Anime on Netflix: The 26 must watch in 2023

Thanks to its growing popularity, you can watch a lot of great anime on Netflix — even if you’re not in Japan. The streaming platform has a huge library of more than 200 TV shows and movies. Some of them are the latest titles, too — like the newest season of Attack on Titan or Kimetsu no Yaiba.

Anime is a great tool for learners who want to study Japanese informally. These films let you hear natural conversations between native Japanese and common phrases. Still, if you’ve got an account — who doesn’t? — it can be hard to sift through everything to find gold. Luckily, we’ve done the sifting for you.

From all-time classics to new adaptations, we have picked some of the best anime you need to watch on Netflix. 

Disclaimer: Some anime TV shows and films on Netflix might not be available in your country/region.

Jump to:

• Action and Adventure Anime on Netflix
• Romance and Slice-of-Life Anime on Netflix
• Comedy or Coming-of-Age Anime on Netflix
• Family-friendly Anime Shows on Netflix

Action and Adventure Anime on Netflix

We’re grouping anime shows on Netflix based on their genre. While a lot of shows have a mix of them, like comedy-action and mystery-horror, we try to label them based on their most defining genre.

This section covers anime shows that lean towards shonen (young male audience) and seinen (adult male audience). There may be more mature elements involved: grey morality, gore and dark themes.

Attack on Titan

You can’t start becoming an anime fan without knowing about Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin in Japanese). Based on the bestselling manga series by Hajime Isayama, the series follows Eren Yeager, who lives in a civilization surrounded by three walls.

These walls protect the people from the Titans: humanoid giants who attack and eat humans. After his mother is eaten by a titan, Eren swears revenge on the titans and enlists in the military alongside his friends Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert.

As the series progresses, they learn more about the origin of the titans as well as the people outside Paradis.

The anime was produced by Studio Wit for the first 3 seasons. The fourth and final season was produced by MAPPA, who you may know for Yuri!!! on Ice, Zombieland Saga and Jujutsu Kaisen.

Coto recommends: 100 Japanese Anime Vocabulary Words You Can (Or Can’t) Use

Demon Slayer

Demon Slayer or Kimetsu no Yaiba is the story of Tanjiro and Nezuko Kamado. Taking place in the Taisho era Japan, a demon named Muzan has been injecting others with his blood, turning them into demons.

Demons are superhuman and feed off human blood. To combat them, a ‘Demon Slayer Corps’ has been established, and they wage a secret war against demons. Tanjiro returns home one day to find his family killed and his sister, Nezuko, turned into a demon.

qHe is discovered by a demon slayer, who takes him in and trains him. Tanjiro now aims to avenge his family and cure his sister, who is surprisingly human for a demon. 

The anime was made by Ufotable, who you may know from Fate/Zero  and Fate/Stay Night.

Jujutsu Kaisen

Jujutsu Kaisen follows an abnormally strong young boy. Yuji Itadori, who hangs out with his school’s occult club, who have found a cursed artifact. On his grandfather’s deathbed, he hopes that Itadori will “help people” so that when he dies he will be surrounded by others, unlike his grandfather.

These words resonate with him when he is informed by Megumi Fushiguro that the cursed artifact is dangerous, and the occult club’s plan to unseal it could prove fatal. In a last-ditch effort to defeat a demon drawn to the artifact, Itadori eats it and becomes possessed by a demon.

Itadori is able to control the possession, much to the shock of Megumi, and his teacher Satoru Gojo proposes that instead of being exorcized, they train Itadori. This way he can eat more of the cursed artifact so they can exorcize all of them at once. 

Now, Itadori must undergo training to be able to suppress his curse, to fulfill his grandfather’s wish of helping others. 

The anime is done by Studio MAPPA.

Cowboy Bebop

In this classic sci-fi anime, you follow the crew of the spaceship Bebop, bounty hunters who capture criminals and bring them in for rewards from the Inter Solar System Police. The crew is made up of Spike Spiegel, a former hitman, and Jet Black, a former ISSP officer.

They are also joined by Faye Valentine, a con artist, Edward, a child hacker and Ein, a dog with human-like intelligence. 

The studio responsible for Cowboy Bebop is Sunrise, which is now known as Bandai Namco Filmworks. You may know their other works Gundam, Code Geass and Gintama.

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Humanity is facing a threat in the form of “Angels”, monstrous beings that invade the city of Tokyo-3. To combat them, humanity rests their hope in NERV, a mysterious organization led by Gendou Ikari.

They operate giant robots dubbed “Evangelions”, equipped with advanced weaponry and protective barriers known as Absolute Terror Fields.

Gendou calls his estranged son, Shinji, to return to Tokyo-3 as Shinji is the only child capable of piloting Evangelion Unit-01, a robot that synchronizes with his biometrics. Shinji must now defend Tokyo-3, oblivious to the plans of his father.

Was produced by Studio Gainax and animated by Tatsunoko Production. You may know Gainax for FLCL, Gurren Lagann and Panty & Stocking.

The Great Pretender

Great Pretender follows Makoto Edamura, the self-proclaimed best con artist in Japan. He has been led into a life of crime due to unfortunate circumstances, and now spends his time scamming and stealing from others.

This all changes when he is tricked by another con-man, Laurent Thierry, and ends up in Los Angeles. To regain his honor, he challenges Laurent to a competition of scamming, with LA’s biggest mafia boss as their target.

The Great Pretender was produced by Studio Wit, who you may know for Attack on Titan, Ranking of Kings and Vinland Saga.

Trigun

In another classic anime, Trigun you follow “Vash the Stampede”, a man with a 60 billion bounty on his head and the nickname “The Humanoid Typhoon”. He earned that nickname after accidentally destroying a city with his supernatural powers, which contrasts with the pacifism he displays when he is attacked.

Unfortunately, he cannot remember the incident due to amnesia, only remembering fragments from that time as well as his own childhood.

He is followed by two Bernardelli Insurance Society employees, Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson, who follow him around trying to reduce the damages caused by his presence. Slowly learn about Vash’s past as well as the past of the planet they are on, Gunsmoke.

Trigun was adapted from a manga by Yasuhiro Nightow. It was animated by studio Madhouse, who you may know for Monster, Hajime no Ippo and Hunter x Hunter.

YuYu Hakusho

YuYu Hakusho is a classic shonen anime that tells the story of Yusuke Urameshi. While attempting to save a child’s life, he is struck by a car and killed.

After being tested by Koenma, son of Enma, the ruler of the underworld, he is returned to life and given the title of “Underworld Detective”. Now, he must investigate supernatural cases involving demons and ghosts in the underworld.

Along the way, he meets and teams up with Kazuma Kuwabara, Youko Kurama and Hiei.

YuYu Hakusho is adapted from a manga by Yoshihiro Togashi. The anime was produced by Studio Pierrot, who you may know for Naruto, Bleach and Great Teacher Onizuka.

Drifting Dragons

Drifting Dragons follows the Quin Zaza and its crew. The Quin Zaza is an airship that specializes in one thing: hunting dragons. Dragons are their source of income, they can be made into medicine, oil and most notably, food.

However, they can be dangerous, and the crew must be very careful when hunting, lest they meet an unfortunate end.

Drifting Dragons is adapted from a manga by Taku Kuwabara. The anime was produced by Polygon Pictures, who you may know for Ajin: Demi-Human. Notably, Polygon Pictures is a studio that specializes in CG animation, and Drifting Dragons is no exception.

Steins Gate (Steins;Gate)

Steins Gate follows self-proclaimed mad scientist Rintaro Okabe, and his friends Mayuri Shiina and Itaru Hashida. The three of them work on a “phone microwave”, which has the stunning ability to morph bananas into a green gel.

That’s all it can do, or so they think. After an incident spurs Okabe into sending a text message, he discovers that the message arrived before he sent it. The “phone microwave” was capable of sending messages to the past, changing the course of history.

Steins Gate is adapted from a visual novel developed by 5pb. And Nitroplus. The anime was produced by White Fox, who you may know for Girl’s Last Tour, Re:Zero and Goblin Slayer.

Kemono Jihen

Kemono Jihen starts with Kohachi Inugami, a detective from Tokyo, visiting a village in the countryside. He’s there to investigate some animal bodies that had been rotting away after a single night.

While on the case, he meets a strange boy who works in the field every day instead of going to school. That boy is Kabane Kusaka, nicknamed “Dorotabo” after a yokai that lives in the mud.

He helps Inugami discover the source of the killings, and the two of them discover the supernatural origin of the killings and Kusaka.

Kemono Jihen is based on a manga by Sho Aimoto. It was adapted by Ajia-do Animation Works.

Romance and Slice-of-Life Anime on Netflix

If you’re looking for something light and fun, consider romance and slice-of-life anime shows on Netflix. We’re putting both shonen and shoujo (young girl audience) into one basket.

We recommend starting out with these two genres or anime shows for children if you want to use anime for Japanese learning. Characters here use casual Japanese and simpler sentences, which mimic real-life conversations between natives.

Violet Evergarden

Violet Evergarden is a young war veteran. Postwar, she joins the Auto Memory Dolls, a group of people who write letters on behalf of those who cannot.

Already emotionally detached, Violet needs to understand the emotions of her customers. Her ultimate purpose is to understand the last words spoken by her guardian, Major Gilbert: “I love you.”

The anime was produced by Kyoto Animation which was also responsible for Nichijou, Sound! Euphonium and Hyouka.

Blue Period

Blue Period follows Yatora Yaguchi, a smart, talented student who feels empty inside. He spends his time hanging out with his delinquent friends, unsure of what he wants in life. This changes when he comes across a painting by one of his classmates in art class, and becomes inspired to try art himself.

From there, he developed a passion for art, joining his school’s art club and aiming to get into Tokyo University of the Arts. 

This coming-of-age story is adapted from a manga by Tsubasa Yamaguchi, and was animated by Seven Arcs.

Horimiya

Hori Kyoko is a bright, popular high school girl, in stark contrast to Miyamura Izumi, a gloomy loner. At home, to take care of her younger brother, Souta,  she gives little thought to appearances and is extremely plain.

This is a side to her she doesn’t want anyone to find out about, and she takes great care to hide this from her classmates. All this changes when she runs into a tattooed, piercing-wearing individual who recognizes her – none other than Miyamura.

The two agree to keep each other’s secret, and thus their relationship begins. The series is adapted from a manga by Hiroki Adachi, better known by their pseudonym Hero. 

The anime is done by CloverWorks.

Spice and Wolf

Spice and Wolf tells the story of Kraft Lawrence, a 25-year-old traveling merchant. While stopped at the town of Pasloe, he comes across Holo, the town’s goddess of the harvest.

As the town has aged, the people have begun to move away from needing her protection, and she has felt hurt and unneeded. As such, she wants to return to her homeland in the north called Yoitsu.

Lawrence recognizes her unusual ability to evaluate a person’s character and accepts her offer. Now armed with a wise negotiator, he inches forward to his dream of starting his own shop.

Spice and Wolf is adapted from a light novel by Isuna Hasekura. The anime was written by Naruhisa Arakawa and directed by Takeo Takahashi.

Carole & Tuesday

In the future, on a terraformed Mars, Tuesday Simmons runs away from her life as the daughter of a politician to pursue her dream of being a musician.

She runs to Alba City, where she meets Carole Stanley, an orphan from the earth and a fellow musician wannabe. The two of them team up and make music under the name Carole & Tuesday.

Carole & Tuesday was animated by Studio Bones.

Comedy or Coming-of-Age Anime on Netflix

Haikyuu

When Hinata Shouyou watched a national volleyball match, he quickly fall in love with the sport. Despite his short height, he grow determined to become a volleyball player and join his star player’s previous volleyball club.  

Little Witch Academia

Atsuko Kagari, better known as Akko, is a young Japanese girl aiming to be a witch. She wants to be just like her hero, Shiny Chariot, a famous witch but struggles due to her lack of magical talent. Luckily for her, she uncovers the Shiny Rod, a lost magical wand used by the Chariot that possesses incredible power.

Now she is enrolled at Luna Nova Magical Academy alongside her roommates Sucy Manbavaran and Lotte Jansson. Follow her as she tries to return Chariot’s wand and learn how to be a witch. 

Little Witch Academia was created by Yoh Yoshinori and was animated by Studio TRIGGER. You may know them from Kill La Kill, Gurren Lagann or BNA: Brand New Animal.

Aggretsuko

Aggretsuko (Aggressive Retsuko) is a comedy anime about 25-year-old red panda Retsuko. She works in a Japanese trading firm and faces many of the issues faced by Japanese her age in the job economy.

To vent her frustrations with her co-workers and superiors, she goes to karaoke every night and sings death metal. She tries to stay positive while being weighed down by many events, like her relationship with her co-workers and the safety in her job.

The anime is based on an Original Net Animation (ONA) by Rarecho, and was produced by Fanworks studio and Netflix themselves.

Mob Psycho 100

In the world of Mob Psycho 100, there exist espers, people with psychic powers capable of incredible feats. Our main character, Shigeyo Kageyama, nicknamed ‘Mob’, is one such esper. He possesses incredible psychic power, but you wouldn’t be able to tell based on his plain appearance.

He is unemotional too, for good reason. If he gets too emotional, he could lose control of his powers and hurt someone. To learn to control his powers, he studies under Reigen Arataka, a self-proclaimed spirit medium. Follow him as he tries to live an ordinary life!

Mob Psycho 100 is adapted from a manga written and illustrated by ONE, the author of One Punch Man. The anime is made by Studio Bones, who you may know for Fullmetal Alchemist, Bungou Stray Dogs and My Hero Academia.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Haruhi Suzumiya is an eccentric high school girl that is constantly on the lookout for supernatural phenomena. She drags along her classmate, Kyon, and creates a club known as the “SOS Brigade”.

They recruit 3 members, Yuki Nagoto, Mikuru Asahina and Itsuki Koizumi. They are revealed to Kyon as the type of supernatural beings Haruhi is looking for, sent by their respective organizations. Unbeknownst to Haruhi, she possesses reality-warping powers!

The 3 are there to prevent her from unleashing or realizing she even has those powers. They work together with Kyon to entertain Haruhi, lest she gets bored and imagines a new world, which could potentially destroy the current world.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is adapted from a light novel series by Nagaru Tanigawa. The anime was done by Kyoto Animation.

Beastars

Beastars takes place in a world much like ours, only that everyone is an anthropomorphic animal. As animals, everyone still maintains their instincts and desires, which has led to tension between herbivores and carnivores.

The main character, Legoshi, is a wolf. Despite being a carnivore, he is quiet and shy. As a part of his school’s drama club, he acts as a stagehand, supporting the actors of the club. The star actor is Louis, a deer in a complicated relationship with Haru, a dwarf rabbit.

Legoshi meets Haru and develops an interest in her. After an alpaca gets murdered, herbivore and carnivore relations become strained and Legoshi starts to understand what it means to be a carnivore.

Beastars was adapted from a manga by Paru Itagaki, the daughter of Keisuke Itagaki (Author of Grappler Baki). The animation studio behind this show is studio Orange, which did Land of the Lustrous.

Gokushufudou (The Way of the Househusband)

What it’s about: Once a legendary and feared yakuza member, Tatsu is now a stay-at-home husband living with his wife. Despite trying to become a great househusband, his controversial past and appearance often give the wrong impression. 

Family-friendly Anime Shows on Netflix

Some anime on Netflix that are listed above may not be suitable for a younger audience, so we thought we’d make a smaller list of shows that are more appropriate for children. Still, we encourage supervising adults to be very careful about letting them see it.

Spy x Family

This is a most recently adapted anime TV show. Spy x Family follows a top spy, “Twilight”, who’s on a mission to spy on a reclusive man, Donovan Desmond. To inflitrate and get close to him, Twilight pretends to start a family with Yor Briar and Anya. Little does he know, Yor Briar is an assassin — and only Anya, a telepath, knows the truth about both of them.

Spy x Family has all ingredients for a fun, action-comedy anime. You see all three misfits — a telepath, an assassin, a spy — try to cover each other’s true identities.

Along the way, they slowly form a genuine relationship. The anime is produced by  Studio Wit and CloverWorks. You may know CloverWorks for My Dress-Up Darling, Wonder Egg Priority and The Promised Neverland.

Laid-back Camp

Laidback Camp (or Yuru Camp) centers on Rin Shima. Her idea of a vacation involves camping alone, at the base of Mount Fuji. She does everything by herself, gathering firewood, and pitching tents, and she enjoys the solitude.

This changes when one of her camping trips is interrupted by another person, Nadeshiko Kagamihara. On the way up Mount Fuji, she had fallen asleep and lost her way. This forced her to get help from the closest person nearby, Rin.

The two girls end up spending time together, eating ramen and talking by the campfire. Nadeshiko eventually gets picked up by her sister, and the two of them wonder if they could camp together again.

Yuru Camp is adapted from a manga by Afro. The studio behind the anime is C-Station.

A Place Further Than The Universe

A place further than the universe follows four girls traveling to Antarctica. These four girls are Mari Tamaki, Shirase Kobuchizawa, Hinata Miyake and Yuzuki Shiraishi.

Mari wants to make the most of her youth, and decides to do so by following Shirase to Antarctica. Shirase wants to go to Antarctica to find her mother, who had disappeared three years ago.

The anime is an original work by Jukki Hanada produced by Studio Madhouse.

Conclusion

And that’s the list! We couldn’t cover all 200 shows on Netflix, but we hope you can find something on this list you’ll love!

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