Anime is a popular genre now. Long gone are the days when anime was considered a fringe genre reserved for sweaty nerds who live in their parent’s basements. 

My introduction to the genre first came from my stepdad who had a box set of the 1985 series, “Robotech.” I was enthralled. The series features a bunch of humans in a hyper-advanced spaceship who leave Earth to fight an oppressive alien empire hoping to take over the Earth. 

The humans’ weapon of choice — advanced spaceships that look like fighter jets that can transform into mechanized robots. 

For my 10-year-old self, the show was quite amazing, it had all the elements necessary for a science-fiction space epic. On a rewatch several years later, the narrative held up for me and it’s a huge recommendation for any science fiction fan. 

My introduction to anime was a bit unique though, most people I know got their introductions from “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” “Naruto: Shippuden” or “Pokémon.” I definitely played a lot of “Pokémon” during the Nintendo DS era, but never got too into the cartoon.

As I grew older, I got further into anime by watching Studio Ghibli movies and films such as “Ghost in the Shell,” “Patlabor” and “Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro.” 

These films and the art style within are honestly my favorites in the genre of anime. 

In 2020, I finally got around to watching “Cowboy Bebop.” It is quite honestly my favorite anime series of all time. 

For me, the classic art style of anime is just comforting. The hand-drawn and realistic art style makes a visual world that invites me in. Whether it’s stunning country scenes or neon-lit urban scenes, it’s a vibrant setting that welcomes the viewer in. 

I do try to watch other anime series, “Death Note,” is one show that comes to mind, but it just isn’t the same to me. 

I’m a huge proponent of hand-drawn anime and it is something that I sorely miss from the current anime scene. 

I fall firmly into the substance-over-style camp when it comes to narratives, but why settle for substance over style when you can have both? 

I know that visual media is meant to evolve and change, but it is something that I personally believe should make a comeback. 

Getting lost in a fictional world is a welcome departure from the mundaneness of everyday life. The classics of anime allow me to do just that. I’m nostalgic for the classics of Studio Ghibli and the era of anime that came and went with it. 

The modern styles of anime just don’t hit me as hard and I prefer the aesthetic of the anime of yesteryear. 

Anime is a genre that people get very opinionated about though. Usually, I’m a person that stands firmly in my opinions. In this case though, please nobody come at me. If you do want to provide some recommendations for classic-style anime please feel free to reach out. 

Adams can be reached at [email protected].