Earlier this month, Crunchyroll helped bring the anime world to new heights, quite literally. The anime streaming service is planning to make over two thousand titles and fifty thousand episodes available on Delta flights later in 2025. While being able to dive into some of your favorite series on the friendly skies is a boon for many anime fans, there are some series that you might want to save for your home, and luckily, we’ve put together a list of shows that fit this bill.
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As added background for this deal between Crunchyroll and Delta, the President of the streaming service, Rahul Purini, shared his thoughts on the upcoming partnership: “There is nothing better on a long flight than immersing yourself in the rich storytelling and world-building of anime. Fans can go deep on one series or sample one episode of many series – from action to adventure, romance, and more. And when they get hooked, they can continue their experience on the Crunchyroll app. We are excited to share what we love with Delta passengers and go to new heights together.” While the fair share of anime on Crunchyroll are “safe for work,” there are some options that might get you some raised eyebrows if you decide to watch them on the plane screen in front of you. Let’s get into the list.
1) Dandadan
Dandadan is one of the biggest new arrivals in the anime world, and for good reason. The story of Okarun and Momo by Science SARU blends the supernatural with the extraterrestrial to weave a hard-hitting, often emotional affair. That first episode is a lot to handle, however, as Momo is kidnapped by the Serpoans, stripped of her clothes, and undergoes some wild experiments. Luckily, she’s eventually saved by Okarun and his new Turbo Granny abilities, but watching this premiere episode on a plane might not be the best choice to make. Even outside of the first episode, there are some questionable moments, such as Momo’s hot springs visit, that might raise some red flags.
2) Goblin Slayer
Allow me to give you my personal experience with diving into Goblin Slayer, not knowing what its first episode entailed. On paper, the anime follows a long warrior who has decided to focus all of his attention on the low-level goblins in a world fit to bursting with supernatural creatures and monstrosities. The premiere installment of the series shows you just how terrible goblins can be, not just in murdering their victims but “playing with them” before they shed this mortal coil. Much like Dandadan, the opening episode is the most shocking, and it’s one that might need to be saved for a watch at home with your Crunchyroll subscription.
3) Dragon Ball
This choice might come as a surprise, but Dragon Ball has certainly earned its place on this list. The original anime adaptation of Akira Toriyama’s legendary shonen series was a product of its era, with the young Son Goku being a part of some raunchy scenarios, usually involving Bulma. Aside from nudity, there were also some nauseating moments, such as Krillin’s fight against Bacterian in the original series. This confrontation was free of nudity but had disgusting moments that remain notable in the anime world.
4) Berserk: The Golden Age Arc – Memorial Edition
Berserk as a series has always reveled in its dark, mature subject matter, thanks to Kentaro Miura never pulling any punches when it came to the Band of the Hawk. The franchise as a whole is quite unfriendly for the “friendly skies” but we’ll focus primarily on “Berserk: The Golden Age Arc – Memorial Edition.” The retelling of Guts’ origin story keeps most of the deranged details from the 1997 anime adaptation, including the nefarious “Eclipse.” Never refraining from blood, violence, and nudity, Berserk has long been a series that earns its place as a “not safe for work” franchise.
5) Prison School
Prison School might be one of the lesser-known entries on this list, but its fan service certainly makes it one of the anime series that you might not want to watch on a Delta flight. Even with the series censored on Crunchyroll to a degree, it still has plenty of innuendo and compromising scenarios that might not be ideal to watch in a public setting. Even with only one anime season under its belt, from J.C. Staff, the property left quite an impression on fans.
6) Hellsing Ultimate
While the live-action Hollywood take on Alucard’s anime adventure might be in limbo, the series that started it all can still be streamed on Crunchyroll. Outside of the sheer amount of blood that the anime vampire spills, Hellsing Ultimate has some truly nerve-wracking, skin-crawling moments that certainly earn their “mature status.” Hellsing remains a fan-favorite series for many, arguably one of the best of the best, focusing on creatures of the night, but it’s one that might not make the cut for airplane viewing.
7) Chainsaw Man
On top of the sheer amount of devils that Denji carves up in his role as the Chainsaw Devil, there are a few scenes that are so violent and/or unsettling that make this a shaky bet on a crowded plane. Specifically, even with the shot of Denji’s “first kiss” censored, it might be tough to explain what transpired to someone sitting next to you on the ride. To say nothing of the twisted monstrosities that hide around corners in Chainsaw Man, this is a series that is best viewed in the comfort of one’s own home, that is, until the movie drops later this fall.
8) The Island of Giant Insects
Speaking of mature, nightmare fuel that probably shouldn’t be watched on a plane, The Island of Giant Insects fits the bill. Not only does the title live up to its name, but it features some of the most horrific death scenes in anime history, while also featuring a plane crash to boot. This movie is simply one of the grossest, cringe-inducing anime properties of all time, and maybe it shouldn’t be watched at all, plane ride or otherwise. Seriously, even writing this article about the movie is giving me the creeps.
9) Inuyashiki
While Inuashiki doesn’t have the same levels of gore as series like Hellsing Ultimate or Berserk, the story is one that has a different kind of violence in some of its final battles. The main antagonist, Shishigami Hiro, uses one of his most devastating attacks against the heroic Inuyashiki Ichiro, hurling multiple planes at him and the city around him. While the material can be somewhat unsettling, this scene specifically might make some flyers uncomfortable.
10) Parasyte -The Maxim–
Parasyte is a body horror unlike any other, remaining a fan-favorite in the anime community while having mind-bending violence that can be so disturbing, it’s hard to process. Using human extremities and organs for most of the battles, this Madhouse series might be so gory that fellow passengers might not even know what they’re looking at. Needless to say, Parasyte -The Maxim- works as a great crescendo to this disturbing list.
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Image courtesy of HBO
