What is the Best Gateway Anime?
| I've selected some very popular 'normie' animes. The anime does not need to be a great/good anime for more experienced anime viewers. I'm primarily talking about animes that were successful at bringing in more fans for anime in general. For example- Naruto, AOT and SAO had great first episodes which alone brought in a lot of fans for them. So for me, one of them should be the best gateway anime. So which anime should be the best gateway anime from this century? Edit: One Punch Man gets a late addition. |
Biswa_29Jan 17, 2020 10:18 PM
| SAO PROGRESSIVE ANIME HYPE |
| Well, obviously it's going to depend on the person's taste. If they're into dramas then a slice of life would convince them that anime has things that they already enjoy rather than chasing them away by making it seem like it's all action shit. Horror is something Japan does much more poorly than the West, but I don't know of anyone who seeks out horror in the first place. Gateways are supposed to be for finding something familiar that allows someone to get deeper into something so anime that are generically "anime" isn't going to be nearly as effective as just picking out something popular from that person's favourite genre of Western media, as long as there's an anime equivalent. |
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| It's still SAO, most ppl i know started watching Anime with SAO. |
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| Some classic gate keeping with hype titles....than people wander why those newfangled fans lack individual taste. |
alshuJan 18, 2020 4:24 AM
| Everyone that I know of started anime with Death Note. |
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| Well it depends. I got into anime because of generic shonen but most of my friends got into anime because of edgy stuff like tokyo ghoul or cool stuff like classroom of the elite. |
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| Death Note most definitely. Almost all anime fans I talked on forums and IRL said that Death Note was their gateway anime. Whenever a newbie ask me about recommendation I always suggest them to watch Death Note. My personal gateway anime was Bleach, but the one that really hooked me up on anime was Naruto. |
| Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood gets my vote it did not do anything excellent but all good enough like less to no sexual fanservice that normies hate, great animated sakuga battles, easy to follow story which sometimes go deep into philosophy level (ex. equivalent exchange and one is all, all is one, and who/what is god) and have a very conclusive ending plus the show is not that super long and not that too short either |
| Death note was like the talk of town, friends,strangers,classmates,cousins always had discussions on how great it is. |
 Made by k3ti |
-Lei said: Death note was like the talk of town, friends,strangers,classmates,cousins always had discussions on how great it is. I remember it. Death Note wasn't my first anime and my friends kept harassing me until I watched it. Lol |
| SAO PROGRESSIVE ANIME HYPE |
| Probably Death Note, closely followed by Attack on Titan. |
| Death Note is something that most people will enjoy no matter what they usually like, at least in my experience. But now I feel bad because Bleach has no votes at all. I like Bleach. Would not recommend it to someone who has never seen an anime episode in their life, though. :D |
| ♥οΈ |
| Attack on Titan because of the mystery and the first episode. Bleach is a good gateway anime as well. |
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ysphyr said: imo anime you listed are a bit too much for so-called “normies”. They may work for kids/teens, maybe even for young adults, as they are usually more open-minded. Full-time adults are not that accepting most of the time. So if I want a certain person to start watching anime, first I’ll check what they are generally interested in and then make a suggestion. Everything Miyazaki made is a good choice - you can always trick them into watching by telling how his works are critically acclaimed, won all the awards, blablabla. People fall for it. Plus you can watch them with kids, that can be used as an excuse for a lot of adults who want to watch but afraid to look “childish”. Also you can recommend anime that inspired popular movies, like Paprika, Perfect Blue, GITS. People get interested what’s the original like and watch it. But at the end of the day, you’ll never know what can spark one’s interest in anime. Death note worked for my uni friends, Ponyo on the Cliff - for my parents. Death Note was the first anime I showed my dad, then I showed him Joker Game. I'm thinking about showing him Mirai Nikki next. |
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| either attack on titan or death note from only the list, although all of these anime fit into the action/shonen genres so maybe you should expand your horizons and think of shows that don't always involve fighting or high stakes conflict |
| "I like young-girl sexual creations, Lolicon is just one hobby of my many hobbies," he says. I ask what his wife, standing nearby, thinks of his "hobby". "She probably thinks no problem," he replies. "Because she loves young boys sexually interacting with each other." |
| Without a doubt, FMAB or AOT. I voted FMAB because people might be bored of season 1 of AOT. |
| Literaly any of those except the Demon Sureya |
petran79 said: Did they really bring more anime fans or just replaced ones who stopped watching anime? Attack on titan literally brought in new fans that never watch anime before, also death note as well. |
| Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood. It's the best. Here's why: 1. It's accessible. It's set in a fictional country, based on a Western nation. This immediately frees it from baggage that a lot of other anime have, because there's no need to understand Japanese culture to understand the story. The character's names are easy to remember for a Western ear, which makes a huge difference. A Westerner with no interest in Japan can start watching and not be confused. And, of course, it has a fantastic dub. It's fashionable to sneer at people who prefer that - but if you've never gotten into foreign language media, it can be quite daunting to have to follow a show while reading subs and trying to pick up emotional nuance from a language you don't speak, and having the option to not bother is a powerful incentive. 2. But it's also a good introduction. While FMA:B doesn't rely on Japanese culture, its storytelling style is typically anime, with strong continuity and sequential rather than episodic structure. Likewise, the art, while not as alien-looking as some, is recognisably anime. There are the 'super deformed' visual gags, and in fact a lot of the humour is very Japanese - but the show doesn't live or die by that humour. If the joke doesn't land, it's not the end of the world, and at least the new anime viewer is introduced and eased into the style they can expect from Japanese comedy. 3. There's something for everyone. FMA:B is one of those shows that sets out to do a lot, and succeeds. Due to its strong character writing and intricate plot, there's a lot to get into, so if one element of the story isn't doing it for you, another might well be. If you want a fantasy series with an interesting magic system and creative battles that use it to the fullest, FMA:B has that. If you want a character drama about two brothers dealing with the aftermath of a tragedy and their role in it together and apart, FMA:B has that. If you want a political intrigue or mystery story, involving a conspiracy reaching to the highest levels of a military dictatorship, FMA:B has that. If you want social commentary on racial genocide and oppression, and the long-lasting effects on both the victim and perpetrators, FMA:B has that. If you want a horror story, hoo boy does FMA:B have that. There's so much to this series, so many layers and so different. Everyone can find something they'll like about this show. 4. It's really, really good. All that means that FMA:B is set up to be a very, very good introduction to anime - but what's the point if they don't enjoy it? Fortunately, that's not an issue. The script, the characters, the animation, the music, the voice acting... every part of this whole production is top-notch. There's nothing holding back the plot from being as engaging as possible, which means its a remarkably easy show to get into and just concentrate on what's going on. Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood isn't my favourite show. But it is probably the best I've ever seen - and not only that, it's the best to show to new watchers too. |
Maurice_5Jan 17, 2020 7:11 PM
| Wouldn't One Piece technically be a 20th-century gateway anime? It did start airing in the Fall 1999 season, after all. Although I was well into anime by the time it aired, I would go with Death Note. 1) It's long enough to get immersed into, but not super-long like many other entries. 2) It's close enough to the recognizable police-procedural and detective genres for so-called normies to find accessible. 3) Although it's set in Japan and has a cast full of Japanese names, it generally keeps things grounded with realistic fashion, hairstyles/colors, eye colors, and eye sizes. Few or no super-deformations, giant eyes, outlandish face reactions, etc. 4) Limited sexual fanservice, compared to other titles like SAO, Fairy Tail, or 7 Deadly Sins. Yeah, Misa shows up in some revealing goth outfits, but that happens far enough along that viewers will be sufficiently invested in the series. 5) Has supernatural elements, but isn't "LOL So Wacky, Ninjas Samurais Giant Robots Magic Explosions Everywhere!!!" 6) Has a reasonably good dub, from what I've heard. I'd give Honorable Mentions to Attack on Titan, which hits many of the same "Serious Action Show" notes, and My Hero Academia, which may have resonance in this age of big-time comic-book/superhero movies. FMA:B is a fairly strong choice, but I'd take it down a few notches because of its length, its occasional tone-breaking visual gags, and the fact that it structured its first ~13 episodes on the assumption that viewers were familiar with the manga and/or the previous anime, meaning that some events aren't as well-developed or impactful as they could've been. FMA 2003 actually did fairly well as a gateway anime back in the mid/late-2000s. Imo its story still holds up if you're not comparing it to the manga/FMA 2009; however, it might be a harder sell these days because of its older visuals and the fact that it was made in 4:3. The same would apply to the early episodes of Naruto, One Piece, and Bleach, as those didn't transition to 16:9 until 2007-2008. |
ZalisJan 18, 2020 10:37 AM
on 
| Honestly, I would say SAO would be the gateway but I think the one that should be added is one punch man |
"Perfection is perception. For me, humanity's imperfections is what makes it perfect"  |
FireRifle64 said: Honestly, I would say SAO would be the gateway but I think the one that should be added is one punch man Ohh! I completely forgot about it. That's a good gateway as well. |
| SAO PROGRESSIVE ANIME HYPE |
| I always tend to recommend Castlevania on Netflix to get people introduced to the styling and look of anime. |
| Best anime about gates hands down is this: https://myanimelist.net/anime/28907/Gate__Jieitai_Kanochi_nite_Kaku_Tatakaeri |
  Latest Review Kino's Journey |
Malware said: Best anime about gates hands down is this: https://myanimelist.net/anime/28907/Gate__Jieitai_Kanochi_nite_Kaku_Tatakaeri By Gateway anime, I actually meant starting anime which brings in fans for anime as a whole. |
| SAO PROGRESSIVE ANIME HYPE |
biswa290701 said: Malware said: Best anime about gates hands down is this: https://myanimelist.net/anime/28907/Gate__Jieitai_Kanochi_nite_Kaku_Tatakaeri By Gateway anime, I actually meant starting anime which brings in fans for anime as a whole. π₯ I thought I finally found my gate loving brother. Hopefully Gate will be your gateway to great gates. The brotherhood of gates awaits. |
Latest Review Kino's Journey |
Malware said: I thought I finally found my gate loving brother. Hopefully Gate will be your gateway to great gates. The brotherhood of gates awaits. Just chiming in to say that FMA:B also has you covered for awesome gates:  |
| Death Note and Attack on Titan can bring in viewers with just the first episode, so they are probably the top 2 according to me. I chose Death Note because a lot of people didn't like the rest of first season of AoT as much as the first two episodes and that can make them turn away from the medium. I'd say the same about SAO since even though the first episode was pretty good, the rest was debatable. I think FMA:B and HxH are both better when you have at least watched one or two animes before them. |
Malware said: biswa290701 said: By Gateway anime, I actually meant starting anime which brings in fans for anime as a whole. π₯ I thought I finally found my gate loving brother. Hopefully Gate will be your gateway to great gates. The brotherhood of gates awaits. I've been considering to watch it for a while. FMA:B also had some Gates so I might like it. π |
| SAO PROGRESSIVE ANIME HYPE |
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