My first anime show was Tenchi Muyo OVA.
It was on Toonami back in the 90's. The English dub was not bad and the perverseness and the harem aspects really got me into liking anime.

What is your first anime?

Ghost in the Shell. 1995

Fair point. However I did come across this: "Wacky Races has had an influence on Japanese animation. At least three anime shows have produced a Wacky Races-style special, complete with wacky cars usually based on a series prop."
I guess then my first true Anime I watched have been Spirited Away!

hehe pokemon.... but didn't know its anime. first anime show i watched knowing it is anime... -> Mayo Chiki! <3
movie: Spirited Away

tom & Jerry

Yu Yu Hakusho

Queen Millenia (Shin Taketori Monogatari: Sennen Joō) ... back in the 80's .. Oh man ... suddenly I feel really old!

Have to say it was Bleach. Recommended to me by another KAT member. I watched almost all of the episodes, but stopped before the series ended. I think the stories were great, but the never-ending bloodshed was getting to me.

Show: Tom & Jerry or Wacky Races (not sure which came first)

Movies: First was Howl's Moving Castle, then Spirited Away, then Ponyo.

I think you should all watch some studio ghibli films (they made SA & Ponyo)

Project A-ko...was funny...I enjoyed it thoroughly.

id say that a few episodes one of those popular anime like pokemon and all those trendy anime were the first ones , but the first anime that i really got into was Toradora!(which seemed strange because before that i despised anything involving romantic comedy) It was strange how i got into watching anime.
I was just going around stumbling upon my usual internet business untill i discovered the abridged series,(having only a few episodes of those anime watched) I watched the yu gi oh abridged series and then the Dragon Ball Z abridged series, i continued searching for other abridged series.
I stumbled upon the toradora! abridged series,saw 2 episodes of it and was intrigued mainly because (believe it or not) the OP of the abridged version,the theme from friends and the setting of the show really sets this feeling of nostalgia so i decided to give toradora a go, about 45 anime and manga later here i am.