Netflix has become renowned for its hold over anime in recent years, famously edging out even Crunchyroll in terms of market share. April 2025 just saw Netflix pick up several major anime for streaming, bolstering its already sizable collection. The streaming giant is host to a slew of originals interspersed with true anime classics like Hunter x Hunter and Monster. It can be overwhelming, sure—but it doesn’t have to be.
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May is a weird month for many: students find themselves in the middle of final exams, while those with careers and families are trying to squeeze all the juice out of the outside world before June’s swelters kick in. Summer may well be perfect for cozying up in front of a full-blast A/C for hours of shameless indulgence. For May, though, the bite-size series on our Netflix anime binge list can scratch your anime itch with satisfying watches that don’t demand too much of your time or energy.
1) The Disastrous Life of Saiki K
The Disastrous Life of Saiki K is a charming gag comic based around the life of a young psychic named, well, Saiki K. Saiki’s absurd powers play off the slice-of-life setting for deadpan comedy where he’s more often burdened by his powers than not—think One-Punch Man. A slow but steady narrative arrangement gives a coherent foundation to the series, but it plays out as a series of short vignettes.
Saiki is long-running, but its structure makes it ideal for popping in and out. It’s all at once perfectly suited for hours-long uninterrupted binges, intermittent marathons, and an episode here and there. Straight-faced sci-fi hilarity is the name of the game from start to finish, accented with moments of heartwarming sincerity and eerie suspense acted out by the ensemble of memorable characters it assembles.
2) Edens Zero
Edens Zero is a fun, fairly short romp from Hiro Mashima, the mind behind Fairy Tail. It’ll resonate with fans of Fairy Tail thematically, but its setting and mechanics are very different. Edens Zero is a work of science fantasy based around Shiki Granbell, a young boy who embarks on a space-faring mission aboard the eponymous Edens Zero on a grand adventure to locate the mythological cosmic goddess Mother.
The resemblance to Fairy Tail can lean toward the uncanny valley, considering that Edens Zero‘s content can lean much darker—but as a fellow J.C.Staff production written by the same mangaka, that’s also unsurprising. There’s an undeniable shonen anime charm, especially for lovers of Fairy Tail, Seven Deadly Sins, and the like to binge on Netflix. In terms of adaptation pacing, the anime is just about at the halfway mark of the manga; for right now, fans are awaiting Edens Zero‘s third season, but at only 50 episodes, it makes for an easy catch-up.
3) Blue Period
We’ve tried to keep things lighter on this list, but we also have to include a pick for the heavy hearts out there. Blue Period is a drama centered on a high-school boy named Yatora Yaguchi who discovers a new passion, which is fortunately also a new talent: painting. After discovering the art world, he becomes set on attending a prestigious (read: extremely selective) art school; as such, the series follows him as he tries to reach the top of his newfound craft.
The series isn’t just profound. It’s also deeply resonant with people who are maybe uncertain of the path they find themselves following. It’s a beautiful story about human connection in every sense: a connection between humans, but also human connections to the world and the big ideas we find ourselves confronted by: religion, gender norms, social conformity, and more. The premise might sound ordinary; Blue Period‘s execution is anything but.
4) Hi Score Girl
Hi Score Girl is a lovable series for a certain kind of person. On its surface, it’s a romantic comedy about two classmates—a brash boy (Haruo Yaguchi) and an introverted girl (Akira Ono)—whose paths cross at a 1991 arcade. The adolescence-spanning anime shows their blossoming relationship. Another love is in the air, too, in Hi Score Girl: one for the gaming culture of the 1990s. The series has been endlessly lauded for its faithful depictions of ’90s gaming software and hardware.
It may be a surprise to see a “gamer story” written as a childhood romance since the latter isn’t registered as masculine like the former. Given one foundation of the series is how out-of-place the nascent gamer culture finds Ono, there’s redemption in Hi Score Girl‘s presentation of saccharine romance and feminine presence, reminding viewers they were always a part of it. Cheesy, simple, and short, Hi Score Girl is a wonderful anime that deserves more attention.
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5) Sakamoto Days
Sakamoto Days was one of 2025’s most anticipated anime to hit Netflix so far, and for good reason. The premise is simple enough: once a legendary hitman, Taro Sakamoto has since transitioned into a quiet family life—but just when he thought he was out, they pull him back in. Having to keep up the image of a family man while protecting his family and friends from the ghosts of his past, Sakamoto Days is an incredible and thrilling watch.
It’s made all the better by a thoroughly competent adaptation from industry veterans TMS Entertainment (Lupin the Third, Detective Conan, Dr. Stone). Sakamoto Days lure you in with a vibe reminding you of Spy x Family before it piles on the action as the series progresses to become a beast all its own. With only 11 episodes so far, you can knock it out in no time and be caught up for season 2 of Sakamoto Days in July 2025.
6) Delicious in Dungeon
Delicious in Dungeon (often called by its Japanese title, Dungeon Meshi) adapts Ryoko Kui’s manga, where a dungeon exploration party, seeking to revive a teammate consumed by a dragon deep within, cook and eat the monsters they kill. The concept is simple, but it’s apparently a recipe for success: its manga sold like hotcakes—a feat followed up by its 2024 anime adaptation, recipient of a cool 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and an 8.6/10 on MyAnimeList.
It’s no surprise, either, since Studio Trigger (Kill la Kill, Little Witch Academia) has garnered a reputation for bold, high-quality works of animation; Delicious in Dungeon is no exception. In fact, it’s as memorable as all their other works, with their trademark blend of action, comedy, and fantasy. We’ll take things even further: the manga’s claustrophobically punchy yet elaborate storytelling makes it an incredibly smart fit for the studio’s style.
At 24 episodes, it’s somewhere between an appetizer and an entrée—give it a taste and you’ll be hungry for season 2 before you know it.
7) Dandadan
Netflix made waves with one of 2024’s hottest anime, Dandadan. It’s a killer adaptation of Yukinobu Tatsu’s beloved Shonen Jump manga. Dandadan‘s premise blends the supernatural with the extraterrestrial, following Momo Ayase (who unexpectedly becomes a psychic after an alien abduction) and her friend Okarun (who unexpectedly is possessed by a spirit) through a shifting terrain of bizarre objectives.
Merging classic anime action with its signature splashes of comedy and romance, Dandadan is a brilliant work whose hype precedes it for very good reason. Its anime realization by Science Saru (Devilman Crybaby, Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!) is beautiful. Best of all, it’s still early into adaptation—so like Sakamoto Days, you can get caught up in a matter of hours: a perfect position to dig into its manga come summertime.
And that’s a wrap! Did we miss a series you think should be here? Drop a comment below. Wanting a more personalized recommendation? Reach out to the author on X (@KoltDay) and we’ll get you set up.
