It seems like there is a gap between people who watch Anime and those who don't. For those who do, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense that there are people who entirely shun the medium. Especially as a gamer.

If someone said to you "I don't watch movies" I bet you'd find it kind of strange. Immediately you'd be thinking that there are a ton of different films in a ton of different genres to choose from and that anybody should be able to find something that they like.

For us as Gamers, with the breadth of games we play and in particular the subjects that they represent, it makes even less sense not to watch Anime. For a start it's a huge part of Japanese subculture. There is a huge industry there that is all interconnected. You have manga (like US comic books) and novels or light novels and these are then adapated to awesome and some less than awesome TV shows in anime form.

And being of such importance in Japanese culture means that they often affect the designers who then go on to make videogames there. Even ignoring that, the kind of things that we enjoy are wholly represented in anime form.

RPGs for instance, it doesn't really matter if they are JRPGs or Western ones, there are anime shows about  gamers getting trapped inside fantasy games like Log Horizon, Sword Art Online or .Hack.

There are futuristic space set dramas like Knights of Sidonia or mech based Anime like Code Geass. You like Transformers? Transformers were a Japanese thing Hasbro bought into and getting into a giant mech is a power fantasy for many gamers. Think about XCX - if it weren't for Anime like Neon Genesis Evangelion or Broken Blade would we even have mech based games?

There are futureristic crime thriller cop shows like Psycho Pass. Or Pirate adventures like One Piece, Ninja fantasies like Naruto. Or devilishly machiavellian morality twisting murder shows like Death Note. Martial Arts epics like Fist of the North Star or comedy takes on the Martial arts drama like Kenichi The Mightiest Disciple.

If you are into MGS you should be particularly interested in Anime. After watching so many shows I now totally get MGS's fascination with extended overwrought death scenes, intermingling a characters past to reflect on that moment of death. Bleach does it so well. Resident Evil is pure Anime B-movie fodder. Seriously Resident Evil cheesy storylines involving experimentations, mutations, horror and super powered inviduals is Anime even in its current form.

Then there are games that have been adapted into anime, Phoenix Wright being the latest edition or the numerous anime that have been adapted into videogames.

And then there is the comic book aspect - while we munch away on Marvel films like demolishing hamburger after hamburger - anime IS mostly about super powered individuals. In fact breaking down the majority of animes I have seen, about 80% of them are about conflict and one on one encounters. It's all about making those encounters work in new and unexpected ways.

Add to that the comedy shows like Toradora which can bring you back to those hilarious fishbowl school days of yore and you have enough content to keep you happy for years to come. I can understand that many people have seen some anime randomly and not liked what they've seen; but like any media you are unfamiliar with, you have to listen to the recommendations of those who do know what they are talking about and at least try different things to see what takes.

So, if you aren't into anime, I wish you would at least give it a try, because my voyage of discovery in the medium has led to giddying moments of joy and laughter, heartfelt feelings of loss, amazing superheroic comebacks and enough plot twists to keep you up at night and keep you coming back for more.

And here is your Gateway anime: Attack on Titan.

The story of Attack on Titan revolves around the adventures of Eren Yeager, his foster sister, Mikasa Ackerman, and their childhood friend, Armin Arlert. After the wall which protects their hometown of Shinganshina is breached by Titans, Eren watches in horror as one of them eats his mother. Vowing to kill all the Titans, Eren enlists in the military, along with his friends.

I recommend this anime as your entry into the medium for a few important reasons. Firstly it's an action series that AAA playing gamers would like the most. And unlike most anime which takes a while to get into, AOT is gripping from the start and somehow manages the unlikely feat of being gripping virtually every episode till the end. Whilst it's far from the best (it could be depending on later series) know that there are series you might like even more than this. And that says a lot about the medium.

Further reading:

7 Anime Every Gamer Needs To Watch

10 Animes You Must Watch Before You Die

No Game No Life is a Must Watch for Any Gamer - Kotaku

Three Reasons Why Gamers Should Watch Anime

28 Animes To Watch If You've Never Seen Anime - BuzzFeed

TOP 10 Best Anime Every Gamer Needs To Watch | Anime Lap

SupremeAC said:

I don't think she'd be interested in watching 'cartoons' with me.  

So a series of cartoons that have much in common with games isn't going to do it for her.

And there is the stumbling block with most people. A misconception about what Anime is based on western cartoons and a real lack of understanding about the medium. Yes, you could be watching Anime with her, or by yourself (Wii U has Netflix and Crunchyroll) and if you have time to watch movies there is no reason you couldn't get into an anime series by substituting movie time for anime time.

You would need to find your genre, or what genre your wife likes and look for similar anime programs although there isn't often a direct substitute.

But if you don't watch series in general than that's a valid point. I don't understand that either but I know people who are all about the outdoors and activities and stuff and who view things like videogames even as a waste of time and pour disdain on you for playing them. For us gamers who are all about shonen, super hero power fantasies, Anime is literally right up their alley.

If movies are more your thing, know that anime covers animated movies too and are considered anime too. Princess Karuga is an anime. You might want to try the likes of Summer Wars or Redline or the rest of the Ghibli line, although there are some boring Ghibli films too.

In my family there is a kind of media bigotry going on where anything animated is considered as childish and not worth their time. And yet, they watch and eat up 3D animated movies like Frozen and Wreck it Ralph because either other people are watching it, because it's advertised heavily, or because they are exposed to it via my nephews. Some even watch live action series waaaay past the point they become shit, for years even. But won't stomach a 20min anime episode. So bizaare.

Ponyo is awesome BTW.

Also The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Wolf Children, Summer Wars.

Actually most anime is better than the 3D cgi moves the west eats up. Even in movie terms, anime TV shows are more ubiquitous and often better than the anime movies Japan puts out. They have more breathing room and can tell longer and more complex stories.

SupremeAC said:

And on your remark about WiiU offering animé throug netflix and similar services: when we watch movies, it's a together thing.  Us both watching different things kind of defeats the purpose.

I get ya.

I use U to escape some of the reality tv programmes and other junk I want to avoid whilst still being in the same room as other people. One headphone in, one out so you can still converse with them. But these days I spend more time on my phone browsing the net instead.

And they generate awesome memes