7 Best Must-Watch Anime You Can Stream on Netflix

It’s easy to get lost in the massive libraries of streaming services like Netflix, meaning that you can end up missing great shows. Within those massive libraries is a growing number of anime, you can find a mix of old and new series. Netflix has a habit of canceling its original series and there’s never a guarantee that other shows will stay on the platform from one month to the next. However, right now Netflix has a surprisingly good anime selection. That’s why you need to check out these titles before they end up removed or shuffled to another streaming service—aside from the one Netflix original anime included.

The way that streaming services recommend content to you tends to prevent you from realizing how big the library of content actually is. Netflix is no different, and it’s not until you look by genre instead of your homepage that you see how much you’re missing. From classic shows to hidden gems, there’s a lot to explore among Netflix’s anime options. But as far as anime on Netflix goes, you can’t let yourself miss these 7 must-watch hits.

1) Neon Genesis Evangelion

Even though Neon Genesis Evangelion first debuted in the ’90s and has long since been completed, you’re bound to see it pop up in anime lists and crossover news now and again. This is a sci-fi-heavy show that focuses on a group of child pilots who control large mechs called Evangelions against enemies called Angels, which are difficult to defeat through other means.

From here, the story becomes twisted and rather dark in some elements. If you love other mech shows like Mobile Suit Gundam, this is definitely a great anime to watch if you haven’t seen it yet. Being on Netflix, it’s quite easy to access for the time being, but be warned that it has some content that might be uncomfortable for certain viewers.

2) Cells at Work!

Cells at Work! has no business being so good. It’s set inside a human body, which takes the form of a city for the cells living inside it. As such, those cells are the main characters of the show, and you watch how they get through daily life, which includes constant danger, profanity, fighting, and violence. The series isn’t very long, so it’s perfect if you’re looking for a binge-watching option that’s not going to take a week to get through.

Although it’s a work of fiction in the end, it’s fun that you can learn a bit about the processes that cells undergo in your body, thanks to the explanations of the narrator. The show isn’t as serious as a lot of anime can end up being, which makes it a refreshing change of pace that you can find easily on Netflix.

3) Castlevania: Nocturne

Like Castlevania, Castlevania: Nocturne is a Netflix original series, meaning that’s the only streaming service you can watch it on. However, it feels like Castlevania: Nocturne hasn’t received the same level of attention that the first series got. Of course, the sequel follows different main characters, but it still has the same formula that made Castlevania such a fun watch.

Castlevania: Nocturne follows Richter Belmont and his adoptive sister, Maria Renard, during the French Revolution. It’s based on the game, Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, but you don’t need to play the game to enjoy the anime. As Richter and Maria try to stop the rise of a vampire messiah on top of dealing with a revolution, there’s no shortage of action, dark humor, and violence.

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4) Ranma 1/2

Ranma 1/2 is among the most classic series of all time, and it’s been adapted into not one, but two anime series. The version on Netflix is the second adaptation, which follows the same story and even has many of the original voice actors returning to reprise their roles. Just like the original series, the remake is filled with the complex relationships and unusual situation of Ranma to create a cast of charming characters that make the series feel alive.

If you haven’t had the chance to see this classic yet, it’s about a boy named Ranma who falls into a cursed spring that causes him to take the physical form of the person or creature that drowned there when he comes into contact with water. While his dad falls into a spring where a panda drowned and now turns into a panda when he comes in contact with cold water, Ranma fell into a spring where a girl drowned. Now, he has to manage switching between the body of a boy and girl as he tries to find a way to break the curse.

5) Black Clover

In some ways, Black Clover shares similarities to the concept of My Hero Academia and Naruto. In both worlds, everybody is born with a power except for the main character. With Black Clover, that power is the ability to use mana, but Asta is an orphan without mana, meaning he can’t use magic. However, the ability that Asta ends up getting is even better than using magic.

Although Asta focuses on improving his physical strength to make up for his lack of magic, he manages to obtain a rare grimoire that can teach him the anti-magic techniques of the Devil race. Of course, when Devils and rare magic are involved, the future tends to be anything but certain. As a result, Asta ends up in the middle of a nefarious plot to bring Devils back into the world.

6) Mobile Suit Gundam SEED

With so many Gundam series, it’s easy to lose track of which ones are available for streaming on which platform. Among them all, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED is one of the most highly rated series, and it has multiple connected series, such as Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny. SEED is actually an adaptation of the original Mobile Suit Gundam that’s more appealing to the modern audience.

What’s great is that you can jump into SEED without knowledge of the series, which is a huge benefit when you have a series that is as massive with as many versions as Gundam. If you like mech anime like Evangelion, then you definitely need to check out this gem. But if you’re just a general fan of futuristic sci-fi shows, SEED is your perfect next watch, especially with the faster pace it has compared to the original show.

7) Slam Dunk

Calling all sports fans, Slam Dunk is available on Netflix. It was one of the best-selling manga of all time, and it basically defined the sports genre in anime back in the ’90s. However, the real charm of this series is that it was created by somebody who loves basketball, and you can feel that passion come through the show.

Slam Dunk follows Sakuragi, who’s a bit of a troublemaker. When the girl of his dreams suggests that he try out for the high school basketball team due to his athletic abilities, he does it for the sake of impressing her. Sakuragi ends up being a natural athlete and develops a true love for the game, even if he only started playing because of a crush. This starts his journey to become a star athlete.

If you’re looking for your next anime binge-watch, it’s worth taking the time to browse Netflix’s catalog. From the original shows created by Netflix to classics that are available on it, there’s a surprising amount of great anime content that you can find there.