Japanese animation has become a major influence on Western cartoons, contemporary cinema, and even fashion design. Despite its reputation as lowbrow and nerdy, anime remains one of the most boundary-pushing genres in contemporary visual arts. However, It can be hard to get into it if you choose the wrong series from the get-go. The good news is: Netflix has some of the best anime series of all time currently streaming on its service. The bad news is: they also have a lot of really bad TV shows to sort through.
Luckily, we’ve done the hard work of sorting through the platform and finding the hidden gems you’ll want to watch. From beloved classics to next wave Netflix anime brilliance, here we’ve gathered the best anime on Netflix for April 2021.
We’ve also found the best anime on Hulu and the overall best Netflix series if you’re interested, or take a look at our guide to watch cartoons online.
DOTA: Dragon’s Blood
Dota: Dragon’s Blood is one of the latest anime series to arrive on Netflix, and it is terrific. Based on Dota 2, a video game originally released in 2013, this show is an epic fantasy with plenty of blood and gore to keep action fans satisfied. The story follows a Dragon Knight named Davion who finds himself in an unlikely encounter between a demon and a dragon — and things only get more interesting from there.
Creator: Ashley Miller
Total Episodes: 8
IMDb Rating: 8.2
Demon Slayer: Kimetzu no Yaiba
After his family is attacked and killed by demons, Tanjiro finds that only one of his sisters managed to survive. However, she is also slowly turning into a demon herself. To find a way to cure his sister of her curse and avenge his family, Tanjiro sets out to become a demon slayer. Though the premise may seem like many other sci-fi anime series out there, Demon Slayer is a unique and entertaining experience to enjoy.
Total Episodes: 26
IMDb Rating: 8.7
Great Pretender
If you like movies about con artists or heist movies like Oceans 11, then this is the best Netflix original anime to sink your teeth into. The story follows a young Japanese conman who ends up getting entangled in scams much bigger than he could ever think up himself. As the series progresses, you get a deeper look into each main character’s backstory as their elaborate cons unfold. And of course, there’s always the big reveal at the end of each scam which is extremely satisfying.
Total Episodes: 23
IMDb Rating: 8.0
Food Wars!
If you can recall the mouthwatering meals from Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away, then you probably already know the importance of food in anime. Food Wars! is a fantastic anime series that takes that idea and runs away with it. The story follows a young and talented aspiring chef named Souma. Though he was content working with his father in their small eatery in Japan, he gets thrust into an entirely new world of cooking when he begins studying at a culinary academy with some of the finest young chefs in the world. We’ve also found some of the best cooking shows on Netflix if you’re looking for more like this.
Total Episodes: 37
IMDb Rating: 8.2
B: The Beginning
This Netflix original anime series is dark, exciting, and suspenseful. If you’re a fan of good thriller anime and are looking for a new show to binge on, this is a good one to dive into. It’s based in a world powered by technology, a legendary investigator for the Royal Police is in hot pursuit of a serial killer nicknamed “Killer B”. Naturally, the story unravels from there, revealing a mysterious criminal organization and some terrible human experiments.
Total Episodes: 18
IMDb Rating: 7.2
Sword Art Online
Taking place in the year 2022, thousands of gamers find themselves trapped in a new and fully immersive virtual MMORPG. The series follows Kirito as he becomes one of the strongest players in the game in an attempt to escape. If you’ve ever enjoyed an online RPG game before, this RPG anime series is definitely worth a watch. And if you like this series, you can also browse our picks of the best sci-fi shows on Netflix for a broader selection.
Total Episodes: 74
IMDb Rating: 7.6
Erased
As a psychological thriller anime, Erased will draw you in and keep you watching. The plot follows a 29-year-old man named Satoru who has an uncontrollable power to go back in time whenever something terrible happens in his immediate vicinity. This ability has helped him stop a lot of terrible things from happening in his life, but it’s never taken him more than a few seconds or minutes back in time. But when an encounter with a serial killer brings up old memories and ends in death, Satoru finds he must go back 18 years to his 5th-grade body to try to stop the killer.
Total Episodes: 13
IMDb Rating:8.5
Blue Exorcist
Blue Exorcist is an excellent series to dive into if you haven’t already. The story follows a seemingly ordinary teenager named Rin Okumura who discovers he’s the son of Satan. He is sent to the True Cross Academy to train to become an exorcist and fight both the demons in the world and the demon within himself.
Total Episodes: 39
IMDb Rating: 7.5
Fullmetal Alchemist and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Not quite as cerebral or surreal as other shows in this list, FMA is a tightly wound high-fantasy series that has garnered several generations of fans. A bit of explanation: Full Metal Alchemist takes a turn halfway through that changes the story vastly from the series’ source material, while Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood is a more strictly adhered-to adaptation of the original books. Most FMA acolytes think the latter is far superior, but both are excellent. Telling the story of Edward and Alphonse Elric, brothers who survived a traumatic magical accident now hoping to right their mistakes of the past — the show explores themes of filial piety and the ramifications of global war.
Total Episodes: 64
IMDb Rating: 9.1
One Piece
One Piece is one of the best shows of all time, not just one of the best anime series on Netflix. And if you’re looking for something wonderful with an overwhelming amount of episodes, this is it. The story follows a good-natured and adventurous young pirate named Monkey D. Luffy as he dives headfirst on a quest for the legendary “One Piece” treasure. Whoever can claim the treasure will claim the coveted title of “Pirate King”. If you’re looking for a good adventure anime, this is it.
Total Episodes: 130
IMDb Rating: 8.7
No Game, No Life
Siblings Sora and Shiro are two of the most feared pro gamers in the world. When the pair defeats a god in a seemingly innocuous chess match online, they find themselves thrust into an entirely different world where every dispute is settled by playing games.
Total Episodes: 12
IMDb Rating: 7.8
Castlevania
This Netflix original anime is based on Castlevania: Dracula’s Curse, the 3rd installment of the video game saga. The third season has arrived after an excellent first two parts. Though many of the best Anime series are made into English dubs eventually, this show was made first and foremost for its American audience. With loads of action, mystery, vampires, and witty one-liners, Castlevania is a must-watch if you’re looking to fill that sci-fi void in your heart that never goes away.
Take a look at our list of the best animated series on Netflix for more shows like this one.
Total Episodes: 22
IMDb Rating: 8.2
Parasyte: The Maxim
When 17-year-old Shinichi Izumi is partially infected by an alien Parasyte, he finds he must learn how to coexist with this creature to survive. The Parasytes that managed to fully take over their human hosts pose an immense threat to both him and the rest of humanity.
Total Episodes: 24
IMDb Rating: 8.4
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion is widely touted as one of the greatest television series of all time, and with good reason. What begins as a relatively standard show about giant fighting robots turns into a post-modern meditation on the darkest depths of depression. This sci-fi masterpiece is as much an Oedipal psychodrama as it is an action-packed adventure. Don’t expect to understand what’s going on the first time around, but you’ll definitely be rewarded with a re-watch. (Note: the version currently on Netflix has been re-translated, re-dubbed, and re-scored from the original series that aired on TV in the 90’s due to ongoing licensing issues. The general consensus is that this new version is good enough, but not quite as iconic as the original.)
Total Episodes: 26
IMDb Rating: 8.5
One Punch Man
This anime series follows the life of Saitama, a hero that fights evil just because it’s fun to do so. Of course, fighting can only be so entertaining when you can defeat any enemy with a single punch. With comedy intricately intertwining with action, One Punch Man is a unique series that even anime newbies can enjoy from the start.
Total Episodes: 12
IMDb Rating: 8.8
Attack on Titan
Humans are on the brink of extinction, hiding behind huge walls in an attempt to escape giant humanoid creatures called Titans. Despite being safe within the confines of their own containment for over 100 years, the Titans manage to break through the walls once again and attack an outer city. Two kids watch in horror as their loved ones are devoured alive, and they vow to survive and fight this menace.
Total Episodes: 25
IMDb Rating: 8.8
Death Note
An intelligent and cynical high school student suddenly finds himself in possession of a magical notebook that can kill anyone whose name is written in it. With such power, he attempts to cleanse the world of evil by taking out those who have committed atrocities.
Total Episodes: 37
IMDb Rating: 9.0
Haikyu!!
Even if you don’t like sports, this series is so good that you may find yourself with a sudden appreciation for volleyball by the end of it. The story is centered around a short student named Hinata who dreams of one day making it to the national championship. Driven forward by sheer determination alone, he must refine his skills and master relationships with his teammates to become the best player he can be.
Total Episodes: 50
IMDb Rating: 8.7
Hunter x Hunter
Gon Freecs is a young boy living a peaceful life on a remote island. But when he finds out his father, who he thought was dead, is actually one of the top Hunters in the world, he dedicates his life to becoming a Hunter as well. It’s one of the best adventure anime you can watch on Netflix right now.
Total Episodes: 75
IMDb Rating: 8.9
Kill la Kill
As an entry-level anime, Kill La Kill probably doesn’t work. The series is something of a hyperactive pastiche of shonen (anime/manga for boys) and shojo (anime/manga for girls) tropes, making it a bit incomprehensible if you haven’t seen the shows it consistently refers to. That being said: the extreme over-the-topness and wild action sequences are both goofy and erotically titillating. Don’t expect any kind of moral message or ideological coherence, though.
Total Episodes: 24
IMDb Rating: 7.9
Aggretsuko
Retsuko is a 25-year-old red panda working a soul-sucking job as an accountant at a trading firm. She is much more than that though, she is also the star of this rather relatable workplace musical comedy. Retsuko deals with the frustrations of her office job by shrieking out death metal every night at her local karaoke bar. This Anime delivers something fresh, comedic, and character-driven that you’ll want to keep watching.
Total Episodes: 30
IMDb Rating: 8.0
Jo Jo’s Bizarre Adventure
This action-packed series is a unique one. It follows the life and struggles of the Joestar bloodline as each descendant faces the forces of evil. Beginning in 1880 with Jonathan Joestar, each season takes you on a psychic-powered journey, or a “Bizarre” adventure if you will. Though it begins to follow a fairly common magical power hierarchy you’d expect to see in a series like this, surprising twist and turns make it a delightfully refreshing watch.
Total Episodes: 74
IMDb Rating: 8.4
Gurren Lagann
The legendary animation studio Gainax (the same company that created the aforementioned magum opus, Evangelion) took another stab at giant fighting robots with Gurren Lagann, a far less serious interpretation of a timeworn subgenre. The heartwarming story arc explodes with feel-good positivity. Campy and flirtatious dialogue pairs well with the series’ high-energy fight scenes. It’s one of the best action anime series you’ll find on Netflix.
Total Episodes: 27
IMDb Rating: 8.3
Kakegurui
The absurd premise of Kakegurui — a high school populated by gambling geniuses — belies a raunchy story filled with more adult themes and imagery. Probably the most NSFW show on this list, the grotesque eroticism of the series makes for a bizarre art experience, and the twist-filled plot is consistently compelling. The series takes some truly strange turns in the second season but remains as addictive as playing the slots throughout.
Total Episodes: 24
IMDb Rating: 7.2
The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.
Saiki Kusuo is an overpowered psychic who hates attracting any kind of attention at all. And yet, he finds himself surrounded by a colorful group of students at his high school. With the ability to hear the thoughts of others (among many other powers) Saiki can’t help himself from getting involved in just about everything going on at school.
Total Episodes: 22
IMDb Rating: 8.3
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