My partner wants to get more into anime (recommendation thread)

[VISION]

So I'm big into anime but my partner is just now getting into it. So far together we've watched Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Ninja Scroll, Berserk 1997, Space Dandy in full.

We have watched in part: Cowboy Bebop, Gurren Lagann, Kaiba, Welcome to the NHK, Tatami Galaxy (subtitles were too fast for her even though it's my favorite), and the first episode of The Promised Neverland.

She says she best liked: Berserk, Space Dandy, Cowboy Bebop, Akira, Kaiba. She says she also kinda liked Welcome to the NHK but is conflicted on it.
She didn't like: ninja scroll, Gurren Lagann

Ghost in the Shell she was neutral on. She says she wants to rewatch tatami galaxy because she didn't feel she was mentally ready for it. Promised Neverland we just watched the first episode but she said she'd watch more.

I asked her what she wants out of an anime: immersive with characters that can be invested in, psychological themes, distinctive art style
What she doesn't want: Shonen, fanservice

She also placed an emphasis on wanting strong female characters.


All of that said, any recommendations? Films or series are both fine.

 

[Freezasaurus]

First, why haven't you finished Cowboy Bebop? That's like, GOAT anime.

Other than that, I would definitely check out Mushishi, Kino's Journey, and Carole & Tuesday. Maybe Michiko & Hatchin as well.

 

[julia crawford]

You should watch Ping Pong as well, if she enjoyed Kaiba and is willing a return to Tatami Galaxy (which is better on a second view, i think).

 

[NESpowerhouse]

Could always watch some Utena (my all time favorite anime) if you want to toss her into the deep end and hope she doesn't mind repetition as a means to convey its themes and progress its plot.

 

[VISION]

First, why haven't you finished Cowboy Bebop? That's like, GOAT anime.

Other than that, I would definitely check out Mushishi, Kino's Journey, and Carole & Tuesday. Maybe Michiko & Hatchin as well.

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Cowboy Bebop is the one we're currently actively working through. Thanks for the recommendations.

 

[CannonFodder52]

Mushishi, Serial Experiments Lain, Paranoia Agent, and Haibane Renmei.

 

[smurfx]

tell her to watch to your eternity if she wants misery porn.

 

[Freezasaurus]

Cowboy Bebop is the one we're currently actively working through. Thanks for the recommendations.

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oh, Steins;Gate is a good option too if you want something heavily psychological.

 

[BasilZero]

 

[Deleted member 56803]

• Texhnolyze
• Haibane Renmei
• Mushishi
• Kino's Journey
• Serial Experiments Lain

 

[RecRoulette]

You all should watch The Night is Short, Walk On Girl. It's a movie so wouldn't require too much commitment and is Tatami Galaxy adjacent

Carole & Tuesday would be a great next stop after you all finish Bebop

 

[Kuro]

Miyazaki's films

Kino's Journey

Mushi-shi

Chihayafuru

The Eccentric Family (does have some minor fanservice but its got very good writing and is more about family)

Mononoke (horror)

Kids on the Slope

 

[smurfx]

tell her to watch the 12 kingdoms as well.

 

[PhoenixAKG]

Saint Seiya.

 

[julia crawford]

Oh yeah. Even if you don't want to see Eva, and she is up for a romance show, KareKano is definitely worth watching because it is Hideaki Anno being extremely talented for 17 episodes until he was thrown out the door (i think he threw himself, i'm not sure)

 

[John Rabbit]

My wife has enjoyed a lot of the same as your partner, OP. Additional things she enjoyed:

-Jojo's Diamond is Unbreakable and Golden Wind (I filled her in on story beats that didn't make sense, she really liked the Scooby Gang kind of aspect to both arcs)
-Laidback Camp
-Nichijou
-Project A-ko (sort of ironically as it's incredibly horny)
-Castlevania (yes I know not 'real' anime I guess but she really liked it)
-Miyazaki films
-Tekkonkinkreet

Things I want to show her that I'm sure she'll likely enjoy:
-Berserk
-Bubblegum Crisis
-Cyber City Oedo

 

[Iacomus]

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Jesus christ. This is a wonderful list.

Though shame Bleach and Tenchi didn't make the cut.

 

[Feign]

Odd Taxi is finishing up next week, but it's writing is some of the sharpest I've seen in a show, anime or not, in a while.

Definitely Paranoia Agent.

I loved Madoka Magica, although the opening may be off-putting. Would still suggest it based on what's being asked for.

These are all 13 episodes or less, which is my preference, so they're relatively easy sells.

 

[Scheris]

Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit is a good watch, although it takes a little while for things to fully kick into gear due to the world building and whatnot.

 

[s_mirage]

If the Ghost in the Shell anime you watched was the '95 movie, watch Stand Alone Complex. It's more approachable and does a lot more with the characters thanks to being a series rather than a movie.

Bubblegum Crisis and Crash, though Crash is an unsatisfying end to the series.
Gunbuster.

 

[B.O.O.M.]

Samurai Champloo
Re:Zero
Steins Gate
Hellsing Ultimate
Code Geass

 

[Feign]

My wife has enjoyed a lot of the same as your partner, OP. Additional things she enjoyed:

-Jojo's Diamond is Unbreakable and Golden Wind (I filled her in on story beats that didn't make sense, she really liked the Scooby Gang kind of aspect to both arcs)
-Laidback Camp
-Nichijou
-Project A-ko (sort of ironically as it's incredibly horny)
-Castlevania (yes I know not 'real' anime I guess but she really liked it)
-Miyazaki films
-Tekkonkinkreet

Things I want to show her that I'm sure she'll likely enjoy:
-Berserk
-Bubblegum Crisis
-Cyber City Oedo

Click to shrink...

Seconding Nichijou. It's a showcase for animation and a lot of fun.

 

[red13th]

One Piece.
(just kidding)

Samurai Champloo and Sakamichi no Apollon IMO. Maybe Erased (Boku Dake ga Inai Machi) too.

 

[John Rabbit]

Also this isn't an anime but it might as well be: Alice in Borderland.

 

[Uncivilized Elk]

Fooly Cooly / FLCL might be a tad too short to get heavily invested into the characters at only 6 episodes (although so much is packed into them), but I consider it the ultimate tour de force anime.
Edit: When I was young someone knew I loved FLCL and tried to get me to watch TTGL based on that, but I found TTGL super mediocre at best and boring at worst.

I loved Serial Experiments Lain when in/right outta highschool but haven't rewatched it in over a decade so somewhat tentatively seconding that series.

 

[Ginger Hail]

I'll echo Lain but it can be a lot yeah.

 

[Orayn]

Bit of recency bias since it's airing now and about to end, but everyone should watch Oddtaxi if you like psychological stuff.

It's basically a Coen brothers movie with anime furries. It seems more like a quirky comedy at the start when they're establishing all the characters and plotlines, but it evolves into a very intense mystery/crime drama.

 

[Violence Jack]

If she liked Bebop and wants something with a strong female character, try Black Lagoon.

 

[Jaychrome91]

Rahxephon and To Your Eternity. Both are tragedies, but beautiful anime's.

 

[bino]

Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan - Tsuioku-hen

 

[super-famicom]

Carole & Tuesday
The Twelve Kingdoms
MONSTER
Haibane Renmei

 

[effingvic]

Vinland Saga

From The New World (has some slight fanservice and male gaze but absolutely phenomenal story)

 

[fontguy]

I recommend discontinuing Promised Neverland. That show collapses in on itself in an absolutely unreal way after setting an incredibly high bar with its first season.

Also it sounds like she likes the sort of stuff Toonami's aired, so look into Trigun, Outlaw Star, Parasyte, Attack on Titan, Blue Gender (this one's bleak), and maybe Big O and FMA.

And I will never not mention FLCL and Utena. No idea of they're up her alley, but they're good.

 

[Deleted member 28523]

I asked her what she wants out of an anime: immersive with characters that can be invested in, psychological themes, distinctive art style

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that's Dorohedoro. its also currently 12 episodes.

 

[JoeyJungle]

Kids on the Slope is great!

 

[RangerBAD]

Anything by Masaaki Yuasa.

 

[Dale Copper]

Just watch One Piece.

 

[Pellaidh]

Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo - An anime adaptation of the titular book. It takes some pretty big liberties (it's set in the future, and told from the perspective of a child of one of the people the Count takes revenge on) but still manages to be surprisingly close to the source material. Very distinct visually, as it uses abstract CG textures in place of traditional coloring.

Ping Pong the Animation - Same director as Tatami Galaxy, with a similar visual style. But slower paced and with a story that focuses on multiple characters and their conflicts. The cast is essentially exclusively male though.

From the New World - Psychological sci-fi horror/thriller about humanity developing psychic powers. Has some weird stuff in it (including some minor fanservice), but mostly delivers on a pretty engaging and dark story. Visually the most standard on the list, but still delivers some very good atmosphere. Main cast has a 3-2 split between male/female

Land of the Lustrous - A subversion of the typical anime trope where a useless protagonist suddenly gains an OP power. This happens here, but this power comes at a pretty terrible cost, and the show does a great job of showing how this affects the protagonist. Visually easily the most impressive CG anime series I've seen, and does an incredible job combining traditional animation techniques with CG imagery. The cast is entirely gender-less, featuring anthropomorphized gems. Fanservice wise, it has some pretty out of place ass shots, but other than that it's fine.

Angel's Egg - Same director as the Ghost in the Shell movie, but very distinct from basically everything else. Kind of Dark Souls styled, in that it follows a girl exploring an abandoned civilization with very little clues about what actually happened. Absolutely dripping with atmosphere, and interestingly is almost entirely a silent movie, save for a monologue at the very end. Kind of vaguely similar to episode 21 of Space Dandy (the one where Dandy visits the afterlife), which was directed by someone who also worked on Angel's Egg.

Basically any movie by Satoshi Kon - He made great movies that all to at least some degree fit the dark psychological theming and female protagonists.

 

[RangerBAD]

Just watch One Piece.

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Just use a guide to avoid filler arcs/episodes when catching up. Also, if your partner like particular movies, have her take a look at other thingd directed by the same person.

 

[Midramble]

I asked her what she wants out of an anime: immersive with characters that can be invested in, psychological themes, distinctive art style
What she doesn't want: Shonen, fanservice

She also placed an emphasis on wanting strong female characters.

Click to shrink...

Based on the bolded I would have though Ghost in the Shell would be top tier, though maybe you guys watched the movie. Stand alone complex is better on that front.

As for psychological and distinctive art style, TekkonKinkreet is one of my favorites. Paprika or Perfect Blue are good as well but they can be psychologically rough to handle.

Wildcard fun/cute sci-fi pick Dennou Coil.

 

[HiLife]

Attack on Titan and Monster. Seems like she could like a more mature, or even seinen approach.

 

[laoni]

I'd recommend Shinsekai Yori/From The New World for what your girlfriend wants to see, that ticks all of her boxes, imo

 

[Vex]

Jesus christ. This is a wonderful list.

Though shame Bleach and Tenchi didn't make the cut.

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Tenchi muyo is on there? They put it under action.... I remember it being more comedy similar to gintama.. but my memory is fuzzy on this.


I don't see trigun unless I'm blind...

 

[Epcott]

Re: Zero - Starting Life in Another World…
Interesting premise, strong female characters, lots of character development, arcs that tug on the heartstrings.

Vinland Saga
Not many lead female characters, but a nice historical drama.

Dodohedoro
Weird show, but Nikaido is a gem!

Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song
Nice mix of Spielberg's A.I. and Terminator mixed into an idol show:

 

[NottJim]

"She also placed an emphasis on wanting strong female characters."

I'd do at least a few of the Ghibli movies, Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away etc.

Maybe some of the Makoto Shinkai movies, Garden of Words or the Mamoru Hosoda movies, Wolf Children is a good one.

It's all pretty fan service free.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Samurai Champloo, Trigun, Black Lagoon, and Baccano are all varying shades of Cowboy Bebop. Outlaw Star too, but it has a decent amount of fanservice.

Cat Soup is sorta Kaiba-esque

I asked her what she wants out of an anime: immersive with characters that can be invested in, psychological themes, distinctive art style

Click to shrink...

Serial Experiments Lain for all three (maybe read an explanation/guide tho cause it can be confusing af)
Evangelion, Madoka Magica, Wolf's Rain, and Paranoia Agent for the first two
Dorohedoro and Boogiepop Phantom for the last two
Ping Pong and Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo for the first and last
Texhnolyze for the second one
Mononoke (the horror series) for the third one

I'd also throw Land of the Lustrous in there somewhere too

She also placed an emphasis on wanting strong female characters.

Click to shrink...

Basically all of Studio Ghibli's films
Haibane Renmei
Carole & Tuesday
Nichijou
Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!

Movies that fit the bill in various ways:

Paprika
Perfect Blue
Mind Game
Millennium Actress
Angel's Egg

 

[Iacomus]

Tenchi muyo is on there? They put it under action.... I remember it being more comedy similar to gintama.. but my memory is fuzzy on this.


I don't see trigun unless I'm blind...

Click to shrink...

Thanks for the Tenchi pointer I missed it.

Trigun is on sci-fi group, very bottom row on the right

 

[RLCC14]

Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight. Its not Shonen, still has great fight scenes, no real fanservice at all, all female cast with nice depth (as much as you can get from a multimedia anime) and they're all gay as hell.

 

[Fridaynightcatlady]

Although it's long, I'd fully recommend Monster (psychological, great written characters) and Steins;Gate. I'd add Paranoia Agent as well.

Edit: Also, your partner might also enjoy Paprika and Perfect Blue (films).

 

[Jotakori]

My two top anime recommendations will always be Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Mob Psycho 100. Now I know both are considered shonen, but I'd say they're a step up in maturity and story quality compared to what typically comes to mind with that genre.
FMA:B has amazing world building, a well fleshed out cast, and imo really fantastic and well treated female characters. Its manga was also written by a woman! :)
MP100 pushes more into the seinen territory and plays as a sort of headflip on a lot of typical shonen themes, plus it has jaw-dropping movie quality animation.

Based on her enjoying Cowboy Bebop, I might recommend Samurai Champloo, Trigun, Wolf's Rain, Eureka Seven, and maayybee Outlaw Star. Samurai Champloo and Wolf's Rain had a lot of the same folks working on them as Cowboy Bebop, while Trigun and Outlaw Star hit those scifi vibes. Outlaw Star does have some fanservice unfortunately -- like, there's one especially obnoxious hot spring episode (which you could pretty easily skip), but otherwise it's probably only a bit worse than Cowboy Bebop from what I can recall, and definitely no where near TTGL levels. Eureka Seven is sci-fi lite and hits on the solid female characters + psychological themes.

And while I'm not sure any of these would hit with her, some of my additional personal favs which might include: Durarara, Noragami, Kekkei Sensen s1, Re:Zero (altho haven't gotten around to S2 yet), Eden of the East, Nozaki-kun, and Tsuritama.
All relatively light on the fanservice (there's some for sure, but on the light end of what's considered 'typical' from anime), with the last two being cute, feel-good comedy type shows if that mood ever strikes y'all.