The Anime industry is one of the biggest in terms of entertaining millions of people around the world. Naturally, the biggest OTT platform, Netflix, was not going lose on on the opportunity to cash in on Anime! Therefore, it started bringing various anime shows to its home. And it’s not just distribution but Netflix has also gotten into the production of anime series in the last couple of years. As a result, it releases some or the other anime content every month. You might even get overwhelmed by the number of options you have to choose from. And if you are new to anime or still testing waters on what you might like and what not, it can definitely be confusing to find the best anime on Netflix.
Don’t worry because the whole purpose of this article is to help you get started with the anime series that is available on Netflix. We have tried to make this list as comprehensive as possible, with something of everything. Be it a comedy, a light-hearted magic anime, a high-octane action-oriented anime, a fantasy thriller or an old classic, we have got it covered here.
Let’s dive into the 10 best anime on Netflix that you can start a marathon of, right now!
10 of the best anime on Netflix
1. Naruto
Well, here’s a show that you might have definitely heard about. Naruto belongs to the top bracket of all anime of all time. We can easily point out a dozen different reasons why Naruto is a must-watch, be it the impeccable action sequences or the fairly likeable antagonists or the way Naruto deals with each challenge thrown at him.
But one thing that has probably made this series such a massive hit is the incredible character development Naruto has, arguably one of the best in the history of anime. He starts off as a brat and then turns into an able leader and then into a responsible father. Now that is a kind of character arc that we do not often see in such shows. It is not just one of the best anime on Netflix but of all time as well.
2. Food Wars
Remember the 2002 Oscar winner animated feature film, Spirited Away? If you do, then you very well know the importance of food in such anime flicks. Food Wars takes a similar route by making food an important aspect of the series.
A young chef named Souma is good at what he does and is quite content with working at a small eatery, along with his father. However, he is soon thrown into a different world when he goes to a culinary academy, where he has to compete with some of the finest young chefs of world. Even though this is a light-hearted comedy, it also throws a fair share of slice-of-life lessons at you, making it one of the best anime on Netfix.
3. Full Metal Alchemist and Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood
FMA and FMA: Brotherhood are two of the most popular anime shows of all time. The best part about them is that they have a tight script with virtually no loopholes. On top of that, it is not too nerdy or cerebral, which is how most people perceive anime as, making it an easy-watch.
FMA does follow the books up until the midway point but it takes its own route post that, which is not the case with FMA: Brotherhood. As a result, a lot of people find the latter to be more compelling but to be very honest, both are equally good in their own right.
The shows dive into a magical world, where protagonists of the show, Edward and Alphonse Eric, are trying to right their wrongs. This change in attitude comes after they survive a traumatic magical accident and gain value for family and elders in particular. It also delves into the repercussions of the global wars. All this makes it one of the best anime on Netflix and also has an impressive IMDb rating of 9.1!
4. One Piece
There is a high chance that you might have heard of One Piece at least once, if someone you know is an anime lover. It is one of the all-time classics and has been a fan favourite for years now. It has 130 episodes, making it ideal for people who are looking for something for the long haul.
The story revolves around a young pirate named Monkey D. Luffy, who is good at heart and has an eye for adventure. He soon starts the quest of the ‘One Piece’ treasure, which has been a legend all this while. In pursuit of becoming the ‘Pirate King’, the young lad various obstacles repeatedly but comes out on top almost every time. With the kind of fan following this show has, it surely deserves a place in our list of best anime on Netflix.
5. Erased
Here is a psychological thriller that has an IMDb rating of 8.5 and has 13 episodes in total. Well, since the plotline is so engaging that you’ll feel invested in it from the first episode itself! I am pretty sure that you will end up watching the whole show in one sitting.
The story revolves around a 29-year old man, Satoru, who has a mysterious power to go back in time, whenever shit goes down around him. You want to know what the catch is? He does not have a lot of control over this power, as he automatically goes back in time. Since he always goes back by a few seconds or minutes, he does not face any issues as such and is able to make the events right by making the necessary changes.
Things go downhill, when he has to go back 18 years, when he was in 5th grade, in order to stop a killer. Go watch the show now and see it for yourself why we have included Erased in the list of best anime on Netflix.
6. Little Witch Academia
Are you a fan of Harry Potter- the books or the movies? Here is the Harry Potter of the anime world! Little Witch Academia is one of the most entertaining anime series of recent times. It has a slight Disneyesque feel to it, as it is simple, lovable and mostly keeps your mood uplifted. The story follows Akko Kagari and a bunch of other girls, who are part of a witch academy. It follows the difficulties Akko has to face because she does not come from a magical background. You will definitely find it to be one of the best anime on Netflix, if you love light-hearted stuff.
7. Death Note
Here is a story that delves into the life of a cynical and intelligent high school student named L, who accidently finds a mysterious book with a special power. The special power we are talking about here is a dangerous one as well, as it kills the person whose name is written in the book. With this power in hand, L tries to cleanse the world off bad people by eliminating them one by one.
This is one of those shows that have very good side characters as well apart from the protagonist, which makes for a compelling watch. With an impressive IMDb rating 9.0, it is surely one of the best anime on Netflix that you can binge watch over a weekend.
8. One Punch Man
If you are looking for an anime series that is fun and packed with action sequences to binge-watch, then the One Punch Man is definitely one for you. Here is a protagonist (Saitama) who fights evil, just because all of it is fun to him. And hey, he can defeat the enemy with a single punch, so that must be pretty motivating for him to continue with it.
The best thing about this show is that you will never get bored because of the witty lines that the characters deliver from time to time. All this makes the show ideal for people who are new to anime as well.
9. Castlevania
This is Netflix’s own baby and is based on Castlevania: Dracula’s Curse. It is inspired by the third instalment of the video game saga and is one of the very few anime shows that are primarily made for the American audience. With the first two seasons getting good reviews, we can expect good things from the newly arrived third part as well.
It is one of the best anime series that uses sci-fi as the major theme. Add to this the mystery, a ton of action sequences, perfectly-timed funny one-liners, plotlines involving vampires; you have yourself an irresistible piece of art. So, what are you waiting for? Go on and watch one of the best anime on Netflix to see the brilliance yourself!
10. The Devil is a Part-Timer
Now here is a plotline that will make you scratch your head with its uniqueness. It’s about a fantasy character that has been transported to the normal world. Satan, who is trapped on Earth, ends up working part-time at a restaurant. It is basically the reverse of what you see in a regular anime from the isekai genre. All this makes it a plot that marks it as a classic comedy and the anime series definitely delivers on this front.
You will surely love the comic timing of the characters and the pace at which they deliver the dialogues. But hey, it is not just slapstick comedy throughout the show, as it shows the real-world problems of a tough economy and the survival issues faced by a commoner, through the daily lives of demonic creatures from the outside world. All these factors definitely make for a package that is worthy of binge-watching.
So yeah folks, that’s a wrap on this list of the 10 best anime on Netflix that you can binge watch right now. Go ahead and start watching the one that best resonated with you and let us know in the comments section what you thought!
