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In this article:
- The Netflix anime library has a wide selection of shows across multiple genres of anime and while most of them are great, not all of them are the right vibe for casual viewing over the weekend.
- These shows are short enough that you can finish all seasons within two days at a reasonable pace, but not too short that you’ll be left wanting more.
- That said, a few of these anime series are on hiatus, and with Netflix recently moving away from animated shows, we may not see updates or an expansion of the Netflix anime library.
- Other anime sites where you can watch new shows.
The Netflix anime library has made it easier for anime fans to watch their favorite shows online. As a society, we have moved past watching anime episodes on YouTube at 360p divided into three videos.
Truly, there has never been a better time to be an anime fan living outside of Japan.
But knowing where to watch an anime is the easy part. The harder part is finding a show that you’ll enjoy or is highly rewatchable to binge over the weekend. That’s why in this list, we’ll go over a few Netflix anime shows that are fun to watch, easy to finish, and infinitely rewatchable so you can make them your comfort show.
Netflix Anime Shows You Can Watch Now
1. Castlevania (2017)
How long is it?: 4 seasons, each at around 8 to 10 episodes.
What’s the genre?: Horror, Action, Dark Fantasy, and Adventure
If you miss cavorting through Barovia with your Dungeons and Dragons group or you just really like Dracula, Castlevania (2017) is the binge-able show for you.
This anime revolves around the mysterious Count Vlad Dracula Tepes and his tense relationship with his half-human son, Alucard.
It’s an action-packed adventure that follows Alucard and his friends as they try to save Wallachia from the undead under the command of Count Dracula who has teamed up with other powerful vampires to destroy humans once and for all.
That plot summary doesn’t quite do the show justice because it’s far from being your typical hero story. On a deeper level, it’s a story about persecution, the effects of prejudice and ignorance, and what humanity truly means.
Don’t let all that put you off the show, though, Castlevania is still an action anime and isn’t heavy-handed with its themes.
2. Horimiya (2021)
How long is it?: 1 season with 13 episodes.
What’s the genre?: Romance Comedy and Drama.
Horimiya (2021) has drama, but just the right amount of it to make the romantic and comedic parts stand out more. It’s great for a very relaxed viewing experience that won’t stress you out.
This Netflix anime revolves around Kyoko Hori and Izumi Miyamura, two high school students who become friends and later, lovers.
As the quintessential Japanese high school “it girl”, Kyoko Hori puts a lot of energy into looking presentable, being polite, and academic achievement. Miyamura, who’s a nobody in school compared to her, is still expected to follow the rules and look ‘normal’.
When the two meet outside the school for the first time, they both accidentally become privy to each other’s true selves. Hori is a homebody who doesn’t dress up outside school while Miyamura is basically Avril Lavigne’s Sk8er Boi.
3. Super Crooks (2021)
How long is it?: 1 season with 13 episodes
What’s the genre?: Heist and Superhero Fiction
Banana Fish (2018) and Marvel fans, this is your weekend Netflix anime.
Super Crooks is about a group of, well, superhero crooks. It all starts when a young Johnny Bolt discovers he can control electricity.
Inspired by his favorite comic book superhero, Johnny tries to use his powers for good and introduces himself to a crowd of neighborhood kids and young adults at a public pool.
It ends badly, as you would expect. Because of his anxiousness, he accidentally electrocutes the pool, killing the crowd he promised to protect. Since then, Johnny Bolt has been committed to a life of heists with his other supervillain buddies.
It’s a very dark and graphic scene so if you want to skip the first episode, feel free to. You won’t miss much since the story really kicks off in the second episode. A word of warning, though, Super Crooks is a tad more intense than Marvel movies.
4. Carole & Tuesday (2019)
How long is it?: 1 season with 24 episodes.
What’s the genre?: Musical fiction, Sci-fi, and Slice of Life
Okay, you’re probably wondering how a show about two girls playing musical instruments is a sci-fi.
Carole & Tuesday (2019) takes place in Alba City, the Martian city featured in Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001), making it a sci-fi anime as far as the setting is concerned. Other than that, the show firmly sticks to musical fiction’s conventions.
The show begins on a terraformed future Mars where Tuesday Simmons lives with her father, a prominent politician. Life would be perfect if not for her parents forbidding her from pursuing her dream of becoming a musician.
Carrying only her clothes and her Gibson guitar, Tuesday runs away to Alba City and meets Carole, a struggling musician.
Together, the girls compete in what is essentially Martian The Voice.
5. A Place Further Than the Universe (2018)
How long is it?: 1 season with 13 episodes.
What’s the genre?: Adventure
A Place Further Than the Universe (2018) is a show that’s bursting with love and liveliness. The Netflix anime is a rare example of a show involving high school girls that doesn’t ultimately revolve around guys and teen drama.
Instead, what the girls of the show are in love with is the thrill of an adventure to a distant place that’s not quite beyond the universe: Antarctica.
The show starts when Mari Tamaki, the main protagonist, realizes she isn’t living life to the fullest. After meeting Shirase Kobuchizawa, the daughter of an Antarctic observation crew member, the two decide they’ll travel to Antarctica as part of the observation crew.
6. Heaven’s Official Blessing (2020)
How long is it?: 1 season with 12 episodes.
What’s the genre?: Historical Fantasy, Romance, Action
Heaven’s Official Blessing (2020) is a historical fantasy romance between Crown Prince Xie Lian and the mysterious king of demons, Hua Cheng. The two are technically dead and have long since become a fledgling deity and a demonic ghost, respectively.
Xie Lian, who always gets into trouble with the senior gods, gets demoted and sent back to the mortal world to accomplish great deeds and gain a following.
While trying to capture the ghost who’s been killing young women in a village, he runs into Hua Cheng who introduces himself as a mortal named San Lang.
Together, the two go on adventures where they battle ghosts from ancient civilizations and journey to Ghost City, a dangerous realm that Hua Cheng secretly rules over.
It’s the perfect blend of romance, action, and fantasy. If you’re looking for a queer romance, you’ll like how stress-free this show is because no one really makes a big deal of San Lang and Xie Lian’s relationship.
7. Hellsing (2001)
How long is it?: 1 season with 13 episodes.
What’s the genre?: Horror and Action Adventure
This Netflix anime is another retelling of the Bram Stoker’s Dracula that centers on the Hellsing family of vampire hunters.
Integra Hellsing, a descendant of Abraham Van Hellsing, assumes leadership of the Hellsings and their organization after the death of her father. Alongside Walter Domez, her butler, and Alucard, the show’s version of Dracula, she takes on the task of protecting England from the undead.
Hellsing (2001) is an action-packed show with a great art style and story. If you liked Black Butler (2008) and Castlevania (2017), you’re bound to enjoy this series.
8. Yasuke (2021)
How long is it?: 1 season with 6 episodes.
What’s the genre?: Historical Fiction, Action, and Fantasy
Yasuke (2021) is inspired by the true story of Yasuke, an African man who served under Oda Nobunaga around the 14th century. How does an African man end up in ancient Japan?
Yasuke was brought over in 1579 by Alessandro Valignano, a Jesuit, on a missionary trip. Yasuke later met Nobunaga who was baffled by seeing an African for the first time. But the daimyo quickly warmed up to him because of his bright personality and exceptional strength.
The Netflix anime based on his life begins the same way, except this time Japan has magic and sci-fi tech. Instead of battling other warlords, Yasuke helps Nobunaga fight against the forces of the evil Yami no Daimyo.
9. Little Witch Academia (2017)
How long is it?: 1 season with 25 episodes.
What’s the genre?: Coming of Age, Shoujo, Magical Girl, and Magical Fantasy
Little Witch Academia (2017) will make you go “Kawaii desu ne?” even if it’s just in your head. This is, frankly, the anime that Crunchyroll’s High Guardian Spice (2022) tried and failed to be.
This Netflix anime follows Atsuko Kagari in her quest to become a true witch. Inspired by Shiny Chariot, a talented witch, Atsuko enrolls at Luna Nova Magical Academy despite the declining power of magic.
Atsuko struggles a lot in school and is constantly ridiculed by Diana Cavendish, a student who comes from a magical family. The two eventually become friends as they come to understand each other, and how they get to that point is half the fun of Little Witch Academia.
10. The Millionaire Detective Balance: UNLIMITED (2020)
How long is it?: 1 season with 10 episodes.
What’s the genre?: Comedy, Action, and Mystery
The Millionaire Detective Balance: UNLIMITED (2020) is what you’d get if Bruce Wayne decided to work publicly with Gotham police instead of running around in a skin-tight bat costume.
The show has plenty of chase scenes and spy tropes complete with a Bond-esque soundtrack.
Protagonist Daisuke Kambe, a scion of the Kambe family, is a brilliant detective straight out of a Bond movie who solves complex crimes and unravels schemes using his head and unlimited balance credit card.
Emphasis on unlimited since Daisuke wrecks the city and buys sports cars to chase down criminals without a thought because he knows he can just write a check for it.
TLDR: He stops crime with his capitalism powers.
11. Spy x Family (2022)
How long is it?: 1 season, ongoing episodes.
What’s the genre?: Spy Fiction and Comedy
A spy, an assassin, and a telepath form a fake family where only one of them knows what’s really going on.
Spy x Family (2022) is a recently adapted anime from Shonen Jump. Its premise is that Agent Twilight needs to form adopt a daughter as part of his cover for a mission. He chooses an “intelligent” child from an orphanage who, unbeknownst to him, is a telepath who escaped from a human experimentation facility.
Aside from a few hiccups, the cover works until Twilight receives a letter from his daughter’s school saying they need to interview him and his wife before the child can be admitted.
He picks a seemingly normal young woman, Yor, who’s just as eager to marry him because she’s secretly an assassin in need of her own cover.
Where Else Can I Watch Anime?
Netflix has a great selection of anime shows, but since the streaming service updates slowly, has a knack for canceling shows, and is moving away from animation, it may be time to look for alternatives.
Bilibili.tv
If you like isekai animes and Chinese anime, Bilibili.tv is the place to be. Not to be confused with Bilibili.com, which basically Chinese YouTube, Bilibili.tv is a legit site for watching your favorite popular anime shows and niche Chinese anime series.
Animixplay.to
Are you sick of porn ads getting between you and your anime? Animixplay.to has a minimal amount of ads, none of which are pornographic. The site has subtitled and dubbed anime.