HBO Max: The Best Anime to Watch Upon Launch

The long awaited launch of HBO Max is almost here, and there are quite a few anime offerings you’re going to want to watch at launch. Not only will the streaming platform be offering a huge selection of Studio Ghibli’s films (which will mark the first time each of these films have been made available for streaming), but thanks to partnership with Crunchyroll, HBO Max will be offering a select catalog of anime favorites to check out when you switch onto the streaming service for the very first time.

There will be a number of classic anime shows joining the streaming service some time after the launch of the service, but HBO Max and Crunchyroll will be offering several strong anime right from the jump. It might be overwhelming seeing the collection right when you queue it up for the first time, so ComicBook.com is here to help!

Here’s a breakdown of the anime you’ll want to watch first when HBO Max launches on May 27th, and let us know your favorites in the comments! What will you be watching on HBO Max when it launches? Tell us your picks, and you can even reach out to me directly about it and all other things anime and cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

The full list of anime available on HBO Max upon launch includes a few classics, and one of the major standouts right from the jump is Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. This franchise has had two notable anime series to its name, but Brotherhood is essentially the “complete” edition of the series as it more closely adapts Hiromu Arakawa’s original manga. It’s often the one fans suggest more too.

HBO Max and Crunchyroll describe the series as such, “Disregard for alchemy’s laws ripped half of Edward Elric’s limbs from his body and left his brother Alphonse’s soul clinging to a suit of armor. To restore what was lost, the brothers seek the Philosopher’s Stone.”

Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World- (Director’s Cut)

With a second season scheduled to debut later this year, there’s no better time than now to check out Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World-. One of the biggest Isekai anime series of the 2010s, this series made a major comeback within the last two years with not only an OVA special after the events of the original series, but a special “director’s cut” that re-edits the original 20 plus episodes into 13 hour-long adventures. 

HBO Max and Crunchyroll describe the series as such, “Natsuki Subaru, an ordinary high school student, is transported to another world where the only person to reach out to him was a beautiful girl with silver hair. Determined to repay her, Subaru agrees to help the girl find something she’s looking for.”

Konosuba: God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World!

Speaking of great Isekai anime series, Konosuba: God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World! truly breaks the mold by putting a hilarious new spin on classic Isekai anime tropes. The series’ full two season run is still one of the most popular anime of the 2010s, and now a whole new audience will have access to it for the first time. If you’re looking for a dose of kooky comedy with a core cast of dummies, then you’ll want to stream this one for sure. 

HBO Max and Crunchyroll describe the series as such, “Kazuma Sato is transported to a fantasy world filled with adventure after a traffic accident. Now, along with the goddess Aqua, he is on a quest to solve many of this world’s problems.”

Kill la Kill

If you want a series that’s more action based but still has a bit of goofy comedy, then you’ll want to check out Kill la Kill. A debut anime hit from the same studio that would go onto produce anime hits like Little Witch Academia and Promare, Kill la Kill is one series to stream if you don’t want to lose your way. Splendidly animated action, hilarious characters, wild personalities, and even wilder climaxes, this one is definitely an eye-opener. 

HBO Max and Crunchyroll describe the series as such, “Six years since their collaboration on the ground-breaking anime series, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Hiroyuki Imaishi and Kazuki Nakashima are back to shock the world! Ryuko Matoi is a vagrant schoolgirl who enters Honnouji Academy to search for clues to the truth behind her father’s death.”

Bungo Stray Dogs

If you want an action series that takes itself a bit more seriously, yet still has a wealth of fun character designs and personality, then Bungo Stray Dogs is for you. This three season long series imagines what it would look like if famous authors actually got superpowers inspired by their written works. It will definitely stand out from among the pack of series available to stream, and will be welcome on any queue! 

HBO Max and Crunchyroll describe the series as such, “Kicked out of his orphanage and on the verge of starving to death, Atsushi Nakajima meets members of the “Armed Detective Agency” said to solve incidents that even the military and police won’t touch.”

Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken

As one of the more recent hits available on the streaming service at launch, Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken is a tight 12 episode series that’s sure to bring a smile to your face. A series about a school club in which a trio of young women decide to produce anime, this show offers a deeper look into the creativity it takes to bring anime projects to the screen. It’ll definitely make for a good breather in between more intense shows. 

HBO Max and Crunchyroll describe the series as such, “Three high school students band together to create an animation club to realize the “ultimate world” that exists in their minds.”

Rurouni Kenshin

As one of the older classic hits on the platform, Rurouni Kenshin has a huge collection of episodes to offer. With over 90 episodes in its run, the series has gone down as some of anime fans’ favorite action series of the Toonami age. It will most likely find a brand new audience with HBO Max, and could be a great longer binge series to check out in between lighter offerings. 

HBO Max and Crunchyroll describe the series as such, “Former government assassin, Kenshin Himura works to keep the peace during the Meiji Era in Japan, a time of troubled renewal after a long and bloody civil war.”