10 best anime for people who don't like anime

Many viewers unfamiliar with Japanese anime often dismiss the entire genre as superficial, weird, or only for hardcore fans. However, this medium offers incredible storytelling diversity across countless genres and demographics, if given a chance. For those who believe anime is not for them, there are a few series that even self-professed anime skeptics may discover enjoyable.

Some of the world's finest storytelling emerges from these selections, presented as sleekly animated works that blend subtle character drama with insightful philosophical themes, creative sci-fi settings, and more. Here are some of the best anime for people who don't like anime.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are solely of the author.

10 must-watch anime for people who don't like anime

1) Attack on Titan

Attack on Titan (Image via Wit Studio / MAPPA)

Attack on Titan's blend of fantasy, action, and drama instantly draws one into its dark vision of a world. Here remnants of humanity cower behind enormous walled cities to survive the constant threat of attack from colossal humanoid man-eaters known as Titans.

When the outer city wall is breached in the first Titan attack in over 100 years, chaos erupts. This initiates the harrowing adventures of Eren, Mikasa, and Armin - three young friends caught in the brutal new fight for the survival of mankind.

Despite some intense moments, the series features masterfully crafted world-building. The mysteries surrounding the Titans' origins pair with exhilarating animation and an epic orchestral score. Each creepy or frenetic encounter with the grotesque Titans feels immersive.

2) Death Note

Death Note isn't typical shonen "battles and powers" fare. Instead, it is framed as a thrilling psychological crime cat-and-mouse game. Light, a genius student, obtains a magical 'Death Note' that can kill anyone whose name is written in it. An enigmatic detective known as 'L' tries to uncover his secret identity.

More cerebral than action-focused, Death Note explores the corruptive nature of power. Light descends into megalomania after using the Death Note to shape the world in his image. He seeks to become a "god of the new world."

It's dark, morally ambiguous, and demands viewers also pick a side in this lethal battle of wits.

3) Cowboy Bebop

Jazz music, retro-futuristic sci-fi settings, thrilling action scenes, dynamic fight choreography, and attitude in spades, Cowboy Bebop oozes effortless cool. It follows a crew of quirky bounty hunters aboard the spaceship Bebop as they track bounties across the solar system.

Episodic with multi-genre influences from Westerns to noir, Cowboy Bebop boasts colorful style, atmosphere, slick visuals, and perhaps the catchiest theme song ever.

Its characters are instantly iconic while touching on philosophical ideas of existentialism and loneliness behind the pulpy action. This jazz-infused space adventure transcends anime stereotypes.

4) One Punch Man

One Punch Man (Image via Madhouse / J.C. Staff)

Saitama is a seemingly average man who trained himself through 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10 km run every day for three years to become the most powerful superhero ever, able to defeat any foe with a single punch.

However, Saitama feels empty after growing bored and beating monsters easily. A brilliant parody/homage of shonen anime and superhero comics, One Punch Man cleverly subverts the entire genre by making its protagonist TOO powerful.

This allows surprisingly nuanced commentary on finding meaning when one has such strength they lack worthy challenges or struggle. The vibrant battles and humor balance the existential questions.

5) Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (Image via Bones)

Two gifted brothers suffer terrible consequences after arrogantly attempting forbidden alchemy. Edward loses an arm and a leg, while Alphonse loses his entire body, with his soul bound to a suit of armor.

This begins a dangerous hunt for the legendary Philosopher's Stone to circumvent the law of equivalent exchange. From there unfolds a sprawling, steampunk-esque epic adventure intertwining action, magic, philosophy, politics, and conspiracy.

With a perfectly paced plot, emotional depth, sharp humor, and characters who grow and change, Brotherhood is a complete package. Its world is influenced by real European history, alchemy practices, theology, and ethics without being derivative.

6) Violet Evergarden

Violet Evergarden (Image via Kyoto Animation)

The moving drama Violet Evergarden follows the growth of Violet, an emotionally stunted former child soldier adjusting to civilian life and learning empathy after being raised only for combat.

She becomes an "Auto Memory Doll," a ghostwriter who crafts heartfelt letters for clients to understand her own buried feelings. Through her work and relationships, Violet processes grief, loss, and love while making her first human connections.

This introspective series deservedly won awards for its stunning visuals. It balances sentimentality with sincerity. The story interacts meaningfully with concepts of memory, empathy, and the human heart.

7) Erased

Twenty-nine-year-old Satoru believes his ability to suddenly experience "Revival"—a phenomenon that sends him back in time to prevent life-threatening incidents—is related to his mother's murder 18 years prior.

When tragedy strikes in the present, he awakens back in his childhood body, determined to save his loved ones and reveal buried truths altering his and his friends' fates. Erased crafts an engrossing, moving mystery drama out of ordinary characters, relationships, trauma, and second chances.

Satoru and his friends feel very human, as the show explores sobering ideas of childhood trauma and being denied justice and closure. An emotional, binge-worthy thriller illustrating its empathetic potential.

8) Your Name

Two teenagers inexplicably begin swapping bodies at random, communicating indirectly to navigate their secret life swap. As they unravel the supernatural mystery behind their connection, they discover time displacement that connects them, despite living years apart.

Beyond its inventive body-swap rom-com setup, Your Name earned global mainstream popularity for its resonance stemming from human connections. Its stunning animation shifts between rural and urban Japan, creating an atmosphere tinged with spirituality.

Culminating in heartstring-tugging moments between endearing leads, Your Name is an anime for people who don't like anime.

9) Monster

Brilliant Japanese neurosurgeon Kenzo Tenma's life enters turmoil after choosing to operate on a young boy who arrived first rather than abandoning the surgery when ordered to treat the mayor instead.

Years later, a string of murders makes Tenma suspect that same boy grew up to become the cunning serial killer responsible. In chasing this shadowy foe across Germany and the Czech Republic, Monster crafts a mature slow-burn crime drama exploring philosophy, history, and psychology.

This cat-and-mouse mystery delves into challenging questions of human morality. Its grounded tone aimed at adult audiences demonstrates the diversity of artistic storytelling possible in this medium.

10) Mushishi

In a mystical world inspired by Japan's past, nature teems with ethereal beings that influence the mortal realm. Wandering "Mushishi" Ginko mediates between humans and "Mushi"—enigmatic lifeforms that subtly affect people's lives.

Episodic, melancholy, and hauntingly beautiful, Mushishi uses surreal fantasy as a lens for primordial metaphors that explore the human condition. Ginko bridges the gap between Mushi and rural communities, solving issues and teaching coexistence.

Rich with atmosphere and meaning, this uniquely contemplative anime flows like poetry for people who don't like anime.

Conclusion

Anime's variety offers entry points for many viewers if given a chance. These selections demonstrate that the medium's storytelling goes far beyond common assumptions.

Richly cinematic, thoughtful, and emotionally resonant, these anime for people who don't like anime justify why the medium keeps attracting worldwide fanbases. So if previously dismissing Japanese animation, try checking your biases and dipping a toe into these waters.