Michael B. Jordan Named 5 Classic Anime That Everyone Should Watch (& He's Not Wrong)
During its premiere, "Creed III" pummeled away at its competition at the box office to earn a knockout win. Despite missing Rocky Balboa and serving as the third entry in a series, "Creed III' performed like the champion fighter its trailers promised. Besides an incredible fight to the top of the box office mountain, "Creed III" also established a few things about Michael B. Jordan. With his return as Adonis Creed, Jordan added another notch to an already impressive career as a leading actor. In addition, since "Creed III" served as Jordan's directorial debut, the film also proved that his talents extend beyond being in front of the lens. But perhaps most importantly, for fellow otaku fans, "Creed III" granted Jordan a chance to wear his anime passion on his sleeve.
Before "Creed III," Jordan never kept his love of anime a secret from the world. Heck, the actor has even done a fashion collaboration with Coach featuring "Naruto." But "Creed III" is where Jordan gets to let his inner anime fanatic loose, as the movie is filled with references, Easter eggs, and inspiration from some of Jordan's favorite anime series. If you left "Creed III" interested in diving in and figuring out what all this anime business is about, Jordan is to thank. And if you need help figuring out where to begin, well, fortunately, Jordan also has you covered in that regard. The actor recently named five classic anime that everyone should watch.
Jordan believes these classic shonen action series are perfect for beginners
During an interview with BBC Radio 1, Michael B. Jordan listed his choices for the perfect anime for any beginner. He went the classic route, going with "One Piece," "Bleach," "Dragon Ball," "Naruto," and "Hunter X Hunter." In the interview, Jordan concluded his list by saying, "That's a pretty good starting five." Honestly, it's difficult to argue against that. That's mainly because the actor pulled from Shonen, the most accessible and popular anime genre.
Each of Jordan's anime recommendations is entirely different from the other in terms of story, setting, and especially character designs. However, they're all linked by a few shonen genre ingredients like passionately expressed ideals, dynamic fights, and fierce rivalries. So no matter if you're watching sword-wielding grim reapers in "Bleach" or an action-packed take on "Journey To The West" with "Dragon Ball," those common themes are still going to be featured. And that all should seem like familiar territory after experiencing "Creed III."
Also, within the Shonen genre, his list basically consists of some of the biggest anime heavyweights. So in terms of quality, you're probably guaranteed a solid entry into the anime world with these classic choices. But we still need to offer a couple of words of caution. For those only invested in the meat and potatoes of a story, beware of non-canon filler episodes from the likes of "Bleach" and "Naruto." And for those planning to binge-watch "One Piece," we recommend taking some vacation days. It's a very long sail.