This isn't from any anime, it's just a sweet background
Before I go any further, let me start by answering the 2 biggest questions any beginner will have reading this.
Where do I get anime and manga?
Well, the internet is a magical thing. In fact I only ever get my anime from the internet, because it's the best way to do it. Why spend money over and over on DVDs when a streaming service is a flat charge every month and get virtually unlimited content? (This is why Netflix killed BlockBuster.)
BakaBT is probably your best bet due to its selection and the fact that other sites have bit the dust (R.I.P. Nyaa). There's MangaReader as well.
How is this list set up?
I don't have any chronological numbering for these because while they're all great, they are great for different reasons. This is simply broken up into 3 sections: Anime, Manga, and Films.
Everything here is spoiler free. Some of them are difficult to talk about without posting spoilers, so I'll probably make separate blog posts entirely for discussing them in detail.
Lastly, you'll notice that this list has only a few recommendations in each category. It is woefully small compared to others out there. This is intentional, as while there are a lot I'd recommend, I don't want to chase away newbies with a daunting list. I want something simple and easy to put time into.
Anime
Cowboy Bebop
I am recommending Cowboy Bebop first because this is the one I pop everyone's anime cherries with. It is an old school anime that's Akira levels of critically acclaimed and influential. Like Akira, this takes place in a futuristic dystopian society and stars an anti-hero and his motley crew. However, this one is a bounty hunter working with oddball misfits instead of a biker gang and their leader.
As the name would imply. the scenery is often drenched with a blend of Wild West and Cyberpunk as our main character drifts around various locations in an action style reminiscent of Johnny Quest. But no matter where he goes, he always regroups in his space ship HQ.
One of the ways the series can blend so many styles together so well is that the dystopian society takes place after the collapse of central government, so many nationalities and cultures just blended together. It also has one of the coolest opening theme songs of all time which you can watch here.
Crunchyroll now officially has it, too.
The horror aspect is difficult to talk about without posting spoilers, and believe me: you'll want to go in blind the first time through. This is series is about 6 1/2 hours altogether and it gets very intense, exploring real world situations and problems with very murky morality. It's easy to see who the villains are, but you might not be so clear as to who the heroes are. This makes the characters very compelling and believable, despite the fantastic situations they find themselves in.
This is a screenshot from the Blu-Ray series.
This is also, cosmetically, one of the greatest shows out there. Boasting an amazing soundtrack and animation, the environments are all utterly gorgeous. The blu-ray remake is phenomenal, as the creators re-drew pretty much everything. This is one of the few times where I say watch the blu ray version, not the regular. (Crunchyroll has it here.)
The only flaw in it is that it's kind of like A Clockwork Orange in how it's a slow burn- you may not care much for it at first but as the plot comes full circle you'll realize how intelligently written it actually is. From the broad streaks of the abstract themes and aesthetics to the tiny details such as the archaic German runes, you'll always find something new when you watch Madoka Magica. It also has a very pro-women's message. The only 2 real male characters are a stay at home dad and a crippled musician. The women don't need any saviors- they are completely capable and what may very well be the only hope some people have.
Hellsing Ultimate
A series that isn't for the faint of heart, Hellsing Ultimate is sweet, sweet vampire carnage. You'll see blood in amounts you never thought could have existed before and silky smooth animation. And let's not forget the gun detail- the amount of time they put into the guns, both with how they look and operate as well as how they sound is nothing short of stunning. But it's more than just mindless violence. This series pulls back the curtain to show us some seedier and poorer parts of society, both in the streets and behind closed doors. There is an amazing amount of subtlety in a series where getting your limbs ripped off is a mundane injury.
I used to work in a gun shop, believe me when I tell you: The gun detail is on point.
This is a definite appeal to anyone who liked Christopher Nolan's adaptation of Batman, as the main characters are necessary evils. They are the greatest weapons against evil because they themselves are evil. Most of them to their very cores. One of the 2 main protagonists is, as another character describes: the one true original monster. This isn't an exaggeration, either.
There are several different translations floating around out there, and it's difficult to recommend one because all of them have their merits. And while it may not be as touching as Madoka Magica, you will find yourselves rooting for the characters, even though you really, REALLY shouldn't be.
Mushishi
Easily the most obscure on this list but still able to run with the big dogs. While these other 3 are focused on action and plot twists, Mushishi is slow and gentle. It's full of quiet repose and atmospheric settings. It isn't trying to blow your mind- it's just trying to show you a hidden world. Ginka is one of the few characters in fiction I'd call a true Bard as well (along with K'vothe and Kubo). Rather than talk about it, I'm just going to let the artwork speak for itself.
Utterly breathtaking stuff... The anime is readily available to stream thanks to Crunchyroll. Link here. This is also one of the few series where the anime and the manga can stand on equal footing.
Manga
Berserk
When you hear the phrase "epic fantasy" what do you think of? Something Tolkien, maybe Game of Thrones, but I think of Berserk. This is a critically acclaimed manga all done by ONE GUY. He wrote, illustrated, and created Berserk (I believe it took him about 6 years).
This series hearkens back to worlds like ad&d before Tolkien influences, and in many ways reminiscent of DCC. The people of the land are no heroes- they are cutthroats, thieves, warmongers. Maybe they're a mercenary on the run from the law, a tight lipped warlock guarding long dead secrets. Indeed, that is the premise of Berserk and certainly the plight of the anti-hero Guts.
The series isn't full of knuckle-headed macho men. In the rough worlds like the one in which Berserk takes place, the dumb ones don't last long. It requires craftiness, ruthlessness, awareness. Guts may not be a good man, or a wise man, but he is a cunning man and by that cunning he shall survive for Guts hunts the most dangerous quarry of all: Monsters.
One thing I do want to point out in Berserk is elves. Elves are one of the most overdone cliches to ever exist. I love elves, but only when they're done right. The Spiderwick Chronicles did elves right, as did DCC. Berserk does it, too. You'll see an elf within the first chapter and if you're point of reference is mainstream media, you won't recognize the elf. That's how well Berserk portrays them.
Spice & Wolf
Let me start with saying I recommend the manga and not the anime for Spice & Wolf. Why is this? Well, yes, mangas are censored way less than animes, and while I'm extremely anti-censorship, I'm not recommending the manga so you can see wolf titties. The reason why I recommend manga over anime here is that the anime cuts out a lot that is in the manga. The manga talks about the various themes very eloquently, which the anime simply can't because it is on a time crunch as anything episodic will be.
This is a Tolkien style wandering story, taking place in medieval times when Christianity is assimilating all the local Pagan and tribal religions. The difference is, instead of a Tolkien epic saga we are given a social commentary instead. The pacing isn't fast but isn't slow, either. It more gently undulates between "slow and thoughtful" and "fast and tense".
The 2 main characters are both adrift, one is a middle-man merchant with a history and the other is a pagan demi-god looking to travel north to find more worshipers. They enter into a contract where the merchant, Lawrence, will travel north to accompany Holo the Wise Wolf in exchange for her help with his business. Our peripatetic protagonists will encounter many real world issues along the way, such as religious persecution and economic instability, which is where we get the social commentary. The characters are just as complex as the social issues, too- Holo is one of the best female characters I've ever seen. There are action scenes, which are constructed very well, but this is a social commentary above all else.
Blue Exorcist
Anyone who knows me knows I love me some occult and supernatural themes. I also love an anti-hero who's simultaneously more and less than mortal. Blue Exorcist is a multilayered, character driven story about Daemons featuring a half-fiend protagonist.
Rin Okumura and his twin brother Yukio live with their illegitimate father, a widower. Yukio goes to a prestigious school full time while Rin works blue collar jobs to help support his family. Their father is a secretive man, who Rin never sees eye to eye with. One day, in a fight to protect his brother, everything changes for Rin.
Winding up homeless and on the run, Rin turns to a family friend for help who enrolls him in the prestigious school his estranged brother is attending. Rin meets his other classmates, each with their own facets. One thing I liked about this series is how none of the side characters conform to cliches- each has a role to play and a dynamic personality.
Following arcs similar to a pulp detective novel where the setting outweighs the plot, Rin et al. deal with people from all walks of life effected by daemons. The entire time, Rin is forced to keep his dual nature hidden from his classmates and various exorcists. The art style to the series is utterly gorgeous, the story keeps you guessing, and the supernatural themes are explored very well.
Also I am salty as fuck about the anime, holy shit. The Season 1 is great, then the Season 2 shit the bed so hard. All the dynamics Season 1 set up get jumbled together in a giant stew where just as one thing gets time in the limelight, something else shoves it out of the way to get some attention. All the great characters who break the mold are reduced to typical anime cliches. You can watch it for yourself to decide, Crunchyroll has it, but the manga is by and far the better story.
Films
Princess Mononoke
Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghilbi are internationally known, one of their films that doesn't get as much exposure as it should is Princess Mononoke. This is a lot alike what The Black Cauldron was to Disney- a darker, more intense movie that explores the corners of the human mind. It's also literally my favorite movie of all time. I could go for literally hours on how good this movie is (and I have before).
There is a lot of content in this movie, which is why it's not a particularly good choice to show on TV. I respect people like Toonami for trying. (This isn't a sleight against Toonami, either- they're one of the biggest reasons I even got into anime.) The plot is very thick, you need to watch every detail of the movie. If you start it even 20min in, you've already missed to much. The movie is utterly gorgeous, both the hand drawn scenes and the soundtrack. Every nuance is done in perfect balance, from the action, to the deep introspective parts, to the quieter and gentler aspects of character development.
Another well done aspect of the movie is the murky morality- you can see where every side is coming from. At the same time, it's difficult to fully sympathize with anybody. San and Eboshi are some of the best anti-villains I've ever seen.
This movie can be used as a prime example for countless discussions, it is definitely proof of craft mastered. As much as I would like to talk about every facet of this film, it's better to let someone experience it all for themselves. If you watch nothing else on this list, watch this movie.
Akira
I mentioned this earlier, Akira is a critically acclaimed movie. Between this and Blade Runner it put cyberpunk on the radar as a theme. Taking place in a dystopian future society of Neo-Tokyo (the fallout of Tokyo after being bombed), a mundane biker gang of youths lead by a crimson clad hothead become embroiled in the government as one of their members is captured and used for psionic testing in this anti-government cult classic.
Akira is a blend of many styles as it blazes its own path. We can see its influence on films such as The Matrix, American Psycho, and Equilibrium. Every nuance in this movie is done in perfect balance, from the high tech fights to the social satire to the character dialogue. Let's not forget that gorgeous lighting and amazing soundtrack, too.
Now a fair warning: There are some scenes not for the faint of heart. Basically, if you didn't like John Carpenter's cult classic The Thing you may want to look away during the end fight in the stadium.
Paprika
If Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli didn't achieve international fame, then Satoshi Kon and Studio Madhouse would have. Kon and Madhouse have put several movies out including Perfect Blue and Tokyo Godfathers but their best work is by far Paprika.
Satoshi Kon believes that there are things that we, as a people, experience together. Paprika is his exploration into the human subconscious, desires, and needs. Dreams, reality, and the internet all come together in this movie.
The plotline is what starts as unrelated incidents all synchronizing, the pacing of this movie subtlety increases the entire time up until an explosive climax. Very masterfully written and drawn. With everything that goes down, you can still keep track of the main characters. Things are delirious without being confusing, hectic without being frustrating.
This movie is perhaps the strongest example of animation to ever exist, because of the way the animation is used to blur the line between reality in ways no physical form could. This movie is really what I wanted Inception to be (yes I will go out and say it: Inception was a gorgeous but otherwise mediocre film). That's also why I'm only posting gifs of this movie, to post a still frame would be doing it a disservice.
