I started with Cowboy Bebop, which seems like a decent gateway anime. It's pretty much the animated Japanese version of Firefly, but instead of Nathan Fillion doing what Nathan Fillion does, the rag-tag space crew is led by super cool Spike, a crime syndicate member turned good-guy bounty hunter. It lacks the extremely crazy bits of the genre, but maintains the comedic anime touches in healthy sprinkles. Probably one of the best parts about that show is the Jazz theme, which can be seen in the titles and heard throughout the soundtrack. Tank! is one of the best theme songs I've ever heard, and the title sequence immediately sold me on watching. Also, Ein is the most adorable animated corgi on the planet so bonus.
Go dance to this now.
My next show choice was Fullmetal Alchemist, both FMA and Brotherhood, which focus on two brother alchemists trying to recover things lost to an alchemic transaction gone wrong, all while mastering their "science" and eventually playing a huge role in saving humanity. FMA (the first series to be made) captivated my attention quickly. It is much heavier in subject matter but makes up for it by adding a lot more comedic relief, mostly in the form of making fun of Edward's height. Side note, is Edward a popular anime name? I've seen it in at least 3 different shows so far. Anyway, FMA is excellent, but Brotherhood just blows it out of the water. The last season is non-stop intensity until the second to last episode. (My face was all : OOOOOOOOOOO)
Characters of FMA:Brotherhood
I just started Attack on Titan, which immediately got dark (much like FMA), although the mood is (so far) always in battle mode, especially since the main character bursts with rage every 5 minutes. His sister is much more quiet but waaaaaay more of a badass. This is one of those shows where it gets so intense that sometimes serious scenes turn into comic relief just because you're so on edge and you need something that isn't death, lordy. Also the Titans (gigantor human-looking beings who would like the taste of crow (for all those who saw the GOT season 4 premiere) ) are flapjackin' terrifying with their big smiles.
Creepy as hell.
So in review, this is what I've learned about anime:
1. There are a lot of flashbacks to one pivotal event
2. There are a lot of title sequences featuring upbeat Japanese rock over intense fighting sequences
3. There is a lot of passionate yelling
4. Sometimes weird things happen but if you accept it you can fully realize the brilliance behind them
5. Things can fluctuate from intense to corny in the blink of an eye and a lot of times without warning
6. Blood has a tendency to explode rather than squirt or leak in a more natural way
7. Physics isn't a thing
8. Eyes
9. Bangs
10. Little Chibi versions of characters everywhere
11. The shiny glasses thing (you know what I'm talking about)
I would love to know what anime you all are in to, and please send recommendations my way for both anime and manga!
