Although one might be opposed to branching out into a style of entertainment that is animation and of a foreign language, getting into Anime is a great way to diversify your intake of art. Watching television has become one of the biggest sources of entertainment, especially because of the pandemic and having to stay home for such long periods of time. With life getting a bit monotonous, it is always nice to explore more to see what else you might enjoy watching, and Anime is a great place to start. 

Anime is a widespread Japanese art style that began in the early 1910s and started getting the recognition it deserves in the 80s. This extremely developed animation obtains various different genres that encapsulate the audience. It channels all different aspects of reality and dream worlds with its main genres of drama, action, psychological, supernatural, comedy, and

romance. Each and every story holds so much emotion and interest. There is always a twist or conflict that will accurately represent real-life problems, making it much more than just animated cinema. It holds this intense focus on characterization, camera angles/movements, and plot that create a substantial amount of curiosity. Anime’s unique style has immensely contributed to developing modern cinematic techniques. It is one of the most developed styles of animation in the world that you can learn so much from; artistically, emotionally, and logically. 

“ My favorite Anime is Nana because it has a very realistic storyline and doesn’t abide by the usual love stories. It shows the truths of love and it taught me that love doesn’t always have a happy ending. Also, the characters wear Vivian Westwood clothing and jewelry, which is really sick.” – Rachel Dang, Senior

It is always a good idea to start with some of the originals, the classics, Dragon Ball Z, One Piece, Naruto, Bleach, and Sailor Moon to get a good basis of what Anime is and what it began with. To know and understand the history is important, but the recent anime favorites do well with introducing the style as well. Some of the best include Hunter X Hunter, Attack on Titan, Death Note, The Promised Neverland, and Cowboy Bebop. Of course, there are hundreds of other classics and “bests” to name, but these are just a few that might help you get into the admirable style. It all begins with watching one.