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Basemat Doolen
Netflix has added some incredible titles to its anime library in recent years. In addition to quintessential series, there is also a substantial amount of originals that are holding their own against titles already well established in the canon. The streaming service took care to introduce a variety of genres: there are plenty of action, comedy, and romance series to choose from. If you are ready to explore even the weirdest corners of Netflix to find binge-worthy content (and you should be), we are here for you.
Below, the Paste writers have catalogued the best anime series on Netflix (starting with our favorites) that are sure to hold the attention of both experienced weeaboos and anime first-timers alike.
By now, most people have at least a cursory awareness of Neon Genesis Evangelion, whether it be from the overwhelming amount of branded merchandise or the consistent references in popular media. But for a show as ingrained in the animation canon as Evangelion, how we discuss it is in constant flux. Initially touted as a meaningful deconstruction of the mecha popularized by Gundam and Macross, the franchise later became bloated and rife with superfluous content much like the melodramas-as-merchandise they lampooned years before.
Note: As this is a list of anime series to watch, no anime movies were considered for this feature. This list applies to U.S. Netflix subscribers. Some titles may not currently be available on international platforms (yet). This list will also be periodically amended to remove series no longer available on Netflix, as well as add anime shows now available for streaming on the service.
This sci-fi story peels back the layers of a coming-of-age story to reveal a dystopian landscape that has no right to look this damn gorgeous while weaving a narrative that makes no effort to blunt its bleak and bloody edges. If extremely violent, over the top, and bombastic anime with a heavy 90s edge to both its character design and sense of humor is your jam, then 2022 juggernaut Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is calling your name.
Set in Germany, Monster follows brain surgeon Kenzo Tenma as his complicated work life unravels after he makes the fateful decision to operate on a young boy instead of the mayor. That choice sets in motion a chain of events that see Tenam ostracized, with his career derailed, and him accused of murder. Using a blend of relationship drama, social climbing, and professional betrayals, Monster weaves in heavy moral and ethical dilemmas into the storyline in ways that maximize tension and keep the pace pushing from episode to episode.
The pacing is slow, but with 45 minute episodes it covers a lot of ground with fun, action and plenty of emotion pay off to balance the occasional drag. So despite being a fantasy children's story brought to such life and flair that even the crabbiest of diehards will find themselves rooting for Onair and laughing at the hijinx of the odd-ball gods and monsters she encounters along the way. A warm, family friendly story anchored by the consistently stunning animation is the perfect mini-series palette cleanser.
exception takes a walk on the post-apocalyptic horror side with a story about a mission to terraform a planet that goes horribly awry. To escape AI control, humans have taken to space in search of a new home. The crew of humanoid entities created (from the DNA of living people) in a biological 3D printer called The Womb make up the advance party. Just as they arrive to start the work of making a new habitable planet, a misprint turns one crew member into a monster. Soon their ship becomes a hunting ground.
Based on the manga by Hiroshi Takashige and Ryōji Minagawa, Spriggan enters the list after only a six-episode debut jam-packed with action, slick character design, and a premise interesting to overcome an uneven start. Spriggan follows Yu Ominae, a 16-year-old super soldier tasked with finding and securing powerful artifacts.
Sent to Japan as a hostage, Lelouch, a prince of Britannia, escapes after an encounter leaves him with the power to control anyone. Lelouch becomes the masked rebel known as Zero and begins to mercilessly exact vengeance against Britannia. Code Geass is a genre blend with action, charisma, and just the right amount of bombasticness to carry the story from episode to episode. This alternate history full of mechs and magic is a wild ride.
The twenty-six episode series offers a genre-blending narrative, visually kinetic action, and audacious good fun for long-time fans and is a great place to start for those new to the anime space. Only time will tell if dropping the entire anime run just ahead of the live-action Cowboy Bebop November 19, 2021 premiere helped or hurt the movie franchise. Be sure to check out how IGN thinks film adaptation stacks up against the source material.
If you prefer your shounen occasionally NSFW and built on a narrative designed to explore themes like prejudice, choice, introspection then Beastars may be the slice of life fantasy series for you. This drama-heavy mystery series digs into the lives of anthropomorphic animals; where carnivores and herbivores are trying to coexist peacefully. If Zootopia-eques that dig into slice-of-life stories and self-discovery are what grab and hold your interest then Beastars is definitely an anime series for you.
The goal is to have a list of great anime series that span many subgenres. We've included a mix of popular classics like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, along with relatively more obscure titles like The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. Whether you're a complete anime newbie or a hardcore otaku, there's something for everyone here.
The best anime on Netflix features some of the richest, most addictive shows in the streamer's library. From heart-wrenching love tales to sci-fi classics, there's plenty to enjoy, no matter your tastes.
For more from the world of anime, including the ongoing Delicious in Dungeon, check out our guide to new anime. Then take a larger look at the medium with the best anime to watch in 2024 and the latest on Jujutsu Kaisen season 3 and One-Punch Man season 3.
Set in the League of Legends universe, Arcane follows the heart-wrenching tale of sisters Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and Jinx (Ella Purnell) as they get caught in a war between the haves and have-nots: elite society Piltover and the underground dwellers in Zaun.
The series is bolstered with terrific world-building, gorgeous art, well-rounded characters, and emotional beats that land again and again. Arcane is the gold standard on what can be achieved when that horrid phrase - IP - is tossed aside in favor of complex, mature storytelling. For that reason, Arcane is rightly held aloft as one of Netflix's finest original anime.
While not technically an anime by its traditional definition (it was developed by French studio Blue Spirit alongside creators Michael Green and Amber Noizumi), it's to Blue Eye Samurai's credit that it doesn't feel out of place next to its peers out East.
Blue Eye Samurai has a killer premise and has its hooks in you from the get-go: it centres on Mizu's quest for vengeance against one of the four men who could be her father. During her revenge tour of 17th Century Japan, she encounters the good, the bad, and the ugly of the Edo period - fleshed out admirably by a voice cast that includes George Takei, Randall Park, Kenneth Branagh, and Stephanie Hsu.
Anime doesn't have to be all angst and action, you know. Step forward Carole & Tuesday, the fizzy, fun, and frenetic series based in the Cowboy Bebop universe that focuses on the eponymous singers who have naught but a dream to make it big.
You'll fall in love with the magnetic duo long before the curtain falls on their story, with the spotlight firmly shining on their musical talents, including dozens of songs you'll be humming and toe-tapping along to throughout. If you're looking for a different flavor of anime on Netflix, you could do a lot worse than tucking into this slice of life series with Carole & Tuesday.
It's time to sink your fangs into something a little meatier. The Castlevania adaptation on Netflix is a sexy, sordid, and surprisingly brutal take on Trevor Belmont's war against Dracula and his vampire army.
You don't even need to be a fan of the source material to enjoy Castlevania, with its eye for action, engaging story, and an insatiable bloodlust coursing through the veins of each of its four seasons. And if you are? This is the definitive take on some of the iconic characters you've spent decades with.
What more can be said about Cowboy Bebop? In short, this is a phenomenon that launched its own cottage industry in the West: without this show, there's a good chance you would never have been into anime.
But this masterpiece is so much more than its trailblazer reputation suggests. Following the down-on-his-luck bounty hunter Spike Spiegel as he hunts some of the galaxy's greatest criminals, this 26-episode series is a charming, creative monument to both creator Hajime Yatate's storytelling prowess as well as composer Yoko Kanno's effortlessly cool soundtrack.
Together, their collaboration is legendary: "The work, which becomes a new genre itself, will be called... Cowboy Bebop," reads the opening titles. Some would write that off as arrogance. The show, which includes a colorful crew including the prickly Jet, feisty Fay, and wunderkind Ed, backs it up with gusto - from opening salvo to the cacophony of chaos that makes up its final act.
It's a series operating on another level entirely to anything before or since and, yet, its greatest strength might be its malleability: it can make you laugh and cry in equal measure, while never losing its ability to entertain. Nobody has done it quite like Cowboy Bebop.
Along the way, he becomes romantically entangled with netrunner Lucy, who dreams of one day escaping her life and going to the moon, and starts tagging along with a motley crew of edgerunners and ne'er-do-wells.
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