Particular Anime/Manga series for fans

[King]

Do you read or hear this a lot: Which anime/manga should I get?
I know I do. Most of the time, especially to ppl that wants to get into anime/manga or just started getting into anime, we go off and suggest the big-name-popular anime/manga series thats out. But, sometimes thats a bad move. Yeah, we all want to show off the big name anime/manga series to fans, especially new fans. But something its a good idea to start them off small.

I mean, if I go out a show One Piece to a newcomer, they might not handle it. Not the show, but how long it is. Maybe it might turn off that person and he/she might think all anime/manga series are super long and has tons of plots.

So, when a person comes up to me and ask what kind of anime/manga should they get, I always ask: How long you been an anime/manga fan?

I kinda look at these as levels.

Beginners
Standers
Hard core

You don't want to give a beginner a long anime series that has tons of otaku jokes they might not get.
You don't want to show a stander fan a series thats little to much for them.
And you don't want to give a hard core anime fan a series they already seen.

Ok, here's an example:

Lets say someone wants you to suggest an anime/manga series to them. But, they are still new to anime/manga. And that person want a short comedy show that has little love or girly things into them . Well, I'll suggest:
School Rumble and Azumanga Daioh.
Both of these series are pretty short, little funny, and one of them a have a little love story.
Personally, I have to say these series are good starting point for anime/manga fans that are getting into anime. Its not perfect series, some of them have some problems, but it will give a nice taste for beginners that wants to get into anime/manga.

Now, lets say another person comes up. But this person see a lot of anime, and knows what it is. But, this person mostly seen anime in T.V shows and only read some mangas here and there. Kinda like a stander anime fan. Now, this person also wants a short comedy show that has little love or girly things into them. I might show them:

Tenchi and Love hina.

Though, these series are not really for stander anime fans. Hech, even some beginners can watch these series too. But, the series does go little deep with its plot and does have some jokes that might make you go "Wow, I can't believe they show that".
But again, these series are little short and fun to watch.
(But personally, read the Love Hina manga instead. The anime series....Lets say I was having a hard to watching it)

Now, for the hard core fan. This person watch and read a lot of anime/manga. I mean a lot. From old school and new, this person know its anime/manga. But yet, this person still want to watch something new, something they haven't seen. Ok, something like the others: Short, funny, girl, or love. I choose:

Luck Star

Really, this series has a lot of anime/manga jokes you will get if you seen or read a lot of manga/anime. Its short, simple and cute. Nothing to say but enjoy.

I hope your getting what I'm trying to say.

Oh and please, no Sub vs Dub thing. If its like up to 4kids One Piece dub level, yeah I kinda get it. But if its like FUNi edit One Piece level, don't go all out and say "WATCH THE SUBS, ITS BETTER AND-". Yeah, I think you get it.

[Sparticus]

I see what you're getting at. Anyway, I generally recommend things like so...

Beginner (anime):

Miyazaki/Ghibli Films
Cowboy Bebop
Trigun
Samurai Champloo
Akira
Last Exile
Fullmetal Alchemist (first series)

All very accessible and fairly self contained. Except for Akira, which is just awesome even if you have no idea what's going on. XD

Standards

Gurren Lagann
Ouran High School Host Club

Requires some knowledge of previous animoo to fully appreciate.

Advanced

Gintama

Requires extensive knowledge of animoo, some Japanese Pop Culture, cult classics in general and many other geeky things to fully appreciate. It also helps to know some Japanese. Or be fluent. Fluent is best. XD

Manga tends to depend on weather or not the person reads comics at all - for example I LOOOOVE the Trigun manga but it can be hard to follow at times - someone new to comics would be all like "WTFisthis!?". Rurouni Kenshin is a good place to start though, as is the Nausicaa manga. And if they like long storylines, Naruto, Bleach and One Piece. Gintama is usually only recommended if the person's read at least one long shounen.

[Antiyonder]

I'm going with manga on this.

Beginner:
The Legend of Zelda

Only 9 mangas, and each of them are either 2 part or one shot tales with no relation to one another. Though techincally Majora's Mask can be seen as Ocarina of Time Volume 3.


I really can't think of where to place Detective Conan/Case Closed due to some following factors:

- It's a lengthy series, but a lot of the murder mysteries can be enjoyed without extensive knowledge of the storyline.
- Japanese Culture is present, but the stories in my opinion don't center too heavily on it

[Daxdiv]

I really can't think of where to place Detective Conan/Case Closed due to some following factors:

- It's a lengthy series, but a lot of the murder mysteries can be enjoyed without extensive knowledge of the storyline.
- Japanese Culture is present, but the stories in my opinion don't center too heavily on it

I personally would put it in the rank of Hardcore, if only due to the series length and how much time it will take to devout to that series. It's in the same boat as many other long running Shonen series.

[Antiyonder]

I personally would put it in the rank of Hardcore, if only due to the series length and how much time it will take to devout to that series. It's in the same boat as many other long running Shonen series.

I can't really agree that length alone makes it hard to follow. I myself viewed/read some of the later stories from time to time (episode 425 for instance), and was able to get into the story just fine. Heck, this is the first manga series I even bothered picking up.

But like I mentioned, a good bulk of stories can stand well on their own reading the previous volumes, and while the later portion of the series develops more of the story and introduces more characters, it's still simple and straight forward.

Granted, I wouldn't pass it off necessarily as beginner or standers material, but maybe inbetween standers and hardcore.

[King]

Well, personally I'll put Case Closed to the stander/Hard core side too. Just because how long and deep it is.

[Taekmkm]

Nah, it's easy since it's built to be episodic and any new information about the Maifa they find, they exposition it to heck anyway.