What was your first anime?

Recently, members of a popular forum on Reddit immersed themselves in an impassioned discussion about the first anime they ever watched and how it influenced their interest in the industry. This conversation not only aroused the nostalgia of many, but also underscored the importance of the first contact with the world of anime.

For many, the first anime seen becomes a gateway to a vast universe of stories, characters, and cultures. The impact of this first meeting is significant, as it can awaken an insatiable curiosity to explore more series and genres. This "first love" in anime often marks the beginning of a long relationship with the industry, influencing not only personal preferences, but also the way the medium is consumed and appreciated.

Forum users shared their personal experiences, highlighting how that first anime left an indelible mark on them. Many recounted how they started looking for more related content, delving into different genres and styles of animation, and how this led them to discover masterpieces and hidden gems. In addition, they discussed about the evolution of their tastes over time and how the first anime seen continues to hold a special place in their hearts.

The discussion also touched on topics such as the cultural influence of anime and how this medium has helped many to better understand and appreciate Japanese culture. Participants reflected on how their early experiences with anime not only entertained them, but also educated them and offered them a unique perspective on the world.

"I think Crayon Shin Chan and Kochikame are the best for me. They got me into anime when I didn't even know it was called anime."
"It will last. I feel like no one I've talked to about anime really knows about it."
"The first one was probably Heidi (but it could also have been Maya the Bee or another one of the anime from the 70s that were airing around the same time on national television here; there's no way to know for sure more than 2 decades later.) And the one that got me interested in the industry was A Place Further Than the Universe."
"First anime: I don't remember, but it was Pokemon, Yugioh, or DBZ."
"Voltron. But my love is Robotech, which aired two years later. It changed my world. People were dying, and they were showing blood. And it has incredible transformable mechs, aliens, it's episodic. It is all things. Not just a few bullshit episodes all at once until the end of time. There really was nothing like the day it arrived on our shores like a wrecking ball. It changed the game."
"I remember that I started with Robotech, Voltron, Comando G and Tranzor Z. It wasn't until Naruto and Bleach that I became fond of it again."
"Angel Beats saw a girl with a pin in her backpack, asked her and came back the next day with the show on her PSP."
"First anime: Kimi no Na wa".
"Shingeki no Kyojin. My friend basically threatened me so I watched him with the intention of stopping him after 2 episodes and saying 'it wasn't for me.'"
"The first anime I saw, probably Doraemon or Sailor Moon. The anime that started my love for anime, probably Cardcaptor Sakura or Shugo Chara. It seems like I watched a lot of magical girl anime as a kid."
"My first anime was Yu-Gi-Oh or DBZ, when I didn't recognize anime. But Absolute Duos and Dragonar Academy made me start liking anime and looking for more."
"Mazinger Z in the 80s. Probably the first anime I remember and the one that started my love for anime."
"High School DxD, and a bunch of ecchi anime that followed, maybe Elfen Lied as well."
"Yu Yu Hakusho was the first anime I accidentally watched when I was about 8 years old while watching Adult Swim. Inu-Yasha was probably the first anime I actually watched. They both hold a very special place in my heart."
"I grew up with Crayon Shin chan, NinjaBoy Rantaro, Detective Conan, Chibi Maruko-chan, Tsurupika Hagemaru. Then I watched a lot of Ghibli movies, but I didn't bother to get into mainstream anime, like the Big 3. I started to get into anime after watching Demon Slayer, which at first seemed a bit slow. Fortunately I watched it in its entirety because it is one of the best series I have ever seen."
"Inuyasha. My first anime, first love and the beginning of my obsession with anime."
"When I was a kid: Pokemon. I watched it every Saturday morning and also other anime. But I quit after a while. As a teenager: Attack on Titan. I was looking for something gruesome. I saw a video of the infamous Blood C massacre. I decided to give the anime a try. I discovered AOT. Over the next few years I saw a few more, such as Kabaneri, Cells At Work, and OPM, but it was still relatively casual."
"The first one I saw was a terrible anime called Superbook, when I was too young to know what anime was. They put him in Sunday school. The one that started my love for anime was Slayers, starring Megumi Hayashibara in the role of the sorceress Lina Inverse."
"Gundam Wing and DBZ on Toonami/Cartoon Network when I was in elementary school were my first contacts with anime. But I think when Naruto started appearing in the U.S. that's when I really started to love the genre and what made me more interested in it."
"My first anime was probably Pokémon, but the anime that started my love for it was probably My Hero Academia."
"The Garden of Words and 5 Centimeters Per Second, which a local TV channel aired in 2017 at a special event or something, were the first anime I watched on my own. I loved them, but I had forgotten their names and didn't know where to find them to see them again. Until I asked a friend about them in 2020. He searched the channel's website to find their names and showed me where to watch them, and another friend recommended Attack on Titan. And today I have finished my 140th anime."
"The first one was called Dragon League, basically a football show in which humans and dinosaurs played together to win the kingdom cup. Then I saw Saint Seiya, Sailor Moon, Ranma 1/2 and DBZ, and I couldn't take my eyes off them anymore. I'm glad there was anime on TV when I was a kid, I watched it without realizing how lucky I was."
"Pokemon for the first and Naruto for the second. I enjoyed series like Yu Yu Hakusho, Dragon Ball, Rurouni Kenshin, etc., but I think Naruto was the one that made me aware of anime as a medium and the one that prompted me to watch it before dubbing."
"Princess Mononoke was my first anime. Trigun was my first program. Samurai Champloo sparked my love for anime."
"The first anime I've seen would be Pokemon, the first anime I picked up independently without having seen on TV first in dubbing is Hyouka and the first anime. I loved the medium from Pokemon itself really, but a better way to answer that for me would be to talk about the first anime where I watched 5+ episodes in one day, which would be Charlotte."
"Naruto. Seeing him in CN made my day as a child. I found a place to watch everything in Japanese and catch up on what I missed when I got older and wanted to go back to it. This made searching for anime a normal thing for me."
"The first one I saw was Battle of the Planets in '78, I was 8 years old I didn't know it was anime. Then around 2019 I heard a lot about Food Wars! And I decided to watch it and I thought it was impressive, that would be the first anime I saw knowing that it was anime. The one I loved and is still my favorite of all time is Hunter x Hunter, now I'm fed up with anime."
"My first anime was Sailor Moon (I think... I was too young to remember if there was anything before.) The anime that really started my love for anime was the original Full Metal Alchemist."
"I had watched 'cartoons' back then as a child, Naruto and Miyazaki stories. But the first time I saw anime, knowing that it wasn't a cartoon, it was SAO. I still claim it as the most based isekai."
"Saber Riders. I wouldn't have been more than 6 or 7 years old then. But Robotech was what got me hooked. Every day I would run out of school to watch the last 15 or 20 minutes."
"Inazuma Eleven was my first anime, but Seven Deadly Sins and Tokyo Ghoul started my love for anime when I was just over 9 years old."
"As far as I remember, Inuyasha was the first. I started with Inuyasha and Naruto around the same time, but I think Inuyasha came first. I loved it and I blame him for my foul language."
"I think the first anime I saw knowing what anime was was Inuyasha. Maybe not the best for a 9-year-old. Then I kept all the Ghibli films."
"Pokemon / Dragonball Z was broadcast in the mornings before going to school. As a teenager, Bleach blew me away with its action and its protagonist, and opened the doors for me to explore more anime, which I still do in my adulthood."
"The first time was Dragon Ball, but what started my love for anime was Naruto. My older brother got me into anime and my other siblings watch it too."
"First anime: Ronin Warriors. Long before anime became mainstream (or I even knew what "anime" was), they threw out this little gem before going to school in the mornings. I don't even remember which channel I was on, because Cartoon Network didn't exist yet. I remember watching a few episodes of the original Dragon Ball around the same time, but I remember Ronin Warriors more clearly."
"The series that made me fond of anime: Dragon Ball Z. I'm no longer a fan of the series, but there was a time when I would run home from school to turn on the TV so I could watch the next episode. I scoff at it now, but DBZ was my gateway to the big world of anime, and I'll be eternally grateful to him for that."
"My friends are big fans of anime, but one they always talked about was JoJo's Bizzare Adventure. I was never interested in anime because it seemed too weird for me. But then they asked me to try to see it. At first I hesitated because I didn't think I could finish the 5 seasons. Some long seasons I finished watching were The Amazing World of Gumball and Slugterra. But after a few weeks where my friends convinced me to watch it, I decided to give it a try and, well, it was worth it and it was the beginning of my love for anime."
"My first anime was technically Pokémon in 1997, I had a VHS with the episode of Charmander in the Rain. But later it was the Toonami and Adult Swim animes, such as Gundam Wing, Dragon Ball Z, Inuyasha, Yu Yu Hakisho, etc. Later, when we finally had cable, I would watch Anime Network and find some of my all-time favorites, like Full Metal Panic."