If you’re like me and like anime, then you know what to expect when you hear the names of Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, One Piece and even My Hero Academia.

But if you’re new to anime and interested in learning more, let me offer up a starter’s guide into the world of  Japanese animation that is anime and manga (Japanese comic books and graphic novels).

Before I go too far, it would be good to first explain what anime means. Anime is a style of Japanese film and television animation with exaggerated styles of expressions mixed into them. I know that there are many people who view anime as a weird form of animation, but I find it to be unique because it is creative and different. That’s one of the aspects I like about anime, but it is not only that.

Anime also can relate too many emotions as well, but it depends on the genre that you are watching — and there are a lot of different genres of anime. (That’s a whole conversation itself, but I’m not going to get into that.)

For now, here’s a few recommendations of anime series you should start first for beginners to the genre.

Dragon Ball Z

The first anime series for you to watch is Dragon Ball Z.

Now Dragon Ball has been out since Nov. 20, 1984 in Weekly Sh ō nen Jump magazine. The creator of this masterpiece of a series was Akira Toriyama, and the story starts with a young boy named Goku who is not from planet Earth. rather he’s a Saiyan who was sent to Earth. This series follows the adventures of Goku, the main protagonist, from his childhood through his adulthood as he trains in the ways of martial arts.

One of the reasons why this series is so unique and interesting is that “Dragon Ball” has a cool flair to it, especially through its fight sequences. Along with that, the transformations that each character goes through are so cool. And at least to me, I feel as though anyone would want to shout out “Kamehameha”— the name of one of Goku’s most powerful moves.

For me, I fell in love with this anime as soon as I figured out the name of Dragon Ball Z.  And I think you will, too.

Naruto

The next anime series I’d suggest for newbies to consider is “Naruto.”

Now “Naruto” is a Japanese series, as you should expect, and it was illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and his dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of the Hidden Leaf Village.

I feel like you will just love this series based on how Naruto tells the way of being a ninja and how he sees what’s right and what’s wrong, too.

“That’s my nindo, my ninja way.”

This is what Naruto would often say in the series, and to me you can see the gutsiness that he has as he strives to become the best. Because of that, you can respect Naruto as a character.

The series also continues with “Naruto: Shippuden,” which further chronicles Naruto’s adventures.

Bleach

The next anime that you should watch or read is called “Bleach.” This anime originally aired from October 5, 2004 – March 27, 2012. It is created by Tite Kubo.

“Bleach” tells the story of Ichigo Kurosaki after he obtains the powers of a “soul reaper,” which is like a personification similar to a grim reaper, and battles tough opponents in order to protect his friends.

This series is a bit different than anime I would normally watch, but my brother and I fell in love with it the more we watched. To me, I think that this is a good example of “shonen anime” and has a great storyline following the main protagonists, Ichigo and his friends.

Definitely check this one out.

One Piece

The penultimate anime series that you should watch is “One Piece.”

“One Piece” is created by Eiichiro Oda, and the story takes place with a young man named Monkey D. Luffy, who was inspired by his childhood idol and powerful pirate named “Red Haired” Shanks. Shanks gave Luffy his straw hat, which represented an encouraging challenge from Shanks to Luffy to become king of the pirates. And as it so happens, that is what Luffy’s dreams are about.

During this tale Luffy meets many friends along the way, who join his crew known as the “Straw Hat Pirates.” Together, Luffy and his crew set off on a journey from East Blue Sea to find the titular treasure, the “One Piece” as he strives to become King of the Pirates.

This anime to me had inspired me a little to keep on trying to succeed on what you want to do in life and to keep moving forward. If you want to start watching anime, then this is for sure the show for you.

My Hero Academia

My last pick of anime shows for beginners is called “My Hero Academia.”

This series was created by Kohei Horikoshi, and the story is about a middle school student named Izuku Midoriya who wants to be a superhero like his idol, All Might. But alas he was born “Quirk-less” and didn’t have any superpowers.But one faithful day he tried to save his friend Bakugo from a monster, and with that act of bravery All- Might saw potential in Midoriya and decided to give him his Quirk.

“Young man, you too can become a hero!” All Might says to Midoriya, and they were the words that he needed to hear.

The reason why I recommend this show is because it gives you a detailed backstory on how this character is trying to become a hero and to see what challenges are ahead of him. But that is not all on what this series is about, nor is it just about Midoriya. “My Hero Academnia also shows you multiple sides on the side characters and you learn how their story began on becoming heroes, too.

For all these reasons and more, this is a great show, and I think that anyone would love this series as much as I did.

***So as you can see, anime has many different styles to offer. I feel that these are great series for anyone to watch or to read if they want to start out in anime.

Hopefully, you too find these picks are great ones. But remember, it isn’t just about the characters, it’s more about the friendships and connections you can make as you dive deeper and deeper into all that is anime.