20 Best Anime to Stream on Netflix in 2021

A comedic look into the day-to-day life of a red panda named Retsuko as she toils in a job she hates, “Aggretsuko” criticizes the working conditions that lead to burnout. Adorable Retsuko finds her own relief in the form of heavy-metal karaoke sessions after work. With the chance to indulge in her frustrations away from prying eyes, Retsuko belts about her life, job and relationships in a sacred bit of scream-therapy.

Studious but ambivalent high school student Yatora Yaguchi discovers a passion for art that changes the course of his life. Completely redirecting his plans for the future, Yatora joins the school art club where he meets a cast of colorful characters. “Blue Period” is currently airing weekly on Netflix.

Carole Stanley and runaway Tuesday Simmons are two women from vastly different backgrounds. They bond over music, performing together in a futuristic Martian city. The series is directed by Shinichirō Watanabe, also behind “Cowboy Bebop,” and features a set of original songs.

The 1998 anime on which Netflix’s new live-action series is based, “Cowboy Bebop” is a neo-noir adventure about the bounty hunting space crew of the Bebop. Spike, Jet, Faye, Ed and lovable corgi Ein find themselves entangled in several adventures as their pasts come back to haunt them in this beloved sci-fi Western.

A meditation on justice and morality, “Death Note” follows high school student Light Yagami when he comes into possession of a mysterious notebook from death god Ryuk. Using this Death Note to kill criminals by writing their name on its pages, Light becomes embroiled in a cat-and-mouse investigation. The show is a psychologically suspenseful series that has remained an all-time favorite of anime fans.

When Tanjiro Kamado loses his family to a violent demon, only his young sister Nezuko survives. Nezuko, however, has transformed into a demon herself and Tanjiro resolves to find a way to restore her humanity by joining the Demon Slayer Corps. With hot-headed Inosuke and anxious Zenitsu as companions, an optimistic Tanjiro embarks on missions to defeat these demons. The series has been a smash hit in the U.S., with its first feature film “Demon Slayer: Mugen Train” dominating the box office in May of this year.

Sensitive Akira reunites with his childhood friend Ryo, who claims ravenous devils are infiltrating the most depraved spaces of the human world. After Ryo induces Akira’s possession by the demon Amon, the two begin to investigate crimes committed by devils. However, the resurgence of these creatures launches the world into destructive mass hysteria. “Devilman Crybaby” crescendos in intensity, an explosively tragic story questioning the fabric of humanity itself.

Gifted with psychic abilities, Saiki Kusuo endeavors to live the life of a normal high school student. Unfortunately, he inevitably attracts the attention of an ensemble of quirky classmates. Saiki’s attempts to hide his powers at school often lead him into a zany series of misadventures.

“Dorohedoro” is a violent romp through a visually imaginative world. Caiman and his friend Nikaido search for the sorcerer who transformed Caiman into a crocodile-headed monster, leaving a bloody trail in the wake of their investigation. With compelling antagonists and an irreverent attitude, the show is a dizzying but undeniably fun watch.

Satoru has the ability to travel several minutes into the past, but after the murder of his mother, 30-year-old Satoru is thrust 18 years into the past. Realizing his mother’s death could be tied to the kidnapping of a young classmate, he uses his ability to try to prevent her disappearance. This mystery and its supernatural twist will appeal to fans of true crime.

The 2009 reboot of Hiromu Arakawa’s acclaimed series, “Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood” is a more faithful adaptation of the original manga than the 2003 series (also available on Netflix). The story focuses on alchemist brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric after a tragically misguided attempt to revive their deceased mother that costs them Ed’s arm and leg and Al’s entire body. As gifted alchemists, the boys pursue ways to restore their bodies under the eye of the government. Revelations of the atrocities enacted by a corrupt system unspool as the brothers frequently find themselves pitted against mysterious homunculi that embody human sin.

Scrappy scam artist Makoto Edamura finds his entire life derailed when he is recruited by suave “confidence man” Laurent Thierry. The two men, along with accomplices Abigail Jones and Cynthia Moore, embark on a series of elaborate cons across the world, where their motives range from wealth to revenge. If you love carefully calibrated heists, look no further than “Great Pretender.”

On a quest to search for his father, young Gon sets out to become one of an elite series of fighters known as Hunters. The first arc of this action-adventure sees Gon participating in the treacherous Hunter examination where he meets fellow examinees Killua, Leorio and Kurapika. In the course of their adventures, Gon learns more about the motivations and mysterious pasts of his father and his new friends.

Kagome Higurashi is a normal, modern-day high school girl — that is, until she is dragged into feudal era Japan. Kagome, canine half-demon Inuyasha, and their group of new friends travel to recover shards of the powerful Shikon jewel while battling emissaries of mysterious evildoer Naraku. Strong relationship arcs and charming moments of levity make this action-adventure a memorable one. Netflix unfortunately only offers the first two seasons of the series, but all four films are also available to stream on the platform.

Spanning decades and continents, bizarre is certainly the best way to describe this multi-generational epic. The series follows the descendants of Jonathan Joestar in their perennial conflict against immortal antagonist Dio Brando. “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure” boasts a loyal fanbase eagerly awaiting “Stone Ocean,” part 6 of the series arriving to Netflix in December.

This series is a comedic meta-commentary on “shoujo” manga, works typically aimed at young women. High school student Chiyo learns that her oblivious crush, Nozaki, moonlights as a writer for a popular girls’ manga magazine and he quickly recruits her as an assistant. The show simultaneously embodies and subverts shoujo manga tropes in a hilarious homage to slice-of-life romances.

An anime mainstay, “Neon Genesis Evangelion” is a psychologically intense series following teenage Shinji Ikari and fellow pilots of massive Evangelion mech-suits dubbed “Evas.” Shinji and other characters clash against monstrous Angels to prevent the destruction of humanity. The series confronts the trauma of its young pilots, continuously forcing Shinji into making devastating choices under the cold eyes of his estranged father.

A movie rather than a series, “A Silent Voice” tracks the emotional relationship between a deaf girl, Shoko Nishimiya, and her former bully, Shouya Ishida, as the two reconnect in high school. With powerfully vulnerable characters, this heartwrenching coming-of-age drama is an earnest portrayal of the pursuit of atonement and belonging.

Weapon meister and human-weapon team Maka Albarn and Soul Eater attend Death Weapon Meister Academy. The pair and their classmates destroy evil souls and malevolent witches in a series that balances action and comedy. Though it deviates from the original manga, the anime remains an exciting adventure with ever-increasing stakes.

“Violet Evergarden” examines the trauma of war through the eyes of Violet, a woman who has lived her entire life as a weapon. Violet’s fascination with the feelings of others leads her to become an “Auto Memories Doll,” a letter-writer that deciphers clients’ words to properly convey their emotions. In writing these letters, Violet slowly begins to understand human emotion and discover an identity beyond the weapon she always thought herself.