I have a lot of anime that I've watched, but I don't think that makes me an expert. In fact, if you look at my ratings of anime on MAL, you'll see that I give pretty low ratings. Since I don't know everything about anime, this post will just be about how to find one you really like.
Step 1: Find Anime You Like To Watch With Your Friends or Family
This is probably the best way to find an anime you will really like. What I mean by this is to watch it with someone who has already seen it before and knows what they are talking about when it comes to different aspects of the show (plot, characters, etc…). When walking into this scenario as a newbie viewer or first timer viewer (same thing), there are 3 things to keep in mind: 1) The person watching with you has probably seen multiple shows before; 2) They've most likely watched the show for more than one reason (e.g., plot or because they love watching fighting scenes); and 3) They may not like everything about the show (e.g. There are all kinds of anime, not just the kind you like). In the end, it's their opinion. This is a very important tip to remember!
Step 2: Find Anime You Like To Watch Without Your Friends or Family
This is probably one of the harder parts about watching anime. You should always watch anime with someone else, but sometimes people can be busy and can't watch with you. Also, sometimes people don't like to watch the same kind of anime as you do (e.g., your friend may like romantic comedies and hate fighting scenes). If this happens, I'd suggest finding an anime that has a wide audience (e.g., Golden Boy or Death Note) or that has many different genres in it (e.g. Full Metal Alchemist). If you can't watch it with someone else, make sure to check out the ratings on MAL. You can also check out what other people say in their blog posts or comments.
Step 3: Find Anime You Like To Watch With Your Significant Other
This is probably the best way to find an anime you will really like. Most people have a significant other that they are already watching anime with, but I'm sure some of you are single and don't have anyone to watch it with. The point I'm trying to make is that if you have someone who loves anime as much as you do, chances are good that they'll enjoy the same kinds of shows as well (e.g., both of you might love Full Metal Alchemist). However, if your significant other doesn't want to watch romantic comedies or shonen action shows with me, then this tip isn't going work for me! Sorry! =P Also, if your significant other doesn't know anything about a certain show yet they still want to watch it with you then I'd suggest watching something light hearted instead (e.g. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya) or something that is a bit more complex (e.g. Code Geass).
Step 4: Find Anime You Like To Watch At Home All By Yourself
This is the final step in my "How to Find an Anime You Will Like" series. If you've already watched anime with someone else, and it turns out you don't like any of the ones you've seen so far, then I'd suggest going to your local library and checking out some manga or books instead! Reading manga or reading a book can be just as much fun as watching anime sometimes! I think this step is so important because there are SO many great books and comics that have been made in Japan. So many people don't know about them either, which makes me sad… but hopefully this will help change that! In fact, if people read more shonen battle manga they might be less likely to watch Dragon Ball Z marathons on Toonami… which would mean less commercials for us non-DBZ watchers
I hope you will read this post, and I hope it helps! I'll be sure to do more of these posts in the future. Thanks for reading! ^_^
