One of the best things about anime is, just like its most common source material, manga, its ability to balance narrative originality, an exploration of the genre's varied core tropes and themes, and fan service. Whatever your preference: action anime, light novel, slice of life, comedy, supernatural or horror there’s an anime to feed fit your current interests. The tricky part with the seemingly ever-volatile streaming marketplace is locking in reliable ways to access both forever watchable favorites to reel your friends into and discover new anime originals and long-awaited adaptations.
That’s where our best anime on Netflix list comes in. Think of it as an open conversation, a place to recall genre staples and older gems the streamer, thankfully, continues to extend its license to. It’s also a place to discover the original series coming out of Japan contemporaneously worth adding to your watchlist. If you're an anime diehard, then no one needs to tell you that as a platform Netflix tends to veer away from edgier fare in favor of series likely to be more widely accessible. But original content like Castlevania and its epic follow-up Castlevania: Nocturne and Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix and upcoming Blue Eyed Samurai show a growing commitment to adult anime; and that’s overall a good thing.
So like the Netflix library, the list is a mix of the immersive coming-of-age, the slightly dark and twisted, action-packed and occasionally esoteric the platform currently has on offer. The most well-known entries on the list showcase the diversity of the shonen genre consistently available on the platform. But those battle action narratives aren’t the only good series to be found in the streamer’s library or on this list.
Note: As this is a list of anime series to watch, no anime movies were considered for this feature. This list applies to U.S. Netflix subscribers. Some titles may not currently be available on international platforms (yet). This list will also be periodically amended to remove series no longer available on Netflix, as well as add anime shows now available for streaming on the service.
Good Night World
Based on the manga by the same name, Good Night World follows the Akabanea family who’ve, although estranged in the real world, found a sense of peace and unknowingly find their way to one another in a VR game called Planet. Directed by Katsuya Kikuchi with stylized character designs by Suzuna Okuyama and dynamic visuals animated by studio NAZ, leverages its understanding of gaming as a hefty connective thread between the real and digital world to anchor its story and use in-game elements and relationship building to best use. This story of a family battling debilitating grief and how it’s ravaged their lives and relationships in the real world is surprisingly well-suited to video game anime. The MMO style world introduces plenty of opportunity for monsters, battles and quests with choices the consequences of ripple into the far more somber real world. This family of four must confront their trauma and grief in ways that force them to acknowledge death, their dependence on the game, and what that means for them in the real world.
Good Night World’s strength lies in the human element and intimate care taken with the vital, if winding, path of emotional growth playing this game sets this broken family on. Despite a few wobbly story elements and some pacing inconsistencies episode to episode (due to being occasionally thematically overly ambitious), Good Night World makes for an constantly entertaining and deeply affecting story about relationship building, escapism and unavoidable if often grim nature of reality certain to resonate with those who like a bit of philosophical and existential angst with their escapism.
Den-noh Coil
If you prefer your coming-of-age stories in the form of a techno-thriller, Mitsuo Iso’s (Orbital Children) directorial debut Den-noh Coil and its near-future world where augmented reality glasses are a necessary accessory to everyday life. Set in 2026 Den-noh Coil follows middle schooler Yasako and her family as they attempt to settle into their new tech-saturated town Daikoku City. Yasako stumbles upon a mystery afoot in this scenic town where the traditional and futuristic collide: cyberpets and kids are going missing. Yasako joins her grandmother's unofficial detective agency. Soon she and the other school-age sleuths are hot on the trail of a virus, and its creator, corrupting the virtual space. Den-noh Coil, or Coil, and its storyline diving into the pros and cons of permitting tech integration into daily life may feel a bit prophetic in 2023. But that just means its stellar worldbuilding, careful character development, and narrative twists and turns holds up. It’s the kind of compelling slow-burn mystery that meets at the intersection of youthful shenanigans, urban legends, and the digital hubris. Animated by Madhouse and relying on beautiful watercolor-style visuals and music, Iso's first outing is a twenty-six episode gem that’s still far too underrated.
Mononoke
Mononoke follows Kusuriuri, also known as The Medicine Seller, (first introduced in Ayakashi: Japanese Classic Horror) in a supernatural murder mystery set in feudal Japan. Kusuriuri, a master of the occult, travels across Japan in search of malevolent spirits, mononoke, to destroy. These spirits prey on the negative emotions of humans. In order to destroy them, The Medicine Seller must complete intricate and dangerous steps in order to wield the Exorcism Sword in the fight against the. Between its animation styled after ukiyo-e paintings and a storyline firmly rooted in the supernatural, Mononoke offers varied story arcs rooted in folklore to take you on a thematically rich journey into a psychologically kaleidoscope. It’s intensely weird, and yet, strangely humanistic. This engaging nightmare-fuel is a cult classic for good reason.
Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead
Adapted from the manga by Haro Aso and Kotaro Takata, Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead is a colorful satire where finding yourself in the midst of the zombie apocalypse is better than being a wage slave in a dead end job. 24-year old Akira Tendou is worn out after three years of mind-numbing work at a company deadset on wringing every bit of life out of him to meet their corporate demands. What was once his dream job has left him alone and feeling unaccomplished. Until the day he wakes up in the middle of the zombie outbreak and realizes he never has to go to work again. What follows is a hilarious and fantastical adventure jam-packed with life lessons and horrific cautionary tales as Akira decides to work his way through his bucket list with all his sudden free time. If you’re looking for a slice-of-life anime series with a unique manic energy and horror edge then Zom 100 calling your name.
One Piece
One Piece is a long-running shonen anime about Monkey D. Luffy sails with his globetrotting crew of Straw Hat Pirates on their hunt for the treasure One Piece and quest to become the new king of the pirates. Based on Eiichiro Oda’s manga the anime adaptation is full of high action and laughs. With an ensemble made up of an eclectic group of male and female characters, there’s a camaraderie and sense of adventure that keeps the series engaging season after season. This series houses some of the greatest anime characters of all time.
See our guide to watching One Piece in order for more info about the series.