There are few things in the world as big as Japanese anime. Few art forms originating from a single place can transcend language and cultural barriers to captivate fans around the world.
But as big as anime might be, it's not without a few haters. Whether that's you or someone you know, here's a list of 32 anime movies and TV shows to change your tune. From packed conventions in New York to hordes of spectators in Mexico, the best anime is the closest thing to a universal language. But while anime has been an institution in Japan, some audiences abroad are still wrapping their heads around it. It wasn't terribly long ago when cultural critics nicknamed it "Japanime" clever!
Simply put, if you didn't catch onto anime at a certain age, there's a nonzero chance you feel it just isn't for you. But what if that isn't true? If you think anime is nothing but buff dudes screaming their lungs out or magical school girls, think again. Here are 32 anime movies and TV shows that go against the grain to be something totally different β and maybe different enough to entertain even haters. Based on the open-world games released on the Sega Dreamcast and original Xbox, Shenmue: The Animation rewinds the clock to Japan to follow Ryo Hazuki, a teenager who seeks revenge for his father's murder by the head of a Chinese Triad.
Owing more to classic gangster movies and martial arts tales than modern anime, Shenmue: The Animation is a grounded coming-of-age epic with an impressively rendered period setting and a truly majestic musical score. While Shenmue was canceled after one season, its lean episode count makes it a casual commitment to finish.
Gory, gothic, and gorgeous, Castlevania is an anime for grownups who aren't queasy with bloodletting. Based on the classic Konami video game series, Castlevania is the story of a monster hunter, Trevor Belmont, who teams up with a witch and the dhampir son of Dracula, Alucard, to take down Alucard's father and end his horrific reign of terror. With just 32 episodes across its four seasons on Netflix, Castlevania is a compulsively binge-able anime possible to consume over one marathon weekend, an experience that feels buoyed by lively character dynamics and fist-pumping action that instills both awe and fear at once.
