Which Anime to Watch First? 9 Series That Might Make You Fall in Love with Japanese Animation

Are you looking to start watching anime, but have no idea which one to choose?

That's perfectly normal. With series sometimes spanning hundreds of episodes, vastly different universes, and recommendations coming from all directions, it's easy to get stuck in front of your screen without ever starting the first episode.

Yet, sometimes all it takes is one series.

An episode that intrigues you. Music that gives you chills. A character you get attached to too quickly. Then, without really understanding how, you find yourself binge-watching an entire season in a few days.

At Susume, we've narrowed down our selection to 9 essential anime for beginners. Not necessarily the most famous or the longest, but series capable of showing you how intense, moving, spectacular, or simply comforting Japanese animation can be.

All you have to do is find the one that's right for you.

If you like investigations and morally questionable characters: Death Note

Imagine finding a notebook capable of killing anyone, just by writing their name in it.

What would you do with such power?

Light Yagami, a brilliant high school student deeply disillusioned with the world around him, decides to use it to eliminate criminals and create a perfect society where he would be its god.

But his actions quickly attract the attention of L, a detective as eccentric as he is intelligent. Thus begins one of the most striking psychological duels in Japanese animation.

Each one makes their moves, sets traps, and tries to discover the other's identity without revealing their own.

Why start with Death Note?

You probably know that Death Note is my number one.

And yes, here, we are definitely Team Light Yagami.

The series has everything it takes to hook someone who has never watched anime: an immediately understandable concept, suspense, plot twists, and episodes that almost always end at the worst possible moment.

Did you think you'd just watch one before bed? Good luck.

The French dub is also very well done. So you can start with the French version without feeling like you're missing out on the experience.

One last important recommendation: avoid the American live-action movie available on Netflix. It heavily alters the story, characters, and spirit of the original work. Really start with the anime.

Watch if you like: investigations, anti-heroes, manipulations, moral dilemmas, and series that make you want to debate for hours.

If you want fights that give you chills: Demon Slayer

After finding his family massacred by a demon, Tanjiro discovers that his sister Nezuko is the only survivor.

Unfortunately, she herself has been transformed into a demon.

Refusing to abandon her, Tanjiro joins the Demon Slayer Corps hoping to restore her humanity and find the one responsible for this tragedy.

On paper, the starting point seems quite simple. But Demon Slayer transforms this adventure into a true spectacle.

Why start with Demon Slayer?

Let's be honest: the first few episodes might seem a little slow.

The series takes its time to introduce its world, its hero, and the stakes of his journey. But once the pace picks up, that's it.

Once you're on the train, you won't get off.

The animation is spectacular, the music makes every fight even more epic, and some scenes genuinely feel like you're witnessing an event.

But Demon Slayer doesn't only work because of its fights. Tanjiro is a deeply human hero, capable of compassion even towards the creatures he must fight. His bond with Nezuko gives the story a true heart.

Watch if you like: epic fights, powerful music, supernatural creatures, and deeply benevolent heroes.

If you're looking for an immense, dark, and unpredictable work: Attack on Titan

For centuries, humanity has lived confined behind immense walls to protect itself from the Titans, gigantic creatures that devour human beings.

Inside, the majority of the population leads a relatively peaceful life, convinced that these ramparts will protect them forever.

Eren Yeager, however, dreams of discovering the outside world. He refuses to accept an entire existence spent behind walls, never knowing what lies beyond.

Until the day an event compromises this security and reminds everyone that, even behind the walls, no one is truly safe.

Why start with Attack on Titan?

Attack on Titan, also known as SNK, is a masterpiece from beginning to end.

But you have to be willing to invest in it.

The series multiplies mysteries, revelations, political conflicts, and characters with increasingly complex motivations. A detail glimpsed several episodes earlier can suddenly take on a whole new importance.

Our advice is therefore very simple: put down your phone.

Really watch the episodes, listen to the dialogues, and observe what's happening on screen. The story will amply reward your attention.

And if you're a fan of Game of Thrones, with its fragile alliances, wars, betrayals, and characters facing impossible choices, you should quickly feel at home.

Watch if you like: grand epic sagas, conspiracies, wars, mysteries, and stories where no one is entirely innocent.

Warning: the series contains many violent and distressing scenes.

If you think it's impossible to cry watching anime: Violet Evergarden

Violet is a former child soldier who has spent most of her life on battlefields.

With the war over, she must learn to live in a world where she no longer has orders to follow. But most importantly, she tries to understand the last words spoken by the person who mattered most to her:

“I love you.”

Violet then begins to write letters for others. By listening to their stories, their regrets, and the feelings they cannot express, she gradually discovers her own emotions.

Why start with Violet Evergarden?

Do you think it's impossible to cry watching anime?

Get the tissues ready immediately.

Violet Evergarden is magnificent on all levels. Its animation is breathtakingly beautiful, its music perfectly accompanies every emotion, and some stories are capable of moving you in just a few minutes.

It's not just a romance. It's the journey of a young woman trying to rebuild herself after being deprived of a normal childhood.

The series talks about love, of course, but also about grief, separation, guilt, and all those things we wished we had said before it was too late.

Watch if you like: touching stories, broken characters, beautiful visuals, and series capable of staying in your mind for a long time.

If you're looking for the perfect choice to start: Erased

Satoru Fujinuma possesses a strange ability that allows him, under certain circumstances, to briefly return to the past.

Following a tragic event, he is suddenly thrown back into his childhood, with the possibility of changing the course of events.

At that time, several children had mysteriously disappeared. Satoru understands that this return to the past could give him the opportunity to discover what really happened and prevent further tragedies.

He will have to do everything to solve this case, while finding his place in his child's body and in a life he thought he had left behind long ago.

Why start with Erased?

If you had to choose one single anime to discover the power of Japanese animation, Erased would probably be one of the best candidates.

The series only has 12 episodes of about twenty minutes each. So it can be watched in one long evening or over a weekend, without requiring you to commit to an adventure of several years.

But most importantly, it has everything.

Suspense, emotion, an investigation, endearing characters, and that irrepressible urge to start the next episode to understand what really happened.

Erased will glue you to your screen and make you understand in a few hours why anime can tell stories as powerful as the best TV series.

Watch if you like: thrillers, time travel, mysteries, and short series that are impossible to stop watching.

If you want a short, cute, and absolutely heartwarming experience: Takopi's Original Sin

Takopi is a small pink alien who came to Earth with a mission as simple as it is adorable: to spread happiness.

When he meets Shizuka, a young girl who seems to have lost her smile, he decides to use his extraordinary gadgets to try to make her life happier.

The problem is that Takopi doesn't always understand human beings, their emotions, or the complexity of the situations they may face.

With all his innocence, he will try to fix things. But are good intentions always enough to make someone happy?

Why discover Takopi's Original Sin?

Takopi's Original Sin is the little bonus of this selection.

Only six episodes, but so much to tell.

The plot twists follow one another, the story almost never goes in the expected direction, and each episode leaves a new question in your mind.

And then, how can you not get attached to this little pink octopus who just wants to make everyone happy?

However, don't be fooled by its adorable appearance. Takopi addresses particularly tough subjects and can be very emotionally taxing.

Watch if you like: psychological dramas, short stories, plot twists, and works that hide a deeply moving story behind a cute design.

Warning: sensitive souls, beware. The series addresses several difficult subjects and is intended for an informed audience.

If you want to go on an adventure without constant tension: Frieren

The Demon King has been defeated.

After ten years of adventure, the group of heroes who saved the world separates. Each resumes their life, convinced that the memories of their journey will remain eternal.

But Frieren is an elf capable of living for over a thousand years.

For her, these ten years represent only a brief moment. It is only after the disappearance of her former companions that she realizes how little she knew them.

She then embarks on a new journey to better understand human beings and the bonds they create despite the brevity of their existence.

Why start with Frieren?

Frieren achieves something rare: being both epic and deeply relaxing.

The series can amaze you with an impressive magical confrontation, then take the time to tell a memory, an encounter, or a small daily moment.

It talks about the passage of time, regrets, and those moments that seemed insignificant when we lived them, but which end up becoming the most precious.

In just a few years, Frieren has managed to carve out a place among the great fantasy essentials. The franchise has also become one of the most popular in stores.

And let's be honest: after finishing the anime, there's a good chance you'll leave Susume with a Frieren, Fern, or Stark figure.

Watch if you like: fantasy, magic, journeys, contemplative stories, and heartwarming adventures.

If you just want to have a good time: Spy × Family

To successfully complete a mission capable of preserving peace between two nations, the world's best spy must accomplish something he never anticipated:

Create a family.

Under the identity of Loid Forger, he adopts Anya and marries Yor.

What he doesn't know is that Anya can read minds and Yor is a formidable professional assassin.

Only Anya knows the secrets of the whole family, which obviously leads to many completely improbable situations.

Why start with Spy × Family?

Spy × Family works equally well for both children and adults.

And let's be honest: everyone loves Anya.

The series knows how to make us laugh, offer some action scenes, and become more serious when the story calls for it, without ever losing its sweetness.

It's the ideal choice when you're looking for something light, funny, and endearing. You don't need to remember dozens of characters or understand a particularly complicated universe.

You can simply sit back, start an episode, and enjoy the Forger family.

Watch if you like: family comedies, espionage, adorable characters, and series that don't require you to overthink.

If you want blood, monsters, and exceptional character development: Parasyte – The Maxim

One night, mysterious parasites arrive on Earth and take possession of human bodies.

One of these creatures attempts to seize Shinichi Izumi, but fails and remains stuck in his right hand.

Shinichi and the parasite, whom he names Migi, are then forced to share the same body.

While other parasites begin to massacre humans, the two characters must learn to cooperate to survive.

Why start with Parasyte?

Parasyte is a real shock.

Shinichi's evolution is remarkably well written. The events he goes through gradually transform his appearance, his personality, and his way of looking at the world.

By his side, Migi observes human beings with a cold and almost scientific logic. Their relationship evolves over the episodes, as each seems to become a little closer to the other.

Add to that brutal fights, blood, disturbing transformations, and a soundtrack that is likely to stay in your head for a very long time.

Even if you don't start with Parasyte, you'll have to watch it someday anyway. It's a true essential.

Watch if you like: horror, creatures, survival stories, characters who change profoundly, and series that ask questions about human nature.

Warning: the anime contains many violent and bloody scenes.

Which anime to choose based on your preferences?

Still hesitating? Here's our selection at a glance:

So, which one will you start with?

The best anime to start with isn't necessarily the most popular, the newest, or the one with the best fights.

It's the one that matches what you already enjoy.

Do you love mysteries? Start Death Note or Erased.

Are you looking for something spectacular? Try Demon Slayer.

Do you want to be moved? Prepare your tissues for Violet Evergarden or Takopi’s Original Sin.

Do you just want to have a good time without overthinking it? The Forger family awaits you in Spy × Family.

The hardest part is often starting the first episode. After that, the story will do the rest.

And if you're still hesitating, come talk to us directly at Susume. Tell us what movies, series, or universes you usually enjoy, and we'll help you find the anime that could become your next favorite.

You can then find a selection of manga, figurines, and merchandise related to several of the franchises mentioned in this article, available in-store.