The 10 Best Anime To Watch On Netflix

Netflix is just about unavoidable these days. The site has come a long way from being a simple DVD repository as it now streams films to over 150 countries. With its own original series on hand, millions of users flock to Netflix each day to get their binge fix, but there is one genre on the site which fans may not know too well.

After all, if you dig a little, you will find that Netflix has a wide selection of anime in its catalogy. However, for anyone unfamiliar with the medium, they may not know where to start marathoning.

Here at ComicBook, we’ve laid out our how-to guide for anime binging on Netflix. The following slides contain a slew of different titles which will surely appeal to your interests. If you are into post-apocalyptic action, Attack on Titan is right down your bleak alley. But, if it is a rom-com you seek, then Ouran High School Host Club is guaranteed to make you go aww.

So, which anime series would you recommend to others for a Netflix binge? Hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to let me know and talk all things comics, k-pop, and anime!

Little Witch Academia

It is hard to hate magical girls, and that goes doubly so when those heroines are low-key adorable. Studio Trigger knew that would be how most audiences felt when it came up with Little Witch Academia, but the cute series does pack a surprisingly heavy punch at times.

The show tells the story of Akko, a young girl who dreams of becoming a witch. However, thanks to her non-magical background, Akko has a hard time getting into any school of magic. That all changes when she stumbles upon an artifact once owned by her favorite witch, but Akko quickly learns having magical powers isn’t as easy as she thought it would be.

Kill la Kill

Kill la Kill is what you might call a visual feast; If it is not, then it should be. The show was produced by Studio Trigger, one of Japan’s leading animation firms. The series is just as vibrant as it is violent, and its action-packed episodes will have you coming back for more.

The anime follows a girl named Ryuko Matoi as she searches for information about her father’s strange death. Her journey leads her to a school that is run by a student council whose uniforms give them superpowers. Armed with a special uniform of her own and some weaponized scissors, Ryuko beats down anyone who gets in the way as she looks for sought-after answers.

Your Lie In April

If you are looking for a slice-of-life story that will leave you in tear, Your Lie In April was made for you. You don’t need to look any further for a show to watch; You just need to grab plenty of tissues and a bar of chocolate.

The series may be framed as a simple romance, but it winds up being anything but. Your Lie In April follows a boy named Arima Kousei, a rising pianist whose career nosedived after a traumatic childhood event. Unable to hear himself play any longer, Arima gives up on music until he meets an eccentric violinist named Kaori Miyazono who reminds him what real music really sounds like.

Rurouni Kenshin

Rurouni Kenshin may have some years under its belt but do not let that fool you. The anime is considered to be one of the medium’s most important titles, and its classic status was not given without reason.

The anime showcases the winding journey a man named Himura takes towards redemption. The gentle protagonist appears to be the definition of pacifism, and he hesitates to take a life under any circumstance. Fans quickly learn about Himura’s past as a deadly assassin and how it weights on him, pushing the swordsman towards a path of atonement. However, his vow of peace is threatened when his new life is upturned by former enemies, and he must decide if he’s willing to kill again to save those he has come to love.

One Punch Man

The superhero genre of any medium is booming these days thanks to Marvel and DC, but anime has its own spin on the trope. One Punch Man is the perfect action-parody for you Superman lovers, and its hero may make you cheat on your Avengers bias.

The anime is a rowdy one that tells the story of Saitama. The bald hero is the most powerful hero to ever exist, and that is no exaggeration; One Punch Man can take out any opponent with a single punch, but that isn’t as nice as you would think. Bored of fighting, Saitama dreams of the day he will find a villain who can actually challenge him. But, until that happens, Saitama must suffice with swatting mosquitos and training a new league of superheroes.

Devilman Crybaby

To start, Devilman Crybaby is not an easy watch. If you get queasy at the thought of gore and sex, this is not the series for you. However, if you can handle some risque arthouse imagery, then this series will leave you feeling satisfied if not a bit empty by its end.

Devilman Crybaby is based on a titular manga from the ’70s and updates it for a new era. It tells the story of Akira, a high school student who is very empathetic and lives his life as a wallflower. When his friend Ryo pays a visit, Akira learns demons have invaded the Earth in secret, and a series of events lead him to become a half-human, half-demon hybrid who can save the world. But, as Akira comes to learn, there is more grey between his humanity and his demonhood than he thought possible.

Gurren Lagann

If you ask anime fans what their number one series is, a lot will say Gurren Lagann. The show may not have the popularity of Attack on Titan or the length of One Piece, but its magnetic storyline has made it a bonafide classic.

Gurren Lagann tells a lot of stories, but its main one goes like this:

In a futuristic world, mankind has been forced underground to live in subterranean villages because of Earth’s tyrannical ruler. A boy named Simon, who is mocked for his dreams of going topside, stumbles upon a strange mecha in his village while digging around. It does not take long for his home to come under attack afterwards, and when Simon finally powers up the machine, he finds himself on the surface world. However, the boy comes to find everything he thought about the world above him was nothing but a lie.

Ouran High School Host Club

If you want to watch a feel-good anime with lots of jokes and even more sarcasm, then Ouran High School Host Club is here to serve you. The series is back on Netflix these days, and you only have to watch a couple episodes to see why that fact is worth celebrating.

The anime follows a young girl named Haruhi, a scholarship student attending a prestigious (and very expensive) high school. Her life is a normal one until she stumbles across her school’s over-the-top Host Club, a group of rich male students who entertain their female classmates for cash. Haruhi’s boyish looks confuse the gang into thinking she’s one of them, and the heroine finds herself conscripted to the Host Club when she winds up breaking some of their outrageously priced props.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

When it comes to shonen, many of its top anime series go on for ages. Titles like One Piece and Dragon Ball go on forever, but Fullmetal Alchemist is not like them. The fantastical show is just a fraction of the length, but it still keeps all of that clout.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is a reboot of the series’ original anime, and it has become a critical darling. The show follows two brothers named Edward and Alphonse Elric as they train to become State Alchemists. The boys, who were permanently crippled in a transmutation accident as kids, want to become State Alchemists so they can find a mysterious artifact known as the Philosopher’s Stone. However, once the brothers come closer to their goal, they realize the Philosopher’s Stone is just one puzzle piece they need to find as their journey moves forward.

Attack on Titan

Attack on Titan is one of the anime industry’s top titles right now, and that is by no mistake. The fast-paced series is as stark as it is gory, and shows like The Walking Dead wish they could compete with its bone-chilling deaths.

The series is set in a post-apocalyptic world where humanity has been brought to its knees by man-eating titans. Survivors have walled themselves in from the beasts, leaving children like Eren Jaeger to group up in relative comfort. However, when a never-before-seen titan manages to breach humanity’s walls, Eren and his friends are given a grim reminder about the real world. And, as those kids grow up and join the military, they strive to bring an end to those titans who would see them become a snack.