All of us have heard of or seen anime at least once. Even those who are not fans of it, do connect anime with something from Japan, but if they have to go into more detail they remain very confused: In this article we will try to clarify it for you.
First of all, anime are cartoons, not to be confused with comic books. The confusion arises because cartoons-animes are often taken from comic books, or are actual transpositions of comic books that have been successful. But the term for comic books is manga. Anime, as the word itself suggests, are “animations,” and so by this term we refer exclusively to cartoons. The history of this designation is really curious, the term originated from a small translation error from English, in fact in America they were called Cartoon anime.
Anime can be classified into different genres, subgenres, and various, however there are four types that can encapsulate the other categories, diversified according to age target. These types are: kodomo, manga and anime for children; shonen, directed at teens; shojo, target for young teens, twelve to eighteen years old; and finally we have seinen, aimed primarily at adults. Although there is a lot of criticism in the West about anime, especially from the “older” generations, everyone has seen at least one, just think of the historic kenshiro or dragonball, an animated series that still continues to this day. Another historical anime seen by everyone is Doraemon, a mainstay of every boy and child’s childhood.
Now that we have made a small introduction to this world, we would like to give you some advice about it and a few titles to start getting your bearings. So here is a short list of the ones you absolutely must not miss if you are a novice.
1. Death note
The story centers on Light Yagami, a brilliant high school student who finds a notebook with supernatural powers called the Death Note, thrown to Earth by the god of death Ryuk. The object gives the user the power to kill anyone simply by writing their name on the notebook while mentally picturing their face in it. Light intends to use the Death Note to eliminate all criminals and create a world free of evil, but his plans are thwarted by the intervention of Elle, a private investigator called in to investigate the case of the mysterious deaths of criminals. This story is one of the most interesting anime ever, perfect for those who just want to be entertained as well as for a more discerning audience.
2. Spirited Away
It is reasonable to say that one of Studio Ghibli’s most successful works is Spirited Away, a 2001 film that also won the Oscar for best animated film, as well as the Golden Bear in Berlin. Loosely based on a Japanese novel, the film follows the vicissitudes of little girl Chihiro, who by chance wanders into a kind of enchanted citadel populated by various spirits, the yo-ka. Here the child’s parents are turned into pigs by the powerful sorceress Yubaba, and the little protagonist decides to stay in the fairy realm to try to free them.
3. Attack on Titan
Another title that is all the rage these days. Full of twists and turns and with an incredibly detailed and compelling plot. The work is set in a world where the survivors of humanity live inside cities surrounded by huge defensive walls due to the sudden appearance of giants, huge humanoid creatures that devour humans for no apparent reason. The story revolves around young Eren Jaeger, his adopted sister Mikasa Ackermann and their childhood friend Armin Arelet, whose lives are turned upside down by the attack, which leads to the destruction of their city and the death of Eren’s mother.
4. Erased
Twenty-nine-year-old Satoru Fujinuma suffers from a phenomenon called Revival: in case of danger, he automatically goes back in time by a few minutes, gaining the ability to prevent a catastrophe and usually save someone’s life. One day, however, Satoru, after returning home, finds his mother dead on the ground and, spotted by the police, is given to be guilty of the crime. In an attempt to save the victim, he activates his power and from 2006 is catapulted by surprise back to 1988, when he was still in elementary school. Satoru then decides to use the opportunity to save the life of Kayo Hinazuki, his old classmate with a lonely character, who suddenly disappeared around the time his mother’s same killer kidnapped and killed three children by having his friend indicted.
5. Demon Slayer
Demon Slayer is one of the anime and manga series to have achieved impressive success in a short time. It tells of Tanjiro, the eldest son of a large family orphaned by his father, who lives in an isolated mountain house in the woods. One day, returning home after being in the village selling coal, he finds his mother and siblings slaughtered, except for his sister Nezuko, who has been turned into a demon but still has some human thoughts and emotions. Tanjiro thus begins his journey in search of a cure to make his sister human again and to prevent the same tragedy that happened to them from happening to others.