Ask John: What Anime is Best to Get Someone to Understand Anime?

Question:
All right, my parents and brothers constantly bother me saying stuff like, “Why are you buying cartoons? Don’t waste your money on that.” and etc. Which anime would be best for them to watch to understand why I like it? I figured Evangelion for my parents and Vampire Hunter D for brothers, but I figured to ask you first.

Answer:
Because this question is one that may be common to a lot of anime fans, I think it would be better to direct this answer toward a generic “non-anime supporter” rather than a specific target. Furthermore, I’d like to suggest anime that would serve as a positive example to any viewer because choosing different shows for different neophytes may be taken as bias and weaken the entire thrust of your argument. For someone that’s interested but unfamiliar with anime, the best introduction to the genre may be with Evangelion or Vampire Hunter D, or any action packed, hyper kinetic anime that really shows off the exciting potential of anime. To a naysayer, though, both Evangelion and Vampire Hunter D may be too violent or seem to esoteric or even technically primitive to be convincing.

To introduce someone to sci-fi films, what better example could you start with than Star Wars? In the same way, I’d say that you can’t go wrong introducing someone to anime with films by Hayao Miyazaki. Like Star Wars, Ghibli films are suitable for all ages and all audiences. Films like Princess Mononoke and Lupin’s Castle Cagliostro, and if you have access to them, Nausicaa & Laputa, are simply among the best anime ever produced, and epitomize the full spectrum of anime including exciting, hyperbolic action, gripping story, touching romance and engaging characters. Miyazaki movies may seem like an easy answer, but there really are no better singular movies that better represent the vast diversity of anime. Consider this argument; could you choose one movie that would encapsulate the entire spectrum of styles and genres covered by Hollywood movies?

Unfortunately, some of the best other introductory anime is out of print. Naturally, Akira would be one suggestion. Like the Miyazaki films, Akira transcends its initial appeal and stands as a film suitable for any and all viewers to experience the wonder and majesty of anime. One of my first forays into untranslated, import anime was the Dirty Pair movie, another wonderful example of the depth of anime. Dirty Pair may at first seem like a simplistic, sexist male fantasy, but upon watching it, a viewer will discover that classic Dirty Pair actually has much greater characterization, wittier writing and a more accomplished sense of adventure without exploitation than almost anime action anime created in the 15 years since the film debuted. Similar, more easily accessible anime that do a good job of representing the adventurous spirit of anime, without being exploitative or condescending, include the first Tenchi Muyo movie and Cowboy Bebop. (Cowboy Bebop is, albeit, light on characterization and character depth, but its other strengths make up for this weakness.)

I think that a single anime intended to represent all anime should be one that’s accessible to viewers unfamiliar with the conventions of anime. It should be unfamiliar but inviting, totally engrossing and convincing, and evoke the viewer’s emotions of sympathy, fear, anxiety and empathy. That’s what all good entertainment should do, whether it be a novel or piece of music or a stage production or cinema. Success in evoking such diverse and heartfelt reactions in a viewer should be justification enough to like anything.

Well, these are my suggestions. The AnimeNation Forum is the ideal place to share more suggestions and strategies, and discuss results.