The 10 Best Anime On Streaming

There’s the reason why this 1998 series is considered a cult classic. One a surface level, the premise of Cowboy Bebop is simple — a crew of bounty hunters live their lives in the year 2071. However, the resulting show is a sci-fi film noir kung fu masterpiece that delves into deep philosophical concepts such as existentialism, boredom, and loneliness. If you’re a fan of outlaw dramas set in space (*cough* Firefly *cough*), then you need to see this one.

[Where to watch Cowboy Bebop]

It’s hard being at the top, and that’s all this comedy is about. One Punch Man is a man who can defeat anyone in — you guessed it — one punch. But our hero is so super, he’s constantly on the verge of depression. From the exhausting long monologues from the show’s many villains to the systematic destruction of a new city every episode, this show does an excellent job of parodying everything that makes you roll your eyes at anime. The catch? There’s only a subtitle version available now, but Adult Swim should be releasing an English dub soon.

[Where to watch One Punch Man]

It’s time to get supernatural. For 100 years, people have been protected from a breed of man-eating titans by living behind their society’s massive walls. However, all good things must come to an end, and that’s where this anime picks up. Attack on Titan picks up right when those barriers are starting to fall and soldier Eren Jaeger rises to hero status. After seeing his mother get eaten by one of the creatures, Eren vows to kill every single Titan and, in effect, save humanity. Hero’s journey? Check mate.

[Where to watch Attack on Titan]

This is by far the newest series on the list and the least critically acclaimed, but it’s cool enough to deserve your attention. The show follows a student named Kei, who discovers that he’s an Ajin — a creature that is unable to die. Season One follows Kei as he slowly gets used to his powers, considers his alliances, and makes every mistake possible. However, it’s the show’s interesting animation and reflection on whether or not Ajin can be considered human that makes the series interesting. If you want to see a variety of characters kill themselves in increasingly more violent and dare I say awesome ways, then you need to check this out.

[Where to watch AJIN: Demi-Human]

If you think you’re close with your sibling, you have nothing on Ed and Al. FMA follows two young brothers who are also alchemists — think scientists that can manipulate matter into anything they want. But when they use their power to try and bring their mother back to life, things take a turn for the hopelessly miserable. This show does a great job at telling one long and painful story. Pair that with the series’ amazing characters and epic fight scenes and you’ll start wishing you could perform alchemy too. There are two versions of this series — the 2003 version and the 2009 version, which follows the manga more closely. If you want my opinion, stick with the 2003 version.

[Where to watch Fullmetal Alchemist]
[Where to watch Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood]

Set in feudal Japan, this series follows a samurai who has left his life of assassination behind in order to offer protection to those who need it. From the animation to the characters, Kenshin watches like a Japanese fairy tale that’s contrasted with the series’ bloody dark side. It’s a story of one man’s redemption from his past sins, and though you really want him to overcome his demons, it’s addicting to watch when he loses control.

[Where to watch Rurouni Kenshin]

Are you skeptical about virtual reality technology? As this gamer-focused series will prove to you, all of your reservations are justified. Most of the series takes place in a virtual reality MMORG world universe called — you guessed it — Sword Art Online. The game is sort of like what would happen if World of Warcraft was installed directly into your brain, but there’s one big catch — a handful of players are trapped in the game. The only way to get out is to defeat a 100 floor dungeon, and if you die in the game, you die in real life. Creepy right? Sword Art Online is like a better version of .hack//sign with less dramatic monologues and more fighting.

[Where to watch Sword Art Online]

Basically, if it wasn’t for Dragon Ball Z, Pokemon, and, to a lesser extent, Sailor Moon, anime wouldn’t be as present in the West as it is today. Goku and all of his Super Saiyan besties made great strides in bringing this show format to American audiences as they collected as many dragon balls as possible. The show may not hold up super well outside of your 10-year-old nostalgia glasses, but it’s streaming now and just begging for you to watch again.

[Where to watch Dragon Ball Z]

If Once Upon A Time were an anime with more fighting, this would be it. Fairy Tale takes place in the fictional world of Earth-Land, a world occupied by wizards who form guilds to hone their magical abilities. The series follows 17-year-old Lucy, who runs away from her guild to join a new one known for its destructive antics. That’s when things start getting intense. It’s a classic medieval knight’s / wizard’s tale with modernized language, fun characters, and intricate monsters.

[Where to watch Fairy Tail]

If you were given the power to kill anyone you wanted, how long would it take you to become a serial killer? If you’re Light Yagumi, the answer to that question is about three days. At its core, Death Note is a game of cat and mouse, pairing the highly intelligent Light, who is determined to rid the world of evil people, against the brilliant detective L, the unlikely face of justice. It’s a rivalry that has dominated conversations about anime, and it’s also one that Netflix is hoping to adapt. The streaming service has plans for a Death Note movie in 2017. But for now, you can watch the epic original before it expires from Netflix on August 31.

[Where to watch Death Note]