Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Culture

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

The 8 Best Anime to Stream on Amazon Prime Right Now

Hunter Lu
By
A still from Vinland Saga.

Anime is currently more popular than ever all over the world. A big reason for that is the ability to stream an array of classic and new anime from the comfort of one’s home. One of the best streaming services to get your anime fix is Amazon Prime. While both Netflix and Hulu have a great selection of anime, Amazon Prime has a combination of exclusive titles and classics ready to stream. Home to an impressive library of both movies and anime series, Amazon Prime is an excellent choice for any anime fan.

Related Guides

Elfen Lied

Lucy, main character in Elfen Lied.

Because of its cute animation style, it’s easy to let your guard down when watching Elfen Lied. However, this anime is dark, with jarring scenes of shocking, brutal violence. The story centers around Lucy, a seemingly normal girl who is actually a Diclonius — a human with short horns and invisible telekinetic hands, the result of secret government experiments. At the start of the story, Lucy escapes captivity from the government lab but suffers a terrible head injury in the process, turning her into a harmless girl with no memory of her past. She is rescued by two college students who are unaware of her true nature. The show takes a lot of twists and turns, each filled with adrenaline-pumping action.

Recommended Videos

Total Episodes: 14
IMDb Rating: 7.9

Blade of the Immortal

Blade of the Immortal poster.

This anime is a fun watch for any fan of samurai or sword fighting movies. While Blade of the Immortal has plenty of sword fights, it also includes a dark supernatural element. This anime is very adult, with lots of graphic imagery and menacing, if not downright insane villains. The story follows a ronin (a leaderless warrior) named Manji, the immortal “Hundred Man Killer” as he navigates feudal Japan. He teams up with Rin Asano, a 16-year-old girl on a revenge quest against a group of master swordsmen who murdered her family.

Total Episodes: 24
IMDb Rating: 7.5

Grand Blue Dreaming

Grand Blue Dreaming poster.

For something light-hearted and hilarious, Grand Blue Dreaming is a must-watch. This comedy anime is supposedly about a Japanese college diving and scuba club, yet the anime is primarily a series of ridiculous escapades, most of which have nothing to do with actual swimming. This slice of life anime has a fun cast of characters, who are a combination of dumb, eccentric, and endearing as they navigate girls, life, and school.

Total Episodes: 12
IMDb Rating: 7.9

Dororo

A close-up of Dororo's face.

Dororo is a wonderfully animated, emotional, and character-driven anime with a unique premise. A dark fantasy, Dororo centers on Hyakkimaru, a warrior who is blind, deaf, and mute. Adding to his complications, he also feels no pain and instead of human limbs, is equipped with prosthetics that ccarry hidden blades. Hyakkimaru teams up with Dororo, an orphan child, and the two proceed on a quest to unlock the warrior’s mysterious past. Dororo was first produced as an anime in 1969.

Total Episodes: 24
IMDb Rating: 8.4

Memories

The cast of Memories.

This beautiful and cerebral 1995 anime film gives off classic Blade Runner and cyberpunk vibes. Based on three manga stories from legendary artist and director Katsuhiro Otomo (creator of Akira), this movie is a collection of three short films. Intricately animated, each short film is unique in both presentation and story, swaying at times from the haunting to the darkly comical. You’ll find yourself creeped out and laughing throughout this film, a great sign of how diverse this movie is. This film is a must-watch for anyone craving a slice of classic, hand-drawn, 1990s anime.

Total Episodes: 3 (shorts)
IMDb Rating: 7.6

Inuyashiki Last Hero

Inyashiki last hero poster, two characters fighting in the night sky.

This anime series, although relatively short, is an adventure that must be experienced to understand. Based on a manga, Inuyashiki is about the story of Ichirou Inuyashiki, a mundane 58-year old Japanese salaryman who’s not respected at work or by his family. To make matters worse, he is diagnosed with stomach cancer. In a strange plot twist, he is abducted by aliens and transformed into a living weapon (although he still looks the same from the outside). It’s a bizarre premise that could easily venture into the absurd. Somehow, Inuyashiki avoids this, producing instead a deeply emotional and intense series. It also features a great villain, a character that is equally as well-written as the hero.

Total Episodes: 11
IMDb Rating: 7.7

Vinland Saga

Thorfinn holding two daggers.

For those fans of History Channel’s Vikings, Vinland Saga is its anime twin. Based on the best-selling manga, Vinland Saga is filled with medieval action, intrigue, and drama. From dazzling battles to intense duels, Vinland Saga has enough combat to satisfy any action junkie. But this epic anime is also a story of growing up, with a memorable cast of characters that don’t fit neatly into standard anime tropes. The main character of Vinland Saga is Thorfinn, a young Viking warrior that goes on a journey to see the mystical land of Vinland — North America.

Total Episodes: 24
IMDb Rating: 8.8

Babylon

The cast of Babylon.

This intricate detective story centers on Zen Seizaki, a public prosecutor in Tokyo. He is assigned a case to investigate a pharmaceutical company called Japan Supiri and soon discovers that things are not as simple as they appear. Murder, political intrigue, and cover-ups all stand in his way, with Zen struggling to stay one step ahead of his opponents. Babylon is a slow burn, neo-noir series filled with complex mystery centered on corruption and deceit. This is a great series for someone looking for an anime grounded in real-world issues and drama.

Total Episodes: 12
IMDb Rating: 6.5

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Hunter Lu
Hunter Lu
Contributor
Hunter Lu is a New York-based food and features writer, NYU graduate, and Iraq veteran. His fiction has appeared in The Line…
The best movies on Hulu to watch right now
Hulu continues to be an underrated place to watch movies, so here are the best ones

There's a lot of competition out there in the streaming world, and it can be hard to shuffle through the services to find a great flick to watch. Though Netflix and Amazon still have the platform beat in terms of overall quality, many of the films available on Hulu can't be streamed anywhere else. The best movies on Hulu can be gritty, family-friendly, and even sci-fi oriented. So if you're looking to expand your binge-watching horizons, we've found the best movies to watch on Hulu right now.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

Read more
The best movies on Disney+ to binge right now
From Moana to 10 Things I Hate About You, these are the best movies to stream on Disney+
best movies disney plus princessbride 1

Disney is arguably the most iconic entertainment brand in the world. The company's original properties and acquired ones combine to produce content that transcends age demographics. Disney has built a brand that's beloved by children, and those children eventually age into adults who introduce their children to the films they loved when they were kids. Disney's animation alone has made it iconic, but in recent years, the company has also acquired some of the biggest pieces of intellectual property there are.

Between its acquisitions of both Marvel and Star Wars, there's a good chance that whatever you love is being shepherded to screens both large and small by Disney. When they launched Disney+, the company was sure to fill it with both those nostalgic animated classics and plenty of new stuff as well. It's meant to be a streaming service for all ages, which is why the selection of movies available there is so diverse. These Disney Plus movies will make you laugh, cry, and rewatch over and over again. Here's a look at 13 of the best movies on Disney+.

Read more
The best shows on Netflix to stream right now
From Bojack Horseman to Derry Girls, these are the best series you can binge on Netflix right now.
Bojack Horseman and Princess Caroline

TV may not be peaking quite the way it was a few years back, but there are still more than enough shows out there to keep you busy. After Netflix emerged on the scene and revolutionized how we all watched TV, it was joined by a huge swath of competitors determined to take advantage of the streaming boom. All of those competitors have great stuff to watch, but Netflix is still many people's hub for all things TV. Even within the streamer, though, it can be difficult to figure out what the best shows on Netflix are.

Thankfully, that's where this list comes in. We've compiled a rundown of what to watch on Netflix, and these shows should add up to days and days of endless binging. You can also check out our list of the best Hulu series, best Amazon Prime series, best Disney+ series, and best Netflix movies after you've made it through the series listed below.

Read more