How I Started Watching Anime

I never thought that, as I continued growing up, I would be an anime fan. That was one of the childish things that my big brother could never get over his head. His nose had glued itself to the television day in and day out. I never bought into it, even when he’d come all excited talking about what happened last week or on another episode. I thought it’s just animated cartoons-the bottom of the pile, kids’ stuff, right? I could not have been more wrong.

The First Encounter: Dragon Ball Z

It all started on Cartoon Network with Dragon Ball Z. I knew nothing about “anime” or “manga.” All I knew that Dragon Ball Z was the best show, and all the other cartoons don’t even come close. It was just full battles, his full power as a Super Saiyan, a drama-thrill-filled adventure-it hooked me in. In fact, at that time I did not even know that the series I had hooked myself to is an anime. For all I knew was just another exciting show amongst many others that I had lined up on my watch list.

As I grew older, I began to turn my face away from it; I thought that I became mature enough for such “cartoons.” But little did I know that Dragon Ball Z was indeed a gateway to something much bigger — a world I was yet to fully explore.

The Push from My Big Brother

A few years down the line, however, my elder brother did not lose any love for the anime. Sitting through Naruto, One Piece, and Attack on Titan-an uphill task-a whole list of shows with more than hundreds of episodes. I do not know how he managed it. I used to laugh at him saying, “Anime is only for kids.” I told him that he was just wasting time sitting through so many episodes of the same thing.

“I would not see it anyway.

My brother, however was throwing in hints and pinning me down. He knew how much I loved epic stories and fights. He dragged me into watching Death Note, and I fell into it. It was because I wanted to prove that the said tale was about what people were raving on.

The Turning Point: Death Note and Demon Slayer

That first episode of Death Note? Boom. Multilayered characters, social and moral dilemmas, and depth of psychological understanding-it was nothing I had ever seen in Western shows. Having followed the series to the end of the first season, I got hooked. Death Note opened my eyes to what anime could be: a genre full of mature, thoughtful content far away from the “cartoons” I once dismissed.

After watching the series Death Note, I started watching Demon Slayer, and it really captured my interests. The beautiful animation, heart-pounding fight scenes, and great emotional depth made me realize that anime was no longer just mere entertainment — it was art. Steadily, then suddenly, I dipped myself into the vast world of anime, discovering genre after genre and show after show-from fast-paced action shows like Attack on Titan to meaningful, emotional stories like Your Lie in April.

Becoming One of “Them”

Seriously, I’ve come a full circle from being one of those people who made fun of anime to being the enthusiastic person who talks episodes with anyone who will listen, looks forward to new seasons, and even gets emotional over character arcs. Now that I can understand why my brother is so intense over this world. Anime is by no means “for kids.” It is a tool to narrate tales that no one else could. Today, looking back into the past, I smile at myself. Matter of a couple of years back, I used to be that person who would make fun of fans of anime; today, here I am, making merry and enjoying it. In retrospect, no matter how worthwhile the risk was, I don’t think anything will ever complete my entertainment life without it.