I mean, Netflix has literally become a household title right now and most American families surely have it. So, if you also are a subscriber and want to start with the anime shows that are already present on the platform, then here is your cue. Here we have wrapped up some of the best-animated series that you can find on the streaming giant Netflix. Also, if you are unsure about starting with the anime titles because you have never tried it before and are only doing so because of peer pressure, then let me give you a pep talk too. The live and action American sitcoms that you all might be watching regularly, are without a doubt amazing but they can not reach the same level of fiction as anime series. The animation industry has no problem in exploring all the ideas that might otherwise be impossible when you think of the other shows. This is why there is literally no harm in starting to watch an anime show because I am sure you are going to love it. And with these awesome selections of content, you are settled for another month or so with a bounty of content to finish.
Devilman Crybaby
No one in Japan is new to the term Devilman. The entertainment sector in the country has been familiar with the franchise of Devilman and it has been going so famous since the 1970s. The main concept on which its stories are based is pretty unique and that is what makes the anime show so special to binge on. I mean, have you ever come across an anime show that narrates a very typical story that includes corruption as well as lost identity. As it turns out, that a soul nobody knew about has now mixed itself up with the spirits of demons. The entire series serves the best visuals possible and makes the fans grow attached to each episode after the other. So, the main plot of the story throws light on Akira who has powers as high as that of a Devilman. Despite all of this strength, he still remains up with his humanity and does not forget his roots and where he came from. At the starting of the tale, we witness our main protagonist is struggling to adjust to a normal society with his newly found powers. All in all, Akira is a really good person. He uses all the powers cast on him by the demons to destroy them. He also is trying to protect himself from the evil that is constantly at war with the good inside of him. If you look from a shallow surface, you will find out that Devilman is just like other anime shows.
But then Devilman Crybaby has to be one of the jewels in this franchise as it has proved to be the most successful and the best reboot that we can ever have. And now you must be wondering why is that the case with it? For an answer, you all just need to know one word, that is, Masaaki Yuasa. This man has literally done wonders with the anime reboot and inserted his own perspective and views in the plot that has been presented to the fans with an amazing animation as well as visuals. Even the direction that the art form takes in the series has got to be something and makes up the most enthusiasm among fans for it. In the entertainment industry, we have seen Yuasa having no limits whatsoever when it comes to putting out his best work even if it is ridiculously amazing. The work which he has done with Devilman Crybaby will get you hooked to the screen so badly that even blinking away a second of the show will make you regret it. So, if you are thinking to start your anime venture, I guess Devilman Crybaby is going to give you the reasons why such shows are a treat to watch.
Death Note
Now, now, even if you have never seen any anime, there is no way in hell you have not heard about Death Note. It is because all your anime-watching friends might have mentioned it once in their life around you and how you all need to watch it. This show came out back in 2006 and has never left the minds of fans ever since. The entire concept on which the show is based gets you so hyped up regarding the story that you might find yourself hours later thinking about it. Also, no one can help but think about all the names which you would write if the Death Note was with you. Watching the show is an absolute delight and it is so popular, that Netflix has even made a live and action film on the subject. As for the plot of the series, ut throws the entire spotlight on a student studying in high school called Light Yagami. He was idly sitting in his classroom when he noticed something drop out of thin air in their schoolyard. After his classes were over, Light heads up and sees what that thing was. Turns out, it was a Death Note and if anyone writes a name inside of it, the person dies within 60 seconds. It does not take Light a lot of the time before he starts sweeping off the bad people in the world by writing their names in it. He thinks he is doing a good job by killing off these people and being a God. This is not all that Death Note has to show, in fact, it is just where the show starts. As you get in deeper and deeper into the tale, you come to find out that the series is a lot more than you have ever thought of and displays corruption, friendship, death, love all mixed in one story. Light starts killing off people and becoming a hero in the eyes of the common man. He is doing the tasks under a code name Kira. This is when the Japanese Task Force is appointed in order to control the killer. But when they fail to find out more about them, they had no choice but to appoint a detective named L to solve the crime. His real name is Ryuzaki and we do not get to see him until much later. When I say that this is the best detective genre series that you could possibly have with you, trust me. There are so many plot twists with Ryuk, a shinigami present beside Light. Later in the scenes, more Death Notes start to pop up and this adds more to the story. And everyone, ever since the release of Death Note has been asking for more about it but that just did not happen. Still, we have a lot of episodes of Death Note to finish and they are available on Netflix.
Violet Evergarden
This anime series is really the kind of show which you log into on a sunny afternoon while sitting in the cold air coming out of the air conditioning. It calms you down to a level and makes you feel quite relaxed. Violet Evergarden has its main concept rooted in the science as well as fiction genre but feels very friendly and light when you watch it. You do not have to get into the mechanisms of doing things when it comes to the scientific bits of the series and it shows. As for the theme, the creators have really made something different and put it out with a thoughtful twist that could not have been possible otherwise. Also, the story has taken something really ordinary and cold and transformed it into something out of this world. All of these factors together bundle up and make Violet Evergarden one of the most amazing shows that you are ever going to come across in your life. The show literally has a story in which the characters are emotional and have humanity. As for Violet Evergarden, she is an Auto Mercury Doll. For all the people who have no idea what that is, worry not. It is a kind of profession that is all about writing letters. The words are written in this showcase the emotions of the people that they could not have otherwise stated in the same manner.
All this while, our lead protagonist is doing this task and making other people feel loved through her messages. But amidst it all, she also has to find out about who she is. Well, before Violet came to this job, she used to be a soldier who is half a robot. After the war got over and everything started to settle down in the place, she had a very troublesome time in finally being at peace and function in the right manner. The show excels in oscillating between the past and the present and shows us the various intricate details of Violet’s life. We get to witness her PTSD as well as Auto Memory Doll jobs. All this while, violet gets a new individual to confess for as they have lost their words. At some points in time, the script of this show might get a bit tacky as it confuses the gender roles too much. But then again, Violet Evergarden is a piece of delight and you get that content feeling after finishing the show. The anime has been created by Kyoto Animation and can truly be considered as food for the soul.
Neon Genesis Evangelion
This is not your regular mecha anime, I repeat, this is really not your average mecha anime. The hype around the show is so crazy that Netflix just had to have a license of the anime show. Obviously, after seeing the full show, one can come to a realization that it is literally one of the best mecha anime to watch out there and is a great investment of time. There is not one, but a variety of reasons as to why the people who are regular watchers of anime are in love with this show. It employs some of the intricate bits of psychology and pushes most of its subject matter in it. The main plot of the show is pretty easy to understand and acts as the backbone to all the subplots that start ranging out from it. As it so happens, a group of people is selected who feel worthy enough to wear the Evangelion suits. They are made to do so in order to pilot these creations as well as the fight against the Angels. If they succeed in doing so, another Armageddon can be prevented from happening and thus saving a million people from being killed. Well, at this point in time you all might be wondering that if this is the plot of the series, it is not different at all. Yes, I totally agree when it comes to the uniqueness of this anime that its plot is nothing new and is the same as half of the action tales out there. Then why should you consider watching it? Neon Genesis Evangelion is quite new when it holding its characters in dark.
All this while, there are some truly unknown facts about the series, Hideaki Anno being diagnosed with severe depression while he was set on working on the project, truly shows his feelings. It all beautifully combines with the plot of the tale and while being displayed on the screen, gives away the true vibes that the director wanted us to have. It is truly said that this kind of show with such energy can only be otherwise created by David Lynch and no one else. Now, you might have received your answer, this is why you need to watch the show. The plot might not be different but when you actually watch Neon Genesis Evangelion, you will get to know how the animation is the most amazing while we also have the best action as well as fight sequences to top off the character arcs. The most special thing about this series is its soundtrack, you might have never heard it anywhere else and it truly makes you attached to the show even more. Now, there a variety of reasons why you need to view this series but none of them compares to the fact that the attachment provided with the human condition in Neon Genesis Evangelion is so different that none of the anime shows could ever achieve it. The show is not as perfect as other contents present out there but it really needs to be seen for the sake of entertainment. If you think you have had enough of this world and want to watch something that can take your minds off things, then this is the right choice. Netflix is planning to dub this series into their own version which kind of bums the fans out because the original dub is as amazing as the series itself.
One-Punch Man
Well, there is no way that you have not heard references made to this anime series by your friends or colleagues. Despite having a simple story, the anime show is very popular among the fans and has dropped out successful content to date. You can think of the show in the form of a very overblown action that can ever be executed on the screen by any anime series. The main protagonist in the series is Saitama who is also known to everyone as the legendary One Punch Man. Saitama is actually a very powerful superhero and has the physical abilities to defeat all his enemies. Now, the special thing about the concept of the show is that Saitama only needs one punch to defeat his foes and they are done. But this is frustrating Saitama out. Despite being the strongest man on the planet, despite being a superhero, despite being loved by the common man, Saitama is not satisfied with his life. All he wants to have is some cool adventure but that is not possible because all his enemies are defeated in just a punch. This fact has created so much boredom in his life that the character legit sets on a journey to get a worthy opponent in order to quench his thirst for someone stronger than him. The theme of the show gets a bit absurd at some point and it really shows. I mean, these ridiculous concepts are put so that the fans could also have the comedic elements while witnessing the characters fight.
All this while, the funniest thing that the fans have been discussing is the looks of Saitama given that he is a hero. It is truly a work of art that the creators have done on One Punch Man with the series serving the action as well as the humor purposes adequately. It just shows how popular it got within one year of its release and the work of visuals that was done during the concluding moments of the first installment makes the show even more worthwhile to watch. If you are a person who loves to watch the battle scenes and the best action or fight sequences that can be put out, then I must suggest that this series is your soulmate. Well, there are not all the themes that One Punch Man has to offer us. When you look at it, you will get to know how there is also a class of hierarchy present for all our heroes that assigns them the rules as well as the restrictions to engage in particular tasks. This makes the show even more amazing to watch with such plot twists and new themes being explored with a set universe. The fights can get so amusing to watch that you will get an urge to immediately switch to the next episode after finishing one. We have enemies of Saitama such as the Tank Top Vegetarian and this does not only sounds absurd but is also quite funny to look at. Then other foes include Superalloy Darkshine as well as Handsomely Masked Sweet Mask and a lot more. These are what going to get you addicted to the story and the curiosity to find out more about these creatures. All this while, you are going to get literal chills as you witness the theme song with which One Punch Man starts.
The Disastrous Life of Saiki K
If all you wanna do is sit down and watch something light for the afternoon with a snack in one hand, then The Disastrous Life of Saiki K is actually made for this purpose. The story is not intense at all and just by looking at the trailer or the snapshot, you can make out that this anime has the most ridiculous sort of visuals that are present in any anime on this list. So, the show started a few years ago and aired little content. An episode used to run for just 4 minutes and wrap up. Nevertheless, the series has been getting fans on its hooks after we witnessed the story of our lead protagonist, that is, Saiki. As it turns out, the show provides us with a variety of intricate details on the life of this character and we see how he is navigating through all the ups and downs caused due to his own psyche. This insightful information about Saiki gets us to know even more about the weird humor employed by the creators but it also provides for a nice entertaining duration. Later through time, as the reach of this series started getting better, we saw how the creators actually bundled up those 4-minute episodes into 24-minute episodes and our fun time got elongated even more. Well, this also created a sort of debate in which a variety of people argue about what size of the show is actually better. But that does not matter at all if you truly like this series. I mean, what is not there to like? It has humor and relaxing abilities like none other anime series and makes us for a fun watch. The Disastrous Life of Saiki K does not care about rules and the way a show has to be executed. The creators have put their own ideologies as well as thoughts in the show and regardless of how you watch the series, it makes it a unique thing. We witness such kinds of shows in the anime industry a lot which focuses on psychics, as well as the everyday life of a character but The Disastrous Life of Saiki K, is surely not like its companions. It has its own set of mythologies and concepts to follow without fearing what will the audience think. This is what makes people watch this daring show even more. The psychic abilities that are posed by the show are the ones that get you attached to the plot real quick. We witness that Saiki, the main character, does not like attention and he wants to do is get through his day without disturbing him. But obviously, this is an anime series and never in a million seasons has it happened that the characters get what they want to have. So, we witness how Saiki goes through his day-to-day troubles while entertaining us through it all. This guy has some of the best psychic powers ever given to a character by the creators. After each episode ends, we even are provided with potential cliffhangers that keep us hooked with its storyline. All this while, Saiki is not the only character present in the series. He has been accompanied by a bunch of other sidekicks that make his story look even more relatable to us. The Disastrous Life of Saiki K can easily be considered as one of the funniest as well as the creative shows to ever drop out for the fans.
High Score Girl
There are literally close to no anime series that have given away a plot as awesome as that of High Score Girl. If you are in love with retro video games and also would not mind the spice of romance to top it all off, then this series is made for you. It is the classic Arcade Love Tale that has been put out in the anime industry and should be watched by all the gamers at least once in their life. The show is has been licensed by the streaming giant Netflix and thus making it very easy to be accessible in other countries too. As for the timeline of the series, it is set in the 1990s. If you were a teenager during this era, you might already know how everyone was mad crazy about the arcades and the culture was high around these games. This is exactly the concept of High Score Girl. The main protagonist of the series is Haruo Yaguchi who is an ignorant and careless lad. All he worries about the most in his life is the video games at the arcade. Day and night, he can play those games and not blink twice or even get tired. Later in the scenes, we see that Yaguchi finally comes across a potential person who can challenge him and in this way, finds his partner. The name of this girl is Akira Oono and the two immediately get attached to each other after finding out about their common interests in the games. Without a doubt, High Score Girl is an unusual love story that is very interesting to watch. If you want to binge something that is out of the ordinary with your partner, then there is nothing in this world that I would suggest beyond High Score Girl. Both, the show as well as Yaguchi have the real form of passion towards these arcade games and it just is clearly displayed in the series. No one can ever beat the type of class set by this anime series. I mean, look at the love you guys, it is so pure and special that gets the audience to want to watch even more of it. There are plenty of references to other games inside this show as well such as Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter II. Back in the days, when Play Station had just launched, it even features the duration and the kind of vibe where people started detaching themselves from the arcades and rather sitting at home and playing games on their PC. The show has beautifully captured this transition that goes from actually dressing up and going to the arcades for fun and video games along with your friends to the time when you could just wake up and the game was right inside your house. All this while, there is not a drop of falsehood in High Score Girl as all the video games displayed inside the story are actually true. At some point, we even get to see the real footage from these games and all of it just reminds us of the nostalgic days when we too went to the arcades in our teenage to play these crazy video games and used to come home late in the evening. If you have grown up through this era, it is such a soulful watch in order to take you through a ride of all those memories that were once sitting at the back of your head. And of course, we have the budding romance to make the series even more exotic and fun to watch. Now, if you ask what is the most amazing bit in the series that you completely adored, then we have an answer to that too. Each episode went by and we saw Oono but we never ever heard her. She did not utter a single word throughout the run of the show and yet we all want her to be happy.
Gurren Lagann
This anime series, hands down, is one of the most creative titles that are employed in the show. Gurren Lagann does not have a simple plot or simple characters or a simple timeline. Everything that the creators have put in the episodes is extraordinary and the audience loves the show for that. So, the timeline of the series is set in the future era where humanity is forced to live under the ground in small communities or villages. It is because of the ruling given by the evil antagonist Spiral King called Lordgenome. He has immense powers, as we see him doing a tyrannical rule on the people and making them live in fear. But one fine day, the main protagonists of our show, that is, two teenagers, decide that they do not want to live like this. Obviously, if a person has been living under the Earth their entire lives, is bound to get curious about how the sky looks. So, as we go through each episode, these characters decide that they want to go on a journey to the outer land and experience its beauty. While being on their path to do so, they come across a very powerful mech called Lagann. Bravely, as the two protagonists are going through their set paths, they employ the powers of Lagann and fight off their enemies and at one point, even challenge Lordgenome. Now, now, no series is perfect in its own rights and you will always experience something odd about anime. For Gurren Lagann, it is the pace of the show when it starts. Yes, in the start, the plot is going to provide you with a lot of backstories as well as tell us about the characters and how have they been living all this time. But once the major twist happens and the two characters set on their journey, there is nothing that holds back the fact that Gurren Lagann is one of the most amazing mecha anime out there that comes along with a strong storyline. The most amazing thing about the series is that it starts small but eventually comes off so far and big that when you look back, you realize how amazing it can be. The main plot, as well as the subplots of the series, are woven so well that it is hard to understand the ending if you did not pay attention during the start. All you need to do to eat the sweet nectar that the creators prepared for you is to sit through the opening bunch of episodes without questioning anything. For real, the fans of Gurren Lagann will always have the respect that the series deserves for being an amazing mecha genre show. It surely builds up its plot very slowly but the moment it does, you will not realize how out of control and superb it can get.
Aggretsuko
You will not believe me until you actually see this show that it is literally one of the most relatable anime series that is available out there to watch. The main protagonist of the series is Retsuko who is a Red Panda. This show has been created by Sanrio and can be dubbed as the production company’s most popular project of all time. All this while, the other mascots of the company such as Hello Kitty as well as Keroppi are all about focusing on the cuteness of their main characters whose life is coated with sugar, Aggretsuko is completely opposite and makes us all feel like we are not alone in the world who feels the same. We all have rage inside of us despite the fact that we do not show it. There are emotions in our life that we do not like to display in public but that does not mean that they are absent. This anime show brings out that wilderness that we have been hiding and gives us the confidence that all this while, we were not wrong. Each scene in Aggretsuko is pretty normal. For an instance, this angry red panda is either going to do her job or she is hanging out with her friends or doing just some ordinary activity that we all normally do. As she goes through all of this, Aggretsuko is constantly trying to hide her rage and frustrations inside of her and not react to certain things (exactly like all of us do). But then something or the other always pushes her limit ad it is not long before she literally bursts into a bubble of anger and the unfiltered truth that is enough to make a common man cry. The music that goes on behind her is so dope and makes us all tune in with her feelings and makes us feel connected. There is not much of a plot to Aggretsuko. All this time we just see this red panda carrying out her daily chores but then again, there is something so good about watching someone being pushed to their limits. This is when we start feeling how the shoe truly is made for us and get us hooked to its characters and settings. Nobody tells it but we all have that frustrating day where something is constantly bugging us. So why not you guys tune in to Netflix in order to watch an anime that actually resonates with your mood? All this while, you really do not need to stress over the fact that this shoe has just one installment. It is because a new one has already been confirmed by the creators and it is going to drop for all of us pretty soon.
Little Witch Academia
The first and the most important thing that you guys need to know about this anime series is the fact that it has been made by Trigger studios. Now, you know why this show should be on your watchlist. Every anime fan out there is aware that anything that has been made by the production company, regardless of what the plot or the setting might be, is worth watching. The reason behind this trust in the Trigger is the fact that they have always been creating such amazing anime series that have beautiful visuals and are capable of keeping you hooked from start till the end. In the start when this tale was getting started, we saw that it was a film that came along and inspired a sequel too. But then fans started to fall in love with the concept generated by this show that all they wanted to do was explore the world where Luna Nova is located. This is the main reason why an anime series was put to work and given out for fans and shared the same level of enthusiasm as was shown for the movies. The plot of the show throws the entire spotlight on Akko Kagari. She happens to be a fan of the witches. All her life, she has been dreaming about enrolling in the prestigious school for witches known as the Luna Nova Magical Academy. This is where all the problems start to happen in her life because she is trying to get into something that she has not been molded for. As it turns out, the family from where Akko comes from is not magical and thus it makes her admission to the Luna Nova Academy a bit problematic. The major concept on which this series is based is the fact that there is a lot of beauty in magic but with all of that comes a great deal of responsibility. If you want to see an anime series that explores the positive side of magic and makes you feel good, then this show is something worth exploring. Also, you all should know that Akko is really not good at magic and the story follows her as she is struggling with adjusting herself in the top-notch school she is attending as well as the people around her. A bit of disclaimer before you watch this series. The show is no Harry Potter and about a character who immediately knows how to use magic. But in Little Witch Academia, Akko literally does not even know how to fly a basic broom in the proper manner. Obviously, she is not the only character in the show and the girls around her, provide for the fun elements in the series. When it comes to uniqueness, this shoe has plenty of that in its store. I mean, each episode is different from the previous one that you have finished and it makes it for a nice afternoon watch. One week the plot will focus on dragons and the other day it will be about haunted skeletons. Nevertheless, the series knows how to keep everyone entertained and thus, proves to be the right choice.
Also read: Best Anime Show To Watch On Hulu Right Now
