There are pretty chill anime series that you can just randomly pick, put on, and enjoy. And there are some shows that have a pretty high barrier to entry, that require you to do some preparation or be cautious about what you're getting into. The reasons can be quite different, ranging from the vastness of the franchise and the nature of the show itself.
We've got a list of 5 anime that are not that easy to get acquainted with if you're not ready: otherwise, you just won't enjoy it.
Gundam series
It's a huge franchise that spanned two generations of emperors. Talk about legacy. And during its run, it has released a lot of stories. Modern Gundam installments are heavily referencing the works that had been released years before, and without understanding these references, the viewer just won't be able to get a full picture.
It's a very dialogue-heavy series, and the characters, sadly, are not stupid and prefer to talk in metaphors and jokes. These dialogues don't move the plot forward but rather paint the characters more vividly and usually consist of weird small talk filled with references and sarcasm. The fact that they also deal with the occult stuff doesn't help because Japanese folklore is a thing of its own, and without any kind of knowledge about the specifics of certain creatures, you may be just puzzled. And it's also a SHAFT show. It's bizarre by design.
Fate series
Okay, Fate is a way to put it simply, as it became a meme in and of itself due to the number of videos and articles trying to explain the continuity of Fate and all the various routes. But there's a behemoth that eclipses Fate, one that rules over it: Carnival Phantasm, which is a combination of all Type-Moon projects, including Fate. It uses light novels and gacha games as the source, in addition to the previously released visual novels and anime series
Isekai Quartet
To properly enjoy this show you have to watch the majority of the most influential isekai that have been released, as initially it started as a crossover event between four series: KonoSuba (Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!), Overlord, Re:Zero, and The Saga of Tanya the Evil (Youjo Senki). Later The Rising of the Shield Hero (Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari) and Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious (Shinchou Yuusha: Kono Yuusha ga Ore Tueee Kuse ni Shinchou Sugiru) joined the party. So you just have to go through a lot of source material to understand what happens here.
Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei
The SHAFTest of SHAFT anime. Even SHAFTer than the Monogatari series. The harshness lies in the amount of puns and jokes deeply rooted in Japanese culture and media which require screen-length translation notes for the viewers. An inexperienced viewer that has no grasp on Japanese pop culture would be pausing the episode every few seconds and squinting trying to read these notes and comprehend the joke. It just ruins the mood and the pace.
Don't jump into that blindly!
There are pretty chill anime series that you can just randomly pick, put on, and enjoy. And there are some shows that have a pretty high barrier to entry, that require you to do some preparation or be cautious about what you're getting into. The reasons can be quite different, ranging from the vastness of the franchise and the nature of the show itself.
We've got a list of 5 anime that are not that easy to get acquainted with if you're not ready: otherwise, you just won't enjoy it.
Gundam series
It's a huge franchise that spanned two generations of emperors. Talk about legacy. And during its run, it has released a lot of stories. Modern Gundam installments are heavily referencing the works that had been released years before, and without understanding these references, the viewer just won't be able to get a full picture.
It's a very dialogue-heavy series, and the characters, sadly, are not stupid and prefer to talk in metaphors and jokes. These dialogues don't move the plot forward but rather paint the characters more vividly and usually consist of weird small talk filled with references and sarcasm. The fact that they also deal with the occult stuff doesn't help because Japanese folklore is a thing of its own, and without any kind of knowledge about the specifics of certain creatures, you may be just puzzled. And it's also a SHAFT show. It's bizarre by design.
Fate series
Okay, Fate is a way to put it simply, as it became a meme in and of itself due to the number of videos and articles trying to explain the continuity of Fate and all the various routes. But there's a behemoth that eclipses Fate, one that rules over it: Carnival Phantasm, which is a combination of all Type-Moon projects, including Fate. It uses light novels and gacha games as the source, in addition to the previously released visual novels and anime series
Isekai Quartet
To properly enjoy this show you have to watch the majority of the most influential isekai that have been released, as initially it started as a crossover event between four series: KonoSuba (Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!), Overlord, Re:Zero, and The Saga of Tanya the Evil (Youjo Senki). Later The Rising of the Shield Hero (Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari) and Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious (Shinchou Yuusha: Kono Yuusha ga Ore Tueee Kuse ni Shinchou Sugiru) joined the party. So you just have to go through a lot of source material to understand what happens here.
Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei
The SHAFTest of SHAFT anime. Even SHAFTer than the Monogatari series. The harshness lies in the amount of puns and jokes deeply rooted in Japanese culture and media which require screen-length translation notes for the viewers. An inexperienced viewer that has no grasp on Japanese pop culture would be pausing the episode every few seconds and squinting trying to read these notes and comprehend the joke. It just ruins the mood and the pace.
