My First Anime

Happy New Year! I did a 30-day anime challenge last year and had a blast with it. It would be fun to do it again this year. Let's see if my tastes have changed at all in a year.

This is a different list than the last one I did. So, if you’d like to check out last year's, here it is.

I think the purpose of these challenges is to post a picture but me being the extra person that I am, I will write a blog about each topic.

This is different from what I am used to blogging, which makes me excited to test my creativity and go back to find the answers to these writing prompts.

Feel free to join me in the comments below! I’d love to hear your answers too.

With that intro, let’s get into day 1 my first anime!!

Let’s be honest we all grew up with some form of anime. For myself, it all started with a show that I am pretty sure most people grew up with.\

That’s right! The OG Pokemon. Some people consider Pokemon to be a cartoon, But it’s an animated series from Japan. “Anime” as we use it in English is just a word for a Japanese animated series. So yes, Pokémon is an anime. I grew up with older brothers who were obsessed so of course my sister and I were too. I remember opening packs of cards and watching episodes we had on VHS (Yes I am old) over and over and over again. I think Pokemon is the perfect anime for both children and adults. Creative main characters, funny villains, and an entertaining storyline throughout 52 episodes. It might be a little nostalgic to me, but I think most people would agree the theme song is the ultimate hype song!! And Yes, I know all 151 Pokemon to this day because of the pokerap. For anyone wanting a show to get their kids into anime, you have to start with the classic.

When I was in middle school a family friend told my dad that we had to see spirited away. MY MIND WAS BLOWN!! The art, the story, the characters, the music, just wow. My eyes were opened to a whole new world. I tracked down and started to watch every Studio Ghibli movie. Now do I think this is the best Hayao Miyazaki movie, no, but it is a stunning movie. It was an opening to a whole new world of Japanese art and I was growing an obsession. If you are just getting into anime and have not seen Spirited Away I wouldn’t recommend it. That is a very different opinion than most people but hear me out. Out of the mind of Hayao Miyazaki, many masterpieces have come to the big screen. Spirited Away is one of the deepest stories and with the number of characters and spirits and little plots that you might miss, it is a lot. With that being said YOU HAVE TO WATCH IT!!! I would just recommend working your way up to this movie. After you watch it your life will be changed.

Later that same year at a sleepover a friend said we should watch this show. If I am being completely honest it looked stupid but a majority voted for it. Little plot to fruits basket, The Sohma family has a curse. Members of the family turn into the animals of the Chinese zodiac when hugged by the opposite sex. While watching the first episode we saw some of the men change into a rat, a cat, and a dog. It was funny and entertaining until my friend’s mom walked in on those characters changing into their human form again… naked! As middle school girls, we thought it was hilarious but the mom made us turn it off. I wasn’t invested in the show and didn’t care either way, but the next time we hung out my friend and sister wanted to watch more. Now a couple of episodes in and I still wasn’t impressed, but curious. My sister and I ended up binging the rest of the show. I got invested around episode 5 or 6 but was quickly let down but the ending!!! My sister and I were confused and with some googling found out the show was cut short, and if we wanted to know the real end we had to read the Manga. Manga? That was the first time I heard of anime books (That’s what I used to call them) We found them at our local library and quickly read the whole series. IT WAS SO GOOD!!! I would be lying if I said I didn’t cry. What an emotional, funny, and romantic story. Creative characters and all of my ships ended up together so I had to love the ending after that.

After our rollercoaster of emotions from Fruits Basket, my sister and I were connected by anime. It was our thing. While our parents would work, the two of us would pick an anime and binge it. It is a complete blur of which shows we watched After Fruits Basket, but some that stand out are School Rumble, Ouran School Host Club, Death Note, and Soul Eater. We both fell in love with anime and loved that no one else knew what we were talking about. Our love was expressed in different ways when we hit high school. My sister got into popular shows and drawing, I tried to copy but I couldn’t draw to save my life. That didn’t stop us from starting an anime art Instagram. Which we realized pretty quickly was a bad idea. I branched off and created my own Instagram and started watching less mainstream anime. I loved watching and then reviewing it afterward so I could help people find great anime. Growing a following and having a blast, watching countless shows. High school was anime-filled until junior year. Then life got in the way… I slowed down and then just got too busy and I stopped watching anime altogether.

Fast forward to 2022 and I was looking for something to watch on Netflix. Soul Eater popped up in my recommended shows because it was getting taken off Netflix in less than 30 days. Of course, I had to rewatch it! This show was one my sister and I can still talk about for hours and I wanted to see if all these years later it still held its own. It did!! What a creative and entertaining show! My love was sparked again and I started watching more and more. We are now at the beginning of 2024 and my life is still crazy but anime has always been something that gave me some joy and entertainment on boring days. Which is why I decided to do what I used to love so much! I watch a lot of anime and love dissecting and writing out anime reviews so others don’t have to waste time finding another show. Which is my least favorite thing to do.

I hope my story gives you a little insight into why I love anime. I have never expected my little blog to blow up but even if I help one person find a show that gives them some joy that would mean the world to me.

I am thrilled to do this challenge again and would love for you to join me!

What was your first anime?

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See you tomorrow for day 2!!