Best Anime Series on Netflix will be discussed in this article. The anime library on Netflix has grown tremendously during the past 12 months. There are not just classic series, but also a sizable number of original works that are competing well with works that have already achieved canonical status. There are numerous action, comedy, and romantic programmes available thanks to the streaming service’s care in introducing a variety of genres. We live here to help you if you are qualified to search even the strangest areas of Netflix for binge-worthy stuff.
The 25 Netflix anime series listed below by the Paste writers (beginning with our favourite) are sure to keep anime newcomers and seasoned fans of the genre interested. Yamero is a good word to use if things get too strange.
Top 25 Best and Most demanding Anime Series on Netflix In 2022
Top 25 Best and Most demanding Anime Series on Netflix are explained here.
1. Hunter x Hunter
Numerous shonens (and even American TV shows) centre on a cast of young people who use paranormal skills and inductive reasoning to solve problems. In this homogeneous pattern, Hunter x Hunter is an uncommon find due to its focus on detail and emotional commitment. This anime is full of amusing side stories that don’t necessarily culminate in a significant event but yet make you know the individuals in this universe were real people before you began watching them. Also check anime of all time
Gon Freecss is the protagonist of Hunter x Hunter as he embarks on a quest to become a Hunter. He is your usual shonen-specific savior-figure protagonist, but thankfully he keeps the grating, monotonous platitudes to himself. His resolve to see the multiple useful in others emerges as the series’ marvel, and his commitment to helping others propels the story. He befriends a young boy who comes from an assassination family, and their conflicted relationship makes the show compelling. You must feel something for these two youngsters because of their intriguing relationship. By placing them up against significantly more seasoned, older villains, Togashi highlights their youth and inexperience and introduces strong mentors who aid in their development. He takes great care to match each character’s skills to their personality, but resolve is the source of power for all of his characters. The heroic acts of unwavering resolve you’ll see in this anime will alter you.
Although Togashi has opposed a medical problem for extended time, he insists that the manga is still very largely alive. Hopefully a seventh season of remastered anime will be removed shortly.
2. Neon Genesis: Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion is now well-known to most people, at least superficially, because to the profusion of branded goods and frequent mentions in popular culture. However, how we talk about Evangelion, a show that is deeply established in the canon of anime, is constantly changing. The franchise, which was initially hailed as an insightful critique of the mecha made popular by Gundam and Macross, later grew bloated and replete with extraneous material, much like the melodramas-as-merchandise they lampooned years earlier. This is another Best Anime Series on Netflix.
Evangelion, however, has a noticeable cultural impact that can be seen in everything from Persona 3 to Gurren Lagann, growing into a phenomenon that seems to go beyond the show’s literal text. The franchise’s original creator Hideaki Anno, who once said that Japan’s animation industry is “moving by inertia,” has lost control over the franchise’s expansion, much like Star Wars, and has subsequently predicted the end of anime as we understand it. Texas Jones
3. Cowboy Bebop
Every argument over whether Cowboy Bebop, Shinichir Watanabe’s masterpiece of science fiction, is the best anime is a semantic one. It is, period. Its unique fusion of Western ambiance, martial arts action, space-based cyberpunk intrigue, and noir cool in seinen form is unrivalled and incredibly intriguing. Its tragic and existential themes are widely relatable. Its motley crew of bounty hunters are nuanced and fallible, but they nonetheless exude cool. It depicts a multiethnic future that is uncannily prescient. Its English dub, which features some of the best full-time voice actors in America, manages to match the quality of the Japanese original with subtitles. Episodes that may have been filler in another series during its 26-episode run are tight, taut, and serve the show’s thesis while being unobtrusive to its main plot, which is engaging but not oppressive. It is approachable for novices and continues to reward seasoned players with each subsequent watch. The stunning, jazz-centric music and soundtrack by Yoko Kanno are complete works of art. It has flawless beginning credits. It is not an adaptation; it is an original work. Despite being Watanabe’s first series as a director, it feels like a magnum opus created at the height of a long career. It is a masterwork that deserves to be included among the best television productions of all time, much alone anime. A rival is highly anticipated. This is another Best Anime Series on Netflix.
4. Demon Slayer
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is well-liked by anime enthusiasts in America but practically ubiquitous in Japan. Years after its conclusion, the manga is still a bestseller, and the movie surpassed Spirited Away as the highest-grossing Japanese film of all time while the pandemic was still going on and there weren’t any vaccines yet!
What makes Demon Slayer so successful? The story of adolescent demon slayer Tanjiro Kamado and his struggle to save his demon-changed sister Nezuko may not be the most inventive action show to come out of Weekly Shonen Jump, but it masterfully employs all the most endearing tropes of the genre. The characters are instantly likeable, the Taisho era backdrop is convincing, and the animation from studio Ufotable is extraordinary.
5. Baki
Baki is an exhilarating display of hyper-masculine legends carrying out a classic plot about a kid warrior training to outperform his father. This high-action shonen is packed with heated confrontations between the most physically appealing men that could be shown. It might be its own episode if Netflix released a little clip of all the images of men flexing and tensing their muscles. These characters truly reflect the meathead tool attitude that motivates the story, as if their bulk and hyper-tough accents weren’t enough.
6. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure has long been my go-to anime when I need to unwind. It’s an anime full of men constructed like classical sculptures talking as loudly as they can about psychic fights they appear to be having in molasses-slow time, so nothing about it first seems very relaxing. In JJBA’s world, what seems like hours only lasts about a minute. JJBA is so much more than that, though; it’s a journey spanning a century that defies the conventions of how to tell an adventure story by liberally drawing inspiration from Indiana Jones, Versace, classic rock, and any other passing interest of mangaka Hirohiko Araki to create an explosive hodgepodge of fast-paced absurdity. You’ll pick up on the language quickly and find it cosier than Sailor Moon soon enough. There is a reason JJBA remains one of the anime industry’s most important works of media. This is another Best Anime Series on Netflix.
7. Beastars
The best anime to reach out of 2019 was Beastars. This viewpoint might be controversial given that last year was characterised by lavish animation everywhere you turned; Demon Slayer and Mob Psycho 100 II’s fluid, ballet-like battles as well as the high-stakes drama of The Promised Neverland and Vinland Saga made it perhaps my favourite year for anime in recent memory. Nevertheless, despite films by my favourite directors Kunihiko Ikuhara and Shinichiro Watanabe (some of their best work, too), I found that the strangely evocative melodrama about a wolf, rabbit, and deer caught me the most.
This is another Best Anime Series on Netflix. The unequal distribution of power between carnivores & herbivores is the one factor that unites the domain of Beastars. Tem, an alpaca student, is brutally killed in the first scene of the novel. It’s debatable if there was a palpable schism among the pupils before to this occurrence, but it undoubtedly sends every species into a state of paranoia. Wolf Legoshi is a component of the theatre club, which is famous for having a supportive group of partners that includes everything from small squirrels to giant tigers. The drama club is the ideal setting for many of the themes of the show; not only do we see the prejudices and stereotypes held against carnivores who, for the most part, are incredibly docile and peaceful, but we also see the struggles of herbivores who are perpetually undervalued and live in constant fear of being devoured. Also check bilibili comics
8. Devilman Crybaby
Go Nagai is a fellow with a standing, to put it mildly. In addition to existing one of the architects of the “Super Robo” type of mecha with his creation Mazinger Z, he is renowned for producing works that broke social norms and sparked the anime industry’s transition from family-friendly content to darker, more sexually explicit material. Take Devilman, for instance. Masaaki Yuasa’s modern retelling of Nagai’s original manga’s “love” narrative between Akira Fudo and Ryo Asuka is a worthy tribute to both the work of the author and the illustrious history of the character, being as orgiastically violent and unrelentingly risqué as Nagai’s original manga. From the Luciferian looks of Berserk’s Griffith to the post-apocalyptic loneliness of Neon Genesis Evangelion, Devilman’s influence can be felt everywhere. Due to all of these factors and more, Devilman Crybaby presents itself as one of the best television shows in recent memory as well as one that will endure for many years to come. Tonsaint Egan
9. Little Witch Academia
The time is right to examine Trigger’s most underappreciated productions to date. Yoh Yoshinari, a prominent key animator whose work can be seen in FLCL and Gurren Lagann, is the creator of Little Witch Academia. The Worst Witch book series is echoed in many aspects by the plot of the show, which is a spin-off of two short animated films. It centres on a young girl named Atsuko Kagari who wants to be a top-tier witch to compete with her idol Shiny Chariot. She weasels her route into Luna Nova Magical Academy despite coming from a non-magical background because Chariot attended there. This is another Best Anime Series on Netflix.
Little Witch Academia is a delightful journey from start to finish and a definite must for any fan of animation. It features amazing pastel animation and a lot of heart. The show’s first half maintains a fairly lighter tone with parodies of Twilight fandom and slapstick humour obviously influenced by Chuck Jones’ Looney Tunes, while the second half steadily ramps up the mystery. The series excels in especially when it explores what magic means in the context of our rapidly modernising world; as both a form of amusement and a need, magic is gradually phased out in favour of technology and automated solutions. Little Witch Academia is a lovely programme for kids & adults alike. If you’ve ever lived a fan of Ghibli, Dr. Seuss, or Harry Potter, you’ll find something to adore in the cosy world of LWA.
10. Attack on Titan
When it debuted in 2013, Attack on Titan was nothing short of a cultural phenomenon. The anime, which is an adaptation of the current manga series by Hajime Isayama, is set in a post-apocalyptic world where people are engaged in a never-ending war with a species of huge, cannibalistic humans known as Titans. Having grown up in one of the last cities on Earth, Eren Yeager joins the Survey Corps to protect his house and exact revenge on his family. Attack on Titan is a David vs. Goliath conflict with the speed and violence of a high-tech superhero drama. It has it all: monstrous creatures a la Goya devouring helpless villagers, political intrigue and deceit, the simmering tension of an unrequited romance, and a cast of memorable characters who make the mounting mortal costs of society’s last stand deeply personal as well as a battle worth fighting for. —Toussaint Egan. This is another Best Anime Series on Netflix.
11. Kakegurui
Kakegurui, which revolves around its unstable and disturbed lead character, is an insane work with escalating stakes and a change in mental states from beginning to end. With breathtaking animation from the MAPPA studio (Kids on the Slope, Yuri on Ice! ), Kakegurui plays with grotesque sexuality & twisted energy dynamics in such a manner that it ends up looking like a psychological horror version of Yu-Gi-Oh! Because of its absurdly resonant philosophising and maximalist bleed-out of style, this genre of anime is impossible to look away from. Few other performances, especially ones with such a specific subject as gambling, can take you through all of the human emotions so swiftly.
12. Carole & Tuesday
Carole & Tuesday is strongly hinted to take place in the same universe as Cowboy Bebop because it was directed by Shinichiro Watanabe. Carole & Tuesday is a totally different programme than its noir-tinged action-packed predecessor, despite having the same Martian location of Alba City and Watanabe’s excellent musical taste.
This is another Best Anime Series on Netflix. If the Disney Channel permitted songs that contained only F-bombs and not-even-in-the-neighborhood-of-subtle comments on America’s treatment of immigrants, it would play Carole & Tuesday’s charming and wholesome tale of a refugee and a runaway who collaborate to make music. Yes, a show that basically starts off as “Martian Idol” ends up being one of the most potent artistic responses to the horrors of the Trump government. Range is a feature.
13. Naruto
This shonen has fantastic fighting. This anime will hold your interest because to its extensive magic system and intricate, fluidly rendered hand-to-hand fighting. Although this series tends to have a lot of flashbacks and monologues, that didn’t stop this specific episode from developing its own distinctive iconography in popular culture. Also check animeflix
Every teen is taught that nice people can turn evil and relationships can fall apart by the dramatic high school romance Naruto. Before prematurely dissolving their family, Masashi Kishimoto introduces us to a group of ninjas who sacrifice their lives to defend their neighbourhood. Sasuke’s disappearance and Naruto’s arduous pursuit to find him are the main themes of the novel, but the writers also place a lot of stress on the village Naruto already had in the leaf village. This metaseries, which addresses unconditional friendship, retribution, and the forgiveness that is the only path to peace, heavily relies on the solidarity the Hidden Leaf Village exhibits in the face of conflict and terrorism. This anime serves as the prequel to Naruto: Shippuden and provides the groundwork for a network of spies, conspiracies, & (secretly connected) subplots that are resolved in the second series. To avoid filler, just.
14. Cells at Work
This animation has the same level of polish and beauty that one would expect from an Aniplex production, and it also has a cheery, adorable opening. This is another Best Anime Series on Netflix.
A universe within the human body is created in the high-octane comedy Cells at Work. The episodes follow an especially accident-prone red blood cell as she does her duties throughout the body, running into the most hazardous viruses and germs along the way. Once you stop counting, the number of emergencies these cells deal with that pose a threat is amusing. Even funny is witnessing the manga-style adaptation of physiological systems as these artificial bacteria scream bloody murder at the smallest scrape wound. Where else can you see the interaction between a T-cell and a dendritic cell reinterpreted as a “go get a pep talk and power up to battle the evil guy” scene? Perhaps Osmosis Jones, but the white blood cells in this series provide a shonen-like deductive thinking and fighter’s spirit that contrast the humour to create a more ridiculous experience.
15. The Disastrous Life of Saiki K: Reawakened
This is another Best Anime Series on Netflix. The second instalment of this comedy series centres on a young man who was born with psychic abilities. You may assume that he utilises these abilities to live a glamorous life or that he is a masked vigilante out of some sort of self-righteous pact, but no. He just wants to get home without hearing what his friends are thinking about the upcoming episodes of his favourite shows. While trying to keep his abilities concealed from his classmates, who all seem to have something seriously wrong with them, Kusuo struggles to deal with the minor inconveniences that come with having psychic abilities. With its six episodes, the second season updates the absurd situations we adored in the first, pushing the limit even farther. The most prominent of them is about a spooky-looking teacher who must be the peeping tom everyone is seeking for. Being a Netflix original, the creators took sure to target a wider audience with The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.: Reawakened. Japanese anime’s bombastic humour and the dry, biting tone of conventional (usually American) sitcoms were expertly balanced by the series’ creators.
16. Gurren Lagann
Gainax had a reputation for teetering precariously on the precipice of failure and success prior to the release of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. Gainax had been saved from bankruptcy by Neon Genesis Evangelion’s enormous popularity, but in the years that had passed, the company had once again found itself in need of a miracle. This “hot-blooded” and “unconventional” super robot anime served as Hiroyuki Imaishi’s directorial television debut and served as the studio’s spiritual heir to earlier productions like Gunbuster and Evangelion. Gurren Lagann provided Gainax with another cult favourite and served as the springboard for the studio’s own successor, Trigger, with unbounded charisma, stratospheric stakes, and exponential piles of ludicrous spectacle that laugh in the face of sensibility. Imaishi and company pierced through the sky and revealed to the world just who the heck they were at the height of Gurren Lagann’s success. This is another Best Anime Series on Netflix.
17. Fate/Zero
This is another Best Anime Series on Netflix. This 25-episode seinen, directed by Ei Aoki, is the second anime adaptation of Type-Fate Moon’s series of light novels. It follows a group of magicians as they engage in a bloody battle royale known as the Fourth Holy Grail War over a legendary cup that, while not the Cup of Christ, bears the same name. Three families of mages have historically battled for control of the Holy Grail, but each war is fought between seven mages (referred to as Masters) who send out Servants (extremely strong historical figures) to fight as their representatives. This means that action-packed history buffs who have always wondered who would prevail in a fight between King Arthur (again, it’s actually not that Holy Grail) and Alexander the Great will find this show to be abundantly rewa will find this show to A magnificent animation technique, intricate character development, and genuinely heartbreaking plot twists balance out the slightly absurd premise.
18. Ouran High School
Ouran High School Host Club, a spoof of the shoujo genre, frequently subverts and outright uses the tropes of animated romantic comedies. Haruhi Fujioka, a typical young woman enrolled in the prestigious Ouran Academy on a sizable scholarship, is the focus of the story. She’s a pragmatic who rejects superficial lives, but because of her messy hair and baggy clothes, people think she’s a male. She eventually becomes indebted to the school’s host club, where everyone gradually learns that Haruhi is a woman (not that she concealed it, per se) and is required to pose as a guy to host events until she pays back what she owes.
19. Berserk the Golden Age
The 1997 TV series Berserk, the first to be based on Kentaro Miura’s brutally graphic and gore-filled manga, is regarded as a classic. Although most anime specialists approach the first two films in this triptych from 15 years later with a certain amount of contempt, the third entry is as compelling and brutal as the genre has to offer. A sellsword named Guts is compelled to join the Band of the Hawk when its captain twice consecutively beats him in single combat in this grimdark fantasy, which is set in a feudal country that is obviously based on mediaeval Europe. From that point forward, everything is blood and guts as a truly terrible loop of wars, assassinations, sieges, duels, and the like draws humans, cranks, & demons alike into its vortex, with all players vying to rip each other to shreds in the name of sex, power, and wealth. And by Descent, the third instalment, it’s just as gripping and melancholy as Game of Thrones at its best. This is another Best Anime Series on Netflix
20. Pop Team Epic
A strange experience, Pop Team Epic is neatly divided into 10-minute segments that cycle back with the same screenplay but male and female voice actors. Pipimi and Popuko, the show’s central pair, are given two separate voice performances in each episode by two completely distinct voice actresses, using seiyuu that are well-known to everyone who has ever watched anime in any manner. Everything helps to further the show’s oddly cosy atmosphere. Pop Team Epic, which is based on the same-named 4-panel manga, is a significantly better fit than Seinfeld for the description “a show about nothing.” The show combines on classic slice-of-life comedies like Azumanga Daioh and Nichijou! with its Robot Chicken-like attention to surrealism, dark comedy, and pop culture to cultivate a playground of bizarre circumstances and business inside jokes.
19. Sword Art Online
This is another Best Anime Series on Netflix. Action/romance Sword Art Online is set in a virtual world where players lose their lives when their health reaches zero. Our story starts with Kirito, a lone player who appears unconcerned by the danger of SAO but is still mourning from the effects of a violent party experience. The majority of gamers are likely to relate with his “solo player’s hubris,” which fuels much of the badassery in the series. He is a lovable protagonist. The equally charming female lead, Asuna, matches that badassness. The relationship dynamics between this adorable couple completely change when they enter the virtual world of video games. The two decide to end their conflict, lay down their swords, live together, pool their resources, and create a life for themselves in SAO. Their closeness exemplifies a brilliant escape from the loneliness that computer games are supposed to alleviate but occasionally make worse. And the opening is one of the best, too.
22. One-Punch Man
The baseball madness of One-Punch Man is in a league of its own, even by the ludicrous standards of the superhero subgenre. When a 25-year-old college grad saves a rosy-cheeked, butt-chinned youngster from the homicidal grasps of a lobster man-monster (see what I mean? ), he gives up looking for a paying job and commits himself to a demanding three-year training programme with the goal of becoming a hero. Of course, he loses his hair. Saitama, the strongest hero in the universe, with a body reminiscent of Jim Lee and a visage that belongs in a Charles Schultz comic strip. He also possesses the astonishing ability to defeat opponents with a single punch. One-Punch Man’s core appeal lies in its commitment to being a superhero show filtered through a child’s overactive imagination. It is a comedy of preposterous serial escalation, with every otherworldly foe that emerges being swiftly beaten to intestines from the force of Saitama’s herculean boredom. This commitment to being a superhero show is what gives the series its exceptional animation and fight scenes thanks to Madhouse. This is another Best Anime Series on Netflix
23. Seven Deadly Sins
One of the first original combat programmes on Netflix is called Seven Deadly Sins, and it’s entertaining. This anime tells the story of a band of magically gifted fighters who serve as the inspiration for the show’s name. As their leader, the Sin of Wrath Meliodas, gathers them to battle the Holy Knights, we get to know each of the Sins. The show’s pacing allows for each character to have a backstory as we get to know them, which helps create anticipation for their skills and character growth. The animations for them are outstanding because Aniplex was involved in the development, and there are some impressive and innovative powers. Characters, abilities, and plot should provide an authentic experience, but fanservice prevents this series from receiving greater canonical recognition (jiggle-effect and groping will only take you so far.) In particular, the animations, abilities, and combination attacks in this anime’s fight scenes are extraordinary. This is another Best Anime Series on Netflix
24. Magi : The Labyrinth of Magic
Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic is a gripping tale that is motivated by concepts of money, friendship, and the value of a person’s life. A vast kingdom filled with dungeons, deserts, and undiscovered treasures is the setting for the story. Aladdin, a young man of great power, meets Alibabba, the young, idealistic protagonist. After challenging the businessman who had them in slavery, they free Morgiana from the nasty slave dealer who had been using her as a bodyguard. She is the team’s muscle thanks to her superhumanly powerful legs, which stabilises the dynamic of the group. Watching is also an artistic pleasure thanks to the animated Arabian Nights theme. The combat scenes, particularly Alibaba’s, can be tedious at times, despite the graphics maintaining a traditional anime feel. Regardless, the show is excellent and well worth seeing.
25. Inuyasha
In my opinion, Inuyasha is a reminder of simpler times, when all an anime required was enjoyable combat, crackling banter, and that melodramatic ’90s vibe. This was the Demon Slayer we watched on Adult Swim back-to-back (sometimes not in chronological order, not that it counts all that much given Inuyasha’s long arcs and tonnes of filler) before we learned to love ourselves. Take a shot whenever Kagome and Inuyasha shout each other’s names, take a shot whenever a beautiful woman rides out to be a hideous buglike demon, and take a shot whenever Inuyasha fundamentally misunderstands how to behave like a respectable human. The show surprisingly holds up and is great for group watching. It’s practically a hotbed for drinking games.