It has only been in the most recent years that I have been able to share some anime with my family. We had that indestructible Sony CRT TV for 20+ years, and there was no reasonable way to connect it to a laptop. But these days I can share some anime whenever I am back home for longer as long as I can find/prepare Polish subs for a given series (the only language my Dad and Mum speak). Anime recommendations for casuals and the older generation are always a popular topic, so here are my experiences.
Mikakunin de Shinkoukei – Engaged to the Unidentified
Wait, he’s like…a werewolf, and they’re NOT going to talk about it!?
You will not often see this good old slice-of-life/romantic comedy show up in recent anime discussion, but it was a huge hit with my family. The genres are what my parents like best, and the comedy is mostly character-based and not hectic enough for the viewer to get confused or overwhelmed.
Hakuya’s: “What’s your favourite food? -> Anything Kobeni makes.” line struck a chord with everyone, as that is basically how my Dad works. He will eat whatever we feed him in whatever amounts we provide and it will be his favourite food for the moment.
Death Note
It’s that Japanese thing, right? The moment you get attached to them, they turn out to be evil.
It is easy to go for the gritty and/or inaccessible stuff when you first share anime with people and want to prove how much more it can be than what cartoons are often believed to be. But Death Note is one title that can work just fine. It has depth if you want to read it that way, but generally works like a smart Hollywood thriller.
Mum loved Ryuuk and Rem most (as she did Madoka’s Kyuubey…). Dad would occasionally scoff at the screen: “Nuh-uh. As if they all could be that smart.”
K-On!
No way! How silly can those girls get!?
With the timing of its initial broadcast and the role it played in the anime world, K-On! found itself the target of all kinds of accusations, from objectifying female characters to trying to corrupt anime storytelling with the moe disease. With all that noise, it can be easy to forget how casual-friendly the series is, with its simple humour and a cast of lovable characters that can appeal to viewers of all ages and genders.
Mom surprised me when one of the scenes that stuck out most in her memory was that one time when Azusa and Mugi spend some time alone in the clubroom, and Azusa is not quite sure how to lead the conversation. Apparently, great team chemistry becoming uncertain on a person-to-person basis was something that rang true with her own high school memories. And that loving commentary on a time everybody has gone through is what makes the series a great choice.
Akatsuki no Yona – Yona of the Dawn
I was about to suggest they just kill him with arrows, but he can swat away those too, eh?
One of those series nobody knows about and everybody loves after watching. Technically this counts as a reverse harem, but there is so much here to enjoy between the politics, action, relationships and a sprinkle of fantasy. I do not associate (reverse) harems with memorable main characters, but Yona’s development in the series is top-notch.
My folks particularly enjoyed the character of the pirate captain – an old lady with a kind heart and balls of steel. People randomly turning out to be dragons also became something of a family meme, so when I later asked my parents for any themes they wanted in our next series, they were like: dragons. So I showed them Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid (spoilers: they loved that, too).
What were your ideas for introductory series into the medium? I will happily take inspiration from any recommendations, so feel free to share below.
Yaranakya 
Omg, Akatsuki no Yona is my all-time favorite! I love love love Yona. From such a weak person, knowing nothing at all about the outside world, she became an inspiring leader. Such character’s development!
I know it’s just fiction but there is definitely a thing or two we can learn from Yona. I absolutely admire her. Every time I see a red hair character, I know she’s gonna be special (like Shirayuki from Akagami no Shirayuki). 😀
The strength of Yona’s character development truly sets the series apart from most of its genre. I also like the duality between Yona and Soo-Won, how each of them had something the kingdom needed, but tragically the two elements could not be reconciled.
And there is nothing odd about admiring a fictional character, if you ask me. Great, believable characters are like mirrors that can help us realise our own ideals about what we want to be like, and that’s plenty worthwhile.
I’ve been able to get my Mom to watch some shows with me over the years. The thing with her is that she’s older and has some mild short-term memory issues, so she struggles a bit with any shows that have really large main casts or very complex/elaborate plots. She also won’t watch anything that isn’t dubbed, so that also limits my options. Like I think she’d enjoy Silver Spoon, but that’s a sub-only series. The first anime I ever showed her was actually Escaflowne about 15 years ago, and she did enjoy that. She’s really enjoyed K-On, Kanon, and every Miyazaki movie I’ve shown her, and she liked the first arc of Naruto before the cast started getting too big. Conversely, she liked Love Live’s story and music but got frustrated because she could never keep all the girls’ names straight (sample of a typical conversation during every viewing session: “Is that Nozomi?” “No Mom, that’s Nico.” “Then which one was Nozomi again?”). Your Name didn’t go over too well either because she had too much trouble keeping all the body switches and time loops straight, though she did appreciate the visuals. I also quickly aborted my attempt to show her Toradora when she told me after the third episode that she didn’t like any of the characters – although I really think she just couldn’t get past the scene in episode 1 where Taiga breaks into Ryuuji’s house and attacks him with a wooden sword. She’s mentioned a few times when we’ve chatted about anime since then that, “I don’t like it when they hit each other,” and that’s the only series I’ve ever shown her that really uses that trope extensively (good thing I was never a fan of Love Hina).
I know exactly where you are coming from. When I prepare an anime screening for my family, it is usually right before they go to bed. My parents work long hours, so they are usually tired and sleepy – my dad especially has trouble keeping up with anything complicated and remembering plot details and who is who. If the characters are not vastly different, they will sometimes have trouble telling them apart. Your Nico/Nozomi example has similar hair colours, and my family sometimes had trouble telling Mio and Azusa apart for similar reasons.
I will sometimes pause, explain things that might be confusing, warn about an old returning character or the like. Dad managed to sleep through Homura vs Walpurgisnacht, among other things, so he often needs help catching up.