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What was your first exposure to anime?


twilit
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How did you get into anime? What kept you watching it? And if you stopped watching anime, what made you want to stop or lose interest altogether?

For me personally, my first time seeing anything close to actual anime was Avatar: the Last Airbender when I was a kid. While not exactly a true anime, it introduced me to the style and made me appreciate it quite a bit. I would actually go quite a few years without interacting with anything anime-related until I discovered Fire Emblem, leading me to SF where I started watching anime after hearing other people mention it somewhat often. Since then I've watched Toradora! and Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works, and am currently watching Fruits Basket and Kaguya-sama: Love is War. I'm definitely more of a slice-of-life, romance kind of guy when it comes to my preferences in anime, but Fate UBW was pretty good as well.

Edited by twilitfalchion
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What started me on anime was the Fox Box on Saturday mornings and week day afternoons in the 90s.  Digimon was my favorite show and is the first anime I was a big fan of.  I went a few years without watching anime then I found Vision of EscaFlowne at Best Buy and I had watched it on Fox Box and liked it back then so I bought the set (it was cheap $27).  I have been reading manga and watching anime since then.  I am picky about my choices though, so while I love anime I don't watch a whole bunch of it and only watch ones that people I know love or that really interest me. My all time favorite is the Saiyuki series and I haven't found one to top that yet, but who knows maybe some day I will.

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The debut of the Pokemon anime on Kids' WB was my actual introduction to anime. 'Course, I was a young'in with no clue about foreign animation. Along with Pokemon I grew up watching Digimon and Yu-Gi-Oh. And then came the abundance of anime on the Fox Box/4Kids' TV network in the early 2000's. Between this and having seen Howl's Moving Castle at the time--and realizing it was the same studio that made Kiki's Delivery Service which I had also seen--is around the time I started to understand what anime is as well as the fact that animation is made in several countries around the world. Also helps that my sisters watched and enjoyed many particular anime as they released. Now, I don't watch a bunch of anime either, but I accept and enjoy the form it takes; to me, it's simply how cartoons are done in Japan. Now, Digimon and Yu-Gi-Oh are some of my favorite childhood shows. These days, I feel like my tastes are somewhat influenced from playing Fire Emblem and video games in general; it is at least part of the reason I thoroughly enjoyed Rising of the Shield Hero.

46 minutes ago, EricaofRenais said:

What started me on anime was the Fox Box on Saturday mornings and week day afternoons in the 90s.

I know this varies greatly by location, but in the 90's (at least for me) the network was called Fox Kids. The Fox Box was in the early 2000's. Though I don't remember any anime on the Fox Kids network that aired here. If there were any, I was totally oblivious and/or didn't care. ...Who knows.

Edited by Baron the Shining Blade
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My first anime experience was a show called Spider Riders that I saw as a kid. I'm not sure if it's an anime in the strictest sense, since it was made jointly by a Japanese animation studio and a Canadian animation studio, but every article about it refers to it as an anime, so I'm going to count it. It was one of my favourite shows: it had a very interesting and creative premise, good characters, and a very interesting twist near the end. 

After that show ended, I didn't see any anime until last year, when a YouTube channel I watch that reviews media recommended One-Punch Man, despite it not being an anime channel. I was intrigued by its premise, so I decided to watch it, and I absolutely loved it. Since then, most shows that I've tried for the first time have been anime, and I've seen the following anime in order:

1. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood: I absolutely loved this one as well; easily one of my favourite shows. 

2. Violet Evergarden: This show made me cry (in a good way); it's one of the saddest stories I've ever seen, and yet, at the same time, one of the most heartwarming. 

3. Code Geass: This show had a lot of neat concepts, but the side characters were underutilized and the story was a massive trainwreck. I had to stop watching after an infamous scene in season 1 that I shall refer to as "The Euphemia Incident", as that moment killed my interest in the show.

4. Fairy Tail: Netflix only had season 1, but I would not watch season 2 even if it did become available. I liked the idea of a world of magic, and there were some things that I thought had potential (like Lucy being the viewpoint character instead of the more standard shonen protagonist Natsu), but the writing really wasn't very strong and the worldbuilding was rather surface-level.

5. Record of Grancrest War: Another show that I loved. It's honestly really underrated and I'm surprised that not many have seen it. 

6. Naruto: This one took a month to binge-watch, and I even skipped a lot of the filler. While certainly flawed, particularly in later arcs, it was very enjoyable overall. I even watched The Last: Naruto the Movie and the post-shippuden episodes. 

7. My Hero Academia: I watched this before going into Naruto's war arc to give myself a break. Another show that I really liked. 

I'm currently watching Boruto: Naruto Next Generations and Black Clover. I'm enjoying both; Black Clover more so than Boruto, but I think both are worth watching. 

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I think the first time the TV channels in my country actually marketed them as anime was around the release of Pokémon. At least that's when I realised that these shows originated from Japan and I was kinda drawn to the artstyle that most of these shows had, but what kept me interested were the ongoing storylines like in Inu Yasha or Escaflowne, but I also liked shows like Detective Conan which were more episodic. Sometimes Ghibli movies were shown on TV and I really love those. They look really beautiful as well~ :wub: For a very long time I didn't know any other way to watch them except waiting for them to show up on TV which at one point became a rarity (at least for shows I was interested in). I kept my interest though due to playing JRPGs like Tales of, Fire Emblem or Baten Kaitos. It was around 2009 when I got my own laptop that I started researching more about it. Anime like Neon Genesis Evangelion, Nana, Aoi Hana, Kemono no Souja Erin or Great Teacher Onizuka then really made me feel like this hobby is worth getting into, ehehe.

Edited by Lilika
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2 hours ago, twilitfalchion said:

How did you get into anime?

Pokemon

2 hours ago, twilitfalchion said:

And if you stopped watching anime, what made you want to stop or lose interest altogether?

Western Cartoons are simply better (with the exception of anything Seth McFarlane has made).

Edited by NinjaMonkey
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Gundam Wing on Toonami was my first exposure to anime.

For the most part, I stopped watching because there was little that captured my interest for a while and the mainstream stuff like One Piece just has way too many episodes and I'm just not really inclined to watch TV shows anymore. I still watched Jojo Part 5 and I'll probably end up checking out whatever new Jojo part comes out simply out of curiosity to see what I missed out when I stopped on the Jojo manga in part 5. 

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I had a few minor ones as a kid like Naruto, Pokemon, Digimon, and the like. But what really hooked me was Fate/Zero. It was so cool and the story scratched that political/ideology itch that I really like, especially considering the characters weren't blank slate kids and already renowned and experienced adults. While Fate/Stay night was good it didn't scratch that same itch at all and I found anime to be much more akin to the latter than the former and I lost interest. I haven't watched an anime in years but I still rank Fate/Zero as one of my favorite shows of all time. 

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My first exposure to anime was the Tekken anime motion picture they made in the 90s. I was probably too young for it at the time, considering the surprising amount of blood and *ahem* near-nudity, but that was it. After that, I was exposed to the much more child-friendly Pokemon and Digimon shows.

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Dragon Ball Z as a kid. Also watched other stuff like Yu Yu Hakusho. Probably no need to mention obvious stuff, but still, also Pokemon, Digimon, and Gundam. I've been big into anime ever since. Started reading manga when I was in like 3rd or 4th grade.

Edited by SSbardock84
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When I was young, my mother wouldn't let me and my siblings watch pokémon or yu-gi-oh or anything, so actually it wasn't until I think when I was 14 that I started watching anime. My first one was actually Bleach, but I've only watched it on-and-off. The first, which actually got me into these things was Sword Art Online, and say what you want, but as someone who wasn't aware of anime clichés and stuff, I've enjoyed it so very much, that I've also started reading the light novel instantly after finishing the anime. After that I've literally watched almost anything, including Gintama, D-Gray man, Chuunibyou (which was a HUGE favourite of mine), Bleach, Naruto, and like a million other things. Like, I'm not even kidding, I think I've watched around 2-3x12 eposides each week or something. That went on for a some time, but I've started to lose interest real fast after a few months, going down to like 12 episodes a month or even less. When I went to university, I've stopped watching anime alltogether, and in the last 5 years I've only watched Violet Evergarden, Kimi no Na wa (but like 10 times at least :D), The Girl who leapt through time, I want to eat your pancreas and Patema Inverted. I think before the end of summer I will try to watch Tenki No Ko, but I'd preferably do it on a rainy day/evening, since it both fits the theme (I guess), and I also love when it's raining. I've tried watching the SAO movie and Chuunibyou movie to see if I can get back into it, but I literally couldn't watch them for more than like 15 minutes... I've think they've lost the charm they had back then, or my taste just changed so much.

While I don't watch anime anymore, I'm still reading ligh novels though. I'm currently at the 12th book in the Grimgar series, but I don't think I will ever stop reading it. It's so damn good. I still have one book left of SukaSuka, but the end of book 4 was just so depressing, that I couldn't get myself the read the 5th, and now there is SukaMoka as well... I mean, I like it, so I will finish it, I just need to be in a better mood than I usually am nowadays to do so 😄

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I'm a 90's kid, so I grew up with Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon and Ganbare Kickers! but the earliest shows I can remember are things like Heidi (was not aware this is an anime at that time) and Mila Superstar.  

Lost interest in the mid-00's, mainly because by that time I stopped watching TV altogether and my interests shifted more to music/games instead but I was always and still am fond of the aesthetics, so I do occasionally watch a movie or a completed series. 

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This is probably such a common "first anime" as to border on not "counting", but the first anime I ever saw was the Pokémon anime, waaaaay back when North America hadn't even made it to the second season yet. I later got into Naruto, Bleach, and Fullmetal Alchemist '03 around my early teens. I always kinda liked the stylistic trappings of anime more than those of most Western animation I watched at the time... at the very least, I felt they lent themselves better to telling stories with meaningful continuity and emotional resonance.

The thing is, I don't actually know that I'd consider myself specifically an anime fan so much as a person who watches specific anime if they catch my interest. I don't especially enjoy anime for its own sake, I guess is what I mean, but I do find it a perfectly good medium in which to partake of good stories.

Edited by Topaz Light
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My first exposure to anime was .Hack//Signs. I only was able to catch an episode or two back then but I love the style and the story. After that it got me interested in anime the show that really locked me into it was Rurouni Kenshi. Which I loved, but I also watched Inuyasha and Love Hina shortly after. I fully agree with the OP that I find Romance and Slice of life the best. However ones with really good stories and characters are one I can enjoy. Some of my favorites are Glass Fleet, Ergo Proxy and Speed Grapher for more action anime. Monster Musume, Pani Poni Dash and Azumanga Daioh for comedy/slice.

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9 hours ago, coldhand25 said:

When I went to university, I've stopped watching anime alltogether, and in the last 5 years I've only watched Violet Evergarden, Kimi no Na wa (but like 10 times at least :D), The Girl who leapt through time, I want to eat your pancreas and Patema Inverted. I think before the end of summer I will try to watch Tenki No Ko, but I'd preferably do it on a rainy day/evening, since it both fits the theme (I guess), and I also love when it's raining. I've tried watching the SAO movie and Chuunibyou movie to see if I can get back into it, but I literally couldn't watch them for more than like 15 minutes... I've think they've lost the charm they had back then, or my taste just changed so much.

You've seen Violet Evergarden?! Cool. That was one of the first few anime I've ever seen, yet not even people I know who watch a lot of anime have seen it. What did you think of it?

 

14 hours ago, Baron the Shining Blade said:

These days, I feel like my tastes are somewhat influenced from playing Fire Emblem and video games in general; it is at least part of the reason I thoroughly enjoyed Rising of the Shield Hero.

Have you ever seen the anime Record of Grancrest War? It is a lot like Fire Emblem: medieval fantasy, the story's all about warfare (hence the name). If you haven't seen it, you might enjoy it. 

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15 hours ago, Baron the Shining Blade said:

I know this varies greatly by location, but in the 90's (at least for me) the network was called Fox Kids. The Fox Box was in the early 2000's. Though I don't remember any anime on the Fox Kids network that aired here. If there were any, I was totally oblivious and/or didn't care. ...Who knows.

Yeah I think it was different by area.  Fox Kids was what it was really early in my memory but I remember it changing to the Fox Box and it had several animes.  

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1 hour ago, vanguard333 said:

You've seen Violet Evergarden?! Cool. That was one of the first few anime I've ever seen, yet not even people I know who watch a lot of anime have seen it. What did you think of it?

 

Have you ever seen the anime Record of Grancrest War? It is a lot like Fire Emblem: medieval fantasy, the story's all about warfare (hence the name). If you haven't seen it, you might enjoy it. 

I wouldn’t recommend Grancrest, it’s like Fire Emblem mixed with the worst part of Game of Thrones. 

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28 minutes ago, ciphertul said:

I wouldn’t recommend Grancrest, it’s like Fire Emblem mixed with the worst part of Game of Thrones. 

I liked it and I think it's a show worth recommending, so I'm recommending it. It's certainly not flawless, but it's far from, "FE mixed with the worst part of Game of Thrones". Grancrest had one weak moment at the end of episode 9; that was it. GoT was bad for more than half of its run on TV.

Edited by vanguard333
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21 minutes ago, vanguard333 said:

I liked it and I think it's a show worth recommending, so I'm recommending it. It's certainly not flawless, but it's far from, "FE mixed with the worst part of Game of Thrones". Grancrest had one weak moment at the end of episode 9; that was it. GoT was bad for more than half of its run on TV.

You have your opinions and I have mine, once that happen I couldn't give a damn about the series anymore. Pretty much episode 9 to 12 just ruined the show for me.

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@vanguard333 @ciphertul I may consider Grancrest. I haven't watched GoT and since I haven't seen a lot of anime, its clichés have yet to be oversaturated. I've seen the first episode of The Sacred Blacksmith and a bit of The Seven Deadly Sins; they looked good, so I may get into those first.

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3 hours ago, Baron the Shining Blade said:

@vanguard333 @ciphertul I may consider Grancrest. I haven't watched GoT and since I haven't seen a lot of anime, its clichés have yet to be oversaturated. I've seen the first episode of The Sacred Blacksmith and a bit of The Seven Deadly Sins; they looked good, so I may get into those first.

Okay. I haven't seen either Sacred Blacksmith or Seven Deadly Sins, so I can't really say anything about them.

By the way, Grancrest is only 24 episodes long, so you don't need to invest too much time. As for clichés, funny enough, Grancrest actually defies a few typical anime clichés (the protagonist and the female lead actually get together fairly early in the story, for just one example).

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Woo, this'll be a bit of a ride. Just like evrything in my life, this isn't allowed to be simple. 

It started when I was ten. Now, I didn't get to watch any of the shows you're thinking of. Nope. My sister brought me home Speed Racer from the library. I loved it. I didn't care about the dub, the quality of animation, or any of the reasons it's hailed as the worst dub of all time. I didn't even know it was anime at the time. I only found out this last year in fact. 

Shortly after I watches Ponyo. My biggest takeaway from the film was, "why is the wierd woman voiced by Qui-Gon?" 

I didn't see anything else until 2013. Yep. It was Sword Art Online. I enjoyed it enough, watched it all the way through till the end of season 2. Then, I didn't watch any more anime until just this last year. A friend of mine got me to watch One Punch Man, and I got hooked. I talked about it somewhere else, but it should come as no surprise it was fantastic. After that, I watched a new show that was Simulcasting. Arte. I can not recomend this show enough. It was absolutely fantastic. After that, I watched the first 50 episodes of One Piece. Loved those too. After that my friend and I watched a few of the episodes of Yuru Camp. That conviced me to check out K-on, which I'd been eyeing for a little while. That has managed to take another spot as a favorite. I've been watching through that recently, alongside Log Horizon and Fruits Basket. 

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