When thinking about anime, you might imagine some cartoons aimed at
children or geek people with no friends who stay locked in their rooms.
However, over the years, anime has reached a much wider audience across
the world, thanks to streaming platforms that made it easier than ever to
access. What used to be a niche interest has slowly become part of
mainstream pop culture, with millions of people watching anime today.
I was also part of the people thinking that anime was weird and boring,
until I started watching my first one: Naruto. This
clearly changed my perspective and made me enter this amazing universe. So
now, let me tell you a bit more about anime....
To give you a clear definition of anime:
"outside Japan anime refers specifically to animation originating and
produced in Japan. However, anime, in Japan and in Japanese, describes
all animated works, regardless of style or origin. Many works of
animation with a similar style to Japanese animation are also produced
outside Japan."
Japanese animation dates back to the early 20th century, but it truly found its style in the 1960s thanks to Osamu Tezuka, whose show Astro Boy helped define the look of anime as we know it today.
From the 1980s onward, anime started spreading
internationally through dubbed and subtitled releases, with titles like
Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon reaching
audiences abroad.
The 2000s marked a turning point with the rise
of the "Big Three": One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach. These
three long-running series, all published in the same magazine, Shonen
Jump, became so popular worldwide that they introduced an entire
generation of Western viewers to anime.
Since the 2010s, streaming platforms like Crunchyroll and Netflix have made anime more accessible than ever, and shows like Attack on Titan, Demon Slayer, and Jujutsu Kaisen have turned anime into a major part of global pop culture.
Anime actually offers an incredible range of stories, genres, and art styles — from lighthearted comedies to deep, emotional dramas. It's a medium that has something to offer for almost everyone, not just a specific type of viewer.
Here's a non-exhaustive list with the most common genres that exist in anime:
Here are some platforms where you can watch anime (not free but no ads there 😉):