16 Feb 2023 2:23 PM +00:00 UTC

Best anime on Netflix - Our top picks

Three different posters consisting of a group of monsters, a fake family, and a yakuza

Netflix is filled with a wide array of shows and movies, including anime. It's no surprise that anime has penetrated the global entertainment audience over the past couple of years. With that in mind, we've put together a list of some of the best anime on Netflix.

From masterpieces like the Studio Ghibli films of Hayao Miyazaki to mainstream classics like Naruto, Netflix brings numerous choices from the world of Japanese animation to the table. With unique stories across multiple genres, Netflix's anime roster does not fail to entertain long-term anime fans, as well as newcomers to this category.

Gear up for some action-packed stories, tear-jerking tales, and narratives full of depth and drama from both the newest series and popular hits. For more anime recommendations, check out our list of the best new anime of 2022 and the best romance anime.

Here is the best anime on Netflix

Blue Period

In this coming-of-age drama, we're introduced to Yatora Yaguchi, a fairly popular student who excels in school, but secretly struggles with fulfilment issues. One day, while visiting his high school’s art club, Yatora is inspired and determined to pursue art, making it his goal to attend the Tokyo University of the Arts.

Blue Period offers a lot of emotional moments and reality hits within its 12-episode debut. Its relatable messages of finding a purpose and being persistent in chasing your dreams have resonated with its viewers.

To Your Eternity

An immortal orb called 'It' is cast to Earth, being observed from afar. Shifting from being a wolf to later a boy, the immortal gains consciousness and experiences humanity itself. To Your Eternity follows this tale of the immortal, learning what it means to be human in its encounters with various people over time.

Following the life of the immortal, one gets to learn how humanity is experienced through experience itself. Few stories are as existential as this.

The Way of the Househusband

Man in a suit and apron looks down on the camera.

A slice-of-life comedy, this show details the life of retired yakuza boss, Tatsu, dubbed The Immortal Dragon, as he becomes a house husband to support his career-woman wife, Miku. Each episode gives viewers a glimpse into the couple’s life as Tatsu’s domestic work clashes with his fearsome appearance and intimidating personality.

During Tatsu’s frequent errand-running, he comes across former yakuza associates and rivals, which brings loads of surprise and amusement. For sure, you’ll have a good time with this hilarious series.

Carole and Tuesday

A blonde girl holding a guitar and a black-haired girl with a piano play music together.

On a futuristic and partially terraformed Mars, teenager Tuesday Simmons runs away from her opulent lifestyle and makes her way to Alba City with just a suitcase and guitar to pursue her musician dreams. In her first few days in the city, she meets Carole Stanley, an orphaned refugee from Earth and another aspiring musician, who plays the piano. The new friends then decide to team up as a singer-songwriter duo under the name Carole & Tuesday.

What makes this one of the best anime to watch on Netflix right now is how its titular characters find the type of love they seek by simply being there for each other. Certainly, this anime hits all the right notes for a feel-good story.

Haikyuu!!

Black-haired male and orange-haired male look back against each other.

Another iconic anime, Haikyuu!! tells the story of Hinata Shoyo, a short boy determined to become a star volleyball player after seeing a championship’s top player nicknamed 'the Small Giant'.

Inspired by him, Hinata joins Karasuno High School’s volleyball team, surprisingly crossing paths with Tobio Kageyama, a prodigy who formerly humiliated Hinata in a middle school volleyball match. Despite their differences, the duo begins their journey to the top, learning what it takes to be part of a team.

Haikyuu!! presents the genre in its rawest sense, with the protagonists being relatively inexperienced and slowly building up the path of the team’s volleyball journey.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

A slime is surrounded by his monster friends.

One of the best isekai anime to date, this series features the story of a newly reincarnated slime in an unfamiliar world. Acquiring his newfound skills like the Predator, which allows him to devour anything and mimic its appearance and skills, Rimuru begins his journey as the new leader of the forest after devouring Veldora, a dragon and former leader of the Great Forest of Jura.

This anime isn’t like any typical isekai series. There’s so much emotional context drawn from Rimuru’s encounters. More than that, viewers fall in love with Rimuru’s charisma and kind personality, which gives more meaning to his interactions.

Great Pretender

A black-haired man stares off grumpily into the sunset.

An average swindler, Makoto 'Edamame' Edamura suddenly gets whisked away into a life of scamming after a seemingly clueless tourist, Laurent Thierry, cons him. With the police now after Edamame, he follows Laurent and challenges him for the self-proclaimed title of Japan’s greatest swindler.

This anime follows the grandiose scams of Edamame alongside Laurent and his associates, as they dance with danger in staging high-stakes swindles across the world. The colourful palettes strike a chord with the story’s extravagant scams, which make each heist more exciting.

Violet Evergarden

A blonde girl looks straight at the camera with melancholy.

A steampunk drama, Violet Evergarden follows the titular character as she works as a ghostwriter in a post-war setting. With Violet struggling to understand and express her emotions due to growing up in the navy, she seeks to understand the last words her mentor and guardian Major Gilbert said to her: “I love you.”

Dealing with the themes of loss and purpose, Violet Evergarden is definitely a tearjerker, as Violet comes to understand the spectrum of human emotion.

Demon Slayer

A boy looks at the plants with adoration.

Demon Slayer follows the grief-stricken life of Tanjirou Kamado as his family is slaughtered by flesh-eating demons, with the only survivor being his sister, Nezuko, who has been turned into a demon herself. Tanjirou vows to avenge his family and stays by his sister, eventually joining the Demon Slayer Corps, doing whatever it takes to defeat the demons and protect what remains of his sister’s humanity.

With its steady pacing and attention-grabbing action sequences, Demon Slayer brings life to the myths and history of its setting.

Spy x Family

A father, mother, and child together are looking at a city scene from the side.

As one of the newest anime of 2022, Spy x Family has sneaked into the hearts of fans. Following the lives of the Forger family, consisting of a spy named Loid, Yor, an assassin, and a telepath named Anya, each member must play their part to keep the peace between the lands of Westalia and Ostania.

An action comedy that combines unique personalities, Spy x Family doesn’t fail to live up to its hype with its adventurous episodes and scene-stealing moments for its characters.

For more anime recommendations, check out our lists on the best new anime of 2022 and the best One Piece movies.

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