what’s the etiquette? where do i start? there are so many niches and such that i’m not sure.

i have watched some anime, but mostly things like dragon ball. i am looking to get more involved with the community to help discover anime and get more into the trends, etc.

  • Gutek8134@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    1 hour ago

    Definitions, according to me:
    isekai - someone, usually the protagonist, got transferred to another world
    trash isekai - there are about a dozen of extremely similar anime released each year, each being isekai or adjacent
    if you watch one, you’ve seen all of them
    their defining traits are:

    • nice protagonist with “useless” power that is actually overpowered that they unleash when angry
    • (hyperbole) protagonist is the greatest, noblest, and fairest creature walking on that world, everyone else is wrong or evil
    • harem of archetypes (authors don’t even try to make their characters different) the protagonist is usually not be aware of
    • plot where protagonist solves problems on his own in max three episodes
    • (often) rpg mechanics that just go “his power is over 9000” with no people planning builds or significant effects on the world or…

    Examples include: Tsuki ga Michibiku Isekai Douchuu, Genjitsu Shugi Yuusha no Oukoku Saikenki
    While they are called this way, I know a person who watches them because they don’t have to focus and still have some dumb fun.

    battler - anime focused on battles, I’m pretty sure Dragon Ball: Z falls into this territory, but I’m basing that on two random episodes I’ve seen and everything I’ve heard over the years
    season - most anime air in 12 or 24 episode parts, 1 episode per week, starting and ending within 2 weeks of each other, hence they are grouped into 4 seasons per year
    VN - visual novel, basically a book with pictures and sound; you’d be surprised how many get adapted

    I’ll begin with where NOT to start:

    • Gintama - it’s a parody referring a lot to anime, manga, and japanese culture from its age, although it has a Donald Zuramp joke too; well worth trying once you get to know some classics, don’t even need to finish them
    • KonoSuba, Isekai Ojisan, Meikyuu Black Company, Shinchou Yuusha - they parody specifically trash isekai, watch one or two before jumping in
    • Mushoku Tensei - perverted 40 year old mind in child’s body, even I had problems watching the first two seasons with over 150 titles (counting seasons individually) watched back then

    Decent starts:

    • Black Clover - good, long battler (170 episodes and counting); share my pain of waiting for continuation
    • Dr. Stone - finished last season, mostly kept the same level throughout, but over time we got less science stuff; whole thing is about speedrunning from stone age to space age
    • Dungeon Meshi - extremely good worldbuilding and the story gets better over time
    • Helck - comedy and dark fantasy
    • Shiguang Dailiren - the best anime about time travel
    • Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor - two seasons of extreme gambling, CW: self-harm, torture
    • Re: Zero - going back in time after you die isn’t the most pleasant experience when you have no other powers; CW: gore
    • Ansatsu Kyoushitsu - comedy with good plot, some action and drama
    • Initial D - fear not the ass 3D and potato faces, for you come for the music and racing, then stay for the story
    • Mairimashita! Iruma-kun - good for calming yourself down, 4th season currently on air
    • Paripi Koumei - grand strategist acts like a grand strategist to help a random girl with her musical career

    Comedies, the weirder the better:

    Other recommendations:

    • Mob Psycho 100 - three seasons of absolute cinema where super powers don’t make you super happy; give me back the evil kazoo theme
    • One Punch Man - as above, it’s even by the same author, but uhh… hope for a remake of the third season… and maybe second (I like them anyway, 'cause I’m a fanboy). First is the best it could be, though.
    • Hellsing Ultimate - BLOOD
    • Teogonia - battler with an interesting world, isekai element shoved in to justify protag’s overpowered ability
    • Steins;Gate - another good anime about time travel; I’ve played the remake, but anime is generally praised; avoid Chaos;Child like fire, once again only played the VN, but others say anime is bad compared to VN, and I say VN is shit for all the unnecessary gore and annoying protagonist, even if the concept itself was interesting
    • Undead Unluck - once again a battler with an interesting world, this time without isekai
    • Sonny Boy - you watch an episode, then spend a week trying to understand WTF did you just see
    • JoJo - it really is its own thing among battlers, personally didn’t like it, but it’s popular for a reason
    • Under Ninja - battler where weapons are actually lethal
    • Ragna Crimson - high highs and low lows, battler with interesting pair of main characters
    • Monster - it’s similar to western media, even the events start in Germany
    • The Fable - assassin needs to hide for some time, goes to work for the lowest wage, problems arise in the neighborhood; very well paced, has some really tense moments
    • Gachiakuta, Jigokuraku Jujutsu Kaisen, Kimetsu no Yaiba - good battlers
    • Tensai Ouji no Akaji Kokka Saisei Jutsu - best attempt at fantasy grand politics I’ve seen to date; still too simplified
    • Code Geass - best grand politics I know, this one is deeper, only watched the main series consisting of two seasons