Netflix has several of the best and most popular anime streaming right now. From retro hits to more modern fare, these anime series are all on what's regarded as the biggest and most popular anime streaming service. While they might be the main entries in the medium found there, this is also the home to some incredibly underrated gems and others comparable to prestige TV.
Netflix has its fair share of great yet overlooked anime, with these ranging from entries in various genres. Some are even part of some of the biggest anime franchises of all time, yet their modern projects aren't given their deserved recognition. Thankfully, they can be found on the most popular streaming service in the world, making it easy to watch these prestigious classics from one home.
10 Dennou Coil is a Post-Cyberpunk Anime Grittier Than Ghost in the Shell
Streaming on Netflix
Also spelled as Den-noh Coil, Dennou Coil is a sort of post-cyberpunk anime that brings advanced technology to the present day in unexpected ways. Instead of having the dark, gritty atmosphere of Ghost in the Shell, it's seemingly a more playful anime and even has kids as the protagonists. Through AR glasses, they find out the truth behind a city that's half real and half based in the internet, and there are even virtual pets similar to the characters from Pokémon.
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Dennou Coil works on several levels, namely in how it looks at the blurring relationship between reality and technology. It also blends this with Japanese mythology and native folklore, doing things with the cyberpunk genre that many other anime eschew. Thus, it's able to surpass its somewhat kiddie aesthetic and provide a narrative that's unexpectedly deep.
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Dennou Coil
TV-Y7
Comedy
Anime Science Fiction Animation- Release Date
- 2007 - 2006
- Network
- NHK Educational TV
- Directors
- Kazuo Nogami, Nobukage Kimura, Hironori Aoyagi, Akitoshi Yokoyama
Cast
-
Junko Noda
Tamako Harakawa
-
Sachiko Kojima
Fumie Hashimoto
-
Yumiko Kobayashi
Akira Hashimoto
-
Houko Kuwashima
Yūko Amasawa
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
- Seasons
- 1
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9 Violet Evergarden is Easily a 10/10 Anime Series With a Movie to Boot
Streaming on Netflix
Violet Evergarden is set in the aftermath of a tumultuous war, with the protagonist having been trained beforehand to be a living weapon. Now trying to settle herself into normal society, she's unsure of her own memories while working as a scribe to help others retain theirs. This sends her on a grand and many times saddening adventure that's not for the faint of heart.
Violet Evergarden is definitely a "prestige TV" anime because of its themes, with these being the kinds of things expected from an HBO TV show more than an anime. It largely eschews action while still focusing on Violet's trauma, making it relatable without glorifying war. This quality saw the anime win and be nominated for several awards.
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Violet Evergarden
TV-14
Drama6.3/10
- Release Date
- 2018 - 2018
- Directors
- Taichi Ishidate, Haruka Fujita
- Writers
- Reiko Yoshida, Tatsuhiko Urahata, Taaki Suzuki
Cast
-
Erika Harlacher
-
Tony Azzolino
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
In the aftermath of a great war, Violet Evergarden, a young female ex-soldier, gets a job at a writers' agency and goes on assignments to create letters that can connect people.
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- Kyoto Animation
8 Requiem for Vengeance Is a Terrifying Entry in the Gundam Franchise
Streaming on Netflix
As the most-viewed Netflix anime in 2024, it's almost hard to classify Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance as a hidden gem. It definitely did something different for the franchise, right down to the aesthetics. The anime had realistic CGI animation that complemented the gritty war story, which was definitely a breath of fresh air for how the brand is going.
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Requiem for Vengeance returned to the brutal One Year War of the Universal Century timeline, with the advancement of the Earth Federation's technology represented by a nearly unstoppable Gundam mobile suit. This is way different from the more stereotypically "anime" vibe from other recent entries, including the newest Gundam anime. Requiem for Vengeance really dives into the brutality of war through its characters, showcasing how they once had normal lives before the conflict began.
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Mobile Suit Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance
TV-MA
AnimationAction
Sci-Fi
5
10
6.5/10
- Release Date
- October 17, 2024
Cast
-
Celia Massingham
Iria Solari
-
Lavance
Kneeland LeSean
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
Captain Solari, a skilled Zaku II pilot, faces the Earth Federation's formidable Gundam in the eleventh month of the One Year War in U.C.0079.
- Seasons
- 1
7 Devilman Crybaby Updated One of the Best Go Nagai Franchises
Streaming on Netflix
Devilman is one of the many great manga created by Go Nagai, and it played into the usual themes seen in his sometimes apocalyptic works. 2018's Devilman Crybaby perfectly brought the franchise into the 2010s, complete with new takes on the themes that the original manga worked with. For instance, anti-war sentiment is replaced with a look at bigotry, and even the demons in the anime are seen in a different light.
The relationship between the main characters was also changed, resulting in the series being an LGBT anime. There's also a look at nihilistic themes, leading to too much debate as to just how cynical the anime was. It's all wrapped up in a story that can also be seen as an allegory for puberty, giving viewers a lot to think about.
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Devilman Crybaby
TV-MA/R+
AnimationAction
Drama Horror9/10
- Release Date
- 2018 - 2017
Cast
-
Koki Uchiyama
Akira Fudo
-
Ayumu Murase
Ryo Asuka
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
With demons reawakened and humanity in turmoil, a sensitive demon-boy is led into a brutal, degenerate war against evil by his mysterious friend, Ryo.
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- Science SARU
6 Spriggan Finally Brought an Underrated Manga to Life
Streaming on Netflix
Spread across 11 volumes, the Spriggan manga was published in the 1980s and the 1990s. The story involves a growing war (that comes after the Cold War) in which humanity feuds over out-of-place artifacts. This sees one organization deemed the enemy, despite its aims being to keep these artifacts from becoming weapons.
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The Spriggan anime on Netflix is a much more complete adaptation than the 1998 anime movie, and this allows it to flesh out its story and themes more. The cool action is combined with thrills, twists and turns amid a sociopolitical sci-fi story. It's also a sort of mixture between various genres, allowing it to supersede these to stand out within the medium.
5 Orb Is One of the Most Overlooked Anime Currently Running
Streaming on Netflix
The incredible anime Orb: On the Movements of Earth has been running for a few months now, but few in the West have given it much attention. It's a historical anime that looks when certain scientific beliefs (namely involving the rotation of the sun) were heretical. This sees the protagonist standing by and trying to prove his findings while also trying to escape the Inquisition.
Orb offers a different type of science-based anime, and it eschews the more over-the-top elements associated with the medium. For this reason, it's being overlooked by some international fans. This narrative nature, however, makes it comparable to prestige television shows on other streaming services, and it's about to come to a close.
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Orb: On the Movements of the Earth
TV-14
Animation Drama- Release Date
- October 5, 2024
Cast
-
Maaya Sakamoto
Rafał
-
Kenjiro Tsuda
Novak
-
Show Hayami
Hubert
-
Katsuyuki Konishi
Oczy
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- Madhouse
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4 Kotaro Lives Alone Is Much Darker Than It Seems
Streaming on Netflix
The whimsical Kotaro Lives Alone looks like a cute kids anime, and the protagonist is even a four-year-old child. As the title showcases, however, there's a dark layer underneath these visuals, namely pertaining to Kotaro himself. After all, the boy's parents were neglectful and abusive, which is why he ran away from.
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Despite its many comedic elements, Kotaro Lives Alone is a slice-of-life anime that hints at many darker themes. The characters are all estranged from their families in different ways, highlighting how a child like Kotaro is shielded from the brutal realities of life. This blend of comedy and strong themes gives it the best of both worlds, keeping things gritty and kiddie at the same time.
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Kotaro Lives Alone
TV-14
Comedy
Drama- Release Date
- March 10, 2022
Cast
-
Michael Sinterniklaas
-
Kayleigh McKee
-
Stephanie Sheh
-
Toshiki Masuda
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
An unpopular manga artist has to care for his new neighbor, a 5-year-old child living alone.
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- Liden Films
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3 Monster Is a Medical Masterpiece
Streaming on Netflix
Though it shares a name with an infamous Netflix show based on serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, the anime Monster deals with killers in a different way. Based on the manga by Naoki Urasawa, Monster features a doctor named Kenzo Tenma, who refuses to let one patient of his die. This turns out to be a brutal killer, with this "thankful" patient becoming entrenched in the life of Tenma from then on.
Monster is a deeply psychological anime that constantly weaves its plot together with unexpected twists. This makes it a fairly cinematic and almost noir anime, giving the sense that every scene has characters walking on eggshells. It's also incredibly accurate to the source material, with almost nothing left out from the manga.
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Monster
TV-14
AnimationCrime
DramaPsychological
- Release Date
- April 7, 2004
- Directors
- Masayuki Kojima, Morio Asaka
- Writers
- Tatsuhiko Urahata, Naoki Urasawa
Cast
-
Liam O'Brien
-
Keith Silverstein
-
Karen Strassman
-
Richard Epcar
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- Madhouse
2 Pluto is a Brutal Reimagining of Anime's First Iconic Hero: Astro Boy
Streaming on Netflix
Also based on a Naoki Urasawa manga, Pluto is a gritty reimagining of the classic manga and anime franchise Astro Boy. Instead of being a kid-friendly action-based anime like Astro Boy, Pluto is a murder mystery involving both humans and robots. The protagonist is a German robot named Gesicht, while the anime's version of Atom (Astro Boy) is also very prominent.
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Pluto is a landmark anime that works on many levels, namely as a successful "darkening" of a classic anime/manga meant for younger viewers. It's also an exploration of prejudice and how different groups live with each other, with the treatment of androids and robots essentially making it a cyberpunk noir anime. While its acclaim might make it seem strange to categorize it as a hidden gem, it's definitely on the level of prestige TV.
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Pluto
TV-14
Action
Animation DramaSci-Fi
- Release Date
- 2023 - 2022
- Directors
- Toshio Kawaguchi
- Writers
- Tatsuro Inamoto, Heisuke Yamashita
Cast
-
Laura Megan Stahl
-
Mike Pollock
-
Jason Vande Brake
-
Keythe Farley
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
- Seasons
- 1
1 Children of the Whales Is a Post-Apocalyptic Coming of Age Anime
Streaming on Netflix
Children of the Whales united several sci-fi tropes into a post-apocalyptic package, with the characters living on a vessel and yearning to interact with the outside world. The society on the "Mud Whale" is divided into people who can or can't use psionic abilities, with those who can do this doing so at the expense of long lives. Everything changes when they discover a strange island and a girl.
Children of the Whales plays with several ideas and narrative themes at once, making it sometimes feel mile-a-minute with its pacing. The worldbuilding is incredible, and the aesthetic can be compared to the Studio Ghibli classic, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. There's also a strong sense that the mysteries are being uncovered alongside the cast, making it as much about the journey as the destination.
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Children of the Whales
TV-MA
Anime Drama Fantasy- Release Date
- 2017 - 2016
Cast
-
Natsuki Hanae
-
Manaka Iwami
-
Yūichirō Umehara
-
Johnny Yong Bosch
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
As a magic weilder, young archivist Chakuro knows his life will be short, but everything changes when a mysterious girl from the outside arrives on his island.
- Seasons
- 1
