Netflix is a goldmine of anime right now
If you're searching for more Japanese animation, you need only dig up the proverbial goldmine that is Netflix. Kick start your journey with our pick of the platform's best anime here.

AT THE BEGINNING of the streaming era, those inclined towards watching anime had to make do with DVD box sets (once they got going at least), or a subscription to services like Crunchyroll to get their fix of the storied Japanese art form. Even today, a lot of major franchises, along with the kind of animes only really enjoyed by hardcore fans, are locked away on specialist streaming platforms.
But with companies like Studio Ghibli still a tour de force of critical acclaim and numerous anime franchises hitting the mainstream by way of either reboots or live-action adaptations, wider interest in Japanese animation has never been higher than it is right now.
Netflix is to thank for a lot of this, having invested considerable sums into both original anime projects and anime spin-offs of successful franchises. And while the world’s most popular streaming service was once considered an anime wasteland, it now boasts some of the best series and movies around. Here are our favourites (note: for the sake of brevity, we’re leaving out the full Studio Ghibli library, which is available on Netflix and, needless to say, is essential viewing).
The best anime shows on Netflix right now
Pluto

One of the most acclaimed anime released in recent years, Pluto is a must-watch for lovers of dystopian drama and murder mysteries. Based on an Astro Boy story arc and set in a world where humans and robots coexist in an uneasy peace, it focuses on an android detective trying to solve a mounting list of deaths among prominent robots and humans.
Castlevania

While The Last of Us proved that video games could actually make for good prestige TV, the title of the first properly good video game adaptation ever made should rightfully go to Castlevania, which takes the popular ‘80s platforme and turns it into a luscious, deliciously delicious vampire anime.
Blue Eye Samurai

Before people start coming for us in the comments, let’s get the obvious out of the way: Blue Eye Samurai is not strictly an anime. It’s actually made in France. But the show’s utterly gorgeous art style and gripping story of Edo-era revenge will firmly scratch the itch for Japanophiles who love both the nation’s history and animation style. As a bonus, with its stellar voice cast, it’s one of the few animations around that’s as good in English as it is Japanese.
Baki Hanma

Boyhood lovers of the bulging muscles and ridiculous fights of Dragon Ball Z will find a new spiritual home in Baki, which tells a similar battle-based story with characters and combat as over-the-top as that of any anime you’ve likely ever seen.
Death Note

You’ve likely already heard of Death Note—not just because it was the anime every outcast was obsessed with in high school, but because in reality it was the first Anime in what felt like forever to cross properly into the mainstream at the time. A dark high school drama that focuses on a kid who gets access to a notebook through which he can end any life he chooses, it remains one of the most iconic anime of its era, and widely considered a must-watch for fans of the medium.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

While it took a good couple of years for long-awaited video game Cyberpunk 2077 to eventually become a playable game, for many Edgerunners, a near-flawless anime spin-off starring voice talent including Giancarlo Esposito was a much-needed salve in the meantime, expanding on the rich dystopian world of the game while also providing an accessible entry point for non-gamers.
One Piece

There’s an argument to be made that One Piece is one of the greatest stories ever told – anime or otherwise. Based on a sprawling manga that’s now been going for approaching three decades, the adventures of Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirate crew through one of the richest fictional worlds ever imagined still proves captivating – even if the anime’s now insane length will undeniably scare some people off. Silver lining: there’s now a live-action adaptation which, surprisingly, is meant to be pretty good.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

Jojo, based on a long-running manga series that’s divided into nine arcs with different characters from the same family bearing the Jojo moniker, might be one of the most eclectic anthologies ever written, with each individual story arc forming a new series and telling a near-unrelated story from the previous. Even so, Jojo’s impeccable art style, derived from the original manga work of Hirohiko Araki, along with its irreverent stories, make it a must-watch.
Cowboy Bebop

The long-awaited live-action adaptation was sadly a dud, but neo-noir space western and Adult Swim icon Cowboy Bepop remains one of the most iconic anime of the turn of the millennium, holding up just as well today as it did back when you were likely in school. In a bonus for newcomers, its english dub, widely regarded as a cornerstone moment in re-introducing western audiences to anime, is one of the best ever made.
Hajime no Ippo

An anime that delivers show-stopping fights but grounds itself with a story rooted in real-world sport, boxing anime/manga Hajime no Ippo is one of Japan’s most beloved sports stories, the comics having sold over 100 million copies in its 25 years in production. Likewise, the anime, which aired for just a couple of years in the early noughties, is considered a classic of its genre.
Arcane

Another not-quite-an-anime hailing from France, Arcane is one of the most white-hot success stories Netflix has ever had, taking a story set in the admittedly quite nerdy universe of PC game League of Legends and turning it into one of the best video game adaptations ever made. Having topped the Netflix top 10 in 25 countries upon its release, rest assured that you don’t need to have ever played the game to enjoy its visual splendour and worldbuilding.
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