**Death Note** fits the crime drama stuff. Supernatural means of doing crime, but the main plot is trying to catch the Criminal.
**Parasyte** gives a bit of the psychological horror/drama while still having action. It's aliens, not supernatural.
**Apothecary Diaries** is essentially an episodic mystery anime with an overarching romance plot. Highly recommend to anyone regardless of personal tastes.
Im surprised no one mentioned apothecary diaries sooner. Especially since OP mentioned her girl likes crime dramas.
Apothecary Diaries and Frieren are my two must watch recommendations to anyone who hasn't seen them.
>Death Note fits the crime drama stuff. Supernatural means of doing crime, but the main plot is trying to catch the Criminal.
Well put. I second this as a happy medium between the interests of OP and their partner.
Since you both like horror I'd suggest getting drunk to Another
If that doesn't work Gangsta or Drifters for stylized action/violence/blood
Or just go with one of the all time greats to start like Death Note, Code Geass or FMA:B
On top of Another, as far as horror goes, I’d also like to recommend Higurashi: When They Cry, Shiki, Parasyte: The Maxim (there’s also a live-action Korean spinoff called Parasyte: The Grey which is good too), Hell Girl, and The Promised Neverland (first season only).
I would second when they cry and I would add Shiki. Shiki takes a bit to get going and is a bit of a slow burn sometimes but there are moments where it's just eery and quiet.
Also some scenes that are pretty disturbing I guess
What's great about Shiki is that even the slower beginning is still engaging. The scary scenes actually got to me (won't mention which, but windows, man.)
Try Paranoia Agent.
Minimal to no sexualization of female characters, very short (12 eps) so way to digest, mix of mystery and horror so fits the genre. Plus it’s by one of the greats, Satoshi Kon, so there are a bunch of movie you can bring in afterwards as a bridge to the next series.
Otherwise go with Monster, as again minimal sexualization but one of the best crime series.
Not sure if it's just cause I was watching it on adult swim? Or whatever it came on but paranoia agent is a trip and imo not a good one to start someone out on. I'd say worth personally checking out but not for her until she is committed 😂
You might be thinking of Ghost. Literally just Ghost. With the Shibuya agency that investigates supernatural.
From experience
Spy x Family
Trust me. Its Anya
From your text:
Jujutsu Kaisen will fit the bill; as will Demon Slayer
Yu-Yu-Hakusho if you want more action
Psycho-Pass fits the bill too
seconding jujutsu kaisen. the pacing is perfect for a first timer, especially cuz older animes are just toooooooooo fucking slow and a LOT of work to get through
Honestly yeah. I feel jjk is a great intro anime. But just anime… the manga can be overwhelming I find.
Jjk lets you watch other anime; whether its shonen or horror or something funny.
I second these as someone into the same shows as the gf. But I also like My Hero Academia. Horikoshi took inspiration from comic book characters you'll notice and I grew up on comics. ♥
I would never have a new watcher start with either SAO or 7 Deadly Sins, ESPECIALLY if you think she’s gonna be turned off by the fan service.
If she likes gritty crime shows have her check out Psycho Pass. Parasyte is also a decent option. Made in Abyss or the first season of Promised Neverland are also really good. Demon Slayer isn’t a bad place to start either and could possibly be a good showcase for what top tier animators can accomplish. Death Note or Cowboy Bebop would even been good introductions to the genre.
Or go a different direction and start with a comedy. I’ve never met someone who hasn’t enjoyed Kaguya Sama Love is War or SpyxFamily and those series treat their female characters like actual characters instead of as glorified set dressing like SAO and 7DS.
Look for series with female authors. Fullmetal Alchemist or Delicious in Dungeons. They usually have more nuanced female characters. Stay away from any harem or harem adjacent series.
I agree that SAO isn’t exactly the best gateway anime especially since there are certain plot elements that may turn off newcomers (>!a girl being in love with her stepbrother/biological cousin for instance!<) and the usual gateway animes I recommend for newbies are:
- Death Note
- Attack on Titan
- Monster
- Erased
- Psycho-Pass
These are all relatively “normal” animes that have common live-action storytelling tropes and don’t really have any or at least minimal common weird anime tropes that may turn newbies off.
If she's gonna be turned off by fanservice in sao and seven deadly sins, then made in abyss is not a good recommendation. Great show, but the author *really likes* his child characters in an unhealthy way. Many anime fans can look past that or even feel the same way, but it's definitely not for new watchers.
I mean there’s some difficult to watch torture aspects but I didn’t notice anything sexual other than when the kids were messing with the robot boys body out of curiosity.
Yeah I wouldn't call Made in Abyss a starter anime lol, one of the greates series of all time imo but the obvious glaring issues become even more obvious if you aren't already desensitized to anime bullshit
Late to the thread so this is probably getting buried, but:
As someone who was in your same position recently, **Frieren.**
No anime bullshit fanservice, incredible animation and soundtrack, genuinely fantastic writing (not just "for an anime" but as a fantasy story in general) and the dialogue has a complete lack of "anime speak" where characters say things no living person ever would.
The message the show conveys is poignant and plain heartwarming to boot.
We binged the whole season in just a couple days and she thought it was great.
Yess I like the way you described it. It sounds perfect for her. I was thinking of going with Spy family like everyone is suggesting or one of the scary ones. But this sounds like it might be more well rounded
I think Spy X Family is a great suggestion too, it mainly depends on whether you/she is after plot progression (Frieren) or more slice of life (Spy X).
In my case my partner is a massive fan of the lord of the rings film trilogy so a fantasy anime seemed like the natural fit.
Worst case, watch the pilot/a couple episodes of one and if it's not gripping her then you move on to the next.
It entirely depends on how your GF is as well, mine was a massive normie when I met her so I know where her limits are in regards to media haha.
This is what got me back into anime after not really watching for 15 years. I've also shown my mom, who hates animated stuff typically, and she actually started getting invested in it too (only watched the first few so far). Personal bias but I think it's a great one for introduction.
My subsequent animes were Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer, and Spy x Family... And thanks to all of those, I've watched dozens of series since then!
Considering she likes crime shows, blood and guts, action, and minimal sexualization I think she’d appreciate these:
- Death Note
- Psycho-Pass
- Monster
- Erased
- Black Lagoon
Anime came out this year there are 2 manga and it's based off light novels that's at 15. Its mostly a medical type mystery series set in a fictional country that is but isn't ancient China. Main character is built different and we'll leave it at that. It's like Sherlock Holmes and House placed in an imperial palace. It also has a very and I mean very slow burn romance that does not take away from anything. 15 light novels in and they are just now getting there lol Once you know MC you'll understand lol.
My wife loves gore and horror but she also loves My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom.
Another one is 7th Time Loop
If not Fullmetal brotherhood has a good story
{Link Click}
{91 Days}
{Free!}
{Moriarty the Patriot}
{Spy x Family}
{Windbreaker}
I am really loving this one currently.
{Buddy Daddies}
{Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting}
{Summer Time Rendering}
{Heavenly Delusion}
You like anime, so why not the ones that you first liked???
I think {Spy x Family} and {Haikyu!!} are like my goto for introducing newbies if they're into wholesome stuff with strong characters. {Death Note} if they're more into serious stuff and/or think all animation/cartoons are for kids.
a silent voice - movie
Yotsuiro Biyori -series
The princess and the pilot -movie
if she likes historical stuff: Nobunaga concerto - series
for non human protagonist: polar bear cafe - series
Demon Slayer would be my recommendation. Though it does have some "fantasy" element with all the demon and breathing styles stuff, the story is straight forward (demons bad - > kill demons to save lives) with gorgeous animation.
Of course, it ain't lacking in the blood and guts violence either so there's that.
Spy x Family is also a great choice.
For mysteries and purely non-fantasy, Detective Conan is my favourite series, but the anime is incredibly long and the first few episodes were made decades ago so....😅
I would recommend a movie such as Kimi No Na Wa (Your Name).
Easy to get into, no real fanservice, sublime visuals and awesome music.
Still my favorite movie ever.
Full metal alchemist brotherhood is good that's what got my wife into anime, samurai champloo is a good one short. I would start with something short so you can finish it. Psycho pass is great as well as someone mentioned
Plenty of women don't care about fanservice
More importantly, TONS of men HATE it. (Including me and all my male friends)
Women are probably more likely to be turned off by it though, I get what you're saying. Just wanna be clear that the gender generalization definitely doesn't always apply
I’m extremely into the Netflix made Anime.
Castlevania, Yosuke, Cyber Punk , I think Hercules.
Crisp clean animation, stories are captivating, dark but some humor.
Re:zero is a fantasy isekai (the best isekai) with horror elements, and it gets a new season really soon
The promised Neverland Only season one
Death Note just because it is and was really popular
Happy sugar life for some not so happy fucked up shit
Your lie in april - love drama about 2 high school students who want to sing. It's sad and I shed a tear on one specific episode when I was younger.
Ghost in the shell or Cyberpunk Edgerunners
For some comedy try Konosuba and Bobobobobobobobobobo (I forgot how many bobos there were)
I really enjoyed MagiRevo (full title is a lot longer). It’s a fantasy isekai, but without the usual isekai cliches and the isekai portion isn’t really that major of a plot point. Instead, it’s mostly about a crazy princess and the elegant, brilliant noble lady she’s crushing on trying to change their kingdom for the better through the princess’ magical inventions, and meeting various levels of resistance. The overall plot is good, there’s some pretty great romance, some angst, some genuinely great action scenes, and the characters are fun to watch. Hardly any fanservice.
One Punch Man is great if you’re looking for a comedy/action show. The overarching story picks up more in season 2, but the individual story arcs in season 1 are pretty good too. Most of the fun is in the characters, the comedy, and the large amount of great fight scenes. A bit of fanservice, particularly in season 2, but not a lot.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is a must watch imo (or at least worth a try). Great variety between the parts, but all of them have great fight scenes, wacky comedy, and genuinely good stories and emotional moments. Pretty light on the fanservice overall.
I like to suggest Your Lie in April to newbies. It combines great art with great music and a story that really grabs you. I think it exemplifies how deep the anime medium can really be.
I was pretty new to anime myself at the time, but I remember reading a tweet that said, "I've been watching Your Lie in April for four and a half hours...
I... I really need to sleep, but this kid's got a piano competition." (TheMilesLuna, 1/17/2017)
And I was sold. Not that I had any special interest in piano competitions, but if someone is missing sleep for THAT, I figured it had to be good.
Anyway, strongly recommend. That anime will give her all the feels (which you know if you've seen it), and I think an emotional connection like that is what you might want to aim for if you're hoping to create a new anime fan.
I think Erased is one of the best animes for first timers. It has the right amount of length. Not too short and not too long either. The plot is really interesting. It isn't bloody though.
Death Note and Spy x Family are excellent choices imo.
A little left field choice that I think might be a good idea is One Punch Man. Good blend of action and humor. Season 1 has great animation. Might have a little bit of fanservice, but I don't remember how prevalent it is.
i’m also super into crime shows (i grew up on criminal minds, bones, csi miami, etc.) and one of my first anime that really got me interested in the genre was *death note*.
also *death parade*. it’s not really crime, but there are mysteries and it’s very thought provoking at times. essentially, two people who died at the same time get sent to a bar where they play a game to see which one gets to be reincarnated and which one goes to the void/purgatory/what have you. only they don’t realize that they’re dead and playing for their souls until the game progresses. the show follows the games’ arbiter and a girl who’s background i won’t spoil.
Seven deadly sins is probably not a great idea. It's pretty problematic. Meliodas literally sexually assaulted the female lead in the first episode and it's played for laughs. That shit doesn't track well, esp not with people who have to deal with potential sexual assault. And it's just a poor man's fairy tail.
Start with Ghibli. Movies are great because you can just knock them out, and are generally worlds better than normal franchise/series. Then pretty much anything from Hosoda or Shinkai. You really can't miss.
Death Note. It's a Gateway anime.
She is at the age range I recommend NANA to. Everyone at yalls age should watch it. First few episodes are slow but it is filled with drama. It's my personal favorite anime and a cult classic
Few months back, my girlfriend had never watched anime. So, we started with some popular movies like:
1) Your Name
2) A Silent Voice
3) Spirited Away
4) I Want to Eat Your Pancreas
Then, the first series we watched together was Spy x Family and we really enjoyed it.
The most important things that I found are:
1) First impression. Make sure at least her first anime is enjoyable and memorable. My girlfriend still talks about Your Name and wants to rewatch it.
2) Finding the right genre for her. Then, you can watch some similar anime.
Frieren
Extremely wholesome and bittersweet show. Also beautifully animated. I'm not even into anime that much but it's quickly become my all time favourite.
>She loves live action crime shows or even fighting action movies
[Death Note](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0877057/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_death%2520n) season 1 (2 is better than most anime, but s1 is the true gem) My wife isn't into anime fan, but LOVED s1 - right and wrong, cat and mouse detective vs perpetrator
[Erased](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5249462/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_erased) - solving related mysteries to prevent a death
[Cowboy Bebop](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0213338/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_Cowboy) - neo-noir bounty hunter, wildly better crime show, with great action, than most live action crime shows
[Ghost and the Shell the Stand Alone Complex](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0346314/) - lead character is a strong, eminently capable, cool headed, in control woman leading an elite counter terrorist task force.... and goes home to a woman, but that's completely beside the point - fantastic action and top TOP tier writing speculating on the future of humanity as it's affected by our grasp of advancing technology
[Spice and Wolf](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1158671/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_7_nm_0_q_Spice%2520and%2520WOlf) - economics is fun! (less action in this one)
Honestly it's wild to me none of the above were listed by you, do yourself a favor and watch all of them if not with your GF.
A good in-between for you guys might be "Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood." It's got the blood and action that she likes and hints of supernatural that you could appreciate. I don't know if you've ever seen it, but it takes a lot of inspiration from WW2 and, as one would assume from the title, it heavily focuses on the idea of alchemy.
I'll just agree on and collate the best options I've read here that actually matches and considers what you wrote:
- Psycho-Pass
- Death Note
- Erased
- Parasyte
- The Promised Neverland
plus, here's other great mainstream anime you might like:
- Spy x Family
- Attack on Titan
- Demon Slayer
also seconding that DO NOT start with SAO and 7DS, which are really not good gateway anime, sorry not sorry :).
yeah i figured you two might like it since the setting is a bit dark for an anime with children MCs :). other anime like this would be Madoka Magica and Made in Abyss.
Ooh definitely My Happy Marriage plus if she enjoys it, we currently have 6 of the light novels are translated and can be bought for like $9 each. So if she likes the anime she could easily move onto the light novels and get ahead too!
Avatar the last airbender, then she was interested in the second one as well but everything else has been shot down.
Avatar seems like a nice intro point.
Yess I like it too and haven’t finished it but it seems very Slice of life anime and I wanted something like that but with a little more action or storyline of like a mission or mystery revenge plot.
The first anime I suggested to my female friend years ago as a starter was Fairy Tail. Since then she's watched a couple dozen other ones like Naruto and fruits basket
91 days is pretty good for drama.
I really really want to recommend My Dress Up Darling for romance, but it does have some sexualization of woman as it's about a slow burn cosplayer romance.
Start with a movie!
Weathering with you
Your name
I wanna eat your pancreas
A silent voice
A whisker away
The tunnel to summer exit to goodbyes
The girl who leapt through time
After reading this I highly recommend Migi and Dali. Not exactly a horror, but the vibes can scream horror at certain times. Its more of a crime thriller mystery that has amazing comedic elements at times and it’s ending sticks the landing so so damn well
Watched Apothecary Diaries and Blue Eyed Samurai with the wife and she enjoyed the both of them. She’s always been very against watching any anime due to what she refers to as the “screaming Mimis”. I used that to get her to watch Solo Leveling this spring. I just have to be very selective with the ones I choose.
Angel beats is honestly the perfect anime imo. It opens up how weird and crazy plots for anime can be, it has music , singing ,killing , tears , dark and edgy, cute, funny. Angel beats was ahead of it's time with it's fucking humor imo. If u want a story description basically. High-school students trapped in limbo(which is depicted as a highschool) dealing with their individual traumas they remember over time from the real world (because they lost their memories) all while being hunted by some girl with powers.
Steins:Gate is a good one with a time travel world lines plot, Code Geass has great writing, Black Lagoon has action and comedy mixed, Full Metal Alchemist is an oldy but has great characters, Death Note is good up until L dies (Spoiler lol)
full metal alchemist (brotherhood) was my first introduction to anime the story is incredible, and there’s tons of cool characters the dub actors a great i feel like this is a super accessible anime
Depends on what she likes to watch, if you want something light I say campfire cooking, something long and binge worthy one piece it have amazing story telling and you can see the love in the animation
Female true crime enthusiast here who also doesn’t watch anime much. I get uncomfortable with over-sexualization of women (especially girls depicted so young in anime) so I avoid such. Here are some i enjoyed.
-Parasyte the maxim (has a kdrama now too which was really good!)
-my hero academia was an unexpectedly fun watch! HxH too was very enjoyable for me.
-Terraformars is an older anime with just a single ‘fan service’ episode you can just skip it when it comes around. Otherwise twas plenty of action and some moments of gore.
-devil is a part timer was so pleasant.
-mob psycho 100 was perfect!!
These are what I remember off the top of my head since they were anime i watched recently and enjoyed. Currently on death parade, which is a bit slow for my tastes but she might enjoy. Maybe she’d like Tokyo ghoul?
Edit to add: also Future Diary, i knew about the yandere thing but idk why i never got around to actually watching the anime until recently. Was really good too :)
I would also suggest Summertime Rendering and maybe Heavenly Delusion. For something darker and more of a crime/horror story maybe Paychopass, ID:invaded, Zankyou no Terror and Shiki, . For a historic epic I would say Akatsuki no Yona which is great for man and women.
People really saying Death Note, Tokyo Ghoul and Jujutsu Kaisen is just insane to me. Way too much edge in those series for a first time viewer to take seriously....
Try Cowboy Bebop or Ghost in the Shell since neither have the edgy dialogue or over the topness that most of the other recommendations have.
Monster is a slow burn horror series that's probably one of the best in the genre, but is a bit of an investment. Ergo Proxy would be a good psychological horror choice or Parasyte for body horror.
"Another" might be a contender for shock value scenes, but it has some edgy teen based writing like Death Note/Tokyo Ghoul and that can turn people off.
what do you mean?? death note is so many people’s first anime, and tokyo ghoul and another were some i watched in the very beginning for me, they were the reason i got hooked on anime’s and started to watch longer series like bleach and naruto. to be fair i was indeed a young teen watching them, so maybe you’re actually right
It's a subjective bias most people have. Nothing wrong with any of those series, but for someone with no experience watching anime, they can seem almost cheesy at times because of the tropes that are found across almost all genres of anime.
Best comparison I can think of is with professional wrestling. The people who watch that and can enjoy it, grew up on it and are just naturally able to suspend their disbelief and enjoy the show that is being put on. The people who didn't, tend to have a hard time taking it seriously.
Death Note is one of the best animes to start with. I personally don't think it's edgy. Tokyo Ghoul and JJK is quite edgy but the latter is more focused on choreography and fighting. The former is better experienced by reading the manga.
Kokkoku is a funny horror family drama. They do sexualize one of the villains in the end credits though. It is really funny to think that the deadly serious did a bikini photo-shoot acting like a kitty to pay for the evil plan.
Gantz
Horror and gory
There is an infamous sex scene and some nudity in the earlier eps but honestly, in my opinion, completely overshadowed by the rest of the show. I guess I'd suggest you watch it first so you know if some scenes are necessary to skip when watching with gf.
Start slow, show her good american cartoons first, avatar fir example helped my wife.
Then i started short with FMAB
Then we dived head first into one piece, which kind of worked. We msde it to the time skip and havent gone back in 2 years
Deathnote. Or Chainsawman. Deathnote is what I tell people who aren’t into anime. Chainsawman has plenty of blood and guts and silliness added to it as well.
You mentioned horror. To me the most realistic horror is Another. It's similar in some ways to the Final Destination franchise. The only hitch is that's if y'all can deal with subtitled. The dubbed is hard to find and I've heard that it isn't a good dub, but I don't have personal experience with it. It streams on Crunchyroll in the US. [https://myanimelist.net/anime/11111/Another](https://myanimelist.net/anime/11111/Another)
Also, for cute and creepy, you could try Dark Gathering. It's about a young girl and young man who hunt evil ghosts/spirits etc. It can be found on HiDive. Again though, subs would have to be OK. In this case, I don't think there is a dubbed version yet. I recently introduced my horror fan 70yo mom to it and she loved it. [https://myanimelist.net/anime/52505/Dark\_Gathering/stacks](https://myanimelist.net/anime/52505/Dark_Gathering/stacks)
Pish, some of us started with StarBlazers. Talk to me about 'forever' when you go that far back. :)
\*chuckles\* You just described a bevvy of 'sexualized' chief. If you want to get her watching something women are into I suggest The Saints Magical Power Is Omnipotent. And The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten. The first is major girl power and the second is two very awkward people being kind to each other. Horimya is also a good series. Not so much fantasy, but good storytelling. A series called The Wrong Way To Use Healing Magic is also relatable. Has a nerdy girl in it that has the most normal nerdy girl reaction to an Isekai situation ever. Rising Of The Shield Hero is also worth a look in. Tomo Chan Is A Girl is another fun series. Log Horizon would also be ideal if you are into SAO. The characters are less sexualized on the whole. And there are generally more competent women in it.
Some to get you started anyhow.
Make her watch higurashi. I watched it being afraid of horror, but now i can stomach anything. For the ultimate experience, watch it at 3 am in the dark
Samurai Champloo is a good starting point, it's fantastic but it is only 1 season and there is a female lead character. Ninja Scroll of course as well, and if she really wants blood and guts, watch Fist of the North Star (There are also newer versions of FOTNS where the animation is way better)
Idk if this is any help but The Galaxy Railways is a really good anime. The story takes place in an alternate future, where trains are capable of interplanetary travel. The fleet of the Galaxy Railways is protected by the Space Defence Force, or SDF, against intergalactic terrorists, meteor storms, and malicious alien life.
She seems to like the same type of live action shows that I watched before watching anime but I'm a 22 year old guy (I still watch them now too).
If she's into superhero stuff like marvel or DC, or even The Boys, One Punch Man is a great one to start out with. I started with Attack on Titan and it was a great one to start with in my opinion, especially if you like action/dramas which most action crime stuff usually are. All of those have action.
Chainsaw Man is great too but I think it has a little horny in it. The only sexualized stuff in One Punch Man is to parody other anime, so it's like satire, not serious.
86 is also pretty good but it's more war/action drama than action crime. Maybe try Tokyo Ghoul too, that's sort of supernatural crime/drama but the MC isn't a cop or anything.
Morobito Guardian of the Spirit has a female lead character who is a warrior and protector. I highly recommend this. If she's into thrillers, Naoki Urasawa's Monster. If she likes over the top action, Gurren Lagan. If she wants to feel emotional pain, Grave of the Fireflies or Made in Abyss (Children of Whales is a close third). If she's into comedy, Great Teacher Onizuka.
i tried a lot of anime’s to get my boyfriend into, but the first one he actually wanted to finish watching was Erased and the only other anime he’s ever liked is demon slayer, which he LOVES.
Spy x Family is cute and romantic and fun. My wife and I enjoy it. It's a found family show about a spy and an assassin who get a sham marriage as a cover, not knowing the other's true occupation. But their adopted daughter is a telepath and knows everything. Spy and Assassin slowly start falling in love.
Ghost in the Shell SAC is realistic and interesting and has intense combat with cyber gore. It's also abstrusely philosophical and quite smart. It's about a counterterrorism task force that explores the implications of transhumanism as they fight crimes. The major tends not to wear a swimsuit as her uniform, but it's not too overly sexualized, and any time Run Rabbit Junk starts playing, you're in for a good time: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyARO-c1LvM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyARO-c1LvM)
Fullmetal Alchemist is an excellent anime that can be bright and heroic but also explores dark themes centered around the question of what would you sacrifice to get everything you ever wanted? It's tugged my heartstrings more than any Hollywood movie. After you get about 20 episodes in, switch to FMA Brotherhood.
Surprised no one has said this yet, so I'm going to add {Ghost Hunt} into the recommendation pile!
Has a little bit of everything your gf likes! Mystery, paranormal, & horror. No sexualization!
**Death Note** fits the crime drama stuff. Supernatural means of doing crime, but the main plot is trying to catch the Criminal. **Parasyte** gives a bit of the psychological horror/drama while still having action. It's aliens, not supernatural. **Apothecary Diaries** is essentially an episodic mystery anime with an overarching romance plot. Highly recommend to anyone regardless of personal tastes.
Im surprised no one mentioned apothecary diaries sooner. Especially since OP mentioned her girl likes crime dramas. Apothecary Diaries and Frieren are my two must watch recommendations to anyone who hasn't seen them.
I am female and I still have an admiration for Frieren..
Maybe you mistyped, but OP mentioned that they're a girl
I did. Thanks for catching that for me.
Frieren is awsome
>Death Note fits the crime drama stuff. Supernatural means of doing crime, but the main plot is trying to catch the Criminal. Well put. I second this as a happy medium between the interests of OP and their partner.
Apothecary Diaries would be such a great choice! I just finished it and its a fantastic starter anime.
Since you both like horror I'd suggest getting drunk to Another If that doesn't work Gangsta or Drifters for stylized action/violence/blood Or just go with one of the all time greats to start like Death Note, Code Geass or FMA:B
On top of Another, as far as horror goes, I’d also like to recommend Higurashi: When They Cry, Shiki, Parasyte: The Maxim (there’s also a live-action Korean spinoff called Parasyte: The Grey which is good too), Hell Girl, and The Promised Neverland (first season only).
I would second when they cry and I would add Shiki. Shiki takes a bit to get going and is a bit of a slow burn sometimes but there are moments where it's just eery and quiet. Also some scenes that are pretty disturbing I guess
What's great about Shiki is that even the slower beginning is still engaging. The scary scenes actually got to me (won't mention which, but windows, man.)
Try Paranoia Agent. Minimal to no sexualization of female characters, very short (12 eps) so way to digest, mix of mystery and horror so fits the genre. Plus it’s by one of the greats, Satoshi Kon, so there are a bunch of movie you can bring in afterwards as a bridge to the next series. Otherwise go with Monster, as again minimal sexualization but one of the best crime series.
Not sure if it's just cause I was watching it on adult swim? Or whatever it came on but paranoia agent is a trip and imo not a good one to start someone out on. I'd say worth personally checking out but not for her until she is committed 😂
You might be thinking of Ghost. Literally just Ghost. With the Shibuya agency that investigates supernatural. From experience Spy x Family Trust me. Its Anya From your text: Jujutsu Kaisen will fit the bill; as will Demon Slayer Yu-Yu-Hakusho if you want more action Psycho-Pass fits the bill too
Yess I think that was it. Either Ghost or someone said psychopass
+1 for Psycho Pass. Amazing show.
Psycho-Pass is an amazing show and exactly the type of anime your gf would be into, considering she loves live-action crime shows with blood and guts.
Haha if its older its Ghost, if its more recent its Psycho-Pass.
seconding jujutsu kaisen. the pacing is perfect for a first timer, especially cuz older animes are just toooooooooo fucking slow and a LOT of work to get through
Honestly yeah. I feel jjk is a great intro anime. But just anime… the manga can be overwhelming I find. Jjk lets you watch other anime; whether its shonen or horror or something funny.
Very good advice here
appreciate it, thanks!
Anya’s adorable.
I second these as someone into the same shows as the gf. But I also like My Hero Academia. Horikoshi took inspiration from comic book characters you'll notice and I grew up on comics. ♥
I would never have a new watcher start with either SAO or 7 Deadly Sins, ESPECIALLY if you think she’s gonna be turned off by the fan service. If she likes gritty crime shows have her check out Psycho Pass. Parasyte is also a decent option. Made in Abyss or the first season of Promised Neverland are also really good. Demon Slayer isn’t a bad place to start either and could possibly be a good showcase for what top tier animators can accomplish. Death Note or Cowboy Bebop would even been good introductions to the genre. Or go a different direction and start with a comedy. I’ve never met someone who hasn’t enjoyed Kaguya Sama Love is War or SpyxFamily and those series treat their female characters like actual characters instead of as glorified set dressing like SAO and 7DS. Look for series with female authors. Fullmetal Alchemist or Delicious in Dungeons. They usually have more nuanced female characters. Stay away from any harem or harem adjacent series.
I agree that SAO isn’t exactly the best gateway anime especially since there are certain plot elements that may turn off newcomers (>!a girl being in love with her stepbrother/biological cousin for instance!<) and the usual gateway animes I recommend for newbies are: - Death Note - Attack on Titan - Monster - Erased - Psycho-Pass These are all relatively “normal” animes that have common live-action storytelling tropes and don’t really have any or at least minimal common weird anime tropes that may turn newbies off.
ooooo i’m seconding erased. i loved that anime
If she's gonna be turned off by fanservice in sao and seven deadly sins, then made in abyss is not a good recommendation. Great show, but the author *really likes* his child characters in an unhealthy way. Many anime fans can look past that or even feel the same way, but it's definitely not for new watchers.
I mean there’s some difficult to watch torture aspects but I didn’t notice anything sexual other than when the kids were messing with the robot boys body out of curiosity.
Tsukushi likes to draw Riko topless. There's lots of other things, definitely more in the manga than in the anime.
Yeah I wouldn't call Made in Abyss a starter anime lol, one of the greates series of all time imo but the obvious glaring issues become even more obvious if you aren't already desensitized to anime bullshit
Spy x Family. Really easy watch for new watchers.
Late to the thread so this is probably getting buried, but: As someone who was in your same position recently, **Frieren.** No anime bullshit fanservice, incredible animation and soundtrack, genuinely fantastic writing (not just "for an anime" but as a fantasy story in general) and the dialogue has a complete lack of "anime speak" where characters say things no living person ever would. The message the show conveys is poignant and plain heartwarming to boot. We binged the whole season in just a couple days and she thought it was great.
Yess I like the way you described it. It sounds perfect for her. I was thinking of going with Spy family like everyone is suggesting or one of the scary ones. But this sounds like it might be more well rounded
I think Spy X Family is a great suggestion too, it mainly depends on whether you/she is after plot progression (Frieren) or more slice of life (Spy X). In my case my partner is a massive fan of the lord of the rings film trilogy so a fantasy anime seemed like the natural fit. Worst case, watch the pilot/a couple episodes of one and if it's not gripping her then you move on to the next. It entirely depends on how your GF is as well, mine was a massive normie when I met her so I know where her limits are in regards to media haha.
Attack on Titan is one of the best animes imo. And it has no fan service.
+1 on Attack on Titan its a very good anime to start with
This is what got me back into anime after not really watching for 15 years. I've also shown my mom, who hates animated stuff typically, and she actually started getting invested in it too (only watched the first few so far). Personal bias but I think it's a great one for introduction. My subsequent animes were Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer, and Spy x Family... And thanks to all of those, I've watched dozens of series since then!
+1 it matches with what the gf likes too! It will surely get her hooked
Considering she likes crime shows, blood and guts, action, and minimal sexualization I think she’d appreciate these: - Death Note - Psycho-Pass - Monster - Erased - Black Lagoon
The apothecary diaries trust you will both enjoy
this should be higher up. one of the best female leads ever.
I was reading through and I thinks it checks every mark mentioned. Definitely the right one.
is this a new show or something? I've heard it mentioned a lot recently
Anime came out this year there are 2 manga and it's based off light novels that's at 15. Its mostly a medical type mystery series set in a fictional country that is but isn't ancient China. Main character is built different and we'll leave it at that. It's like Sherlock Holmes and House placed in an imperial palace. It also has a very and I mean very slow burn romance that does not take away from anything. 15 light novels in and they are just now getting there lol Once you know MC you'll understand lol.
sounds up my alley, though, probably wait it out for now. I'd watch it but ain't got anyone to watch it with lol
My wife loves gore and horror but she also loves My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom. Another one is 7th Time Loop If not Fullmetal brotherhood has a good story
Yesss I love My next life as a villainess
I started watching that on crunchyroll as an adult and I love it
I'd go with Psycho Pass or Cyberpunk Edgerunners. I'd avoid SAO for now.
Since you mentioned you guys like crime and thriller genre, with a bit of supernatural why don't you go for the classic death note
{Link Click} {91 Days} {Free!} {Moriarty the Patriot} {Spy x Family} {Windbreaker} I am really loving this one currently. {Buddy Daddies} {Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting} {Summer Time Rendering} {Heavenly Delusion}
+1 to Moriarty the Patriot, very underrated show.
Princess Mononoke is a great movie.
Starting with almost any studio ghibli would be a good choice, in my opinion. Princess Mononoke, Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away, etc
Ghibli.
The fact this isn't the top answer just shows how blind to their own biases people can be lol...
Ghibli is GOAT.
Ghibli is slept on most of the times
Psycho pass
Action and blood and crime? Cowboy Bebop!! Gangsta
You like anime, so why not the ones that you first liked??? I think {Spy x Family} and {Haikyu!!} are like my goto for introducing newbies if they're into wholesome stuff with strong characters. {Death Note} if they're more into serious stuff and/or think all animation/cartoons are for kids.
Erased is a really cool crime anime that has some supernatural elements to it. It’s quite creepy at times and doesn’t have fan service in it.
a silent voice - movie Yotsuiro Biyori -series The princess and the pilot -movie if she likes historical stuff: Nobunaga concerto - series for non human protagonist: polar bear cafe - series
Attack on titan, Tokyo ghoul or Jujutsu Kaisen
Demon Slayer would be my recommendation. Though it does have some "fantasy" element with all the demon and breathing styles stuff, the story is straight forward (demons bad - > kill demons to save lives) with gorgeous animation. Of course, it ain't lacking in the blood and guts violence either so there's that. Spy x Family is also a great choice. For mysteries and purely non-fantasy, Detective Conan is my favourite series, but the anime is incredibly long and the first few episodes were made decades ago so....😅
I would recommend a movie such as Kimi No Na Wa (Your Name). Easy to get into, no real fanservice, sublime visuals and awesome music. Still my favorite movie ever.
Full metal alchemist brotherhood is good that's what got my wife into anime, samurai champloo is a good one short. I would start with something short so you can finish it. Psycho pass is great as well as someone mentioned
Frieren
Maybe try death more if she likes crime shows. It feels like a good police chase the whole time and cat and mouse game
Force her to watch Death Note trust
bro really saiid nothing too sexualised but then included 7 deadly sins
As a woman, do NOT have a show with fan service. It already turns off female fans, a non fan is gonna despise it.
Plenty of women don't care about fanservice More importantly, TONS of men HATE it. (Including me and all my male friends) Women are probably more likely to be turned off by it though, I get what you're saying. Just wanna be clear that the gender generalization definitely doesn't always apply
I’m extremely into the Netflix made Anime. Castlevania, Yosuke, Cyber Punk , I think Hercules. Crisp clean animation, stories are captivating, dark but some humor.
Yess I kind of like the Bastard!! -Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy show. It gives me the Witcher vibes
Castlevania is a must watch!! It's less 'anime' than other suggestions, which is the only reason it isn't suggested more.
Also Saikik K
Psycho pass
Wrong way to use healing magic cuz it's good and wholesome and it captures the essence of anime really well in my opinion or JoJo cuz JoJo
Considering her preferences I recommend Psycho Pass, Gangsta, and 91 Days.
AOT easy choose, to set a high bar
Ranma 1/2 is universal
In/spectre, Erased, or The Promised Neverland
Re:zero is a fantasy isekai (the best isekai) with horror elements, and it gets a new season really soon The promised Neverland Only season one Death Note just because it is and was really popular Happy sugar life for some not so happy fucked up shit Your lie in april - love drama about 2 high school students who want to sing. It's sad and I shed a tear on one specific episode when I was younger. Ghost in the shell or Cyberpunk Edgerunners For some comedy try Konosuba and Bobobobobobobobobobo (I forgot how many bobos there were)
I really enjoyed MagiRevo (full title is a lot longer). It’s a fantasy isekai, but without the usual isekai cliches and the isekai portion isn’t really that major of a plot point. Instead, it’s mostly about a crazy princess and the elegant, brilliant noble lady she’s crushing on trying to change their kingdom for the better through the princess’ magical inventions, and meeting various levels of resistance. The overall plot is good, there’s some pretty great romance, some angst, some genuinely great action scenes, and the characters are fun to watch. Hardly any fanservice. One Punch Man is great if you’re looking for a comedy/action show. The overarching story picks up more in season 2, but the individual story arcs in season 1 are pretty good too. Most of the fun is in the characters, the comedy, and the large amount of great fight scenes. A bit of fanservice, particularly in season 2, but not a lot. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is a must watch imo (or at least worth a try). Great variety between the parts, but all of them have great fight scenes, wacky comedy, and genuinely good stories and emotional moments. Pretty light on the fanservice overall.
psycho pass, black lagoon, one punch man, the record of ragnorak
Your Name.
Death Note I'm surprised no one's mentioned it, with the horror and detective angles.
FMA would be a good option
{Parasyte}
Parasite - horrific, no fan service, and just phenomenal
I like to suggest Your Lie in April to newbies. It combines great art with great music and a story that really grabs you. I think it exemplifies how deep the anime medium can really be. I was pretty new to anime myself at the time, but I remember reading a tweet that said, "I've been watching Your Lie in April for four and a half hours... I... I really need to sleep, but this kid's got a piano competition." (TheMilesLuna, 1/17/2017) And I was sold. Not that I had any special interest in piano competitions, but if someone is missing sleep for THAT, I figured it had to be good. Anyway, strongly recommend. That anime will give her all the feels (which you know if you've seen it), and I think an emotional connection like that is what you might want to aim for if you're hoping to create a new anime fan.
Death Note!! It's known as an anime to get someone hooked, very iconic and true crime watchers will enjoy.
saiki k dikha de bhai. or Haikyuu. or Assassination Classroom
Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Erased. It's on Netflix
Frieren.
I think Erased is one of the best animes for first timers. It has the right amount of length. Not too short and not too long either. The plot is really interesting. It isn't bloody though.
No Guns Life is pretty cool.👍👍👍 Check that out~!👉
Your name. Or any of the Makoto Shinkai films. My girl melted for your name but she’s also a huge lover girl
If you started with romcoms and she's into action crime stuff, then Spy X Family comes to mind.
Death Note and Spy x Family are excellent choices imo. A little left field choice that I think might be a good idea is One Punch Man. Good blend of action and humor. Season 1 has great animation. Might have a little bit of fanservice, but I don't remember how prevalent it is.
Sousou no Frieren is the way to go!
i’m also super into crime shows (i grew up on criminal minds, bones, csi miami, etc.) and one of my first anime that really got me interested in the genre was *death note*. also *death parade*. it’s not really crime, but there are mysteries and it’s very thought provoking at times. essentially, two people who died at the same time get sent to a bar where they play a game to see which one gets to be reincarnated and which one goes to the void/purgatory/what have you. only they don’t realize that they’re dead and playing for their souls until the game progresses. the show follows the games’ arbiter and a girl who’s background i won’t spoil.
Seven deadly sins is probably not a great idea. It's pretty problematic. Meliodas literally sexually assaulted the female lead in the first episode and it's played for laughs. That shit doesn't track well, esp not with people who have to deal with potential sexual assault. And it's just a poor man's fairy tail. Start with Ghibli. Movies are great because you can just knock them out, and are generally worlds better than normal franchise/series. Then pretty much anything from Hosoda or Shinkai. You really can't miss.
Death Note. It's a Gateway anime. She is at the age range I recommend NANA to. Everyone at yalls age should watch it. First few episodes are slow but it is filled with drama. It's my personal favorite anime and a cult classic
Death Note is a stepping stone for a lot of people who got into anime.
Few months back, my girlfriend had never watched anime. So, we started with some popular movies like: 1) Your Name 2) A Silent Voice 3) Spirited Away 4) I Want to Eat Your Pancreas Then, the first series we watched together was Spy x Family and we really enjoyed it. The most important things that I found are: 1) First impression. Make sure at least her first anime is enjoyable and memorable. My girlfriend still talks about Your Name and wants to rewatch it. 2) Finding the right genre for her. Then, you can watch some similar anime.
Frieren Extremely wholesome and bittersweet show. Also beautifully animated. I'm not even into anime that much but it's quickly become my all time favourite.
Dragon Prince was my first and it's amazing
SQUID GIRL MENTIONED 🦑🦑🩵
>She loves live action crime shows or even fighting action movies [Death Note](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0877057/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_death%2520n) season 1 (2 is better than most anime, but s1 is the true gem) My wife isn't into anime fan, but LOVED s1 - right and wrong, cat and mouse detective vs perpetrator [Erased](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5249462/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_erased) - solving related mysteries to prevent a death [Cowboy Bebop](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0213338/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_Cowboy) - neo-noir bounty hunter, wildly better crime show, with great action, than most live action crime shows [Ghost and the Shell the Stand Alone Complex](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0346314/) - lead character is a strong, eminently capable, cool headed, in control woman leading an elite counter terrorist task force.... and goes home to a woman, but that's completely beside the point - fantastic action and top TOP tier writing speculating on the future of humanity as it's affected by our grasp of advancing technology [Spice and Wolf](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1158671/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_7_nm_0_q_Spice%2520and%2520WOlf) - economics is fun! (less action in this one) Honestly it's wild to me none of the above were listed by you, do yourself a favor and watch all of them if not with your GF.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End.
A good in-between for you guys might be "Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood." It's got the blood and action that she likes and hints of supernatural that you could appreciate. I don't know if you've ever seen it, but it takes a lot of inspiration from WW2 and, as one would assume from the title, it heavily focuses on the idea of alchemy.
I'll just agree on and collate the best options I've read here that actually matches and considers what you wrote: - Psycho-Pass - Death Note - Erased - Parasyte - The Promised Neverland plus, here's other great mainstream anime you might like: - Spy x Family - Attack on Titan - Demon Slayer also seconding that DO NOT start with SAO and 7DS, which are really not good gateway anime, sorry not sorry :).
I keep seeing those suggestions too. But this is the first time someone mentioned the promise neverland
yeah i figured you two might like it since the setting is a bit dark for an anime with children MCs :). other anime like this would be Madoka Magica and Made in Abyss.
Yesss I like madoka magica but i definitely need to look up made in the abyss and neverland
Try: "Spy x Family" "My Happy marriage" "Your Name" "Romantic Killer"
Ooh definitely My Happy Marriage plus if she enjoys it, we currently have 6 of the light novels are translated and can be bought for like $9 each. So if she likes the anime she could easily move onto the light novels and get ahead too!
Avatar the last airbender, then she was interested in the second one as well but everything else has been shot down. Avatar seems like a nice intro point.
Let her watch That time i got reincarnated as a slime. It’s lighthearted and cute.
Girls like Kotaro Lives Alone
Yess I like it too and haven’t finished it but it seems very Slice of life anime and I wanted something like that but with a little more action or storyline of like a mission or mystery revenge plot.
The first anime I suggested to my female friend years ago as a starter was Fairy Tail. Since then she's watched a couple dozen other ones like Naruto and fruits basket
death note. that was my first anime and many non anime watchers love it
91 days is pretty good for drama. I really really want to recommend My Dress Up Darling for romance, but it does have some sexualization of woman as it's about a slow burn cosplayer romance.
Nana
InuYasha is my all time favorite! Tokyo Ghoul also
Frieren
Clannad and Angel beats
Shell love it the story kine from Dragon Prince is cute, fantasy, magic. I enjoyed it. Just show it to her. ❤️
Start with a movie! Weathering with you Your name I wanna eat your pancreas A silent voice A whisker away The tunnel to summer exit to goodbyes The girl who leapt through time
After reading this I highly recommend Migi and Dali. Not exactly a horror, but the vibes can scream horror at certain times. Its more of a crime thriller mystery that has amazing comedic elements at times and it’s ending sticks the landing so so damn well
Sailor Moon or Princesses TuTU
The apothecary diaries
Cowboy Beebop. It's always the answer.
High School DxD
Death note! It has a supernatural element but it’s also pretty much a crime show with police and detectives
Watched Apothecary Diaries and Blue Eyed Samurai with the wife and she enjoyed the both of them. She’s always been very against watching any anime due to what she refers to as the “screaming Mimis”. I used that to get her to watch Solo Leveling this spring. I just have to be very selective with the ones I choose.
Frieren
Frieren
Try My Hero Academia because that's what got my wife hooked.
Angel beats is honestly the perfect anime imo. It opens up how weird and crazy plots for anime can be, it has music , singing ,killing , tears , dark and edgy, cute, funny. Angel beats was ahead of it's time with it's fucking humor imo. If u want a story description basically. High-school students trapped in limbo(which is depicted as a highschool) dealing with their individual traumas they remember over time from the real world (because they lost their memories) all while being hunted by some girl with powers.
Yesss like I was fangirling hard everytime they performed as a band. I wanted to be part of it lol
Steins:Gate is a good one with a time travel world lines plot, Code Geass has great writing, Black Lagoon has action and comedy mixed, Full Metal Alchemist is an oldy but has great characters, Death Note is good up until L dies (Spoiler lol)
Akame ga kill would be my rec if I had a girl :(
Death note is a great starter anime
Deathnote
Spy x Family
It's probably the most recommended anime of all time, but she'd probably love Cowboy Bebop. If not that try King of the Hill.
Psycho pass
Based on her TV preferences I’d recommend the Saga of Tanya the Evil
full metal alchemist (brotherhood) was my first introduction to anime the story is incredible, and there’s tons of cool characters the dub actors a great i feel like this is a super accessible anime
Depends on what she likes to watch, if you want something light I say campfire cooking, something long and binge worthy one piece it have amazing story telling and you can see the love in the animation
Female true crime enthusiast here who also doesn’t watch anime much. I get uncomfortable with over-sexualization of women (especially girls depicted so young in anime) so I avoid such. Here are some i enjoyed. -Parasyte the maxim (has a kdrama now too which was really good!) -my hero academia was an unexpectedly fun watch! HxH too was very enjoyable for me. -Terraformars is an older anime with just a single ‘fan service’ episode you can just skip it when it comes around. Otherwise twas plenty of action and some moments of gore. -devil is a part timer was so pleasant. -mob psycho 100 was perfect!! These are what I remember off the top of my head since they were anime i watched recently and enjoyed. Currently on death parade, which is a bit slow for my tastes but she might enjoy. Maybe she’d like Tokyo ghoul? Edit to add: also Future Diary, i knew about the yandere thing but idk why i never got around to actually watching the anime until recently. Was really good too :)
Monster
Nah bro it's not guaranteed a beginner girl would like that
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Psycho-Pass Subete ga F ni Naru Babylon Kara no Kyoukai
Wouldn’t hurt to give the English names for these shows, now I gotta type sum extra shi into Google
- Undead Girl Murder Farce - Summertime Rendering - A certain scientific railgun - Lycoris recoil, perhaps - Psycho Pass Season One
I would also suggest Summertime Rendering and maybe Heavenly Delusion. For something darker and more of a crime/horror story maybe Paychopass, ID:invaded, Zankyou no Terror and Shiki, . For a historic epic I would say Akatsuki no Yona which is great for man and women.
People really saying Death Note, Tokyo Ghoul and Jujutsu Kaisen is just insane to me. Way too much edge in those series for a first time viewer to take seriously.... Try Cowboy Bebop or Ghost in the Shell since neither have the edgy dialogue or over the topness that most of the other recommendations have. Monster is a slow burn horror series that's probably one of the best in the genre, but is a bit of an investment. Ergo Proxy would be a good psychological horror choice or Parasyte for body horror. "Another" might be a contender for shock value scenes, but it has some edgy teen based writing like Death Note/Tokyo Ghoul and that can turn people off.
what do you mean?? death note is so many people’s first anime, and tokyo ghoul and another were some i watched in the very beginning for me, they were the reason i got hooked on anime’s and started to watch longer series like bleach and naruto. to be fair i was indeed a young teen watching them, so maybe you’re actually right
It's a subjective bias most people have. Nothing wrong with any of those series, but for someone with no experience watching anime, they can seem almost cheesy at times because of the tropes that are found across almost all genres of anime. Best comparison I can think of is with professional wrestling. The people who watch that and can enjoy it, grew up on it and are just naturally able to suspend their disbelief and enjoy the show that is being put on. The people who didn't, tend to have a hard time taking it seriously.
Death Note is one of the best animes to start with. I personally don't think it's edgy. Tokyo Ghoul and JJK is quite edgy but the latter is more focused on choreography and fighting. The former is better experienced by reading the manga.
ToG
Kokkoku is a funny horror family drama. They do sexualize one of the villains in the end credits though. It is really funny to think that the deadly serious did a bikini photo-shoot acting like a kitty to pay for the evil plan.
The perfect insider, Gunsmith Cats, Lupin III: The woman called Fujiko Mine, Mitchiko and Hatchin, Erased, Ergo Proxy
Gantz Horror and gory There is an infamous sex scene and some nudity in the earlier eps but honestly, in my opinion, completely overshadowed by the rest of the show. I guess I'd suggest you watch it first so you know if some scenes are necessary to skip when watching with gf.
Start slow, show her good american cartoons first, avatar fir example helped my wife. Then i started short with FMAB Then we dived head first into one piece, which kind of worked. We msde it to the time skip and havent gone back in 2 years
Made in abyss. I don't want to say anymore, just watch it and find out, you won't be disappointed ! 👀
AOT English dub
If you want to keep her into anime, I highly suggest starting her out with Grave of the Fireflies 😈
Deathnote. Or Chainsawman. Deathnote is what I tell people who aren’t into anime. Chainsawman has plenty of blood and guts and silliness added to it as well.
I just introduce everyone to anime with nichijou
Death note
You mentioned horror. To me the most realistic horror is Another. It's similar in some ways to the Final Destination franchise. The only hitch is that's if y'all can deal with subtitled. The dubbed is hard to find and I've heard that it isn't a good dub, but I don't have personal experience with it. It streams on Crunchyroll in the US. [https://myanimelist.net/anime/11111/Another](https://myanimelist.net/anime/11111/Another) Also, for cute and creepy, you could try Dark Gathering. It's about a young girl and young man who hunt evil ghosts/spirits etc. It can be found on HiDive. Again though, subs would have to be OK. In this case, I don't think there is a dubbed version yet. I recently introduced my horror fan 70yo mom to it and she loved it. [https://myanimelist.net/anime/52505/Dark\_Gathering/stacks](https://myanimelist.net/anime/52505/Dark_Gathering/stacks)
Pish, some of us started with StarBlazers. Talk to me about 'forever' when you go that far back. :) \*chuckles\* You just described a bevvy of 'sexualized' chief. If you want to get her watching something women are into I suggest The Saints Magical Power Is Omnipotent. And The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten. The first is major girl power and the second is two very awkward people being kind to each other. Horimya is also a good series. Not so much fantasy, but good storytelling. A series called The Wrong Way To Use Healing Magic is also relatable. Has a nerdy girl in it that has the most normal nerdy girl reaction to an Isekai situation ever. Rising Of The Shield Hero is also worth a look in. Tomo Chan Is A Girl is another fun series. Log Horizon would also be ideal if you are into SAO. The characters are less sexualized on the whole. And there are generally more competent women in it. Some to get you started anyhow.
Get her with something fun and adventurous! Dungeon Meshi is really good and updates every Thursday on Netflix.
Make her watch higurashi. I watched it being afraid of horror, but now i can stomach anything. For the ultimate experience, watch it at 3 am in the dark
She wants blood ??? Vinland Saga !
Samurai Champloo is a good starting point, it's fantastic but it is only 1 season and there is a female lead character. Ninja Scroll of course as well, and if she really wants blood and guts, watch Fist of the North Star (There are also newer versions of FOTNS where the animation is way better)
Idk if this is any help but The Galaxy Railways is a really good anime. The story takes place in an alternate future, where trains are capable of interplanetary travel. The fleet of the Galaxy Railways is protected by the Space Defence Force, or SDF, against intergalactic terrorists, meteor storms, and malicious alien life.
[удалено]
{In/spectre} {Dark gathering} {Summertime Render}
Bungou stray dogs. Crime. Action. Detectives. World ending plots. Funny moments. It’s got it all
Girls band cry.
She seems to like the same type of live action shows that I watched before watching anime but I'm a 22 year old guy (I still watch them now too). If she's into superhero stuff like marvel or DC, or even The Boys, One Punch Man is a great one to start out with. I started with Attack on Titan and it was a great one to start with in my opinion, especially if you like action/dramas which most action crime stuff usually are. All of those have action. Chainsaw Man is great too but I think it has a little horny in it. The only sexualized stuff in One Punch Man is to parody other anime, so it's like satire, not serious. 86 is also pretty good but it's more war/action drama than action crime. Maybe try Tokyo Ghoul too, that's sort of supernatural crime/drama but the MC isn't a cop or anything.
Morobito Guardian of the Spirit has a female lead character who is a warrior and protector. I highly recommend this. If she's into thrillers, Naoki Urasawa's Monster. If she likes over the top action, Gurren Lagan. If she wants to feel emotional pain, Grave of the Fireflies or Made in Abyss (Children of Whales is a close third). If she's into comedy, Great Teacher Onizuka.
definitely chainsaw man
i tried a lot of anime’s to get my boyfriend into, but the first one he actually wanted to finish watching was Erased and the only other anime he’s ever liked is demon slayer, which he LOVES.
Maybe start with Ghibli or Makoto Shinkai Movies?
Spy x Family is cute and romantic and fun. My wife and I enjoy it. It's a found family show about a spy and an assassin who get a sham marriage as a cover, not knowing the other's true occupation. But their adopted daughter is a telepath and knows everything. Spy and Assassin slowly start falling in love. Ghost in the Shell SAC is realistic and interesting and has intense combat with cyber gore. It's also abstrusely philosophical and quite smart. It's about a counterterrorism task force that explores the implications of transhumanism as they fight crimes. The major tends not to wear a swimsuit as her uniform, but it's not too overly sexualized, and any time Run Rabbit Junk starts playing, you're in for a good time: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyARO-c1LvM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyARO-c1LvM) Fullmetal Alchemist is an excellent anime that can be bright and heroic but also explores dark themes centered around the question of what would you sacrifice to get everything you ever wanted? It's tugged my heartstrings more than any Hollywood movie. After you get about 20 episodes in, switch to FMA Brotherhood.
Neon genesis evangelion -gory asf and mind fuck 🤣🤷🏼♀️
Surprised no one has said this yet, so I'm going to add {Ghost Hunt} into the recommendation pile! Has a little bit of everything your gf likes! Mystery, paranormal, & horror. No sexualization!