Hello! My name is Michael Thieblemont and I’m a first year at Penn State majoring in Computer Science. My hobbies include playing tennis, running, and of course watching anime. I began my anime journey back in middle school. I watched a few here and there but was really only a casual fan. Then, COVID. I spent my quarantine sitting in my room eating chips and watching anime. Today, I’ve watched over 150 anime (here’s a list), and I hope to endow you all with a little insider knowledge, share some of my favorite highlights with anime, and maybe even convince some of you to become avid anime watchers like me. 

Firstly, what is anime? To clear up any misconceptions, anime isn’t a single show, series, or even genre. It’s a medium. Just like movies, there are all types of anime (and hundreds of thousands of them!) that all employ different plots and themes. According to Wikipedia, “Anime is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, anime refers specifically to animation produced in Japan.” Given that this is my first post, let me outline what I hope for with this blog going forward. Each post, I strive to recommend a new anime, or set of anime, and give some context each time. Of course, spoiler alert, but I’ll make sure to warn readers before I spoil anything too major. Also, there is no way I could cover every anime in this blog and will be just touching on some really special ones. I encourage any readers who know anything about anime to write a comment and I’d be more than happy to respond.

To start off, I thought it would be fitting to answer a question I’ve been asked many, many times: “What anime should I watch first?” Of course, there is no right answer to this question. However, after years of mulling it over, I

believe I’ve reached an airtight answer. That answer is Demon Slayer, a multi-season anime centered around a young boy living in the country in a Taisho Period Japan. The only difference? Man-eating demons run rampant and terrorize the lands. Conversely, a Demon Slayer Corps has been established to fend off and slay these demons. This anime rises to the occasion as a great intro to anime because of its simple, yet engaging plotline, stereotypical heroic, lovable cast, and wonderful pacing. You don’t need any background knowledge and can relax and watch our main characters give it all they have to fight off demons in fantastic fashion.

Additionally, demon slayer remains as one of the most popular anime in the world, and every anime fan (and even some non-anime fans) will know it, making it a great way to dive into the anime community with a beloved series. But, to me, what makes Demon Slayer such a perfect pick is its amazing animation and choreography. Animated by studio Ufotable, the animation was groundbreaking at the time and is still breathtaking today. The choreography, vibrant colors, and framing propelled onto the screen throughout Demon Slayer puts on full display the strength of anime as a medium, something that simply couldn’t be replicated in live action. With its easy-to-follow story, overall popularity, and wonderful animation, Demon Slayer is my pick for the best anime to start beginners off. One last thing, Demon Slayer isn’t my favorite anime, or even in my top 20, which to me makes it even better to start with as there are even greater heights to look forward to. PS: The main villain is based off Michael Jackson, well a demonic Michael Jackson, so that’s just bonus points for me.