Netflix is increasingly becoming the go-to place for anime fans to binge on their favorite anime series. Granted, its database could easily use a few hundred more anime. But fans aren’t complaining! The best part about services like Netflix is that not only do they provide anime in Japanese and English, but other native languages like Spanish and German.
For fans who are new to anime (or Netflix) and have no idea where to begin, then they don’t have to worry. Here are some of the best anime available anime for fans, ranked according to IMDb.
10 Fullmetal Alchemist (8.5)
This shounen-fantasy anime is a classic among anime fans. The story is about the lives of the Elric brothers, and how their desperation to gain back their dead mother forces them to make huge personal sacrifices. Eventually, both use alchemy to become stronger and are recruited by the government to work for them.
They make many friends and enemies along the way. Yet, the more villains they defeat, the more they are forced to face a bitter reality – they have lied to right from the start.
9 Code Geass (8.6)
Even though this anime ranks at number 9 on this list, its protagonist Lelouch ranks #1 as MyAnimeList’s most popular anime character ever. A little ironic, but it’s easy to see why he is so loved. This anime takes place in an alternate reality where Japan is subjugated by the nation of Britannia, and mecha suits are the norm.
One day and extremely powerful power is bestowed upon Lelouch and he takes it upon himself to rebel against the evil Britannian empire. He assumes a new identity and fights many battles, without ever knowing what the outcome will be.
8 Your Lie In April (8.6)
On the surface, Your Lie In April seems to be an anime based on music. It revolves around the life and struggles a pianist who’s lost his fame and passion for music. On his journey of self-discovery, he meets some unique people, one of which is a girl who manages to ignite the fire within him.
Unlike most musical anime, this one focuses more on human interactions, bonds, and relationships. It even includes a love triangle. So fans who enjoy angsty and emotional anime, this one is right up the alley for them.
7 One Piece (8.7)
Gol D. Roger was an extremely famous pirate who had earned the nickname Pirate King. Before he was executed, he revealed the world’s ultimate treasure called One Piece that could be found along the Grand Line.
Two decades later, the young and air-headed Monkey D. Luffy becomes a pirate. He makes it his singular goal to search for the One Piece, as well as taking over Roger’s coveted title of the Pirate King.
6 Attack On Titan (8.8)
In a world where humans are on the brink of extinction, they build huge walls and live inside them. They fear the monsters (called Titans) who live outside the walls and seem to consume humans for mere pleasure.
A century later, young Eren vows to kill all titans after witnessing one of the titans consume his mother. With his childhood friends Armin and Mikasa by his side, he enlists as a soldier in an elite military squadron known as the Survey Corps. Thus begins his mission of eliminating all titans.
5 One-Punch Man (8.9)
In a universe where superhumans exist and heroes are the norm, Saitama is an oddball. This young man, who is a NEET by all accounts, is a superhero out of boredom. The irony of it all is that he can defeat anyone (and we do mean that literally) with just one punch.
Even so, he has no fame or popularity. In fact, he is basically an unknown entity. However, things take a turn for the better when he finds himself with an ardent disciple called Genos. It is then that Saitama seriously decides to become a hero, and the two of them go on a lot of action-packed adventures.
4 Cowboy Bebop (8.9)
This science-fiction anime is set in an alternate universe where Spike Spiegel (the main character) is a bounty hunter. Despite having deadly defensive skills he has a laidback attitude. He begins his journey with his trusted (and much older) partner named Jet Black.
Along his journey and several misadventures, the two pick up a smart Alec named Faye Valentine. Together, the trio scours the corners of the galaxy in search of jobs and adventures.
3 Hunter x Hunter (8.9)
Pre-teen Gon Freecss’ world changes when he is told that his father isn’t dead, that he had deserted him in order to pursue his life as a Hunter. A morbid curiosity overtakes Gon who then decides to become a Hunter in order to understand what made his father take such a drastic decision.
Becoming a Hunter means passing the Hunter Exam, and this is where Gon makes 3 new friends – Killua, Kurapika and Leorio. The three pledge to become Hunters and soon realize what it really takes to become a true Hunter.
2 Death Note (9)
This rank might come as a surprise to many fans who expected Death Note to be the top-ranked anime in this list. This anime about a brilliant young schoolboy who possesses a supernatural book that turns him into a mass murderer was an instant hit among fans.
In fact, so much was its popularity that Netflix even adapted it into a live-action movie. The movie didn’t do well, but it still is a solid testimony to how Death Note has gone down as one of the best anime to ever come out of Japan.
1 Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (9.1)
Not many people are aware of the fact that Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is actually a re-make/re-boot of Fullmetal Alchemist. Expectedly, there are differences between the two anime, but the essence of both anime remains the same.
Despite that, it is Brotherhood that in vastly more popular than its predecessor. This can be observed by the fact how most Brotherhood fans assume it to be the only manga adaptation of the series. Of course, IMDb’s score is an excellent testament to the same fact.