A Beginners Guide to Action Anime

Anime has risen rapidly in popularity this quarantine as people decided to try out different pieces of media to broaden their horizons. It can be hard as a beginner to pick out your first anime as there are so many options. Well, that’s where I come in. Before you dive right into searching for that perfect anime, here are a fewΒ  anime recommendations to help you figure out where to start.

Demon Slayer (Kimetsu No Yaiba):

1 season – 26 episodes 

Can be found on- Crunchyroll, Funimation, Hulu and Netflix

Kimetsu No Yaiba features Tanjiro Kamado who becomes a demon slayer after his family is killed by demons. He and his sister, Nezuko, are the only survivors,Β  but Nezuko has been turned into a demon. Later, Tanjiro is recruited by the Demon Slayer Corps. Tanjiro uses this as an advantage to start out his journey to turn NezukoΒ back into a human and gets into some pretty wild adventures in the process. I, for one, really enjoy the character designs and the fluidity of the action scenes, and the general art style. This is a really easy anime to get into for beginners and the plot is really easy to follow.Β 

My Hero Academia:

4 seasons – 88 episodes

Can be found on- Crunchyroll, Funimation and Hulu

My Hero Academia features Izuku Midoriya who wants to become a superhero even though he doesn’t have a superpower or, β€œquirk.” His dream seems hopeless until one day, the world’s greatest hero, the Symbol of Peace, All Might, passes down his quirk to Izuku. This allows Izuku to attend U.A High School, a prestigious academy for heroes in training. Although people may call this show over-hyped, it is nonetheless still enjoyable, and a good modern action anime.Β  The characters are enjoyable to watch, as they all have their own different, distinct personalities, making them easy to love and relate to. Despite the characters being superhuman, the show still accurately portrays them as high schoolers. Not only that but, the development of each character was done beautifully, my personal favorite being Bakugo’s.Β 

Hunter x Hunter

4 seasons – 148 episodes 

Can be found on – Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix, Tubi and Pluto TVΒ 

Hunter x Hunter follows 12-year-old Gon Freecss who follows his dream of becoming a Hunter like his father. Hunter x Hunter starts with Gon taking the Hunter Exam and befriending fellow protagonists Kurapika, Leorio and Killua. The anime follows them as they go on to face the challenges of being a Hunter, as well as hopefullyΒ finding Gon’s father. The main characters go on some crazy adventures throughout the whole showΒ and it never gets boring. Though this anime is on the longer side, I think it is a must watch for new anime fans. One highlight is that, even though Gon is the main character, Hunter x Hunter gives each character their own well-deserved attention.Β 

Blue Exorcist: 

2 seasons – 37 episodes

Can be found on – Crunchyroll, Hulu and Netflix

Blue Exorcist features Rin Okumura, who turns out to be the son of Satan. Not only has Rin found out his true father, he learns he has also inherited his father’s powers, such as Satan’s destructive blue flames.  Rather than following the footsteps of his father, Rin decides to go to an exorcist cram school, where he learns how to become an exorcist to help defeat Satan. To be honest, I cried after watching the first episode. There is something about this show that is so raw. I absolutely love the brother dynamic that Rin and Yukio have. The twins  are polar opposites of each other, yet care for each other so much. The commentary will keep laughing your toes off,The relationships made in the show, as well as the interactions between the characters are so similar to regular teens, making it relatable to many, despite the main plot being about killing Satan. 

Naruto:

5 seasons – 220 episodes

Can be found on – Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix, Tubi and Pluto TV

Naruto features Naruto Uzumaki, who hosts the spirit of the Nine-Tailed fox, the attacker of Naruto’s village.  Due to this, Naruto is ostracized by the rest of the village, as he serves as a constant reminder of the tragedy of that day. Despite this, Naruto has always dreamed of becoming a ninja and Hokage of his village, but is often ridiculed because he is slow-witted and ignorant. In Naruto, we get to see how Naruto accomplishes this dream, with the help of his allies such as Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi-Sensei. Naruto is best enjoyed being watched by a first-time anime watcher. Although Naruto can be very cliche and somewhat simple, the storyline really gets you sucked into the franchise. To this day, I still have the urge of buying one of the headbands!

Dragon Ball:

5 seasons – 153 episodes

Can be found on – Funimation

Dragon Ball features Goku who befriends a girl named Bulma. Goku joins Bulma on her journey to find the 7 dragon balls. Little did they know they weren’t the only people looking for the dragon balls. This show should come with a warning sign along with Naruto. I grew up on Pokemon, Naruto and Dragon Ball and can say are a beneficial part of my childhood but these shows are long. There are 5 series of Dragon Ball and for each series there are around 60 – 300 episodes so viewers discretion is advised. I tend not to watch very action-packed shows, anime or not, but something about Dragon Ball  just sucks you in. The fighting scenes are just a part of what these shows portray. There are themes of love, friendship, sacrifice, and willpower all throughout the show.  

There are so many amazing animes out there, so why not just jump into the bandwagon and indulge in these shows with your fellow anime geeks.