Best Anime Series You Need to Watch Once in Life

Anime has gained a lot of popularity among younger audience segments over the last few years. But unlike many other forms of entertainment, anime attracts viewers and fans across all demographics. People of diverse ages, languages, nationalities, and ethnicities from all over the world are united in their love of anime. The Japanese animation technique is known for stunning visuals, intense storyline arcs, and attention to minute detail. The result is what many call an art form, quite unlike most other entertainment that we consume.  

Anime is typically a style or medium closely resembling cartoons. Yet, even anime targeting younger viewers regularly attract adult consumers as well. Unlike adult or children’s cartoons or animations in the US, anime takes a broader sweeping approach. It can address complex emotional issues, highlight positive character traits, and develop characters with exceeding depth. Even if you are not really an anime fan, you need to check out some of the best ones at least once. You may find yourself changing your mind.  

The Best Anime That Deserves At Least One Viewing  

Anime originates primarily from Japan. However, Korean and Chinese anime have also become popular over the last few years. At the same time, the global anime fanbase has also grown. This is because residential internet services like Spectrum Bundles and streaming platforms like Netflix have made anime entertainment more accessible than ever. For a beginner, however, choosing the right anime to watch matters a lot. Your initiation into anime needs to be careful and tactical. That’s why you should start with the ones that almost everybody can vouch for. These include: 

Bleach  

Bleach is an anime that is well-known even outside hardcore anime fanbases. The protagonist is a young teenager named Kurosaki Ichigo. He’s just like any other teenager, except for a strange ability to see and converse with ghosts. The anime picks up blinding pace right from the first episode. When a “soul reaper” named Kuchiki Rukiya shows up in Ichigo’s hometown pursuing evil spirits known as Hollows, everything changes forever. Bleach has some of the most complex characters, intense fight sequences, and badass backstories known to anime. Prepare to stay hooked for a few hundred episodes.  

Initial D  

With the resurgence of retro- JDM culture in the US, it is only fair to mention Initial D as an option to get into broader anime genres. Initial D first aired around the height of 80’s JDM car hype. But unlike much other racing anime, Initial D follows togue racing, better known as mountain drifting. With the lead character an unassuming teen named Fujiwara Takumi, drifting has been a way of life since his earliest years. His father Fujiwara Bunta is an anonymous legend in his own right, being the owner of Akina’s famed Hatchiroku or 1986 Toyota Sprinter Trueno. Prepare for some adrenaline-inducing races as Takumi takes on the baddest and best racers around.  

Hellsing 

Gore anime may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But Hellsing would be a great first try if you want to experience the sub-genre at its best. Welcome to a world under siege by vampires. The organization in charge of fighting back is headed by a Miss Integra Wingates Hellsing. Literature and horror buffs will recognize the surname as the same as Bram Stoker’s Dr. Van Helsing in Dracula. With an army and a shadowy enforcer named Alucard at her disposal, Integra takes on a world full of vampires in a series of tactical maneuvers that culminate in a blood bath.  

Fullmetal Alchemist  

Fullmetal Alchemist is a popular favorite among all types of anime fans. Following the tale of two young brothers who try fiddling around with alchemy, FMA is a one-of-a-kind anime. When a ritual goes horribly wrong, causing the younger brother’s soul to be ripped out of his body, the older uses an intimidating suit of armor as a placeholder body. They both embark on a journey full of magic, fear, and mystery to restore their lives. From touching sibling moments to full-blown action, FMA will not let you stop binging.  

Dragon Ball Z

Dragon Ball Z or DBZ as it is more popularly known, is the anime most of us have seen in memes, games, or even when flipping channels. The animation technique and appeal are definitely of a much older time in anime entertainment. But DBZ continues to captivate audiences decades after its initial release. As a bonus, DBZ is a very safe anime in terms of family entertainment. You can watch it with kids, a partner with shared interests, or even on your own. You will not be disappointed either way.