“I’ll take a potato chip… AND EAT IT!”. This line is a popular audio on TikTok, used in thousands of videos, but not everyone knows where it comes from.
Well, one can find this answer with a simple search and learn that it is in fact a line from the Japanese anime ‘Death Note’, a psychological thriller about a man named Light Yagami, who finds a deadly notebook and uses it to kill criminals.
However, when most people hear “anime”, it usually causes a negative reaction, and they start to become uninterested. But anime is in fact not so different from the Western cartoons people watch. It is just a Japanese style of animation.
Most people associate anime with adult content, but only a small amount of anime contains that type of content. There are age classifications and content descriptions on most streaming services that let parents know which anime are appropriate for their children.
Anime has many different genres, just like Western cartoons. There are action animes, comedies, romance animes, thrillers, slice of life and even sports.
Many anime are similar to popular cartoons in America. For example, if someone likes ‘South Park’, they may enjoy ‘Ghost Stories’, or if someone likes ‘Steven Universe’, then they might like ‘Sailor Moon’, or if someone likes ‘Rick and Morty’, then they may enjoy ‘The Disastrous Life of Saiki K’.
While most anime watchers like mainstream shows, such as ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’, ‘Attack on Titan’, ‘Demon Slayer’ and ‘Solo Leveling’, there are also many shows that are underrated. A few of those animes are ‘Moriarty the Patriot’; a spinoff of the Sherlock Holmes series from the villain’s point of view, ‘Sk8 The Infinity’; a story about two best friends as they grow their relationship through skateboarding, ‘Death Parade’; an anime about what happens when you die, doing a challenge as you are judged and sent to either “hell”, or you get reincarnated and ‘Heaven Official’s Blessing’; a show about a Prince of Heaven who gets sent down to the mortal world, and reunites with his past lover who he had forgotten.
You don’t have to commit to a long series such as One Piece, but one that suits your interests and what you find enjoyable to watch. If you don’t like it, then it might just not be your thing, and that’s okay. If you are interested, then some anime fans at GlenOak have their own suggestions for you to watch.
“Rising of the Shield Hero, Demon Slayer, and Apothecary Diaries,” senior Jessica Dick said.
“Dandadan, Beastars, and Seven Deadly Sins,” sophomore Ace Bozman said,
“Blue Period, Gachiakuta, and Ouran High School Host Club,” senior Marguerite Mihailovic said.
“Bungou Stray Dogs, Toilet Bound Hanako-Kun, and The Promised Neverland,” sophomore Aeris Delguzzi said.
“Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Banana Fish,” junior Kairi Chech said
“Attack on Titan, Chainsaw Man, and Gachiakuta,” senior Leeayla Taylor said.
“Monster, Full Metal Alchemist, and Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure,” junior Lucas Villejoin said.
My personal favorites are Moriarty the Patriot, Sk8 the Infinity, and Attack on Titan, but if you’re new to anime, I would suggest good starter shows such as Spy x Family and Frieren, or if you like movies, A Whisker Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and Spirited Away.
Many animes can be found on streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu and Crunchyroll. Some animes such as Sakamoto Days and Delicious in Dungeon can only be found on Netflix, and Bleach is only on Hulu. However, many animes can be found across several platforms, Crunchyroll having many of them.
Anime is different from what many people think. It is a creative way for people to express themselves and tell their stories and ideas to the world, and you shouldn’t judge it unless you’ve given it a chance.
