The Best Anime on Hulu Right Now (January 2022)

Horimiya (2021)

Genre Animation, Comedy

Cast Haruka Tomatsu, Koki Uchiyama, Seiichiro Yamashita

In Horimiya, we follow Hori and Miyamura. Hori is one of the most popular girls at school and dresses like it, too. At home though, she dresses down and must scrimp and save to survive, all while taking care of her younger brother. Hori does everything she can to hide this from her classmates to maintain her grade-A status. That is until Miyamura, a goth peer that Hori strays from at school, discovers her at-home life. Once adversaries, the two pupils begin confiding in one another.

Black Clover (2017)

Genre Action & Adventure, Animation, Comedy

Cast Gakuto Kajiwara, Nobunaga Shimazaki, Kana Yuuki

watch on Hulu

Enter the magical world of Black Clover. Asta and Yuno are two youths spending their lives in a magical world. After Yuno is bestowed with enchanting abilities, Asta is left without any spellbinding powers. That is until he turns fifteen and receives a mystical tome that grants him the powers to repel the magic of his foes. This ends up pitting both Asta and Yuno against each other, as both boys fight to claim the all-hail title of the Wizard King.

Kaguya-sama: Love is War (2019)

Genre Animation, Comedy, Drama

Cast Aoi Koga, Makoto Furukawa, Ryota Suzuki

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A decorated anime rom-com, Love is War follows Kaguya Shinomiya and Miyuki Shirogane, two students at the prestigious Shuchiin Academy that just happen to have feelings for each other. But as it turns out, neither is willing to admit these romantic secrets. Both too proud and popular, the class-act students must navigate the tumultuous, and at times amusing world of true love while navigating the intricacies of academia and a bustling social life.

Blood-C (2011)

Genre Action & Adventure, Animation, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Cast Nana Mizuki, Kenji Nojima, Keiji Fujiwara

Created by Nanase Ohkawa

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Meet Saya Kisaragi, the heroine at the heart of Blood-C. By day, Saya is a high school student with a circle of friends. But by night, Saya assumes the role of a shrine maiden and protector of her town. Thanks to her father, Tadayoshi, Saya wields a sacred blade against the unspeakable monsters known as Elder Bairns. However, Saya’s double life is upended when the Elder Bairns begin attacking her at school during the day. There’s also a dark secret at the center of Saya’s life which may destroy her and everything that she loves.

Gate (2015)

Genre Action & Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Drama

Cast Junichi Suwabe, Nao Toyama

Created by Tatsuhiko Urahata

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Within the Gate anime series, dragons, fairies, demons and monsters have no place in our world … at least until the gateway to another world suddenly appears in Tokyo. Because of his familiarity with fantasy tropes and topics, young Yōji Itami is recruited to the Japan Self-Defense Forces and sent on a diplomatic mission to the other world. While Yōji is able to make new friends and allies in the alternate realm, he also makes new enemies who could potentially imperil both worlds. And if Yōji can’t find a solution, then both Earth and the “special region” will be torn apart.

Monster Musume: Everyday Life with Monster Girls (2015)

Genre Animation, Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Cast Junji Majima, Ari Ozawa, Sora Amamiya

Created by Kazuyuki Fudeyasu

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Monster Musume: Everyday Life With Monster Girls has an odd title, and yet it’s perfectly suited for this series. After ages of living in secret, the liminals are co-existing openly with humanity. Suddenly, mythical beings like centaurs, mermaids, harpies, and lamias are trying to find their way in human society. Kimihito Kurusu finds himself unwillingly involved with Japan’s cultural exchange problem when a young liminal named Miia moves in with him. Soon, several other female liminals also move in with Kimihito, and many of them would very much like to marry him.

Parasyte -the maxim- (2014)

Genre Animation, Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action & Adventure

Cast Nobunaga Shimazaki, Aya Hirano, Kana Hanazawa

Created by Shōji Yonemura

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In Parasyte: The Maxim, a high school student named Shinichi Izumi finds himself thrust into the center of an alien invasion. The invaders are known as Parasytes, and they typically take total control of their victims’ brains. However, Shinichi’s Parasyte embeds itself in his arm instead of his brain. After the Parasyte develops its own personality and calls itself Migi, Shinichi forms an alliance with his personal invader as they take on other Parasytes within the city. Together, they may be humanity’s only real defense against the Parasytes’ invisible invasion.

Black Lagoon (2006)

Genre Action & Adventure, Animation, Drama, Crime

Cast Hiroaki Hirata, Tsutomu Isobe, Megumi Toyoguchi

Created by Sunao Katabuchi

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Within the show that shares its name, the Black Lagoon is the ship that belongs to a group of mercenaries called the Lagoon Company. Poor Rokuro Okajima winds up in their orbit when he is kidnapped by the team after he was roped into transporting a valuable disc that was filled with important intel. The good news for Rokuro is that the mercenaries, Dutch, Revy, and Benny, all warm up to him fairly quickly. After proving his worth to the Lagoon Company, Rokuro accepts their offer to join them and renames himself Rock as he embarks on a new life of adventure.

Danganronpa: The Animation (2013)

Genre Action & Adventure, Animation, Drama, Mystery

Cast Kenta Miyake, Nobuyo Oyama, Megumi Ogata

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Young Makoto Naegi thought fortune had turned his way in the anime adaptation of the Danganronpa video games. After earning admission to Hope’s Peak Academy, Makoto discovers that the school is a ruse. He and 14 other students have been captured by a sadistic headmaster who only appears before them through his radio-controlled bear, Monobear. The headmaster offers the kids only one way out of the school: Murder one of their classmates and get away with the crime at the subsequent trial. Unfortunately for Makoto, many of his fellow students are all too willing to kill.

Snow White with the Red Hair (2015)

Genre Animation, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Cast Saori Hayami, Ryota Osaka, Nobuhiko Okamoto

Created by Deko Akao

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Despite its title, Snow White with the Red Hair is not an adaptation of Snow White. Regardless, its leading heroine, Shirayuki, certainly has some experience with poisoned apples. In this fantasy world, people with red hair must be very rare. Shirayuki’s distinctive hair incites desire in the heart of Prince Raj, but she flees her home rather than be loved only for her hair. Soon after, she meets Prince Zen Wistaria, a young man who may be able to love Shirayuki for who she is. However, their social class differences threaten to keep them apart and prevent their hearts from joining as one.

Sonny Boy (2021)

Genre Animation, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Cast Aoi Ichikawa, Saori Onishi, Aoi Yuki

Created by Shingo Natsume

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Sonny Boy is one of the more recent additions to Hulu, and it follows a high school student named Nagara who is having the absolute worst summer vacation. Nagara and 35 of his classmates have somehow been transported to another dimension, where they slowly develop superhuman powers. It’s clearly an experiment of some kind, and more than a few students seem all too eager to embrace their new abilities and use them to attack each other. If there’s a way for Nagara and his friends to return home, it may require all of them to abandon the morals they used to have.

The Case Study of Vanitas (2021)

Genre Animation, Mystery, Action & Adventure

Cast Natsuki Hanae, Kaito Ishikawa, Inori Minase

Created by Deko Akao

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In The Case Study of Vanitas, a vampire named Noé Archiviste is sent to find The Book of Vanitas, a powerful book of spells. Noé soon learns that the book is in the possession of a man calling himself Vanitas, who claims to be a doctor. More intriguingly, Vanitas says that the book could potentially cure every vampire in the world. However, the book’s dark power can also create cursed vampires who are even more vicious and bloodthirsty than ever before. Naturally, Noé is wary about his new companion. But can he afford not to trust him?

How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom (2021)

Genre Animation, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Cast Yusuke Kobayashi, Inori Minase, Ikumi Hasegawa

Created by Gō Zappa, Hiroshi Ōnogi

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How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom’s lead character, Kazuya Souma, may be the most unconventional anime hero in a long time. Kazuya was an ordinary student in Japan who was mystically transported to a fantasy-like world to be their hero in need. However, Kazuya’s skills don’t come from any warrior-like abilities. Instead, his grasp on economics, civil service, and even the philosophies of Machiavelli quickly place him on the throne of Elfrieden. From there, Kazuya’s influence continues to rise. But he is also forced to contend with an ever-growing roster of women to wed in order to consolidate his power.

Fruits Basket (2019)

Genre Comedy, Drama, Animation

Cast Manaka Iwami, Nobunaga Shimazaki, Yuma Uchida

Created by Natsuki Takaya

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The wildly popular Fruits Basket manga has received a reboot anime series that serves as a more faithful retelling of the original story. As before, the main character is Tohru Honda, a high school student who is orphaned by the tragic death of her parents. After arranging to live with her classmate Yuki Soma and the rest of the Soma family, Tohru discovers their secret. The Soma family is cursed to transform into the animals of the Chinese zodiac when they experience heightened emotional states. Even a hug from Tohru is enough to transform the men in the Soma family. Because she cares for them, Tohru decides to find a way to break the curse.

Black Clover (2017)

Genre Action & Adventure, Animation, Comedy

Cast Gakuto Kajiwara, Nobunaga Shimazaki, Kana Yuuki

Created by Kazuyuki Fudeyasu

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Imagine living in a world where everyone could effortlessly wield magic … except you. That’s the plight of a young boy named Asta in Black Clover. While both Asta and his fellow orphan, Yuno, were abandoned together, Yuno turns out to be a magical prodigy and naturally gifted in the mystic arts. Despite his lack of power, Asta is given a book of spells that helps him use “Anti-Magic” to repel almost any spell. For Asta, this means his dream of becoming the next Wizard King is still achievable. That’s also Yuno’s desire and goal, but he remains friendly with Asta despite their rivalry.

InuYasha (2000)

Genre Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Comedy

Cast Kappei Yamaguchi, Satsuki Yukino

Created by Rumiko Takahashi, Katsuyuki Sumisawa

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If you’re an old-school Toonami viewer, you probably know Inuyasha very well. Based on the popular manga series, Inuyasha introduces viewers to Kagome, a high school student in the present who has no time for myths and legends. At least not until Kagome finds herself stuck in Japan’s distant past alongside the half-demon warrior Inuyasha. Much to Kagome’s surprise, she finds that she has some measure of control over Inuyasha when he gets out of hand. But both of them are surprised when their quest to reclaim a shattered gem stirs romantic feelings in both of their hearts.

Bleach (2004)

Genre Action & Adventure, Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Cast Masakazu Morita, Fumiko Orikasa, Hiroki Yasumoto

Created by Masashi Sogo

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In Bleach, young Ichigo Kurosaki’s life has been touched by the supernatural for years. However, his ordinary existence comes to an end when the Soul Reaper, Rukia, transfers the vast majority of her powers to him. Now reborn as a Soul Reaper himself, Ichigo dedicates himself to protecting both the living and the dead from evil spirits. Of course, he can’t do it alone, especially when Rukia finds herself hunted by the Soul Society because of the way that she relinquished her abilities. Fortunately, Ichigo soon discovers he has new allies who can help carry his burden.

Devils' Line (2018)

Genre Animation, Action & Adventure

Cast Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, Yui Ishikawa, Ryohei Kimura

Created by Kenji Konuta, Ayumu Hisao

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There are demons and monsters among us, but they’re not all bad in Devils’ Line. For example, Yūki Anzai is a half-vampire/half-human hybrid who uses his powers to protect humanity as part of Division 5 of the Tokyo Police Department. But when he rescues a young woman, Tsukasa Taira, their mutual attraction sorely tempts Anzai to put the bite on her. It’s hard to control his darker urges when he has those feelings in his heart, but Tsukasa stands by Anzai even in the face of adversity. Yet that’s far from their only problem as demonic attacks escalate around them.

High School of the Dead (2010)

Genre Animation, Action & Adventure

Cast Junichi Suwabe, Eri Kitamura, Nobuyuki Hiyama, Hitomi Harada, Miyuki Sawashiro

Created by Yōsuke Kuroda

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Imagine if The Walking Dead took place in Japan, and the primary survivors were students and teachers from a high school. That’s essentially the premise of High School of the Dead. The series follows Fujimi High School student Takashi Komuro at a moment when he and his childhood friend, Rei Miyamoto, have a very strained relationship. When the zombie apocalypse breaks out, Takashi and Rei are thrust back together alongside some of their fellow students and instructors. Who can they really trust in this dark new world? Everyone will have to make moral compromises to survive, even Takashi and Rei.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (2019)

Genre Animation, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Cast Natsuki Hanae, Akari Kito, Hiro Shimono

Created by Ufotable

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Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is so huge right now that the anime movie that came out in 2020 recently beat the Mortal Kombat reboot and topped the U.S. box office. The anime series of the same name is also incredibly popular all over the world. It takes place in Japan’s distant history, as a teenager named Tanjiro loses his family to a demon attack. Tanjiro’s younger sister, Nezuko, is the only survivor, but unfortunately, she is transformed into a demon by the experience. To avenge his family and save his sister’s soul, Tanjiro undertakes a quest to become a demon slayer.

MEGALOBOX (2018)

Genre Animation, Action & Adventure, Drama

Cast Yoshimasa Hosoya, Hiroki Yasumoto, Michiyo Murase

Created by Katsuhiko Manabe, Kensaku Kojima

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In the future, boxing has been spruced up a bit for the next generation. In Megalobox, the sweet science now includes fighters who battle with exoskeletons that enhance their strength. But that’s not enough for Junk Dog, aka Joe. He’s an underground fighter in scripted matches who wants to break into the real Megalobox competitions. After getting a chance to fight the Megalobox champion, Yuri, Joe is forced to start at the bottom and work his way back up to earn the right for a rematch. It’s not an easy road, even with technological enhancements. That’s why it’s going to take heart and determination for Joe to make his way to the top.

Rurouni Kenshin (1996)

Genre Action & Adventure, Animation, Comedy

Cast Mayo Suzukaze, Miki Fujitani, Mina Tominaga

Created by Aniplex

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What would you do to escape your darkest sins and find redemption? For the lead character of Rurouni Kenshin, it meant leaving behind his life as an assassin and becoming a wanderer. Kenshin Himura is seemingly only remarkable by the scar on his face, but his fighting skills reveal the past that he has tried so hard to forget. With the encouragement of Kaoru Kamiya, Kenshin reinvents himself as a defender of the people who strives to move beyond his formerly wicked ways. But there’s always someone threatening his newfound peace, and Kenshin never walks away from a fight that matters.

Yu Yu Hakusho (1992)

Genre Animation, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Cast Nozomu Sasaki, Shigeru Chiba, Megumi Ogata

Created by Studio Pierrot

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At the start of Yu Yu Hakusho, the leading character, Yusuke, is anything but a hero. Instead, he’s a teenage narcissist who seemingly only cares for himself. And yet Yusuke surprises everyone, including himself, by sacrificing his life to prevent a young boy from being killed by an oncoming car. The powers that be in the afterlife are suitably impressed, and they allow Yusuke to come back to life as a Spirit Detective. Even Yusuke’s former rival, Kuwabara, becomes a part of his new life as they are drawn into the ongoing battle between monsters, demons, and humans for control of reality.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009)

Genre Action & Adventure, Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Cast Romi Park, Rie Kugimiya, Shin-ichiro Miki

Created by Hiroshi Ōnogi

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Technically, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is not a reboot of the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist series. Instead, it’s simply a more faithful adaptation of Hiromu Arakawa’s original manga. In an alternate steampunk universe, Edward and his brother, Alphonse Elric, pay a heavy price when they try to resurrect their mother with alchemy. Edward loses an arm and a leg, while Al’s spirit is stuck in a suit of armor. Instead of giving up, Edward becomes a Fullmetal Alchemist and teams up with his brother on a quest to restore their bodies before facing a conspiracy that has links to their long-missing father.

Afro Samurai (2007)

Genre Animation, Action & Adventure

Cast Samuel L. Jackson, Phil LaMarr, Yuri Lowenthal

Created by Yasuyuki Mutō, Tomohiro Yamashita

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Afro Samurai wasn’t created for Samuel L. Jackson, but the versatile actor was drawn to the adaptation of Takashi Okazaki’s manga series. Jackson also voiced Afro, a lone warrior in a feudal future. When Afro was a child, a man called Justice killed Afro’s father and claimed the Number One Headband, an object said to bestow godlike powers on its wearer. As an adult, Afro alienates his childhood friend, Jinno, and claims the Number Two Headband so he can challenge his father’s murderer. However, the holder of the Number Two Headband constantly has to defend his trophy, and Afro has several battles to fight before he can come face to face with Justice.

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? (2015)

Genre Animation, Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action & Adventure

Cast Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, Inori Minase, Maaya Uchida

Created by Hideki Tachibana

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To answer the question posed by the title, yes, it probably is. But Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? wouldn’t be as much fun if it didn’t riff on its silly title. In this show, a 14-year-old boy, Bell Cranel, craves adventure and hopes to find a girlfriend by saving her from a monster. Instead, Bell’s life is saved by Aiz Wallenstein, a young woman whose fighting skills far exceed his own. After Bell falls hard for Aiz, he experiences a rapid increase in his abilities and gains a comically large group of female admirers … including the goddess Hestia.

Overlord (2015)

Genre Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action & Adventure

Cast Satoshi Hino, Yumi Hara, Sumire Uesaka

Created by Yukie Sugawara

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In the future of Overlord, an immersive virtual game is about to be permanently taken offline. However, Momonga, a player who has dedicated over a decade of his life to the game, refuses to log off as the servers go dark. Much to Momonga’s surprise, the game lives on even after it is shut down. But he remains trapped in his avatar form, while the nonplayer characters develop personalities and desires of their own. As the last true human in the game, Momonga wields incredible power. Regardless, Momonga’s intentions are sometimes misinterpreted by his new subjects as he sets out to learn more about his new home.

Fire Force (2019)

Genre Animation, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Comedy

Cast Gakuto Kajiwara, Yusuke Kobayashi, Saeko Kamijo

Created by Atsushi Ōkubo

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Fire Force‘s opening is literally explosive. When a man bursts into flames in a train car — transformed into what have become known as infernals, living and walking infernos — Tokyo’s Special Fire Force 8 isn’t far behind. The elite team is composed of pyrokinetics with the power to control flame with their minds, and they’re the only defense Tokyo has against this new rash of disastrous fires. We soon learn this fiery phenomenon isn’t a one-time deal. People are being turned into infernals all over the place. Fire Force follows the attempts of Special Fire Force 8 to find out what’s behind the secret of the infernals while also dealing with tensions sparked by the arrival of the new team member Shinra (Gakuto Kajiwara).

The Promised Neverland (2019)

Genre Animation, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Drama

Cast Sumire Morohoshi, Mariya Ise, Lynn

Created by Toshiya Ono, Kaiu Shirai

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In The Promised Neverland, an orphaned girl named Emma lives with her friends, Norman and Ray, as well as many other orphans in Grace Field House. While awaiting adoption, their lives are blissfully carefree under the guidance of “Mom.” At least until Emma discovers the truth: Grace Field House isn’t an orphanage, it’s a farm … and the kids are the cattle! To escape their grim fate, Emma has to lead the children to safety even if it means venturing into an outside world even more dangerous than the one they want to leave behind.

Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World (2020)

Genre Animation, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, War & Politics

Cast Yusuke Kobayashi, Sora Amamiya, Kaori Ishihara

Created by Kento Shimoyama

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It wouldn’t be inaccurate to say that Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World has some elements of Romeo and Juliet in it … mixed in with some amazing fantasy. In this alternate world, the Heavenly Empire uses advanced technology in its seemingly endless war with the magicians of the Nebulis Sovereignty. Two warriors on each side, Iska and Aliceliese, meet each other in battle before realizing they share a common goal: To end the war. They may also share their hearts with each other, if they can move past their differences.

Akudama Drive (2020)

Genre Animation, Mystery, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Crime

Cast Tomoyo Kurosawa, Yuuichirou Umehara, Shunsuke Takeuchi

Created by Pierrot, Too Kyo Games

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Akudama Drive is kind of like The Suicide Squad meets cyberpunk. A young woman is dragged into the dangerous world of a group of criminals called the Akudama simply because she is in the wrong place at the wrong time. To save herself, she takes on the persona of Swindler and joins the Akudama as they take on a high stakes heist that puts all of their lives on the line. The rewards are high, but Swindler and her new teammates soon realize that their lives are expendable, and their chances for survival are rapidly dwindling.

Cop Craft (2019)

Genre Animation, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Cast Kenjiro Tsuda, Mayu Yoshioka, Satoshi Tsuruoka

Created by Shoji Gatoh, Range Murata

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As the name implies, Cop Craft mixes the genres of police procedural with fantasy and magic. In the backstory of the series, Earth was linked to a world where elves, fairies, and all kinds of magical beings lived. Now that the two realms are linked, Detective Sergeant Kai Matoba is partnered with a young girl, Tilarna Exedilica, who is a knight charged with finding a kidnapped fairy. Essentially, the series is a buddy comedy that teaches Kai to be more tolerant toward the magical creatures, while Tilarna has “fish out of water” culture shock moments as she adjusts to life on Earth.

One Piece (1999)

Genre Action & Adventure, Comedy, Animation

Cast Mayumi Tanaka, Kazuya Nakai, Akemi Okamura

Created by Junki Takegami

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How big is One Piece? The animated adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s manga series began in 1999 … and it’s still going with more than 900 episodes produced to date. Not even The Simpsons can match that episode total! The show follows the ongoing tales of Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirates as they go from one thrilling adventure to the next. The search is on for the “One Piece,” the world’s ultimate treasure that could allow whoever finds it to become the new Pirate King. Monkey’s elastic body gives him an edge, but the Straw Hat Pirates have a lot of competition in the search for this prize.

Corpse Princess (2008)

Genre Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Animation, Action & Adventure

Cast Chise Nakamura, Keiji Fujiwara, Nana Akiyama

Created by Yoshiichi Akahito

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It’s hard not to be reminded of Buffy the Vampire Slayer when watching Corpse Princess. There are some similarities between Yoshiichi Akahito’s manga-turned-anime series and Joss Whedon’s magnum opus. But Corpse Princess largely goes its own way as it chronicles the story of Makina Hoshimura, a teenage girl raised after her death to become an undead warrior. To earn her way into Heaven and avenge her family, Makina has to hunt down and destroy other undead people and monsters. And unlike Buffy Summers, Makina doesn’t shy away from bringing big guns to a knife fight … or any other kind of battle.

My Hero Academia (2016)

Genre Action & Adventure, Animation

Cast Daiki Yamashita, Justin Briner, Nobuhiko Okamoto

Created by Kōhei Horikoshi

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Marvel and DC have a stranglehold over superheroes in comic-book stores and movie theaters. However, there’s a generation of manga and anime fans who have a superhero epic of their own: My Hero Academia. The anime is based on Kōhei Horikoshi’s wildly popular manga series about a high school that serves as a training ground for the next generation of heroes. The anime series follows Izuku Midoriya, a teenager born without a power or quirk of his own. But a chance encounter with the world’s greatest superhero gives Izuku the chance to become a hero in his own right. The supporting cast is also a rich assortment of eclectic heroes with wild and inventive powers. All five seasons are available on Hulu now.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (2012)

Genre Animation, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Cast Kensho Ono, Kohsuke Toriumi, Junya Enoki

Created by Hirohiko Araki

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It took two attempts for the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure manga to break out as an anime, but the wildly successful revival series has become a genuine hit. The current show chronicles the adventures of the Joestar family from the 19th century to the present. Each generation has its “JoJo,” with Jonathan Joestar being the first. Jonathan’s conflict with the seemingly immortal vampire, Dio, spans decades. And it falls to Jonathan’s grandson, Jotaro Kujo, to finish the fight alongside a band of misfits who wield superpowers called “Stands.”

Cowboy Bebop (1998)

Genre Action & Adventure, Animation, Crime, Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Cast Koichi Yamadera, Unsho Ishizuka, Megumi Hayashibara

Created by Hajime Yatate

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Netflix may have the upcoming live-action series, but Hulu has the original Cowboy Bebop. More than two decades after its initial debut, Cowboy Bebop remains a fan favorite thanks to its stylish mix of sci-fi, westerns, and noir. In the future, an unlikely group of bounty hunters makes their way among the interstellar colonies. However, the past is often present for Spike, Jet, Faye, Ed, and Ein. Cowboy Bebop only ran for 26 episodes, but the series’ fascinating journey and memorable ending still resonate to this day.

One-Punch Man (2015)

Genre Action & Adventure, Animation, Comedy

Cast Kazuhiro Yamaji, Yuichi Nakamura, Kenjiro Tsuda

Created by ONE

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Meet Saitama, the most powerful superhero in the world. Despite his slight physique, Saitama can defeat any foe as long as he can land a single punch. But that’s a big problem for the star of One-Punch Man. Saitama craves a challenge that he can never truly find, which leads to some very funny moments. The superheroes of this world simply can’t compare to Saitama, and they have a hard time believing that he is truly as humble as he appears. One-Punch Man is one of a kind, and it’s easily among the most memorable series of the past decade.

Attack on Titan (2013)

Genre Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Animation, Action & Adventure

Cast Yuki Kaji, Yui Ishikawa, Marina Inoue

Created by Hajime Isayama

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It’s fitting that one of the biggest anime series in the world is all about evil giants and the people who fight them. Attack on Titan takes place in a dark future where the remnants of humanity are hunted by Titans, giant human-like creatures who devour anyone unfortunate enough to get in their way. Even the large walls surrounding the cities can’t keep the giants from their prey for long, however. A teenager named Eren Yeager discovers that the hard way, and he becomes a Titan himself during his quest for revenge.

Tokyo Ghoul (2014)

Genre Action & Adventure, Animation, Drama, Mystery

Cast Natsuki Hanae, Sora Amamiya, Shintaro Asanuma

Created by Sui Ishida, Pierrot

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Horror and sci-fi collide in Tokyo Ghoul, as a young man named Ken Kaneki finds his life irrevocably changed by a bad date. His date, a ghoul, nearly devours him in the first episode, leaving him to become a human-ghoul hybrid who has to learn how to reconcile his new life while maintaining his ties to his normal friends. Along the way, he may even become a hero as well.

Naruto Shippūden (2007)

Genre Animation, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Cast Junko Takeuchi, Chie Nakamura, Noriaki Sugiyama

Created by Masashi Kishimoto

watch on Hulu

There are four different Naruto-related anime series on Hulu, but the best one is Naruto Shippuden. It’s the first sequel series, and it takes place more than two years after the original show as Naruto Uzumaki returns to his village for the next stage of his quest to become the Hokage (leader) of his village, Konohagakure. But first, Naruto will need to reconnect with his friends and rededicate himself to his training before facing his destiny.

Ergo Proxy (2006)

Genre Animation, Action & Adventure, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Crime, Drama

Cast Rie Saitou, Koji Yusa, Akiko Yajima

Created by Dai Sato, Manglobe

watch on Hulu

Although Ergo Proxy lasted only a single season, it made quite an impression thanks to its stunning visuals and its occasionally confounding philosophical stories. It takes place in a future where humans and androids live side by side in peace, until a virus gives the androids self-awareness and a desire to kill. Inspector Re-L Mayer soon discovers that another species called Proxy may hold the secrets that will decide the fate of humanity and androids alike.

Ranma ½ (1989)

Genre Comedy, Action & Adventure, Animation

Cast Kappei Yamaguchi, Megumi Hayashibara, Noriko Hidaka

Created by Rumiko Takahashi

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Ranma Saotome is a perfectly normal martial artist and teenage boy … except when he’s a girl. That’s the curse at the heart of Ranma 1/2, one of the first anime series to break out in the U.S. Before the events of the show, Ranma and his father, Genma, fell into a cursed spring. Subsequently, they transform into a girl and a panda, respectively, any time they are exposed to cold water. Naturally, that complicates Ranma’s betrothal to Akane, a fellow martial artist. But it also ensures a lot of laughs in this comedy series.

Outlaw Star (1998)

Genre Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Animation, Comedy, Drama

Cast Ayako Kawasumi, Sayuri, Rica Matsumoto

Created by Hajime Yatate, Takehiko Itō

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Fans of Joss Whedon’s TV series, Firefly, may notice several familiar elements in the space western, Outlaw Star. However, the anime and the manga that inspired it pre-date Firefly by a few years. Within this series, Gene Starwind and the motley crew of the Outlaw Star take on odd jobs to keep their ship in working order. They also search the cosmos for a galactic treasure as Gene develops romantic feelings for Melfina, an advanced bio-android. Only 26 episodes were produced, but that also allowed Outlaw Star to reach a satisfying conclusion.

Space Dandy (2014)

Genre Animation, Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action & Adventure

Cast Junichi Suwabe, Uki Satake, Hiroyuki Yoshino

Created by Bones

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Space Dandy is a weird show, but in a good way! The series follows a guy named Dandy, or as the show calls him, “a dandy guy in space.” He travels the universe with a robot named QT and the cat-like being known as Meow. This is a sci-fi comedy with only the loosest possible interpretation of continuity between each episode. That’s why Dandy and his friends can meet darkly hilarious ends and return in the next episode completely healed and intact. Trust us, it’s a blast.

Death Note (2006)

Genre Animation, Mystery

Cast Mamoru Miyano, Noriko Hidaka, Nozomu Sasaki

Created by Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata

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Imagine holding the power of life and death in your hands. It’s not a hypothetical situation in Death Note, a series in which high-school student Light Yagami comes into possession of the Death Note, a book that allows Light to kill anyone whose name is written in it. Light quickly develops a God complex as he takes credit for killing “bad people” while using his alter ego, Kira. That leads to a delicious game of cat and mouse between Light and the enigmatic investigator known as L. But when the Death Note is in play, very few will make it out alive.

Heroic Age (2007)

Genre Animation

Cast Takashi Matsuyama, Kaori Shimizu, Satomi Arai

Created by Tow Ubukata

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Do you want some fantasy mixed in with your space mecha adventures? Heroic Age blends elements of Greek mythology with a futuristic universe where humanity has been forced to scatter for its own survival. Dangerous alien races (or “tribes”) want to exterminate the remaining humans. But Princess Dhianeila and the starship Argonaut may have found humanity’s savior: A young man named Age. When pressed into battle, Age can transform into a mech-like giant called Bellcross. However, bringing the intergalactic conflict to a close is easier said than done. Age and Dhianeila face several trials together before their story reaches its natural conclusion.

TRIGUN (1998)

Genre Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Animation

Cast Masaya Onosaka, Hiromi Tsuru, Satsuki Yukino

Created by Yasuhiro Nightow

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In the Trigun anime, Vash the Stampede may be the deadliest man in the galaxy, and the best gunslinger as well. He also happens to be an upbeat pacifist who just can’t seem to stop leaving chaos and destruction in his wake. This series struck a chord with American viewers for its deft blend of action and comedy, while Vash’s story revealed hidden chapters of his past. Regardless of what he may or may not have done before the series, Vash is a fan-favorite anime icon, and his adventures in Trigun have made this series an enduring hit.

Samurai Champloo (2004)

Genre Action & Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Drama

Cast Kazuya Nakai, Ginpei Sato, Steve Blum, Kirk Thornton

Created by Manglobef

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Samurai Champloo is a wild mixture of comedy and martial arts action that utilizes real events from Japanese history while integrating them with modern culture and even hip-hop music. That’s a combination that doesn’t make much sense, but somehow, it just works. The trio at the heart of the show are a young woman named Fuu, and her two reluctant companions: Mugen and Jin. After saving the two warriors from execution, Fuu recruits them for her personal mission to track down an enigmatic samurai who is very important to her.

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Rurouni Kenshin (1996)

Yu Yu Hakusho (1992)

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009)

Afro Samurai (2007)

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? (2015)

Overlord (2015)

Fire Force (2019)

The Promised Neverland (2019)

Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World (2020)

Akudama Drive (2020)

Cop Craft (2019)

One Piece (1999)

Corpse Princess (2008)

My Hero Academia (2016)

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (2012)

Cowboy Bebop (1998)

One-Punch Man (2015)

Attack on Titan (2013)

Tokyo Ghoul (2014)

Naruto Shippūden (2007)

Ergo Proxy (2006)

Ranma ½ (1989)

Outlaw Star (1998)

Space Dandy (2014)

Death Note (2006)

Heroic Age (2007)

TRIGUN (1998)

Samurai Champloo (2004)

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