In a way, fans are enjoying a new golden age of anime as the prominence of streaming and the ever-growing popularity of the genre take a foothold in western pop culture. Anime is arguably easier to dive into than its ever been, with great TV shows and movies to dig through, spanning acclaimed classics from decades past to the latest hits that have fans all over the world buzzing online. In terms of accessibility, it certainly helps that practically every major streaming service under the sun has embraced anime as a supplement to its primary offerings.
That being said, Crunchyroll and Funimation are still the first streaming platforms that come to mind for many, and that’s thanks to services using the genre as their own primary appeal. Whether it’s for completed series or what’s airing right now in Japan, the catalogs of these platforms can’t be ignored.
But even as anime becomes more accepted in the west, the level of depth for what’s on offer can be daunting for beginners. Thankfully, our guides on Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and more for anime should provide prospective fans and veterans alike with plenty of options to sift through.
Further reading
Golden Kamuy (2018) new
4 Seasons
Genre
Action & Adventure, Animation, Comedy
Cast
Chikahiro Kobayashi, Haruka Shiraishi, Takayuki Sugo
Satoru Noda’s manga source material recently finished its story on a high note, but fans can still enjoy the ongoing story in the form of Golden Kamuy season 4. It’s arguably one of the best current seinen anime, doing well to balance compelling character drama with moments of levity. A historical-fiction series, Golden Kamuy takes place in the aftermath of the Russo-Japanese War and follows Saichi Sugimoto, a war veteran on a mission to discover the indigenous Ainu people’s hidden treasure to help provide for the family of a fallen childhood friend and war comrade. The story also offers nuanced social commentary on the horrors of war and the cruelty of world governments’ treatment of their soldiers as expendable pawns.
Berserk: The Golden Age Arc – Memorial Edition (2022) new
1 Season
Genre
Action & Adventure, Drama, Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Cast
Hiroaki Iwanaga, Takahiro Sakurai, Toa Yukinari
Created by
Kentaro Miura
Hailed as one of the greatest manga ever illustrated and written, the late Kentaro Miura’s Berserk is embarking on another rendition of the anime movie trilogy to honor the creator. It’s an admittedly brutal tale, but one that eventually becomes rewarding for its core themes of human resilience and healing, as well as perhaps the best dark-fantasy series in the genre. Berserk: The Golden Age Arc — Memorial Edition re-contextualizes animation team Studio 4°C’s movies into a TV format, covering one of the most acclaimed — and harrowing — story arcs in manga history. It chronicles Guts’ grim childhood up to joining the ambitious Griffith’s Band of the Hawk mercenary group, and it will climax in the driving force for the story beyond.
Mob Psycho 100 (2016) new
3 Seasons
Genre
Animation, Action & Adventure, Comedy
Cast
Setsuo Ito, Takahiro Sakurai, Miyu Irino
From ONE, the brilliant mind that brought fans the beloved One-Punch Man, comes Mob Psycho 100. Instead of a satirical action-heavy take on the shounen demographic and the superhero genre, Mob Psycho 100 blends comedic elements with a psychic-powered coming-of-age tale. Revolving around protagonist Shigeo Kageyama — also known as Mob — the nearly all-powerful psychic middle schooler wades through his daily life in a relatively mundane fashion in an attempt to repress the explosive potential he hides inside. Along with his con artist mentor Reigen, Mob struggles to find happiness and fulfillment in life while dealing with its many stresses. Season 3 is poised to finish this anime adaptation.
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury (2022) new
1 Season
Genre
Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action & Adventure
Cast
Kana Ichinose, Lynn, Yohei Azakami
Functioning almost like the Star Wars of Japan given the sci-fi franchise’s mass appeal and sheer scope, Mobile Suit Gundam is out with another series for newcomers and longtime fans alike to get invested in. Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury is another story taking place in a standalone timeline from the main Universal Century canon. It’s also the first Gundam TV anime series since the praised Iron-Blooded Orphans and the first overall to feature a female as the main character. Gundam pilot Elnora Samaya and her daughter Ericht Samaya were the only survivors in the corrupt destruction of a Mobile Suit research facility. The main plot takes place 12 years later, as Ericht enrolls in an academy with lofty ambitions.
My Hero Academia (2016)
6 Seasons
Genre
Action & Adventure, Animation
Cast
Daiki Yamashita, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Kenta Miyake
My Hero Academia is a modern shounen mainstay, capitalizing both on the anime fanbase and the mainstream popularity of the superhero genre. It follows the story of young Deku, a boy who feels unlucky to have been born without a Quirk — superpowers that match the user’s personality — but perseveres and enrolls in a prestigious superhero high school academy anyway. He meets a colorful cast of friends and rivals along the way, complemented by high-octane action. Season 6 will quickly wrap up where season 5 left off, but then it will march on to culminate in the grand battle between Deku and the rest of his allies at U.A. High School and the villains of the Paranormal Liberation Front, led by the longstanding antagonist Tomura Shigaraki. My Hero Academia season 6 premiered on Crunchyroll on October 1.
Bluelock (2022)
1 Season
Genre
Animation, Action & Adventure, Drama
Cast
Kazuki Ura, Tasuku Kaito, Yuki Ono
Coming out for a timely premiere with the 2022 FIFA World Cup on the horizon, Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura’s Bluelock is being adapted into anime by studio Eight Bit. The series takes sports and combines it with the action of a typical shounen series, with Bluelock centering around a group of boys that sign up to train in a grueling experimental training facility. Yoichi Isagi and company viciously compete with one another to hone their inner egoists and aim to become the Japan National Football Team’s next top striker in time for the next World Cup. Bluelock premiered on October 1 on Crunchyroll.
Chainsaw Man (2022)
1 Season
Genre
Animation, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Cast
Kikunosuke Toya, Tomori Kusunoki, Shogo Sakata
Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man is one of the most widely acclaimed shounen manga series in recent years, so it was only a matter of time before an anime adaptation came along. Animated by top-class animation studio MAPPA (Attack on Titan: The Final Season, Jujutsu Kaisen, Jujutsu Kaisen 0), the series will follow the downtrodden young boy named Denji as his life is radically changed in a world where devils are the norm. Denji is an orphan living with his best and only friend, Pochita — a dog-like devil — who is forced to work for the local Yakuza. When things get inevitably dire, Pochita makes a last-gasp attempt to salvage Denji’s life and becomes the Chainsaw Devil. The series is as bombastically action-packed and gory as one might think, but it’s also one of the most sincerely emotional, gutwrenching, and introspective shounen around. Chainsaw Man premieres on Crunchyroll on October 11.
Spy x Family (2022)
1 Season
Genre
Animation, Comedy, Action & Adventure
Cast
Takuya Eguchi, Atsumi Tanezaki, Saori Hayami
Spy x Family surged into the anime scene last spring, as animation studios Wit and CloverWorks’ collaboration to adapt Tatsuya Endo’s manga retained the source material’s upbeat nature and wholesome comedic sensibilities. Agent Twilight, the world’s most elite spy, is on a covert diplomatic mission to help diffuse political tensions and avoid another potential war. However, he soon discovers that this mission will be his toughest yet, but not for the reasons he might think. Along with Yor and young Anya, Twilight has to adopt the name Loid as they create the “fake” Forger family, but each of these unlikely family members has something to hide. The first part of the first season wrapped with emphatic success, and episode 13 kicked off the second part on Crunchyroll on October 1.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (2019)
4 Seasons
Genre
Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action & Adventure
Cast
Natsuki Hanae, Akari Kito, Hiro Shimono
Created by
Koyoharu Gotouge
With the help of animation studio Uftotable’s masterful work, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba stormed onto the anime scene in eye-popping fashion. The young and kindhearted Tanjiro worked hard to support his family until all but his sister were brutally killed by demons. Feeling determined to protect his now-demonic sister Nezuko after being infected, Tanjiro becomes determined to join the Demon Slayer Corps. to save lives, ensure Nezuko a safe future, and kill the demon that slaughtered his family. Tanjiro and co. meet several allies and demons along the way, more often than not culminating in some of the most visually stunning animation work in the medium. Both seasons and the smash-hit Mugen Train movie are available on Crunchyroll.
Samurai Champloo (2004)
1 Season
Genre
Action & Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Drama
Cast
Ayako Kawasumi, Kazuya Nakai, Ginpei Sato
Created by
Shinichiro Watanabe
For fans coming off of director Shinichirō Watanabe’s acclaimed work on Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo is another anime classic worth bingeing. Taking place in a fictionalized version of the Edo period of Japan, the story follows the wild adventures of the ronin Jin, ruffian outlaw Mugen, and former tea waitress Fuu. After the latter saved the two samurai from execution, she enlists them to help her travel across the country in search of the mysterious “samurai who smells of sunflowers.” Samurai Champloo uses stylish art direction, hip-hop, and R&B music to set the atmosphere as Bebop did with acid jazz, combining for an inventive story that’s as thrilling as it is thought-provoking and emotional — also like Bebop.
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (2012)
5 Seasons
Genre
Animation, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Cast
Fairouz Ai, Daisuke Ono, Mutsumi Tamura
Created by
Hirohiko Araki
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure has become an anime staple since Hirohiko Araki’s acclaimed manga was adapted and serialized in 2012. The sweeping story spans generations’ worth of the titular Joestar bloodline, beginning with Jonathan and his progressively bitter rivalry with the iconic vampiric villain Dio Brando. Over the seasons, the plot follows various successors of the family as they clash with the various incarnations of evil they find. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure prides itself on its eccentric supernatural powers, bombastic fight scenes, a unique sense of style, and a colorful, campy atmosphere all at once. Stone Ocean is currently streaming exclusively on Netflix, but fans can watch the first five story arcs on Crunchyroll.
Hunter x Hunter (2011)
3 Seasons
Genre
Action & Adventure, Animation, Drama
Cast
Megumi Han, Mariya Ise, Miyuki Sawashiro
Yoshihiro Togashi’s Hunter x Hunter is a titan of the shounen anime demographic, blending exciting action adventures and a colorful cast of characters. Young Gon Freecs discovers that his presumed-dead father, Ging, is actually alive, with the former inspired by his elite status as Hunter to follow in his footsteps. On the way to getting his Hunter License, he meets valuable friends in Kurapika, Killua, and Leorio, as well as daunting and complex enemies like Hisoka and the mysterious Phantom Troupe. The story quickly spirals into a vibrant globetrotting journey across a rich, modern fantasy world. The 2011 anime is a remake of the original 1999 series, delving deeper into Hunter x Hunter‘s story, world, and sprawling lore.
Trigun (1998)
1 Season
Genre
Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Animation
Cast
Masaya Onosaka, Hiromi Tsuru, Satsuki Yukino
Recently added to Crunchyroll’s catalog, Trigun is another excellent sci-fi anime classic from the ’90s. The show is set in an enticingly gritty dystopian sci-fi world mixed with western elements. The main character, Vash, the Stampede, is the most wanted gunslinger in the land for laying waste to entire cities. However, Vash himself is a pacifist with no recollection of the atrocities he’s allegedly committed. Trigun expertly balances comedy, mystery, and compelling character drama, and the more recent movie, Trigun: Badlands Rumble, is also available to get the full experience.
Jujutsu Kaisen (2020)
2 Seasons
Genre
Animation, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Cast
Junya Enoki, Yuma Uchida, Asami Seto
Jujutsu Kaisen might be one of the more refreshing shounen anime to premiere in recent years. Taking place in a modern dark-fantasy rendition of Japan where Curse demons lurk invisibly through the city, Jujutsu Sorcerers are trained to quell the threats that they may cause. Enter Yuji Itadori, a man who finds himself possessed by a piece of one of the most fearsome Curses to ever exist while he is training at a technical school to become a sorcerer himself. Yuji copes with the help of his teacher, Gojo, and his classmates and friends, Nobara and Megumi, as they get involved in thrilling battles with sinister Curses.
One Piece (1999) new
21 Seasons
Genre
Action & Adventure, Comedy, Animation
Cast
Mayumi Tanaka, Kazuya Nakai, Akemi Okamura
Perhaps the best of Weekly Shounen Jump Magazine’s original Big Three manga, Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece is still going strong in the source material and its anime adaptation. Following the cryptic last words of legendary pirate Gol D. Roger, pirates around the world have set off on a grand mission to uncover his lost treasure. Monkey D. Luffy feels inspired to become the world’s greatest pirate and he forms the Straw Hat Pirates to sail the Grand Line in search of the One Piece treasure. What unravels is a series of sweeping, colorful, and swashbuckling odyssey filled with memorable characters.
FLCL (2000)
4 Seasons
Genre
Animation, Comedy, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Cast
Mayumi Shintani, Karen Miyama, Yuri Yoshida
It’s arguably one of the very best anime, on par with the likes of Cowboy Bebop and One Punch Man, despite being left relatively under the radar. The story of FLCL focuses mainly on the coming-of-age tale told through the backdrop of a mysterious female’s lifelong quest to court a cosmic entity known as Atomsk. Much of the action is symbolic of the ever-growing maturity of the main protagonists, which change with each new season, and is underpinned by an unreplicable soundtrack by The Pillows. For a very long time, the only way to watch the weird and wonky Fooly Cooly was via YouTube. Now, however, the sequel seasons of Alternative and Progressive can be watched on Crunchyroll while their original predecessor is available on Funimation.
Sword Art Online (2012)
4 Seasons
Genre
Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action & Adventure
Cast
Ai Kayano, Rina Hidaka, Hiroaki Hirata
The year is 2022 and a new virtual reality game called Sword Art Online (SAO) is released, one in which players can immerse themselves using a piece of technology called Nerve Gear, a helmet that stimulates the player’s brain. One day, however, players realize they cannot log out until they reach the 100th level of the game’s tower and defeat the final boss. If they cannot complete the game, or someone tries to remove their helmet in the real world, they die. Sword Art Online follows lone wolf Kazuto “Kirito” Kirigaya (Bryce Papenbrook) and his reluctant friend Asuna Yuuki (Cherami Leigh) as they explore the aforementioned fantasy world. The show has been praised for its animation and music, as well as its exploration of the psychological aspects of VR. It’s also available as one of the best anime series on Netflix.
Dragon Ball Z (1989)
9 Seasons
Genre
Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action & Adventure
Cast
Masako Nozawa, Ryou Horikawa, Toshio Furukawa
Created by
Akira Toriyama
Not a single anime aficionado will ever forget the iconic culminating words of every episode, almost always moments after a world-shattering event: “… find out next time on Dragon Ball Z!” The show has a multitude of moments now revered and remembered for all its entirety, from Vegeta’s “Over 9,000!” line to when Goku ascended to Super Saiyan 3. It’s an anime treasure, the quintessential experience recording the adult life of Goku, a wayward Saiyan warrior who fights for Earth alongside a group of once-rivals turned friends. If you’re brand new to the series, Funimation has the original Dragon Ball and sequel series Dragon Ball Super available for the binge-watching of Goku’s entire epic story.
Serial Experiments Lain (1998)
1 Season
Genre
Animation, Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Mystery
Cast
Kaori Shimizu, Youko Asada, Ayako Kawasumi
Created by
Yoshitoshi ABe
Mashing the genre of cyberpunk with horror isn’t a combination heard too often, yet this 13-episode miniseries does it right and in the most psychologically twisted way possible. Serial Experiments Lain is, to say the least, a strange tale of a young high school girl, named Lain, who falls unwittingly into a swirling conspiracy involving a cybernetic landscape, called The Wire. The show begins with the suicide of a classmate, seemingly random in nature yet tied to a world run rampant with internet connectivity and computer technology. From nanobot drugs to a VR experience that tracks players’ kills as deaths in the real world, Serial Experiments Lain is unlike any other. While it may only be a short 13-episode show, akin to the following entry, it’s one of the greatest anime of all time.
Cowboy Bebop (1998)
1 Season
Genre
Animation, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Western
Cast
Koichi Yamadera, Unsho Ishizuka, Megumi Hayashibara
Cowboy Bebop is an iconic space Western that is widely regarded as one of the best anime series of all time. Despite its sci-fi setting, the show draws heavily from Western and noir themes and features a jazz-inspired soundtrack that has garnered much acclaim. Cowboy Bebop was the first anime to be broadcast on Adult Swim and set the precedent for a major anime boom in the U.S. during the early aughts. Spike Spiegel (Steve Blum) and his partner Jet Black (Beau Billingslea) are bounty hunters (otherwise known as “cowboys”) who work aboard the spaceship Bebop. They are joined by other eccentric characters as the series progresses, however, and get involved in one disastrous mishap after another. This show also ended up on our list of the best anime series on Hulu.
Paranoia Agent (2004)
1 Season
Genre
Animation, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Cast
Mamiko Noto, Daisuke Sakaguchi, Haruko Momoi
Created by
Satoshi Kon
From the brilliant mind of Satoshi Kon, known for anime movie classics like Perfect Blue and Paprika, Paranoia Agent is a psychological horror that remains in a class of its own. As told from a variety of different perspectives, all having experienced or been affected by the Lil Slugger social experiment, the show derives most of its forward momentum from the woe and fear of its characters. Each new individual is as interesting as they are surreptitious, with every episode painting a broader image of the secrets held deep within all cast members’ lives. The late Satoshi Kon, who passed tragically in 2010 due to pancreatic cancer, enveloped his fans in worlds of imagination underpinned by stories of intrigue and unreality.
Attack on Titan (2013)
4 Seasons
Genre
Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Animation, Action & Adventure
Cast
Yuki Kaji, Yui Ishikawa, Marina Inoue
Let’s just say we’re glad we don’t live in the world of Attack on Titan, a medieval fantasy realm where humans live in cities surrounded by gigantic walls that protect them from man-eating monsters known as Titans. This doesn’t mean we don’t like watching the attacks unfold, however, even if we sometimes do it through parted fingers. Attack on Titan follows the story of young Eren Jaeger (Bryce Papenbrook), who joins the military to fight Titans after his mother is killed by one. With intense fights and skin-crawling monsters, Attack on Titan is sure to please any fan of the dark fantasy genre. There’s a reason the series was one of the top streaming shows on Funimation in 2014, after all.
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin - Advent of the Red Comet (2019)
1 Season
Genre
Animation, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Cast
Shuuichi Ikeda, Toru Furuya, Megumi Han
Created by
Yoshiyuki Tomino, Yoshikazu Yasuhiko
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin and its follow-up, Advent of the Red Comet, are expertly crafted television renditions of a manga that breathes artistic integrity. Much like how every page in the manga was its own painting, the show weaves animation into the action with a story that is as timeless as it is a science fiction masterpiece. Advent of the Red Comet follows the antagonist of The Origin, Char Aznable, in his younger years before becoming an ace Gundam pilot and leads into the One Year War. For every fan of the beloved franchise, The Origin and its follow-up are must-see anime experiences, showcasing the action-packed history of how the Gundams themselves took shape as the greatest protection of Earth’s Colony.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009)
1 Season
Genre
Action & Adventure, Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Cast
Romi Park, Rie Kugimiya, Shin-ichiro Miki
Unlike the original 2003 adaptation of Fullmetal Alchemist, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood follows the events of all 27 volumes of the manga, which tell the story of Edward (Vic Mignogna) and Alphonse Elric (Maxey Whitehead) as they search for an artifact known as the Philosopher’s Stone. In the first episode of the series, the two brothers attempt to bring their mother back to life using alchemy but are gravely injured in the process. Edward later joins the State Military as the two young men search for the powerful stone in an attempt to restore their bodies. Although the show has been criticized by viewers of the original for its repeating of events, it has been praised for its emotional content and exciting action sequences.
Yu Yu Hakusho (1992)
4 Seasons
Genre
Animation, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Cast
Nozomu Sasaki, Shigeru Chiba, Megumi Ogata
As the all-star anime classic and arguably one of the best iterations on the tournament-style arc in Japanese media, Yu Yu Hakusho is a coming-of-age adventure with the perfect blend of demons and supernatural abilities. Based on the manga by Yoshihiro Togashi, who likewise wrote and illustrated the famed Hunter x Hunter, this three-season anime series gained immediate acclaim and was voted the best anime series in the Annual Anime Grand Prix for both 1994 and 1995. The loudmouth and ever-violent Yusuke Urameshi remains a delight to watch in his struggle to overcome the forces of evil alongside a cast of amazing characters, from the anti-heroic Hiei to the stoically mystical Genkai.
Boogiepop and Others (2019)
1 Season
Genre
Animation, Mystery, Drama
Cast
Aoi Yuki, Saori Onishi, Chiaki Kobayashi
Based on the manga of the same name, which was released in 1998, BoogiePop and Others is an interesting psychological tale of five high school students as they unravel a mystery of a lifetime. The disappearances of various other Japanese students, coupled with the subsequent arrival of a new drug, bring about a narrative with complex characters interacting in intriguing ways. It’s a blend of horror and noir in an animated skeleton, weaving a puzzle that is as exciting to watch unfold as it is heartbreaking to behold in its conclusion. Marking 11 years of existence, BoogiePop and Others, like many on this list, remains an anime fan must-see.
Gurren Lagann (2007)
1 Season
Genre
Animation, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Cast
Marina Inoue, Kiyoyuki Yanada, Michiko Neya
Unlike most of the other entries on this list, Gurren Lagann debuted as an anime television series rather than as a manga. Still, that doesn’t detract from its zeal. It follows a group of subterranean cave dwellers, who have lived in an underground world their whole lives due to the evil Spiral King. In an attempt to win back their rightful independence and live aboveground, Simon, Kamina, and Yoko Littner join forces to overthrow the mighty Spiral King using a mech found in the deepest dwellings of their village. Gurren Lagann has been gifted a number of awards from the likes of Animation Kobe and the Japan Media Arts Festival, highlighting its status among the best modern anime hits.
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