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12 hours ago
#1

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Feb 2014
6303
One issue I've noticed with my previous threads is that I took for granted that everyone started with long anime and then transitioned to shorter ones... Except maybe that's not the case and the type of person I was thinking of ALWAYS watched shorter ones (Maybe they started with OVAs and VHS/DVDs in the 90s?)

So, did you get into anime with shorter ones? How? Why? Which? When?
(Obs. Don't include "I saw something on TV when I was 5 and didn't know it was anime")
12 hours ago
#2
BIKINI⚔️ARMOR

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May 2019
11554
No, i got into anime with trouser ones.
11 hours ago
#3

Offline
Oct 2022
785
I don't see how anyone would have started their interest in anime by buying/renting OVAs except for some very rare exceptions. the logistics just don't make sense to me.
11 hours ago
#4

Offline
May 2014
1625
Long ones and short ones. I did not really know much about anime and I was not really checking synopsis, length or popularity when bouncing on video/DDL platforms. Was a great time to be alive...

Now, I'm almost asking too many questions before actually diving into an anime.


Happy New Year 2026


★May the stars shine upon you.★
11 hours ago
#5
☽⛤☾🐈

Offline
Nov 2013
1183
No. The first anime that I watched where I knew it was from Japan were the 2 seasons of Spice & Wolf (subbed). Then a few years later I watched (rewatched in some cases) all series of Pokémon and Digimon available at the time in English but once I got to the latest Digimon season I had to switch to Japanese, so I completely rewatched all Digimon seasons again but with JP audio and subs. Then I watched Sword Art Online and became a full on weeb going through the classics and watching anime seasonally
11 hours ago
#6
Offline
Dec 2017
9
Personally I think at least for people of my generation (millenials) TV and specifically Toonami or whatever broadcasting channel you in your country should take credit for getting us into anime whether it was longer running animes like DBZ/Pokemon/YuYu Hakusho/Bleach or shorter ones like Cowboy Bebop/Big O/Ronin Warriors or my cousins personal favorite Sailor Moon. I don't think you're going to find much of an answer beyond this because theres not a big difference between starting "shorter" or "longer" running animes as both were played on tv and both had substantial influence on our taste

For the youngsters I would imagine its a bit different nowadays since TV isn't as much of a factor in their lives as the internet currently is, but back then we didn't have smartphones in our hands by the time we were eight years old so coming home afterschool or soccer practice to primetime cartoon network was what we looked forward to. Maybe for some you had a parent/sibling or cousin that had some cool anime dvd's or vhs but that was definitely more on the niche side
Whatever happens, happens.
11 hours ago
#7

Offline
Feb 2016
16436
The first few anime I watched as an adult were all on the shorter side. I don't think I even knew of any longer anime besides those I watched as a kid (which you said don't count) and battle shounen (which didn't interest me).
その目だれの目?
11 hours ago
#8

Offline
Sep 2025
143
Apart from what I watched as a kid, I got into anime through Fairy Tail because my friend said she liked it.

There were a lot more (continuous) long-running anime back then compared to now, as anime supply, demand, and production/marketing methods have evolved over time.
Don't Worry,
Everything Is
gonna Happy ♡
11 hours ago
#9

Offline
Oct 2023
390
The short ones I started with were 48 and 50 episodes even if they were sometimes split into 2, and longer. It was a long time before I ever looked at seasonals.
I Took it as a sign of quality for there to be a big episode count.
11 hours ago

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Jan 2026
8
I got into anime trough video games.
11 hours ago

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May 2018
12752
I started with two movies and 24 episode TV...time skip...few movies. one OVA which aired on TV, several incomplete OVAs on VHS...time skip...Sailor Moon, Wedding Peach, Detective Conan ect.

Basically it's about what was available, not about "The format of the anime you started with, tells something deep and meaningful about you! If it was short you are a blue oni, if it was long you are a red oni.".


"How?"

In the movie theatres and on national TV.


"Why?"

Because I was kid and animation is for kids.
Well, Nagagutsu wo Haita Neko was and Hi no Tori 2772: Ai no CosmoZone wasn't...I would say it was for teens.
Kagaku Kyuujo-tai TechnoVoyager was definitely for teens.


"Which?"

Nagagutsu wo Haita Neko, Hi no Tori 2772: Ai no CosmoZone and Kagaku Kyuujo-tai TechnoVoyager (the japanese version was kicked out from airing after 18 episodes, but the european version was distributed with its all 24).


"When?"

Somewhere at the end of the 70s and the beginning of 80s. Those were already old when they came to my country...tho Kagaku Kyuujo-tai TechnoVoyager came "fresh" somewhere in 1984-1985.
alshu1 hour ago
10 hours ago

Offline
Jul 2021
11809
If those count that I only watched as a child, and didn't directly lead to watching more anime, then I guess I technically did start with the longer ones.
*:・゚✧*:・゚✧May the winds of change transform you entirely.*:・゚✧*:・゚✧
9 hours ago

Offline
Feb 2016
16436
Reply to PeroFES
I got into anime trough video games.
@PeroFES
I did too, but I think the question is which anime we started with.
その目だれの目?
9 hours ago

Offline
Feb 2018
3218
Reply to krautnelson
I don't see how anyone would have started their interest in anime by buying/renting OVAs except for some very rare exceptions. the logistics just don't make sense to me.



Easy. Try being a Teenager Stuck on an Alfalfa Farm in the Mid-1990's with no prospects for CABLE or SAT. TV
and your only avenue for Anime access being your "Local" SUNCOAST VIDEO about a Half-Hour/45 mins. Drive Away.

Back Then; i was Fully Pendant on my Parents Once a Month (on Average) trips to "Tri-Cities" WA.
to get even so much as a Chance to Pursue anything even remotely Anime-Related...
9 hours ago

Offline
Sep 2018
5652
No, if we talk about the anime I watched in TV when I was a kid (long running)

Yes, if we talk about when I got into anime in the last few years (1-2 cours)
9 hours ago

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May 2023
1417
I've always preferred long ones. Short ones try too hard to satisfy you and always fail.
9 hours ago

Offline
Feb 2018
19
Nah, I prefer to use jeans or dress trousers
9 hours ago

Offline
Jan 2022
11
I started with short ones, the longer ones are too intimidating to go for right off the bat tbh. When I was younger I watched longer ones, but when I really got into it I started with short 12 EPS.
8 hours ago

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Apr 2022
8398
no. dragon ball and naruto were long ones i got into right off the bat. short ones failed to keep my attention.
8 hours ago

Offline
Mar 2008
54087
Some of them but others not. Just whatever was on TV and I eventually started seeking it out online which is how I started watching subs.
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8 hours ago
Offline
Apr 2023
415
I started with 12-25 episodes anime, because mostly long one is a standard battle shounens which I am don't like.
2 hours ago

Offline
Jan 2026
8
Reply to Lucifrost
@PeroFES
I did too, but I think the question is which anime we started with.
@Lucifrost I see, then I have to say short ones (26-50 ep) and movies.
2 hours ago
Offline
Nov 2021
1178
When a friend online recommended me to watch Vampire Knight and Death Note. After I watched Death Note (37 episodes) I’ve grown interested to explore more series.
Recommend me some shoujo manga ♡
2 hours ago

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Aug 2022
461
lol my first anime were DBZ, Pokemon, and Yugioh...i cant even remember what my first seasonal or 12ep was...
2 hours ago

Offline
May 2009
8515
If we're counting stuff just casually watched (mostly in one's early years), then most people didn't get into anime with short-form anime works, just because those long-running shows are so prevalent.

But if we're talking about stuff specifically chosen because "I want to watch anime", then I started with two-cour stuff.
Avatar character is Gabriel from Gabriel DropOut.
1 hour ago

Offline
Oct 2010
22468
I got into anime with whatever was on tv, I had no idea if it was short or long, some were and some weren't
1 hour ago

Online
May 2018
1853
Well I started like most. With regular sized seasons which were 12-26 episodes


and One Piece which is certainly not short

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