In Japanese, anime simply means “animation.” But anime also refers to that singular brand of animation made famous by Japan — and over the last few decades, it has taken the world by storm. 

For the uninitiated, however, knowing where to start can be daunting: There’s just so much out there, spanning every conceivable style and genre. For the anime-curious, or for those looking to broaden their horizons, here’s a selection you’ll want to dive into right now — plus suggestions for more. But be warned: Once you get hooked (if you’re not already), there’s no turning back.

BEASTARS

In this series, anthropomorphized animals attend an elite high school together — but the carnivores and herbivores begin to distrust each other after the mysterious murder of an innocent alpaca. It’s up to a socially awkward gray wolf to help solve the crime — all while navigating his complex feelings toward a dwarf rabbit whom he can’t decide whether he wants to date or eat. Being a teen wolf ain’t easy.

Based on a hit manga, Beastars features computer-generated animation from the prestigious studio Orange (also known for Land of the Lustrous and Godzilla Singular Point), which changed many people’s minds about just how good CG anime could look. All three seasons are streaming now.

Also check out: Eden

BEASTARS

3 Seasons   TV-MA   2019

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Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

Legendary anime studio Trigger and director Hiroyuki Imaishi (Promare) bring hyperkinetic style to Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, set in the world of the popular video game Cyberpunk 2077. In a dystopian future, a young man with the power to manipulate time joins a band of misfit hackers. What could go wrong? Well, pretty much everything.

The phrase “video game adaptation” can set off alarm bells, but Imaishi and company pulled off a pitch-perfect series, working closely with the team behind the game to get the lore right but changing things up to suit their needs. The result is a rollicking thrill ride that feels equal parts Cyberpunk and Trigger. With a return to Night City teased last year, there’s no better time to catch up.

Also check out: The Orbital Children

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

10 Episodes   TV-MA   2022

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Delicious in Dungeon

Dungeon-crawling fantasy meets gourmet cooking in Delicious in Dungeon, the anime adaptation of the popular manga by Ryoko Kui. The series, animated at the legendary studio Trigger (BNA, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners), centers on a group of adventurers in a Dungeons & Dragons-inspired world who, when not battling monsters or searching for treasure, love to cook. Using unique ingredients (i.e., monster parts), they become the Anthony Bourdains of their realm, getting into wild adventures and frying up delicious monster-based dishes. Our mouths are watering already.

Also check out:  BNA

Delicious in Dungeon

24 Episodes   TV-MA   2024

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JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

Just how bizarre is JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure? The anime is adapted from a manga by legend Hirohiko Araki that began as a fairly conventional action-adventure story but over the years transformed into an over-the-top romp: The characters strike impossible poses, don wildly creative outfits, and wield powers named after Araki’s favorite rock bands.

The series spans several generations of the Joestar family as they grapple with their perpetual antagonist, Dio Brando, going from Egypt to Japan to Italy to, in the latest installment, a prison in Florida. That latest season, “Stone Ocean,” is the first to feature a female Joestar family member, Jolyne, who might be one of the coolest women to appear in anime, like, ever.

Also check out: Baki Hanma

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

5 Seasons   TV-MA   2012

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My Happy Marriage

Set in the 1800s, when Japan was modernizing, My Happy Marriage centers on Miyo, a Cinderella-like character mistreated by her father, stepmother, and sister — because, in the world of My Happy Marriage, being born without supernatural powers makes you contemptible. When she comes of age, Miyo finally has the chance to escape her home by getting married, but there’s a catch: She’s betrothed to a soldier infamous for scaring away potential wives with his cruel behavior.

With its combination of historical setting, fantasy elements, romance, and lush animation by studio Kinema Citrus (Made in Abyss), My Happy Marriage has proved popular enough to get a second season, which is streaming now. Just don’t forget the tissues.

Also check out: Violet Evergarden

My Happy Marriage

2 Seasons   TV-14   2023

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Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre

For decades, the soft-spoken dental technician turned manga creator Junji Ito has been considered the Japanese king of horror stories, but there haven’t been many anime adaptations of his work.

That has been rectified by Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre, a new series adapting several short stories by Ito. Included are some of his most iconic characters, like the beautiful but deadly Tomie and the creepy but charming boy wonder Souichi. Because each episode is a different story, it’s easy to pop in and out, and the tone of each offers something new, from pure terror to tongue-in-cheek fun. For a good example of Ito’s wonderfully bizarre sense of humor, check out “The Story of the Mysterious Tunnel/Ice Cream Bus.” You’ll never look at the ice cream man the same way again.

Also check out: Devilman Crybaby

Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre

12 Episodes   TV-MA   2023

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Komi Can't Communicate

Komi’s goal in her first year of high school is to make 100 friends. There’s just one problem: She’s painfully shy. Unable to utter a single word, Komi resigns herself to suffering in silence until she meets Tadano, a good-hearted classmate who makes it his mission to help Komi break out of her shell and bond with her fellow students. Meanwhile, the connection between Komi and Tadano grows stronger, and soon it seems like they may take the step from friendship to romance.

Komi Can’t Communicate deals with serious topics like social anxiety and societal expectations in a way that’ll make you laugh out loud (and, yes, reach for the occasional tissue). An eclectic cast of side characters keeps things fresh and proves that, in the end, we’re all a little weird — and that’s great.

Also check out: Romantic Killer

Komi Can't Communicate

24 Episodes   TV-PG   2021

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Neon Genesis Evangelion

When it hit Japanese airwaves in 1995, Neon Genesis Evangelion quickly became a certified phenomenon. Almost 30 years later, the series and its spin-offs, reboots, and sequels still have a firm hold on viewers in Japan and around the world.

Evangelion takes place in a future Japan where the series’ teenage protagonists must pilot giant robots to defend the world against mysterious alien invaders called Angels. Giant robots had been a staple of anime for decades, but Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno combined the trappings of the genre with deep psychological themes that helped the show make its lasting impact. And let’s not forget that opening theme song, which still routinely dominates Japan’s karaoke charts.

Also check out: Gurren Lagann

Neon Genesis Evangelion

26 Episodes   TV-MA   1995

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Ōoku: The Inner Chambers

What if a disease that only affected men spread through the population, making women dominant in society? And what if this happened in feudal Japan? That’s the premise of Ōoku: The Inner Chambers, which is based on the popular manga by Fumi Yoshinaga.

The Ōoku of the title are the inner chambers of real-life Edo (now Tokyo) Castle, where women with a connection to the shogun lived. The chambers had their own intricate set of rules, and the women were unable to interact with the outside world or have relationships with men. In the series, of course, the tables are turned, and the inhabitants of the Ōoku are men who must serve the female shogun.

The series is full of palace intrigue, forbidden romance, and rituals: Think The Crown but in an alternate-universe Japan. If that doesn’t sell you on the series, also know it features a soundtrack by Ghost in the Shell composer Kenji Kawai.

Also check out: Yasuke

Ōoku: The Inner Chambers

10 Episodes   TV-MA   2023

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One Piece

One Piece, adapted from a blockbuster manga, hardly needs an introduction: It’s one of Japan’s most famous franchises, and it currently holds the Guinness World Record for “most copies published [of] the same comic book series by a single author,” One Piece mastermind Eiichiro Oda.

With the live-action adaptation making waves (and a new season on the way), what better time for noninitiates to dive into the world of One Piece?

The long-running  series (there are more than 1,000 episodes) centers on Monkey D. Luffy, a boy whose dream is to become the king of the pirates. All he has to do is find the ultimate treasure, the titular One Piece. (Considering how long the series has been going, easier said than done!) Along the way, he assembles a crew of fellow pirates who encounter new friends and foes on the high seas. Come for the charming character designs and fun setting, stick around for the epic world-building and massive scale.

Also check out: Hunter X Hunter

One Piece

33 Seasons   TV-14   1999

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Pokémon Concierge

Pokémon, the long-running video game/anime/trading card franchise about trainers and their battling monsters, hardly needs an introduction. With almost 30 years of Pokémon content, you might imagine there wasn’t much left to explore , but Pokémon Concierge puts a new spin on things, both in storytelling and format: Pokémon who need a break from all that battling visit the Pokémon Resort, where they’re waited on hand and claw by the new concierge, Haru, who day by day grows more confident in her job. The series is animated in charming stop-motion by Japan’s Dwarf Animation Studio (Rilakkuma and Kaoru) and is just the thing when you want to relax.

Also check out: Rilakkuma and Kaoru

Pokémon Concierge

8 Episodes   TV-PG   2023

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Record of Ragnarok

Once every thousand years, a council of gods — Greek, Shinto, Norse, you name it — get together and decide whether humanity deserves to carry on. This time, they agree to pull the plug, but they give humanity a final shot to defend itself from destruction in a tournament called the Ragnarok.

Record of Ragnarok pits gods against famous humans from history — matchups include Zeus vs. Adam and Hercules vs. Jack the Ripper — for fights that are laugh-out-loud funny and edge-of-your-seat epic. The irreverent take on mythology is a treat, as are the arbiters of the tournament, the Valkyries, who supply humanity with enough firepower to stand a fighting chance. The second season is streaming now.

Also check out: Spriggan

Record of Ragnarok

3 Seasons   TV-MA   2021

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SAKAMOTO DAYS

Once upon a time, Taro Sakamoto was the world’s greatest hit man — but then he fell in love. His new beau had one rule: no more killing. Fast-forward a few years, and Sakamoto is an unassuming family man, helping raise his kids while running a convenience store in suburban Japan. But quitting the hit man life isn’t that easy. Now there’s a bounty on Sakamoto’s head, and he has to use his old skills to defend himself and his family while still maintaining his wife’s rule. This action-comedy from the mind of artist Yuto Suzuki (the manga has sold more than 7 million copies) has been brought to animated life by TMS Entertainment (Dr. Stone).

Also check out: Scissor Seven

SAKAMOTO DAYS

22 Episodes   TV-MA   2025

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Vampire in the Garden

A five-part original from the mind of Ryôtarô Makihara (The Empire of Corpses), Vampire in the Garden takes place in a world in which vampires and humans are at war. To strengthen themselves as warriors, humans have abandoned music, art and all other “distractions,” while the vampires maintain a rich culture full of beauty. In this upside-down world, an unlikely friendship emerges between a human and a vampire who embark on a journey to find a more peaceful existence.

Along with its compelling storyline, Vampire in the Garden offers rich visuals courtesy of Wit Studio (Attack on Titan) and veteran character designer and animation director Tetsuya Nishio (Naruto). Its length makes it easy to pick up — and likely to whet your appetite for more.

Also check out: Bastard!! Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy

Vampire in the Garden

5 Episodes   TV-14   2022

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Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead

We’ve all got things we want to do before we kick the proverbial bucket, but it can be hard to break out of the day-to-day rut. That’s certainly the case for 24-year-old office worker Akira Tendo, but what finally gets him to wake up and experience life to the fullest isn’t an inspirational talk or self-help book, but a bona fide zombie apocalypse.

Based on the hit manga by Haru Aso, Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead combines zombie horror with humor in the style of Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland for a fun and occasionally harrowing romp through Tokyo in the midst of aforementioned zombie apocalypse. Thrills abound as Akira and his pals check increasingly dangerous items off their bucket list while learning important life lessons — and fending off zombies along the way.

Also check out: Uncle from Another World

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead

12 Episodes   TV-MA   2023

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Is there a Netflix code for anime?

There are, in fact — quite a few of them. Among Netflix’s thousands of category codes are ones for Anime, Anime for Beginners, and Anime Dubbed in English. If you’re looking for something more specific, try browsing categories like Exciting Sci-Fi & Fantasy Anime, Supernatural Anime, Action Anime, or Anime Based on Manga.

Epic Anime to Stream NowA dose of Japanese animation.