Anime Series for non-Anime fans? Light Novel suggestions for them?

Terrence

Crunchyroll has a decent feature this week, anime for non anime fans to try.

http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-feature/2016/12/14/feature-six-anime-series-for-non-anime-fans-to-try

(They actually added three more to the list based on recommendations in comments; I know I mentioned AoT before it was up there).

So what do you think are some good anime for non anime fans to try first? Light Novels? Manga?

I always recommend Baccano's anime and LN. Prohibition era America setting. Mystical elements are pretty grounded in Faustus esque traditions. Has a decent dub. Likeable cast. Not too tropey. Action, romance, even horror at times, it's got a lot going for it, like its successor Durarara.

Rahul Balaggan

Light Novels

I would stick to genres like
mystery: Another, and now Occultic Nine
Romance: (I have nothing to suggest, unfortunately there are no licensed Romance novels and that is a very sad thing)

I feel everyone can relate to mystery and it can transcend any pre convicted notions about Japanese media.

Manga

I would only recommend manga that has extremely high quality art that touches on real subjects.

I have actually recommended A Brides Story by Kaoru Nori to my eldest sister and she enjoyed it and read all the volumes I have.

Similarly I tried to recommend some shojo manga to her and she hates it all.

Anime

I would stick to introducing sports fans to sports anime.

However this could go either way real hardcore jocks might not appreciate having their game be animated so to speak.

Terrence

@Rahul-Balaggan said in Anime Series for non-Anime fans? Light Novel suggestions for them?:

Manga

I would only recommend manga that has extremely high quality art that touches on real subjects.

So Inio Asano works? I think Solanin is really easy to get into, but the ultra realistic but with a duck ghost main character designed Goodnight Punpun could scare some people off with some of the themes. Nijigahara I think is just the right amount of crazy and great for Pulp Fiction / out of order story fans, people that like to make interpretations too.

I have actually recommended A Brides Story by Kaoru Nori to my eldest sister and she enjoyed it and read all the volumes I have.

Bride's Story is almost too real for me at times (I assume getting married that young is historically accurate? And in the story, they make it clear the bride is very old for what she normally would be too). I need to try the series again someday.

Similarly I tried to recommend some shojo manga to her and she hates it all.

Did you try The Ancient Magus Bride or something else with a female lead? I don't really love Shounen manga that much either to be honest, but Magus Bride and the Seinen but action focused Berserk are series with good art (still do watch the occasional anime if it's short and has adult leads)

I wonder if cooking fans would like Sweetness and Lightning?

Did you recommend any comedy? I like Nichijou and Nozaki Kun. Nichijou is so oddball though, even translators have a tough time getting the jokes across in English.

Rahul Balaggan

@Terrence

I recommended
Kimi No Todoke
Kamisama Kiss
My Love Story
Black Bird

She disliked them all

I love Ancient Magus Bride but I felt Romance with Sci-Fi especially Dark Sci-Fi would automatically make my sister say no.

The only problem with comedy is that a lot of those comedy manga make jokes involving Japanese culture or media.

Like in monthly girls nozaki-kun that bicycle joke about not having 2 people on a bike together, she would probably yell at me saying how am I suppose to understand that.

Speaking about GoodNight PunPun I personally find it scary to read. So I can see how others may be put off.

Also definitely go read A Brides story again it's one of my personal top 5.