Kaiju No. 8, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Fighting Spirit are just some of the best anime on Amazon Prime Video this month.
Amazon Prime Video is steadily rolling out new content, meaning anime fans have plenty to enjoy. The addition of Crunchyroll as an optional premium channel bolsters its anime catalog, giving users access to both platforms’ content in one streamlined experience.
The pricing is the same if subscribing to both individually, but this change makes anime more accessible. Still, the amount of content can feel intimidating to newcomers. Thankfully, this monthly-updated guide highlights some of the best anime on Amazon Prime Video for you. That includes the service’s native offerings, plus the content available through the premium Crunchyroll channel.
For those who might be feeling a little overwhelmed, but are still intrigued by the genre, we also have worthwhile guides on the best anime on Netflix and the best anime on Hulu to help fans get the most value out of their subscriptions.
The adaptation of Naoya Matsumoto’s Kaiju No. 8 is one of the biggest shounen anime of 2024. Animated by studio Production I.G, the series tells the story of Kafka Hibino, a clean-up crew worker in the aftermath of monster attacks, who gets far more than a promotion to the elite Defense Force.
Falling behind his childhood friend Mina Ashiro, now a captain of the Defense Force’s Third Division, Kafka gets a monstrous transformation ability after ingesting a kaiju. Kaiju No. 8 is shaping up to be one of the best ongoing anime of the season, backed by over-the-top action and its clever premise. Production I.G’s animation work is typically top-notch as well.
The adaptation of Yuji Kaku’s Hell’s Paradise is a promising new anime series from studio MAPPA. It focuses on the story of Gabimaru, a terrifyingly efficient assassin who’s given the chance to earn his freedom and avoid execution.
He’s ordered to partner with his would-be executioner Sagiri to retrieve the fabled Elixir of Life from a dangerous and supernatural island. Hell’s Paradise has the potential to be one of the most exciting ongoing anime, complemented by visceral action and its inventive Edo-era Japanese setting. The historical backdrop contrasts well with its striking dark-fantasy elements.
From the mind of Hunter x Hunter creator Yoshihiro Togashi, Yu Yu Hakusho was his breakout hit. Animated by studio Pierrot, the series follows the adventures of Yusuke Urameshi, a teenager who’s revived as a Spirit Detective after sacrificing himself to protect a child in a car accident.
With this second lease on life, Yusuke is joined by Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei on a string of supernatural and martial arts-themed exploits. Yu Yu Hakusho is a satisfying shounen story for all ages thanks to its combination of action, storytelling, and entertaining supernatural atmosphere. It earns its 100-plus-episode runtime, balancing comedy and a sincere cast despite its larger-than-life premise.
Also known by its English name Fighting Spirit, George Morikawa’s Hajime no Ippo is a benchmark in the sports genre. Animated by studio Madhouse, the plot follows high school student Ippo Makunouchi as he aspires to be Japan’s top boxer.
An otherwise mild-mannered boy, Ippo begins a star-studded journey that involves boxing against some of the world’s strongest athletes. Fighting Spirit perfectly balances compelling sports action and commentary with meaningful character development. The story effortlessly maintains an inspiring tone in its high-stakes matches and quiet character-driven moments outside the ring. Alongside anime like Haikyu!!, Fighting Spirit is an excellent gateway into the sports genre.
From the creator of the widely beloved One-Punch Man, this supernatural action-adventure and comedy series also received a stellar adaptation. Based on the webcomic and manga adaptation written and illustrated by One, Mob Psycho 100 is about a telekinetic, yet otherwise unassuming middle school boy dubbed Mob who struggles socially to find the joys common to a kid his age.
Animated by studio Bones, Mob Psycho 100 has an impressive balance of various tones. It manages to be equal parts action-packed, laugh-out-loud funny, and sincerely emotional in its storytelling. The coming-of-age themes at the core of Mob’s story are what make this anime relatable, grounded, and emotional.
Animation studio Production I.G has built an esteemed reputation for its sports anime adaptations, and that holds for Aoashi. Adapting the manga by Yūgo Kobayashi and Naohiko Ueno, this series tells the story of a youth soccer player named Ashito Aoi — infamous for his reckless playstyle and short temper — who’s humbled after he’s scouted to try out for a high school team in Tokyo.
Now that he no longer has the benefit of having a team built around his talents to stroke his ego, Ashito must grow as a person and a player to prove himself among a squad of skilled players. Like other similar series adapted by Production I.G, Aoashi has been praised for telling an investing and down-to-earth story through the lens of sports.
When the adaptation premiered in 2013, Attack on Titan became a mainstream anime sensation. WIT Studio adapted the first three seasons of writer/illustrator Hajime Isayama’s manga, while the anime studio MAPPA took over for the drawn-out fourth season. The story is set in a bleak fantasy world inspired by European aesthetics where humanity is forced to live in a walled-in city-state to defend itself from the violent and grotesque Titans that roam outside.
What follows is upstart soldier Eren Yeager’s quest to destroy all Titans to avenge his slaughtered family, but far more sinister forces dwell under the surface of this premise. While the release structure of its “final season” was clunky, Attack on Titan proved to be a consistently compelling fantasy saga packed with intrigue. It had an appeal somewhat similar to Game of Thrones in that it was set in a ruthless, unforgiving dark fantasy world with tense action set pieces, complex political dynamics, impressive worldbuilding, and a tantalizing mystery at the story’s core.
While the first anime adaptation was solid in its own right even though it eventually diverted from the original story, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is the definitive version in terms of sticking to the source material. Animated by the creative team at Bones — who also produced the first anime adaptation — Brotherhood follows Hiromu Arakawa’s manga faithfully. It’s set in an Industrial era-inspired dark fantasy world where alchemist brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric set out on a quest to find the fabled Philosopher’s Stone.
The duo are desperate to use it to restore their bodies after a grisly attempt to resurrect their mother. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is one of the most widely acclaimed manga and anime of the 21st century, lauded for its detailed worldbuilding, creative use of fantasy elements, and immensely rewarding character arcs.
One of the more refreshing shounen anime adaptations as of late, To Your Eternity is tasteful mix of fantasy and touching drama. Based on the manga of the same name by Yoshitoki Ōima, the story is about an immortal entity dubbed Fushi who travels across the world using their supernatural abilities to take the forms of various characters over centuries.
To Your Eternity has a similar mellow tone as anime/manga series like Mushi-Shi when using its fantasy elements to tell intimate character-driven stories about the people Fushi meets. However, the series’ wonderful exploration of the human condition is also complemented by some entertaining action that shounen fans will feel familiar with elsewhere.
Writer and illustrator Satoru Noda’s Golden Kamuy has been one of the best seinen manga series in recent years. It had an overall fulfilling run and well-earned finale, and the anime adaptation has done it justice so far. Golden Kamuy is set in early 1900s Japan in the aftermath of the Russo-Japanese War, with veteran Saichi Sugimoto and his newfound friend and Ainu native Asirpa teaming up in a race against time to find the indigenous peoples’ hidden gold treasure.
It’s an excellent period-piece anime that balances sincere character drama with occasional comedic relief. The series features a diverse cast of characters, each with deep motivations that explore themes of post-war traumas. Animation company Geno Studio adapted the first three seasons of the TV show, with Brain’s Base helming the upcoming fourth and final season.
An anime-original story, Death Parade takes a creative twist on the concept of the afterlife. Produced by animation studio Madhouse, the series takes place largely in an otherworldly bar called Quindecim, with the enigmatic bartender Decim catering to its recently deceased pairs of souls and having them compete in various games to judge who is reincarnated and who is sent into the void.
