Netflix has amassed an impressive selection of anime, but these series represent the industry at its absolute best.
Netflix was founded in 1997. It started as a DVD rental company, but it has since gone on to become the biggest streaming service in the world. The platform offers hundreds of TV shows, movies, and documentaries, and, over the last couple of years, the Netflix anime catalog has expanded considerably.
The anime industry is filled with detailed stories that feature well-written characters and unique locations. Netflix has developed several of its own anime series, and, for the most part, they have been pretty good. Aside from its own original series, Netflix also offers well over a dozen pre-existing anime, and, although its catalog is vast, the best anime on Netflix stand above the rest in terms of quality and storytelling.
Updated on September 2, 2024, by MArk Sammut: Netflix has a massive selection of anime that is constantly growing (Summer 2024 added a few to the catalog). Terminator Zero just released on the streaming service, and while not likely to go down as an all-time great, it is a respectable entry in the sci-fi franchise. However, it is not quite one of the best Netflix anime. 19 Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead (2023)
The first season of Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead ended in December, and every episode is currently available on Netflix. The series centers around Akira Tendo — a man in his early 20s who feels overworked and underpaid. One day Akira wakes up and discovers that Tokyo has been hit by a sudden zombie apocalypse.
The world as he knew it has collapsed, but Akira loves not going to work and does his best to enjoy his newfound freedom. He even makes a bucket list of 100 things to do before he becomes a zombie. Zom 100 has a dark concept and plenty of horror moments, but it is a vibrant series with good action and characters. 18 Uncle From Another World (2022)
Uncle from Another World is set in modern-day Japan, and it follows Takafumi Takaoka — who goes to the hospital to pick up his uncle. The uncle was hit by a truck and spent the last 17 years in a coma. However, according to him, he was actually in another world where he learned how to use magic.
Takafumi agrees to let his uncle move in with him, and in doing so, he reconnects with his childhood friend, Sumika. The two friends help the uncle to adjust to modern society, and they get to watch his memories from the other world. Uncle from Another World is a fun Isekai anime with wholesome moments, and the animation is clean. 17 Beastars (2019)
Beastars’ first season debuted in February 2019, and it was adapted by Orange, a studio that specializes in 3DCG animation. It is set in a world filled with anthropomorphic animals, and it mainly focuses on a tall gray wolf named, Legoshi. He attends Cherryton Academy, and he stays in a dorm with other carnivores.
Things turn upside down when an alpaca named Tem is killed and eaten in the middle of the night. This obviously causes issues between the carnivores and herbivores. Legoshi is part of the drama club, and he takes it upon himself to solve Tem’s death. He ends up meeting a rabbit named Haru along the way, and he develops feelings for her. 16 Kakegurui (2017)
Kakegurui debuted on Netflix in 2017, and it focuses on an interesting high school girl named, Yumeko Jabami. She may not be a femme fatale, but Yumeko does have a trait that sets her apart from most female anime characters: she is a compulsive gambler.
The anime kicks off with Yumeko transferring to Hyakkaou Private Academy, a school with an elaborate gambling system. All the other students gamble to improve their social and economic status, and the losers become servants to the rest of the student body. Yumeko gambles for fun, and she doesn’t worry about logic. Her keen observation skills allow her to identify gambling scams. 15 The Seven Deadly Sins (2014)
The Seven Deadly Sins are a group of Holy Knights who serve the Kingdom of Liones, and the anime’s first season sees the majority of the group reassemble after being framed for an attempted coup a decade earlier. The series features gods, demons, angels, giants, and fairies.
The series spans 100 episodes, and it features multiple battles between very powerful characters. The fight scenes are entertaining, and there is a war near the end of the series that offers several surprises. Aside from the action, the series has a fair bit of comedy, and it doesn’t shy away from darker themes either. Unfortunately, The Seven Deadly Sins loses quite a bit of steam in its later seasons, suffering from a convoluted plot and inconsistent animation. 14 Fate/Apocrypha (2017)
The Fate series revolves around various Holy Grail Wars. Each war features powerful mages who summon legendary heroes from history. These servants fight and kill each other until only one hero and master remains. The winners get their wishes granted by the Grail. Fate/Apocrypha is unique because it pits two warring mage factions against each other, and both sides get to summon seven heroic servants.
The mages can all use some level of magic, and every heroic spirit possesses magic and enchanted weapons of their own.
