Why I Think Everyone Should Watch Anime...At Least Once.

As I always tend to mention, there are many things that make me unique and wonderfully awkward. One of these things is my love for Japanese animation, better known as anime.

Anime. Cartoons. Most people in the teenagers and young adults tend to tuck their tails and run at the mention of anything animated, minus popular American cartoons such as Family Guy, The Simpsons, and King of the Hill. Well, I'm here to tell you there's more out there: anime is an extremely underrated type of entertainment that really deserves more exposure than it gets.

If you have never read the about me section on my profile, you probably do not understand why I feel the need to speak about this aspect of my personality. When I was young, I, like many late '80s early 90's born kids, watched anime. Of course, at the time, I didn't realize it. And many people who did still do not recognize that many of the most popular shows that they watched were made in Japan. If you watched Pokemon, Sailor Moon, or anything in the Dragonball series as a kid, you too are, or at least were an anime fan.

As I got older and went through that "cartoons-are-for-babies" phase, my younger sister continued to watch many of the newly released anime shows. I used to tease her and tell her how immature she was. Boy, was I ever wrong. I was far more immature than she.

About 2 years ago, I watched several episodes of InuYasha, an anime that my sister recorded via DVR. I was hooked. I have watched several animes since in many different genres including romance, mystery, fantasy, comedy, and even historical fiction. With anime, there is something for everyone.

If you are interested, I have some suggestions. Here are my top three:

This show is called Rurouni Kenshin (aka Samurai X). It is my all-time favorite and is in the romance and historical fiction genres. Set in during the Meiji Restoration, it follows the story of a young revolutionary assassin's journey for redemption in a time of peace. This show puts you on a emotional roller coaster: ranging from extreme satisfaction to extreme despair and including everything in between.




This anime is called Ouran High School Host Club and is in the romance and comedy genres. It tracks the story of a poor female student who is forced to cross-dress as a member of a host club at a high school full of rich students in order to repay a debt. There are no words to describe how funny this show is.




This anime, called Fruits Basket, is one of the more unrealistic anime shows out there, but it still has a really great plot. It makes use of the drama, romance, and fantasy genres. The story follows a young woman who has recently been orphaned and has been forced to live in a tent. The land that she secretly lives on is owned by the Sohma family, which has a secret of its own. This show has lots of depressing moments, but they offset by the perfect balance of hilarious moments.


As you can see, all of these shows tend to be marketed to young adults, these are not kiddy, Spongebob-type shows. They each have a set plot; there is always a sense of consistency in the episodes. If you grow tired of American cartoons, please look into anime. You won't be disappointed!
(PS I did not produce, nor do I own, any of these images)