Sometimes, trying to find a good anime to stream is a bit like fishing through those discount DVD piles at Walmart. Will you find some good stuff? Maybe. Will you have to sift through a bunch of unwatchable junk to get to it? Definitely!
9 One Punch Man
|
Release Year |
2009 |
|---|---|
|
Seasons |
2 |
|
Episodes |
24 |
|
Status |
Ongoing |
The fun premise of One Punch Man is that our hero, Saitama, has trained his body so hard that he can literally dispatch any foe with a single punch. Rather than being happy that he’s the strongest in the world (like Goku would be), Saitama is actually bummed out that none of this world’s supervillains or killer kaijus can pose any real challenge to his might. But his ennui doesn’t keep our boy from landing in any number of misadventures involving sidekicks, fellow heroes, and charismatic bad guys.
The off-kilter storytelling makes this one of those quintessential anime series for people who don't like anime. Also, One Punch Man answers a question that few people have ever bothered to ask: if Superman were really that tough, wouldn’t he get bored? The result is a startlingly original show that constantly manages to surprise fans by zigging whenever you expect it to zag. And instead of the premise limiting the storytelling, the concept of an unstoppable (and utterly unflappable) hero helps make this anime unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.
8 Attack On Titan
|
Release Year |
2013 |
|---|---|
|
Seasons |
4 |
|
Episodes |
94 |
|
Status |
Ended |
If you’ll permit me to fanboy a bit, I’ll just say it: Attack On Titan is a modern-day anime epic. It starts out simple enough, focusing on a world where the only thing protecting humans from the giant monsters (the titular Titans) wandering the landscape are the Scouts. Their equipment helps them bound across rooftops and trees and, if they’re lucky, attack their oversized enemies’ singular weak spot. Unfortunately, the mindless Titans are so strong and ruthless that a single wrong move can and often does spell doom for your favorite characters.
The essential lure of this show is its high-flying battles, and the action scenes are admittedly breathtaking. Stick around, though, and you’ll uncover a story filled with twists, turns, and crazy betrayals. The glue holding all of this together is the amazing cast of characters led by Eren Yeager, a Scout with the ability to transform into a Titan. He is one of the most complex anime characters ever created, but be warned: you’ll spend a lot of your viewing time yelling at him!
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7 My Hero Academia
|
Release Year |
2016 |
|---|---|
|
Seasons |
7 |
|
Episodes |
159 |
|
Status |
Ongoing |
If you’re a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you’ll likely love My Hero Academia. The premise of this anime is that the vast majority of humanity has developed “quirks” that give them access to superpowers. It doesn’t take long before a few bad apples become supervillains, ushering in a new era of crime. Opposing them are heroes, many of whom become beloved celebrities thanks to their fight against injustice.
One of those celebs is All Might, a warrior who decides to share his unique powers with the young boy Izuku "Deku" Midoriya. But the new fighter has much to learn, which is why he enrolls in a school for gifted youngsters (see, I told you it’s like Marvel). For my money, this anime has some very engrossing world-building, and as a comic fan, it’s always rewarding to see how wild these onscreen fights get when the various heroes and villains find creative uses for their superpowers.
6 Dragon Ball Super
|
Release Year |
2015 |
|---|---|
|
Seasons |
2 |
|
Episodes |
131 |
|
Status |
Ended |
Many anime fans of a certain age (I see you, fellow Millennials) first fell in love with anime thanks to Dragon Ball Z. If you’ve been waiting for a worthy sequel and hated the non-canonical Dragon Ball GT as much as I did, then you’re going to love Dragon Ball Super. Chronologically speaking, it takes place near the end of DBZ, after Goku and his crew defeated Majin Buu.
Setting the story in that time period is mostly an excuse to get our favorite characters back for some more misadventures. Watching their latest onscreen adventures often feels cozy, a bit like catching up with old friends. You’ll even get to catch up with old villains from Goku’s past and meet some new threats from the cosmos, including a destroyer god who is always one missed snack away from destroying the Earth.
Been chasing the dragon trying to find an anime as cool as DBZ? Super is what you’ve been looking for, and you don’t even have to gather the Dragon Balls to summon it to your TV!
5 One Piece
|
Release Year |
1999 |
|---|---|
|
Seasons |
21 |
|
Episodes |
1,033 |
|
Status |
Ongoing |
What can I say about One Piece that hasn’t been said before? Next to Dragon Ball Z, this is perhaps the most iconic anime ever created. It’s also one of the longest-running, with over 1,100 episodes and counting. That can be a bit intimidating (it certainly was for me), but you won’t regret diving into this show. And it takes almost no time to get swept up in the story of the main character, Luffy, a brash, rubber-bodied boy who dreams of becoming the King of the Pirates.
He can’t become king, though, until he and his crew of charming misfits find the titular One Piece, a mythical treasure left behind by the greatest pirate who ever lived. For the most part, the One Piece is just the show’s McGuffin, providing a fun excuse for world-spanning quests and hilarious clashes between heroes and villains. Trust me: after an episode or two, you’ll see why this anime has generations of fans.
4 Chainsaw Man
|
Release Year |
2022 |
|---|---|
|
Seasons |
1 |
|
Episodes |
12 |
|
Status |
Ended |
Chainsaw Man takes place in a world where Devils constantly attack the residents of Japan, and those citizens’ only protection is the government’s own group of Devil Hunters. Their new secret weapon is Denji, a young man who gets Devil powers from his pet monster that allow him to transform into Chainsaw Man.
As with Attack on Titan, a big draw of Chainsaw Man is its wonderfully kinetic and over-the-top fights between evil Devils and our Devil-powered hero. But the longer you watch the show, the more you’ll get drawn into its fascinating world, one that instantly differentiates itself from other monster-hunting shows like Demon Slayer. Plus, the interactions between Denji and Power (a demonic Fiend turned reluctant Devil Hunter) are always hilariously memorable.
3 Trigun
|
Release Year |
1998 |
|---|---|
|
Seasons |
1 |
|
Episodes |
26 |
|
Status |
Ended |
Sure, some younger anime fans might prefer Trigun: Stampede. For someone who loves retro anime series like me, there’s nothing quite like the original Trigun. The show is an animated Western following a mysterious stranger known as Vash the Stampede. He’s a wanted man notorious for all the destruction he leaves behind, but those who meet him know him only as a goofy clown with good luck and great reflexes. And for viewers, the mystery of who and what Vash is helps hold together an anime mostly filled with episodic (not to mention Quixotic) adventures.
At only one season long, Trigun joins the ranks of shows like Cowboy Bebop that you can easily binge over a long weekend. And with my apologies to Spike and Jet, I’ve always considered Trigun the superior space Western. It’s filled with cool gunfights, charming audience surrogates, and a genuinely compelling main character. After you watch even a single episode, chances are that you’ll binge the rest of the season even quicker than Vash binges donuts!
2 Jujutsu Kaisen
|
Release Year |
2020 |
|---|---|
|
Seasons |
2 |
|
Episodes |
47 |
|
Status |
Ended |
In the world of Jujutsu Kaisen, power is a double-edged sword. Cursed energy has created monsters that wander the land in search of their next victim. But heroes who learn how to control the cursed energy within themselves can harness the abilities needed to send these ghouls back where they came from. Young Yuji must master his own cursed energy, but this is difficult because his body is host to one of the most evil sorcerers in human history.
Even more so than in shows like My Hero Academia, Yuji works as a perfect audience surrogate character. Through his eyes, we learn more about this unhinged world and its impossibly ugly monsters. We also get to marvel at his new friends and their own fantastic abilities. Speaking of new friends, pay close attention to Gojo, who might just be the most effortlessly cool protagonist in modern anime.
1 Assassination Classroom
|
Release Year |
2015 |
|---|---|
|
Seasons |
2 |
|
Episodes |
47 |
|
Status |
Ended |
It’s no exaggeration to say that Assassination Classroom has a story different than that of any other anime. The main character is a yellow, tentacled monster man who has destroyed most of the moon and threatens to destroy the Earth itself in one year’s time. When the government can’t figure out how to destroy his superpowered body, they must bow down to his strange demand: to teach a classroom full of misfit children exactly how to kill him.
Despite the whole “threatening all of humanity” thing, it turns out that the monster-turned-teacher actually has a heart of gold. And as with most teachers, he helps his students learn things that go far beyond the day’s lessons. The characters’ various breakthroughs and “ah-ha” moments are guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Bring the tissues, though, because this is an anime that will make you cry when you least suspect it!
All of these anime series are groundbreaking and have earned legions of dedicated fans. Ready to see what the Straw Hats are all about or discover why your biggest anime friends keep saying “love and peace?” Check out all of these titles on Hulu today to take your first step into a much larger, much nerdier world!
- Subscription with ads
- Yes, $10/month
- Live TV
- Yes, various plans available
- Price
- Starting at $10/month ($2/month for students)
- Number of live TV channels
- Over 85
Hulu is home to many killer TV shows, and that includes anime. Check out the platform today to stream all this awesome shows!
