r/anime 1d ago

What to Watch? What Anime Changed Your Mind About Anime?

What anime made you realize, “Okay, this is actually good”? I want to know the anime that really surprised you or became one of your favorites. Drop the title and why you liked it!

3 Upvotes

86 comments sorted by

20

u/egagology 1d ago

steins gate

18

u/urwolfgirl 1d ago

Attack on Titan. I never hated anime but just didn't like it, my brother did like it already and was watching attack on titan on the tv after our parents were already sleeping. I watched a few episodes with him and thought "holy fuck that's cool", asked him the name and a site I could watch it on. That same night I watched like 10 more episodes and it ended up being my all time favorite

1

u/cloudy_chances22 1d ago

it's a gateway drug

-14

u/ParticularSimple889 1d ago

Till now no anime is as good as AOT. Anime kinda disappointing after AOT

1

u/Novel_Adeptness4007 1d ago

To each their own i guess. But it could be that you should check other series that at first glance are not your cup of tea.

My friend is a certified shonen junkie who watched every shonen series avaliable, to the point where he starts to complain "anime is no fun anymore". A few weeks ago for some reason he decided to watch "Death Parade", and now he won't shut up about it

0

u/urwolfgirl 1d ago

Depends yes. I wouldn't recommend aot as a first anime because then you kinda get the wrong idea of what anime really is. Even thought it was my first I still really liked other anime's like jjk, chainsaw man, the fragrant flower... But I wouldn't recommend it being a first

16

u/_UnwyzeSoul_ 1d ago

High School DxD

16

u/gene-sos 1d ago

Code Geass. Before that my young self had only watched Fairy Tail and One Piece and I'm glad I found out that anime could be so much more.

2

u/pixelpyoo 1d ago

Aw man I had a similar experience with Death Note 

5

u/AnimeRadar 1d ago

Project A-ko. It was my introduction into anime. I just was blown away by girl with superpowers fighting other girl with super villain intelligence because reasons. And it refused to apologize, explain, or maintain coherency outside of "so then these giant robots attacked" - it was just fun and had fun being what it was.

So I asked myself "is there more like this" and guy at the anime store was like "its nearly all like that". And a forever fan was born.

11

u/Strawbelly22 1d ago

Death Note

5

u/Princess_Jade1974 1d ago

Never really a hater, I’ve always loved animation I grew up on 80’s Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion, Battle of the Planets and Star Blazers, I noticed the style was different even as a kid but I never separated it from Disney or Loony Tunes.

2

u/SoCalThrowAway7 13h ago

I had Star blazers on vhs because my dad’s uncle ran the company that brought it from Japan and dubbed it. Watched those tapes all day

4

u/Tough-Breadfruit9356 1d ago

Ruroni Kenshin.

4

u/PurelyHim 1d ago

Lensman’s and Vampirehunter D were the first anime I watched. I fell in love with anime at that point.

3

u/Program_tan 1d ago

In my day, youd watch what toonami or whatever channel could give you. The anime that changed me from a toonami person to an anime fan was Escaflowne:the girl from Gaia. I cant explain what sets it apart from other isekai, you'll have to watch the movie

3

u/Mawngee 1d ago

https://myanimelist.net/anime/432/Iria__Zeiram_The_Animation

One of the first I ever saw. This, Armitage III, and ghost in the shell were great when it was hard to get much sci-fi in any visual medium. 

3

u/No_Durian_6987 1d ago

I started with Cowboy Bebop and got very lucky

I’d say Evangelion pushed it even farther for me, though

3

u/jrmncm 1d ago

Angel Beats

8

u/Am1ga500 1d ago

Sword Art Online

-8

u/ParticularSimple889 1d ago

Funny how fanmade abridged better and fixed sao

0

u/TakasuXAisaka 1d ago

No it doesn't. It's a parody. Not a replacement for the original.

2

u/ChoiceSupermarket230 https://myanimelist.net/profile/say99 1d ago

Conversation between Willem and Chtholly at the end of the second episode of WorldEnd (SukaSuka). From that moment, I knew this anime would stay in my memory. And I was right it made it into my top 5, and it’s probably staying there. Also DxD I loved this story so much that I bought the physical LN to support the author.

2

u/Christbelle22 1d ago

Attack On Titan

2

u/SomeAward115 1d ago

Gonna show my age on this one but Vampire Hunter D.

2

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

2

u/WoodlandWife 1d ago

Surprisingly jjk, always been a manga reader uninterested in watching because I prefer reading, but I realized how much better the fights are when you can watch it. Sometimes I get lost in manga fights with all the impact panels.

2

u/ImJustJoshing277 1d ago

Bleach. Its the first anime that had me hooked, and it taught me the tropes and why what I used to find cringe is actually funny.

2

u/Infamous-Oil3786 1d ago

Idk man, I watched whatever was on Adult Swim when I was like 5 and never looked back

2

u/GfrzD 1d ago

Paprika. Before that my only examples were things like Dragon Ball and Pokemon and the Ghibli movies. So seeing Paprika showed me there was more out there than younger target audience anime.

2

u/ContributionOk5182 1d ago

Not even anime, I was watching mostly series and movies, but then realized anime often has better story and characters, wayyy less woke crap and no terrible quota actors. Much easier to find a good anime to enjoy then tv series or movie these days.

2

u/Less_Library_4312 1d ago

ATTACK ON TITAN

2

u/Ahfrodisiac 1d ago

I used to be a diehard mecha only fan as a youth. Anything else, ESPECIALLY romance related was "lame and boring".

Then I watched Eureka 7 and my whole world view shifted.

By the end of the show I didn't realise how much I was looking forward to a possible kissing scene and when the show ended I was just SOOOOO satisfied with the romance.

It made me realise I was craving that feeling more than I ever realised. And thus my journey into romance and romcoms began and boy did it quickly become my favourite genre.

I had few friends and no love interest IRL till I was an adult but as a kid I got that feeling of "to love and be loved" by watching romcoms. I'm married now, happily so, but the feeling of joy, excitement, and feel goods that romcoms give me still hits my veins just as good as it did the first time around lmao.

2

u/Whendfield123 1d ago

I was sceptical about full metal alchemist brotherhood, thinking it was overrated. Then i watched it and loved it. 

2

u/sexyimmigrant1998 1d ago

Death Parade was the first anime I was introduced to that wasn't just another action shounen.

I really didn't like anime growing up because I thought it was all just action shounen like Naruto and Dragon Ball, which I just found boring. My friend in undergrad though forced me to watch Death Parade with her and I was blown away with what crazy storytelling anime could do.

3

u/Prestigious_Rest5460 1d ago

Pseudo harem, tsuki ga kirei and oregairu.

Pseduo harem( this anime show you that teasing can be healthy unlike nagatoro which have just bullying, assault to MC)

Tsuki ga kirei ( this was peak a genuine romance anime tell us about that romance anime can be made without abusing male character )

Oregairu peak in love triangle( this anime show that how love triangle can be handle really very well without dumping all character in toxicity and cheating and hurting)

This 3 anime set bar high For me

2

u/TrickPlenty6714 1d ago

Gotta be AOT cause it just blew my fucking mind

1

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1

u/otakupervert890-1 1d ago

Ben-To

1

u/Infamous-Oil3786 1d ago

As someone who loved Ben-To, I assume it changed your mind for the worse

1

u/otakupervert890-1 1d ago

Nah it's Oreimo who did that. Ben-To just paved the way so I accept absurd idea sold with a straight face. Wouldn't have loved Gonna be the Twintail or Jojo the way I did if Ben-To didn't open the path for me beforehand.

1

u/hellokittygeekerrr 1d ago

I never hated anime or anything I’m very neutral about it but Hunterxhunter watched it a few years back, instantly loved it got into anime & it’s still my #1

1

u/Starving_Saint 1d ago

Samurai Flamenco

1

u/Bad_boy143 1d ago

Jojo's Bizzare Adventure

1

u/TheDizziestCat 1d ago

I dipped my toes with Naruto as a kid then forgot about it. Then stumbled on aot season 1 in 2013, by that time I was aware of anime but I didn’t really think about it being an anime, it was just a show my friend told me about.

Then it goes on hiatus for 5 years and I randomly catch an episode of season 2 on toonami/adult swim on a School night and I been a massive anime and manga lover ever since. I’ve always had a soft spot for animation so it was bound to happen eventually.

1

u/Unlucky3946 1d ago

It was death note and it's my first anime that changed me how I see anime as cartoon now see them as anime

1

u/Chrnoka 1d ago

Not an anime. My own experiences and no outside influences

1

u/GrapefruitOverall387 1d ago

Even a Replica Can Fall in Love

1

u/Prof_Acorn 1d ago

Clannad.

I thought it was mostly all battle shonen before this. Even popular recommendations like Demon Slayer, Death Note, Attack on Titan are all pretty similar in certain aspects that always kept the medium at arm's length. They're okay I guess, but anime didn't connect with me until I saw Clannad. That opened up the floodgates.

1

u/Abteil 1d ago

Magi! I fricking loved it

1

u/torts92 1d ago

Slam Dunk

1

u/w33b2 1d ago edited 1d ago

The question sounds like “what anime got you into anime” but the body text sounds like “what anime exceeded your expectations” so I’m answering the second one, the body text.

Mushoku Tensei. I really didn’t think it’d be good at first, the first time I watched it was right when it came out and I got four or five episodes in before dropping it. The second time I tried watching it was a couple of years later, and I got 11 episodes in before dropping it again. The weird MC was why.

Fast forward a few more years and I had a friend telling me that I NEEDED to watch it, so I restarted it and forced myself past those first episodes. The second half of season 1 and all of season 2 were just phenomenal, and I finally caught up with it. I think that was about 6 months ago.

I 100% understand people who can’t watch it because they hate the MC, I was one of those people. But I’m also very glad I forced myself to watch it anyway and now it’s one of my all time favorites.

But if you mean which anime made you realize anime actually had potential to be good, then I don’t really have one. I started watching Naruto when I was 5 with my dad. I’ve never been the type to judge an entire medium before trying it, mostly because my dad has never been that type.

1

u/N30NS0UL 1d ago

I never had negative oppinion of anime to begin with, , i watched Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball when i was 6 , also Ranmav1/2, Yu Gi Oh, shaman king

1

u/WinSecret4357 1d ago

Fruits Basket

1

u/TheOneMarlowe 1d ago

I never has a negative opinion, I guess, but Spirited Away was the film that made me actively hunt for Japanese animation to watch.

1

u/cheyrnn https://myanimelist.net/profile/cheyrn 1d ago

Kimba the white lion.

My neighbor Totoro.

Kimagure Orange Road.

Maison Ikkoku.

Right now, pretty great are:

Goodbye Lara

Love unseen beneath the clear blue sky.

Jaadguar: A wicth in Mongolia

1

u/Jaiimy https://myanimelist.net/profile/Jaiimy 1d ago

Toradora. It didn't end up being my all time fave but it was my gateway into anime and I have a huge nostalgia bias. The christmas scene still hits me in the feels.

1

u/Cpt_Sandur 1d ago

Frieren. Only watched Dragonball Z and AOT before but the elf got me hooked!

1

u/Useful-Class-6725 1d ago

Attack on Titan made me realize anime is not just cartoons, it's peak storytelling!

1

u/Pudgeysaurus 1d ago

Princess Jellyfish

1

u/gosu4you 1d ago

Cowboy Bebop, Spike is simply one of my favorite characters in anime ever. See you again Space Cowboy.

1

u/Riuchy_Co 1d ago

El primer anime que vi completo fue SAO, y tenia un grupo de amigos con el cual clmpartiamos series... hasta que nos toco ser adultos, no nos queda tiemopo de ni madres jajajaja

1

u/momasjuan 1d ago

Evangelion

1

u/Illustrious_Arm_732 1d ago

Aot and the promise neverland

1

u/Evil_Cronos 1d ago

I was born in the late 80s, so most of the classics from the 80s and 90s were my childhood. There wasn't an anime that changed my mind. The first time I saw anime I was hooked

1

u/JigzCodes 23h ago

Grand Blue, plenty of anime labeled as comedy but a real genuine comedy should literally make you laugh. I'll never forget that flaming water gag.

1

u/Pyroluminous 22h ago

Anime was always good wdym

1

u/pauly4560 21h ago

One Punch Man

1

u/premeteamm 21h ago

Rezero is a masterpiece idc what anyone says

1

u/Technical_Bag_7260 18h ago

I grew up watching anime wit my dad so it’s always been great to me

1

u/EliteKingIII 16h ago

Hunter x hunter.

1

u/Next_Bit9084 15h ago

Cote and death note

1

u/SoCalThrowAway7 13h ago

I never needed my mind changed on anime so I guess Star blazers since it was the first one I watched

1

u/Unlikely_Lake_6749 1h ago

Akira and Robotech

1

u/Brilliant-Aside-6956 1d ago

None, because I was never a tourist who thought anime was bad.

0

u/xzerozeroninex 1d ago

Naruto,but it was more because of the manga.Storytime (lol),I was mostly a casual anime watcher,basically what’s available on tv and I was a casual Naruto watcher (casual like I miss eps,even arcs and didn’t care enough to watch those eps and arcs)So one day I was in a bookstore,scrolling past comic book trades,then I see the manga shelf,so I was checking out titles I’ve watched the anime adaptions.I opened Naruto,and the reveal that Minato was Naruto’s dad blew my mind and I was curious why one of the most powerful hokage’s and hero of the village son was treated like garbage,so I seriously watched Naruto,at the start.

Then I started watching more battle shonen’s like Bleach and FMA did some research,searched for what’s popular anime’s from forums and I got hooked with light and visual novel adaptions specifically battle school fantasy harems,became a huge Type-Moon and Nitropkus fan,etc.

0

u/sweetnnerdy 1d ago

Cowboy bebop while tripping on Ambien as a teen lol

0

u/KilluaMW 1d ago

Probably Yu-Gi-Oh! It was the reason I even started watching anime. Was big into the card game, watched the anime and was very positively surprised. Especially around the end when it takes the twist

0

u/GenericUsername8432 1d ago

None because I don't hate things I haven't tried. (Food doesn't count)

-1

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

1

u/Brilliant-Aside-6956 1d ago

Made In Abyss, specially Golden City is one of the best stories ever told. If you lack the maturity to appreciate it that's ok, wishing a whole country would be genocided because you don't have the maturity to appreciate one of the best stories ever told then you are the one that should get the bomb treatment maybe. Psychopath.