Netflix is Losing Three Major Anime Series

Netflix started 2018 with a major declaration that they were expanding their anime library by licensing, or producing more anime series for the streaming service than ever. But that doesn’t mean they get to keep those licenses forever.

Netflix will soon lose three of its biggest anime titles in Naruto, Bleach, and Inuyasha in September. That’s definitely going to sting for those fans still working through them in their queue.

As noted by @NetflixAnime on Twitter, Naruto, Bleach, and Inuyasha will be leaving Netflix on September 1. While this seems like a huge deal, especially considering how big each of these series are in their own right, it just goes to show how much Netflix is paying more attention to the future of anime rather than trying to capitalize on the past.

The licenses for each of these series are spread out quite a bit already, with each of the series being available to stream on other platforms such as Hulu or Crunchyroll, so Netflix has become less of a place to find these major series than before. While it was certainly the go-to for most fans early on, fans who kept up with these series on Netflix in have each hit major walls.

Netflix may offer several of the Naruto films, for example, but the actual anime series is only available until Episode 156. Meaning that fans will have to go somewhere else once they hit this point. It’s the same unfortunate situation for the other two anime series as well, but Naruto does offer the most right off the bat.

Bleach offers a few of its films on the service, but the span of episodes only reaches 63. Again, this leaves quite a gap for those who wanted to watch the series on Netflix alone. Inuyasha also only offers two seasons with 54 episodes in total, so fans already invested this far will have to search elsewhere.

But while these are certainly roadblocks, the fact that these three anime will be leaving Netflix soon also means that fans will lose that convenience in finding both the English and Japanese dubs of the series in one place. Now fans will have to search out other streaming platforms, and may even have to watch their favorite series in a not-favorite way. So it’s best to enjoy Naruto, Bleach, and Inuyasha on Netflix while you can.