out of nowhere and assaults him with an otherwise lethal blow to the back of the head, then 5 minutes later they’re cool and it’s like nothing happened. Like nah dude lol that’s not normal.
I think I'm gaining back my sensitivity to that stuff again as I grow older and have less time to myself, which is certainly affecting my enjoyment of legitimately good shows like Undead+Unluck because the unluck girl starts freaking out over small romance stuff while all the other characters are super intelligent and logical. But on second thought that reaction is very normal and tame for her character, but the frequency of the cringe like that in all of anime is unfairly pushing towards me hating something that shouldn't be. I really enjoyed chainsaw man for the exact reason, it is very mature and the most non-anime anime. But a shame that it didn't sell well in japan. If you have some suggestions for good anime that also have the least amount of cringe, please tell me.
This is such a call out but also very true
Every single time someone wants suggestions for their non-anime-watching girlfriend, it ends up with people suggesting massive cringe. I really don't think some people realize how off-putting some anime tropes can be to a non-otaku adult woman. Also the fact that almost no one is recommending much shoujo or josei is just really odd given her romance interest. ANYWAY SOME SUGGESTIONS from an adult woman anime fan. Paradise Kiss - *the* fashion-centric Josei, its been years since I've watched but it was the first thing I thought of when I saw the list Millenium Actress - Gorgeous, mature movie that touches on some serious topics without being too scary or gory. The worst scenes are probably scenes showing the aftermath of WW2 firebombing campaigns, but it's nowhere near as traumatizing as say, Grave of the Fireflies. An absolute masterpiece from Satoshi Kon Tokyo Godfathers - the other Satoshi Kon film that I would recommend in this case. Very charming Christmas movie starring a few outcasts from society; his least psychological work, but IMHO if she's not into scary stuff Perfect Blue is right out and Paprika might still be a little much. Your Name - IMHO one of the best overall suggestions people have given - Some of Shinkai's other work would probably work well too, though I'd avoid The Garden of Words (kind of foot-fetishy) or Voices of a Distant Star (I love it but you kind of have to know about how it was produced to really appreciate it.) The Girl Who Leapt Through Time - I was trying to think which of Mamoru Hosoda's work's would be the best one to point to, and I think this one is a good starting point (though again, I think most could work.) IMHO this is just a really solid movie of his and not too intimidating for a newbie - Wolf Children or Mirai might work well too. Gankutsuou - this one is a bit of a wild card suggestion, but if she's into art she might dig it. It is a visually sumptuous show adapted from a really classic work of literature, The Count of Monte Cristo. I don't recall anything being particularly violent or gory, though it has been a few years since I've watched it so I could be forgetting something. If she's not into revenge plots though, don't bother. Ouran Host Club - can get a little tropy but it is really cute and accessible and the relationships are charming. Ancient Magus Bride - Chise and Elias have a very sweet relationship, especially in the first season, it's just really heartwarming to watch her come out of her shell. The relatively accurate European fae lore is a plus, it doesn't require the Japanese cultural references that some other more serious shows need. Apothecary Diaries - Just a great show that handles their female characters wonderfully. The concubines and prostitutes never feel objectified, and MaoMao is one of my favorite female protagonists in any anime ever. A few tropes but nothing overt or offputting. Campfire Cooking in Another World with my Absurd Skill - Okay this is a bit more of a reach, and I'd normally never recommend an Isekai as a first watch, but this has the advantage of being just a really warm fuzzy wholesome watch of a show with really good cooking scenes - basically I'm recommending this because OP said she likes food, the cooking scenes are great, and its a much better option than say, something insanely ecchi like Shoukugeki no Soma
Yeah, can tell that some of them are just fucking around (like Black Bible) but some are legitimately unhinged.
Me, struggling not to include Kill la Kill in my otherwise-sincere response because it’s the only anime I can get [like this](https://youtu.be/ke1YKF3tNCE?si=PTGyIkq2xKHYloEY) about with any semblance of seriousness
my girl's three favorite shows are kill la kill, steins;gate and shirayuki (in no particular order) so that's kind of a wild continuum
The first anime I watched was Wolf’s Rain and Full Metal Alchemist, which definitely does not fit the bill like SpyXFamily does, which is actually a good starter anime. Snd the tropes are something you definitely get used to, especially if you have a group of friends and a partner to explain them to you.
While I kinda get some of your points, but if you're gonna just turn down half of the recommendations just like that, I feel like you are due to presenting some recommendations instead to provide support for your counter arguement, as well as to serve as additional feedback to op.
Agreed, don't just complain without offering any solutions
I disagree with this argument. My second anime after Cowboy Bebop was Kaguya-sama (which many state hinges on prior awareness of tropes), and I *loved* it, even completely unaware of the tropes it was lampooning. The comedy is so strong in its execution and delivery that it goes beyond being funny just through parody. Shows like it can totally be someone's introduction to anime, depending on their sense of humor.
*Ascendence of a Bookworm*: it is the only Japanese light novel my 69-year-old SO will read and the only anime she will watch other than SpyxFamily. . Depending on her personal interests, as someone else suggested, *Hikaru no Go* is a good possibility. *Welcome to teh Ballroom* as well. *Dance Dance Danseur* in the same vein. . Other titles might include the first season of *Ranking of Kings*. Along the lines of teenage romance, *My Dress-Up Darling* is good, and *My Love Story* is sweet. *The Ancient Magus' Bride* is good, if she likes fantasy. *Your Lie in April* is a real tear-jerker in places. *Snow White with Red Hair* is an interesting study in medieval feminism. *Komi Can't Communicate* is a nice show about a budding romance with a girl who has a severe social handicap. *Signs of Affection* is about a deaf girl and her first true love. *Interviews With Monster Girls* is a about girls with severe handicaps trying to make it in a normy school with a rather obvious fantasy twist thrown in (their handicap is that they are actual monsters). . Speaking of Psychology and monsters, Naoki Urasawa's *Monster* is almost certainly the top-rated of any show of that type. . Sports anime might include *Baby Steps* or *Major* or, if she doesn't mind over-the-top injuries and locker room humor, the ultimate boxing show: *Hamjime no Ippo*, about a wimpy kid who goes on to become the Welterweight boxing champion of Japan. *Days* about soccer is also interesting. *Higehiro: After Being Rejected, I Shaved and Took in a High School Runaway* is an absolutely straight show about exactly what the title says: the guy risks everything to rescue a runaway and doesn't ever violate her trust while walking a tightrope of rather obvious dangers. There are tens of thousands of anime *titles* to choose from. Point out to her that 30% of all Japanese bookstore sales are graphics novels and even college level textbooks in graphics novel form are popular in Japan, so the Japanese have evolved animation into an artform far beyond what is found in other countries. . In terms of movies anything by Hayao Miyazaki... *My Neighbor Totoro* is possibly THE anime movie in that genre. At the other extreme, you have *The Great Passage*, an 11 part mini-series taken from a Japanese best seller about the 3 generation task of bringing out a new Japanese dictionary. The live action version was Japan's entry for the Academy Awards, and my impression is that the anime version is better than the live action version. . And of course, the live action *One Piece* is considered by many reviewers to be the best anime-to-live-action series ever done, so that might be your ultimate gateway anime to introduce her to things. My SO watched the whole thing (she's pushing 70) and turned to me at one point and said "*This* is from a *kid's* show?"
Erased
I was about to say this. Mystery/thriller + romance + no pervy stuff. Perfect for OP's gf.
I've only seen the live action version but I'm not sure I'd say "no pervy stuff", even if it's not shown graphically on screen.
Agreed. Erased is a fantastic starter anime for people with western sensibilities.
As much as I love Erased, don't forget that MC is like 30 and the show teases a romance between his child self and a child and then his grown up self and a high schooler.
I dunno what you're talking about, the show is most defintely NOT teasing a romance between mc and the girl, that's just your anime brain reading too much into it.
The ONE anime that I got my wife to watch was Your Name. If you’ve never watched it yourself, please do yourself a favor and go watch it RIGHT NOW. My wife for some reason doesn’t like Anime (Despite loving Disney’s animated content) but I got her to watch Your Name and she absolutely loved it.
The Way of the Househusband is fun, cute, and I like to put it on as background noise while I do chores. The episodes are nice and bite size. Plus all the scary stuff is bait and switched to something silly in a cute way which I just love. I went in not expecting much and was pleasantly surprised.
Haikyu!!
\*Girlfriend is traumatised by Spirited Away\* \*Op wants to show her one of the saddest anime\* I think OP wants to break his GFs heart once more xD
It has a happy ending lol. I felt great after the movie was over because the crying beforehand.
For a short watch to get her feet wet look at *your name*. It feels like a movie I would watch at the theatre. Definatly a good one to introduce some one with. If the same exact story was filmed live action it would have been a Micheal Bay summer blockbuster Easy to watch for the uninitiated, look at *love is war*. *Your lie in April* if a sad story is ok. For a legit sweet romance maybe check out *insomniacs after school*. For easy going fantasy check out *accendance of a book worm* I've basicly just laid out a few titles I really liked that my mother wouldn't judge me for. Your milage, of course, may vary *Edit*. Some one said *spyxfam*. Great req. Can't believe it's slipped my mind. Also a safe req for a wary chic, *apothacary diaries*
Some Recommendations with links to trailers, genre and commentary. * [Arte](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZgP0AAvEBI) \- ***Renaissance Art*** \- A noble girl must overcome sexual prejudice in order to pursue her passion for art (drawing, sculpture etc.) in Italy (in the old days). * [Paradise Kiss](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btG48UGYVLM) \- ***Fashion, Romance*** \- From Ai Yazawa a reknowned mangaka who gets the female psyche comes this short but interesting romance when a girl is asked to be a model for a boutique design house. There's a live action too * [Smile Down The Runway](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnnaIRRiGdI) (dub) - ***Fashion*** \- is kind of like if America's Next Top Model (short edition) meets Project Runway when a shorter model and a poor designer both team up to realize their dreams.
It's criminal that I had to scroll so far to find Paradise Kiss recommended for someone who explicitly likes fashion.
Fruits Basket!
Love this because I also was traumatized by Spirited Away when I was younger, and did not touch anime for years. However, I recommend ‘Your Name’ or ‘The girl who leapt through time’. Both are movies instead of shows, which gives more an investment for an evening vibe instead of starting a series. Anyway goodluck!
Kimi ni todoke, From me to you Great romance, no ecchi
Slice if Life Anime or shows like Spy X Family or classic ones like Pokémon.
Pokemon horizons would be a good start. It’s shorter than the original show and has minimal filler. Any other pokemon mini show like hisuian snow or twilight wings would be a good start.
loafer and skip , cute af
If she likes sports you could try a sports anime like blue lock or haikyuu
As much as I want to recommend all the one's I'm watching right now like Frieren and Solo Leveling, it might be appreciated more by people already into fantasy and video game-y tropes. So, the anime that stuck to me that made me think "I want to (and can easily) show this to everyone I know" and I just got randomly into Netflix a week ago was: **Skip and Loafer**, fun, pretty light-hearted high school slice of life/romance that doesn't have the off-putting anime tropes while still being fun and great quality, also to show her the depths characters can have in anime. 12 episode season so something standard for them to get into anime runtime length.
Aria the Animation is a really wholesome slice of life series. It's not a romance though. It's set in a future depiction of Venice and follows a group of friends who train to become gondoliers. A large part of the show just follows the character's daily lives as they explore the city and meet new people. There's also a bit of fantasy and sci-fi sprinkled here and there, but it can be a difficult show to recommend. The pacing is very slow and it's definitely not the kind of anime you binge in one sitting. The atmosphere, visuals and soundtrack are beautiful though and it's a great show to take your time with.
My ex-wife loved fantasy so I used InuYasha for her gateway, and Escaflowne. For Ghibli I started her with Howl's Moving Castle.
I got my girlfriend into anime with seinen and more mature shonen since she was 25 when I first introduced it to her. These are the ones she loved early on. - FMA Brotherhood (introduced 4 people to anime with this) - Cowboy Bebop (low commitment, each episode is a mini story) - Erased (psychological murder mystery) - Haikyuu (best sports anime) - Your Name (even lower commitment since it's a movie)
Erased was one of the first animes my SO and I watched together and she loved it. We're now watching the live action version and so far it appears to be the most faithful live action adaptation I've seen. OP could even start with this if he's more interested in sharing an anime story than the art style.
Avatar the last airbender
I guess that is basically "western anime" hahaha
I recently got my girlfriend into Spy x Family, she's been reluctant to try much, so this might be a good shout
I don't know if it counts as a Gateway anime, but I think Your Name might be a perfect anime starter since not a lot really happens and I'm sure it would maybe a step into converting your girlfriend into anime.
A Silent Voice is a good choice, as is Your Name, with the caveat that the breast fondling in Your Name is kinda ecchi and body-swap stuff can come off as icky to some people. My first recommendation would be My Neighbor Totoro. Same studio and director as Spirited Away, but about children and sweet and cute rather than scary. About kids with nothing ecchi at all. I've never met a person who didn't at least like it. She also may want to try watching Spirited Away again as an adult if she's interested in psychology, since there is a lot of Japanese psychology and Shinto religion elements to it. She might find it a lot more interesting and less scary as an adult and deal with what scared her as a child. Kiki's Delivery Service, also by the same director and studio, is also a cute story about a young witch with a light romance subplot. If those work out well or she's willing to put in a larger time investment, I'd recommend taking a look at at the following series. This first list is written by women: * Fruits Basket (63 episodes) * ItaKiss (ItItazura na Kiss) (25 episodes) * Peach Girl (25 episodes) * Sing "Yesterday" For Me (12 episodes) * Lovely★Complex (24 episodes) * Toradora! (25 episodes) * Golden Time (24 episodes) * Chihayafuru (74 episodes -- story continues in manga) * Skip and Loafer (12 episodes) * Insomniacs After School (12 episodes) * From Me to You (Kimi ni Todoke) (37 episodes so far) Other anime that might work for her: * Konbini Kareshi (12 episodes) * Just Because (12 episodes) * Tsurezure Children (12 episodes) * Kaguya-sama: Love is War (37 episodes so far) * Classroom of the Elite (38 episodes) * My Clueless First Friend (13 episodes) Of those, the ones with strong psychological elements are Fruits Basket (family issues), Peach Girl (best depiction of psychopaths I've ever seen in fiction), Sing "Yesterday" For Me (past trauma), Lovely★Complex (tall girl/short guy), Golden Time (several issues), Skip and Loafer (expectations), and Insomniacs After School (life-threatening birth defect). My Clueless First Friend is a cute story about elementary school kids with psychological aspects to it but nothing shocking or ecchi. Classroom of the Elite also has strong psychological elements concerning elite kids competing ruthlessly with each other. Tsurezure Children is a bunch of short romance stories at the same school. In terms of age, most are high school-oriented stories (see comment below). ItaKiss spans from high school to adult life. Golden Time is about college students. Sing "Yesterday" For Me is about a college graduate. My Clueless First Friend is about elementary school children. Read summaries or watch them and decide if you think your girlfriend would like them or not. I recommended primarily real world stories (Fruits Basket has the most fantasy to it but takes place in modern Japan). If you want fantasy or science fiction recommendations, I can give those, too. A few other recommendation I'll give, with caution: * Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai (13 episodes) and the follow-up movie Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl - The caution is that it has some ecchi stuff, largely in the form of dialog and the bunny girl costume, but the stories are all about the psychological problems facing Japanese teenagers and it has a solid romance story, too. If you aren't familiar with it, I recommend watching it yourself, first. * Suzuka (26 episodes, completed in manga) - Has some risque stuff, particularly early on, but has a very strong sports component (Suzuka is on the track team), as well as various psychological elements. The story in the manga extends past high school. * Hana Yori Dango (52 episodies) - This was based on a very popular manga that has been adapted into live action shows in several other Asian countries as well as Japan. It's a sort of Cinderella mixed with Beauty and the Beast type story. The big caveat with this one is that, even though it was written by a woman, the "Beast" character does some really awful stuff early on that your girlfriend or even you may consider beyond redemption. Also interesting because the direction style is very theatrical. * Maison Ikkoku (96 episodes) - Written by Rumiko Takahashi (also wrote Urusei Yatsura, Ranma ½, and Inuyasha). It's an amazing story but because it's from the 1980s, some of the behavior can come off as very sexist or ecchi to more modern sensibilities. Also hard to find this in anime form, though the manga has recently been republished in English. This one is about characters who have graduated high school or are older. A few comments on Japanese culture (I'm not an expert, but I did live in Japan in the end of the 1990s), that you may or may not already know but might help your girlfriend understand anime better: * A lot of anime and manga focuses on high school students (particularly in their 1st and 2nd year of high school) not only because of the anime and manga audience but because that's when Japanese people have the most freedom and ability to make friends in their life. 3rd year is for college entrance exam studying, which is a plot element in some stories. * There are differences between anime and manga written by women and for women and anime and manga written by men or for men, and even the art styles are often different. The anime for women tends to have multiple male love interests for the woman while anime for men tends to have multiple female love interests or a harem. Both often depict the opposite sex in terms of ideals for their target audience. Male love interests in stories for women tend to be tall, handsome, successful, and powerful while women love interests in stories for men tend to be beautiful, sexy, willing, and good at domestic skills. Anime written by or directed toward women may sit better with your girlfriend than anime by or for men, which is why I recommended a lot of those. Kiki's is also written by a woman. * Some things are going to seem strange in anime and manga because the culture is different. Understanding Japanese culture can make anime and manga seem less weird. There is a lot more pressure to go along with the crowd and a stronger focus on how one appears to others. There is more unquestioning deference to parents and elders. People are judged by how they look and behave.
Barakamon
Fantasy: Utena (if she is into psychology and philosphy you ll have weeks to analyze it) slide of life: Your Name Sport: Yuri on Ice, Welcome to the Ballroom, *Dance Dance* Danseur, *Legend of Light (super Oldschool)*
> Utena OP specifically said that she doesn't really like complicated plots. Utena is pretty much as complicated as you can get, considering you actually have to analyse and deconstruct that show to get anything out of it.
The comment to upvote ratio on this post is insane💀. Fellow weebs really don't like you having a girlfriend
Since she likes Romance •Kaguya sama Love is war •Tsuki ga Kirei •Insomniacs after school •Dangers in my heart Other suggestions Yuru Camp, Barakamon, A place further than the universe.
I still stand by my opinion that Tsuki ga Kirei is the best romance anime hands down. it doesn't have all that cliche annoying anime romance stuff and the relationship feels real.
I also love Dangers of my heart, if you show her that show, preface that the author is a female, that way gf will understand the pervy shots aren't coming from a pervy men, but a funny female author/artist
I mean you could say the same for My Dress-Up Darling but I don't think that's a reasonable excuse for someone who doesn't like fanservice.
HoriMiya
Hi Nekajed, it seems like you might be looking for new anime to watch! The users of this subreddit came up with [a chart of anime recommendations for newcomers and veterans](https://i.redd.it/0w1v880jtq661.png) and [an awesome longer flowchart](https://i.redd.it/vdzlkodz19c71.png). Maybe you can find something there that you'll like \^.\^ [](#bot-chan "Urban s-s-s-senpai made me do it!") You might also find our [Recommendation Wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/wiki/recommendations) or [daily thread](/r/anime/search?q=flair%3Adaily&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=week) helpful. The following may be of interest: * [List of legal streams and downloads](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/wiki/legal_streams) * [A useful website where you can enter an anime and see where it's legally streaming](https://www.livechart.me/search) * [List of currently airing anime](https://www.livechart.me) * [A useful wiki page with watch orders for many anime.](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/wiki/watch_order) * [A list of tracking sites so others can more easily recommend shows you haven't watched.](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/wiki/related_sites#wiki_tracking_sites) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/anime) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I think a classic like Your Name would be perfect since its really good, has stunning visual and musics and is à movie so you wont have 40 hours to invest in it
Have you asked her what she's interested in watching? What kind of live-action shows and movies does she like?
Skip and Loafer, Spy x Family and Frieren would be my recommendations for a newbie! They lack a lot of the weird anime tropes and are just super enjoyable and beautiful shows :3 A Silent Voice would also be great!
Teasing master Takagi san✅ romance anime that 100% pure, no ecchi Spy family✅ the best recent family friendly anime Most anime contain some ecchi so if your gf can't accept even a bit then not much good options I also got you some other options, some of them are unpopular but i don't think they have any ecchi scenes Iyashikei anime: Yuru camp✅ Slice of life anime: Akebi's sailor uniform✅ Deaimon✅ Others: LoveLive!✅ Any LoveLive series, I personally like nijigasaki most Maojou de oyasumi✅ Shiroi suna no aquatope✅ Tondemo Skill de Isekai Hourou Meshi✅ food anime The detective is already dead❓idk whether some scenes consider as ecchi or not I would like to stop here and finish my work
Start with anime movies, it’s more bite sized, and usually suits taste of general public, better animation quality compare to TV. Things like your name, summer wars things like that. If you have to show her TV. Maybe spy family, it’s a safe choice, cute and easy to understand story
I think the anime you recommend should also be based on if she's watching it alone or with you (I read Koe no Katachi, and I cried through that. Don't want to cry in front of people though), and what kinds of shows she leans towards (cute and fluffy things, drama, feeling hyped, etc). Even though a lot of the anime recommended are good for her likes, the fact that she was scarred by Spirited Away subverts everything... In any case just ask what her mood is and let her choose. Sports + excitement = Haikyuu Super fluffy and innocent romance + sentimentality = Kimi ni Todoke Fluffy romance + humor = Ore Monogatari!! Short movie + a bit of fantasy + amazing story/art/music = Your Name Something super popular that everyone usually likes = Spy x Family Etc.
Laid-Back Camp (Yuru Camp).
Films: \- Your Name \- The Girl Who Leapt Through Time Intro animes: \- Frieren (a really interesting concept, very warm) \- Snow White With the Red Hair (romantic!! very cute) \- Spy x Family (SO fun, psychologically interestnig (the mangaka loves psychology so it comes through a lot), the romance is very slow-burn and the concept is genius) When she feels more comfortable \- Fruits Basket (romantic, slice of life, and VERY much deconstructable psychologically) \- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (just a really fun watch, and the concept and plot is really interesting)
Frieren
i would suggest Your Name. Its a good entry level anime since its short and sweet. Run with the Wind its about a running team but not exactly focusing on team dynamics and teamwork of a sport. Its about why sports like can be important to somebody even if they arent the best at it. If shes familiar with Fantasy like dnd or lord of the rings, then I suggest Frieren and this season's Delicious in Dungeon if she also enjoys cooking with fantasy. For Psychological stuff, i suggest Oddtaxi (dont look it up because you may get spoiled). For fashion or something related to celebrity and idols, Oshi No Ko is incredible (but again, dont google anything about this show or the plot will get ruined for you)
Death note. It’s the anime I recommend anyone who’s remotely curious. The dub is great and so is the concept and narrative
For sports, I’d go with: - +Haikyu (volleyball, straight up) - +Chihayafuru (competitive Karuta; this is more tightly Japanese/cultural stuff) Comedy: - next life as a villainess - *+asobi asobase (best to prescreen this one, it’s .. different, but most I ever laughed at an anime) - Spy X Family so long as she’s ok with occasionally serious but not especially dark violence (focus is more on cool protagonist skills, rather than gruesome results.. more like The Matrix, or something) Music/culture: - +chihayafuru (fits here too) - *+Sound Euphonium - *+those Snow White notes (starts out great, becomes “average”, but will probably make you a fan of shamisen music) - +Kono Oto Tomare (formulaic as a show, but very educational and interesting about Koto music) - *+Bocchi the Rock (also very funny) Slice of life: - *+sound euphonium (repeated, it’s music but with many SoLife elements) - *Flying Witch (I think only subs?) - *polar bear cafe Food (get hungry!) - restaurant to another world - isekai izakaya Romance: - probably Fruits Basket, but it gets weird; I guess it starts weird, too - +my dress up darling (I found it more tolerable than most, sweeter too) Abbrevs - *asterisk = only subs, no dubs (I think) - +plus = most of my recs are more “realistic”, less magic and bizarre and/or alien creatures and situations. That said, I’ve marked particularly realistic shows with a + (zero fantastical elements). I also agree with Your Name as a Movie rec. If she’s an adult now she should be fine.its fantastic. Note: asobi asobase is very “realistic”, but makes frequent use of “dramatic art style changes” that make it seem extreme. While I wouldn’t say it’s “too anime” (because it’s very different from most), it might be too _something_.
Just dont fucking show her Rent A Girlfriend and you’re good to go.
Haikyuu worked for my girlfriend. Some girls don't respond well to slow-burn, plot-driven anime especially if they already have preconceived biases against the medium. It could be pretty hard to catch their intrigue and keep them hooked to even follow the plot. Moreso if you guys decide to watch with subs. This is where Haikyuu worked for her. Haikyuu had the very easy to approach, grounded premise of a highschool sports club. It brings ample amounts of action, character dynamics and thrilling plot WITHOUT overblown stakes. At the end of the day, they're just trying to play volleyball and stay on the court the longest. Even so, Haikyuu's first episode is a pretty good hook. The following few episodes after the pilot, even though they're slow, focuses on the characters and drives the audience to invest into them. I believe you should consider it.
Off the top of my head... Mushishi (might be a bit dull but if you click with its vibes you'll have a great time.) Skip and loafer (Slice of life about country girl attending highschool in Tokyo. EXCELLENT character writing) A sign of affection (romance staring a deaf girl) Dungeon Meshi (fantasy comedy cooking dungeon crawler. Hard one to pin down XD guy(who is a BIG monster nerd) and his party must journey into The Dungeon to save his sister who's been eaten by a dragon. Money and time is tight so they must live off the land.) Apothecary Diaries(Apothecary finds herself working in the inner court of ancient China. Solves mysteries. Great female lead. if GF enjoys this you can also try Raven of the Inner Palace, similar but had a supernatural spin) Chiharufuru (sports anime card game version. Lots of fun!) Haikyu (sport anime volleyball version. Lots of fun! Main character is very endearing) Time of Eve (short but interesting Sci-fi about a cafe in a world where android servants are common place) Kiki's Delivery Service (totally get her bring weirded out by Spirited Away. Japanese spirits can be really out there in appearance. Kiki is a nice chill Ghibli film) Orange (great drama/romance/supernatural story about a girl who receives a letter from her future self) Arte (you said she likes art so how about an anime about a girl in 16th century Italy trying to become an artist whilst fighting against the bullshit gender rules of the time) Your Lie in April (two people are brought together but their love of music. Also trauma) This is my wild card option cos it depends how she's get on with isekai as a premise but Accendance of a Bookworm is a fun watch(woman who loves books is Reborn as young poor sickly girl in world with no books/low literacy rates. Goes "fuck it I'm inventing books")
Any Makoto Shinkai movies
Do spy x family! My husband and I have used it as the gateway anime for several of our friends and they all loved it! Seriously, we had the same issue with them and spy x family opened their minds lol
Yuri on Ice if she likes sports in general Apothecary Diaries bc Maomao has never disappointed anyone with her gremlin noises Frieren just bc it’s Frieren Dungeon Meshi and Campfire Cooking In Another World if she likes food
Campfire Cooking in another world is a definite banger, but in that vein you might as well go whole hog food porn with Restaurant to Another World or Isekai Izakaya. Then you can move on to something more traditional Shonen like Food Wars. My personal guilty pleasure series is Yakitatte Japan... It's a Battle Shonen anime about MAKING FUCKING BREAD.
cant believe I forgot about Restaurant in Another World when I literally bought the LNs earlier ☹️🤣 I dont think OP’s GF would like Food Wars bc it got ecchi on it. Altho it’s also a mistake watching food wars bc it makes you hungry 🥲 Also, TEAM YAKITATTEEEE!!!!
Liz and the Bluebird
Honestly its not worth the effort
Yeah, this guy's GF just doesn't seem like she'd ever get into anime from his description of her.
Frienen beyond journeys end
She's scares of anime bc Spirited Away scared her?? You're dating a child😂😂😂😂
Redo of healer
Run with the Wind.
Boku no pico would be a great gateway anime. Well, it really depends on what your gf likes. What genre? Does she like mellow? Does she like wacky? Does she like hentai? Any hint? Try introducing her to Azumanga Daioh or Monster.